Donald Trump is not in the business of doubting himself…
The former president who is currently on his third presidential campaign told Hugh Hewitt that he is not committed to backing the 2024 Republican nominee if it’s not him.
According to Mediaite, during an interview with Hugh Hewitt, once again, Trump harped about his former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, running for president after pledging she wouldn’t run against Trump. After calling Haley “a very ambitious person,” Trump was asked about how Hewitt spoke to Larry Hogan (R) earlier in the day, who is also openly considering a 2024 run.
The former Maryland governor said he would support whoever the Republican Party nominates in 2024, even though he refused to back Trump in 2020. Thus, Hewitt asked Trump “if you’re not the nominee, will you support whoever the GOP nominee is?”
“It would depend,” Trump answered. “I would give you the same answer I gave in 2016 during the debate…It would have to depend on who the nominee was.”
As Trump said, his answer harkens back to the Fox News debate of 2015 where he refused to pledge his support for whoever won the Republican primary.
The FOX News Decision Desk can now confidently project West Virginia for Trump, as the former president clinches yet another commanding victory in this steadfastly red state. pic.twitter.com/gxVMvHIeT8
With Democrat Senator Joe Manchin opting not to seek reelection, the race left a critical seat open in a state that has shifted dramatically to the right in recent years. This Senate seat was a major target for Republicans, who view West Virginia as a strong pickup opportunity as they aim to regain control of the U.S. Senate.
The Republican Frontrunner: Jim Justice
Governor Jim Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Jim Justice, who has served as West Virginia’s governor since 2017, was widely seen as the frontrunner in the race to replace Joe Manchin. Initially elected as a Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017 during a rally with then-President Donald Trump, a move that aligned him with the state’s increasingly conservative electorate. Since then, Justice has solidified his position as one of the most prominent and popular figures in West Virginia politics, with consistently high approval ratings and strong support from rural voters.
Babydog and I are heading to Pennsylvania Thursday, October 17th, to campaign for President Trump! We'd love to see you there. Secure your ticket here. >>https://t.co/D6k2RsuSQEpic.twitter.com/kEPgKntsRl
Justice’s campaign for the Senate centered on his track record as governor, during which he has focused on job creation, economic development, and coal industry revitalization—key issues in a state that has been economically dependent on coal mining for generations. He also made a point of emphasizing his ties to former President Trump, who remains extremely popular in West Virginia.
The Democrat: Glenn Elliott
Attorney and Wheeling city councilman Glenn Elliott is hoping to succeed Joe Manchin. Elliott has emphasized his work as a city councilman in Wheeling, where he has focused on economic development, affordable housing, and revitalizing downtown areas. His campaign has argued that the state needs new leadership to address its economic challenges and improve the quality of life for working-class families.
Endorsements
Here are five key endorsements for Jim Justice in the 2024 West Virginia Senate race:
Donald Trump: The former president endorsed Jim Justice early in his campaign, cementing Justice’s status as the frontrunner in a state that overwhelmingly supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
“Big Jim will be a Great UNITED STATES SENATOR, and has my Complete & Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” Trump wrote.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Senator Blackburn endorsed Justice, praising his leadership and effectiveness as West Virginia’s governor, reinforcing his national Republican support.
“Governor Jim Justice is a proven effective leader, and I am honored to endorse him for Senate in West Virginia,” said Senator Blackburn. “He has shown himself to make decisions that are best for the people of West Virginia with honor, integrity, and patriotism. I am confident that Governor Justice is the best person to protect West Virginia values and the principles our country was founded upon. Now more than ever we need true conservative leaders to take back the Senate Majority and reverse the damage caused by the Biden Administration.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Things aren’t looking good in her “new” congressional district…
During the holiday season, embattled Republican Lauren Boebert announced she was no longer seeking reelection in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
The MAGA representative announced she would run in the neighboring, heavily conservative 4th District. However, the coming retirement of Rep. Ken Buck has given way to a free-for-all GOP primary. For the past month, Boebert’s six competitors say her claim that she’d make a good candidate doesn’t hold up.
