The hosts of The View rejoiced Friday over news a Manhattan Grand Jury indicted former President Donald Trump on dozens of charges.

“I called it,” said co-host Sunny Hostin.

“No one is above the law… You can’t commit so many crimes and think that you are above the law, even if you are the president.”

“It really is a celebration of the law,” co-host Joy Behar said.

Watch the moment above.

The ‘Trans Day of Vengeance’ rally, which was originally scheduled for April 1st in Washington DC, has been cancelled by organizers. Our Rights DC, the group behind the protest, claim the cancellation is due to a “credible threat to life and safety.”

“This action will not be taking place Saturday due to a credible threat to life and safety,” the group posted to their official Twitter account. “The safety of our trans community is first priority. This threat is the direct result of the flood of raw hatred directed toward the trans community after the Tennessee shooting.”

“Individuals who had nothing to with that heinous act have been subjected to highly serious threats and blamed only because of their gender identity,” the group added. “This is one of the steps in genocide, and we will continue our efforts to protect trans lives.”

On Tuesday, Twitter began deleting tweets that featured a poster promoting the event, claiming the image could incite violence.

“We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them,” wrote “Vengeance” does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok,” Irwin wrote Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety.

President Biden released a statement marking the ‘Transgender Day of Visibility’ Friday, saying transgender people are “made in the image of God.”

“On Transgender Day of Visibility, we want you to know that we see you just as you are: Made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support. We’ll never stop working to create a world where you won’t have to be brave just to be yourself,” posted Biden.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi released a similar statement.

Former President Donald Trump was indicted on 34 charges by a Manhattan Grand Jury Thursday night for alleged “hush money” payments given to a former adult actress.

While the indictment remains under seal and specific charges against the former president are still unknown, it comes in a case related to $130,000 in hush money allegedly paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence over a 2006 affair. The money was paid out ahead of the 2016 election by Trump’s former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen. Cohen was later reimbursed by the Trump Organization through a series of payments that were allegedly falsely defined as “retainer fees.”

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to several federal crimes for his role including tax evasion, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and campaign finance violations. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

For his part, the former president has repeatedly referred to the case as a politically motivated “witch hunt” and denies all wrongdoing.

Former president Trump released a statement shortly after the announcement:

“This is Political Persecution and Election interference at the highest level in history. From the time I came down the goldern escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as you President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats – the enemy of hard-workin men and women of this Country – have been engaged n a Witch – Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this.

“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to “get Trump,” but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference.

“Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican Candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever.

“Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace. rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!

“I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party – united and strong – will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Bill O’Reilly spoke with Chris Cuomo Thursday night just moments after a Manhattan Grand Jury indicted Donald Trump on 30 different charges, saying this is “bad for the country.”

“This is a political play,” explained O’Reilly. “Now we’re going to have more hatred. More people arguing. We’re going to have a primary that’s chaotic, it won’t be on the issues.”

Watch O’Reilly’s comments above.

Things got heated during a hearing of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Thursday when Democratic Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett threw several documents at Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson.

Watch the moment unfold below:

During the hearing, Rep. Johnson asked for “unanimous consent” to enter a 2021 letter into the record from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry in which he “decries all political violence.”

“Another thing we can’t examine because he’s not here,” Del. Plaskett complained, noting that Landry was not present at the hearing.

Johnson walked over to Plaskett, and handed her the letter. “You can examine it, it’s a document,” he said before returning to his seat. Plaskett immediately walked over to where Johnson was seated and threw the documents in his face.

I am doing my best not to make this a hot take, but these are the facts. In 2016, very few people expected Donald Trump to become president, including him. When he won, the response of those who counted on his loss was to double down on “we’ll get him!” “They” have been out to get him ever since. It’s important to read the the whole thing here, lest you think I’m defending Trump (I don’t defend him).

First, before Trump even took office, there was the Russia investigation: Crossfire Hurricane was a disgrace in FBI procedures and operations. At Trump’s inauguration—God provided a windy, rainswept, bone-chilling cold day—pre-arranged “spontaneous” demonstrations, including burning a limousine, happened, while Trump’s (small) crowd on the National Mall was pretty much peaceful. The government later dropped all charges against 39 people accused of rioting.

