Latest news with #MichaelFlynn
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Loyalist Is Latest MAGA Diehard to Revolt Over Epstein Files
One of President Donald Trump's most loyal allies, his former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, has become the latest MAGA heavyweight to turn on the president over Jeffrey Epstein. Flynn, a retired lieutenant general and infamous conspiracy theorist, posted a 500-word X missive directed at the president, calling on him to rectify his mishandling of the Epstein files. 'With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this,' Flynn, 66, wrote. 'The roll out of this was terrible, no way around that. Americans want America to be successful, therefore, WE NEED YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL.' Trump has faced MAGA rage since his administration announced the end of its investigation into the Epstein files, having found no evidence of a 'client list' or that the disgraced financier was murdered. Many ordinarily pro-Trump voices—including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Laura Loomer, Charlie Kirk, and now Flynn—have voiced their displeasure with the decision. Flynn wrote that he was less concerned about the circumstances of Epstein's death than the idea that powerful people complicit in his crimes could walk free. 'If there are elites inside of our country that committed crimes against CHILDREN (shame on them)... they MUST be held ACCOUNTABLE,' he wrote. The post echoed a conspiracy theory amplified by QAnon, a pro-Trump movement which Flynn has boosted and profited from. The theory alleges that Trump is secretly fighting against a shadowy cabal of wealthy and elite pedophiles. While Flynn was critical of Trump in the post, he concluded, 'God bless you and may God continue to protect you from the dark forces that do exist. I believe you were put on this earth for such a time as this.' The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on Flynn's post. The post came hours after Trump had ridiculed MAGA devotees who have turned on him over the Epstein files. 'My PAST supporters have bought into this 'bulls--t,' hook, line, and sinker,' the president wrote on Truth Social. 'They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.' Trump's relationship to Epstein, with whom he was repeatedly photographed before becoming president, has long drawn scrutiny. Last year, the Daily Beast exclusively reported on audio tapes recorded in 2017 in which Epstein said that he had once been Trump's 'closest friend.' Flynn, an influential figure in the MAGA world, spent 33 years in the military, attaining the rank of lieutenant general and leading the Defense Intelligence Agency until he was forced out in 2014. After Trump won the presidency in 2016, he named Flynn as his national security advisor. Flynn was fired in 2017 after he admitted to lying to the FBI about his conversations with a Russian diplomat during the investigation into Trump's ties to Russia. Flynn twice pled guilty to the lies but in 2020, a month before Trump left office, he was granted a full pardon, protecting him from punishment. Flynn remained a close ally of Trump's after his departure. Alongside his involvement in the QAnon conspiracy, Flynn was a vocal proponent of overturning the outcome of the 2020 election after Trump lost. When Trump returned to office in 2025, he rewarded Flynn with a spot on the board that oversees West Point.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Bannon warns of electoral catastrophe for Republicans
Republicans could lose 40 US House seats and the presidency if the backlash over the Jeffrey Epstein case continues to divide the MAGA base, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has warned. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised to declassify files related to the case of late financier and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that a list of Epstein's clients was 'sitting on my desk.' Last week, however, the Justice Department released a memo claiming that no client list exists, and that no evidence has been found to justify the investigation of uncharged third parties. The memo has triggered outrage among Trump supporters, with accusations that the administration has failed to deliver transparency. Bannon warned during a podcast last week that the fallout could erode 10% of MAGA's support. 'If we lose 10% of the MAGA movement right now, we're going to lose 40 seats in '26, we're going to lose the presidency,' he said. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has also cautioned that the Epstein issue 'is not going away' and will hinder Trump's efforts on other national challenges. According to CNN, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has not reported to work since the memo's release and is considering resigning. Epstein, a financier with ties to influential figures, was arrested in 2019 for sex trafficking and died in jail before trial. His death was ruled a suicide, but many have demanded the release of alleged client names rumored to include Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, and others. Some suspect Trump may also be implicated. Trump has dismissed the controversy, saying, 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?' and claiming on Truth Social that the Democrats fabricated the client list. 'We're on one Team, MAGA,' he wrote, blaming 'selfish people' for fueling internal divisions.