If the straw poll at the first GOP primary debate is any indicator, Boebert’s challenge of winning over voters in a district she only recently moved to is real.
Colorado Politicshas more on Boebert’s underwhelming performance that elicited gasps, and some shrugs, from the crowd:
The headline-grabbing incumbent’s performance in the decidedly non-scientific survey — Boebert landed in fifth place with just over 10% of the vote, behind three veteran state lawmakers and a former talk radio host who ran last cycle for the U.S. Senate — surprised some in the room but drew shrugs from others, who pointed out that the hall was filled with local Republicans loyal to other candidates who shared the debate stage.
The 90-minute debate, which drew national attention, took place less than a month after Boebert, the state’s most prominent elected Republican, joined the already crowded GOP primary in the sprawling 4th Congressional District, which covers Colorado’s Eastern Plains, anchored by suburban Douglas County.
She announced in late December that would seek another term in Congress from the solidly Republican seat after moving from the more competitive Western Slope-based district she’s represented since 2021. Boebert said during the debate that she recently moved to Windsor in Weld County.
Boebert’s decision to run in the 4th District came little more than a year after she narrowly won reelection, beating Democrat Adam Frisch by a mere 546 votes out of 327,000.
During the debate, Boebert defended her decision, saying that her family deserved a “fresh start.”
Boebert has five weeks to win over primary voters in a district that has only elected one Democrat in the last 50 years.
This article originally appeared in American Liberty News.Republished with permission.
In a significant shift, Vice President Kamala Harris has pulled ahead of former President Donald Trump in the latest 2024 election forecast from data expert Nate Silver. According to Silver’s “Silver Bulletin” election model, Harris currently holds a 58% likelihood of winning the presidency, compared to Trump’s 42%.
This marks a reversal from early September, when Trump had over a 60% chance of victory. Silver attributes the shift to changes in polling data. He noted that Harris has gained a 3-point lead nationally and has been performing well in key battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina.
The exception is Arizona, where Harris has struggled in recent polling, but Silver noted it has only a 5% chance of being the tipping-point state.
While Silver still categorizes the race as a toss-up, he suggested that Harris’s hand appears stronger. He also pointed to positive economic revisions, which he said have bolstered Harris’s chances.
Silver explained that Harris has two viable paths to securing the Electoral College, whereas Trump’s options appear more limited. Harris could win the presidency even if she loses all the toss-up states, provided she secures Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Mediaite has further details on Harris’ “Plan A” and “Plan B” pathways to victory:
Silver’s latest write-up of his forecast notes that Harris, unlike Trump, has two solid routes to winning the Electoral College. Harris can lose all the toss-up states while winning Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin and still become president.
Silver calls this “Plan A” – the long talked about “blue wall” that crumbled in 2016 for Hillary Clinton. Silver explains that Harris also has a “Plan B” if one of those states falls – despite her polling up in all three. Harris can win “North Carolin, Georgia, or both” in order to still get to 270 – especially as she’s in striking position in Nevada and ahead in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Trump, on the other hand, must win all of the toss-up states and at least one of the three “blue wall’ states.
As recently as a few weeks ago, Silver’s model had Trump leading Harris in betting odds. However, recent developments have reshaped the landscape as the 2024 election approaches.
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.
Conservative media is lying to you about Trump's popularity.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
Is Donald Trump about to see one of his most aggressive critics join the Republican primary circle?
Reports indicate former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has taken a significant step towards announcing his 2024 White House campaign after his allies established a political action committee (PAC) to support his bid.
The PAC, called Tell It Like It Is, is the latest sign that Christie plans to throw his hat in the ring in the Republican presidential primary race, the New York Times initially reported.
The former governor has already made selections for a potential presidential campaign staff as well, according to the New York Times. Mike DuHaime and Maria Comella are poised to manage his campaign if he announces, the outlet reported. Duhaime previously worked as a political strategist during Christie’s 2016 campaign, and Comella previously worked as chief of staff to disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Meanwhile Brian Jones, a longtime staffer for GOP campaigns, will head up the PAC.
