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Report: DeSantis To Launch Presidential Campaign Wednesday

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Things are about to get interesting…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reportedly planning to announce his entrance to the 2024 Republican presidential primary on Wednesday.

Sources familiar confirmed to Fox News that the popular, conservative two-term governor will declare that he’s a candidate for president, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET during a conversation with Elon Musk on Twitter.

Along with his announcement, DeSantis is expected to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, which officially launches his GOP presidential campaign.

A formal campaign kickoff event will likely take place sometime after this week’s donor gathering, but no details have been shared by the campaign.

DeSantis joins a growing primary field. Earlier this week Sen. Tim Scott (S.C) announced his bid for the White House. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson have also jumped into the race.

Former president Donald Trump has consistently commanded polls since announcing his third presidential campaign.

This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

Former Trump Primary Rival Makes Decision On No Labels Bid

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) is officially shutting the door on speculation he may mount a third-party challenge for the White House.

Christie has been considering a possible third-party run for the White House as some suggested he run on a unity ticket put forward by No Labels. However, on Wednesday the Republican said he would be staying out of the 2024 race,

“I appreciate the encouragement I’ve gotten to pursue a third-party candidacy,” Christie said in a statement, posted on X. “I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we’re doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us.”

“While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward,” he added.

Christie’s decision comes about a week after he said on “The Axe Files” podcast that he was not ruling out running on a potential No Labels ticket in November. He still expressed hesitancy toward the idea at the time saying that “there are a number of hurdles to get over before I would actually consider running as a third-party.”

Christie, in a separate statement, said he was sad to hear of former Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I-Conn.) death, which was announced on Wednesday. According to The Hill, Lieberman, the co-founder of No Labels, had previously floated Christie to run on the top of the organization’s ticket.

“I last spoke to him on Monday and he was fully engaged in a conversation of how to overcome the toxic political environment in our country. His whole life was dedicated to putting country before party in all he did,” Christie said on X, formerly Twitter.

Republican Senator Refuses to Acknowledge Trump as Head of the Party

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Despite Trump’s early 2024 campaign announcement, Republican senators are wary of dubbing him the current “leader” of the Party.

Over the weekend, Bill Cassidy (R-LA) was especially harsh on the former president and rejected Trump as the leader of the Republican Party and said the GOP could shift away from his influence in the future.

According to The Hill, Cassidy told CNN’s Pamela Brown that despite polls indicating Trump as the top candidate to receive the Party’s nomination he thinks Republicans should support someone else.

“The Republican Party does not have a president in office right now,” Cassidy said. “It does not have anybody who’s obviously not my leader.”

Cassidy on Saturday echoed other Republicans in calling for the party to “speak about the future” rather than fixating on issues in the past.

“We’re led by principles. We’re led by kind of concepts,” Cassidy said. “A right-of-center party which thinks that smaller government, that individual responsibility, that free markets is more likely to bring prosperity to a family and prosperity to our country. … If we are responsible to those principles, then we win.”

Cassidy has been critical of Trump over the years, even voting to impeach the former president in 2021.

According to Politico, some Republican lawmakers are holding out hope South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott launches a White House bid in 2024.

Joni Ernst is “very excited” about a potential Tim Scott presidential run. John Cornyn would “advise him to go for it.” And John Barrasso said it “doesn’t get any better than Tim Scott.”

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, who spent much of Donald Trump’s presidency sticking to his side, said he’s intrigued by the possibility of a Scott presidential bid in 2024 and wants to see “what Tim does” before he makes any endorsements.

Scott would “bring something to the table on day one,” Graham said, adding his South Carolina colleague has “one of the most compelling stories of any Republican out there.”

Nikki Haley Campaign Rips Trump, DeSantis in Leaked Memo

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

The gloves are coming off…

The attacks from Nikki Haley‘s presidential campaign are heating up. In a leaked memo to donors, Haley’s campaign unleashed a barrage of attacks targeting her 2024 primary rivals.

The memo from Betsy Ankney, Haley’s campaign manager, casts Haley as above the political fray in the GOP presidential primary, recapping her more-than $11 million fundraising haul in the first quarter and early efforts in critical primary and caucus states like New Hampshire and Iowa. 

Donald Trump had a pretty good Q1, if you count being indicted as ‘good,’” Haley’s campaign wrote.

“It’s increasingly clear that Trump’s candidacy is more consumed by the grievances of the past and the promise of more drama in the future, rather than a forward-looking vision for the American people,” the memo reads.

Haley’s campaign also takes aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who’s widely expected to launch a White House bid later this spring once the state’s legislative session concludes.

“Ron DeSantis essentially launched his presidential campaign with a national book tour during this period and made one misstep after another, confirming what many observers have long suspected: he’s not ready for prime time,” the memo reads.

“None have taken the plunge,” it says. “That’s of course their decision, but they certainly did nothing to help themselves in the first part of the year. By contrast, Nikki is a decisive person. When she puts her mind to something, she’s IN IT, devoting all her energy to it night and day, week-in and week-out.”

The campaign took a slight shot at other contestants without specifically mentioning their names, suggesting they aren’t worth naming to begin with.

“And then there are the others,” the memo reads. “Wait, what others?”

Congressman Pushes Trump To Drop Out Of Race After Debate

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One of the harshest responses yet…

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) suggested former President Donald Trump should consider dropping out of the presidential race following his performance in Tuesday night’s debate.

