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Paul Ryan Refuses to Attend RNC if Trump Wins 2024 Nomination

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As more presidential contenders declare their candidacy some Republicans are taking the time to publicly break with former President Donald Trump well ahead of the 2024 primaries.

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is firmly against what is now Trump’s third pursuit of the White House and says he intends to keep his distance-literally.

In an interview with WISN-TV, Ryan said he will not attend the Republican National Conference (RNC) if former President Trump wins the party’s presidential nomination in 2024.

Ryan announced the results naming Trump as the Republican nominee in 2016 when he was the chair of the RNC convention.

“It depends on who the nominee is. I’ll be here if it’s someone not named Trump,” he said.

The 2024 RNC will be held in Ryan’s home state Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“I’m not interested in participating in that, no. Even in Wisconsin,” he added.

Ryan, who was now-Sen. Mitt Romney’s (Utah) vice presidential running mate, expressed his doubts Trump will manage to win the GOP’s nomination.

“The reason I don’t think he’ll be our nominee is because we now we’re going to lose with him,” he said. “He cost us the House in ’18, he lost the White House in ’20, he cost us the Senate in ’20, he cost us the Senate again in 2022, and he cost us probably a good dozen House seats in 2022. This is a lesson we don’t need to repeat again.”

Despite his lack of confidence in Trump’s latest presidential pursuit the former House Speaker refused to throw his support behind any other candidate.

On Sunday, Trump ripped into Ryan over his comments on Truth Social.

“Paul Ryan is a loser, Mitt Romney could have won without him. I won twice, did much better the second time, and was 233 Wins out of 253 Races in the Midterms. Paul Ryan is destroying Fox, and couldn’t get elected dogcatcher in the Republican Party!” he posted.

Since leaving Congress in 2019, Ryan has served on the board of Fox News’s parent company and as vice chairman of Teneo, a public relations and CEO advisory firm.

Marianne Williamson Teases 2024 Biden Primary Rematch

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Marianne Williamson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

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.

Vivek Ramaswamy Announces 2024 White House Bid

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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.

DeSantis Lays Out Timeline for 2024 Decision

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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. 

Donald Trump Braces for New Challenger in Presidential Contest

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The 2024 presidential primary field is filling up.

Entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy signaled to Fox News that he’s seriously considering entering the race and will give a final answer by the end of the month.

Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital in an interview that he’ll make his decision on whether to run for president before the end of February. The entrepreneur says his vision is about restoring the “national identity in America,” decrying the “vacuum” in younger generations who fill the void with “the poison of wokeism, and climatism, and transgenderism, and COVIDism for that matter.”

“Yes, I’ve accomplished things but so has everyone else who would be running in this race too. I think I am running on a vision that I believe I can articulate what it means to be an American in 2023,” Ramaswamy said.

The 37-year-old Ohio native warned the “real threat” to liberty in the year 2023 is the “merger of state power and corporate power” while knocking Republicans who “want to go back to 1980” and tout “Reaganite solutions.”

“The thing that distinguished Reagan is he did what he needed to do in his era. He stood up to the orthodoxies of his party and led a national revival at a time when America was in the middle of its last national identity crisis in the late 1970s. I think we’re in a late 1970s moment now,” Ramaswamy said. “I think 2024 could be a landslide election if we actually make it about those basic American ideals of merit, free speech, open debate.”

Ramaswamy is calling for a “total decoupling” from Communist China, who argued is “worse” of a threat to America today than the Soviet Union was during the Cold War since China makes the “shoes on our feet and the phones in our pockets.” 

Throughout his sprawling interview with Fox News, the multi-millionaire investor also pointed to the concerning fentanyl epidemic coming from the southern border noting the “unholy alliance between China as the supplier and its distributors within the Mexican drug cartels.”

When asked if continuing to build the barrier started by the Trump administration would be enough to deter criminal activity Ramaswamy opted to take a harsher approach while admitting his tactic is not for the faint of heart.

“Go Mohammed Atta, bin Laden-style, Soleimani-style airstrikes, special forces, you name it. We’re taking them out,” Ramaswamy said. “I think it’s got to be a shock and awe strategy so that they don’t have a cycle of adaptation. Again, not something you’re supposed to say in polite company.”

If Ramaswamy enters the race he is likely poised to be one of the youngest and richest candidates in the contest. In 2016, Forbes reported his net worth was at a whopping $600 million. Forbes reported former President Trump has a net worth of $3.2 billion as of 2022. 

In 2022, Ramaswamy founded the asset management firm Strive, which aims to be an alternative to what he calls the “woke” investment giant BlackRock, a major force in the ESG movement. 

His entry would make him 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. 

Pence Gives Strongest Signal Yet on 2024

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Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The 2024 primary field is already growing and another challenger could be throwing his hat into the ring sooner rather than later…

On Thursday, former vice president Mike Pence told reporters that Nikki Haley “may have more company soon” in the 2024 presidential race. 

Speaking in Iowa, Pence noted that he wished Haley well and that she had done a “great job” during her time in the Trump administration serving as ambassador to the United Nations.

On Wednesday, Haley officially launched her bid for the White House after months of speculation. Trump told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he is “glad” Haley is in the running for the GOP presidential nomination.

“Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections. That has to change,” Haley, 51, said. “Joe Biden’s record is abysmal, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership.”

Last month, Haley signaled that she was still weighing a White House bid during an interview, saying that the country needed a new generation to step up in 2024 and offering herself as a potential leader. 

“It’s bigger than one person. And when you’re looking at the future of America, I think it’s time for new generational change. I don’t think you need to be 80 years old to go be a leader in D.C.,” Haley told the network. “I think we need a young generation to come in, step up, and really start fixing things.”

