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☆ Rupert Murdoch said Fox News continued airing Mike Lindell's ads even after his voter fraud rants because of how much 'green' Lindell provided for the network: court filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dominion Voting Systems' new court filing details how important Mike Lindell was to Fox News. Murdoch went on to admit in his deposition that he could have pulled Lindell's MyPillow advertisements — but did not. "Ever since Smartmatic sued Fox News, no one in this country can go on any conservative stations and talk about the election," Lindell told Insider. A Dominion Voting Systems spokesperson told Insider: "Dominion is a strong believer in the First Amendment and its protections. In February, Lindell told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that he has spent more than $40 million pushing Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud.

☆ Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force' in a text on January 6, filing reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tucker Carlson called Donald Trump a "demonic force" in a text to his producer on January 6. Fox hosts privately accepted Trump's election loss but continued to air conspiracy theories, texts show. Lindell spouted election fraud theories on air after voicing them for Carlson's staff in a pre-interview. In another text exchange, Carlson spoke critically of pro-Trump guests who promoted election fraud conspiracy theories on Fox News. In separate texts, he told Pfieffer and Laura Ingraham that Sidney Powell, the pro-Trump lawyer who championed outlandish election fraud conspiracy theories, was "a fucking nutcase" and "lying."

☆ Fox News hosts and executives privately mocked pro-Trump election conspiracy theories after he lost, internal texts show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It enrages me," Tucker Carlson wrote in a text message to his producer Alex Pfeiffer. "Not a single Fox witness testified that they believe any of the allegations about Dominion are true," Dominion lawyers wrote. Imho they need to address but wtf do I know," Hannity wrote in a text message, referring to Newsmax. That email, Dominion's lawyers write, came from an unnamed author who claimed to be a beheaded ghost who talks to the wind. President Trump not only was the sitting President, he was the key figure that day," Dominion's lawyers wrote.

☆ Analysis: Fox News has been exposed as a dishonest organization terrified of its own audience
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Trump was enraged that Fox News was the first network to call the critical swing state of Arizona for now-president Joe Biden. In the days and weeks after the presidential contest had been called, Fox News’ audience listened to Trump and rebelled against the channel. Behind the scenes, Fox News executives and hosts were in panic. Did I mention Cavuto?”The fear that Fox News’ audience would abandon it for good also appeared to drive programming decisions. When Lindell appeared on Newsmax and criticized Fox News, executives at Fox News “exchanged worried emails about alienating him,” the legal filing said.

☆ Sidney Powell cited woman who claimed to be headless, time-traveling entity in email pushing election conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A court filing cited a wild email Sidney Powell sent to Fox to support her claims of voter fraud. Powell used it as proof of her voter fraud claims before a Fox appearance, Dominion argues. Dominion said that Powell forwarded the email to Fox personality Maria Bartiromo in November 2020, and informed Bartiromo that she'd received "evidence" about voter fraud. The lawyers for Dominion did not name the writer of the email, which had the subject "Election Fraud Info." The company is asking for $1.3 billion in damages, alleging that the trio pushed a slew of baseless voter fraud claims that hurt its business.

☆ DeSantis says he won't fight with Trump over Truth Social photos with high schoolers: 'I don't spend my time trying to smear other Republicans'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump attacked DeSantis on Truth Social by sharing a photo of him with high schoolers when he was a teacher. The post accused him of partying and drinking with high school girls. Still, the caption reads, "Here is Ron DeSantimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher," followed by the vomit emoji. Trump wrote sarcastically on his social media app, Truth Social. The original message Trump reshared was from a user named Dong-Chan Lee, whose Truth Social describes him as a "paleoconservative" and Trump supporter.

☆ Trump shares photos of DeSantis alleging he partied and drank with high school girls when he was a teacher
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump reshared a 20-year-old photo of DeSantis that appears to show him posing with recent high school graduates. The original poster accused DeSantis of using alcohol for "grooming" high school girls. Ron DeSantis that accused him of drinking alcohol with minors when he was a high school teacher. Still, the caption reads, "Here is Ron DeSantimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher," followed by the vomit emoji. The original message Trump reshared was from a user named Dong-Chan Lee, whose Truth Social describes him as a "paleoconservative" and Trump supporter.

☆ DeSantis echoes Trump in latest offense against the media after taunting the former president during live TV roundtable
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Ron DeSantis won't be the Republican to give the party's response to President Joe Biden's forthcoming State of the Union Address. The broadcast echoed the media ire former President Donald Trump frequently has on display. "To assassinate someone's character with anonymous sources would have been a total no-no," DeSantis said of past media practice. Like Trump, DeSantis often bemoans his media coverage and excoriates what he calls the "corporate press." Despite raising his tussles with the press, DeSantis insisted non-politicians would be the focus of new libel laws.

