On Wednesday, long-shot candidate Marianne Williamson announced she is jumping back into the presidential race to challenge Joe Biden.
Williamson made the announcement in a video statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Williamson said she returned to the race because she feels President Biden is a vulnerable candidate to put up against former President Donald Trump.
“As of today, I am unsuspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States,” Williamson said. “I had suspended it because I was losing the horse race. But something so much more important than the horse race is at stake here, and we must respond.”
“Right now, we have a fascist standing at the door. Everybody’s all upset about it. Well, we should be upset about it. But we’re not going to defeat the fascist by–well, by what? What is President Biden offering?” she asked. “What is he saying beyond, ‘You know, the economy is doing really well.’?”
“We’re still in this. Let’s do this. This is serious,” she added. “We need to say to the American people, ‘we see your pain,’ and we need to say to Donald Trump, ‘we see your B.S.’”
Williamson originally suspended her campaign on Feb. 7, dropping out of the race without making an endorsement.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Could Donald Trump be facing a primary challenge from one of his former employees?
Former National Security adviser John Bolton signaled to NBC he’s seriously considering mounting his own bid for the White House after Trump’s weekend comments signaling he supports “terminating” the U.S. Constitution.
BREAKING: Fmr. Nat’l Security Adviser John Bolton is considering a 2024 presidential run if it would prevent fmr. President Trump from taking office again.
Bolton: “You can’t simply say, ‘I support the Constitution.’ You have to say, ‘I would oppose people who undercut it.’” pic.twitter.com/Twy8pluMYT
If no other potential Republican candidates make “Shermanesque statements” in response to what Trump said, Bolton declared, “I’m going to seriously consider getting in.”
“I think to be a presidential candidate you can’t just say, ‘I support the Constitution.’ You have to say, ‘I would oppose people who would undercut it,’” Bolton said in his interview with NBC.
Bolton served in roles in the Reagan administration and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. He later worked as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019.
Following Bolton’s departure, he and Trump have exchanged several tense exchanges. According to The Daily Wire, in 2020 Bolton told reporters he would not vote for Trump, claiming Trump was not fit for office, and stated he would “figure out a conservative Republican to write in.”
Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney is not ruling out a run for the White House in the near future and plans to make a final decision in the coming months.
During a recent interview with The Washington Post, the anti-Trump Republican said she’s open to considering a third-party run for President, steering away from the already-crowded Republican primary field.
“Several years ago, I would not have contemplated a third-party run,” Cheney told The Washington Post. But “democracy is at risk” both at home and abroad, she said, citing former President Trump’s “continued grip on the Republican Party.”
“We face threats that could be existential to the United States and we need a candidate who is going to be able to deal with and address and confront all of those challenges,” Cheney told the Post. “That will all be part of my calculation as we go into the early months of 2024.”
In October, Cheney refused to rule out a White House bid. She also said in her recent interview with the Post that she hasn’t ruled out voting for Democrat President Biden if he’s the 2024 nominee.
Cheney, who lost her 2022 midterm re-election bid, has repeatedly pushed against another Trump presidency. On Monday, Cheney issued a grim warning against supporting Trump.
“I hope that there are options and alternatives that reflect the important challenges that we’re facing, and that reflect leadership to meet those challenges, but that choice can never be Donald Trump because a vote for Donald Trump may mean the last election that you ever get to vote in,” she told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie on “Today.”
“And again, I don’t say that lightly, and I think it’s heartbreaking that that’s where we are, but people have to recognize that a vote for Donald Trump is a vote against the Constitution,” she continued.
She also said Monday that “there’s no question” that Trump would refuse to leave the White House at the end of his second four-year term if re-elected.
“He’s already attempted to seize power, and he was stopped, thankfully, and for the good of the nation and the republic,” she said. “But he said he will do it again. He’s expressed no remorse for what he did.”
She added that it’s “a very, very real threat and concern” that Trump will make himself a dictator if he wins the White House.
“I don’t say any of that lightly,” she said. “And frankly, it’s painful for me as someone who you know, has spent their whole life in Republican politics who grew up as Republican to watch what’s happening to my party, and to watch the extent to which Donald Trump himself has, you know, basically determined that that the only thing that matters is him his power, his success.”
