Latest news with #OnBalance
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I have no shame': Todd Chrisley speaks out after Trump's pardon that freed him from prison
Todd Chrisley says that he has 'no shame' as he appeared in public for the first time since being freed from prison following an intervention from President Donald Trump. 'Shame is like a cancer that just spreads, and I have no shame,' he said at a press conference Friday, alongside his daughter Savannah Chrisley. His wife Julie Chrisley was not at the press conference. 'We're blessed to have our family back, and we're blessed to be coming back to television, because we do have a much bigger story,' Todd Chrisley told reporters at the briefing, touting their new TV show. He added that they started filming for the show 'as soon as we got home' from prison. Savannah Chrisley addressed what she said was 'the biggest misconception' about the couple's pardon following accusations of 'corruption.' 'The biggest misconception right now is that I either paid for a pardon or slept for a pardon,' she said. 'That's something I would've done,' her father interjected. She added that the pardon came about from 'countless hours,' 'time and money' she spent on traveling to D.C., where she was 'in the right room at the right time' with the 'right people.' The multimillionaire Trump supporters, whose show Chrisley Knows Best ran from 2014 to 2023, announced earlier in the week they were making a TV comeback: The Untitled Chrisleys Project on Lifetime. "We have a new show coming out on Lifetime, and it will document all of these things," Savannah Chrisley said, per ABC News. "And we're excited. We literally could not have done it. It's all God and President Trump at this point." The couple was found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in 2022. Prosecutors said the couple walked away from their responsibility for repayment when Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy. They were also both found guilty of tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS, while Julie Chrisley was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. She was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd Chrisley got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution. The couple have been appealing their case since being sentenced in November 2022, and have been in prison since January 2023. Savannah Chrisley, who has pushed for the pardon, revealed in an interview that Trump said her parents 'didn't look like terrorists' and he wanted to give them 'the full pardon.' 'Well, he did say, he was like, you know, 'You guys don't look like terrorists to me,' she told NewsNation's On Balance with Leland Vittert Monday. 'His exact words, which was pretty funny.' Critics accused the Trump administration of 'blatant corruption' for pardoning the Chrisleys. 'For context: The Chrisleys are well-known Trump supporters,' Ally Sammarco, a Democratic strategist, told her followers on X. 'Trump just pardoned TV personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley, who conspired to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of $30 million in fraudulent loans. In Trump's America, crimes are celebrated and prison sentences are cut short,' said Harry Sisson, a Democratic influencer, on X, calling it 'actual insanity.' In another post, Sisson noted that the pardons for the Chrisleys come as Trump also pardoned 'a corrupt Virginia sheriff who took over $75,000 in bribes' (Trump called him a 'wonderful person'), and a 'man convicted of serious tax crimes, whose mom donated $1 million to Trump and worked on his campaigns.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - Leland Vittert's War Notes: Fighting = Winning
NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight's 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here. Ozarks manhunt: The search for the former police chief turned convicted murderer turned prison escapee sounds like something out of a movie — except movie plots have to be believable. The former cop walked out of jail in a guard uniform Now, he's on the run in the rugged mountains of southern Missouri and northwest Arkansas What a story — it's summer, the brush is thick, and the weather's warm. We need Tommy Lee Jones, aka Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in 'The Fugitive.' Watch tonight: Survivalist Dave Canterbury joins us with why the former chief has the upper hand — and how the longer he stays out of jail, the better chance he has. Exclusive: The rest of the world forgot about East Palestine. To be fair: The rest of the world never really cared, but NewsNation did. And we are back — Rich McHugh is on the ground and tonight comes to us with new and exclusive reporting about how the victims still don't have the help they were promised. In the end, Elon Musk chose not to fight. At some point, he left the stage. Officially, he left yesterday, but he faded away from the political field of battle like the proverbial old soldier. I say 'at some point' because I can't remember exactly. It proves he was just the latest bit player in 'The Trump Show' — Trump's words, not mine. I am on a movie kick today — aside from 'The Fugitive' (see above), Rachel and I watched 'The Thomas Crown Affair' last weekend. 