Random

    2024

    Home 2024

    DeSantis Lays Out Timeline for 2024 Decision

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    7

    Americans may not have to wait much longer on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘s White House decision…

    The beloved Republican governor has been considered a potential White House contender for months but has remained silent over when Americans can expect a potential campaign announcement.

    On Monday, Gov. DeSantis indicated that he will make a decision on a 2024 presidential run after the state’s legislative session wraps up in May.

    During an appearance with “Fox & Friends” DeSantis charted out the next few months saying that he will embark on a tour to promote his new book, “The Courage to be Free,” and work through the Florida legislature’s regular session, which begins in early March.

    “We’re going to sell some books, we’re going to spread the message of Florida. And then on March 8, I have our Legislative Session that’s kicking off,” DeSantis said.

    “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he added. “This is going to be the most productive Legislative Session we have had across the board and I think people are going to be really excited … So those are what we’re going to be doing over these next few months as we get beyond that, then we can decide from there.”

    Republicans now hold supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature after November’s midterm elections, meaning DeSantis has a clear path to getting some of his biggest policy priorities approved.

    His remarks on Monday were some of the most explicit from the Florida governor on when to expect an announcement. 

    DeSantis Commits to First GOP Presidential Primary Debate

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Florida Governor and presidential contender Ron DeSantis is refusing to stand in the shadow of Donald Trump.

    DeSantis plans to participate in the first Republican presidential nomination debate “regardless” of whether former President Donald Trump takes the stage at the August showdown. 

    “I’ll be there regardless. I hope everybody who’s eligible comes. I think it’s an important part of the process and I look forward to being able to be on the stage and introducing our candidacy and our vision and our leadership to a wide audience,” DeSantis said Thursday on “Fox News Tonight.”

    Trump, who’s the commanding front-runner in the latest GOP presidential primary polls, has indicated that he may skip the debate. However, Trump campaign officials say the former president has yet to make a final decision on his participation. Trump’s aides have also been looking into options for an alternative event should the former president skip the debate, according to Fox News.

    The debate is scheduled for August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and will be hosted by Fox News.

    The Republican National Committee (RNC), which is organizing all the GOP presidential nominating debates, is requiring a high donor threshold as well as polling thresholds for candidates to make the stage. 

    The RNC is also mandating that candidates that meet the thresholds sign a loyalty pledge to back the eventual 2024 GOP nominee, in order to participate in the debate.

    The state of Florida is adding a similar loyalty requirement for candidates to be included on the state’s ballot, according to POLITICO.

    The new oath, which includes a promise to “endorse” the GOP nominee and requires a candidate to pledge not to run as an independent or third-party candidate, mirrors language adopted by the Republican National Committee for its first debate.

    “We were trying to be consistent with what the debate was requiring,” said Evan Power, vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida, who said that campaigns were notified about the changes. “I don’t think this will come as a surprise.”

    Vivek Ramaswamy Announces 2024 White House Bid

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6

    The 2024 presidential primary field is growing.

    Tuesday evening, Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy officially launched his 2024 White House campaign during his interview with Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

    “We are in the middle of this national identity crisis, Tucker, where we have celebrated our diversity and our differences for so long that we’ve forgotten all of the ways that we are really just the same as Americans, bound by a common set of ideals that set this nation into motion 250 years ago, and that’s why I am proud to say tonight I am running for United States president,” Ramaswamy said.

    “We’re in the midst of a national identity crisis. Faith, patriotism & family are disappearing. We embrace one secular religion after another — from wokeism to climatism — to satisfy our deeper need for meaning. Yet we cannot even answer what it means to be an American,” Ramaswamy said on Twitter.

    “The GOP can fill that void. E pluribus unum: from many, one. That is the dream that won the American Revolution; that reunited us after the Civil War, that won us two World Wars & the Cold War. That is the dream that still gives hope to the world. That is American exceptionalism,” he said.

    The millionaire investor and author has been hinting for weeks about potentially entering the race.

    Ramaswamy, 37, is the first non-elected official and the second first-generation Indian American seeking the White House in the 2024 election cycle, the first being former ambassador to the U.N. and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who launched her candidacy last week. 

    If the anti-woke tech entrepreneur is elected to the White House, Ramaswamy told The New York Times his first act as president would be repealing Executive Order 11246.

    That order “requires affirmative action and prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin,” according to the Department of Labor.

    Trump Wins Key Battleground!

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    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.

    Former Trump Official Launches New PAC Supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6
    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.

    Trump Eyeing Elon Musk For Potential Cabinet Role

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    0

    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

    Trump Calls For Pence’s Endorsement After Abruptly Ending Campaign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Trump is calling for his former running mate to throw his support behind his latest campaign after announcing the decision to pause his campaign on Saturday.

    Former Vice President Mike Pence suspended his presidential campaign earlier in the day during a speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

    “People are leaving now and they’re all endorsing me,” Trump said. “I don’t know about Mike Pence. He should endorse me. He should endorse me. You know why? Because I had a great successful presidency and he was the vice president. He should endorse me. I chose him, made him vice president, but people in politics can be very disloyal.”

    In his speech, Pence told the crowd it was not his time to lead the country but said he would “never leave the fight for conservative values.” He did not make an endorsement but called on Republicans to stay away from the “siren song of populism.”

    “We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” Pence told the crowd. “The only thing that would have been harder than coming up short would have been if we’d never tried at all.”

    In Trump’s speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition, he said that “everybody that leaves” the race was endorsing him, referring to conservative talk radio host Larry Elder and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson. Elder endorsed Trump after suspending his presidential campaign just days ago, saying that Trump’s “leadership has been instrumental in advancing conservative, America-first principles.” 

