Donald Trump officially kicked off this third presidential campaign while delivering a speech Tuesday evening from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Are you all in on Trump 2024 or keeping your options open?
Watch Amanda break it down below.
Obama could be the only Democrat that could defeat Donald Trump this November- Michelle Obama that is.
A recent survey, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, found that Obama was the only Democrat to surpass Trump in a hypothetical matchup, garnering 50 percent support to his 39 percent. Only 4 percent of respondents said they would not vote at all.
The Hill has more:
Meanwhile, the poll found that in a head-to-head matchup, President Biden and Trump are neck-and-neck. They each received 40 percent of the vote, while 8 percent said they would vote for someone else, and another 8 percent said they would not vote.
Other Democrats floated as potential replacements to Biden in the poll included Vice President Harris, who received 42 percent in a head-to-head match-up with Trump, who received 43 percent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) trailed Trump by 3 percentage points, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) trailed by 5 points in a hypothetical contest with the presumptive GOP nominee.
Obama was the top choice among Democrats to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released in February. Despite her popularity, the former first lady has repeatedly said she will not be pursuing a bid for the White House.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, the director of communications for Obama’s office, said in a statement in March.
Obama “supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign,” Carson said.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is not letting Donald Trump off so easily…
Christie, one of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics, pledged Sunday to follow the leading candidate “around the country” if the former president does not debate.
“Well, if he doesn’t do any of the debates, Howie, you know, we’re going to give him another chance,” he told Fox News’s Howard Kurtz on “Media Buzz.” “I’m sure he’s not coming to the Reagan debate. We’ll give him another chance in Alabama. But if he doesn’t come there, then I’m going to follow him around the country. Wherever he goes, I’ll go. And we’ll wind up talking to each other one way or other. And he knows that’s true.”
When pushed further on the topic, Christie confirmed he would change his schedule to follow Trump around.
Trump refused to participate in the first Republican presidential debate, citing his massive lead in the polls and his rocky relationship with Fox News and Rupert Murdoch. Trump also indicated he does not plan to participate in the next debate.
Kurtz also asked the former governor if he has been “selling” Republicans as he attacks the former president, questioning whether Christie is just telling voters what they “want to hear about Trump.”
“You know, first, you have to make sure that you distinguish yourself from the front-runner, and I’m doing that. But also, you’ve got to tell people about what you’re for and what your experience will get them a chance to do,” he said.
“The American people are tired of being lied to,” he added. “They’re tired of being lied to by Joe Biden when he said the other day that he’s reduced the deficit when, in fact, he’s going to double the deficit this year. They’re tired of being lied to by Donald Trump when he says the election in 2020 was stolen, and that’s all he wants to talk about going forward is that and the fact that he’s out on bail in four different jurisdictions.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence is gearing up to officially enter the Republican primary field.
A source close to Pence informed The Hill that he is planning to announce his White House bid next week.
The Hill has more:
The source said Pence’s team is finalizing plans to launch his campaign for the White House, joining the expanding GOP primary field with a forward-looking announcement that makes the case for his candidacy. The former vice president is expected to put much of his focus on Iowa, which hosts the first caucus on the GOP primary calendar.
Pence is scheduled to participate in a CNN town hall in Iowa next Wednesday, June 7, an event that was billed in one release as a “Presidential Town Hall.” Pence will celebrate his 64th birthday the same day.
The former vice president was also originally scheduled to speak to the Georgia Republican Party at a June 9 event. But the party alerted supporters on Wednesday that Pence “has been forced to re-schedule because of a televised national town hall at which he will be making an announcement regarding his future plans,” in a message first reported by The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Pence has an uphill battle ahead of him in an already crowded primary field. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have largely dominated the polls thus far. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson have lagged behind in the polls.
This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.
CNN has reportedly finalized the rules for the first presidential debate scheduled for June 27 in Atlanta.
CNN said there will be two commercial breaks during the debate, and candidates will not be allowed to consult with other members of their campaign during that time.
The network also noted that candidates’ podiums and positions will be determined by a coin flip, their mics will be muted outside of speaking time, and they will only be provided with a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water.
There will be no opening statements. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will each have two minutes to answer questions — followed by one-minute rebuttals and responses to the rebuttals. Red lights visible to the candidates will flash when they have five seconds left, and turn solid red when time has expired. And each man’s microphone will be muted when it is not his turn to speak.
Candidates will not be allowed to bring props or prepared notes.
Additionally, for the first time in recent history, the debate between presidential contenders won’t have a studio audience.
To qualify to participate in the televised debate a candidate must have received 15% support in four separate national polls, and be on the ballot in enough states to reach 270 electoral college votes. Candidates must also meet the requirements outlined in Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution to serve as president.
