Columbia Mayor Molder holds financial advantage in 5th District race

 Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, shown hugging a supporter
at his congressional campaign kickoff, holds a financial
advantage in the Tennessee Congressional District 5 race.
(Photo: Holly McCall/Tennessee Lookout)

 By J. Holly McCall, Tennessee Outlook, February 4, 2026 - Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder holds a whopping financial advantage over other candidates running for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, including incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, campaign finance disclosures show. 

According to end-of-year reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Molder raised $412,000 in the last quarter of 2025. Since announcing his candidacy for the seat in September, the Democrat has raised more than $1.2 million and has $978,000 cash on hand. 

Ogles, a second-term Republican who has been the subject of campaign finance investigations, reported raising $151,300 during the same period. This brings Ogles’ total for the two-year election cycle beginning after the 2024 elections to $317,000. 

Both Molder and Ogles must survive primary elections to make it on the final ballot.

Charlie Hatcher

Former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher will take on Ogles in the Republican primary. Hatcher has raised $411,000 since entering the race in September, with notable donors including former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker with a $2,000 contribution, former Gov. Bill Haslam with $3,500, and Haslam’s father and brother — James Haslam, II and James Haslam, III, respectively — each donating $3,500.

Molder faces opposition from three Democrats, including first-term Metro Nashville Councilmember Mike Cortese. Cortese raised just over $100,000 in the final quarter of the year for a cumulative fundraising total of $263,000. Two other candidates, Jim Torino and Joyce Neal, have raised less than $20,000 combined. 

Notable donors to Molder include former Tennessee Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh and Loren Chumley, who served as commissioner of revenue under former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, both with $1,000 contributions. John Ingram, businessman and owner of the Nashville Soccer Club, has kicked in $7,000 to back the second-term mayor. 

National Democrats look at Tennessee’s 5th District as an opportunity to flip the seat, which was held by Democrats for nearly a century before Republican legislators redrew district lines during 2022’s redistricting process. 

Prior to 2022, the district was composed of Davidson County and portions of Cheatham County. Redistricting divided Davidson County into three portions — the other parts are in the 6th and 7th Congressional Districts — and the 5th District now includes all of Maury, Lewis and Marshall counties and parts of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson Counties. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted the seat and lists it as one of its “Districts in play.” The Cook Political Report, which provides independent, non-partisan analysis for federal and gubernatorial races, has shifted its predictions for the seat from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican.”

Ogles won the seat in 2022, beating state Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Nashville Democrat, by 13 percentage points. He defeated nine other candidates in the Republican primary, including former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell. 

In 2024, Ogles handily defeated Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston in the primary election.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles

But Ogles has faced criticism since his election for claims of resume inflation, has been the subject of an FBI fraud investigation, and faced calls for investigation into his campaign finances from the U.S. House Ethics committee. He has been highly critical of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell over his opposition to a federal sweep of South Nashville streets for immigrant residents in May and in December said judges in Nashville should be impeached.

Ogles received an endorsement from President Donald Trump in each of his congressional campaigns. After Hatcher announced in September he would challenge Ogles in the 2026 Republican primary, Trump endorsed Ogles again, calling him a “conservative warrior.”

In Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, Van Hilleary, who represented Tennessee’s 4th District from his 1994 election through 2002, is running in the Republican primary to replace U.S. Rep. John Rose, who is running for governor. 

Also running in the GOP primary is Goodlettsville Republican Rep. Johnny Garrett. Garrett is sitting on $1 million cash on hand, having loaned himself $600,000 in addition to more than $590,000 he has raised so far. 

Hilleary, who is chief of staff for Rose, has raised a total of $840,716. 

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For more information on Charlie Hatcher or to make a donation, follow this link. 
For more information on Chaz Molder or to make a donation, follow this link. 

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Marsha Blackburn Outrage of the Day: Feb. 7, 2026

 

1. Sen. Blackburn demands a probe of Ketanji Brown Jackson for attending the Grammys.

2. US Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces allegations that she and her campaign engaged in "flagrant violations" of federal and state law by using donations from her Senate campaign for her gubernatorial race.

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The Trump Outrage for the Day: Feb. 7, 2026

1. Racist Truth Social Post depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as

apes.