Moskowitz issued a statement on Wednesday titled, “Trump’s ability to continue campaign,” and it echoed sentiment aimed at President Biden following his clash with Trump earlier this year.

“If we are being honest, last night’s debate performance by former President Donald Trump was disastrous and hard to watch,” Moskowitz said.

“I believe now is the time for the former President to have those difficult conversations about whether or not he should continue serving as the Republican Party’s nominee for President,” he continued. “For now, I want to give him the space to meet with his family and make that decision.”

Polls from the debate show most viewers believe Harris came out on top. A CNN poll of debate watchers had 63% saying Harris won by the end of their 90-minute contest, compared to 37% for Trump.

However, Trump’s performance has not set off the widespread shock and concern among Republicans that surged through the Democrat Party following Biden’s debate performance in July. That concern ultimately forced Biden out of the race, endorsing Harris instead.

Contacted regarding Moskowitz’ statement on Wednesday, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung replied, “Moskowitz is a f—ing moron,” according to The Hill.

Fox News has extended a formal invitation to both the Trump and Harris campaigns for a second debate next month.

Trump Wins Key Battleground!

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Trump completes ‘Blue Wall’ sweep…

Decision Desk HQ has projected Donald Trump to be the winner of Michigan.

Michigan, part of the so-called “Blue Wall” states that includes Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, was one of the most valuable targets for both candidates in this year’s race. Trump is projected to win the presidential election, and adds the pickup in Michigan to his total.

Long known as a Democratic stronghold, Michigan had not gone to a Republican candidate since the late former President George H.W. Bush won the state in 1988. Trump ended that streak in 2016, narrowly defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by less than one percentage point on his way to the White House.

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

Winner Projected In North Carolina

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A winner has been projected in the critical Tarheel State…

Decision Desk HQ has projected former President Donald Trump will win the first major swing state North Carolina.

The state carries 16 electoral votes.

The Tarheel State has widely been considered a bellwether for the presidential election.

Trump won North Carolina in 2020, when he became the fourth Republican ever to carry the state without winning the presidency. He also won it in 2016, beating former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. 

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

Conservative Pundit Ann Coulter Declares ‘Trump is Done’

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Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

Is the Republican Party officially moving on from Donald Trump? According to conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

In Coulter’s latest podcast of Unsafe aptly titled “Trump’s Done” she dives into the signs Republicans are moving away from the former president and how his influence in slowly but surely dwindling.

Throughout the podcast Coulter notes how Trump’s star has begun to fade, comparing the phenomenon to Sarah Palin who saw her rockstar status revoked following John McCain’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign.

Coulter also noted Trump’s once-infamous rallies dwindling turnouts as further evidence he’s losing power within the GOP.

According to Mediaite:

“They’re like Deadheads,” Coulter said of those still running to MAGA rallies. “They’re following him from place to place. He sings the same songs.”

Loyalty among Trump “fanatics,” she added, is not “indicative of a movement sweeping the nation.” Coulter mentioned a pair of Stone emails she received from the Trump team. The first was an email “slamming” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), considered by many to be Trump’s biggest 2024 competition, should both men run for the Republican Party nomination. A second email, Coulter said, was Stone “backpedaling” on his criticism of DeSantis after he heard complaints from conservatives supportive of the governor.

Trump being “done” could be the message some politicians have been waiting to hear before wading into the 2024 presidential campaign arena. While the former President has made a habit of hinting at his potential presidential campaign some conservatives have held their breath in regard to their own political aspirations.

“Republicans, it’s not the party of Trump. It’s safe to come back, and it’s safe for Republicans to stand up and run without Donald Trump,” she said.

Former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley previously said she would not launch a presidential campaign if Trump also were to run, and she’s likely not the only Republican sharing that mindset.

However, Coulter was careful to note that moving away from Trump isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Party and predicted the GOP could still sweep the midterms.

“People are angry. Republicans are really angry. We are on a smooth glide path to really, really good midterm elections, and the only thing that can blow it is what probably will blow it: the Republican Party,” she said.

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

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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.

MSNBC Show Yanked From Air Monday After Trump Shooting

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

MSNBC yanked “Morning Joe” off the air on Monday after Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt on Saturday.

Arguably MSNBC’s flagship program, the show is a favorite of President Joe Biden and is known for its anti-Trump views.

The move came on the eve of what could’ve been the biggest Monday (in terms of ratings) in co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s TV careers.

According to Fox News, network executives pulled the show off the air because they feared what the hosts or guests might say about Trump narrowly surviving an assassination attempt that killed a rallygoer and critically injured two others:

Viewers who tuned in expecting to see the staunchly anti-Trump program, hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, were greeted instead by continued NBC News special reporting on the attempt on Trump’s life on Saturday. A spokesperson said “Morning Joe” will resume airing on Tuesday.

According to a CNN report, a person familiar with the decision said it was made in part over fear that one of the show’s many guests over a 4-hour broadcast “might make an inappropriate comment on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole.”

The call by MSNBC to keep “Morning Joe” off the airwaves shocked political observers, with some conservatives saying it demonstrated a lack of trust in one of its most high-profile shows to sensitively cover a fraught situation.

“The fact that Morning Joe’s own network can’t trust its flagship brand not to spew reckless and inflammatory crap during breaking news tells you all you need to know about the credibility of the MSNBC line-up,” a veteran Republican consultant told Fox News Digital.

Others used X to share their thoughts on the significant programming change during one of the most significant days in cable news history:

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