2024

Home 2024

Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge To Keep Trump Off 2024 Ballot

7

The Minnesota Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to bar former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot.

Left-wing group Free Speech For People argued that Trump violated the 14th Amendment during the Jan. 6th, 2020 Capitol riot.

The 14th Amendment disqualifies anyone from running for office who had previously taken an oath of office who then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

The Daily Wire has more:

“There is no state statute that prohibits a major political party from placing on the presidential nomination primary ballot, or sending delegates to the national convention supporting, a candidate who is ineligible to hold office,” Chief Justice Natalie Hudson ruled.

However, the court’s ruling only applies to the state’s primary ballot and left open the possibility that the plaintiffs could make another attempt to block Trump from appearing on the general election ballot in November 2024.

Trump celebrated the ruling in a series of Truth Social posts on Wednesday.

“Ridiculous 14th Amendment lawsuit just thrown out by Minnesota Supreme Court,” Trump said. “Congratulations to all who fought this HOAX!”

In response to the ruling, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in part: “Today’s decision in Minnesota, like New Hampshire before it, is further validation of the Trump Campaign’s consistent argument that the 14th Amendment ballot challenges are nothing more than strategic, un-Constitutional attempts to interfere with the election by desperate Democrats who see the writing on the wall: President Trump is dominating the polls and has never been in a stronger position to end the failed Biden presidency next November.”

Trump Taps Former Jeb Bush Campaign Staffer To Lead Effort Key Primary State

2
Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former President Donald Trump has revealed a significant new hire to lead his efforts in New Hampshire in 2024.

Trump has hired Jeb Bush’s 2016 field coordinator, Trevor Naglieri, to serve as his campaign’s New Hampshire state coordinator, according to reports from The Daily Wire.

The move by the former president to hire a former Bush campaign hand comes after Trump has repeatedly claimed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a part of the Republican Party establishment and sought to tie DeSantis to Bush and former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The New Hampshire presidential primary, which takes place Feb. 13, 2024, is the nation’s first primary and the second party contest, after the Iowa caucuses. Although New Hampshire is a small state, its primary is seen as a critical chance for candidates to build momentum for their campaigns.

Trump handily won the New Hampshire primary in 2016, he lost the state in the general election in both 2016 and 2020.

Naglieri marks the second high-profile hire for the Trump campaign in New Hampshire. Two months ago, POLITICO first reported that former state GOP Chair Steve Stepanek, a longtime ally, would serve as a senior adviser to the former president in the first-in-the-nation primary state. The two join Alex Latcham, one of Trump’s Iowa hires, who’s overseeing all early state operations.

His opponents have yet to take similar steps on the staffing front however Vivek Ramaswamy is launching a six-figure advertising blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire, marking the first time his campaign has gone on the air since he announced his candidacy last month.

“We’re in the middle of a national identity crisis,” Ramaswamy says in the ad. “Faith, patriotism and hard work have disappeared. Wokeness, gender ideology and the climate cult have taken their place.”

“We spend so much time celebrating our diversity that we forget the values that bind us together,” he adds. “I believe deep in my bones those values still exist.”

Trump Officially Locks Up GOP Nomination

1
Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

It’s finally official…

On Tuesday evening, Donald Trump secured the GOP nomination after winning the GOP primary in Washington state.

“It’s your favorite president speaking to you on a really great day of victory,” Trump said in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, by his campaign. “One week ago, we had something called Super Tuesday and it was indeed super, because we won at numbers at nobody has ever seen before, records in virtually every state.”

“And tonight, likewise, but this one got us over the top,” he continued. “The Republican National Committee has just declared us the official nominee.”

After the race was called, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that “It is my great honor to be representing the Republican Party” on the top of the ticket in November.

“Our Party is UNITED and STRONG, and fully understands that we are running against the Worst, Most Incompetent, Corrupt, and Destructive President in the History of the United States,” the former president wrote.

“But fear not, we will not fail, we will take back our once great Country, put AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE,” he added. “November 5th will go down as the most important day in the history of our Country! GOD BLESS AMERICA.”

President Joe Biden also secured the Democrat nomination the same day, officially teeing up a rematch of the 2020 election.

“Voters now have a choice to make about the future of this country,” Biden said.

Report: Christie Dropping Out Of 2024 Race

3
Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

New reports indicate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to end his presidential campaign very soon.

Mediaite has more:

Journalist Mark Halperin broke the news on his Substack after speaking with two anonymous sources.

Halperin wrote that the Christie campaign was expected to make an announcement at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Christie is not expected to immediately announce an endorsement.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Kamala Harris Unveils Baffling Plans In Oprah Town Hall – Word Salad On Steroids

0

Vice President Kamala Harris discussed her plan to reduce the cost of living in a town hall hosted by Oprah Winfrey on Thursday. The recently-anointed Democratic nominee stated that she would achieve this by lowering the prices of essential items.

The question posed to Harris was straightforward enough and, quite frankly, on the minds of most persuadable voters: “What will you do to lower costs?”

