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Ted Cruz Blasts ‘Insecure’ JD Vance As 2028 Rivalry Heats Up

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

The midterms aren’t over, but Ted Cruz and JD Vance are already trading punches over what comes next.

The Texas Republican fired back at the vice president Saturday, accusing him of “political bomb-throwing” after Vance suggested Cruz was already running for president.

“In my experience, people engage in political bomb-throwing when they’re feeling insecure,” Cruz told Politico in a Saturday interview, according to The Hill’s report.

“So he’s welcome to make whatever comments he likes,” Cruz continued. “I’m going to keep focusing on the midterms and helping us win on Election Day in the next 30 days.”

That sharp response came after Vance questioned the senator’s priorities in an interview with NBC News Thursday.

“It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,” Vance said.

“At this moment, I’m not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.”

Cruz Reminds Vance Who Helped Him Win

Cruz countered by pointing to his own work campaigning for Republican candidates — and reminding Vance that those efforts once included him.

The senator told Politico he helped Vance during his successful 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio, according to The Hill.

“I was very glad he won that race,” Cruz said. “I was very glad to help him.”

The message was pointed: Before Vance was questioning Cruz’s political ambitions, Cruz was helping him climb the ladder.

Both men insist November is their immediate priority. But their public exchange is putting the competition to succeed President Trump on display more than two years before the next presidential election.

A Front-Runner, But No Coronation

Vance is widely viewed as the early front-runner for the 2028 Republican nomination. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also figured prominently in speculation about Trump’s successor.

Cruz, however, has made clear he isn’t ready to concede the field.

“I’ll certainly be part of the discussion,” he told MS NOW in August, while suggesting Republicans had not settled on Vance as their next nominee.

Cruz previously sought the nomination in 2016, losing to Trump. His recent campaign travel has included Iowa and South Carolina, states with prominent roles in the presidential nominating process, Mediaite reported in its coverage of Vance’s NBC interview.

Vance, meanwhile, acknowledged in that interview that the midterm results could help inform his own decision about a presidential run, according to Mediaite. He declined to say whether major Republican losses would discourage him from entering the race.

Karoline Leavitt’s Next Role Officially Unveiled

By
Madeleine Jackson
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By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Karoline Leavitt, CC BY-SA 2.0,

Karoline Leavitt is trading the White House lectern for a Fox News microphone.

After weeks of speculation about her television future, President Donald Trump’s former press secretary has landed an on-air contributor role at the network, Fox announced Monday, according to The New York Times.

Leavitt, 29, starts Nov. 1 and is expected to provide commentary across both news and opinion programming. The announcement comes roughly two months after she left the administration to spend more time with her young children. The U.S. Sun also reported the move Monday, citing the Times.

For viewers who caught Sean Hannity’s recent conversations with Leavitt, the destination may sound familiar.

Hannity Dropped A Big Hint

During a September episode of his Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast, the longtime Fox host openly encouraged Leavitt to consider a television career.

“I see a future for you in television if you want one,” Hannity told her, according to Mediaite.

He even floated a possible show title: “The Briefing with Karoline Leavitt.” Leavitt acknowledged that the two had discussed the possibility before, but stopped short of announcing a deal.

Now, the Fox job is official. The announced position is a contributor role, with appearances across the network’s programming.

Leavitt said in a statement that she would bring “the unique perspective and candor that defined my tenure with the Trump administration,” the Times reported.

Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott pointed to Leavitt’s experience working alongside the president.

“Karoline’s firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today’s political landscape,” Scott said in a statement quoted by the Times.

A Familiar Path With A Trump Twist

Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in history and quickly emerged as one of Trump’s most recognizable defenders. Her briefings regularly featured sharp exchanges with reporters, while her access to the president made her a central voice for the administration.

After giving birth to her second child in May, she took maternity leave before announcing her departure. She pledged at the time to “remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party,” according to the Times.

She follows a familiar path. Former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany joined Fox as a contributor in 2021 before becoming an Outnumbered co-host. George W. Bush’s former spokeswoman Dana Perino also built a television career at the network.

But Leavitt arrives amid fresh friction between Trump and Fox. The president recently accused the channel of airing “a completely negative narrative” and criticized Fox & Friends, the Times reported, putting one of Trump’s most familiar advocates inside a network he both watches and often publicly needles.

Christie Torches Vance’s 2028 Hopes — Then Teases His Own Comeback

By
Madeleine Jackson
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White House image via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is already taking a blowtorch to Vice President JD Vance’s 2028 ambitions — while leaving room for a White House comeback of his own.