2. Trump will provide Federal funding of badly needed NY-NJ tunnel and subway extension if Penn Station and Dulles airport be renamed as Trump Station and Tump Airport

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81% of Tennesseans Want Limits on Property Tax Increases

 

by Rod Williams, Feb. 6, 2026- A new poll from The Beacon Center shows that 81% of Tennessee voters believe there should be a limit on how much property taxes can increase in any single year. The poll was conducted in conjunction with Targoz Market Research and polled 1200 residents. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.77%.

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67% of Tennessee Voters Favor School Choice

by Rod Williams, Feb. 6, 2026- A new poll from The Beacon Center reveals that 67% of Tennessee voters have a favorable opinion of school choice, supporting Governor Lee's statewide educational choice program. The poll was conducted in conjunction with Targoz Market Research and polled 1200 residents. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.77%.

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It Is Now Official: Nashville is Not a Sanctuary City.

DHS Secretary Kirsti Noem Press Conference
Nashville ICE field office, Nashville, May 2026

by Rod Williams, Feb. 5, 2026- The Trump Injustice Department has issued its official list of sanctuary cities, and Nashville is not on the list. We have only been a "scantuary city" for two months of our existence as a city, and are not one now, despite some people saying we are. Sanctuary city is a label or a perjorative so if one wants to call Nashville a sanctuary city, then they can but we are not officially designated as such. 

Last year, after immigration and Customs Enforcement raids took place in Nashville and our mayor was critical of ICE, many Facebook friends, talk radio host and callers, and other members of the public started criticizing Nashville as a sanctuary city. Rep. Andy Ogles accused O'Connell of obstructing federal authorities, endangering agents by publishing their names, and fostering a "sanctuary city" environment. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was also very critical of Mayor O'Connell and said his actions were shameful and he did not deserve to be mayor.

The actions Noem spoke of were that O'Connnell updated a longstanding policy requiring city personnel to report interactions with federal immigration agents to the mayor’s office. The change required notice within 24 hours instead of the three days required under the previous policy. 

Mayor Freddie O'Connell's administration also published records documenting Metro Nashville Police Department interactions with federal immigration officials following the ICE raids in Nashville. This data, intended for transparency under an executive order, included locations and, in error, the names of federal agents carrying out the raids. In addition, O'Connell urged people to contribute money to a fund set up to help the families of those impacted by having a family member deported. 

These actions did get Nashville listed as a sanctuary city for a short while, from May 30, 2025, to August 6, 2025. If you make Donald Trump or Kristy Noem mad, you can get listed as a sanctuary city. The governor and our senators sweet-talked Trump and apparently convinced him we were not really a sanctuary city and Mayor O'Connell grovelled a little bit, saying, “By definition, Nashville is not a sanctuary city. We do not, nor have we ever, had a policy that violates the state law. As we have stated several times in recent weeks, Metro does not have any legal authority as it relates to immigration enforcement, and we do not impede federal law enforcement actions. In fact, we regularly partner with state and federal law enforcement agencies to take violent criminals off our streets.” That worked. After only two months on the list we were removed from the list.

The Federal government does publish a list of the "characteristics of a scantuary city", but it is kind of vague. Here it is:

Sanctuary Jurisdiction characteristics include:

Public Declarations: Cities, states, or counties that publicly declare themselves a sanctuary jurisdiction or equivalent, with the intent to undermine federal immigration enforcement.

Laws, Ordinances, Executive Directives: Cities, states, or counties that have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other formalized practices that obstruct or limit local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Restrictions on Information Sharing: Cities, states, or counties that limit whether and how local agencies share information about immigration status of detainees with federal authorities.

Funding Restrictions: Cities, states, or counties that prohibit local funds or resources from being used to support federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Non-cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement: Cities, states, or counties that provide training to city employees and police on enforcing sanctuary policies and declining to respond to ICE requests for information.

Limits on ICE Detainers: Cities, states, or counties that refuse to honor ICE detainer requests unless there is a warrant signed by a judge.

Jail Access Restrictions: Cities, states, or counties that restrict ICE agents’ ability to interview detainees absent detainee consent.

Immigrant Community Affairs Offices: Cities, states, or counties that create dedicated offices to engage and advise illegal alien communities on evading federal law enforcement officers.

