Thomas Jefferson

History 10 Minutes

From Mental Floss:

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States, penned one of the greatest documents of the modern world in the Declaration of Independence. While that’s certainly a career highlight, it’s far from the only interesting thing about him.

1. He was addicted to learning.

Born April 13 (April 2 on the pre-Gregorian calendar), 1743 at his father’s Shadwell plantation in Virginia, Jefferson was one of 10 children (eight of whom survived to adulthood). While he attended the College of William and Mary (he graduated in 1762), he was said to have studied for 15 hours daily on top of violin practice. The hard work paid off: Jefferson moved into law studies before becoming a lawyer in 1767. Two years later, he became a member of Virginia’s House of Burgesses, the Virginia legislature. His autodidact ways continued throughout his life: Jefferson could speak four languages (English, Italian, French, Latin) and read two more (Greek and Spanish).

2. His greatest work was a study in contradiction.

As a member of the Second Continental Congress and the “Committee of Five” (a group consisting of John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson brought together for this purpose), Jefferson was tasked with writing the Declaration of Independence, an argument against the 13 colonies being held under British rule. While the Declaration insisted that all men are created equal and that their right to liberty is inherent at birth, Jefferson’s plantation origins meant that he embraced the institution of slavery. In any given year, Jefferson supervised up to 200 slaves, with roughly half under the age of 16. He perpetuated acts of cruelty, sometimes selling slaves and having them relocated away from their families as punishment. Yet in a book titled Notes on the State of Virginia (which he began writing during his stint as governor and published in 1785), Jefferson wrote that he believed the practice was unjust and “tremble[d]” at the idea of God exacting vengeance on those who perpetuated it. Though Jefferson acknowledged slavery as morally repugnant—and also criticized the slave trade in a passage that was cut from the Declaration of Independence “in complaisance to South Carolina and Georgia”—he offered no hesitation in benefiting personally from it, a hypocrisy that would haunt his legacy through the present day.

3. He didn’t like being rewritten.

After drafting the Declaration, Jefferson waited as Congress poured over his document for two days. When they broke session, Jefferson was annoyed to find that they were calling for extensive changes and revisions. He disliked the fact the passage criticizing the slave trade was to be omitted, along with some of his harsh words against British rule. Benjamin Franklin soothed his irritation, and the finished Declaration was adopted July 4, 1776, spreading via horseback and ship throughout that summer.

4. He recorded everything.

After inheriting his family’s Shadwell estate, Jefferson began constructing a new brick mansion on the property he dubbed Monticello, which means “little mountain” in Italian. For operations at Monticello and the properties he would acquire later in life, Jefferson was preoccupied with recording the minutiae of his daily routine, jotting down journal entries about the weather, his expansive garden, and the behavior of animals on his property. He kept a running tally of the hogs killed in a given year, mused about crop rotations, and noted the diet of his slaves.

5. He doubled the size of the country.

Jefferson’s greatest feat as president, an office he held from 1801 to 1809, was the Louisiana Purchase, a treaty-slash-transaction with France that effectively doubled the size of the United States. The deal took careful diplomacy, as Jefferson knew that France controlling the Mississippi River would have huge ramifications on trade movements. Fortunately, Napoleon Bonaparte was in the mood to deal, hoping the sale of the 830,000 square miles would help finance his armed advances on Europe. Bonaparte wanted $22 million; he settled for $15 million. Jefferson was elated, though some critics alleged the Constitution didn’t strictly allow for a president to purchase foreign soil.

6. He fought pirates.

Another instance where Jefferson pushed the limits of his Constitutional power was his fierce response to Barbary pirates, a roving band of plunderers from North Africa who frequently targeted supply ships in the Mediterranean and held them for ransom. Under Jefferson’s orders, American warships were dispatched to confront the pirates directly rather than capitulate to their demands. The initial Navy push was successful, but the pirates were able to capture a massive American frigate—which an American raiding party subsequently set fire to so the ship couldn’t be used against them. A treaty was declared in 1805, although tensions resumed in what was known as the Second Barbary War in 1815. Again, Naval ships forced Algerian ships to retreat.

