Sightful Invest
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock
Top Posts
Trump lashes out at Crockett, renews call for...
Trump goes after Zelenskyy over ‘land swapping’ dispute,...
Democratic whistleblower told FBI that Adam Schiff approved...
MORNING GLORY: Trump meets Putin amid an era...
‘Things need to change’: Senate Democrats sharpen criticism...
Mamdani zings Cuomo in rent-stabilized housing spat during...
Unearthed emails reveal White House nixed Biden visiting...
Strong drilling targets identified next to high-grade gold-copper...
Seymour Lithium Project Achieves Permitting Milestone
Acquisition of Silver Extraction Technology
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock

Sightful Invest

Politics

Trump Cabinet picks increase odds Edward Snowden could see life of freedom in the US

by admin November 20, 2024
November 20, 2024
Trump Cabinet picks increase odds Edward Snowden could see life of freedom in the US

If President-elect Donald Trump has his way, Tulsi Gabbard will be at the helm of U.S. intelligence and Matt Gaetz will be leading the Justice Department, giving whistle-blower Edward Snowden his best chance yet at a life of freedom in the U.S.

Both Gabbard, a former Hawaii House Democrat, and Gaetz, a former House Republican from Florida, will have to be confirmed by the Senate — an uphill battle that may be made more difficult by their anti-establishment beliefs that Snowden should not be punished for revealing information about classified surveillance programs.

As members of Congress, both Gabbard and Gaetz co-sponsored legislation that called on the federal government to drop all charges against Snowden. During her 2020 presidential campaign, Gabbard promised to protect Snowden and people like him, if elected. 

‘If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans,’ she said on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast at the time.

‘As president, I will protect whistle-blowers who expose threats to our freedom and liberty,’ Gabbard added.

On Sept. 3, 2020, Gaetz posted to X: ‘Pardon @Snowden.’

In 2013, Snowden was working as an IT contractor for the National Security Agency when he traveled to Hong Kong to meet with three journalists and transferred them thousands of pages of classified documents about the U.S. government’s surveillance of its citizens. 

He then traveled to Russia and planned to head on to Ecuador, but federal authorities canceled his passport before he could get there — and indicted him for espionage.

He attempted to gain asylum elsewhere, but ultimately remained in Russia and became a naturalized citizen in 2022.

The documents he made public revealed previously classified intelligence-gathering programs run by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.K.’s intelligence organization, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), that were conducting surveillance on their own citizens. 

In 2019, Snowden told NPR the U.S. government was ‘collecting [data] on everyone, everywhere, all of the time, just in case, because you never know what’s going to be interesting… And so what happened was every time we wrote an email, every time you typed something into that Google search box, every time your phone moved, you sent a text message, you made a phone call… the boundaries of the Fourth Amendment were being changed.’

At the time of the leak, the NSA claimed mass surveillance stopped terrorist attacks.

Sue Gordon, deputy director of national intelligence during the first Trump administration, issued a warning about Gabbard’s push for Snowden to be pardoned on CBS this week. 

‘Unauthorized disclosures of intelligence are always bad. Don’t go with the good or bad, any good outcome or whether he was right or wrong. He had no authority, and he had different paths, and he harmed America,’ she said. 

‘He not only harmed intelligence, he harmed our allies and partners, and he harmed our businesses by what it allowed China to assume about that. There is nothing justifiable about what he’s done. None. And so if they vacate it, what they’re basically saying is all those rules you follow in order to be able to serve America, they don’t matter anymore.’

In 2013, Trump was asked about Snowden. ‘This guy is a bad guy and there is still a thing called execution!’ he said. 

But on the campaign trail in 2020, he struck a more sympathetic tone, saying he’d ‘look at’ giving Snowden a pardon.

Snowden, in 2019, said he is not searching for a pardon, but rather a fair trial in order to return to the U.S. 

‘One of the big topics in Europe right now is — should Germany and France invite me in to get asylum?… And of course, I would like to return to the United States. That is the ultimate goal,’ he said.

‘But if I’m going to spend the rest of my life in prison, the one bottom-line demand that we all have to agree to is that at least I get a fair trial. And that’s the one thing the government has refused to guarantee because they won’t provide access to what’s called a public interest defense,’ the whistleblower said.

‘I’m not asking for a parade. I’m not asking for a pardon. I’m not asking for a pass. What I’m asking for is a fair trial. And this is the bottom-line that any American should require.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

previous post
White House yet to release visitor logs for month Biden dropped out of race
next post
Target stock falls 21% as big discounting effort falls short

You may also like

White House rips alleged Pentagon leakers’ ‘shattered egos,’...

April 21, 2025

Trump’s goodwill tested as Putin ignores peace efforts...

April 26, 2025

‘Not constitutional’: Congress invokes new War Powers Resolution...

June 22, 2025

‘No dictators’: Top Democrat signals effort to restrain...

September 24, 2024

Kirby slams Hamas chief Sinwar as ‘the major...

September 23, 2024

Biden admin spent hefty sum of US tax...

July 21, 2025

SCOOP: GOP push for new House committee to...

May 29, 2025

Trump nominates Susan Monarez to become the next...

March 25, 2025

Donald Trump Jr takes personal trip to Greenland...

January 7, 2025

FBI investigating classified docs leak of US intel...

October 22, 2024

Recent Posts

  • Trump lashes out at Crockett, renews call for cognitive test
  • Trump goes after Zelenskyy over ‘land swapping’ dispute, lays out ‘feel out meeting’ with Putin
  • Democratic whistleblower told FBI that Adam Schiff approved classified leaks to target Trump
  • MORNING GLORY: Trump meets Putin amid an era done away with John Quincy Adams’ ‘abroad’
  • ‘Things need to change’: Senate Democrats sharpen criticism of Israel as humanitarian concerns grow

    Become a VIP member by signing up for our newsletter. Enjoy exclusive content, early access to sales, and special offers just for you! As a VIP, you'll receive personalized updates, loyalty rewards, and invitations to private events. Elevate your experience and join our exclusive community today!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (867)
    • Investing (2,729)
    • Politics (3,369)
    • Stock (4)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: sightfulinvest.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 Sightful Invest. All Rights Reserved.