Badlands News Brief

Trump's Tapes, Putin's Plan & Byrne's Bio

Badlands Media will always put out our content for free, but you can support us by becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter. Help our collective of citizen journalists take back the narrative from the MSM. We are the news now.

---

The News Cycle is almost impossible to track these days. At least, to do so fully.

That’s where we come in.

In the Badlands News Brief, the Badlands Media team hand picks news items of interest from the previous days to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community.

Some items feature original commentary from members of our growing team of citizen journalists. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see their other work.

Now, onto the news from Monday, June 26 …

---

CNN obtains the tape of Trump’s 2021 conversation about classified documents

CNN has exclusively obtained the audio recording of the 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump discusses holding secret documents he did not declassify.

The recording, which first aired on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” includes new details from the conversation that is a critical piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump over the mishandling of classified information, including a moment when Trump seems to indicate he was holding a secret Pentagon document with plans to attack Iran.

“These are the papers,” Trump says in the audio recording, while he’s discussing the Pentagon attack plans, a quote that was not included in the indictment.

In the two-minute audio recording, Trump and his aides also joke about Hillary Clinton’s emails after the former president says that the document was “secret information.”

“Hillary would print that out all the time, you know. Her private emails,” Trump’s staffer said.

“No, she’d send it to Anthony Weiner,” Trump responded, referring to the former Democratic congressman, prompting laughter in the room.

Trump’s statements on the audio recording, saying “these are the papers” and referring to something he calls “highly confidential” and seems to be showing others in the room, could undercut the former president’s claims in an interview last week with Fox News’ Bret Baier that he did not have any documents with him. — CNN

Our Take: “You gotta hand it to the Deep State media: they certainly know how to fixate on narratives.

The recording, CNN alleges, is further evidence Trump had access to documents that he revealed to persons they claim did not have security clearances.

However, Trump's status as POTUS allows him to declassify documents by action—not just by declaration.

As we've seen since this narrative emerged, the legal theory associated with the claim that Trump can't unilaterally decide to declassify documents is dubious and not supported by precedent. The media knows this. The Deep State know it. Regardless, the DS media will continue to spread the lie that Trump is in the wrong.

They're betting on the fact that most voters don't fact-check or investigate the basis of news stories; thus, a carefully crafted MSM deception, despite the fact it might have been corrected by the MSM, will still deceive many who never look beyond the surface.

Hence, our need, our duty, to continue to share the facts of these stories, as far as humanly possible.” — Justin Deschamps

***

Another Take: “Our own Jon Herold pointed out the ‘staged’ feeling the audio gives off on Twitter, as Trump is ruffling papers so loud while being recorded that it’s sometimes difficult to make out what he’s saying.

I’m personally one of the believers that Trump’s constant references to his ‘Perfect Phone Call’ with Zelensky signals FAR more than simply a call that was not incriminating; I believe Trump is hinting that he had some manner of control over how that call would play out, knew that audio would be ‘leaked,’ knew what stories the Media Machine would spin up in its wake, and had Biden Crime Family sauce ready to deploy as soon as they took the bait.

Come to think of it, that sounds astoundingly similar to the reverse wrap-up smear that was the Mar-a-Lago Raid.

Why would this one be any different?

In short, whenever the gotcha media thinks they’ve ‘caught’ Trump, the boomerang comes back around with significantly more force than they were expecting.

Think they’ll ever learn?” Burning Bright

---

Kevin McCarthy says he'll start impeachment of AG Merrick Garland by July 6 over bombshell IRS whistleblower testimony that he interfered in criminal investigation into Hunter Biden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says Republicans will begin an impeachment inquiry into Attorney General Merrick Garland by July 6 following bombshell IRS whistleblower testimony that the top Justice Department official interfered in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden. 

The Republicans plan to take this action following new allegations by IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, a 14-year veteran of the agency, claiming that Hunter Biden has been given preferential treatment by investigators looking into his tax affairs and lying on a gun permit application.

Shapley pointed to a WhatsApp message sent on July 30, 2017, by Hunter to Chinese Communist Party official Henry Zhao, threatening him to follow his 'orders' and saying his dad was with him. Shapley alleges he raised concerns about the WhatsApp message to DOJ prosecutors, who rebuffed his concerns. 

McCarthy said on Fox & Friends Monday that U.S. Attorney David Weiss - who led the investigation into Hunter and charged the president's son last week for violating federal tax and gun laws after a 5-year probe - must appear before the House Judiciary Committee.

In addition, the speaker said that an impeachment inquiry into Garland will begin by July 6 if the IRS whistleblower claims check out. — The Daily Mail

Our Take: “Attorney General Merrick Garland lied under oath during his March 1, 2023 testimony before Congress.