Here’s exactly what she said:

“Yeah. I first of all, thank you both for being here and yours is a, a story I hear around the country as I travel, and in terms of both rightly, having the right to have aspirations and dreams and ambitions for your family and working hard and finding that the American dream is for this generation and so many recently far more elusive than it’s been, and we need to deal with that. And there are a number of ways. One is bringing down the cost of everyday necessities, including groceries.”

Yesterday’s Michigan town hall has since been ridiculed by numerous MAGA celebrities.

As Newsweeek reports:

During the 90-minute livestreamed interview, where Harris also took questions from the audience, the vice president discussed a number of key 2024 topics, such as abortion rights, immigration and gun violence.

A number of Donald Trump‘s supporters have mocked Harris for her at times lengthy responses during the event in the key swing state, with some suggesting that the vice president’s answers were a “word salad.”

During the interview, Harris told Winfrey that Americans are an “optimistic people,” adding: “Americans, by character, are people who have dreams and ambitions and aspirations. We believe in what is possible. We believe in what can be, and we believe in fighting for that.

“That’s how we came into being because the people before us understood that one of the greatest expressions for the love of our country—one of the greatest expressions of patriotism—is to fight for the ideals of who we are, which includes freedom to make decisions about your own body; freedom to be safe from gun violence; freedom to have access to the ballot box; freedom to be who you are and just be, to love who you love openly and with pride; freedom to just be.”

Reflecting on the perceived train wreck, politico and MAGA influencer Collin Rugg concluded, “After watching this and then watching the debate, I realize how much practice she had for that debate.”

“This interview is what Harris sounds like on a normal day.”

And television appearances as a presidential candidate don’t get friendlier than this…

READ NEXT: Republicans Suddenly Turn On Their Own Party, Stab Their Top Leader In The Back In Stunning Vote

Report: GOP Senators Snub Trump Convention Invite

6
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Some Senate Republicans Are still keeping Donald Trump at arms length.

Four Senate GOP members in that mold — Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Todd Young (Ind.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) — told The Hill they do not plan on traveling to the Republican National Convention in July to celebrate what will be a “coronation” of the ex-president. Five others — Sens. Mike Rounds (S.D.), Susan Collins (Maine), Bill Cassidy (La.), Jerry Moran (Kan.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) — indicated they have not decided whether to go at this point.

“Everybody’s got to make their own call about it, but it’s part of our political life,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said. “The conventions have been going on for a long time, and I think the parties are tasked with trying to pull people together and make the decisions that are important to the leadership of our country.

“I understand if there are people for whom it is not a big priority,” Thune added. 

Murkowski and Young both said they both have travel plans that week but did not divulge what they were. Romney was never expected to go, given the mutual disdain between him and Trump, whom he twice voted to convict in impeachment trials. 

Tillis said in a brief interview that while he hasn’t finalized his plans, he is “likely not going to go.” 

“I’m just not a convention-goer, quite honestly. Back in the state, we have races to run. We’ll be represented,” Tillis said of the convention, noting that he cannot be a delegate. “There’s other competing priorities that week that I have to sort out before I make a decision.” 

Collins said that she has not made a decision and needs to go over her schedule. Cassidy told The Hill to ask him closer to the convention and indicated he has not decided either.

Rounds indicated that while he has no plans to attend, he still could be swayed if Trump selects someone he approves of as his running mate. 

“Yeah, it might,” Rounds said when asked if Trump selecting Scott could sway him to show up in Milwaukee. “If we could go and support his candidacy, that would be something I would really take a hard look at. … I haven’t got any hotel rooms yet, but that doesn’t mean I might not in the future.”

Pence to Return to Iowa as 2024 White House Speculation Builds

0
Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former vice president Mike Pence appears to be inching toward a 2024 White House announcement.

New reports indicate Pence plans to travel back to Iowa this week, adding to the rumors he’s planning to mount his own White House campaign shortly.

The trip back to Iowa, the state that leads off the Republican Party’s presidential nominating calendar comes after Pence has repeatedly said he’ll decide in the spring whether to launch a 2024 White House run, joining a field of GOP contenders that already includes his one-time running mate – former President Donald Trump. 

Fox News first reported the upcoming trip:

Pence will start his day in the Hawkeye State in Urbandale, just outside of Des Moines, where he’ll give remarks at a breakfast hosted by the Westside Conservative Club. The group usually holds two breakfasts a month but added a third in March for the former vice president’s visit.

Pence will then take part in a fireside chat at a luncheon in Cedar Rapids, which will also include a book signing for his memoir “So Help Me God.” The former vice president will conclude his day in Iowa by delivering remarks in Coralville at the Johnson County Republicans Reagan dinner.

The stop in Iowa will be Pence’s second in a month and his eighth since the end of the Trump administration in January 2021.

While momentum surrounding Pence’s potential campaign seems to be building in an interview earlier this month Pence said Republican voters’ familiarity with his story affords him some breathing room as he makes his 2024 decision

“I think the advantage that we have is I think the American people know the Pences,” the former vice president said. “By and large they know our story and our career, and some are getting to know it better every day. So, we think we have time to be discerning, to be reflective, to listen.”