7. He helped popularize ice cream in the U.S.

Jefferson spent time in France in the 1700s as a diplomat, and that’s where he was likely introduced to the dessert delicacy known as ice cream. While not the first to port over recipes to the United States, his frequent serving of it during his time as president contributed to increased awareness. Jefferson was so fond of ice cream that he had special molds and tools imported from France to help his staff prepare it; because there was no refrigeration at the time, the confections were typically kept in ice houses and brought out to the amusement of guests, who were surprised by a frozen dish during summer parties. He also left behind what may be the first ice cream recipe in America: six egg yolks, a half-pound of sugar, two bottles of cream, and one vanilla bean.

8. He bribed a reporter.

Presidential scandals and dogged newspaper reporters are not strictly a 20th or 21st century dynamic. In the 1790s, a reporter named James Callender ran articles condemning several politicians—including Alexander Hamilton and John Adams—for various indiscretions. In 1801, he turned his attention to Jefferson, whom he alleged was having an affair with one of his slaves, a woman named Sally Hemings. Callender went to Jefferson and demanded he receive $200 and a job as a postmaster in exchange for his silence. Disgusted, Jefferson gave him $50. Callender eventually broke the news that Hemings and Jefferson had been involved, a relationship that resulted in several children. Jefferson supporters ignored the story—which modern-day DNA testing later corroborated—but Callender was never in a position to gather more evidence: He drowned in the James River in 1803.

9. He had a pet mockingbird.

Even before the Revolution, Jefferson had taken a liking to mockingbirds, and he brought this affection to the White House, which they filled with melodious song. (And, presumably, bird poop.) But he was singularly affectionate toward one mockingbird he named Dick. The bird was allowed to roam Jefferson’s office or perch on the president’s shoulder. When Jefferson played his violin, Dick would accompany with vocals. Dick and his colleagues followed Jefferson back to Monticello when he was finished with his second term in 1809.

10. He invented a few things.

Not one to sit idle, Jefferson used his available free time to consider solutions to some of the problems that followed him at his Monticello farming endeavors. Anxious to till soil more efficiently, he and his son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph, conceived of a plow that could navigate hills. He also tinkered with a way of improving a dumbwaiter, the elevator typically used to deliver food and other goods from one floor to another.

11. His wife had a curious connection to his mistress.

Jefferson was married for just 10 years before his wife, Martha Wayles, died in 1782 at age 33 of unknown causes. Curiously, Jefferson’s involvement with his slave, Sally Hemings, was part of Martha’s convoluted family tree. Martha’s father, John Wayles, had an affair with Sally’s mother, Elizabeth Hemings—meaning most historians think Sally and Martha were half-sisters.

12. He’s credited with creating a catchphrase.

During his second term as president, Jefferson was said to have run into a man on horseback near his Monticello estate who proceeded to engage him in a lengthy complaint of everything wrong in Washington. Reportedly, the man had no idea he was speaking to the commander-in-chief until Jefferson introduced himself. The man, deeply embarrassed, quickly spouted “my name is Haines” and then galloped away. True or not, Jefferson is credited with originating the resulting catchphrase that was popular in the 1800s, with people saying “my name is Haines” whenever they wanted to feign embarrassment or were forced to leave abruptly.

13. He was served with a subpoena.

Long before Richard Nixon landed in hot water, Thomas Jefferson resisted attempts to compel him to testify in court. The matter unraveled in 1807, when James Wilkinson insisted he had sent Jefferson a letter informing him of Aaron Burr’s plot to invade Mexico. Government attorneys wanted Jefferson to appear with the letter, but the president—who said that the country would be left without leadership if he traveled to Richmond to answer the subpoena—refused to appear, an act of executive willpower that was never challenged in court.

14. He had a secret retreat.

Though Monticello remained Jefferson’s pride and joy, he had another residence for times when he wanted to be alone. Poplar Forest, located near Lynchburg, Virginia, was an octagonal home that he had built to exacting detail: The windows were measured so they would bring in only Jefferson’s preferred amount of sunlight. The home took years to construct and was nearly ready by the time he left office in 1809. It’s now open to the public.

15. He was a shabby dresser.

After taking office, Jefferson offended some in Washington who believed the president should be an impeccably-dressed and polished social host. While many of his stature would opt for a carriage, Jefferson rode a horse and dressed in plain and comfortable clothing. He acknowledged only two official White House celebrations annually: the 4th of July and New Year’s Day.

