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Chris Christie Suggests He Would ‘Torpedo’ Trump in GOP Primary Battle

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suggested to an audience on Monday that he may enter the 2024 presidential race to target former President Donald Trump.

Christie hinted at potentially joining the race while delivering remarks at St. Anselm’s College in New Hampshire.

“You better have somebody on that stage who can do to him what I did to Marco because that’s the only thing that’s gonna defeat Donald Trump,” Christie said in reference to him going hard after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) during the debates. “And that means you gotta have the skill to do it and that means you have to be fearless because he will come back and right at you.”

Christie said that “it’s not gonna end nicely” and Trump’s “end will not be a calm and quiet conclusion.”

Christie campaigned in New Hampshire more than any other GOP candidate in 2016 but received lackluster results, leading him to suspend his campaign.

“And so, if I run again, I can’t imagine that I would continue to do it the same way,” he added. “But this time if I run, I would just hope that you come to a better conclusion than you did the last time.”

The former president and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis currently sit at the top of the polls for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Christie told Fox News that he wanted to go to New Hampshire to talk to people “who I know are the best-informed voters in the country about things that I think are important in the world and in our country right now — and to see how they react to that, and see that what they think about things that I think are important.”

Report: Trump’s PAC Funds Dwindle To Only $5M

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Image via Pixabay free images

Donald Trump’s legal troubles are bleeding him dry…

New reports show Trump has spent around $60 million on legal fees of the four criminal indictments and various ongoing civil lawsuits against him.

According to Mediaite, disclosures indicate that Trump’s campaign and the various political action committees supporting it have spent millions, leaving his primary PAC with a little over $5 million.

Save America PAC, Trump’s primary PAC heading into his likely rematch with President Joe Biden, once had over $100 million in the bank. Now, it has just a little over $5 million left after spending over $25 million on legal bills in the second half of last year alone.

Make America Great Again PAC, which served the same function as Save America is now back in 2016 and 2020, spent $5.9 million in the back half of 2023, with $4 million of that going toward legal fees.

Most troublingly of all for the former president, perhaps, is the fact that the Super PAC raised only $6.6 million between July and December, a possible indicator of failing enthusiasm for Trump’s candidacy or suspicion of his political operation.

His campaign itself,  meanwhile, raised a little over $19 million, but spent over $23.5 million in the latest fundraising period.

Trump Officially Locks Up GOP Nomination

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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.

Former GOP Official Abruptly Cuts Ties With Trump Campaign

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Good riddance…

A senior adviser to the Trump campaign announced on Monday that a top volunteer for former President Donald Trump in Massachusetts would “no longer have any involvement” with the campaign after predicting a massive loss this November.

Former Massachusetts state GOP official Tom Mountain claimed in an email to other volunteers this week that the campaign had “determined that New Hampshire is no longer a battleground state,” and that Trump was “sure to lose by an even higher margin” in the state than in 2016 and 2020.

According to the Boston Globe, which obtained a copy of the email, Mountain also “claimed resources would be suspended” in New Hampshire and that “the campaign would not send Trump or high-profile surrogates such as his sons.”

Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes announced in a statement on Monday that Mountain would “no longer have any involvement” with the Trump campaign as a result of his “ridiculous misrepresentation of our ongoing operation in New Hampshire.”

Hughes rejected references to Mountain as a “leading volunteer,” calling the label a “massive overstatement of his involvement,” and denied Mountain’s claims about resources in New Hampshire being suspended.

“This isn’t true,” he said. “President Trump’s campaign maintains an on-the-ground presence in New Hampshire, including staff and offices, while Kamala Harris is parachuting in because she knows that the Granite State is in play. We look forward to building on the momentum that we have grown since the primary and sending New Hampshire’s four electoral votes to President Trump’s column on November 5.”

According to RealClearPolitics’s poll average, Vice President Kamala Harris is currently ahead of Trump by 5% in New Hampshire.

Trump Snags Seventh GOP Senate Endorsement

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump is collecting endorsements left and right.