Christie predicted that Vance’s close association with President Donald Trump could keep him from capturing the next Republican presidential nomination, arguing that GOP voters will be focused on finding a candidate who can win the general election.

“He is going to reek with the stink of Donald Trump,” Christie said Thursday during an appearance at George Washington University.

Christie argued that Republicans could ultimately decide nominating Vance would make it more likely that a Democrat wins the White House.

The comments represent a sharp challenge to the widespread view that Vance is the early heir apparent to Trump’s political movement. They also put Christie — one of Trump’s most vocal Republican critics — back in the middle of the emerging 2028 conversation.

Christie Questions Whether Vance Can Match Trump

Christie’s criticism went beyond policy and political baggage. He also questioned whether Vance possesses the personal appeal that helped Trump reshape the Republican Party.

“JD is not nearly as charming as Trump,” Christie said. “You say what you want about Trump, but he has charm and he has some charisma, when he decides to use it. I haven’t seen that out of Vance yet.”

During the discussion, George Washington University professor Frank Sesno asked whether Vance could create some distance from Trump, much as George H.W. Bush established his own identity after serving as Ronald Reagan’s vice president.

Christie rejected the comparison.

He argued that Vance would struggle to separate himself from an administration in which he played a central role. Democrats, Christie suggested, could also use Vance’s dramatic evolution on Trump against him: Vance once compared Trump to Adolf Hitler before eventually becoming his running mate and vice president.

Vance’s supporters would likely offer a very different assessment. Trump has repeatedly discussed Vance as a potential successor, and Mediaite reported in August that the president had privately told donors, “At the end of the day, we need to elect JD.”

Trump has not issued a formal 2028 endorsement, however, and has also spoken favorably about Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio Gets Written Off, Too

Christie was also skeptical that Rubio would enter the 2028 race.

The former governor described Rubio as politically shrewd and suggested the secretary of state understands that his service in the Trump administration has branded him as a “Trump Republican.” Christie predicted Rubio may wait for a later election rather than battle Vance and other candidates for the nomination in 2028.

That assessment conveniently leaves more room for another contender — including Christie himself.

When Sesno asked whether he might run, Christie did not close the door.

“I’m gonna look at it,” Christie said, while cautioning that “a number of things” would need to happen first.

Christie Eyes A Third Shot

Thursday’s answer was not the first time Christie has hinted at another campaign.

During a September appearance at the Granite State Summit on Responsible Gaming in New Hampshire, Christie admitted he was considering a third presidential bid but said he wanted to see how Republicans performed in the midterm elections before deciding.

“Anybody who comes up here and has ever run for president and not won and told you they’re not looking at it again is lying,” Christie said at the event.

He suggested major Republican losses could force the party to reconsider its direction and leadership. Christie also said any campaign would require a credible path to victory — something that eluded him during his previous runs.

Christie ended his first presidential campaign after a disappointing finish in the 2016 New Hampshire primary. He endorsed Trump shortly afterward, but the alliance eventually collapsed. Christie returned in 2024 as one of the GOP field’s most aggressive Trump critics before dropping out ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Sesno reminded Christie that 2028 would mark his third attempt at the presidency.

“True, just like Reagan,” Christie replied. “He got elected on the third time.”

Reagan sought the Republican nomination in 1968 and 1976 before winning the White House in 1980.

Feds Charge Man Accused Of Stalking Stephen Miller’s Wife

By
Madeleine Jackson
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Arrest image via Pixabay

A Massachusetts man allegedly turned Katie Miller’s phone into a pipeline of harassment — then dragged her parents into the barrage.

Federal authorities arrested John Anthony Proia III, 41, of Waltham, on Thursday after a Boston grand jury indicted him on one count of cyberstalking. Prosecutors allege he targeted the conservative podcaster and wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller with weeks of disturbing communications.

Proia pleaded not guilty during his initial appearance in federal court in Boston, according to The Hill’s reporting.

Dozens Of Contacts — And Shifting Phone Numbers

According to the Justice Department, Proia allegedly contacted the victim at least 40 times between Aug. 3 and Sept. 23, using multiple phone numbers.

Some days brought repeated communications. Calls allegedly came late at night, with the caller using a menacing tone and frequent expletives.

Prosecutors say the numbers came from internet calling and messaging applications that allow users to generate new numbers and obscure their identities.