☆ Even Jimmy Kimmel doesn't know why Mike Lindell agreed to sit in a giant claw machine on his show last night
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell made an appearance on Tuesday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Kimmel used the time to grill Lindell about his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Lindell appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Kimmel used some of the episode to grill Lindell, who has consistently pushed baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, about his beliefs. "You know, one of the differences between you and the claw machine is claw machines let go.

☆ Mike Lindell says Jimmy Kimmel asked him to do an interview from inside a gigantic claw machine because Lindell isn't vaccinated
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mike Lindell says Jimmy Kimmel is requesting to interview him on his show. But Kimmel had one request, Lindell said: The pillow CEO has to sit inside a giant claw machine. Lindell is scheduled to appear on Kimmel's talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live," on Tuesday. —Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) January 31, 2023Kimmel said on Monday that Lindell has "repeatedly" asked to be on the show, and that he's tried to invite Lindell back many times. Liberals and conservatives, told me not to have you on, and they told you don't go on the show," Kimmel told Lindell in 2021.

☆ Mike Lindell says he wants to work with the RNC to run an election crimes unit — after getting only 4 votes for RNC chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell wants to work with the RNC to set up an "election crimes unit." "Later in the week, we're setting up the election crime unit, Steve. "Well, when you work with me, it's election crime, not a weak word like election integrity. It's called the election crime," Lindell said. It's unclear what Lindell's proposed election crime unit would do.

☆ Ronna McDaniel Wins RNC Leadership Post Following Divisive Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( John Mccormick | Eliza Collins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DANA POINT, Calif.— Ronna McDaniel will become the longest-serving Republican National Committee leader in modern history after winning her re-election bid Friday following disappointing GOP performances in the last three election cycles and a contentious party chair campaign that revealed internal divisions. Ms. McDaniel won on the first round of balloting among committee members assembled in a ballroom at a luxury Southern California resort. She received 111 votes, followed by 51 for California election lawyer and six-year RNC member Harmeet Dhillon and four for MyPillow Inc. Chief Executive Mike Lindell .

DANA POINT, Calif. — Ronna McDaniel won re-election to a fourth term as Republican National Committee chairwoman on Friday, besting insurgent challenger Harmeet Dhillon in a secret ballot vote at the party’s annual winter meeting. Publicly, roughly 30 RNC members had committed to Dhillon ahead of the ballot. Harmeet Dhillon at her office in San Francisco in 2017. Anda Chu / MediaNews Group / Bay Area News via Getty Images fileEven with McDaniel in place as the next chair, many RNC members say they expect tensions to remain. All of us who are supporting Harmeet are not going away.”The RNC also approved a package of nine resolutions on Friday in a voice vote.

☆ The GOP tackles one of the worst midterm election performance in decades by voting to change nothing at the RNC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AnalysisRonna McDaniel won a fourth term as chair of the Republican National Committee. McDaniel won with 111 votes. On average, the party that doesn't control the White House has picked up between 30 to 25 House seats, as shown by The Washington Post. Going by historical average performance, Democrats should have lost four US Senate seats. The GOP kicked out the sitting chair of the House Democrats' campaign arm, and Republicans also flipped four House seats in the Empire State.

For Republicans, the months following the 2022 midterms have been consumed by a fair amount of introspection — and finger-pointing — about why the results were so underwhelming for the party. The secret ballot vote will take place during the open-press portion of the RNC's three-day winter meeting, which opens Wednesday. McDaniel, who was handpicked by then-President Donald Trump for the role, has faced heat from some Republicans and conservative media figures for the party's lackluster results in November. Meanwhile, an RNC official formally accused a McDaniel ally of engaging in "religious bigotry" aimed at Dhillon’s Sikh faith in discussing the race for party chair. I'm not surprised that folks coalesced behind her or around her as quickly as they did."

☆ Trump stopped short of endorsing any candidate for RNC chair: 'Let them fight it out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump was asked about McDaniel and her challenger for RNC chair, Harmeet Dhillon. Trump said he likes both women but made no mention of Mike Lindell, who is also running for RNC chair. Trump made no mention of his ally, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who is also running for the position of RNC chair. I believe she's well under 85 — with my math, I'd say somewhere around 70 to 75," Lindell told Insider on January 9. Lindell, Dhillon, and representatives for Trump and McDaniel did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

It was totally avoidable.”Now, Bolsonaro is in Orlando, where he has supporters among the state's growing number of Brazilian Americans. After Bolsonaro's loss, unfounded claims of election fraud, reminiscent of those in the U.S., began to surface in Brazil. Bannon had said prior to the Brazilian election that Bolsonaro would lose only if “the machines” steal the election. Leading to the presidential elections in Brazil, Trump allies exported many of the former president's campaign strategies to the Latin American country. After Bolsonaro's October loss, tens of thousands of supporters began camping outside military facilities throughout Brazil to protest his loss.