Trump, who is on his third White House campaign, received an endorsement from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) on Thursday, moving the total to seven sitting senators

“Just a few years ago America was strong, but now under Joe Biden, we are a nation in decline,” Budd said to Breitbart. “That’s why I endorse Donald J. Trump for President. Hardworking, everyday families need a return of the America First agenda to restore prosperity and peace.”

Budd’s backing of Trump comes as GOP lawmakers in the Senate have largely stayed out of the Republican primary for president so far. While the likes of Budd and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) have publicly endorsed Trump, many have waited to see how the primary field comes into shape.

 Trump endorsed Sen. Budd in his primary race, giving him a significant boost in a crowded Republican field.

Trump has also picked up the endorsement of 39 House members, according to The Hill’s endorsement tracker.

Trump Eyeing Elon Musk For Potential Cabinet Role

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Former President Donald Trump recently expressed his willingness to consider Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for a Cabinet position if he wins the White House in the upcoming election. Trump praised Musk, calling him a “brilliant guy” and adding, “He’s a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would.”

Trump also hinted at potentially reversing the $7,500 tax credit currently available to Americans who purchase electric vehicles. The Biden administration has been promoting these incentives as part of its broader climate change agenda. Trump, however, commented, “Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing,” following a campaign event on Monday in York, Pennsylvania.

Musk’s Response: Willingness to Serve

Musk responded later that day with a late-night tweet that featured a photo of himself standing at what appeared to be a podium with the acronym “D.O.G.E.,” an acronym for the ficitious “Department of Government Efficiency.” In his tweet, Musk stated, “I am willing to serve.”

Just last week, Trump and Musk engaged in a viral two-hour conversation on X, during which Musk expressed interest in participating in a government role. He specifically mentioned his interest in serving on a commission focused on analyzing national debt and reassessing congressional spending, though the idea of a Cabinet role was not directly addressed. Musk said, “I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission that looks at these things to make sure taxpayer money is spent in a good way. I’d be happy to help out on such a commission.”

Musk has publicly thrown his support behind Trump in the presidential race, endorsing him immediately after the July 13 assassination attempt and backing a super PAC supporting Trump’s campaign.

During his campaign event in York, Trump also accused Vice President Kamala Harris of being aware of substantial foreign funds allegedly accumulated by the Biden family during Joe Biden’s vice presidency.

He referenced a report by House Republicans accusing Biden of committing impeachable offenses, including “abuse of power” and “obstruction of justice or obstruction of Congress,” by allegedly facilitating and concealing a $27 million “influence-peddling racket” dating back to his time as vice president.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Former Trump Official Jumps Ship, Joins Competitors Campaign

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Vivek Ramaswamy speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

A top supporter of former President Trump in the crucial early-voting state of New Hampshire is joining rival Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign.

According to Fox News, longtime state Rep. Fred Doucette, who served as New Hampshire co-chair of Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, is joining the Ramaswamy campaign as a senior strategist and co-chair in New Hampshire.

The Granite State holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP’s presidential nominating calendar.

Doucette, the current deputy majority leader in the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives, said in a statement that Ramaswamy is a candidate that gives someone to vote for instead of someone to vote against, in a thinly-veiled jab at President Joe Biden.

“Vivek is the person who will deliver the America First agenda, without the drama,” Doucette said in a statement released on Thursday by the Ramaswamy campaign.

Doucette stressed, “I believe that President Trump’s agenda worked” and said his decision not to support the former president as he runs a third straight time for the White House was “terribly hard.”

“I came on board in March of 2015 and we were fired up. We were energized. We were engaged. We were about getting it done,” Doucette recalled. But he described the current Trump campaign as “flat.”

Doucette argued that Trump’s 2024 campaign “is not taking a page and looking forward” and said that impression “played into a lot of my decision-making.” He added that Trump supporters in the key primary and general election battleground state “were disappointed” in some of the decisions made by the Trump campaign.

“Fred gets things done. He has a proven track record of leadership, delivering results and winning,” Ramaswamy said in a statement“We’re taking America First to the next level, and I am confident Fred will be a key asset in our mission in the crucible of New Hampshire politics. We’re ready to roll and revive the American experiment, starting with the Granite state.”

