— Tonight’s special three-hour 3-For-All will see the return of Vince McMahon, who will be announcing the new General Manager of Raw in the wake of Vickie Guerrero’s resignation last week.
— It has also been announced WWE.com that Rey Mysterio will challenge Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship.
— A new photo set of Michelle McCool has been released.
See *RARE* uncovered photos of a young Undertaker (>>)
sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com
As announced this past Friday evening on WWE.com, World Wrestling Entertainment released former Women’s Champion Candice Michelle (Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich), 30, from her contract. Her sudden release from WWE wasn’t seen as a surprise internally.
It is believed that Michelle’s less than stellar appearance at the television tapings in Los Angeles a few weeks ago ultimately sealed her fate with company officials. She had not been seen since WrestleMania, but when she arrived at the shows in Los Angeles, she didn’t look “Diva like,” and there were those who felt she was ready to leave the company and move on. As it turns out, WWE beat her to the punch by releasing her a few weeks later.
She told officials she was just about ready to return from her latest injury, but they gave very little leeway because she is a woman and there is a weight issue. The impression on her was always that she wasn’t someone with a naturally thin body, and that she had to work very hard to look the way she did, and when you get older, fighting those genetics gets much harder. In a company where the women are primarily there for their looks, some felt she didn’t have that look anymore, so they decided to let her go.
At sixteen, Candice Beckman, as she was then known, won a modeling competition at her local skating rink. In 1999, she moved to Los Angeles to become a professional model and actress. In the meantime, she studied Theater Arts at Santa Monica College and had on-camera acting and Meisner technique training at The Piero Dusa Acting Studio. It was during this time that Beckman adopted her middle name Michelle as her working last name. She appeared in numerous bodybuilding and car magazines such as FLEX and Lowrider Magazine, as well as being named “Cyber Girl of the Week” in the June 2002 issue of Playboy. Michelle also worked as a foot fetish and bondage model under the pseudonym Mackenzie Montgomery. During this time, Candice made minor appearances on television programs such as Party of Five and 7th Heaven, as well as appearing in such films as Tomcats, Anger Management, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and A Man Apart. She also appeared in the softcore porn television show Hotel Erotica, which was broadcast on Cinemax.
In July 2004, Candice auditioned to be a contestant for WWE’s Raw Diva Search. Despite not being chosen to be in the final ten, she was hired by the company a few months later and would debut under the gimmick of a makeup artist in November 2004.
Michelle gained national attention in 2005 when she appeared in a commercial for Internet domain registrar Go Daddy, which aired during Super Bowl XXXIX. She played a character named “Nikki Cappelli,” who had trouble with a snapped spaghetti strap on her tank top as she testified before a panel holding broadcast censorship hearings. The commercial was a parody of the 2004 “wardrobe malfunction” in which Janet Jackson’s right breast was exposed. She then became widely known as “Miss GoDaddy.com” and the “Go Daddy Girl.”
Prior to her breakout moment, she had just been a piece of eye candy used in the background that many wrestling fans didn’t even know the name of. The commercial quickly led WWE to giving her a push as a result of her newfound fame, and then just as quickly, it was dropped within a few weeks.
Since then, Michelle has done several commercials with Go Daddy, including with auto racing driver Danica Patrick, none of which garnering the amount of publicity as the first.
Rather than lay content at being a mere piece of eye candy, Michelle started training to become a professional wrestler in 2005. She was a legitimate athlete, having played college basketball, and quickly improved within a relatively short period of time.
In November 2005, Michelle signed on to pose for the April 2006 issue of Playboy, resulting in a big push leading through WrestleMania 22. In the meantime, Michelle became a heel, joining forces with fellow WWE Divas Torrie Wilson and Victoria. They became known as the “Ladies in Pink,” and later “Vince’s Devils.” The alliance broke up after Michelle and Victoria turned on Wilson during the Playboy cover unveiling. This feud led to a match at WrestleMania in which both Playboy cover girls competed in a “Playboy Pillow Fight.” Wilson won the match, but the feud continued sporadically in backstage segments where Michelle was depicted as Vince McMahon’s “sex slave.”