A novel legal theory from two conservative legal scholars published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review that a section of the 14th Amendment makes Donald Trump ineligible to run for president may be getting a court hearing in Florida.
As Ballot Access news editor emeritus Richard Winger notes:
On August 24, a Florida voter, Lawrence Caplan, filed a federal lawsuit seeking to bar former President Donald Trump from being placed on 2024 ballots as a presidential candidate. Caplan v Trump, s.d., 0:23cv-61618.
Caplan, who appears to be representing himself in the case, writes:
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which provides for the disqualification of an individual who commits insurrection against our government has remained on the books for some one hundred and fifty plus years without ever facing question as to its legitimacy. While one can certainly argue that it has not been thoroughly tested, that fact is only because we have not faced an insurrection against our federal government such as the one while we faced on January 6, 2021. It should also be noted that President Trump has since made statements to the effect that should he be elected, he would advocate the total elimination of the US Constitution and the creation of a new charter more in line with his personal values.
Winger believes Caplan’s suit is “misguided:”
The Fourteenth Amendment “insurrection clause” bars individuals from being sworn in to certain offices, but it does not bar them from seeking the office. When the Fourteenth Amendment was passed, there was no mechanism to prevent any voter from voting for any candidate.
Caplan appears to be taking the law review article’s authors, William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulson, at their word:
“No official should shrink from these duties. It would be wrong — indeed, arguably itself a breach of one’s constitutional oath of office — to abandon one’s responsibilities of faithful interpretation, application, and enforcement of Section Three,” Bode and Paulsen write.
Alternatively, ordinary citizens could file challenges on the same grounds with state election officials themselves.
And other such suits may emerge over the coming weeks. I’m not convinced any federal judge will be willing to read Section 3 like Baude and Paulson say it should be. It’s not because the Section’s words aren’t clear – they are.
My concerns are akin to those of Cato’s Walter Olsen, who writes:
…no one should assume that just because Baude and Paulsen have made a powerful intellectual case for their originalist reading, that the Supreme Court will declare itself convinced and disqualify Trump. Justice Antonin Scalia memorably described himself as a “faint‐hearted originalist,” which captures something important about the thinking of almost every Justice—if overruling a wrongly decided old case threatens to disrupt settled expectations to the point of spreading chaos and grief through society, most of them will refrain. Stare decisis, and a general preference for continuity in law, still matters.
Exactly. While some judges may nurse images of themselves as bold crusaders for justice, most jurists aren’t eager to upset established practice and precedent on a whim. Though, to be fair to the times when such upsets have occurred – Brown v. Board of Education, for example, or Griswold v. Connecticut – have been warranted, necessary, and beneficial.
Does that apply in the Caplan case? A court will decide. But as I’ve long said about Trump, the only court he cares about is public opinion. If voters reject him, that will carry more weight and sanction than any court could ever deliver.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Great America News Desk. It first appeared in American Liberty News. Republished with permission.
It’s not just Republicans who have their eyes on unseating President Joe Biden…
Former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, 70, teased a rematch against Biden.
Williamson, a progressive activist, went viral during the 2020 presidential debates but dropped out before voting started. Williamson eventually endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for president.
Trickle down economics has been a disaster for this country. It has completely destroyed America’s middle class.
Democrats won’t win on the message that we can help people survive the disaster. We will win by saying we’re going to end it.
Williamson plans to make an “important announcement” on March 4.
She told POLITICO on Friday that she took issue with Biden running on the economy, saying such a campaign speaks to the “disconnect” between party elites and the American people. Her campaign strategy, she said, would be to “tell the truth.”
When Williamson was asked bluntly on Friday about critics who say she has “no conceivable path forward” and another campaign would simply be a “vanity project,” the would-be candidate invoked other movements throughout American history.
“Abolitionists would not have thought that abolishing slavery was possible,” Williamson said. “The suffragists would have had days when they didn’t think women’s suffrage was possible. Civil rights workers would have thought that desegregation wasn’t possible.”