Ramaswamy has hit the ground running since announcing his presidential campaign in February, traveling to New Hampshire and Iowa numerous times.

Report: Christie Dropping Out Of 2024 Race

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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.

Former Trump Official Launches New PAC Supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is already seeing a tremendous outpouring of support for a 2024 White House bid and he hasn’t even decided to run yet.

A senior Trump administration official and former Virginia attorney general has launched a new political action committee (PAC) to persuade Gov. DeSantis to throw his hat into the ring. Ken Cuccinelli served as acting deputy Homeland Security secretary under former President Trump during his final year in office.

The ex-Trump official filed Never Back Down PAC with Federal Elections Commission (FCE) in late February according to documents obtained by The Hill.

Cuccinelli launched the campaign to draft DeSantis into the 2024 race on Thursday, saying in a video that “America’s future is Ron DeSantis.”

“Ron DeSantis doesn’t just talk, he acts, but most of all he never backs down,” Cuccinelli says in the video. “Gov. DeSantis, today I’m asking you to run for president. You’ve had our back, now we will have yours.”

Two similar super PACS— titled “Ready for Ron” and “Ron to the Rescue” — which are not affiliated with DeSantis or his political circle are already up and running, raising money as they urge the governor to launch a presidential campaign. But sources in DeSantis’s wider political orbit have described those groups as “a grift – plain and simple” to Fox News.

Super PACs, known as independent expenditure-only committees, are legally allowed to raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, and to spend unlimited sums to support or oppose political candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, they are prohibited under long-standing federal rules from either coordinating or contributing directly to a candidate or candidate’s campaign. 

DeSantis is widely expected to announce a presidential bid this spring. (RELATED: DeSantis Lays Out Timeline for 2024 Decision)

Last month, the Republican governor told “Fox & Friends” we would make a final decision after Florida’s legislative session wraps up in May and after his book tour.

Trump launched his campaign right after the 2022 midterm elections and has consistently attacked DeSantis ahead of his possible entry into the race.

“I have been speaking to many grassroots conservative activists around the country who are very enthusiastic for Governor DeSantis to run for President in 2024,” Cuccinelli said in a statement. “The energy is there, grassroots conservatives see the Governor as a leader and a fighter with a winning conservative track record who will lead the Republican Party to victory in 2024.”

Cuccinelli is hardly the first Trump-aligned Republican to change allegiances.

Donald Tapia, a prominent businessman from Arizona and Trump’s former ambassador to Jamaica from 2019 to 2021, was a strong financial backer of Trump in 2016 and 2020, contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the former president over his two elections but recently announced he plans to support DeSantis for president.

“The name-calling has turned a lot of people off,” Tapia said to Politico. “Let me tell you, we don’t like that.”

However, despite some grumblings among conservatives, Trump has consistently come on on top in various 2024 hypothetical matchups.

Donald Trump Jr. Shreds Potential VP Pick

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump Jr. is sharing his two cents about his father’s ongoing search for a vice president…

Don Jr. tore into former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley who is also rumored to be one of Trump’s contenders for vice president.

“Nikki Haley, who served as the puppet of Democrat billionaires and warmongerers, would be a wonderful choice is [sic] my dad wants to get impeached within about 7 seconds of being sworn in,” wrote Trump Jr. “She’s they’re [sic] last hope!”

According to Mediaite, the eldest son of the former president has been “pushing” for Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) behind the scenes. In January, Trump Jr. told Newsmax that he’d “love to see a J.D. Vance” on the ticket with his dad  because he’s “principally in alignment” with his dad as well as “a fighter.”

The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Haley, the last challenger to drop out of the GOP presidential primary earlier this year, declined to endorse Donald Trump immediately after leaving the race. However, Haley eventually came to her senses and endorsed the former president.

The former president already dismissed speculation last month that he would choose the former United Nations ambassador as his vice president.

“Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the V.P. slot, but I wish her well!” former Presidnt Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in May.