In the spring of 2007, Michelle was beginning to receive more air-time and higher profile matches, winning tag matches that pitted her with Mickie James against Victoria and Melina. She also picked up several wins against the latter two in singles matches, leading to a match at the One Night Stand pay-per-view where Michelle defeated Melina in a swimming pool full of pudding. The feud culminated two years ago today at Vengeance: Night of Champions when she defeated Melina to capture the WWE Women’s Championship, becoming the first ever Diva Search contestant to win the Women’s title. Michelle retained her title against Melina in a rematch at the following month’s pay-per-view and debuted a new finisher called “The Candywrapper.”
Soon after, Michelle engaged in a feud with Beth Phoenix, which initiated when “The Glamazon” became the number one contender for the Women’s Championship after winning the Interpromotional Divas Battle Royal at SummerSlam. At the Unforgiven pay-per-view, however, Michelle successfully retained her title in their first match by countering one of Phoenix’s moves with a crucifix pin. Unfortunately for Michelle, Phoenix had her number at the subsequent No Mercy pay-per-view as she dropped her title to her, ending her three-month reign as Women’s Champion.
The beginning of the end occurred fifteen days later on October 22, 2007 when Michelle legitimately cracked her clavicle during her rematch for the Women’s Championship against Phoenix in a two out of three falls match; Phoenix ran into the ropes, causing Michelle to fall face-first off of the turnbuckle onto her face, neck, and shoulders necessitating a rushed finish and putting her out of action until February. The official in the match came under heavy scrutiny for moving her after she had fallen as it appeared she could have broken her neck.
Michelle made her on-screen return on the February 18, 2008 edition of Monday Night Raw, distracting Beth Phoenix during a match with Maria. She returned to in-ring action on March 17, teaming with Maria to defeat Jillian Hall and Victoria. As bad luck would have it, she injured her left shoulder during the match by tearing the scar tissue over her previously broken left clavicle. Unlike her previous injury, Michelle broke her clavicle in four separate places, in essence, shattering it. As a result, Michelle was replaced by Ashley Massaro for her scheduled match against Beth Phoenix and Melina at WrestleMania XXIV.
Michelle would return to action five months later, but was very rusty, so much so that she botched four moves within the span of thirty seconds in her return match. Fortunately for her, the September 1, 2008 edition of Monday Night Raw happened to be a taped broadcast, resulting in the match being heavily edited. Despite her less than stellar outing, Michelle’s push continued as she was named the number one contender for the Women’s Championship. Unfortunately, she came up short in gaining the title as she lost to Beth Phoenix in their match next month at No Mercy.
Shortly thereafter, WWE began phasing Michelle out as a top star, culminating with the former Women’s Champion going over two-and-half months without competing in a single singles or tag match on television. To add insult to injury, she was eliminated within mere seconds during a battle royal she took part in during a December edition of Raw.
In late February, Michelle suffered an ankle injury while training, putting her out of action and once again, WrestleMania. Nonetheless, she ended up appearing at the pay-per-view extravaganza as the guest timekeeper and to crown the winner of the 25-Diva Battle Royal for the title of “Miss WrestleMania.” This would turn out to be her final appearance in World Wrestling Entertainment.
Michelle was expected to get a fresh start on SmackDown as she was drafted to the blue brand during the 2009 Supplemental Draft on April 15. She, however, never appeared on the brand as she was released from her contract two months later on June 19.
Michelle was never the same when she returned from her pair of collarbone injuries, not to mention her look had changed for the worse in the eyes of some company officials. Furthermore, there were some in WWE who were upset she was off working on other projects and not taking the company seriously while convalescing from her most recent ankle issues. The release caught Michelle off-guard as she had just received clearance to return to the ring last week and wrote on her Twitter account the following Thursday that she posted a blog entry on the WWE Universe social networking site. It would appear that her termination was being finalized, thus explaining why the blog was not posted. The next day, she posted on her Twitter account, “I am free to grow!,” shortly after being given word of her release from the company.
It remains uncertain whether Michelle will continue to pursue a career in professional wrestling. It was announced this past week that she was accepting bookings for autograph signings, modeling, and television appearances through a wrestling booking agency, although the agency is not only limited to wrestling-related endeavors. However, she doesn’t appear to be accepting wrestling bookings at the moment, nor media requests for interviews.