“As America gears up for the 2024 presidential election, I’m preparing an important announcement on March 4th in Washington DC,” Williamson said.
Williamson rose to prominence as the author of 14 self-help books who made regular appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show. She ran a failed independent House campaign in 2014.
Williamson’s entrance into the 2024 primary field would mark the first Democrat to openly challenge President Biden’s second term.
Former President Donald Trump has reportedly finalized his plans to skip the first Republican presidential debate and instead participate in an event with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
The New York Times reported the news noting the former president has spent the last several days soliciting feedback from aides and allies on whether to participate in the debate.
When The Hill contacted for comment on the reported agreement between Trump and Carlson, an aide for the former president said his campaign “hadn’t confirmed anything on our end” and cautioned against “getting too far ahead” as it relates to the former president’s plans.
Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination, has for weeks signaled a hesitation to participate in the Aug. 23 debate, which is being hosted by the Republican National Committee and will be broadcast on Fox News.
Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A prominent Republican governor is preparing to meet with top Senate leaders this week.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is meeting with two top Republican leaders in the Senate in Washington, D.C. over the next two days, a spokesperson for the governor confirmed to The Hill.
Kemp will meet with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on Wednesday.
The pair of meetings come after the Peach State governor told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins that he is “certainly” not running for president in 2024.
“In politics, there’s always doors opening and closing. I got a great job right now. I personally feel like having more people in the race does not help us win and beat Joe Biden,” Kemp told Kaitlan Collins on “The Source.” “So, you know, I’m certainly not running for president. But there’s always doors opening in politics depending on how things play out, and we’ll see what happens.”
The Georgia Governor reiterated that Trump should stop constantly referencing the 2020 election if he hopes to re-win the state.
“If he continues to do that, he’s going to lose Georgia in November,” Kemp said, later adding, “There is no path for us to win the White House if we can’t win Georgia.”
Less than a week after President Biden’s concerning debate performance he’s finally facing a tough reality. Americans have lost faith in his ability to carry out his duties as President.
A new report from The New York Times details a private discussion between the President and an anonymous source during which Biden admitted he’s considering dropping out of the race if he continues to sink in the polls.
Despite the Biden family’s insistence that Joe remain in the race, calls from the mainstream media and the president’s congressional allies markedly increased early Wednesday.
The president, who the ally emphasized is still deeply in the fight for re-election, understands that his next few appearances heading into the holiday weekend — including an interview scheduled for Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — must go well.
“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Mr. Biden’s halting and unfocused performance in the debate. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation.
After the article was published, Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, said it was “absolutely false.”
Notably, per campaign finance laws, none of the money Biden has raised could go to his replacement unless it’s Vice President Kamala Harris, as her name is also on the campaign’s war chest. Despite Harris’ apparent flaws, this advantage gives her a significant boost over potentially more viable replacements.
Yet any replacement candidate will still need to placate the far-left forces and the anti-Israel factions within the Democratic Party. These groups have grown disillusioned with the party establishment and are expected to make their voices heard come convention time.
On Wednesday, Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Member of Congress to publicly encourage Biden to step down. In a more damning appearance, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi switched from accusing Trump of having dementia to validating questions about Biden’s mental acuity, further fueling the debate over his capacity to lead.
I wanted to share with you my statement calling on President Biden to withdraw. pic.twitter.com/ocwmsQ1f00
— Rep. Lloyd Doggett (@LloydDoggettTX) July 2, 2024
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News
In a candid exchange with paparazzi at an airport, actor and two-time Oscar winning filmmaker Mel Gibson let it be known in no uncertain terms what he thinks about Vice President Kamala Harris. The interaction, captured in footage obtained by TMZ, shows Gibson responding to questions about his opinion on the upcoming election.
When asked by a cameraman, “Who are you voting for?” the paparazzo quickly suggested, “I’m gonna guess. Trump.” Gibson, known for his outspoken nature, replied, “I think that’s a pretty good guess.” He then went on to critique Harris, stating, “[Kamala has a] miserable track record, appalling track record. No policies to speak of.” His criticism culminated with a jab at Harris’s intelligence, claiming she has “the IQ of a fence post.”