Earlier this month, Christie indicated he planned to jump into the race by hitting at both frontrunners Trump and President Biden.
“I’m very concerned that what we’re heading toward is a Trump-Biden rematch,” said in a radio interview. “A Trump-Biden rematch is bad for the Republican Party.”
“We lost the House in 2018. The Senate and the White House in 2020. We underperformed in 2022 and lost more governorships and another Senate seat. Donald Trump cannot win,” he continued.
Christie would enter a growing field of Republican 2024 candidates, including Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is also expected to launch a bid for the White House in the coming weeks.
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
President-elect Donald Trump called for an investigation into retired Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer as he accused her of undermining trust in the 2024 election.
Selzer’s (inaccurate) Iowa reporting threatened to upend the state’s results, however Trump went on toe decisively win the Buckeye State.
“A totally Fake poll that caused great distrust and uncertainty at a very critical time. She knew exactly what she was doing,” Trump posted to his Truth Social site.
In the post, Trump thanked the “GREAT PEOPLE OF IOWA” for their votes, despite alleged possible “ELECTION FRAUD” by Selzer and the newspaper that published the poll, The Des Moines Register.
“An investigation is fully called for!” Trump added.
Just days before the election, Selzer’s survey, which found Vice President Harris leading Trump in Iowa, sent shockwaves nationwide. Trump went on to win the state by more than 20,000 votes.
Selzer, who has worked on a contract basis for the Register since 1997, said she would have liked to have made the announcement after polling lined up with the election results and admitted “it’s ironic” that it’s the opposite.
Selzer’s poll was widely cited during the final days of the campaign, raising questions about whether its projections shaped voter sentiment or campaign strategies.
The 2024 Ohio Senate race is a key battleground, featuring incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Bernie Moreno who aims to unseat Brown in a race that will be crucial for determining control of the U.S. Senate.
Meet Bernie Moreno
Bernie Moreno is a successful businessman and Republican candidate in Ohio’s 2024 Senate race. He gained prominence as an auto dealership mogul, owning multiple dealerships across the U.S. before selling most of them to focus on new ventures. Moreno has positioned himself as a political outsider, emphasizing his experience in business and entrepreneurship. His campaign centers on securing the U.S. border, advocating for conservative economic policies and opposing what he calls “woke” political ideologies.
Key Policy Issues
Border Security: Moreno prioritizes strengthening U.S. border security, advocating for stricter immigration enforcement and building infrastructure to prevent illegal crossings.
Economic Reform: He emphasizes conservative economic policies, including reducing taxes and regulations to boost business growth and job creation.
Opposition to “Woke” Policies: Moreno is vocal about fighting what he views as “woke” ideologies, particularly in education and corporate governance, promoting conservative values instead.
Senator Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, has served as Ohio’s U.S. Senator since 2007. Brown has faced recent criticism from conservatives over his support for President Biden’s policies, including issues related to inflation and energy. Brown’s stances on issues like inflation, federal spending, and opposition to domestic energy production have hindered Ohio’s economy, especially in the manufacturing and energy sectors
Critical Issues in the Race
The Ohio Senate contest will likely focus on a few key issues that have shaped recent elections in the Buckeye state. These include economy, energy, and immigration.
Economy and Inflation: Moreno advocates for reduced government spending, deregulation, and tax cuts to combat inflation triggered by the Biden-Harris administration. He argues that excessive government intervention and policies supported by Brown have contributed to rising costs.
Energy and Climate: Moreno supports expanding domestic energy production, emphasizing Ohio’s reliance on traditional energy sectors, to lower energy costs and ensure energy independence, contrasting with Brown’s focus on renewable energy.
Immigration and Border Security: Moreno emphasizes strict immigration control and securing the U.S. border as key to national security and reducing crime.
Campaign Spending and Fundraising
The Ohio Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno has attracted significant spending and fundraising, making it one of the most expensive Senate contests of 2024. The overall spending in the race has surpassed $300 million, reflecting the high stakes and national attention on this pivotal Senate seat
–Sherrod Brown: Brown’s campaign has raised nearly $31 million as of the third quarter of 2024, setting a record for Senate races in Ohio. His campaign is supported by major Democrat donors and organizations, helping him maintain a fundraising lead. According to Brown’s campaign, the most any U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio had raised in a three-month period was Democrat Tim Ryan, who raised $17.2 million in the third quarter of 2022.