See photos of a heftier Candice Michelle (>>)
— The following press release was issued on behalf of former WWE Diva Candice Michelle:
Candice Michelle Live on a Web Cam on 7/10!
Los Angeles, CA: Former WWE Women’s Champion and GoDaddy.com girl Candice Michelle will be doing a live web cam based interview at http://www.starcam.com on July 10 at 5 p.m. P/T. This will be the first time Candice Michelle will be speaking publicly since departing World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in June. This interview will give those who wish to ask the former WWE Diva their questions the platform to do so in an open, honest, and intimate forum.
Be sure and get signed up to http://www.starcam.com early to take part in this interview as well as to listen and watch live. Every penny, 100% of the proceeds, will be donated to the Los Angeles Youth Network, http://www.LAYN.com, the organization which Candice Michelle is an ambassador to.
Candice Michelle is also now available for autograph signings, personal appearances, modeling, and TV spots through http://www.WrestleBookings.com.
— Today’s episode of TMZ featured a shot of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kim Kardashian eyeing each other while they waited for their cars in Los Angeles.
— Click here for the trailer for VH1’s Megan Wants A Millionaire, which features indy wrestler Matt Riviera as a contestant. VH1 claims Riviera has a net worth of $5.5 million. The show premieres on August 2nd.
See photos of a heftier Candice Michelle (>>)
— Former WWE referee Mickie Jay was a recent guest on the Monday Night Mayhem radio show and spoke candidly about being released by WWE last year while battling cancer. When asked whether he was offended by being fired while struggling with such a serious health issue, Jay told the hosts, “I’ll tell you the truth… I don’t really have any ill feelings at all, and I’ll tell you why. They kept me on for about five months after my diagnosis. And after they released me, they paid me for three months, which they really didn’t have to because in the contract I signed, they would payout for injury pay, and of course, I wasn’t hurt in the ring. So they really didn’t have to do anything for me, and I have to say John Laurinaitis was very cordial they way he handled things with me, and I have no ill feelings. In fact, I don’t how I would have survived if they would’ve have paid me out for those three months.” You can read the full interview at MondayNightMayhem.com.
— Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The advertised main event of Triple H and John Cena vs. Randy Orton and Big Show. It’s unknown at this point whether the match will be televised. Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons of rock band ZZ Top will be the special guest hosts for tonight’s show.
— At yesterday’s SmackDown/ECW house show from Greenville, South Carolina, Chris Jericho once again had to deal with WWE fans taking their enthusiasm a bit too far. Jericho wrote on his Twitter page, “A fan hit the ring during my promo before my match in Greenville. Things didn’t turn out well for him.”
** PICTURES of TAZ’ Debut Last Night at Victory Road [>]
— TNA Wrestling has started a radio advertising campaign in Los Angeles for this October’s Bound for Glory Pay-Per-View. The company is hyping that Sting will wrestle his final match on the show.
— Referee Marty Elias’s profile has been removed from the “Raw Superstars” section of WWE.com. No word yet on whether he’s been released or if it’s an error.
— Tickets for WrestleMania XXVI will go on sale Saturday, November the 7th.
— Road Warrior Animal (real name Joe Laurinaitis)has signed with Medallion Press to release an autobiography on his pro wrestling career. The book, titled “ROAD WARRIOR: My Life as Animal and a Regular Joe” is currently scheduled for a March 2011 and will cover his time on the road with Road Warrior Hawk, the state of the pro wrestling industry in the 1980s and his son’s football career. For more details, visit MedallionPress.com.
— Former WWE superstar Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore made his in-ring return to WWE at Saturday night’s SmackDown/ECW house show in New Hampshire. Eugene wrestled Ricky Ortiz in the third match of the night and there’s been some talk of having Eugene feud with Ortiz when he returns to WWE television shortly. The weekend match marks Eugene’s first WWE appearance in 2 years. The once popular WWE superstar was released back in September of 2007 after his third violation of WWE’s Wellness policy.