That is the implication of allegations made by IRS Whistleblower Gary Shapley, and that is the trigger for the impeachment tease by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Monday.

From the March 1 testimony:

'The U.S. attorney has been advised that he has full authority to make those referrals you’re talking about or to bring cases in other districts if he needs to do that,' Garland said. 'He has been advised that he should get anything he needs … I have not heard anything from that office that suggests they are not able to do anything that the U.S. attorney wants them to do.'

According to Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, 'Weiss tried to bring charges in the District of Columbia around March of 2022 and was denied.' Additionally, Smith asserted that 'Weiss sought to bring charges in the Central District of California in the fall of 2022 and had that request denied in January 2023.'

If allegations that Weiss was denied are true, then Garland either didn't know Weiss was denied — which begs the question of who had the authority to deny him given the AG's prior statements — or, more likely, Garland lied in March 2023. And there is no universe in which Garland didn't know.

Biden's embattled Attorney General doubled down on his testimony Friday, claiming Weiss 'was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own.' That should be easy for House investigators to verify, and ostensibly, McCarthy would have verified the facts before talking about impeachment.” — Ashe in America

---

---

Rising Number Of Russian, Chinese Nationals At US Southern Border Raises Security Concerns

House Republicans stated that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have intercepted an increasing number of foreign nationals from countries not in South or Central America, including Russia, and several high-value targets from China.

In a June 21 Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Threats Posed to the Homeland by Nation-State Actors in Latin America, held by the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, concerns were raised by several lawmakers regarding the potential dangers posed to the United States by an unsecured border.

During the hearing, Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) voiced his alarm and shared significant information regarding encounters with foreign nationals from various countries of concern.

“I am concerned that the chaos of the Southwest border could be taken advantage of by anti-U.S. regimes—not just can, but has been,” Pfluger said.

“Meanwhile, the PRC and our foreign adversaries are expanding their spheres of influence in Latin America, right in our backyard. … There are clear implications for U.S. Homeland Security.” — The Epoch Times

Our Take: “Ever since Biden’s inexplicable withdrawal from Afghanistan, where US citizens and military personnel were stranded to bring planes full of military age Afghan males to the US interior, I’ve been concerned that Biden’s ‘immigration’ related moves are actually troop movements.

Only a month ago, Sara Carter reported that there has been a 393% increase in Chinese ‘migrants’ crossing the US Southern Border. That story barely received any attention, and the regime continues to push the ‘humanitarian crisis’ narrative in an effort to further relax longstanding immigration laws. While Carter raised the concern of increased risks from Chinese spy activity — not just in her article but in her headline — the story was memory-holed. A month later, we learn that US Customs and Border Patrol has intercepted ‘several high-value targets from China’ as well from Russia and other nations hostile to the US.

The prioritization of the perceived rights of foreigners over the rights and security of US citizens and their communities is a hallmark of policy making under Biden, and the more we learn about the realities of this administration’s open borders posture, the more questions we have about the overall objective. Given this new reporting about Chinese spies, I’m sticking with troop movement.

Trump was right: It’s an invasion.” — Ashe in America

---

Biden Stresses US "Not Involved" In Wagner Uprising; Furious Putin Says West 'Wanted Russians To Kill Each Other'

Within hours ahead of Putin's big speech Monday evening (local time), the Kremlin touted there would be several "major" announcements, but there was really nothing earth-shattering. In fact much of the fairly short address to the nation on the Wagner rebellion was a reiteration of prior Kremlin statements, and it didn't exactly appear 'tough'. 

While Putin stressed that "traitors will face justice" and that "we defeated a colossal threat" - he at the same time seemed to offer a bit of an olive branch. "At the same time we knew and know that the vast majority of the fighters and commanders of the Wagner group are also patriots of Russia, devoted to their people and the state," Putin said. He said Wagner fighters could sign contracts with the Russian army. "Today you have the opportunity to continue serving Russia by entering into a contract with the Ministry of Defense or other law enforcement agencies, or to return to your family and friends. Anyone who wants to can go to Belarus," he said of the mutineers. "
The promise I made will be fulfilled. I repeat, the choice is yours, but I am sure it will be the choice of Russian soldiers who have realized their tragic mistake."

And yet at this moment the FSB and Russian Prosecutor's Office have made statements implying the criminal case for treason is still open against Prigozhin, who is presumably now in Belarus. And more from the Putin speech:

Mr Putin claimed mutiny was “resolutely rejected by society”, and that he directly ordered that “steps were taken to avoid a lot of bloodshed”, as he praised Russian pilots apparently shot down by Wagner mercenaries for having “saved Russia from tragic devastating consequences”.