Federal Benefit Programs: Cities, states, or counties that circumvent federal laws prohibiting the provision of federal benefits to illegal aliens and provide them with access to benefits, including health care assistance, legal aid, food and housing assistance, and other subsidies. This includes cities, states, or counties that establish stand-alone benefit programs or equivalents. 

I think if Donald Trump wants you on the list, you are on the list. Some of these things Nashville clearly never did, some of them are kind of murky. I guess we walk a fine line. If we had a Democrat governor and were in a state that voted for Democrats, and our mayor was more combative in tone, we would be on the list.  

If one says Nashville is a sanctuary city, that is a label and an opinion, not a fact. I am pleased we do the bare minimum necessary to avoid the designation. I do want the city to do such things as honor detainer requests and allow ICE agents to interview retainees in our jail. I want violent criminals removed from our city, but I do not want the city cooperating in ICE raids on schools, Home Depot parking lots, and other actions that are cruel and inhumane and violate the Constitution. 

 

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Justice Department Publishes List of Sanctuary Jurisdictions

Press release, Office of Public Affairs, U. S. Department of Justice, Aug. 4, 2026 – Today, the Justice Department published a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”

On April 28, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14287: Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens. The Executive Order recognized that “some State and local officials . . . continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws” and “[i]t is imperative that the Federal Government restore the enforcement of United States law.” The Executive Order directed the Justice Department, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, to publish a list of such jurisdictions. Accordingly, the following states, cities, and counties have been identified as sanctuary jurisdictions:

STATES:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Illinois
• Minnesota
• Nevada
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

COUNTIES:

• Baltimore County, MD
• Cook County, IL
• San Diego County, CA
• San Francisco County, CA

CITIES:

• Albuquerque, NM
• Berkeley, CA
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Denver, CO
• East Lansing, MI
• Hoboken, NJ
• Jersey City, NJ
• Los Angeles, CA
• New Orleans, LA
• New York City, NY
• Newark, NJ
• Paterson, NJ
• Philadelphia, PA
• Portland, OR
• Rochester, NY
• Seattle, WA
• San Francisco City, CA

In recent months, the Justice Department has filed several lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions seeking to compel compliance with federal law, including one against New York City on July 24th. Recently, the Mayor of Louisville agreed to revoke their sanctuary policies following a letter from the Justice Department threatening legal action.

Read more about the sanctuary jurisdiction list and the criteria for inclusion here. This list is not exhaustive and will be updated as federal authorities gather further information. The federal government will assist any jurisdiction that desires to be taken off this list to identify and eliminate their sanctuary policies, so they no longer stand in opposition to federal immigration enforcement.

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Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis

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America is the Only Country Where You Could Get Off a Boat and Proudly Call Yourself an American.

 

by W. H. Bernstein, reposted from Facebook, 2/04/2026
- A friend posted this quote by TR. For starters, I never understood Roosevelt's appeal to conservatives.  He was wildly popular during his lifetime (my grandmother, the first female voter in Chatham Co. GA, voted for him in her first presidential election), and seems to remain so.  But TR was a Progressive leftist.  Most of what he stood for should be anathema to actual conservatives.  I suspect it's the guns, which he wanted to restrict to others, btw.

But the sentiment here is wrong historically, and wrong philosophically.  For starters, you have to understand it was said during WWI where there were many Americans loyal to Germany and loyal to Ireland who opposed US involvement with the Entente powers.

The sentiment is wrong historically.  This country has always been a multi-lingual society.  The Constitution was initially published in three languages because the Dutch speakers in NY, and the German speakers in Pennsylvania could not understand English.  Martin van Buren was our first non-native English-speaking president.  Subsequent acquisitions added French speakers in Louisiana and Spanish speakers in Florida.  Additionally, influxes of non-English speakers meant newspapers and neighborhoods populated by Germans, Russians, Yiddish speakers, Italians, Chinese, Swedes, and many others.

The sentiment is wrong.  Yes, assimilation was the ideal probably up until the 1970s.  But after that the realization that each person has a lineage that is part of him and embracing it helps one live an authentic life reduced assimilation.  That in turn has created a much richer society, and contributed to American culture.