*SPOILER* Jeremy Piven’s Raw Co-Host Revealed (Picture)
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s daughter, Ariel Teal Toombs, wanted to let the fans know that her father is completely fine. In fact, he recently appeared at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and will be filming an independent film next month in Canada. And of course, he will be making his triumphant return to Madison Square Garden tonight as the special guest host of Monday Night Raw.
Regarding my previous report concerning the wrestling legend’s health, I will explain the situation as it is not as cut and dry as it initally appeared.
Speculation regarding Mr. Piper’s health began circulating after Dave Meltzer reported in an issue of the Wrestling Observer that he he was forced to a pull out of a few previously scheduled late September indy bookings in Connecticut because he was “seriously ill.” He did not release further details.
Due to my reporting over the years, I have managed to gain contact with a number of people inside the wrestling business, so much so that it’s no longer a big deal. Hardly a week goes by where I don’t hear from at least one “name.” In this case, I started talking to a certain WWE wrestler off-and-on over the summer after he complemented my work one day and I eventually got him to open up on life in the oompany. While he wouldn’t give me any “scoops,” I played the listening ear to his vents on WWE and why they are making him look bad on television. At the time, I thought it was just talk, but considering how he has been treated in recent weeks, it’s really quite telling in hindsight.
He saw the report on Piper being “seriously ill” and contacted me to ask if I had heard that WWE was planning on running video tributes on him on a future episode of Raw because “he was said to be on his last days.” Suffice it to say, I was stunned. He assumed I knew beforehand because WWE’s creative plans get out so fast these days.
Considering the seriousness of the matter, I wasn’t too sure whether to run what I had been told or not. However, a shortwhile later, I discovered that Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com had seemingly implied during an audio report that week that Mr. Piper’s cancer had returned. He made the following remark during an audio show in early October:
“You guys all know what Roddy has fought in the past and I understand it’s not good news on that front.”
After finding that out (plus factoring in what the WWE wrestler and Meltzer had said), I made the decision to run the story considering that Johnson is perhaps the most trusted news reporter in wrestling as he’s rarely off the mark.
Following my post, Piper’s agent, Noelle Kim Retes, sent me a blunt e-mail chastising me. The e-mail contained a direct link to a “rumor killer” report from Mike Johnson denying my report – even though he had seemingly implied beforehand that Piper’s cancer had returned.
Regarding the WWE wrestler in question, it should be noted that he has worked with Piper on television in the past not to mention I believe he has personally known him for years. He also has a reputation for speaking his mind without fear of what the higher-ups in WWE may think. Even though the report proved to be inaccurate, I still do not believe he was lying to me, especially considering that he never gave me any “scoops” in the many times I talked to him. I do however feel he was going by a rumor that had gotten out of control based on people’s wild speculation of the severity of Mr. Piper’s health.
Nonetheless, I cannot express the magnitude of my sorrow. I was incredibly wrong to do what I did. I am deeply sorry for any grief I caused Mr. Piper, his many supporters, his family, and anyone else I may have upset.
I am sorry.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Saturday expressed optimism on having “excellent relations” with the U.S. under President Biden’s administration, even as Biden has signaled a desire to develop a tougher stance on the Gulf nation.
According to Reuters, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in an interview with Arabiya TV also signaled that he would continue discussions with the U.S. on the Iran nuclear deal.
“I am optimistic. Saudi Arabia has built solid, historical relations where it worked with different administrations,” he added. “We will continue to do that as well with President Biden.”
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While Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies backed former President TrumpDonald TrumpNYT: Rep. Perry played role in alleged Trump plan to oust acting AG Arizona GOP censures top state Republicans McCain, Flake and Ducey Biden and UK prime minister discuss NATO, multilateralism during call MORE’s 2018 move to remove the U.S. from the Iran nuclear agreement, Prince Fiasal said he supports talks with the U.S. that “will be around reaching a solid and strong agreement that takes into account Iran’s failure to comply… with strong monitoring factors to ensure the implementation of the agreement.”
Biden has said that he would reenter the nuclear agreement with Iran should the Middle Eastern nation resume strict compliance with the provisions of the deal.
Reuters reported that the foreign minister added Saturday that Saudi Arabia should be included in any future nuclear deal negotiations between the Biden administration and Iran in an effort to address Iran’s weapons capabilities and “malign activity.”