“I thank all our military personnel, law enforcement officers, special services who stood in the way of the rebels, remained faithful to their duty, oath and their people,” the Russian president said.

Putin looked very serious and angry during the short speech. — ZeroHedge

(WATCH THE SPEECH ON TWITTER BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW.)

Our Take: “On the surface, Putin’s statements do nothing to undermine the belief myself and many others in this community hold regarding the Net Effects or benefits of the Wagner ‘Coup’ (totally real and definitely not at all fake,) namely, that it allowed Putin to put the Western Media Industrial Complex through the Narrative wringer, provoke Ukrainian forces into disadvantageous positions, and reveal those both within and without his immediate Chain of Command who were disloyal to the Russian Federation, not to mention the backing (or lack thereof) of Russia’s supposed allies in Eurasia.

Whatever your thoughts on the veracity of these headlines where it concerns Biden’s involvement or lack of it, focus on the fact that they exist in the first place.

To the Collective Mind, the US President is currently being forced to deny allegations that he tried to foment a direct rebellion against a global superpower whose leader they have been conditioned to fear.

Putin is forwarding parallel rhetoric to Trump.

Biden is being framed by both as a warmonger.

Both are framing themselves as Peacemakers.

Wonder who will be proven right.” — Burning Bright

---

Capitol Times Magazine Launches Inaugural Edition Featuring Patrick Byrne on 'DHS Domestic Extremist' Cover

Our Take: “Since last week, Patrick Byrne has been claiming that a major disclosure was coming this week, and briefly on Monday he dropped an 80+ article in the inaugural issue of The Capitol magazine, with a forward from General Michael Flynn.

Much of the article recaps Byrne’s prior disclosures about his affair with Maria Butina, his role in a blackmail scheme against Hillary Clinton, and his role as an eager intelligence asset in the cause for peace. He provides additional color and details for these stories. For example, he goes into detail about the US government signing off on his fictional plan to rape and murder Maria Butina, and he makes the previously undisclosed assertion that, when the FBI dropped the sting on Hillary Clinton, they also threatened Byrne’s life.

But we also get staggering, brand new disclosures, two of which I will recap here:

First, ‘… in 2006, 300 million Americans elected a Senate, which choose a Senate Judiciary Committee, which chose a chairman, who told me their power transcended everything else within government, systemic corruption was taking over the US government, and the country needed me to disrupt it.’

He goes into great detail about this claim, including the names of the bipartisan group of Senators that engaged him, a group that includes Senator Chuck Grassley.

Second, ‘Hunter Biden was reaching out to the Iranian government in the fall of 2021 with the following offer: ‘You Iranians have $8 billion frozen in a bank account in South Korea. My father will unfreeze it in return for $800 million being funneled into a numbered account for us. And if you do this deal with us, it will lubricate other negotiations which have recently started between us.’’

The interviewer summarizes:

‘Patrick, you are claiming that 18 months ago, the Bidens were seeking a bribe from Iran to release funds frozen in South Korea, and to go easy in nuclear talks, and that the United States Government has been aware of this since December, 2021?’

Byrne: ‘That is 100% correct.’

To put a fine point on the obvious, that Hunter and Joe bribe is during Biden’s current presidency. And the corrupt government has ignored it and allowed scrotus to continue destroying America.

The piece is consuming and reads like the confessions of a spy. Byrne insists he is not a spy but a patriot honorably serving his country. In his forward, General Flynn states unequivocally, ‘Patrick’s story is for real; he’s for real, and the corruption he’s exposed is for real, and it only gets worse the further you read.’

He’s not wrong. If Byrne was working on a life mission to expose corruption in the US government, this piece serves as a public read out. His confession should set the establishment on fire. He also reportedly testified, under oath, to all of the information in the piece before the J6 Committee. Apparently, they omitted quite a bit from their final report.

Byrne removed the piece shortly after posting in on Telegram, likely due to copy errors throughout that appear to be the result of an issue with tracked changes. It is expected to be published in The Capitol today, and I encourage everyone to prioritize the time to read it.” — Ashe in America

---

We hope you enjoyed this brief look back at the major news items you might have missed in this ever-escalating and ever-accelerating news cycle as the Information War continues to rage on around us.

The Badlands Media team will continue to combine our cognitive powers in order to slow things down and find the signal amidst the noise as this series expands.

As always, if you have any thoughts on these news items or the MANY others swirling in the digital ether, drop into the comments below to share them with your fellow Badlanders.