Currently, Independent candidate Kennedy is on the ballot in six states, totaling 89 potential Electoral College votes.
The first presidential debate is nearly here and the details are being finalized.
On Thursday, CNN announced former President Trump will have the final word in next week’s first presidential debate after Joe Biden won the coin toss.
The Biden campaign won the coin toss, selecting tails, and choosing to pick the president’s standing position instead of reserving a speaking slot. Biden will stand on the right side of the stage from the viewer’s perspective, and Trump on the left.
Trump’s campaign decided to select to speak last, meaning Biden would be the first to give his closing argument.
Biden and Trump will be the only two candidates on the debate stage next Thursday night in Atlanta, CNN announced. Anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper have been selected as the moderators. Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not qualify for the debate stage
It’s the first of two debates agreed to by the candidates and will feature a number of new rules.
CNN said there will be two commercial breaks during the debate, and candidates will not be allowed to consult with other members of their campaign during that time.
The network also noted that candidates’ podiums and positions will be determined by a coin flip, their mics will be muted outside of speaking time, and they will only be provided with a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water.
There will be no opening statements. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will each have two minutes to answer questions — followed by one-minute rebuttals and responses to the rebuttals. Red lights visible to the candidates will flash when they have five seconds left, and turn solid red when time has expired. And each man’s microphone will be muted when it is not his turn to speak.
Candidates will not be allowed to bring props or prepared notes.
Additionally, for the first time in recent history, the debate between presidential contenders won’t have a studio audience.
In an attack that shook America to its core on Saturday afternoon, a failed loner attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The New York Times’ editorial choices in covering it over the past 24 hours have sparked widespread discussion and criticism.
One of the most controversial decisions was the alteration of their cover photo, which conspicuously cut out the American flag. This move did not go unnoticed and spurred intense reaction online. Additionally, The New York Times opted not to use the word “assassination” in its front-page story about the shooting.
The New York Times wasn’t alone in making editorial choices that drew scrutiny. CNN’s Jamie Gangel also faced criticism for her response. Gangel chose to chide Trump’s rhetoric mere seconds after the attack, a decision sorely lacking empathy and perspective.
However, these responses were somewhat subdued when compared to the reactions from two reporters from a far-left Seattle outlet. These ideologues appeared to cheer the near miss.
The Post Millennial reports:
Staff writer at The Stranger Ashley Nerbovig, who covers “policing, incarceration and courts” for the far-left outlet posted on X, “Make America aim again,” in reaction to the news that the former president had survived the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Nervobig deleted the post, but screenshots went viral. She then deleted her account.
Fellow Stranger writer Hannah Krieg criticized Seattle’s Democratic mayor for praising the Secret Service and wishing the best for the former president.
Following the news of the failed assassination, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel posted on X, “This act of political violence is disturbing and unacceptable in our country. Thank you to the Secret Service and all the first responders who quickly secured the scene. Our thoughts are with the former president and all the people who attended today’s rally.”
Krieg shared the post and wrote, “Mayor Bruce Harrel swiftly comes to the defense of Trump, a failed insurrectionist touted by mainstream Democrats as an existential threat to Democracy.” She deleted the post and then locked her account after the blowback.
For readers and viewers, these examples highlight the importance of critically evaluating news sources and being aware of potential biases. It also underscores the need for media literacy in this country.
Georgia Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene is aiming high.
According to former White House strategist Stephen Bannon, the Georgia lawmaker is angling herself to potentially be selected as Donald Trump’s choice for Vice President in what is his third pursuit of the White House.
“This is no shrinking violet, she’s ambitious — she’s not shy about that, nor should she be. … She sees herself on the short list for Trump’s VP,” Bannon told NBC News.
When Greene “looks in the mirror, she sees a potential president smiling back,” Bannon added.
An unnamed source in the NBC News piece concurred that Greene’s “whole vision” is to snag the second-in-command slot on Trump’s ticket.
The source noted Rep. Greene’s recent efforts to rebrand herself as a politician who has the ability to “stand astride the divide between the party’s hard-liners and its establishment wing” is definitely part of a larger goal.
Recently, MTG threw herself into the middle of the contentious battle to elect a new Speaker of the House. Bannon told NBC that Rep. Greene’s support of Kevin McCarthy was a calculated risk.
“She’s both strategic and disciplined — she made a power move, knowing it would run up hard against her most ardent crew,” he said. “She was prepared to take the intense heat/hatred short-term for the long-term goal of being a player.”
Rep. Greene has made a name for herself in Congress as a far-right firebrand and staunch supporter of the former President. The Republican lawmaker endorsed Trump even before his official 2024 launch.
This story is breaking. Click refresh for the latest updates.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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