Badlands News Brief

Hur Provokes Reactions as the Trump-Musk Pincer Continues

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 pick news items of interest from the previous days to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community.

Many items feature original (and subjective) commentary. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see our writers’ Substack accounts and check out their other work.

Now, onto the news from Tuesday, March 12 …

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The US has its first presidential rematch since 1956, and other facts about the Biden-Trump sequel

Just when Americans thought they were out, Joe Biden and Donald Trump pulled them back in.

The sequel to the 2020 election is officially set as the president and his immediate predecessor secured their parties’ nominations. Biden and Trump have set up a political movie the country has seen before — even if the last version was in black and white.

The last presidential rematch came in 1956, when Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower again defeated Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic opponent he had four years prior.

Grover Cleveland, meanwhile, was the nation’s 22nd and 24th president, winning elections in 1884 and 1892.

As sequels go, fans of politics and film may hope the Biden-Trump rematch ends up like the acclaimed “The Godfather II” rather than the often-derided “The Godfather III.” But the Biden-Trump rematch is expected to take its place alongside historical analogues that date back to the nation’s founding. — AP News

Our Take: “I’ll admit to being extremely confused when news BROKE late Tuesday night that the Biden vs. Trump rematch was ‘official,’ now that both have secured enough delegates in the mostly fake primaries in order to proceed ‘officially’ to the mostly fake election in November (h/t Chris Paul,) that I believe we should and will vote in any way, in order to either overwhelm the other side’s attempts at fraud, or to render any repeat of 2020 absolutely and undeniably absurd on its face.

That said, the ‘official’ nature of the rematch solidifies a few encouraging directional plot points in the War of Stories:

• Americans love rematches, and this one should be no different.

• Americans love a comeback, and this one should be no different.

• Americans who somehow did NOT vote for Donald Trump have now lived under 3+ years of the Biden Establishment Regime (or so we’re told,) and have the ‘alternative path’ to compare Trump to.

• Americans are in the rare position of having an ‘alternative candidate’ in Trump who has already been there publicly, and done that MUCH better.

I don’t think the establishment media is in on the game when they refer to the set-up to the 2024 election as resembling a ‘movie,’ but that doesn’t make them wrong.

We’ve been told we’re going to like how this one ends. Them? I’m not so sure.” — Burning Bright

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Special counsel Robert Hur says he ‘did not exonerate’ Biden, claims president lied about sharing, locking classified docs

Former special counsel Robert Hur told lawmakers Tuesday that his report on President Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents “did not exonerate” Biden of wrongdoing and that the commander-in-chief and his defenders were misleading the public about key details in the case.

“I did not exonerate him and that word does not appear in the report,” Hur corrected Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) during a five-hour-long House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill.

Jayapal, the influential chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, spoke over Hur as he corrected her before she cut him off by saying, “Mr. Hur, it’s my time. Thank you.”

Hur testified that Biden lied at least twice to the public; once when claiming he had not shared classified information with a ghostwriter and again when the president alleged that he had locked up the documents in question — and Hur also revealed that the White House counsel’s office had sought to purge his report of negative assessments of Biden’s mental fitness.

Hur wrote in his bombshell report, released Feb. 8, that he had uncovered evidence that Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials” but found that the 81-year-old should not face charges for hoarding the nation’s secrets over a span of decades on the grounds that jurors would likely see him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” — NY Post

Our Take: “The House Judiciary Committee hearing with Special Counsel Robert Hur was fiery, but mostly peaceful on Tuesday, and Hur was firm in his convictions against some ragey allegations by both sides.

Republicans were upset that Hur declined to bring charges. Democrats were upset that Hur's report implies that Biden is senile. Way too much of the discussion was ‘but Trump’ isms. I covered some of the hearing with Just Human, who pointed out the many parallels between the two documents cases.

You can watch our coverage here.

Directly behind Hur during his testimony were what appeared to be two US Marshalls with US Capitol visitor badges. Marshalls are a protective service and, as Hur resigned from the DOJ earlier this week, were likely ordered by someone other than Merrick Garland. DOJ protection requests are usually via the FBI. It's unclear if there are specific threats, or if this is just precautionary detail.