The indictment does not identify Katie Miller by name. However, an administration official familiar with the investigation confirmed her identity to NBC News. The Washington Examiner also reported independently confirming that she was the alleged victim.

The alleged harassment reached beyond Miller’s own phone.

Prosecutors say Proia sent vulgar messages to numbers associated with her parents, attacking their daughter and describing Stephen Miller as a “Jewish Nazi/white supremacist.”

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said the communications profoundly disrupted the family’s lives and warned that attempts to conceal a caller’s identity would not prevent prosecution.

Miller Thanks Investigators

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force made the arrest, according to the bureau’s Boston office. Special Agent in Charge Ted Docks said the alleged campaign sought to frighten the victim and her family and caused significant emotional distress.

Attorney General Todd Blanche welcomed the charges Thursday, writing on X that the alleged behavior was “criminal and will be treated as it should — with prosecution!” according to The Hill.

Miller responded with a public thank-you to the officials who handled the case.

“Thank you Todd Blanche, Leah Foley, and the FBI Washington Field Office for keeping me and my family safe,” she wrote in the post quoted by The Hill.

“Good to see a Boston grand jury indict this man.”

Trump’s DHS Chief Accuses Biden Administration Of ‘Cutting Terrorists Loose’

By
Madeleine Jackson
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DHSgov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Biden administration let them go. Now Trump’s Homeland Security chief says his department is hunting them down.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin leveled that explosive accusation Thursday, saying federal authorities have arrested 2,210 people he described as terrorists under President Donald Trump — and accusing the previous administration of releasing dangerous individuals into the country.

“Most of them came over and claimed asylum, gave a fake name,” Mullin told the Ruthless Podcast in a clip released Thursday morning, according to The Daily Wire.

“Some of them we caught, but a lot of them came in and … the Biden administration was just cutting them loose.”

Mullin credited Trump with giving DHS a more aggressive mission: pursue threats before they strike.

“One directive we had is we’re no longer just playing defense,” he said. “We’re on the offense. President Trump has given us the authority to go on the offensive.”

A Troubling Paper Trail

The accusation revives questions raised in an August 2024 report from the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee.

The committee reported that DHS released at least 99 migrants on the terrorist watchlist into American communities after Border Patrol encountered them at the southwest border between fiscal years 2021 and 2023.

That was out of more than 250 watchlisted migrants encountered during that period, according to the report. At least 34 others remained in DHS custody awaiting removal.

The report also examined eight Tajik nationals with potential ISIS ties arrested in June 2024. Three had entered through ports of entry using appointments scheduled through the Biden administration’s CBP One app, the committee said.

The distinction matters: appearing on the terrorist watchlist does not establish a terrorism conviction. The FBI describes the database as containing information about people reasonably suspected of involvement in terrorism or related activities.

DHS’s own September announcement likewise used the category “known or suspected terrorists.” It reported more than 2,150 arrests and 2,015 deportations between January 20, 2025, and September 9, 2026. Mullin’s latest figure raises the arrest total, but his comments, as reported by The Daily Wire, did not identify the detainees’ organizational affiliations.

Trump’s Bigger Offensive

Trump has pushed the crackdown beyond traditional border enforcement.

His January 20, 2025, executive order launched the process of designating international cartels and gangs as terrorist organizations, explicitly identifying Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as threats to American security. The administration subsequently designated those groups and the Sinaloa Cartel, among others.

Then, in a March 7, 2026, proclamation, Trump called for those networks to be stripped of territory, financing and the resources needed to spread violence.

They should be “demolished to the fullest extent possible consistent with applicable law,” the president declared. The proclamation also outlined plans to train and mobilize partner nations’ militaries against the cartels.

Those designations broaden the backdrop to Mullin’s announcement. His arrest figure cannot automatically be read as a tally of ISIS or al-Qaeda operatives; the administration’s terrorist designations also encompass major criminal gangs and drug cartels.

For Mullin, the message is pursuit — including in cyberspace.

“We’re swimming upstream now,” he told Ruthless, according to The Daily Wire. “We’re going after the people that are coming after us.”

Trump Says He Regrets All Three Of His Supreme Court Picks

By
Madeleine Jackson
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President Donald Trump answers questions from members of the media aboard Air Force One en route to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, for a rally on the economy, Tuesday, December 9, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

President Donald Trump spent years celebrating the Supreme Court majority he helped build. Now, he says he regrets choosing all three of his appointees.

