Good morning, and welcome to the Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, March 12, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas.
Hidden Jan. 6 Transcript Revealed
A previously hidden transcript of an interview conducted by a U.S. House of Representatives panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol has been revealed, undermining a committee claim.The transcript shows that Anthony Ornato, the White House deputy chief of staff at the time, overheard Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, on the phone with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. Mr. Ornato testified that Mr. Meadows asked Ms. Bowser if she needed any more guardsmen and mentioned President Donald Trump’s willingness to ask for 10,000 troops. Ms. Bowser reportedly said she was “all set.”
The final report from the committee stated that there was no evidence of President Trump ordering 10,000 troops for Jan. 6. However, the newly released transcript supports Mr. Meadows’s claim that President Trump did order 10,000 National Guard troops to be ready for Jan. 6.
Speaking to Fox News, Mr. Meadows previously said, “As many as 10,000 National Guard troops were told to be on the ready by the secretary of defense. That was a direct order from President Trump.”
Former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller told Vanity Fair that, in a meeting on Jan. 5, 2021, he told President Trump the Department of Defense would provide any number of Guard personnel that Washington officials requested. President Trump responded by saying, “You’re going to need 10,000 people.”
But Mr. Miller told the select committee that he “never ... knew of any plans of that nature.”
“There was no direct, there was no order from the president,” he later added.
The committee’s final report included Mr. Miller’s testimony but did not mention Mr. Ornato’s testimony or previous quotes from Mr. Miller, Mr. Meadows, and President Trump. The committee has been criticized for its actions and for presenting doctored material.
Other details revealed in the transcript include Mr. Ornato’s testimony that White House officials kept trying to get Guard personnel deployed on Jan. 6. While Mr. Miller on Jan. 6 approved additional forces, they took hours to arrive on the scene.
Mr. Meadows repeatedly contacted Mr. Miller to inquire about their whereabouts, Mr. Ornato said. But Mr. Miller had pointed to logistics challenges and timelines to explain the delay.
Kash Patel, former chief of staff to Mr. Miller, previously testified that President Trump authorized 10,000 to 20,000 Guard troops, but the court determined there was no evidence to support this. Mr. Patel argued that his testimony under oath served as a first-hand witness, plus the reports the judge excluded such as Ms. Bowser’s letter.
Mr. Patel also said that officials could not have rejected the Guard unless President Trump had authorized the Guard beforehand. He emphasized that while President Trump could authorize the deployment of troops, he could not order their deployment.
The House select committee, which drew criticism for its partisan makeup and actions, was disbanded when Republicans took control of the House. According to the representative who released this hidden transcript, it has revealed that the committee withheld critical witness testimony from the American people that contradicted their predetermined narrative.
Democrats Vote Unanimously to Include Illegal Immigrants in Census
Senate Democrats have blocked Sen. Bill Hagerty’s (R-Tenn.) proposal to exclude illegal immigrants from the national census, arguing that their numbers are crucial for determining House seats and Electoral College apportionments.President Joe Biden had previously ordered the Census Bureau to count all residents regardless of immigration status. Mr. Hagerty’s amendment would have added a citizenship question to future censuses, leading to the exclusion of non-U.S. citizens from electoral apportionments. The proposal was part of a government spending package but was rejected by Democrats in a 45–51 vote.
Mr. Hagerty accused Democrats of using illegal immigrants and sanctuary cities to increase their political power, and vowed to keep fighting for the amendment.
A sanctuary city is an area where the authorities may limit cooperation with the federal government’s efforts to enforce immigration law, deportation, or prosecution.
Mr. Hagerty and other Republican senators introduced the Equal Representation Act after a Democratic congresswoman called for more illegal immigration to her district to gain an advantage in redistricting.
Republicans argue that illegal immigration in states like California unfairly influences congressional seats and electoral votes. Entrepreneur Elon Musk also criticized the current system, stating that counting illegal immigrants affects the balance of power.
The discussion on immigration comes amid a border crisis and a significant increase in illegal border crossings under the Biden administration. Republicans have urged stricter border laws, with some calling for an immediate border closure following a murder committed by an illegal immigrant. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the Biden administration for releasing illegal immigrants into the country and said that House Republicans will “continue to fight tooth and nail for a return to law and order.”