The Hill
13-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Debanking innocent Americans should be illegal
Republican and Democratic leaders agree: Closing the bank accounts of Americans for no apparent reason is wrong. In recent years, major banks have begun the quiet, calculated and often callous closing of bank accounts belonging to honest, law-abiding Americans — typically without warning, cause or recourse. The practice is called debanking. And, to put it plainly, it just ain't right. According to members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Bank of America 'was the subject of 988 improper closure complaints and 584 improper account denial complaints.' JPMorgan Chase 'was the subject of 1,423 improper closure complaints and 443 improper account denial complaints,' and in 2021, Chase closed the account of retired former National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn's nonprofit, citing 'reputational risk.' Wells Fargo 'was the subject of 1,053 improper closure complaints and 350 improper account denial complaints'; it has faced allegations of closing long-standing customer accounts in 'high-risk' categories, like firearms dealers. Citigroup 'was the subject of 742 improper closure complaints and 96 improper account denial complaints,' including closing personal and business accounts of Armenian Americans. Most people are unaware of this practice until it touches them directly. Bank failures and employee embezzlements get far more attention from the media and policymakers. But to those affected, debanking is as devastating as being caught in a bank robbery crossfire — and the consequences can be permanent. To put things in context, we are not talking about fraudsters, drug lords or terror financiers. Debanking is being used against men and women whose only crime is running a small business, engaging in lawful commerce or having views or associations that run counter to traditional orthodoxy, such as adult content creators. Some are foreign nationals. Others are part of religious nonprofits. Some are just on the conservative side of the political spectrum. It has been happening to regular people — people like the owner of a barbershop in a historically Black neighborhood who manages an informal savings club. To his neighbors, the owner is a lifeline. But to the bank, he is a suspicious actor whose account gets frozen after depositing a large sum of money. There's no warning and no conversation — just an ATM terminal denying him access to his own funds. Or it could be a cybersecurity expert whose firm defends against hackers and cybercriminals. Because she interacts with cyberthreats, the bank froze her account, assuming she was the criminal. Maybe it's the owner of a bakery whose teenage son sells inert replicas of firearms online as collectibles. Because of his hobby, the bank closed down the mother's account. Perhaps the next victim is a retired Marine and Civil War re-enactor who was told his bank account was closed because of his 'military paraphernalia.' These are not anomalies. They are becoming more commonplace as banks are increasingly guided — or misguided — by the concept of reputational risk, driven by the fear of being associated with certain businesses like adult entertainment, cannabis, firearms, crypto or fringe political groups. Understandably, no bank wants to be grilled by a hostile Senate committee or slapped with a billion-dollar fine for missing a bad actor. Nor do they want to be accused of helping to finance terrorism or violent organizations. So they overreach. To avoid risk, they 'de-risk' certain people, not based on their behavior but on categories and algorithms. This is not compliance. It is digital profiling. Earlier this year, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), introduced the Financial Integrity and Regulation Management Act, which expressly prohibits federal regulators from using 'reputational risk' as a justification for examining or penalizing banks. In rare bipartisan agreement, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also highlighted thousands of complaints collected in recent years from people who could not open accounts or had them abruptly closed. 'Big banks are relying on black-box algorithms and middlemen companies, and shutting down accounts without doing careful due diligence,' she said, citing Muslims, cannabis businesses and recently incarcerated people as victims. Beyond the personal harm, the societal impact of debanking is enormous. In a digital economy, it widens the gap between the unbanked and the rest of the world, and forces good people into underground economies that cut them off from full economic participation. Banks are meant to be neutral custodians of commerce, not referees of righteousness. To be sure, banks have a duty to fight illicit finance. But that duty should not include disenfranchising individuals based on vague reputational concerns. Federal watchdogs should clarify what 'reputational risk' means, and there must be much more transparency. Congress should also encourage banks to practice diligent risk analysis, not blanket exclusion. Regulators should reward, not penalize, banks that create culturally competent, innovation-friendly frameworks. Every American deserves to know why their financial life has been upended. Vague form letters are not acceptable. A bank should not be allowed to destroy someone's livelihood without a process for redress. Reasons must be specific, reviewable and appealable. Most Americans who have had their accounts closed are not money launderers, cybercriminals, militia leaders or threats to national security. They are citizens. Taxpayers. Workers. Innovators. Parents. Patriots. They are being punished not for what they've done, but for how they are perceived. Without question, banks must guard against criminality. But they should do so with discernment, discretion and decency. Otherwise, they are not protecting consumers. They are prosecuting them. And in America, that just ain't right. Adonis Hoffman writes on business law and policy. He served in senior legal roles at the FCC and in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Fox News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Parks and Recreation' star says 'dumb people' insist his character Ron Swanson voted for Trump
"Parks and Recreation" star Nick Offerman said that only "dumb people" think that his beloved character, Ron Swanson, would support President Donald Trump during an interview with IndieWire on Friday. Offerman told the outlet that he went directly to the show's creator, Mike Schur, and Schur told him that Swanson would have "despised Trump" and thought he was an "absolute idiot." "Dumb people insist that Ron Swanson would've voted for Trump. And I don't deign to answer myself. I take it to Mike Schur, the main creator of Ron, and he said, 'Swanson would've despised Trump, because Ron loved capitalism. And Trump made the stupidest move you could make as a capitalist, which is to go into public service,'" the actor said. Offerman added that Swanson wouldn't have voted for Trump because "he's disrespectful to women and many others," which would have struck a major nerve with his character because he's a "good person." "Parks and Recreation" ran from 2009 to 2015 on NBC. As noted by Variety, Offerman has always been protective of Swanson, defending his character's values after Michael Flynn Jr., son of retired Army lieutenant general and Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn, used a clip of Swanson to mock Pride Month. Flynn Jr. posted a clip of the beloved character throwing a rainbow flag into a dumpster, paired with a caption that read: "Just wanted to post how I feel about 'pride' month." The original clip featured Swanson throwing his work computer into the dumpster, and Offerman was livid that somebody would use his character to make an edgy joke during Pride Month. "Ron was best man at a gay wedding you dumb f---," he shot back on X. "Happy Pride." Offerman was referring to the season finale of "Parks and Recreation" where Swanson served as the best man to his gay hairdresser, Typhoon.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Cheltenham sign left-back Anderson on loan
Cheltenham Town have signed left-back Taine Anderson on loan for the 2025-26 season from Bristol 19-year-old has yet to make a first-team appearance for the Championship side, having been with their academy since the under-seven age spent much of the last season out injured before scoring three goals in four games for Bristol City Under-21s on his return in March."Taine is very good technically, he's quick and he's got a great left foot on him. We're really happy to get this one over the line," Cheltenham manager Michael Flynn said."We have to build him up because he had a bad injury last season and I'm hoping we'll get him ready for 2 August." Bristol City technical director Brian Tinnion said Anderson has a lot of "potential"."The loan at Cheltenham will give him valuable first team experience. We will keep monitoring his progress closely," he is Cheltenham's third signing of the summer following defender Robbie Cundy and striker Lee Angol's arrivals.