–Bernie Moreno: Moreno’s campaign, while not matching Brown’s total fundraising according to FEC data, has been supported by significant outside spending from conservative PACs and interest groups. In the third quarter of 2024, Moreno’s joint fundraising committee–which includes Moreno’s campaign, the U.S. Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, and several other affiliated groups–reported collecting $10,080,008.66. The joint fundraising committee and Moreno’s campaign spent more than $8.7 million combined during those three months and ended September with a combined $3.9 million cash on hand, according to FEC records. Moreno has invested heavily in his own campaign, focusing on political ads and outreach to build momentum. Spending in support of Moreno has helped keep the race highly competitive, pro-Moreno groups have spent just over $150 million on TV ads, compared to about $128 million spent on ads in support of Brown, according to Medium Buying.
Americans are sick of phony politicians like Kamala Harris and Sherrod Brown that repeat canned and rehearsed lines.
They think they can hoodwink the country, but when they are subjected to even the slightest amount of scrutiny, they crumble.
The Ohio Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno is shaping up to be a tight contest. Recent polling indicates a highly competitive race, with some surveys showing a narrow lead for Brown, while others suggest Moreno is gaining ground thanks to his focus on conservative social values and the economy.
RealClearPolitics polling average shows Brown with a slim lead over the Republican challenger of 2.6 percentage points.
Marist polling reports Democrat incumbent Sherrod Brown receives the support of 50% of likely voters statewide including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate. Republican challenger Bernie Moreno receives 48%. Among independents, Brown has a 54% to 43% advantage over Moreno.
New 🔴 internal senate polls:
🔵 Maryland: D +8 🔵 Michigan: D +8 🔵 Nevada: D +7 🔵 Ohio: D +6 🔵 Arizona: D +5 🔵 Pennsylvania: D +2 🔵 Wisconsin: D +1 🔴 Montana: R +4 🔴 Texas: R +1
Donald Trump: The former president endorsed Moreno, praising his business acumen and commitment to conservative values.
Mr. Moreno will “fight the corrupt Deep State that is destroying our Country,” Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post.
“I could not be more grateful or humbled to have the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump at this vital moment in the campaign,” Mr. Moreno said in a statement, adding that a Republican takeover in the Senate and a victory from Mr. Trump in the presidential contest “will Make America Great Again!”
J.D. Vance: The vice presidential candidate backed Moreno early in the race.
“Thrilled to endorse Bernie Moreno for senate. He’s a good friend, a job creator, and will be a fantastic senator. We’d make a hell of a team!” Vance said in a tweet.
Thrilled to endorse Bernie Moreno for senate. He’s a good friend, a job creator, and will be a fantastic senator. We’d make a hell of a team! https://t.co/eTdVZsYgfn
Matt Gaetz: The Florida congressman voiced his support for Moreno’s Senate bid.
Jim Jordan: Ohio’s influential congressman and conservative leader has supported Moreno.
“Bernie is a true America First conservative, and will make us proud in the U.S. Senate,” Jordan said. “Our country needs common sense conservative fighters now more than ever. Bernie is a political outsider who has lived the American Dream. His perspective, his grit and his conservative values will serve Ohio well in the U.S. Senate.”
Ohio Attorney GeneralDave Yost: “To defeat Sherrod Brown in November, we need to nominate a proven conservative who can unite the party, and Bernie is the candidate who can do that,” Yost said.
Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam gave $50,000 apiece to Moreno’s campaign in mid-August, and other members of their family kicked in an additional $45,000 in total, records show.
“Bernie is grateful for the overwhelming support of Ohioans who are ready to fire Sherrod Brown after 50 years in political office,” said campaign spokeswoman Reagan McCarthy in a statement. “In the final stretch, Bernie will continue to outwork Sherrod and barnstorm Ohio.”