16. He was an early wine connoisseur.

Centuries before wine appreciation became a national pastime, Jefferson was busy accumulating an eclectic wine cellar. His love for the drink coincided with his trip to France, where he was introduced to the various tastes and textures. He kept a well-stocked collection at Monticello and also tried growing his own European grapes, but was never successful.

17. He shocked people by eating a tomato.

Jefferson’s multitudes of crops included what were, for their time, unique and sometimes puzzling additions. He grew tomatoes when their consumption in Virginia was uncommon, and, according to one account from 1900, Jefferson reportedly appalled some onlookers when he would consume one in front of witnesses.

18. He probably had a fear of public speaking.

Without today’s methods of addressing the public—radio, television, and Twitter—Jefferson was largely free to succumb to his reported phobia of speaking in public. While working as a lawyer, he found himself unable to deliver orated arguments as eloquently as he could write them. When he did speak, it was apparently with a meek disposition. One listener to his inaugural address in 1801 described Jefferson’s speech as being in “so low a tone that few heard it.”

19. He harvested opium.

At Monticello’s sprawling vegetable and plant gardens, Jefferson grew over 300 different kinds of crops, flowers, and other sprouts. Among them were Papaver somniferum, the poppy seed that can be used to create opioid drugs. Common in Jefferson’s time, the plant is now under much closer scrutiny and the estate was forced to pull up their remaining crop in 1991.

20. Abraham Lincoln was not a fan.

Though they weren’t contemporaries, Abraham Lincoln sometimes seethed with animosity toward Jefferson. William Henry Herndon, Lincoln’s onetime law partner, wrote that Lincoln “hated” Jefferson both for his moral shortcomings and his political views. But Lincoln also recognized the potency of the Declaration, citing its words as proof of equality among the population. “All honor to Jefferson,” he said, for making the document a “stumbling block” for anyone arguing in favor of tyranny. But he still never liked the guy.

21. He sold a lot of books to the Library of Congress.

Jefferson, a voracious reader, was dismayed when the War of 1812 resulted in British forces burning the Capitol in Washington and reducing its 3000-volume library of books to ashes. To repopulate the repository of knowledge, Jefferson sold Congress his entire personal library of 6707 titles for $23,950. The sale was finalized in 1815, and the books were sent via wagon from Virginia to Washington.

22. He helped found the University of Virginia.

A fierce advocate of education, Jefferson used his later years to propagate an institution of higher learning. Jefferson began planning the resources for a Virginia state university during his presidential term, writing to the Virginia House of Delegates that a college should not be solely a house but a “village.” In the proceeding years, Jefferson arranged funding, contributed design ideas, and helped shepherd the University of Virginia toward its formal opening in March 1825. Known as the “founding father” of the school, his influence has not always been welcomed. In April 2018, protesting students spray-painted the words rapist (in reference to his controversial relationship with slave Sally Hemings) and racist on a campus statue.

23. He was always in debt.

Status, salary, and opportunities should collude to make sure presidents are in solid financial shape during and after their tenure in office. Jefferson was an exception. Despite inheriting his father’s estate, he was plagued by debt for most of his life. He often spent beyond his means, expanding his property and making additions and renovations with little regard for the cost involved. His father-in-law, John Wayles, carried debt, which Jefferson became responsible for when Wayles died in 1774. Jefferson himself died owing $107,000, or roughly $2 million today.

24. His onetime nemesis dies on the same day.

Before Jefferson passed away on July 4, 1826, he had finally made amends with John Adams, the president who preceded him in office and for whom Jefferson had acted as vice-president. The two men, once on the same side, had grown to resent the other’s approach to diplomacy and politics, with Jefferson lamenting Adams’s preference for centralized and meddlesome government—though according to Jefferson, the major issue was the so-called “Midnight Judges,” appointments that Jefferson felt “were from among [his] most ardent political enemies.”

Strangely, Adams passed away the same day as Jefferson, just five hours later. The date, July 4, was also the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being adopted.

