David Edwards has spent over a decade reporting on social justice, human rights and politics for Raw Story. He also writes Crooks and Liars. He has a background in enterprise resource planning and previously managed the network infrastructure for the North Carolina Department of Correction.
Russian state-funded media played clips of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Fox News host Tucker Carlson because the conservative personalities oppose additional U.S. aid for Ukraine.
Russian Media Monitor translated Moscow's video coverage of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit to the United States.
Like many conservatives in the U.S., Russian state television criticized the leader for wearing "a sweater and cargo pants."
"I didn't go to the speech because I didn't want to be part of a photo op," Hawley said in a video clip included in the report.
A Russian correspondent noted that 86 Republicans refused to attend Zelenskyy's speech.
The Russian media report also included a clip of Carson mocking the speech.
"They clap like seals," Carlson opined. "So, no matter what the man in cargo pants said, 'Send more money. I command you! Send me more money!'"
The correspondent referred to Boebert and Gaetz as "brave" for attending the speech despite objections to military aid.
"Gaetz and Boebert didn't chap the palms of their hands [clapping]," the reporter observed. "They demonstrably remained seated and didn't jump up."
The report concluded with a clip of Boebert.
"Until Congress receives a full audit on where our money has already gone, I will not support sending additional money to this war," she said.
Donald Trump's allies have been packing the New York City courtroom where he's standing trial — and speaking out in his defense in statements that come close to violating the gag order imposed on him
And an onlooker reported Tuesday Trump appears to be very much in control of what they're saying.
In recent days political big guns including Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have given impassioned speeches outside the courtroom parroting Trump's accusation of a political witch hunt and attacking witnesses and the judge's family members.
Trump is forbidden from speaking about witnesses, jurors, court staff or their families under a gag order — though it also forbids him asking others to do it on his behalf.
New York Magazine's Andrew Rice, appearing on MSNBC's "Alex Wagner Tonight," said he spotted Trump rewriting and editing lines that would be spoken by the handful of notable guests who made the pilgrimage to the court, where he's on trial for falsifying business records.
"I could actually look over Trump's shoulder and see what he was reading, and he's reading the quotes that these individuals, and going through and making notations with a pen on the paper, he said.
"While testimony was going on, while Michael Cohen was testifying against him. He was actually going through and annotating and editing the quotes that these people were giving."
"They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail," said Johnson.
The speaker also sounded off on Judge Juan Merchan's daughter, a political consultant serving various Democratic candidates, accusing her of “making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats.”
Vice-presidential hopefuls Burgum and Vance made similar statements.
He added: "I think one thing that we've all known is this was a sham trial, but when you have an opportunity to see it up close and personal, you can see it's actually a scam trial."
"I think the only conclusion, of course, is its election interference, and it's tying up the president for being out on the campaign trail."
"I am ashamed as an American citizen to sit here in a courtroom watching the former leader of the free world, and let's be honest, likely next leader of the free world, sitting with the indignity in this dingy third rate courtroom," Ramaswamy
Vance also took potshots at Cohen, asking: "Does any reasonable, sensible person believe anything that Michael Cohen says?”
Then it was Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) turn. He attacked Cohen’s testimony as “an acting scene” and accused him of being a “serial liar.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 charges that he falsified business records to keep from the public details of a sexual relationship in order to manipulate the results of the 2016 campaign.
While former President Donald Trumpreportedly got some shuteye during day 17 of his New York hush money trial Tuesday, Fox News’ host Laura Ingraham's eyes were wide open.
The Daily Beast reports Ingraham had a pair of binoculars with her in the courtroom, and was told several times to stop using them.
Although binoculars are not, "strictly speaking, banned in the courtroom," according to the Beast, they are "banned when evidence is being shown to legal counsel before being presented to the jury — which is exactly when the Fox News host whipped them out."
The news outlet reported, "Several court officers repeatedly tried and failed to get Ingraham’s attention as she stared through the binoculars, apparently zoned out. 'Ma’am! You can’t use binoculars. No binoculars, ma’am. Ma’am. Hello!'"
A Daily Beast reporter looked on as Ingraham "let out a surprised huff and threw the binoculars down," the report notes.
On the first day of Trump's trial last month, Ingraham "raised eyebrows" after comments she made to millions of Fox News viewers regarding Trump's relationship with Daniels.
"Stormy Daniels thought she had leverage over Trump back in 2016 and she used that leverage to extract some money," the right-wing host said. "Like other politicians who had made embarrassing mistakes, Donald Trump was apparently trying to get that episode behind him."
Legal analyst Bradley Moss shared a clip of Ingraham's remarks via X, writing, "Wait, is Ingraham admitting that Trump had the affair? Because Trump certainly hasn't admitted that."
The Daily Beast's full report is available here (subscription required).
Republican anti-Donald Trump group the Lincoln Project on Tuesday issued a brutal rebuttal to one conservative pundit's recent attempt to shame Vice President Kamala Harris: a video montage of the former president uttering swear words that cannot be printed on this site.
"When you are representing the office of Vice President or President," an outraged Arroyo told anchor Laura Ingraham, "It diminishes the office and I think it turns off family audiences."
This comment opens Lincoln Project's 39-second video, which they introduced with the following warning: "This clip is NSFW [Not Safe For Work], thanks to Donald Trump."
The next 30 seconds show Trump very clearly not heeding Arroyo's advice: he utters curse words about a dozen times and appears to raise his middle finger.
The video was met with much approval by viewers on social media who took the time to thank the Lincoln Project for their in-depth analysis on Trump's rhetorical style.
"Someone finally said this," wrote @cheesypinwheels "Thank you."
"His lack of maturity and professionalism shows Ron Manuel posted. "And yet there are still individuals that regardlessly want him as their exalted leader. I just don’t get it."
About one hour after the video was published, it had been viewed nearly 50,000 times.