In a September 28 interview with Time magazine, Trump was asked whether he regretted nominating Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

“Yeah. Yeah. What can I do? I put them in,” Trump replied. “They voted against me too often.”

The blunt admission follows a string of clashes between the president and the court over his administration’s policies on tariffs, birthright citizenship and mail voting.

Trump appointed Gorsuch in 2017, Kavanaugh in 2018 and Barrett in 2020. Those selections helped establish the court’s 6–3 conservative majority — a transformation he has repeatedly touted as one of his biggest accomplishments.

But the president now says his nominees have fallen short of his expectations.

‘Very Disappointing’

During the Time interview, Trump complained that his appointees had received the “position of a lifetime” but nevertheless frequently ruled against his administration.

“They vote for me too,” he acknowledged.

Still, Trump contrasted their decisions with those of the court’s three liberal justices, whom he described as more consistent in voting together.

“The Democrats stick like glue — those three, they virtually never vary,” Trump said.

Although he criticized that approach, he added that “there’s something I admire about it: there’s loyalty.”

Asked whether he wanted loyalty from his own nominees, Trump rejected that characterization.

“No, I don’t want loyalty,” he said. “I want good decisions.”

His assessment of the justices he selected remained harsh.

“I put these people in. It is what it is,” Trump told Time. “Very disappointing, very disappointing for the country — their decisions.”

Mail Voting Clash Fueled His Anger

Trump had already publicly attacked his three appointees in September after the court blocked his administration’s attempt to restrict mail voting ahead of the midterm elections.

In that criticism, he said the justices “are not the people I interviewed to serve” and called them “shells of their former selves.”

The court’s order did not disclose a complete vote breakdown, leaving each justice’s position unclear. Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion, while Gorsuch and Barrett did not publicly join the dissent from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Trump praised Thomas and Alito as “legends both” while directing his frustration at the broader court.

Tariffs And Citizenship Remain Flashpoints

The president also singled out rulings involving his tariff policies and effort to narrow birthright citizenship.

“The tariff decision was disastrous for the country,” Trump told Time, calling it “an absolute crying shame.”

He argued that the court should have protected the substantial revenue collected under his trade policies.

Trump also criticized the court’s decision involving his attempt to restrict automatic citizenship for some children born in the United States — an executive action challenged under the 14th Amendment.

“It’s unfortunate what they did — not to me, to our country,” he said.

A Court He Once Celebrated

Trump’s frustration marks a striking turn in his public assessment of the court.

His appointees helped deliver major conservative victories, including overturning Roe v. Wade, expanding Second Amendment protections and restricting the use of race in college admissions.

Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for those outcomes, particularly the reversal of Roe.

But Supreme Court justices hold lifetime appointments and remain independent of the presidents who nominate them. Their selection carries no obligation to support an administration’s policies.

That independence has now become a recurring source of frustration for the president who helped shape the current bench.

Asked whether he regretted his three choices, Trump’s answer was unequivocal: “Yeah. Yeah.”

Lara Trump Unleashes Harsh Reality Check: Iran War Could Cost Trump The Midterms

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0
Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

Lara Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran could cost Republicans control of Congress this November — but said preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon would justify that political price.

The president’s daughter-in-law and former Republican National Committee co-chair made the admission during a Tuesday interview with British journalist Harry Cole on his YouTube program, “Harry Cole Saves the West,” according to The Hill.

Asked whether the prolonged conflict could damage President Donald Trump’s legacy, she pointed to a more immediate risk.

“Well, it could cost him these midterms,” Lara Trump said.

Still, she defended the president’s place in history, saying his legacy remains unfinished and predicting he would ultimately rank among America’s greatest presidents.

Losing Congress Would Be Worth It

Cole later pressed her on whether the administration’s campaign against Iran would be worth Republicans losing both the House and Senate to Democrats.

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Look, I think he just understands that when Iran gets a nuclear weapon, it doesn’t matter who is in charge of the House. It doesn’t matter the majority in the Senate,” she continued. “This world is a really frightening place and you really can’t come back from that.”

Her answer put the potential consequences plainly: even a Democratic takeover of Congress would be an acceptable price, in her view, for preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

The comments were a warning about what could happen in November, rather than a prediction that Republicans will lose.

Accusing Iran Of Playing The Election Calendar

Lara Trump also acknowledged that the conflict has frustrated the president. She said he “really hates the way that things have gone with Iran” and wished progress had come more quickly.

But she blamed Tehran for prolonging the standoff, arguing that Iranian leaders believe Republican losses would improve their negotiating position.