Prince Faisal’s hopefulness on open relations with the U.S. comes as Biden has taken on a tougher tone toward Saudi Arabia than his predecessor, with Biden in 2019 calling the Gulf country a “pariah.”
A particular source of tension has also been the Saudi Kingdom’s involvement in the killing of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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Avril HainesAvril HainesBiden must wait weekend for State Department pick Trump impeachment trial to begin week of Feb. 8 Trump DHS chief argues for swift confirmation of Biden pick amid Hawley hold MORE, Biden’s nominee for director of national intelligence, told a Senate panel Tuesday that if confirmed, she would order the release of an unclassified report about the 2018 killing of Khashoggi after he entered a Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Numerous intelligence services have concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the journalist’s killing and dismemberment, though the crown prince has denied doing so.
Biden has also condemned Saudi Arabia over its human rights record and its involvement in Yemen’s years-long civil war.
Riyadh is already attempting to calm relations with the expected release of a prominent women’s rights activist and a possible rapprochement over its blockade of Qatar, which is home to one of the headquarters of U.S. Central Command at the Al Udeid Air Base.
The Texas attorney general filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration Friday over its order to halt most deportations for the next 100 days.
The lawsuit, filed just two days after President Biden was sworn in, is among the first legal moves seeking to impede the new administration’s effort to undo Trump-era policies.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of violating immigration law by ordering the deportation freeze.
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“In one of its first of dozens of steps that harm Texas and the nation as a whole, the Biden administration directed DHS to violate federal immigration law and breach an agreement to consult and cooperate with Texas on that law,” Paxton said in a statement. “Our state defends the largest section of the southern border in the nation. Failure to properly enforce the law will directly and immediately endanger our citizens and law enforcement personnel.”
When asked for comment on the lawsuit, a DHS spokeswoman referred The Hill to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The DHS issued a memo Thursday ordering all of its bureaus to “reset and review” their immigration enforcement policies, including a 100-day freeze on most deportations of noncitizens.
Paxton’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, argues that the new policy is beyond DHS’s authority.
“If left unchallenged, DHS could re-assert this suspension power for a longer period or even indefinitely, effectively granting a blanket amnesty to illegal aliens that Congress has refused to pass time and time again,” the complaint reads. “The Constitution, controlling statutes, and prior Executive pledges prevent a seismic change to this country’s immigration laws merely by memorandum.”
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Paxton’s office is asking the court to issue a restraining order against the directive going into effect. It’s unclear when the case will be heard by a judge.
The issue of immigration will see one of the widest gulfs between the Biden administration and the previous one. Hours after being sworn in on Wednesday, the president signed executive orders nixing former President TrumpDonald TrumpMcCarthy says he told Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene he disagreed with her impeachment articles against Biden Biden, Trudeau agree to meet next month Trump planned to oust acting AG to overturn Georgia election results: report MORE‘s ban on majority-Muslim countries and directing federal agencies to take action to preserve and strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Biden has also sent an expansive immigration proposal to Congress that includes a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants and overhauls certain visa programs.
House Democrats are looking to introduce a bill that would permanently expand benefits to families with children.
Reps. Suzan DelBeneSuzan Kay DelBeneDemocrats eye bill providing permanent benefits of at least K per child Washington state neighbors underscore internal Democratic tensions Lawmakers, officials stress need to expand broadband access MORE (Wash.) and Rosa DeLauroRosa DeLauroDemocrats eye bill providing permanent benefits of at least K per child Jill Biden visits Capitol to thank National Guard Biden reverses Trump’s freeze on .4 billion in funds MORE (Conn.) are looking to introduce the American Family Act (AFA), which would provide a significant boost to the federal aid families get under the child tax credit.
While the timeline for introducing the bill is still in flux, the legislation would provide families $3,000 per year per child and $3,600 per year for kids under 6 years old. The benefit would be paid monthly — $250 per month for kids 6 to 17 years old and $300 per month for kids under 6 — with the intention that families can get the funds before filing taxes and would phase out over time for higher-earning families.
