A few days before Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building, one of the top organizers for the rally that preceded the riot reportedly issued an unusual request to some underlings. According to Rolling Stone, Jan. 6 planners were ordered to use cash to purchase burner phones that were used to communicate directly with the Trump family and White House officials. The request reportedly came from Kylie Kremer from the “March for Trump” group that helped plan the D.C. rally that later turned into the Capitol riot. According to the report, the phones were used to talk to figures including Donald Trump’s son Eric, his wife Lara Trump, and Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff. An anonymous “March for Trump” team member said: “[Kremer] needed burner phones in order to communicate with high level people is how she put it.” Kremer didn’t respond to a request for comment on Rolling Stone’s report, nor did any Trump family members or Meadows.
Reality Winner, the NSA whistleblower imprisoned for four years for printing and leaking a classified document, has some choice words for The Intercept, the outlet she mailed the document to. Released from prison in June, Winner told Rolling Stone in her first interview since captivity, “I wasn’t the first source that they burned and I definitely wasn’t the last—two other people have done prison time [due to] them being extremely sloppy… Every time one of their sources goes to prison, that’s another headline for them. That’s how they stay relevant—by burning sources, instead of the journalism that they once believed in.” The Intercept reviewed the reporting process that led to Winner’s imprisonment and concluded it “made errors in the course of verifying a document that came to us anonymously,” according to editor-in-chief Betsy Reed. Winner added, “I have a lot of bitterness in my heart towards them.”
Things to be grateful for may or may not include Eric Trump’s wife Lara, who performed some impressive mental gymnastics on Fox News Thursday when she linked rising inflation to a liberal plot to get rid of Thanksgiving. Appearing on a panel discussion, Trump told host Pete Hegseth that the inflation which has pushed up the price of a turkey might suit the liberal agenda, because to “transform” America, “You have to take away our traditions.” She said that while “it might seem a little funny and a little ridiculous” the deeper liberal message was: “Don’t have a turkey, then people won’t come over.” President Trump’s daughter-in-law also suggested that last year’s coronavirus lockdowns were part of the same plot, saying: “Last year, remember, they didn’t want us to get together, so I guess we’re lucky they’re letting us have Thanksgiving this year. At really, the core of this, they want to divide Americans up. They don’t want us to have any common ground. They don’t want us to have any shared traditions like Thanksgiving.”
Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today’s must-read stories.
NordVPN
Between the guest wi-fi offered at the hotel or airport, and the wi-fi at your in-laws' where the password is “password,” holiday travel means choosing between using up expensive data or logging on to a less-than-secure network. Basically, holiday travel is the right time to finally get a VPN from NordVPN.
A VPN encrypts all your device’s digital traffic (not just browser, so think about apps and digital messaging/calling). NordVPN protects up to six devices per plan, and works across every operating system you can name. Right now, you can grab your VPN subscription for up to 72% off. And it's not just about safety – a VPN can also let you access content that's limited by location. So after your holiday dinner, when you're all crowded around the TV struggling to find a movie everyone wants to watch, you can tap into international selections by browsing with a VPN.
A two-year subscription maximizes your savings, with an effective monthly price of only $3.29. Get peace of mind knowing your sensitive information is secure for less than the price of a gallon of milk. Checkout now to lock in this extreme discount!
If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission.
An off-duty New Jersey police officer has been accused of running over and killing a pedestrian, loading the body into his car to drive it home, then returning to the scene with the dead man in the back seat. Louis Santiago, 25, allegedly struck Damian Dymka, 29, in the early hours of Nov. 1 on the Garden State Parkway. No 911 call was made by Santiago or his passenger, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II. The pair allegedly returned to the scene several times before putting the victim in the car and driving to Santiago’s home where they discussed the best course of action with Santiago’s mom. Santiago is then said to have returned to the scene with the body in the car, and his dad, who is also a Newark cop, called 911. Dymka was found dead in the back seat, the prosecutor’s office said. Santiago faces several charges including reckless vehicular homicide and desecrating human remains.