“The Iranians are absolutely holding out until these midterm elections,” she said, accusing them of trying to damage the president’s electoral prospects.

That assertion conflicts with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s public position. According to The Hill, Pezeshkian told reporters during last week’s United Nations General Assembly that he wanted an agreement before November.

“We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” he said.

The competing statements underscore the disagreement over whether the election calendar is delaying a deal.

The Costs Keep Mounting

The interview comes as the conflict stretches beyond the brief operation Trump initially described, with higher fuel prices adding pressure on Republicans heading into November.

The financial burden also continues to grow. Roll Call reported that a Pentagon estimate put the war’s costs at $43.6 billion through September 3. That figure included $11.2 billion in operating expenses and $32.4 billion in replacement costs for munitions, damaged aircraft and other assets. It excluded some additional expenses, including damage to U.S. military facilities across the region.

Axios separately reported that Republican strategists remain uncertain whether their campaign advertising can overcome voter anger over prices and the Iran war.

A Call For A Stronger Explanation

Lara Trump’s defense of the war came with an acknowledgment that Republicans could do more to explain it.

When Cole questioned whether the administration had adequately made its case to Americans facing higher gasoline prices, she said many people feel geographically removed from Iran.

Although she said the president discusses the issue frequently, she urged other Republicans and White House officials to explain more clearly what they believe is at stake.

Her message left Republicans with a difficult argument heading into November: the war could help cost them Congress, but she believes its national security objective outweighs the price.

Charlie Kirk’s Mother Breaks Silence on Erika Kirk Rumors

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0
Xuthoria, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

More than a year after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, his mother is speaking publicly about a different source of pain: rumors that his grieving family has turned against his widow.

Kathryn Kirk rejected claims of a feud with Erika Kirk in a rare interview published by Vanity Fair on September 29. Her message was direct: The two women have become closer since losing Charlie.

“We were 100% behind her,” Kathryn said, according to The Daily Wire’s account of the interview.

A mother answers the rumors

Kathryn pushed back on speculation that Charlie’s parents blamed Erika for his death or disagreed with her over Turning Point USA’s future, The Daily Wire reported.

“Erika and I have, through the trauma, grown closer,” she told Vanity Fair. “We knew Charlie in a way that no one else did. We can look at each other’s eyes, and we know the depth of our despair.”

According to The Daily Wire’s report, Kathryn began crying when discussing how upset her son would be by the attacks directed at his wife on social media.

She had largely stayed away from interviews after Charlie was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. But staying out of public view did not spare her from attention.

Kathryn recalled that a TMZ reporter “called me even before I talked to my daughter. Before I was running the car,” she told Vanity Fair, according to The Daily Wire.

Her decision to speak now gives readers a direct account of her relationship with Erika, rather than speculation about what her silence might mean.

What Charlie wanted for Turning Point

The Vanity Fair profile also addressed Erika’s succession at Turning Point USA. Board members, Erika and close allies told the magazine that Charlie wanted his wife to take over if something happened to him.

Kathryn said Charlie had kept his parents out of those conversations to avoid heightening their fears. Her support for Erika adds a family perspective to the debate over the organization’s future.

United in the pursuit of justice

The family’s public rejection of division comes as the criminal case against Charlie’s accused killer moves toward trial.

On September 1, Utah Judge Tony Graf ruled that Tyler Robinson could stand trial on all charges, including aggravated murder, ABC News reported. Not guilty pleas were entered on Robinson’s behalf. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.

The ruling allows the prosecution to proceed; it does not determine Robinson’s guilt. In a joint statement shared by Erika and quoted by The Daily Wire, the family emphasized the loss facing Charlie’s children, who will grow up without their father.

“As the next phase of the judicial process begins, our family remains united in our love for Charlie, our commitment to the pursuit of justice, and our prayer for a transparent and timely process,” the family said.

Supreme Court Gives Trump Green Light To Resume Third-Country Deportations

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0

President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign just got a green light from the Supreme Court — with a bigger legal showdown still ahead.

The justices on Tuesday, September 29, allowed the administration to resume its contested third-country removal policy, pausing a Massachusetts federal court judgment that had blocked it. The apparent 6–3 split left Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson opposing the stay.

The policy allows immigration officials to send people with final removal orders to countries other than those specified in their orders, often nations other than their homelands. The Court also agreed to hear the case in December, setting up a full review of the administration’s authority.