Then there was the bevy of leaks; the Trump administration referred more cases to the Justice Department—over 334—for criminal investigation than any administration before it. Then there was a parade of qualified people exiting (or fired from) the cabinet because of Trump’s intransigence, and the few criminals (Steve Bannon, for instance) that were let into Trump’s inner circle to continue poisoning his already paranoid mind.

Then there was the nepotism: Trump’s daughter and son-in-law became his chief advisors, able to go around, or even overrule, Chief of Staff John Kelly (who was ordered by Trump to grant Jared Kushner a security clearance, despite his denial by the people who actually grant security clearances). Trump’s trust circle grew ever smaller, while his list of enemies within the government grew ever longer.

Then there was the “perfect call” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom nobody knew at the time, but provided the basis for an impeachment and trial. Trump survived it. During the impeachment, COVID-19 happened, and Trump, caught between his deep paranoia and his deeper need to be in the spotlight, imploded in front of the nation.

They were, indeed, out to get him.

All that said, Trump did pretty much all of the things he’s accused of. He was a friend of Russia, and was way, way too close with Vladimir Putin, who, it turns out, is much less of an opportunist, and much more of a zealot, than Trump ever was or will be. He did, against the national interest, share what was until he did it, highly classified information with the Russian ambassador. Trump did illegally try to twist Zelenskyy’s arm and withhold congressional aid as a quid pro quofor investigating Hunter Biden, his 2020 political opponent. He did try to force a personal loyalty oath from former FBI Director James Comey. He did spread mass disinformation to the entire nation regarding the 2020 election, mail-in voting, and invented conspiracies to steal the election by Democrats (he continues to do this).

Trump did try to suborn the Constitution and procedures around certifying a valid Electoral College result. He did promote and whip up a crowd that he gathered in front of the White House to march to Capitol Hill while the Senate was in session to validate the election results. Trump would have marched with the crowd if he had been able to overcome his own security and handlers to get him there. He did sit and brood for hours in the White House, call his own Vice President a “traitor,” and do absolutely nothing to stop a violent mob from entering the Capitol and endangering thousands of lives (at least four, as many as 10 died directly due to the riot).

Congress once again impeached Trump, deservedly, and did not convict him, allowing him to walk away from the presidency and plan to run again, which he is.

Trump did take, store, and hide classified information, regardless of whether it should have been classified, or whether other current or ex-presidents and vice presidents have classified in their own possession. He hid it and lied to his own lawyers, who lied to the FBI and the National Archives; they didn’t.

Trump did tell Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 12,000 votes” in an infamous phone call.

These are all facts. Not one single charge has emanated from any of these actions over the last nearly eight years.

Trump did pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels, to keep her quiet about their affair, which he had while married to his current wife, who was pregnant with their son Barron. For that, they have now charged him.

After all the major conspiracies—actual ones, not “theories”—that Trump led or participated in, the one thing that they’ve got him on (if they’ve got him), is this. The charges are still secret. The key witness, disgraced and disbarred ex-con lawyer Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer at the time, wired $130,000 to Daniels, and in 2018, Trump said he didn’t know about it (of course he lied).

The case may be pretty shaky, or far out on a legal limb. It might have passed the statute of limitations long before, but New York has a funny law that stops time when an accused moves out of state, and Trump moved out of state in 2017; he officially changed his residency to Florida in 2020. The charges might only result in a misdemeanor, for illegally altering corporate records.

Two weeks ago, Trump said he was about to be arrested. He reportedly will surrender to New York authorities next week. Trump prepared his audience for the coming indictment, and gave light to the kickoff of his campaign. He will make his own trial part of his campaign (how can anyone do this but Trump?).

The entire circus seems contrived, as if the writers of this show gave up two years ago and are now just winging it on scripts.

Therefore, the bar for Trump surviving this, and even accruing it to his “he fights” cult’s honor, is almost immeasurably low. All he has to do is not go to jail.

Perhaps this is only the first shot in a broadside by everyone who was ever screwed by Trump to finally “get him.” Maybe this will be quickly followed by the federal case dealing with Trump’s illegal classified document cache at Mar-a-Lago. Maybe that will be followed by the case in Fulton County, Georgia where Trump will be charged with felony election interference. Maybe Trump will be convicted on all counts.