    According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Pence’s polling average was 3.5%, well behind Trump’s average of 59.1%. He was polling in fifth place, behind Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. 

    Pennsylvania Supreme Court Weighs In On Mail-In Voter Debate

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    1

    In a pivotal decision on Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected due to errors—including missing signatures, incorrect dates or absence of a required secrecy envelope—can still cast their vote on Election Day. The 4-3 decision ensures that these individuals are allowed to submit provisional ballots at their local polling places, provided no additional disqualifying issues arise.

    The ruling originated from a case in Butler County, where two voters were denied the opportunity to vote provisionally after their mail-in ballots were rejected during the April primary for missing secrecy envelopes. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center represented the voters, arguing that the county had misinterpreted the state’s Election Code.

    Per Spotlight PA:

    Justice Christine Donohue, writing for the majority, noted that the Republican litigants argued that in order to maintain election integrity, provisional ballots should not be counted, but said the majority was “at a loss to identify what honest voting principle is violated by recognizing the validity of one ballot cast by one voter.”

    “If appellants presume that the general assembly intended to disqualify the provisional ballot of a voter who failed to effectively vote by mail in order to punish that voter, we caution that such a construction is not reconcilable with the right of franchise,” she wrote.

    The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center, which brought the case on behalf of two voters, celebrated the ruling as a victory.

    “Today’s decision affirms that if you make a paperwork mistake that will keep your mail ballot from counting, you have the right to vote by provisional ballot at your polling place on Election Day,” said Ben Geffen, senior attorney at the Public Interest Law Center. “This reinforces the right to vote in Pennsylvania.”

    This decision holds broad implications for voters across Pennsylvania, offering a contentious solution for those facing similar issues in future elections. However, there was notable dissent, including from Justice P. Kevin Brobson, who contended that the state’s Election Code explicitly prohibits counting such provisional ballots.

    The ruling comes as Pennsylvania takes center stage in the 2024 election. Polls suggest a highly competitive race, with the latest RealClearPolitics average showing former President Donald Trump holding a slight 0.6-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris.

    READ NEXT: Fmr. Democrat Congressman Caught Campaigning For Trump In PIVOTAL Swing State

    It’s Time To DRAIN THE SWAMP! Stop Supporting Career Politicians – Elect Dave McCormick! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Help us win back the Senate.

    GOP Governor Speaks Out On ‘Costly’ Decision Not To Endorse Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9
    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who ran for the GOP presidential nomination this year, is speaking out on his decision not to endorse Donald Trump.

    “I get asked a lot if I believe Trump is a threat to our democracy,” he writes in a USA Today op-ed. “I am not good at predicting the future, but we can learn from history and we should take heed when politicians tell us what they are going to do.”

    Hutchinson says in the piece that he voted for Trump twice, but that insight gleaned from former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) and the Department of Justice on the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol changed his mind.

    “In terms of history, we all witnessed the violent attack on our national Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, by those wishing to overturn the last election,” he writes. “This was not an act of patriots as Trump likes to say, but it was a real threat to democracy.”

    “With Donald Trump’s domination of the GOP primaries and the elimination of all primary opponents, including the party leadership and Republican elected officials are clicking their heels in obedience to the victor and presumptive nominee. I have not endorsed Donald Trump for president, and I will not do so,” he writes.

    But Hutchinson says he can’t support Biden’s policies either.

    “Another important point to make is that I also will not vote for President Joe Biden. Biden’s weak border policies, his poor economic record and his slow growth energy policy do not justify reelection.”

    Former Clinton Official Says Trump Should Be Kept Off 2024 Ballot Over ‘Treason’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Democrats will try anything to keep Donald Trump from running for president.

    On Monday, Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich (D) called for secretaries of state to refuse to place Trump’s name on the ballot in 2024.

    “The most obvious question in American politics today should be: why is the guy who committed treason just over two years ago allowed to run for president?” Reich wrote in an op-ed for The Guardian. “Answer: he shouldn’t be.”

    “Secretaries of state – who in most cases are in charge of deciding who gets on the ballot – must refuse to place Donald Trump’s name on the 2024 ballot, based on the clear meaning of section three of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” Reich urged. 

    Reich, who served as labor secretary under former President Bill Clinton, argued that Trump is guilty of treason through his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, as a mob of supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

    Reich also made a similar argument as House Democrats last year who introduced legislation that sought to bar Trump from office under the 14th Amendment. 

    The amendment states, “No person shall … hold any office, civil or military, under the United States … who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” 

    “Can any of us who saw (or have learned through the painstaking work of the January 6 committee) what Trump tried to do to overturn the results of the 2020 election have any doubt he will once again try to do whatever necessary to regain power, even if illegal and unconstitutional?” Reich asked. 

    Reich peddled numerous conspiratorial scenarios in which Trump-loyalist secretaries of state and governors “alter the election machinery” to help Trump win the White House.

    “Trump tried these tactics once. The likelihood of him trying again is greater now because his loyalists are now in much stronger positions throughout state and federal government,” he continued.

    Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung slammed Reich and others calling for Trump to be kept off the ballot.

    “What these un-democratic organizations and individuals are doing is blatant election interference and tampering. They are not even trying to hide it anymore, and it is sad they want to deprive the American people of choosing Donald Trump — the overwhelming front-runner by far — as their President,” Cheung told Fox News Digital. “History will not judge them kindly, and they will have to answer for their desecration of the Constitution.”

    On Tuesday, President Joe Biden officially unveiled his re-election campaign, potentially teeing up a rematch against Trump and Biden.

    123...22Page 1 of 22
    © Great America News Desk 2022