'Regret is usually a waste of time,' Crown told a business rival. But boy, would I love to ask Elon Musk, 'Was it worth it? Any regrets?' The world's richest man and business disruptor of our time thought he could change Washington. Washington didn't change him; it spit him out. He didn't fight; he just left. Last night, as news broke that a trade court overturned Trump's tariffs (who knew there even is a trade court?), the Washington and New York establishment rejoiced over a HUGE victory against Trump. In real time, Chris Cillizza and I told you it wouldn't matter. If Trump won an appeal on the right to unilaterally tariff, he wins. For the record, he won at the appeals court today. If Trump loses at the Supreme Court, he still wins because he can call himself a victim fighting against the swamp If Trump uses the court decision as a way out from most of his tariffs, he wins Rule No. 1 of Trump: He always wins. He sets the game up that way. Trump wins when he is fighting — remember what he said after getting shot? The swamp beat Trump in his first term; in his second term, he just won't stop fighting. To be fair: Trump learned he didn't have a choice. He realized early in 2021 he either fought or went to jail. It was and is about survival. 📖 He wrote about this in 'Art of the Comeback' nearly 30 years ago. Musk is the world's richest man. He didn't need to fight, and maybe that is his regret. But boy, it's still interesting Musk is gone but not really out. Stephen Miller's wife is going to work for Musk full-time now. Was it worth it for Musk? To be fair, he tried and then learned all the Republican promises to change Washington are just empty talk. Regrets are usually a waste of time, and Trump seems to understand that. He knows he's winning when he is fighting. Tune into 'On Balance with Leland Vittert' weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Todd Chrisley shows off his ‘prison bod' as he makes it home after being pardoned by Trump
Todd Chrisley boasted about his 'prison bod' as he enjoys his newfound freedom after being pardoned by President Donald Trump. His daughter Savannah Chrisley posted the video on Instagram following her father's release from a Florida prison, with the caption '@toddchrisley is Jacked.' Todd Chrisley, 57, asked his daughter, 27, to 'feel that muscle.' 'Y'all I'm not gonna lie, it's hard,' she said in the clip. Savannah, donning a bright pink MAGA hat, earlier went to greet her dad from prison on Wednesday. The multimillionaire Trump-supporting couple, whose show Chrisley Knows Best ran from 2014 to 2023 on basic cable, were serving prison sentences after being convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. Savannah Chrisley helped secure the pardon for her reality TV parents. The White House confirmed the couple's full pardons Tuesday and Trump signed them on Wednesday afternoon. Savannah Chrisley revealed in an interview that Trump said her parents 'didn't look like terrorists' and he wanted to give them 'the full pardon.' 'Well, he did say, he was like, you know, 'You guys don't look like terrorists to me,' she told NewsNation's On Balance with Leland Vittert Monday. 'His exact words, which was pretty funny.' Critics accused the Trump administration of 'blatant corruption' for pardoning the Chrisleys. 'For context: The Chrisleys are well-known Trump supporters,' Ally Sammarco, a Democratic strategist, told her followers on X. 'Trump just pardoned TV personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley, who conspired to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of $30 million in fraudulent loans. In Trump's America, crimes are celebrated and prison sentences are cut short,' said Harry Sisson, a Democratic influencer, on X, calling it 'actual insanity.' In another post, Sisson noted that the pardons for the Chrisleys come as Trump also pardoned 'a corrupt Virginia sheriff who took over $75,000 in bribes' (Trump called him a 'wonderful person'), and a 'man convicted of serious tax crimes, whose mom donated $1 million to Trump and worked on his campaigns.' Sisson called it 'blatant corruption.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Live: Todd Chrisley to be released from prison after Trump pardon
(NewsNation) — A day after being pardoned by President Donald Trump, reality TV star Todd Chrisley is set to be released from the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, on Wednesday. Trump pardoned reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, a celebrity couple convicted of bank and tax fraud in 2022. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, while Julie Chrisley received seven years. Diddy 'definitely should walk,' says Suge Knight: Exclusive Their daughter Savannah Chrisley exclusively told NewsNation that Trump called her while she was walking into a grocery store. She said Trump told her he didn't know her parents personally but wished them 'a good life.' Trump was joined for the call by 'pardon czar' Alice Johnson, whose sentence he commuted during his first term. Savannah Chrisley has publicly advocated for her parents' release, arguing their sentences were excessive. She told a crowd at the 2024 Republican National Convention that they were the victims of a 'two-faced justice system.' 'If I [believed] that my parents were guilty of what they did, then yes, they should have gone to prison,' Savannah Chrisley told 'On Balance' on Tuesday. 'I do not believe that even if they were guilty, the time they got was … I mean, it was absolutely insane.' The couple's 29th wedding anniversary was May 25, and Chrisley said her parents would have 'a late wedding anniversary' celebration upon their release. 'Tiger King' star 'Doc' Antle set for sentencing NewsNation's Brian Entin has talked exclusively to Todd Chrisley from prison twice. In December, the former real estate tycoon said he was concerned about conditions at the Pensacola, Fla., facility. He told NewsNation that he and other inmates were subjected to filthy conditions. He said prosecutors and prison staff had it out for him. 'The prosecutor said that we were the southern version of the Trumps,' he said. 'I'm not going to have someone like him break my family. And that's what he wanted to do, but he's not been able to do that.' NewsNation's Kellie Meyer and Damita Menezes contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Opinion - Leland Vittert's War Notes: True Power
NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight's 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here. No irony! Not to be outdone by his 'Sparticus' moment, Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., is comparing his marathon Senate speech to Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech — his book 'Stand' is out in November. Check out the cover of his new book about his marathon (without using the facilities) 'Stand,' and you'll understand what I mean. Watch tonight: Famed entertainer and businessman Ice Cube joins us tonight. Arthur C. Brooks writes in The Atlantic about why young people are so unhappy these days. There is a rural versus urban divide here that comes into play. Ice Cube will tell us how to help the least privileged among us focus on what matters to find happiness. Role model: Ice Cube has been married to his wife for 33 happy years. Maybe he is onto something. The president of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful man in the world. How powerful? Well, remember all those pictures of Elon Musk at the Resolute Desk, the talk of a co-president and more? Where is Musk now? He's on 'CBS Sunday Morning' and talking to the Washington Post, grasping for relevance and redemption. 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it,' he said to CBS. 'DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,' he told The Washington Post. The liberal crew who loved Tesla still trash his cars — literally. His SpaceX rocket exploded last night — many Americans rejoiced. Trump and MAGA remain unchecked Intrigue: Musk reportedly tried to kill a data center deal with the United Arab Emirates because his company wasn't included Is that why Musk is suddenly so talkative? It's not all bad — Tesla stock, the main source of his wealth, is up 101% in the last year. But, he's not riding on Air Force One anymore, or staring in Oval Office press conferences. We have not heard reports of his own cabin at Bedminster. The world no longer hangs on his every word. Like many who thought Trump needed them or were indispensable and irreplaceable, Musk is now grasping for relevance and redemption. And for those keeping score, Trump is more powerful than ever. Former President George W. Bush coined the phrase 'soft bigotry of low expectations' (OK, maybe it was his speech writer Michael Gerson), but now, 20 years late,r the city of San Francisco just went all in. Public schools in San Francisco are considering 'grading for equity.' Homework and class participation won't impact grade Students can retake the final exam Students can turn in assignments late Attendance won't impact grade Students can pass with a 'C' for grades 41% and up Points for creativity: Even a 4th-grade Leland inventing his dream school couldn't have come up with this. But seriously: Even if we assume good intentions by the most progressive, the real victims are the kids. If underprivileged kids are taught that standards don't matter, how will they ever excel outside of the 'woke' world? Common sense: Late today, the San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent issued a statement following the backlash against this policy, 'I have decided not to pursue this strategy for next year to ensure we have time to meaningfully engage the community. Right now we need to continue to focus on balancing our budget, stabilizing the district, and rebuilding trust.' The San Francisco proposal joins the Seattle anti-Christian riot as one more big city disaster that Democrats will have to answer for. I listen to a lot of news and read a lot too — have for decades. I just never understood how important Harvard is — especially its foreign students. Things I have learned: Without government-funded medical research at Harvard, everybody is going to die All the international students will go to Beijing, and China will take over the world A $53 billion endowment isn't that much — they really need federal money Without foreign students paying full tuition, Harvard won't be able to function Without academic freedom at Harvard, we may never know about important things like critical race theory Without Harvard researchers figuring it out: Normal folks won't know how privileged they are We will never fully realize how feminist poetry contributed to oppressing lesbians in the 1970s You get the idea. Lots of powerful people went to Harvard, and many of their kids go to Harvard But it's weird — all their powerfu,l rich alumni are on TV screaming about how important Harvard is, but I haven't heard any of them willing to open their wallets to 'save' the school What I never ever realized is how good Harvard is at PR. They should stop reading their own press releases — they are not indispensable (just like Elon Musk). Moreover, Harvard loves the fight with Trump as much as Trump loves the fight with them. What they don't realize is that they will lose. After all, Harvard is mostly just PR. Tune into 'On Balance with Leland Vittert' weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