☆ Mike Lindell says he's got enough votes to derail RNC chair Ronna McDaniel's leadership bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell says he's got the support to derail RNC chair Ronna McDaniel's re-election. Lindell told Insider he's secured the votes to make sure McDaniel won't have an outright win. He told Insider that he has called "a third" of the 168 RNC members since he announced his candidacy in November. "And when you talk to some — sometimes I talk for three to four hours to one person," Lindell told Insider on Monday. "We encourage all RNC members across the country to support new leadership at the RNC Winter Meeting," the committee wrote in its statement.

☆ MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said Marjorie Taylor Greene 'broke her promise' by backing Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene backed Kevin McCarthy's bid for House Speaker. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said Greene broke her promise by doing so. "I'm very surprised that the one — I won't name her name but it's Marjorie Taylor Greene — broke her promise," Lindell said on the far-right Be Reasonable podcast on Thursday. "And that includes Marjorie Taylor Greene." Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives went through a historic 15 rounds of voting to elect McCarthy to the House speaker position.

☆ A January 6 rioter who pleaded guilty and served prison time announces his bid for Congress on the anniversary of the insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Capitol rioter announced his run for Congress on the two-year anniversary of the January 6 insurrection. Derrick Evans, who served three months in federal prison, is running in West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. His website says he'd work with pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell to "fight for election integrity" if elected. art piece, former Capitol rioter Derrick Evans on Friday announced his plans to run for Congress on the Republican ticket. It says that if elected, he'd work with pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell, among others, to "fight for election integrity."

☆ Trump's lawyers keep getting slammed for filing conspiratorial lawsuits. Here are the 16 sanctioned so far.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Lawyers representing Trump keep getting sanctioned by courts. Sixteen different lawyers have been sanctioned over failed lawsuits brought on the former president's behalf. Many of Trump's lawyers, even if they are not sanctioned, end up needing lawyers of their own to ward off the worst consequences. Still, as many 16 lawyers have been personally sanctioned because of their work for Trump, and Insider has compiled a list. The least successful, however, was a sprawling lawsuit Trump filed against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and several other figures linked to Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

☆ Trump ally Mike Lindell baselessly questioned whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis legitimately won his 2022 election
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell baselessly questioned whether Ron DeSantis legitimately won his 2022 election. He said that DeSantis winning Miami-Dade County, a typically blue county, was "a deviation from norm." Lindell is a fervent Trump ally, and DeSantis is emerging as his fiercest political rival. Lindell questioned DeSantis' win in Miami-Dade County, which has historically mostly voted Democratic, while appearing on his show "The Lindell Report." Lindell has been among the most vocal proponents of Trump's election fraud conspiracy theories.

☆ Even Donald Trump laughed at Sidney Powell when she spouted baseless voter fraud claims: 'This does sound crazy, doesn't it?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Even Donald Trump thought Sidney Powell sounded "crazy," per the January 6 panel's Capitol Riot report. Hope Hicks, Trump's former White House communications director, said he muted Powell during a call. While muted, Trump mocked Powell, saying: "This does sound crazy, doesn't it?" In the meantime, Dominion Voting Systems is suing Powell, Giuliani, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for defamation, alleging that the trio pushed a slew of baseless voter fraud claims that hurt its business. Dominion Voting Systems said in January that it is unlikely to settle the billion-dollar lawsuits given the "devastating harm" the three caused the company.

☆ Kayleigh McEnany tried to 'actively avoid' Trump after the election because he wanted her to talk about Dominion from the White House podium, ex-aide testified
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sarah Matthews testified the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was avoiding Trump after the election. McEnany was concerned about violating the Hatch Act from the White House podium, Matthews said. The aide, Sarah Matthews, was serving as the White House deputy press secretary at the time of the 2020 election. McEnany was serving as both the White House press secretary and Trump's campaign spokesperson at the time. The transcript of Matthews' testimony was released by the January 6 committee on Thursday, along with the testimony of Chris Krebs, Mark Esper, and others.

☆ Ex-academic forges a new career denying Trump's 2020 election loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +27 min

“The war is just getting started,” Clements told his 100,000 Telegram followers on Nov. 16. His rise in the movement began in January 2021, when a dispute with his employer, New Mexico State University, over the U.S. Capitol riot went public. ‘I will not take the jab’Clements’ swift rise in election-denier circles caused a stir at New Mexico State, where he continued to teach. Flynn co-founded the America Project, a well-capitalized right-wing group that has financed lawsuits and campaigns challenging the 2020 election results and the integrity of U.S. voting systems. One of their roles is to certify election results, which until the Trump era was typically a rubber-stamp formality.

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