30 reference

Political guru James Carville forecasted Donald Trump's Administration will collapse within the next 30 days.

The veteran Democratic strategist told Mediaite's Dan Abrams that Trump's popularity is sinking, and he believes the administration will implode from a lack of public support.

'I believe that this administration, in less than 30 days, is in the midst of a massive collapse and particularly a collapse in public opinion,' Carville said.

'What I have said very publicly is that Democrats need to play possum. This whole thing is collapsing.

'It doesn't need Elizabeth Warren and somebody screaming to pacify some progressive advocacy groups in Washington, which, by the way, I wish these people were just useless. They're actually worse than useless, that they're detrimental.'

He advised Democrats to lay low while the White House falls apart and predicted Republicans will find it difficult to pass any legislation and be forced to reach across the aisle for their support.

'It's going to be easy pickings here in six weeks. Just lay back,' Carville said. 'We're in the midst of a collapse. It's over.'

Carville doubled down on his previous statements that Democrats 'do nothing' in response to Trump and Elon Musk's takeover of the federal government.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/media/article-14427411/political-guru-predicts-trump-white-house-collapse.html

Scandal-plagued politician accused of offering a sex worker $1,000 to sleep with him in his parliamentary office goes missing as police fear the worst

Former Upper Hunter MP vanishes after leaving his West Tamworth home

One-time state politician resigned in disgrace following lewd text scandal

A disgraced politician who allegedly offered a sex worker $1,000 to sleep with him in his parliamentary office before later being accused under parliamentary privilege of raping her has gone missing.

Tamworth police have urgently appealed for the public's help in locating one-time National Party MP Michael Johnsen after he vanished without trace after leaving his home in the city's west on Friday.

The 60-year-old represented the Upper Hunter in NSW's state parliament from 2015 until March 2021 when he was forced to resign after being caught up in the explosive, career-ending sex scandal.

The divorced dad was accused of bombarding the sex worker with lewd texts - even while sitting in the chamber in parliament - and accused under parliamentary privilege of allegedly sexually assaulting her during a paid hook-up at a Blue Mountains lookout in September 2019.

Mr Johnsen vigorously denied the allegations and he was never charged.

A four-month police investigation into the claims ended in August 2021 with the Director of Public Prosecutions advising detectives there was 'insufficient admissible evidence to proceed with charges'.

The former MP said the decision to drop the investigation was proof of his innocence.

'I have been formally cleared of a sexual assault allegation by the NSW Police with no further action to occur against me,' he said at the time.

'I have been vindicated. I am innocent.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14425783/sex-scandal-politician-michael-johnsen-missing.html

Fury deepens over 'sinister' Thought Police targeting of a grandmother who criticised Labour as voters call for Starmer to go over 'abuse of power'

Furious Brits have slammed Manchester Police and Labour for 'shameful' behaviour targeting a grandmother exposed by The Mail on Sunday.

Two police officers were caught on camera paying a visit to a grandmother simply for criticising Labour politicians on Facebook.

Detectives have been accused of acting like East Germany's Stasi secret police for quizzing Helen Jones over her calls for the resignation of local councillors embroiled in the WhatsApp scandal exposed by The Mail on Sunday.

Police conceded that the 54-year-old had committed no crime – yet Mrs Jones said she has effectively been silenced by the officers, as she was intimidated by them calling at her door and is too terrified to post on social media again.

Voters have rallied to her defence and blasted the 'shocking' incident as a waste of police time and accused the Government for alleged 'abuse of power'.

Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg called the behaviour 'extraordinary'.

It is the latest in a string of incidents in which police have investigated people for social media posts, including newspaper columnist Allison Pearson, feminist writer Julie Bindel, and former policeman Harry Miller, whose name was added to a database for his 'non-crime hate incident'.

Greater Manchester Police has one of the highest crime rates in Britain and fails to solve almost three out of four shoplifting incidents.

Mr Rees-Mogg told MailOnline: 'It is extraordinary that the police even for a moment thought that expressing mild criticisms of an elected politician of the governing party could constitute harassment.

'It is not just that this is a poor use of resources but it has sinister undertones.

'Opinion is legal and confidence in the police is damaged by this type of interference in free speech.'

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'This is a total waste of Police time.

'People's free speech is being infringed.

'So-called Non Crime Hate Incidents are not working. The Police should only investigate actual crime, or where there is a real and imminent risk of it.

'The Police must get back to their actual job.'

Tory MP Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, told MailOnline: 'It's absurd that the police are spending their time investigating critical tweets.

'Thefts and burglaries are going unsolved and yet the police are wasting their time with nonsense like this. We desperately need to go back to common sense policing.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14426753/Fury-Thought-Police-targeting-grandmother-criticised-Labour-Starmer-abuse-power.html