Latest news with #Hitler-style
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
South Korea presidential hopefuls make final pre-election pitch to voters
Supporters of Kim Moon Soo, presidential candidate with the People Power Party, perform during his election campaign rally in Seoul, South Korea, late Monday, June 2, 2025. -- AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon SEOUL (Reuters): South Korea's leading presidential hopefuls crisscrossed the country on the final day of campaigning on Monday before converging on Seoul, vowing to revive an ailing economy and put months of turmoil over a failed martial law attempt behind them. Tuesday's election was triggered by the ouster of Yoon Suk Yeol after he briefly imposed martial law in December, stunning South Koreans who had come to believe the days of using the military to intervene in the democratic process were long past. Liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung vowed to mend the social division that deepened in the aftermath of Yoon's martial law, but said his opponent and Yoon's People Power Party must be held accountable, branding them "insurrection sympathisers". "We are at a historic inflection point of whether we go on as a democratic republic or become a country of dictators," Lee told a campaign rally in the battleground capital. Later he said his top priority as president if elected would be urgent steps to address the economy, adding he would first turn his attention to the cost of living for middle- and low-income families and the struggles of small business owners. After sweeping through key swing vote regions and the stronghold of his main conservative opponent, Kim Moon-soo, Lee focused on the capital region - home to the highest concentration of the country's 44.39 million voters. Around 40,000 supporters gathered at Lee's final campaign rally near the National Assembly, where he and 189 other lawmakers voted to lift Yoon's martial law six months ago as their aides and citizens were stopping soldiers from entering the building, according to his party. Kim began the final day on the southern island of Jeju before crossing the country north, calling Lee a "dangerous man" who, if elected, would abuse the office of president and the parliament controlled by his Democratic Party under "Hitler-style" dictatorship. The conservative candidate once again apologised on Monday for Yoon's martial law and pledged to undertake political reform. "Martial law was wrong, and there were many other wrongdoings. I promise Korean politics will be different from the past," Kim said at his last rally near Seoul City Hall. The two leading candidates were scheduled to wrap up three weeks of official campaigning at midnight in Seoul, with polls set to open at 6 a.m. (2100 GMT on Monday) on Tuesday across the country. The winner, who will be certified on Wednesday, will have just a short few hours before taking office without the usual two-month transition as Yoon was removed by the Constitutional Court on April 4 for grave violation of his lawful duties. -- (Reporting by Jack Kim; additional reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Ed Davies, Saad Sayeed and Mark Heinrich) - Reuters
CNN
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘A great friend': Audio undercuts Trump US attorney nominee's disavowal of alleged Nazi sympathizer
Ed Martin, the Trump-appointed interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia and nominee to serve in the role permanently, says he now regrets praising a Capitol rioter who is an alleged Nazi sympathizer — claiming he was unaware of the man's extremist views at the time. 'I denounce everything about what that guy said, everything about the way he talked, and all as I've now seen it,' Martin told The Forward, a Jewish publication, last week after previously calling the rioter, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 'extraordinary.' 'At the time, I didn't know it,' Martin said. But a CNN KFile review of Martin's podcast shows he repeatedly praised Hale-Cusanelli in interviews with him, including two where they openly discussed — and dismissed — allegations that Hale held pro-Nazi views, including an infamous photo of Hale posing with a Hitler-style mustache. Martin hosted Hale-Cusanelli at least five times on podcasts in 2024, including his show 'The Pro-America Report with Ed Martin.' The interviews were conducted well after Hale's Nazi sympathies had been widely reported in media coverage and documented in court records. In the January 2024 episode, Martin and Hale-Cusanelli discussed how media coverage before his trial portrayed him as a far-right extremist and 'the reincarnation of the Führer.' Martin described the coverage as 'character assassination' and a 'caricature' of Hale. In the July 2024 episode, Martin explicitly referenced the infamous Hitler-style mustache photo and framed it as an attempt to smear Hale and other Trump supporters as antisemitic. 'Again, you know, not your best moment,' Martin told Hale-Cusanelli on air in July 2024, referring to the photo. 