25. He wrote his own epitaph.

Jefferson wasn’t willing to leave his final resting place in the hands of others. He was exacting in how he wanted his grave marker to look and how his epitaph should read. He also directed the marker be made of inexpensive materials to dissuade vandals from bothering it. Following his death in 1826, several people chipped away at his grave in Monticello as souvenirs. Congress funded a new monument in 1882, which is still toured by visitors to the estate today. The engraving reads:

Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of American Independence of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom & Father of the University of Virginia

This time, no one had the temerity to rewrite him.

SOURCE: MENTAL FLOSS: Jake Rossen | Apr 13, 2019

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Published by pat frederick

Published

109 thoughts on “Thomas Jefferson”

    1. Morning, Pat! The sun is here and you can’t have it! LOL – but we’ll be back down in the 50’s next week, with some rain, altho I don’t expect much. Very interesting read about Jefferson, much of which I didn’t know.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Liked by 1 person

  5. DC_Draino

    @DC_Draino

    When Speaker Johnson and President Trump announced the SAVE Act to ensure only Americans can vote, they exposed the Democrat plan to rig our elections 1. Flood the border with millions of illegals 2. Send illegals to welfare offices to get benefits 3. Register illegals to vote at the welfare offices This new bill would stop that If we don’t pass the SAVE Act, we are screwed

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Troublemaker10

    Troublemaker10

    April 13, 2024 4:10 am

    No charges for unregistered gun possession?

    —

    Police took possession of E. Jean Carroll’s unregistered gun after her testimony in Trump defamation trial

    Excerpt:

    During the second day of the civil trial, Carroll had told the federal court in lower Manhattan that she kept a “high standard revolver, nine chambers” at home with ammunition. “By my bed,” she said.

    “I still do not have a license,” Carroll added.

    John Rader, the reporting officer, said in his report that he “offered to secure the weapon at the police station’s property for safekeeping.”…..

    …….Under New York state law, a person can be found guilty of criminal possession if they possess a firearm, such as a pistol, that has not been registered. The felony carries a maximum sentence of four years.

    https://www-nbcnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna147673?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From %251%24s&aoh=17129953281944&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitics-news%2Fe-jean-carrolls-gun-was-taken-police-trump-trial-testimony-rcna147673

    Liked by 1 person

  8. she is soooooooooooo dumb. they can’t pay off these loans–so let’s give them more loans –like for a car, more college and God forbid–a mortgage for a home.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. wow! i’ve never heard of 26 spontaneous disintegrations of mooring lines before…

    Winston

    Winston

    April 13, 2024 8:13 am

    No cause given.

    26 barges break loose and float down Ohio River, causing damage and prompting bridge closures in Pittsburgh, officials say
    13 Apr 2024

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/26-barges-break-loose-and-float-down-ohio-river-causing-damage-and-prompting-bridge-closures-in-pittsburgh-officials-say/ar-BB1ly2cv

    A marina in Pittsburgh sustained extensive damage after 26 barges, most of which were loaded with dry cargo, broke loose late Friday night and floated uncontrolled down the Ohio River, according to authorities.

    Two Pittsburgh-area bridges about 2.5 miles apart were closed after the barges broke free.

    The McKees Rocks Bridge was shut down out of “an abundance of caution,” McKees Rocks police said shortly after midnight.

    [snip]

    The shuttered bridges will be reopened when “it is determined that it is safe to do so,” authorities said.

    The bridge closures come just two weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed when it was struck by a cargo vessel, killing six construction workers and leaving commuters and workers in limbo.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. bringing from wolfs’

      PAVACA

      PAVACA(@pavaca)

      Online

      Wolverine

      Reply to  pat frederick

      April 13, 2024 09:40

      IMO, THIS IS DELIBERATE SABOTAGE.

      Yours Truly grew up in Pittsburgh. Used to own a few rental properties in the West End / Sheraden areas of Pittsburgh. Know that area like the back of my hand.

      The West End Bridge is a MAJOR conduit between downtown Pittsburgh, the West End, and the North Side .
      The McKees Rocks Bridge is a MAJOR conduit between the West End, Neville Township, Bellevue, and points northwest of downtown Pittsburgh.
      The roads in these areas are mostly 2-lane, already-heavily traveled roads.
      Closing the above two bridges for ANY amount of time will cause MAJOR NEGATIVE EFFECTS on the roads.