Trump Claims Jack Smith Just Made an Admission in Classified Documents Case
President Trump claimed that special counsel Jack Smith made an admission in a court filing in connection to how he was appointed as a special prosecutor in the classified documents case against the former president.Mr. Smith’s filing stated that he was lawfully appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland and rejected arguments that Mr. Garland violated the Constitution’s Appropriations Clause, which states that federal officers have to first be appointed by Congress, not specific federal agencies. The filing also argued that the attorney general has the authority to appoint a special prosecutor under Section 533.
President Trump’s attorneys and third parties argued that the attorney general violated the Constitution’s Appropriations Clause.
President Trump argued that Mr. Garland is carrying out orders to prosecute him and interfere in the 2024 election. The Biden administration and Mr. Garland have denied these allegations and maintain that Mr. Smith is independent and accountable.
Judge Aileen Cannon allowed two amicus briefs to be filed in support of President Trump’s arguments in the case. One brief, submitted by former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, argued that Mr. Smith’s appointment was illegal and the case should be dismissed.
Another brief, submitted by the America First Legal Foundation, claimed that the National Archives and Records Administration exceeded its authority in referring the case to the DOJ.
Trump Requests Delay of New York Criminal Trial as Supreme Court Weighs Presidential Immunity
President Trump’s attorneys have raised a presidential immunity defense in a criminal case in New York. They have filed a motion to exclude certain evidence and adjourn the trial, as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments regarding President Trump’s presidential immunity defense in a separate case.President Trump has been indicted in four jurisdictions with a total of 91 charges, and he has previously used presidential immunity as a defense. In the New York case, he is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records. In Washington, D.C., he is charged with obstruction and conspiracy related to his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and the case has been appealed to the Supreme Court.
Defense attorneys argue that the trial in New York should be postponed until the high court reaches a decision. They also claim that evidence from President Trump’s time in office should not be used by prosecutors. The prosecutors, on the other hand, want to present evidence of a “pressure campaign” initiated by President Trump against Michael Cohen in 2018.
The Supreme Court’s decision could have implications for all four of President Trump’s criminal cases and would help determine the line between personal and official acts during his presidency. By considering the Supreme Court’s guidance, the defense argues that certain evidence should be precluded based on presidential immunity.
Fauci Deputy Warned Him Against Vaccine Mandates: Email
Mandating COVID-19 vaccination was a mistake due to ethical and other concerns, prominent government doctor Matthew Memoli warned Anthony Fauci after Dr. Fauci promoted mass vaccination.In an email, Dr. Memoli emphasized that coercing or forcing people to get vaccinated can lead to negative consequences from multiple perspectives, including biological, sociological, psychological, economic, and ethical standpoints. Instead, he suggested focusing efforts on high-risk individuals, such as the elderly and obese, rather than pushing vaccination on the young and healthy. According to Dr. Memoli, this approach would help maintain public trust and not squander political capital.
Dr. Memoli disagreed with Dr. Fauci’s assertion that mass vaccination would lead to the end of the pandemic. He argued that yearly influenza shots have been shown to drive virus evolution, and the same could potentially happen with the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Memoli claimed that mandated mass vaccination could either have no effect or even be detrimental, prolonging the pandemic or causing more harm.
He criticized the vaccination strategy for relying on a single antigen, leading to temporary immunity that weakens over time, thus giving the virus an opportunity to evolve. While some experts, including virologist Geert Vanden Bossche, share similar views, others in the scientific community, such as CDC scientists, argue that vaccination prevents virus evolution.
Dr. Memoli sent the email to Dr. Fauci and other top officials but did not receive a response. In subsequent messages, he referred to the mandates as unethical and expressed hope that legal cases against them would allow individuals to make their own health care decisions.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor at Stanford University, commended Dr. Memoli for speaking out against mandates, stating that they have eroded public trust in public health measures. The National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies ultimately removed their mandates in 2023.
Dr. Fauci did not respond to requests for comment, and Dr. Memoli’s attempts to answer questions were thwarted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ media office.