Perhaps the best part of the hearing was confirmation that there are ongoing investigations about these very sensitive matters — meaning there is more to discover in this apparent, unprecedented government-engaged RICO saga.

Stay tuned!” — Ashe in America

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Trump asked Elon Musk if he wanted to buy Truth Social

Former president Donald Trump asked Elon Musk last summer whether the billionaire industrialist would be interested in buying Trump’s social network Truth Social, according to two people with knowledge of the conversation.

The overture to Musk, whose business empire includes SpaceX, Tesla and the social networking site X, did not lead to a deal. But the conversation, which has not been previously reported, shows the two men have communicated more than was known. The two have had other conversations, too, Trump advisers say, about politics and business.

Among their conversations was a meeting earlier this month in Palm Beach, Fla., where Trump met with Musk and a few high-powered Republican donors, the people said. The subject of that discussion is not clear but, after it was first reported by the New York Times, which noted that the meeting happened while Trump was looking for campaign contributions, the billionaire wrote on X that he is “not donating money to either candidate for US President.”

Musk, the world’s second-richest man, has increasingly voiced support for conservative ideology on X, including echoing Trump’s unverified claims that the Biden administration is, as Musk wrote last week, “importing voters and creating a national security threat from unvetted illegal immigrants.”

At the time of last summer’s discussion, Trump’s media company, which owns Truth Social, was trapped in a long-delayed merger process. Musk bought X, then known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022. — The Washington Post

Our Take: “I once heard someone say that you shouldn’t trust any videos coming out of China, because anything that has made it out of China was put out by the CCP on purpose.

Given China’s in-depth comprehension of fifth generation warfare, I think it’s reasonable to assume that they are this precise with their attempts at narrative control.

This is where we are also guided to understand that the CCP must have an equally sophisticated opponent.

Enter Trump, Musk and whatever teams surround them.

I would apply a similar rule to what these two are up to. Anything that makes it out of their private meetings needs to be considered intentional narrative seeding.

As has been shown through ongoing analysis of Q drops, the multi-purpose dynamics of narrative seeding need to be considered. On the one hand, the narrative is designed to lead the public’s awareness in a certain direction. On the other hand, it seems to be a common white hat operation to seed narratives to draw fire and expose enemy operations.

I’m more interested in the latter.

What response if any will this particular Trump-Elon collaborative story cue in overt or covert Deep State operations?” — Simon Esler

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"He'll Kill Us All" - New Head Of Ukrainian Forces Nicknamed 'The Butcher' By Own Troops

The new head of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrskyi, is known as “the butcher” by his own troops, and there are fears his aggressive style will lead to massive losses for Ukrainians in the east on top of already high casualties.

While President Zelensky claims that Ukraine has suffered only 31, 000 soldier deaths, most analysts, and those in Ukraine, know that number is far from reality. In fact, Ukraine’s ally, the United States, estimates that Ukraine had lost 70,000 men already last summer, on top of many more severely wounded or psychologically traumatized. The number of missing also remains high.

In a new interview with Politico, one soldier who wished to remain anonymous warned about the 58-year-old Syrskyi, saying: “He will kill us all.”

Politico reports that Ukrainian troops reportedly refer to the new commander of Ukraine’s ground forces as someone willing to put his troops in harm’s way to achieve his goals. Syrskyi, who was born in central Russia, is known for his “hard-driving Soviet-style” tactics. — ReMix News

Our Take: “The Turn on Ukraine has been underway for months in earnest, but this turn is now hitting the Media Industrial Complex and the Globalist Establishment from too many directions for them to counter.

We've already seen Overton's Goalpost in full effect, as the NYT and other major Narrative setters were forced by the Putin-Tucker deployment to backpedal on previously-held stances regarding the CIA's involvement in the Prussian Proxy War. This pattern has been repeated in the EU, with Germany, France and the UK similarly implicated in kinetic operations against Crimea; so far, the EU is less willing to take full credit like the US Deep State has ... probably because Russia is right on their doorstep.