      Brunot’s Island (where the RAIL LINE was also shut down) is an industrial area. Big electrical power station, a meat-processing plant, etc. MAJOR NEGATIVE IMPACT here since the rail link to Brunot’s Island is crucial. THE ONLY WAY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC CAN GET ON AND OFF BRUNOT’S ISLAND IS TO USE A FERRY. EMPLOYEES WHO WORK ON BRUNOT’S ISLAND CAN ONLY GET THERE BY A WALKWAY UNDERNEATH THE RAILWAY BRIDGE AFTER PARKING THEIR CARS ON THE LAND ACROSS FROM THE ISLAND. Since the railway to the island is now closed, I don’t know how employees will get on and off the island, unless they also use the ferry.

      Peggy’s Harbor, also hit by the loose barges, was pretty much destroyed. It was a great place to store sailboats and power boats. People would store their boats there in between sailing on the Ohio River, the Allegheny River, and the Monogahela River (the Allegheny and the Monogahela join in The Point in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.)

      FOURTEEN of the loose barges CONTINUED to float down the Ohio River before GOING OVER THE EMSWORTH DAM, likely heavily damaging that area.

      Like

  12. Just The News: “U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika on Friday rejected a bid from first son Hunter Biden to dismiss gun charges against him.

    Special counsel David Weiss has alleged that the now-first son lied on a federal gun form about his drug use and that he possessed a firearm while using illegal narcotics. He has pleaded not guilty.

    Noreika rejected the first son’s claims that the case was politically motivated in denying the motion for dismissal, according to the Associated Press.

    Weiss brought the charges after Noreika expressed skepticism of a proposed plea agreement last year, taking issue with a pre-trial diversion agreement that could have permitted Biden to avoid prison time.

    He is expected to face trial on June 3.”

    Liked by 1 person

  13. “House Speaker Mike Johnson was among the 86 Republicans who voted Friday against including a bipartisan warrant mandate amendment in the bill to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s controversial section 702 surveillance program that passed out of the chamber.

    Two other members of GOP House leadership – Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik R-N.Y. – also voted against the amendment.”

    https://justthenews.com/government/congress/house-speaker-johnson-among-86-republicans-who-sunk-warrant-mandate-amendment

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Just The News: “Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday vetoed legislation that would have banned certain gender-related treatments for minors.

    The “Substitute Bill for Senate Bill 233” would have banned gender surgeries and hormone treatments for minors and establish a civil means of action against healthcare providers who perform them.

    Kelly vetoed the legislation, stating it “targets a small group of Kansans by placing government mandates on them and dictating to parents how to best raise and care for their children. I do not believe that is a conservative value, and it’s certainly not a Kansas value.”

    “The last place that I would want to be as a politician is between a parent and a child who needed medical care of any kind. And, yet, that is exactly what this legislation does,” she continued. “If the legislature paid this much attention to the other 99.8% of students, we’d have the best schools on earth.”

    Twenty-three states have banned gender-related surgeries and treatments for minors, while Arizona has only banned surgeries, according to the pro-LGBT Movement Advancement Project.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree with ADULT euthanasia choices – it is their body, therefore, their right to choose. This is a different matter entirely! We’re talking minors here, whose brains haven’t yet fully developed enough to understand those choices and the attendant ramifications!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. that’s my point–i must have made it badly-lol-
          these can be permanent (like euthanasia) and these kids can’t make these decisions about their bodies while they are going thru puberty. hell you couldn’t get a tattoo without parental consent (is that still true?)

          Liked by 1 person

  15. “Congressman Victimized by FBI Spying Votes for More Warrantless Spying Powers — Rep. Darin LaHood expressed outrage last year over the snooping revelations, yet voted to extend the surveillance program that spied on him without a court order.”

    LEE FANG, APR 13, 2024

    EXCERPT FROM PAY ARTICLE: “Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to extend warrantless surveillance through an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). 

    Intelligence agencies collect information on an industrial scale. Google, Facebook, AT&T, Verizon, and other communication platforms provide the government massive troves of private communications — emails, texts, phone calls, and much more. 

    Section 702 allows law enforcement to access the database for foreigners’ messages and phone calls without a court order, including when foreigners communicate with Americans. The program, critics charge, gives the government broad powers to spy on Americans over incidental contacts with foreigners.