America offers immigrants a proposition: in your private life you can believe, say, and do whatever you want as long as you aren't breaking any criminal laws.  In public life you sign on to an American tolerance.  If your boss is female you treat her like you would any other boss.  If your colleague is a non-Muslim, you treat her like any other person.  If you're an evangelical Christian, don't bring that into the workplace in an unwelcome manner.  People with religious tenets that forbid or mandate certain things request a reasonable accommodation from others, not a wholesale restructuring around their needs.

This is a key strength of America.  As Reagan said, it is the only country where you could get off a boat and proudly call yourself an American. 

Bill Bernstein, formerly of Nashville, where he was the owner of Eastside Gun Shop, now lives in Sumter, South Carolina. He is a scholar with a BA degree from Vanderbilt University and degrees in Classics from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the University of Pennsylvania.

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Trump's Crony Socialism is the Wrong Way to Beat China.

 by The Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal, Feb.2, 2026 -What would Republicans have said if the Biden crowd acquired government stakes in companies with ties to its friends and family? ... State capitalism and political cronyism are in fashion these days, despite a history of failure.

The Commerce Department recently announced a $1.3 billion loan and $277 million in direct funding for USA Rare Earth, in return for an equity stake and warrants that are worth about 10% of the company. 

... “This investment ensures our supply chains are resilient and no longer reliant on foreign nations,” Secretary Howard Lutnick said. If only. While the Texas and Oklahoma investments are promising, the government deal doesn’t solve America’s rare-earths challenge. It’s also fraught with political risk.

.... But government ownership of companies raises the risk that politics will influence business decisions. See how the French government has used its minority stake in automaker Renault to limit layoffs and dictate investments in the country.

Government ownership also increases the risk that officials will exercise favoritism to avoid losses and benefit cronies. ... 

The Administration has also taken stakes in other mineral companies, including  ... Trump officials don’t care about such apparent conflicts. But Republicans in Congress could put limits on state socialism in appropriations bills. Think of how a future Democratic President would imitate the Trump investment model—how about the government buying shares in electric-vehicle startups?

A better idea to counter China’s rare-earth dominance is to coordinate development of mines and processing facilities with allies, as the White House has sought to do with Australia. The Administration could also guarantee government purchases of rare earths and fast-track permitting, as Mr. Trump’s Operation Warp Speed did for Covid vaccines.

It’s a mistake to think that the only way to beat China is to emulate its statist model. (read it all)

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Trump’s Push to ‘Nationalize’ Elections, Explained

by Chad de Guzman, Time, Feb. 3, 2026 - As President Donald Trump continues to allege widespread electoral fraud benefitting Democrats, his latest attempt to upend U.S. elections in the name of correcting that fraud is a call for the Republican Party to “nationalize” voting.

Dialing in Monday on the podcast of former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who stepped down last month and returned to podcasting, Trump repeated unsubstantiated claims of noncitizen voters skewing election results, saying it is “amazing that Republicans aren’t tougher on it.”

“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places,’” Trump told Bongino. “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”  ....

What the Constitution says

The Constitution decentralizes the U.S. election process and has specifically left the President out. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 states that “the Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing [sic] Senators.” 

In practice, this means local officials across thousands of jurisdictions administer elections and tabulate votes, with safeguards built in that the American Bar Association says makes it “almost impossible for systems to be breached on a scale to affect federal or state results.” (read it all)

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It is Happening: Trump Says Republicans Should ‘Take Over’ Voting ‘In At Least 15 Places.’

 by Rod Williams, Feb. 2, 2026- It is now out in the open. Trump plans to steal the midterms.  President Trump told Republicans today that they should “take over the voting in at least 15 places.”   

If Republicans lose the midterm, Trump's agenda will be dead. I also suspect that a lot of Trump's corruption will be exposed, his cronies brought to justice and more than likely, Trump will be impeached. I think Trump will do everything possible, legal and illegal, to ensure he does not lose the midterm. As we know, he has attempted a coup once; stealing an election or suspending the Constitution or using force to hang onto power is not something he would have moral qualms about doing, and a lot is at stake. 

Since we do not actually have national elections but instead have 50 separate state elections, stealing a "national" election is not easy, but it could be accomplished and I think Trump plans to do it. Since we have 50 different state election mechanisms, one cannot steal an election by simply taking over a national election commission, since there is no such entity. Nevertheless, I think it is possible to steal a national election. I think he has already started the process.