Now, the most damaging Narratives to the Globalist zeitgeist are coming out of Ukraine-friendly media, as sympathy for the Ukrainians on the ground is reaching a fever pitch, not in relation to the dastardly Russians, but rather because of the meat-grinder the Globalist War Machine truly is.” — Burning Bright

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House GOP opens probe into Democrat J6 panel ‘collusion’ with Atlanta prosecutor pursuing Trump

Republican congressional investigators have opened an inquiry into the extent of “collusion” between the Democrat-run House Jan. 6 committee and the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during her prosecution of Donald Trump.

In a status report released Monday, the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Barry. Loudermilk, R-Ga., said that it located a letter in which Willis in 2021 asked for the House Democrats to send her any evidence that would further her prosecution of Trump.

The committee said it was concerned that the Democrat-run investigation led by Reps. Benny Thompson and Liz Cheney may have shared evidence such as video depositions with Willis’s office while not providing them to the Republicans that took over the House chamber in 2023. 

The Republicans raised their concerns in chapter of the report Monday entitled “collusion with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.”

“During its initial review of records archived by the Select Committee, the Subcommittee discovered a letter from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to the Select Committee dated December 17, 2021,” the report said.

“In this letter, Willis requested access to any Select Committee records relevant to her investigation into President Trump’s actions to challenge the 2020 presidential election, including ‘recordings and transcripts of witness interviews and depositions, electronic and print records of communications, and records of travel.’” — Just the News

Our Take: “The embattled Fulton County District Attorney is facing prosecutorial disqualification, a state Senate hearing, a possible state ethics probe, and now an investigation by the House Oversight Committee. These may all seem like political theatrics — but Judge Scott McAfee is operating in a real courtroom, with real consequences.

The Judge said over the weekend that he is on track to rule this week on Fani's disqualification.

Given the overwhelming evidence of prosecution for profit (and notoriety), as I wrote about in my latest Badlands feature, I will be stunned if both Willis and Wade are allowed to remain on this case. The latest information, testified to under oath, is that this prosecution netted the lovers several hundred thousand dollars.

The appearance of impropriety is just as important as an actual conflict when talking about a novel legal theory being levied against a former US President. The standard must be high if the public is going to confer its trust on this system.

Let's see what happens.” — Ashe in America

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Portuguese Center-Right Coalition Ends Socialists' 8-Year Reign; Populist Party Soars

In the latest demonstration of a broad swing to the political right among the peoples of Europe, a tight parliamentary election in Portugal has ended with the Socialist Party conceding that its 8-year grip on power has ended. A center-right coalition emerged with a thin edge, while a populist, anti-immigration, tough-on-crime party emerged as a major force. 

With 99% of votes tallied, the center-right AD coalition had 79 seats to the Socialists' 77. But the biggest storyline is the phenomenal surge by the populist Chega party, which is suddenly the third-largest in Portugal, despite having been founded less than five years ago. 

The AD party won a plurality, but not enough of the 230 total seats to create a new government on its own. Luis Montenegro, who leads the Social Democratic Party -- the largest in the victorious AD coalition -- has repeatedly promised he wouldn't form a ruling coalition with Chega, whose positions he has characterized as “often xenophobic, racist, populist and excessively demagogic” He forcefully reiterated his stance after Sunday's results were posted. "Of course I will keep my word,” said Montenegro. “I would never do such evil to myself, my party and my country as to not fulfill the commitments I made so clearly.”

On the other hand, citing the results, Chega leader Andre Ventura said his party has a rightful place in a new ruling coalition. “We are available to provide a stable government in Portugal,” he said. “AD asked for a majority. Today the Portuguese spoke out and said they want a two-party government from AD and Chega.” 