But until now, nothing, absolutely nothing, has stuck to the man. He has inoculated his cult against anything “they” throw at him. (“They’ve got nothing!”) Remember, a grand jury is run by the prosecutor, who can get it to indict a ham sandwich. There’s plenty “there” to indict, but celebration is premature.

To all the people who are cheering “they’ve got him!”: the show ain’t over until the credits roll. We’re far from the final act.

Follow Steve on Twitter @stevengberman.

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According to multiple sources, a Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump. This marks the first time in American history a former president has been criminally charged.

While the specific charges against the former president are still unknown, but the indictment comes in a case related to $130,000 in hush money allegedly paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence over a 2006 affair. The money was paid out ahead of the 2016 election.

President Biden issued an official proclamation to mark Transgender Day of Visibility Thursday; saying transgender Americans “shape our nation’s soul.”

“Transgender Americans shape our Nation’s soul — proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more,” Biden wrote.

“Today, too many transgender Americans are still denied…rights and freedoms,” the president’s statement added. “A wave of discriminatory state laws is targeting transgender youth, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone. An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of color, has taken lives far too soon.”

Read Biden’s full statement below:

Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know — people who have too often had to put their jobs, relationships, and lives on the line just to be their true selves.  Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect.  Their courage has given countless others strength, but no one should have to be brave just to be themselves.  Every American deserves that freedom.

     Transgender Americans shape our Nation’s soul — proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more.  As kids, they deserve what every child deserves:  the chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly.  As adults, they deserve the same rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to health care, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens.  But today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms.  A wave of discriminatory State laws is targeting transgender youth, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone.  An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of color, has taken lives far too soon.  Last year’s Club Q shooting in Colorado was another painful example of this kind of violence — a stain on the conscience of our Nation.

     My Administration has fought to end these injustices from day one, working to ensure that transgender people and the entire LGBTQI+ community can live openly and safely.  On my first day as President, I issued an Executive Order directing the Federal Government to root out discrimination against LGBTQI+ people and their families.  We have appointed a record number of openly LGBTQI+ leaders, and I was proud to rescind the ban on openly transgender people serving in the military.  We are also working to make public spaces and travel more accessible, including with more inclusive gender markers on United States passports.  We are improving access to public services and entitlements like Social Security.  We are cracking down on discrimination in housing and education.  And last December, I signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that every American can marry the person they love and have that marriage accepted, period.

     Meanwhile, we are also working to ease the tremendous strain that discrimination, bullying, and harassment can put on transgender children — more than half of whom seriously considered suicide in the last year.  The Department of Education is, for example, helping ensure that transgender students have equal opportunities to learn and thrive at school, and the Department of Justice is pushing back against extreme laws that seek to ban evidence-based gender-affirming health care.

     There is much more to do.  I continue to call on the Congress to finally pass the Equality Act and extend long-overdue civil rights protections to all LGBTQI+ Americans to ensure they can live with safety and dignity.  Together, we also have to keep challenging the hundreds of hateful State laws that have been introduced across the country, making sure every child knows that they are made in the image of God, that they are loved, and that we are standing up for them.

     America is founded on the idea that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives.  We have never fully lived up to that, but we have never walked away from it either.  Today, as we celebrate transgender people, we also celebrate every American’s fundamental right to be themselves, bringing us closer to realizing America’s full promise.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2023, as Transgender Day of Visibility.  I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination against all transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

                                JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Another train carrying dangerous cargo derailed and caught fire in Minnesota early Thursday morning, prompting evacuations and emergency measures surrounding the incident.

From USA Today:

A train carrying ethanol derailed early Thursday in rural Minnesota, and several cars caught fire, forcing nearby residents to evacuate homes as a precaution.

The derailment took place at 1 a.m. in the small city of Raymond, the city’s fire department reported. The city is in southwest Kandiyohi County about 110 miles west of Minneapolis.

Homes within a half-mile of the derailment were evacuated, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

As of Thursday morning, no injuries had been reported, officials said, and the cause of the derailment was not known.