He has been renewing and amping up his claim that the 2020 election was stolen. I don't think this is by accident. He is laying the groundwork to steal the election. He is building support for the claim that the Federal government must take over the election process in some cities to ensure that the elections are fair.

I am also convinced that putting troops into American cities is about more than mass deportation. He wants to accustom Americans to accepting a militarised force in American cities. 

This is what I see as Trump's plan to "win" the midterms:

Mid-decade redistricting: While this is not illegal, it is unprecedented and breaks tradition. Normally redistricng only occurs once every ten years following a new census. By creative jerrymandering, Republicans may pick up a couple or a few seats. This is already happening. 

Intimidation: By having his ICE thugs pull people off the streets and break down doors without warrants and even retain and sometimes "disappear" people, he is giving people reason to feel intimidated. That a few people get murdered by his army of thugs is intimidating. Since those people murdered by ICE are white and American citizens, it is not just the undocumented or the brown-skinned among us who have reason to fear ICE or Border Patrol. On election day, the presence or the fear that ICE might be present at polling locations will suppress voter turnout. 

Invoking the Insurrection Act: In areas where the demonstrations are large and turn violent, Trump will use that as an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act and will say it is impossible to conduct elections while an insurrection is underway, and in those areas in rebellion, elections must be cancelled.

Seizing voting machines and cancelling election results: In some instances, Trump will claim voter fraud took place and it is necessary to invalidate the election or necessary to seize voting machines and have the Federal Government count the ballots.  

Refusing to seat the winning candidate: Under Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution, the House of Representatives acts as the final judge of its members' elections and qualifications, allowing it to seat, exclude, or expel members. The Speaker will claim some of the elected candidates are either ineligible to serve or were fraudulently elected and the House will refuse to seat them.

I don't think I am exaggerating or unnecessarily alarmed. I know those who have drunk the Trump Kool-aid who will say I have TDS, but I think what I have outlined above is very possible, if not likely. Today Trump saying that the Federal government needs to "take over" the voting in 15 places should alarm everyone who cares about America remaining a democracy. I know some Trump loyalists don't care. Some will justify everything and anything Trump does. They will buy his argument that some parts of the country are in rebellion, and of course you can't have elections in parts of the country engaged in insurrection. Some of our fellow Americans are ready to embrace dictatorship. Many have aready but are in denial. 

While I suspect what I have laid out is probably under consideration by Trump, it is not destined to succeed. Our institutions are still strong and we are still a nation of laws. For it not to succeed, people need to stand up and not be intimidated. Companies, Universities, local governments, civil society, and journalists need to be bold and fearless in standing up to Trump. There needs to be an army of lawyers ready to take Trump to court and seek injunctions. And, Democrats need to win the midterm by a margin so big that the election is too big to steal. Republicans are facing a strong headwind now and are likely to lose the midterm unless Democrats screw this up. The worst thing Democrats could do is nominate woke left-wing nut jobs like they did in the recent Tennessee 7th Congressional election. I think by nominating sane, sensible candidates, institutions and civil society being bold, and by lawyering up, Trump's attempt to steal the midterm can fail. I hope it does; a lot is on the line. 

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CRFB Statement on Overdue President’s FY 2027 Budget February 2, 2026

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Feb. 2, 2026 - Under the law, the President is required to submit his budget for the upcoming fiscal year today, on the first Monday in February. However, there are reportedly no plans to release the budget today, and some press reports indicate that we may not get the President’s budget until March. 

In fact, President Trump has yet to release a full budget proposal since taking office last year. And no president has submitted their budget by the statutory deadline in 11 years, since 2015. 

The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: 

If you don’t budget, you can’t govern. Yet once again, the President’s budget is late – and there’s no explanation for the missed deadline. The President’s budget is incredibly important for kicking off the budget process and showing the Administration’s priorities. But President Trump has been in office over a year, and we’ve yet to see his fiscal plan. 

When the President does release his budget, it should include an actionable plan for getting our nation’s finances on sustainable footing. That budget should select a responsible fiscal target like reducing deficits to at least 3% of GDP, rely on realistic economic forecasts and credible budget estimates, and put forward specific tax and spending policies that put debt on a sustainable path.  