BREAKING: MEL GIBSON CONFIRMS HE IS VOTING FOR DONALD TRUMP
Gibson began his career in the late 1970s but rose to international fame with the Mad Max series, starting with Mad Max (1979). These films established him as a charismatic action star. His role in Mad Max (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) cemented his status as a rugged and intense actor.
Gibson gained further recognition with his role as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series, which started in 1987. The buddy-cop action films, known for their blend of humor and intense action, made him a certified A-list Hollywood star.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
In addition to his action roles, Gibson showed his range in films like Hamlet (1990), where he delivered a well-received performance in a dramatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Other notable roles include Braveheart (1995), The Patriot (2000) and Signs (2002), showcasing his ability to play both intense warriors and more complex characters.
Gibson’s transition into directing has been marked by critical acclaim. It was Braveheart (1995) that solidified his reputation as a director. The historical epic that tells the story of Scottish warrior William Wallace, who led a rebellion against English rule in the late 13th century, earned him the Best Director award, as well as Best Picture.
In 2004, Gibson directed The Passion of the Christ, which dramatizes the final hours of Jesus Christ’s life. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $600 million worldwide. More than two decades later, the film has had a lasting cultural impact and remains a point of discussion in religious and film circles.
Gibson continued to explore historical and cultural themes with Apocalypto (2006), a film set during the decline of the Mayan civilization. Known for its use of native languages and visceral intensity, Apocalypto was praised for its ambitious storytelling and immersive direction.
After a period marked by personal and professional setbacks, Gibson made a notable comeback with Hacksaw Ridge (2016). The World War II drama tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a pacifist combat medic. Doss received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his acts of valor during the Battle of Okinawa. He was the first conscientious objector to be awarded this honor, though he preferred the term “conscientious cooperator” because he did not refuse to serve—only to carry a weapon.
Gibson is currently working on The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, a follow-up to his 2004 film The Passion of the Christ. This sequel aims to explore the events between the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The first part is in post-production and is scheduled for a 2025 release.
Additionally, Gibson is involved in Lethal Weapon 5, which marks his return as both director and actor, taking over the directorial role after the passing of the original series director, Richard Donner. The film will see Gibson reprising his role as Martin Riggs, with Danny Glover expected to return as Roger Murtaugh.
This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.
Is Donald Trump starting to feel a twinge of buyer’s remorse for announcing his 2024 campaign so early? The latest results from a poll based in deep-red Utah point to yes.
Trump came in a distant third place in the Deseret News-Hinckley Institute of Politics‘ poll of possible GOP contenders for the 2024 presidential race. However, whats even more shocking than Trump’s No. 3 position is the fact that respondents were warmer toward outgoing Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis decisively led the poll in a hypothetical Republican presidential primary, at 24.2 percent, followed by Cheney with 16.4 percent. Trump came in third place with 14.6 percent, nearly 2 points below Cheney
Trump was more popular than Cheney among self-identified Republicans, earning 21.1 percent to Cheney’s 10 percent, but DeSantis still emerged ahead in that group with 33.1 percent.
However, more Utah voters said they didn’t know which candidate they’d cast their ballot for (20.7 percent) than backed either Trump or Cheney.
The survey’s results are the latest sign Trump’s popularity among conservatives is fading. Last month, Trump officially announced his 2024 presidential campaign from his Mar-a-Lago resort but so far has received a tepid response from high-profile Republican lawmakers and donors who backed his previous presidential pursuits.
Trump’s numerous legal hurdles coupled with his bombastic personality have been contributing factors to many Republicans opting to look elsewhere for a candidate to defeat Joe Biden in the next election. In many polls, DeSantis has been seen closing the national gap with the former president but so far he’s remained tight-lipped over any potential campaigns for the White House.
Cheney, a harsh critic of the former President who lost her primary to a pro-Trump challenger, has floated a presidential campaign before. The outgoing Wyoming Congresswoman has told reporters before that she would do anything necessary to keep Trump out of the White House- including running against him.