'But not illegal.' Martin repeatedly referred to Hale-Cusanelli as 'a great friend' and 'an amazing guy,' and said they had grown close after his release from prison. Martin's disavowal of Hale-Cusanelli's comments comes as he faces a tough confirmation battle to become DC's top prosecutor as Democrats try to stall the process and force Republicans to hold a hearing on his nomination. A bipartisan group of senators have submitted over 500 questions for Martin to respond to, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said at a committee meeting earlier this month. Among his own questions, Grassley asked Martin about Hale-Cusanelli, a source familiar with the process told CNN. Martin's status as acting US attorney expires on May 20, according to federal law, setting up a tight timeline for him to get confirmed by the Senate. A spokesperson for Martin declined to comment to CNN beyond the public apology when asked if Martin had discussed his ties to Hale-Cusanelli with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The spokesperson also pointed to Martin telling The Forward that he was 'unaware of the full scope of his repulsive behavior,' which, Martin said, is 'clearly far more serious than a singular act that, by itself, might look like a mistake.' Hale-Cusanelli, an Army reservist who previously worked as a security contractor at a Naval base, was convicted of breaching the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and sentenced to four years in prison in 2022. An internal Navy investigation uncovered numerous incidents in which Hale-Cusanelli promoted racist and antisemitic views. Colleagues told investigators Hale-Cusanelli made daily disparaging comments about Jews and one recalled Hale-Cusanelli saying, 'Hitler should have finished the job.' At his trial, Hale-Cusanelli denied that he is a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer. He said that his comments were 'ironic' and a form of 'self-deprecating humor' he used with friends. 'I'm half Jewish and half Puerto Rican,' Hale-Cusanelli testified, telling jurors that his comments were meant to be ironic. 'I know it's offensive. I know it bothers a lot of people. I know it's repugnant.' Hale-Cusanelli was released from prison in late 2023 and spent the next year on a media blitz tour to discuss his incarceration, including appearing on Martin's podcast. 'Tim Hale is an extraordinary guy. I've gotten to know him really well. I'd say we're friends over the last few years, and especially in the last month since he's been out of jail,' Martin said when hosting Hale-Cusanelli in July 2024. On that program, Martin made clear he was aware of the Nazi allegations levied against Hale-Cusanelli, twice-bringing it up. 'The leaking of the photo where, you know, you resemble, uh, Hitler - or whatever - goofing around, whatever that is, that was done in such a way that you had to live with it everywhere you turned,' he said. 'They used your phone and took a photo and leaked a photo to say, 'Ah, look. These people, these people, MAGA people are antisemitic,'' Martin said. 'And the photo was of you, I've heard you say it before, you know, you had like a mustache shaved in such a way that you looked vaguely like Hitler and making jokes about it.' The photo was recovered from Hale-Cusanelli's cell phone and included in the initial criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department when it indicted Hale-Cusanelli in March 2021 – not in a leak like Martin claimed. Martin then asked Hale-Cusanelli if he had ever attended a Nazi rally. 'No, I have not,' Hale-Cusanelli responded. 'I wouldn't know where to find one.' The episode was the second time that Martin and Hale-Cusanelli discussed the allegations of Nazi sympathies. In the January appearance, Martin lamented that Hale-Cusanelli was 'tried in the media' and that he was a victim of 'character assassination' before he was on trial. 'l'll be the first one to admit, to admit that I haven't always been a great person throughout my life,' replied Hale-Cusanelli. 'I have a very dark sense of humor. And frankly, a wannabe actor, a comedian. And so, you know, I kind of dug my own grave to some extent when it comes to, you know, saying horrible things to get a few chuckles out of five people.' 'And ultimately they were able to portray me as a far-right extremist, they were able to portray me as basically the reincarnation of the Fuhrer. Unfortunately, that's – part of that is my fault. But, you know, at the end of the day, being a jerk is not a crime.' Martin's ties to Hale-Cusanelli have come under scrutiny as his nomination is considered by the Senate. A previous review by CNN's KFile found that Martin failed to report in his Senate paperwork nearly 200 media appearances he made over the past few years, many of which were on far-right programs and Russian-state media. The Washington Post reported that Martin failed to disclose more than 150 appearances on Russian state TV. The paperwork is reviewed by staffers and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to evaluate nominees. While it is common for nominees from either party to amend their paperwork, and Martin himself acknowledged that there 'may be other materials I have been unable to identify, find or remember,' Martin's initial disclosures failed to capture the vast majority of his media appearances over the years. 'I regret the errors and apologize for any inconvenience,' Martin wrote in one disclosure update he filed earlier in April. Congressional Democrats have sought probes into Martin's prosecutorial conduct and have raised concerns about Martin's missing disclosures. They even requested a confirmation hearing for Martin – a rare step taken for US Attorney nominations. But a spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley told CNN that the senator does not intend to hold hearings on Martin's nomination.