The Socialist Party could box Montenegro Chega out of the process, by abstaining from a parliamentary vote to form the next government, according to the Financial Times.  However, without Chega, Portugal may be left with a fragile minority government that will likely collapse much sooner than later. "Since Portugal became a democracy 50 years ago, only two minority governments have lasted a full term," write Bloomberg's Joao Lima and Henrique Almeida. — ZeroHedge

Our Take: “Last night on Story Hour, Chris Paul and I spent a good deal of time discussing the word ‘populism,’ and how the communists and fascists that have disguised themselves as progressives have tried to weaponize the term against conservatives, nationalists and basically any group of people or leaders who forward first principles ideologies … also known as common sense.

Thus, when most of us see headlines from political scenes around the world we admittedly pay very little attention to, given the narrative oxygen the US scene alone sucks out of the global room, we tend to play a bit of the opposite game when it comes to media framing.

When they say ‘populist,’ we see, ‘man of the people.’ When they say ‘alt. right,’ we see ‘traditional values.’ And when they say, ‘xenophobic, racist … and excessively demagogic (gotta love that one,)’ we see bullsh*t.

And we call it.

It’s been said that the awakening will spread worldwide.

I think we’re beginning to see it.” — Burning Bright

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BONUS ITEMS

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Trump Vows To Free Jan. 6 'Hostages' In First Act As President

Former President Donald Trump has vowed to release individuals imprisoned over the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol if he wins the 2024 election in November.

President Trump made the comments in a statement on Truth Social on March 11, noting that it would be among one of his first acts upon taking office in the White House.

The Republican said shutting down the U.S.-Mexico border and increasing oil drilling as part of efforts to make America more energy independent would also be among his first actions as president.

“My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” President Trump said.

President Trump said during a rally in Texas in 2022 that he would consider pardoning those convicted of their involvement in the Jan. 6 breach, noting that his administration would treat them “fairly.”

“If it requires pardons, we will give them pardons, because they are being treated so unfairly,” he said at the time.

Last year, President Trump told a town hall hosted by CNN at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire that he was inclined to pardon a “large portion” of those charged with crimes relating to the breach.

However, the Republican stressed he would not pardon all of those imprisoned, telling the audience that “a couple of them, probably they got out of control.” — The Epoch Times

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Bloodbath at RNC: Trump team slashes staff at committee

Donald Trump’s newly installed leadership team at the Republican National Committee on Monday began the process of pushing out dozens of officials, according to two people close to the Trump campaign and the RNC.

All told, the expectation is that more than 60 RNC staffers who work across the political, communications and data departments will be let go. Those being asked to resign include five members of the senior staff, though the names were not made public. Additionally, some vendor contracts are expected to be cut.

In a letter to some political and data staff, Sean Cairncross, the RNC’s new chief operating officer, said that the new committee leadership was “in the process of evaluating the organization and staff to ensure the building is aligned” with its vision. “During this process, certain staff are being asked to resign and reapply for a position on the team.”

The overhaul is aimed at cutting, what one of the people described as, “bureaucracy” at the RNC. But the move also underscores the swiftness with which Trump’s operation is moving to take over the Republican Party’s operations after the former president all but clinched the party’s presidential nomination last week.

Trump’s campaign took over operational control of the RNC on Monday. On Friday, former North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley was elected the RNC’s new chair, and Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump was elected as co-chair. Both had Trump’s endorsement. Additionally, Trump senior campaign adviser Chris LaCivita was named as the RNC’s new chief of staff. — Politico

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Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign amid low-scale civil war, bowing to international pressure

Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he will resign, bowing to international pressure to do so amid turmoil that has overwhelmed the country.

In a statement released early Tuesday morning, Henry agreed to leave office once a transitional presidential council is created and an interim PM is named. The announcement came hours after officials, including Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Jamaica for an emergency meeting to discuss Haiti’s spiraling crisis worsened by violent gangs burning police stations, attacking the main airport and raiding two of the country’s biggest prisons.

Some experts have described the current crisis as a low-scale civil war. 

"The government that I’m running cannot remain insensitive in this situation. There is no sacrifice that is too big for our country," Henry said in a recorded statement. "The government I’m running will remove itself immediately after the installation of the council." — FOX News

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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.

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.

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