curtailing his administration’s plans to allow more kinds of development on conservation lands.
Two things immediately went through Rodriguez’s mind.“The first thing I said was, `It’s going to be expensive.’ And the second thing was, `Who’s going to get mad about THIS?’”
People were telling Rodriguez he should call his shop Fort Bragg Pawn & Gun even before Trump won the election. After all, it’s located on Fort Bragg Road.Then shortly before the grand opening in December, someone vandalized his sign.“We came to work and we seen a yellow line across the `Liberty,’” he said.
Rodriguez is used to catching flak for his Michigan roots or the peace sign tattoo on his right arm. And then there’s his wife’s crystal shop next door.Army veteran and mayoral candidate Freddie de la Cruz poses with a semiautomatic shotgun he’s raffling off at Fort Liberty Pawn & Gun, Friday, May, 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
Army veteran and mayoral candidate Freddie de la Cruz poses with a semiautomatic shotgun he’s raffling off at Fort Liberty Pawn & Gun, Friday, May, 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
“My customers call her side the `liberal containment center,’” he said with a chuckle.For secure and confidential communications, use the free Signal app
The White House did not respond to questions about Trump’s fundraising, including what sort of fraud prevention measures his committees have in place. Instead, a senior administration official pointed to the findings of a recent House Republican investigation of ActBlue that the White House alleges “uncovered specific evidence of potentially unlawful conduct.”“The memorandum directs the attorney general to investigate this matter broadly, and she will follow the evidence and take appropriate action as warranted,” said the official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter.
Neither the Justice Department nor Trump’s 2024 campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita responded to requests for comment.U.S. citizens living abroad are free to donate to politicians back home. But it can be difficult even for campaigns to discern who is allowed to give and whether a person may be serving as a “straw” donor for someone else seeking to influence U.S. elections.