CNN
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘A great friend': Audio undercuts Trump US attorney nominee's disavowal of alleged Nazi sympathizer
Ed Martin, the Trump-appointed interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia and nominee to serve in the role permanently, says he now regrets praising a Capitol rioter who is an alleged Nazi sympathizer — claiming he was unaware of the man's extremist views at the time. 'I denounce everything about what that guy said, everything about the way he talked, and all as I've now seen it,' Martin told The Forward, a Jewish publication, last week after previously calling the rioter, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 'extraordinary.' 'At the time, I didn't know it,' Martin said. But a CNN KFile review of Martin's podcast shows he repeatedly praised Hale-Cusanelli in interviews with him, including two where they openly discussed — and dismissed — allegations that Hale held pro-Nazi views, including an infamous photo of Hale posing with a Hitler-style mustache. Martin hosted Hale-Cusanelli at least five times on podcasts in 2024, including his show 'The Pro-America Report with Ed Martin.' The interviews were conducted well after Hale's Nazi sympathies had been widely reported in media coverage and documented in court records. In the January 2024 episode, Martin and Hale-Cusanelli discussed how media coverage before his trial portrayed him as a far-right extremist and 'the reincarnation of the Führer.' Martin described the coverage as 'character assassination' and a 'caricature' of Hale. In the July 2024 episode, Martin explicitly referenced the infamous Hitler-style mustache photo and framed it as an attempt to smear Hale and other Trump supporters as antisemitic. 'Again, you know, not your best moment,' Martin told Hale-Cusanelli on air in July 2024, referring to the photo. 'But not illegal.' Martin repeatedly referred to Hale-Cusanelli as 'a great friend' and 'an amazing guy,' and said they had grown close after his release from prison. Martin's disavowal of Hale-Cusanelli's comments comes as he faces a tough confirmation battle to become DC's top prosecutor as Democrats try to stall the process and force Republicans to hold a hearing on his nomination. A bipartisan group of senators have submitted over 500 questions for Martin to respond to, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said at a committee meeting earlier this month. Among his own questions, Grassley asked Martin about Hale-Cusanelli, a source familiar with the process told CNN. Martin's status as acting US attorney expires on May 20, according to federal law, setting up a tight timeline for him to get confirmed by the Senate. A spokesperson for Martin declined to comment to CNN beyond the public apology when asked if Martin had discussed his ties to Hale-Cusanelli with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The spokesperson also pointed to Martin telling The Forward that he was 'unaware of the full scope of his repulsive behavior,' which, Martin said, is 'clearly far more serious than a singular act that, by itself, might look like a mistake.' Hale-Cusanelli, an Army reservist who previously worked as a security contractor at a Naval base, was convicted of breaching the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and sentenced to four years in prison in 2022. An internal Navy investigation uncovered numerous incidents in which Hale-Cusanelli promoted racist and antisemitic views. Colleagues told investigators Hale-Cusanelli made daily disparaging comments about Jews and one recalled Hale-Cusanelli saying, 'Hitler should have finished the job.' At his trial, Hale-Cusanelli denied that he is a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer. He said that his comments were 'ironic' and a form of 'self-deprecating humor' he used with friends. 'I'm half Jewish and half Puerto Rican,' Hale-Cusanelli testified, telling jurors that his comments were meant to be ironic. 'I know it's offensive. I know it bothers a lot of people. I know it's repugnant.' Hale-Cusanelli was released from prison in late 2023 and spent the next year on a media blitz tour to discuss his incarceration, including appearing on Martin's podcast. 'Tim Hale is an extraordinary guy. I've gotten to know him really well. I'd say we're friends over the last few years, and especially in the last month since he's been out of jail,' Martin said when hosting Hale-Cusanelli in July 2024. On that program, Martin made clear he was aware of the Nazi allegations levied against Hale-Cusanelli, twice-bringing it up. 'The leaking of the photo where, you know, you resemble, uh, Hitler - or whatever - goofing around, whatever that is, that was done in such a way that you had to live with it everywhere you turned,' he said. 'They used your phone and took a photo and leaked a photo to say, 'Ah, look. These people, these people, MAGA people are antisemitic,'' Martin said. 'And the photo was of you, I've heard you say it before, you know, you had like a mustache shaved in such a way that you looked vaguely like Hitler and making jokes about it.' The photo was recovered from Hale-Cusanelli's cell phone and included in the initial criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department when it indicted Hale-Cusanelli in March 2021 – not in a leak like Martin claimed. Martin then asked Hale-Cusanelli if he had ever attended a Nazi rally. 'No, I have not,' Hale-Cusanelli responded. 