    The system has been abused repeatedly, with agents inappropriately searching the database for messages from journalists, left-wing activists, campaign donors, and one of Donald Trump’s campaign aides during the 2016 presidential election. In one of the most startling revelations, the FBI also used the database to search the private communications from Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., a sitting member of Congress.

    The snooping on LaHood was revealed last year in a declassified Office of the Director of National Intelligence report. The report, without naming names, noted that the mass surveillance database had been improperly used to dig into the communications of a lawmaker. Not long after the report was released, news emerged that the lawmaker was LaHood, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee.

    Rep. LaHood, representing a northern Illinois district known for its significant soybean exports to Asia, was reportedly targeted due to his involvement in trade discussions with Chinese trade officials. FBI agents made multiple broad searches of LaHood’s private communications. 

    “The FBI’s inappropriate querying of a duly elected Member of Congress, as stated in the ODNI report footnote, is an egregious violation that not only degrades trust in FISA and the Intelligence Community but is a threat to the foundational values of our democracy,” LaHood thundered in March 2023 statement, confirming that he was the lawmaker targeted by the FBI. “The FBI’s actions raise further questions about the serious reforms needed to FISA,” he added. 

    Fast-forward to today. The FBI, the intelligence community, the Biden administration, and leading figures of both parties have pushed for a renewal of the program and expanded surveillance powers, citing the threat of terrorism and foreign adversaries such as China and Russia. The pressure campaign is having dazzling results.

    LaHood took to the House floor yesterday to urge his colleagues to support a two-year expansion of Section 702. He claimed that the system only targets bad actors.

    “It’s important to state at the outset that Section 702 is used only to target bad actors overseas and our adversaries who are not protected under the Fourth Amendment,” said LaHood. “It is not used to surveil or target Americans.”

    LaHood claimed that the law had been meaningfully reformed and warned that not extending it would risk America’s national security. He pointed to support from former Trump administration officials, such as former CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who urged support for the program. Later in the day, he joined 272 other House Republicans and Democrats to pass the bill,

    But far from an improved version, civil liberty experts point out that the new Section 702 bill in fact radically expands the reach of government snooping. Elizabeth Goitein, a senior director at the Brennan Center, noted that the revised bill contains language allowing the NSA to access private businesses’ Wi-Fi routers.”

    Liked by 1 person

  16. so the gov’t doesn’t think they have to PROVE classified docs were in the boxes that got moved????

    sync

    April 13, 2024 10:33 am

    Julie Kelly on twitter:

    One thing I find amusing as a reporter on the *right* actively covering J6 and Trump related court proceedings is seeing what corporate news reporters omit from their articles.

    For example, I don’t see any coverage of Jay Bratt (Jack Smith prosecutor) apparently admitting yesterday that the government does not think it will have to prove that classified records were in the boxes moved by Trump’s co-defendants.

    Bratt said with one exception–a photo in the indictment that allegedly shows a classified file spilled from a box in the storage room–DOJ is not aware of the presence of classified records in any box moved or handled by Walt Nauta or Carlos De Olivera.

    This is CENTRAL to the obstruction charges against both men and Trump.

    I also don’t see any reports about Judge Cannon’s frustration bordering on anger about secrecy out of the DC court. For the most part, corporate media ignores the fact that the entire investigation was run out of Washington–including grand jury proceedings–then switched to Florida, the appropriate jurisdiction, at the last minute to get indictments.

    Cannon told DOJ yesterday things were happening behind the scenes (DC court) she was not privy to. She denounced the “secrecy” of grand jury proceedings and materials by DOJ and DC court.

    One defense attorney filed a request at DC court asking the judge to docket classified docs related grand jury materials. The court denied that request but Cannon wants to see what the court refused to make available.

    Even the reporting on Nauta’s FBI interview. No outrage that the FBI once again lured a Trump confidant into a perjury trap under the guise of “helping” the government?

    No outrage that the FBI did not work through the Trump legal team–as it ALREADY WAS–to notify the former president that agents planned to interrogate one of his most trusted aides not just about classified files but Trump’s personal habits and private conversations? Or that the FBI clearly was attempting to flip Nauta by playing on his loyalties to the military as a recently retired Naval officer?