DHS Celebrates The Ruling

DHS General Counsel James Percival welcomed the decision, saying the department’s third-country removal policy was back in effect and calling it the administration’s second Supreme Court victory in less than a week.

“A bad day for criminal illegals and open borders activists alike,” Percival wrote on X, according to The Daily Wire.

The administration argues that third-country removals provide a way to deport people whose home countries will not accept them, including individuals convicted of serious crimes.

In its September 24 emergency application, Solicitor General D. John Sauer described the policy as “an essential tool to remove certain aliens, including some of the worst criminal aliens.”

A Dispute Over Notice And Safety

The fight centers on what protections migrants must receive before being sent to another country.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston found that the administration’s procedures did not provide adequate notice or a meaningful chance to raise fears of torture or persecution at the proposed destination, NPR reported.

The administration contends that credible assurances from a receiving country that it will not persecute or torture deportees can permit prompt removal. Its court filing says that, without those assurances, the policy provides notice and an opportunity to raise fears of mistreatment.

Government lawyers also said the lower-court ruling had forced officials to cancel a flight carrying 70 people with criminal convictions to three countries, triggering additional diplomatic negotiations. Those assertions were part of the administration’s request for emergency relief.

Attorneys challenging the policy argue that removing people without meaningful notice can expose them to serious harm. Their court papers described allegations of arbitrary detention, beatings, sexual assault and people being sent onward to countries from which they had already received protection, according to NPR.

December Brings The Larger Showdown

Tuesday’s order gives Trump an immediate enforcement victory, but the policy’s ultimate legality remains unresolved.

The justices will consider whether the district court had jurisdiction, whether it could grant relief covering the entire class of migrants, and whether the government’s policy violates federal immigration law, constitutional due process or protections against torture.

For now, the lower-court judgment remains paused while the Supreme Court proceeds toward a final decision.

Trump-backed Paxton Privately Says GOP Convention Hurt Republican Candidates

By
Madeleine Jackson
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0
Political representation of parties making money

President Donald Trump’s Dallas convention was supposed to give Republicans a boost before November. Behind closed doors, one of his most prominent Senate candidates reportedly offered a far less encouraging assessment.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate, told conservative donors and lobbyists that the gathering had hurt his campaign’s numbers, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.

“So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” Paxton said, according to the newspaper.

The remarks put Paxton’s private assessment at odds with Trump’s public claim that the convention helped him. They also come as Republicans pour money into a surprisingly competitive fight to hold a Texas Senate seat.

Private remarks draw a campaign rebuttal

The Times reported that the recording came from a private Washington fundraiser on Sept. 24 attended by roughly a dozen people. An attendee who opposes Paxton’s campaign provided the audio and received anonymity because the remarks were private.

In the recording, a questioner asks, “Do you feel like he’s a little bit of a drag?”

The newspaper cautioned that the audio is muffled at times and does not clearly establish whom the questioner meant. Paxton’s response, however, specifically addressed the convention and what he described as declining numbers.

Three other people with knowledge of the event confirmed Paxton attended, according to the Times. Two remembered the question, and one recalled his response about the convention’s negative consequences.

Paxton’s campaign sharply disputed the report.

Nick Maddux, a senior adviser, called it “more manipulated nonsense from The New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist.”

“Our latest poll from the last week has Ken Paxton leading by three points, and every serious pollster will tell you that our numbers have improved since early September,” Maddux told the newspaper.

He added that Paxton expects to win and looks forward to “closing strong alongside President Trump.”

Trump offered a different assessment

Paxton has closely aligned himself with Trump, whose support helped him defeat Sen. John Cornyn in this year’s Republican primary, the Times reported.

The Dallas convention gave Paxton a prominent platform in his home state and opportunities to connect with Republican donors. Trump praised him onstage, even while teasing his appearance.

Afterward, the president offered an assessment that directly contrasted with Paxton’s recorded remarks.

“The fact that we had such a successful convention really helped Ken Paxton,” Trump said, according to the Times. “He was a big part of it.”

“The convention helped Ken Paxton a lot,” he added.

Whether the gathering actually hurt Republican candidates remains unresolved. The Times reported that public surveys of the Texas Senate race did not appear to show a significant convention-related change.

A costly fight in Texas

The broader polling picture nevertheless shows why Republicans are concerned.

As of Sept. 30, RealClearPolling’s average put Democratic state Rep. James Talarico ahead of Paxton, 47.6% to 44.7%, a 2.9-point advantage. That differs from the campaign’s claim of a three-point lead in its own poll.

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