“I do believe that different times call for different leadership. I think we’ll have better choices come 2024,” Pence said in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this month, when asked about his former running mate. “I’m confident that Republican primary voters are going to choose well, that are going to choose a standard-bearer that will be able to lead us to victory in 2024.”

Republican Party Halts Ad Spending For Embattled Trump-Backed Candidate

5
Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Republican Party has confirmed it is pulling financial support for Trump-backed North Carolina gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

Robinson’s campaign has been in steep decline since revelations surfaced that he allegedly left racist comments on a porn website’s message board. Following calls from North Carolina Republicans for him to step down and the resignation of several high-ranking staffers – including his campaign manager and deputy campaign manager – Robinson has now lost the financial backing of the Republican Governors Association (RGA).

RGA spokesperson Courtney Alexander told National Review (NR), “We don’t comment on internal strategy or investment decisions, but we can confirm what’s public – our current media buy in North Carolina expires tomorrow, and no further placements have been made.”

The RGA’s spending update follows a CNN report Thursday afternoon connecting Robinsons’s email to comments on a porn-site messaging board, where he allegedly called himself a “black Nazi” and made other unsavory sexual and race-related comments years before he was elected to statewide office. Robinson has denied the allegations, as NR first reported last Thursday.

The news comes as the Robinson campaign continues to bleed staff. On Sunday, Robinson’s campaign sent out a press release announcing that four employees resigned from his campaign: general consultant Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Christopher Rodriguez, finance director Heather Whillier, and deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk.

“I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors,” Robinson said in a press release. “An announcement of new incoming staff members will be forthcoming from the campaign soon.”

Four additional staffers not listed in that press release have also resigned, according to Pogorzelski, Robinson’s former general consultant. “The reports are true that I, along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord,” he said in a text message to National Review that listed several other staff departures, including deputy finance director Caroline Winchester, political director John Kontoulas, political director Jackson Lohrer, and director of operations Patrick Riley.

Even though North Carolina was seen as one of the RGA’s top pickup opportunities this election cycle, public polling had shown that Robinson was trailing Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein.

A Cook Political Report and BSG survey released on Aug. 15 revealed that Stein held a seven-point lead over Robinson. When undecided voters were included, Stein’s lead increased by another point. This marked a significant shift from May when polling showed the race tied.

As of Friday, Trump had no plans to withdraw his endorsement of Robinson, but he did not mention him once at a rally in North Carolina over the weekend.

READ NEXT: State Supreme Court Moves Forward In Potentially Explosive Constitutional Case

‘Trump Was 100% Right Not To Debate:’ Don Jr. Slams Fox News’ ‘Un-American’ Decision

2
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, expressed their clear displeasure with Fox News Wednesday evening.

In a video clip that’s since gone viral, observers can see the younger Trump at last night’s debate, castigating Fox News for its decision to restrict Trump surrogates trying to access the media spin room.

Fox justified the decision by stating that since the former president declined to debate, his team was not allowed to enter the spin room. Trump publicly snubbed Fox by appearing on Tucker Carlson’s Twitter/X show instead of attending the debate.

However, there was confusion about who could go backstage and how Trump allies might be permitted entry.

The New York Post has more:

“I’d been told by others that I would be able to go in,” Trump Jr. told reporters after a Fiserv Forum security guard turned him away. “Fox won’t let me into the spin room. They’re telling him, he works for security here, but they’re telling him that I’m not allowed to go in there.”

“Because the candidates that they’ve been boosting while trying to cut down Trump for the last, what, two years didn’t perform as they had hoped,” he went on. “So they can’t have someone who can maybe be a representative of my father.”

In political parlance, the “spin room” refers to the area where candidates and their surrogates gather after each debate to talk up their performance to the media while tearing down their rivals.

Fox News co-hosted the debate with the Republican National Committee, which set donor and polling requirements for the candidates and also asked each to sign a pledge to support the party’s eventual nominee.

Besides Trump, Fox banned surrogates for candidates who didn’t qualify for the debate.

Trump Drops Unexpected New VP Shortlist

6
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Some new names and faces…

Former President Donald Trump floated a list of four names for VP that to much surprise did not include Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) or Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) who have been loyal Trump supporters.

However, in an exclusive post-rally interview with News 12 New Jersey’s Tara Rosenblum at Crotona Park in the Bronx, Trump didn’t have either of them on his mind.

When Rosenblum pushed Trump to “make news” and name some names, Trump initially said he didn’t want to — then dropped four names a few seconds later that included one Black candidate who isn’t Scott or Donalds and one Hispanic candidate who mocked Trump’s penis size in 2016:

TARA ROSENBLUM: So if not Nikki, then who? Let’s make some news tonight. You and I, for your hometown TV station. Share with me. Share with me your top three candidates for your running mate at this point.

DONALD TRUMP: Well, we have so many. I don’t want to do that, but we have so many. You could take people like Ben Carson. You could take people like Marco Rubio, JD Vance.

I mean, there are so many. Elise is doing a fantastic job here. But but I could go on for quite a long time. We have many people that would do a really fantastic job.

TARA ROSENBLUM: Do you have a timeline on when you’ll make the decision?

DONALD TRUMP: Sometime during the convention?