    Just some observations…column on hearing and recent filings up soon!

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Just The News: “Members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly seized control of a container ship linked to Israel on Saturday. 

    According to an Iranian outlet, the ship was seized around noon on Saturday near the Strait of Hormuz, which provides the only passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.

    “Sources have reported that the vessel is the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime,” the outlet states, adding that “Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group.”

    Members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly rappelled down from a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, according to The Hill. A Middle East defense official provided video of the attack to The Associated Press.

    The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations is investigating the incident. Americans have been warned to avoid traveling to Israel and troops have been moved around to different positions in the Middle East.

    On Friday, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon towards northern Israel, resulting in the IDF firing back with airstrike attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”

    Liked by 1 person

  28. T. Turtle

    April 13, 2024 1:19 pm

    America under the FJB Administration. This one is funny…until it’s not. What happens when the 12+ Million illegals can no longer get free everything? I’m not looking forward to finding out.

    “Illegal Alien Tries to Rob Bank in Ohio Using a Translator App Because He Couldn’t Figure Out How to Say “Put the Money in the Bag” (VIDEO)”

    Excerpts:

    This is certainly a first for us,” Chief Oliver commented to FOX 8. “In my over 20 years of law enforcement, I’ve never seen someone attempt to use a translator app as a means to commit a crime like this.”

    Upon his arrest, a Spanish-speaking officer communicated with Brito-Gonzalez, who revealed that he had recently lost his job and was in desperate need of money. Despite his dire financial situation, Brito-Gonzalez denied any intention of robbing the bank, claiming instead that he had merely asked the bank to give him money.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/illegal-alien-tries-rob-bank-ohio-using-translator/

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m back – boy, am I ever out of shape! Got the back yard cleaned up of all the branches and bark that fell from the cottonwood tree. Also got the lope bed ready to till, except for the 2 T-posts and short section of fencing – those posts are going to take some digging. That was a bit too much for one day! LOL – up to 85 now and I had to put the fan in front of the patio doors to cool me off! But don’t get too jealous – I’ll be back to almost freezing next week! I just hope we get some of that rain.

        Liked by 1 person

  31. video in the tweet

    The Absolute Truth with @EmeraldRobinson
    @AbsoluteWithE
    BREAKING: The long awaited report from an investigation (SEB2023-25) into errors found in both the hand count & a machine count from the 2020 presidential election in Fulton Co. is officially on the agenda for a May 7th State Election Board meeting!

    The investigation found violations into both the hand audit and machine count according to citizen investigator Joe Rossi.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. “FISA/FISC Confirmations from Mike Benz Interview — From the Moonshine perspective reflecting my interpretation of Mike Benz’s remarks that are laid-out in 18 points, the information is a perfect plug-in to confirm important FISA/FISC analysis.”

    POLITICAL MOONSHINE, APR 13, 2024

    EXCERPT: “On Friday, the US House of Representatives, which more greatly represents the Intelligence Community than it does any American, and which is led by IC functionary Mike Johnson, passed a modified FISA/FISC bill to preserve its most effective and illegal surveillance instrument. This coming week and before a 19 Apr 24 deadline, the bill moves to the US Senate for a vote where if passed, would then go to Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Given that Biden is the primary beneficiary of the Intelligence Community’s overarching FISA/FISC abuses, Biden’s signature is guaranteed. A confirmation vote from the Senate is also guaranteed even if it’s eventually and not immediately.

    The Senate guarantee rests on old analysis from August 2020 entitled ‘Treason in the U.S. Senate?‘ In that piece, I lay-out the arduously evidenced position that within the U.S. Senate, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which is the counterpart to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence [think Adam Schiff as Chariman and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as an ex officio member], is the interface for the Intelligence Committee to steer Senate [and House] legislative business and to ensure alignment with IC priorities and principals.

    As an example of this on the House side, House Speaker Pelosi was an ex officio member of HPSCI and she unpacked the fraudulent COVID-19 “pandemic” on the exact same schedule as Trump’s first impeachment as a deflection point construct – Look here! Fake pandemic! Don’t look here. Fake impeachment. [As far as I know, no one else has made or evidenced that position and it is critically important for full comprehension.]