With debt approaching record levels and deficits projected to average over 6% of GDP per year, significant reforms will be needed. We won’t be able to fix the debt without touching Social Security, Medicare, defense, or revenue – the math just doesn’t work. And we can’t count on heroic growth rates or crashing interest rates. Most forecasters expect long-term economic growth of less than 2% per year; a budget that assumes 3% sustained annual growth over the next decade is not a serious budget. 

Unfortunately, policymakers actually added $1.5 trillion to the ten-year debt last year – a number that will go up significantly if the Supreme Court rules that many of the President’s tariffs are illegal. 

The President’s budget offers an opportunity to start turning things around. We need the President to lead. 

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Sen. Rand Paul Does Not Trust the Trump Admin. The Video Doesn't Support What They're Saying About the Killing of Alex Pretti

Rod's Comment: God Bless Rand Paul. It is one of the few Republicans willing to stand up and call out the Trump administration.

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‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company

by Rod Williams, Feb. 1, 2026- With Trump's masked jack-booted thugs murdering American citizens on the streets of our cities and breaking down of doors and raidng homes without judicial warrants, with the release of more Epstein files revealing a massive cabal of influential elites engaging in sex with minors and seeking favor from Jeffery and the continuing concealment of the depth of the scandal, with uncertainty remaining about U.S. intentions toward Venezueala, Canada, and Greenland, with the continueing prosecution of political enemies by the Trump Injustice Department, with Trump's attack on the Second amendment, and much much more, it is hard to focus on the corruptions of Trump and his family. In normal times, the unprecedented corruption of Donald Trump would be a big story that would garner continuous coverage and Congressional inquiry. With Trump flooding the zone, it gets scant coverage. It should not be ignored. 

The Wall Street Journal has revealed that four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, lieutenants to an Abu Dhabi royal secretly signed a deal with the Trump family to purchase a 49% stake in their fledgling cryptocurrency venture for half a billion dollars. Trump enriched himself and his family, putting at risk the security of the United States. Trump sold out his country. Here are excerpts from the story.

‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company 

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 31, 2026- ... The deal with World Liberty Financial, which hasn’t previously been reported, was signed by Eric Trump, the president’s son. At least $31 million was also slated to flow to entities affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder who weeks earlier had been named U.S. envoy to the Middle East, the documents said. 

The investment was backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal who has been pushing the U.S. for access to tightly guarded artificial intelligence chips, according to people familiar with the matter. Tahnoon—sometimes referred to as the “spy sheikh”—is brother to the United Arab Emirates’ president, the government’s national security adviser, as well as the leader of the oil-rich country’s largest wealth fund. ... 

The deal marked something unprecedented in American politics: a foreign government official taking a major ownership stake in an incoming U.S. president’s company.

... Trump’s election reopened the door for him. In the months that followed, Tahnoon met multiple times with Trump, Witkoff and other U.S. officials, including in a March visit to the White House where the sheikh told officials he was eager to work with the U.S. on AI and other issues, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Two months after the March meeting, the administration committed to give the tiny Gulf monarchy access to around 500,000 of the most advanced AI chips a year—enough to build one of the world’s biggest AI data center clusters. ...

The agreement was widely viewed as a coup for the emirate’s ruling family, overcoming longstanding U.S. national security concerns and allowing the country to compete with the most powerful economies in the world at the cutting edge of AI advances. Proponents hailed the deal for unlocking a flood of investment into the U.S. and for helping entrench American technology as the global standard. 

What wasn’t publicly known: Tahnoon’s emissaries had signed the deal to purchase 49% of World Liberty that January. 

... Of the first $250 million installment from the Tahnoon-backed company, called Aryam Investment 1, $187 million was directed to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, the documents said. In addition to the payout to Witkoff family entities, another $31 million was directed to an entity tied to co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro. The Journal couldn’t determine how the second half of Aryam’s investment, which was due by July 15, 2025, may have been distributed.

... Disclosures on World Liberty’s website showed the Trump family’s equity interest fell to 38% from 75% last year, indicating someone had likely purchased a stake, but the company has never disclosed a buyer. 

... “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, who said his assets are in a trust managed by his children. “There are no conflicts of interest.” She said Witkoff is working to “advance President Trump’s goals of peace around the world.”

Read it all at this link. Disgusting!

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