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The legislation was introduced in the last Congress and earned the support of 38 of 47 Senate Democrats and 187 of 232 House Democrats. However, the effort to pass the bill got a shot in the arm after President Biden came out in support of a one-year expansion of the credit as part of his coronavirus stimulus package, a proposal that falls short of what House Democrats are seeking but opens the door to boosting the federal aid families receive.
“Reps. DelBene and DeLauro are planning to reintroduce the American Family Act soon. We are currently working through technical changes to the bill, including discussions with the Biden administration on how this would be implemented to get benefits to families quickly and efficiently,” said Nick Martin, a DelBene spokesperson.
“The president’s support for this policy is a game-changer. The one-year expansion is important pandemic relief policy but permanently expanding the benefit could give millions of children the opportunity to succeed. The permanent expansion is estimated to lift 4 million children out of poverty and cut deep poverty among children in half,” he added.
The legislation would specifically direct the IRS to send the payments automatically to American families in a similar fashion as that used to distribute $1,200 stimulus checks early last year as part of a COVID-19 relief package.
The Democrats view the legislation as a tool to help families ease the financial burden that’s been placed on them by the coronavirus pandemic, but the bill faces an uphill battle in Congress given narrow margins in the House and Senate and broad opposition from Republicans over the measure’s price tag.
While similar plans have attracted pockets of Republican support in the past, the party is widely expected to reject the proposal over a price tag that could reach $120 billion for one year, according to estimates by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
The U.S. spends less on child benefits as a share of its economy than almost any other developed nation in the world.
A Texas man faces federal charges for his suspected involvement in the violent Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot at the Capitol, as well as for online death threats allegedly made against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezTexas man charged for alleged role in Capitol riots, online death threats to Ocasio-Cortez DC residents jumped at opportunity to pay for meals for National Guardsmen Tensions running high after gun incident near House floor MORE (D-N.Y.) and a Capitol Police officer.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Garret Miller posted a video from the Capitol on his Twitter page, captioned “From inside congress.” He also allegedly made several other social media posts indicating his involvement leading up to and following the riot.
“I am about to drive across the country for this trump s—,” Miller wrote in a Jan. 2 post, according to the complaint. “Some crazy s— going to happen this week. Dollar might collapse … civil war could start … not sure what to do in DC.”
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In the hours following the riot, Miller allegedly replied to a tweet from Ocasio-Cortez that read, “Impeach,” indicating the congresswoman’s support to impeach former President TrumpDonald TrumpNYT: Rep. Perry played role in alleged Trump plan to oust acting AG Arizona GOP censures top state Republicans McCain, Flake and Ducey Biden and UK prime minister discuss NATO, multilateralism during call MORE for his involvement in provoking the riot.
The criminal complaint noted that in response, Miller wrote “we acted with honor and we where [sic] not armed,” and then, in an additional reply, added, “Assassinate AOC.”
Miller on social media also vocalized his anger with the fatal shooting of one of the rioters, Ashli Babbitt. According to the criminal complaint, Miller threatened to find the Capitol Police officer who shot Babbitt and “hug his neck with a nice rope.”
Days later, Miller allegedly wrote in a Facebook post that the officer was “not going to survive long,” and that he “deserve[s] to die,” adding that it was “huntin season.”
Miller was arrested in the Northern District of Texas on Wednesday and made his first court appearance Friday, according to Justice Department records.
The Texas man faces a total of five charges: unlawful entry, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstructing an official proceeding and acts of civil disorder and threats made online, according to the court filing.
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Ocasio-Cortez responded to the charges on Twitter Friday, specifically citing one tweet in which Miller wrote, “just wanted to incriminate myself a little,” after posting a selfie at the Capitol.
“Well, you did!” the congresswoman responded.
She added in a follow-up tweet, “On one hand you have to laugh, and on the other know that the reason they were this brazen is because they thought they were going to succeed.”
As of Saturday, the Justice Department has already charged more than 135 individuals for committing crimes on or around the grounds of the Capitol, with more charges expected in the coming weeks and months.
Ocasio-Cortez, who has called on Trump and his supporters to be held responsible in connection to the riot, revealed last week in an Instagram video that she had a “close encounter” during the riot in which she feared for her life.
Ocasio-Cortez said she could not divulge details of the encounter “due to security concerns,” but underscored that “I thought I was going to die.”