    After rushing to impeach before Christmas 2019 and then for months refusing to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the trial venue – the U.S. Senate – Pelosi transitioned the impeachment from an ongoing federal investigation of significant importance before she then moved it away from the customary Judiciary Committee oversight [Jerry Nadler, Chairman] to Schiff’s HPSCI.

    That’s how the IC executed and controlled the first of two fraudulent impeachments.

    Let’s pause to acknowledge a critical component relative to remarks made by Mike Benz in a recent interview, which is the basis for our analysis and confirmations below.

    CONTEXTUAL BACKDROP…..”

    https://politicalmoonshine.substack.com/p/fisafisc-confirmations-from-mike

    Liked by 1 person

  39. really rubio?

    Jenevive

    April 13, 2024 3:37 pm

    From Jack Posbiec on Twitter

    Massive push is on for Marco Rubio as Trump’s VP, including big donations secured from major establishment donors, per sr GOP advisor

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Just The News: “Multiple drone attacks have been launched against Israel, conducted by Iran, according to reports. 

    “BREAKING: Iran launches attack against Israel using dozens of drones, four U.S. and Israeli officials told me,” Axios reporter Barak Ravid wrote on the social media platform, X, according to the New York Post and CNN. 

    Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has, in response, announced restrictions for civilians. Educational events have been restricted, according to The Times of Israel.

    The restrictions are valid through next week at 11 p.m. Restrictions have also been placed around Gaza.”

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Just The News: “The U.S. is planning to work with Israel to shoot down any incoming missiles and drones from Iran, and is now moving two U.S. Navy destroyers to the area, according to reports.

    President Joe Biden has left Rehoboth Beach in Delaware as tensions continue to rise between Iran and Israel, with Iran having reportedly launched dozens of drones in the direction of Israel, according to reports. It is expected to take several hours before they reach Israel, according to CNN. 

    Biden will be back in Washington D.C., to “consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East,” according to the New York Post.

    Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has, in response, announced restrictions for civilians. Biden has previously said that the U.S. will stand with Israel amid tensions with Iran. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel and help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said, according to The Hill, earlier this week.” 

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It appears that he is claiming that it is against the rules to appear at fund raisers….? Yep…

      “According to guidance on political activities and campaigns issued in 2011, Marines are prohibited from appearing in uniform at partisan political events:

      AS A PRIMARY EXAMPLE, MARINES AND SAILORS SHALL NOT WEAR A UNIFORM WHEN THEY ATTEND A PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN POLITICAL FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY, MEETING, RALLY, DEBATE OR CONVENTION AS A SPECTATOR.

      2. MARINES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ARE SUBJECT TO GENERALLY MORE RESTRICTIVE RULES THAN FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. REF A IS A PUNITIVE LAWFUL GENERAL REGULATION APPLICABLE TO MARINES, SAILORS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ON ACTIVE DUTY. PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE REGISTERING TO VOTE AND VOTING, ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO VOTE, MAKING A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO A POLITICAL PARTY OR CANDIDATE, PARTICIPATING FULLY IN THE FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND DISPLAYING A PARTISAN BUMPER STICKER ON A POV.

      PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE PARTICIPATING IN PARTISAN POLITICAL FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES, USING OFFICIAL AUTHORITY TO INFLUENCE OR INTERFERE WITH AN ELECTION, MARCHING OR RIDING IN PARTISAN PARADES, SPEAKING BEFORE A PARTISAN POLITICAL GATHERING, PERFORMING CLERICAL OR OTHER DUTIES FOR A PARTISAN POLITICAL COMMITTEE OR CANDIDATE DURING A CAMPAIGN, DISPLAYING A LARGE POLITICAL SIGN (AS DISTINGUISHED FROM A BUMPER STICKER) ON A PRIVATE VEHICLE, AND DISPLAYING A PARTISAN POLITICAL SIGN, POSTER, BANNER, OR SIMILAR DEVICE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AT ONE’S RESIDENCE ON A MILITARY INSTALLATION (EVEN IF THAT RESIDENCE IS PART OF A PRIVATIZED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT).

      Liked by 1 person

  45. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

          1. Well I don’t want to jinx it but I might have a surgical date for her…

            I called the knee doctor and they’re like screw it let’s get the process started.

            Liked by 1 person

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