'I wouldn't know where to find one.' The episode was the second time that Martin and Hale-Cusanelli discussed the allegations of Nazi sympathies. In the January appearance, Martin lamented that Hale-Cusanelli was 'tried in the media' and that he was a victim of 'character assassination' before he was on trial. 'l'll be the first one to admit, to admit that I haven't always been a great person throughout my life,' replied Hale-Cusanelli. 'I have a very dark sense of humor. And frankly, a wannabe actor, a comedian. And so, you know, I kind of dug my own grave to some extent when it comes to, you know, saying horrible things to get a few chuckles out of five people.' 'And ultimately they were able to portray me as a far-right extremist, they were able to portray me as basically the reincarnation of the Fuhrer. Unfortunately, that's – part of that is my fault. But, you know, at the end of the day, being a jerk is not a crime.' Martin's ties to Hale-Cusanelli have come under scrutiny as his nomination is considered by the Senate. A previous review by CNN's KFile found that Martin failed to report in his Senate paperwork nearly 200 media appearances he made over the past few years, many of which were on far-right programs and Russian-state media. The Washington Post reported that Martin failed to disclose more than 150 appearances on Russian state TV. The paperwork is reviewed by staffers and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to evaluate nominees. While it is common for nominees from either party to amend their paperwork, and Martin himself acknowledged that there 'may be other materials I have been unable to identify, find or remember,' Martin's initial disclosures failed to capture the vast majority of his media appearances over the years. 'I regret the errors and apologize for any inconvenience,' Martin wrote in one disclosure update he filed earlier in April. Congressional Democrats have sought probes into Martin's prosecutorial conduct and have raised concerns about Martin's missing disclosures. They even requested a confirmation hearing for Martin – a rare step taken for US Attorney nominations. But a spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley told CNN that the senator does not intend to hold hearings on Martin's nomination.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
37 Powerful Photos From Yesterday's Anti-Trump Protests That Will Haunt The United States Forever
Note: In light of President Donald Trump's executive order that threatens to deport foreign pro-Palestinian student protesters — including students with visas — we have blurred all faces in the images below to protect their freedom of speech. Yesterday, a mass anti-Trump movement took place across the United States. movement was referred to as "50501," meaning 50 protests in all 50 states on one single day. to the Build the Resistance website, which serves as a hub for 50501, the protests were a "rapid response to the anti-democratic, destructive, and, in many cases, illegal actions being undertaken by the Trump administration and the plutocrats he has aligned with." from the protests illustrated how US residents feel about Trump increasingly shifting the richest men in the world into his inner circle and the government... Elon Musk's now-infamous salute... against trans rights... president's highly controversial cabinet picks... decision to scrap a policy that prevented ICE agents from entering sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals, and schools... US's involvement in the Israel-Hamas war... issuing about 1,500 pardons for Jan. 6 participants, including those who attacked police officers... anti-science rhetoric... so much more. signs depicted both Trump and Musk with Hitler-style mustaches... called to deport Musk from the US altogether. 14.'I'm appalled by democracy's changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago,' one protester told AP outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. 'So I'm just trying to put a presence into resistance.' a part of this resistance, calls against fascism rang throughout the crowds. appear to fear a loss of their freedom of speech. they appear to see their movement as a way to fight back against Nazi ideology. were many... anti-Nazi signs. expressed concern over Musk, who has never been elected to a government office... access to federal data. well as Trump's initial moves in office largely mirroring the plans in Project 2025, which the president had previously distanced himself from during the campaign cycle. younger generations... older generations... different backgrounds are stepping up to the plate to make their voices heard. the messages are loud. say they want Trump to keep his "tiny hands off our gov't." call Trump "a thug." declare that "real Americans take care of each other." asked how they felt about the 50501 protests, someone who didn't attend said, "Everyone has the right to protest and should if they choose to." 31."Everyone has the right to peaceful protest under the first amendment. ✌️" another added. in response to those who say protesting doesn't change anything, one person wrote, "It's a start. I came of age 1965-1975 and it took HUNDREDS of protests, some of them 200,000 people to effect change. It's probably too soon right now, but things are moving fast." will tell how this movement affects the administration's actions moving forward. seeing grassroots action and Americans rally in all 50 states... one president... undeniably... What are your thoughts on the protests? Let us know in the comments.