Nikki Haley Secures Endorsement from Key Trump Ally

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

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is already securing key endorsements.

On Wednesday, House Freedom Caucus member Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) has chosen to endorse Haley for president, dealing a disappointing blow to former President Donald Trump.

“We are at a pivotal point in our nation.  While the Republican candidates, values, and messages have done very well here in South Carolina, that hasn’t been the case everywhere across our great nation,” Norman said in a tweet on Wednesday.

“It’s time for a reset and a new chapter in national Republican politics, and there’s no better person to help write that new chapter than our former governor and my good friend, Nikki Haley!” Norman said.

Rep. Norman was among the more than 20 hardline Republicans that withheld support from Kevin McCarthy during the contentious battle to elect the newest House Speaker.

Following the tense Speaker battle, Norman was appointed to serve on the influential House Rules Committee, which controls legislation that can go to the House floor.

The South Carolina congressman’s decision to stray from Trump is notable, Norman has been a staunch defender of the former president for years.

According to The Hill, Norman has also been a supporter of former President Trump and voted against certifying the 2020 Electoral College results from Pennsylvania on Jan. 6, 2021. Text messages reported by Talking Points Memo show that Norman texted White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Jan. 17, 2021, encouraging Trump to invoke “Marshall [sic] Law” to investigate alleged election fraud.

In comments to Fox News, Norman said that Trump “was exactly who the Republican Party needed at the time” in 2016 because he “reminded us how to fight what we believe,” but that the GOP has since “entered a season of change.”

“We’re at a pivotal juncture, and most of the Republicans I know are now looking for new leadership with a new vision at the top of the ticket. Nikki Haley has that vision, and she’s going to be an outstanding President,” Norman told Fox News.

Nikki Haley Officially Launches 2024 Presidential Campaign

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

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley officially launched her campaign for President on Tuesday.

The announcement, which has been expected for months, marks the first Republican candidate to challenge former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign openly.

The former governor and United Nations ambassador announced her bid in a video, calling for new leadership in the GOP.

“Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections. That has to change,” Haley, 51, said. “Joe Biden’s record is abysmal, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership.”

Last month, Haley signaled that she was still weighing a White House bid during an interview, saying that the country needed a new generation to step up in 2024 and offering herself as a potential leader. 

“It’s bigger than one person. And when you’re looking at the future of America, I think it’s time for new generational change. I don’t think you need to be 80 years old to go be a leader in D.C.,” Haley told the network. “I think we need a young generation to come in, step up, and really start fixing things.”

Her announcement was also expected by Trump, who disclosed in late January that he had spoken to Haley about a White House bid and said he encouraged her to do so. 

Haley has boasted an impressive political record, the former governor has never lost a race for public office.

“She’s tough. She won the governor’s race in ‘10 and none of us thought Nikki would have a chance,” said Katon Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Party chair who’s backing Haley’s presidential bid. “She brings a lot to the Republican Party as far as diversity and common sense. And I think those are the things that will attract people to her candidacy.” 

This story is breaking and will be updated. Click refresh for the latest updates.

Republican Governor Fuels 2024 Speculation with Political Committee Formation

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Photo of Chris Sununu via Gage Skidmore Flckr

It seems Ron DeSantis isn’t the only Republican governor eyeing the 2024 presidential primary…

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu threw gas on the fire with the announcement of his establishment of a national fundraising organization to probe donor support for a possible White House bid.

Sununu confirmed on Thursday that he had created a 501(c)(4) organization called “Live Free or Die,” a nod to his state’s motto, as he ponders a possible 2024 campaign, according to The Hill.

“The organization is really to raise some funds to talk about the model that New Hampshire has,” Sununu said at a press conference on Thursday. “It allows logistically for us to go out and keep doing that, as we have been for quite a while.”

The organization allows Sununu to raise unlimited amounts of money while also not having to disclose the names of his donors. The 501(c)(4) structure requires a yearly report on donations to the IRS, as opposed to a federal PAC that requires quarterly disclosures.

Sununu has remained noncommittal on a run for president so far but he is part of a growing coalition of Republican voices that say former President Trump should not be the party’s nominee.

Hillary Clinton Thinks Kamala Harris Lacks ‘Political Instincts’ to Win Primary

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(Los Angeles - EUA, 09/06/2022) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro, durante Sessão Plenária de Abertura da IX Cúpula das Américas..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

Nobody can stand Kamala Harris, even her own party.

According to a New York Times report, former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton doesn’t think the vice president has what it takes to survive a presidential primary

“Members of Congress, Democratic strategists and other major party figures all said she [Harris] had not made herself into a formidable leader,” a Monday article from The New York Times read.

“Two Democrats recalled private conversations in which former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lamented that Ms. Harris could not win because she does not have the political instincts to clear a primary field,” the Times reported.

Nick Merrill, a Clinton spokesman pointed to their “strong bond,” but the Times didn’t quote him issuing a specific denial of Clinton’s reported private thoughts of the VP.

“They have built and maintained a strong bond. Any other characterization is patently false,” Merrill said on Clinton’s behalf.

He also claimed the two held discussions focused on their separate experiences of being “a woman in power” and, according to the Times, reiterated that Clinton remains “strongly supportive” of her.

The Times article noted that many Democrats close to the first female vice president have been disappointed by her inability to establish her own political legacy outside of being as many “firsts” – the first African-American, Asian-American and woman to serve as vice president in U.S. history. 

“Even some Democrats whom her own advisers referred reporters to for supportive quotes confided privately that they had lost hope in her,” the article stated.

Harris has faced intense criticism since being elected, largely for her lack of action at the U.S.-Mexico border despite being charged with the mission at the start of the Biden administration. RealClearPolitics reports the vice president’s approval rating is also underwater at 51.8 percent.