Buzz Feed
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
37 Powerful Photos From Yesterday's Anti-Trump Protests That Will Haunt The United States Forever
Hot Topic 🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Politics Yesterday, a mass anti-Trump movement took place across the United States. 1. The movement was referred to as "50501," meaning 50 protests in all 50 states on one single day. 2. According to the Build the Resistance website, which serves as a hub for 50501, the protests were a "rapid response to the anti-democratic, destructive, and, in many cases, illegal actions being undertaken by the Trump administration and the plutocrats he has aligned with." 3. Signs from the protests illustrated how US residents feel about Trump increasingly shifting the richest men in the world into his inner circle and the government... 4. ...billionaire Elon Musk's now-infamous salute... 5. ...policies against trans rights... 6. ...the president's highly controversial cabinet picks... 7. ...Trump's decision to scrap a policy that prevented ICE agents from entering sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals, and schools... 8. ...the US's involvement in the Israel-Hamas war... 9. ...Trump issuing about 1,500 pardons for Jan. 6 participants, including those who attacked police officers... 10. ... dangerous anti-science rhetoric... 11. ...and so much more. 12. Many signs depicted both Trump and Musk with Hitler-style mustaches... 13. ...or called to deport Musk from the US altogether. 14. 'I'm appalled by democracy's changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago,' one protester told AP outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. 'So I'm just trying to put a presence into resistance.' 15. As a part of this resistance, calls against fascism rang throughout the crowds. 16. Citizens appear to fear a loss of their freedom of speech. 17. And they appear to see their movement as a way to fight back against Nazi ideology. 18. There were many... 19. ...many anti-Nazi signs. 20. Others expressed concern over Musk, who has never been elected to a government office... 21. ... gaining access to federal data. 22. As well as Trump's initial moves in office largely mirroring the plans in Project 2025, which the president had previously distanced himself from during the campaign cycle. 23. Now, younger generations... 24. ...and older generations... 25. ...of different backgrounds are stepping up to the plate to make their voices heard. 26. And the messages are loud. 27. Signs say they want Trump to keep his "tiny hands off our gov't." 28. They call Trump "a thug." 29. And declare that "real Americans take care of each other." Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images 30. When asked how they felt about the 50501 protests, someone who didn't attend said, "Everyone has the right to protest and should if they choose to." Sopa Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 31. "Everyone has the right to peaceful protest under the first amendment. ✌️" another added. Sopa Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 32. And in response to those who say protesting doesn't change anything, one person wrote, "It's a start. I came of age 1965-1975 and it took HUNDREDS of protests, some of them 200,000 people to effect change. It's probably too soon right now, but things are moving fast." Sopa Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 33. Time will tell how this movement affects the administration's actions moving forward. Medianews Group / MediaNews Group via Getty Images 34. But seeing grassroots action and Americans rally in all 50 states... Drew Angerer / AFP via Getty Images 35. ...against one president... Bloomberg / Bloomberg via Getty Images 36. ...is undeniably... Erik Mcgregor / LightRocket via Getty Images 37. ...historical. Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images What are your thoughts on the protests? Let us know in the comments.
