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Deep Red State’s Latest Poll Reports Big Trouble for Trump’s 2024 Campaign

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Is Donald Trump starting to feel a twinge of buyer’s remorse for announcing his 2024 campaign so early? The latest results from a poll based in deep-red Utah point to yes.

Trump came in a distant third place in the Deseret News-Hinckley Institute of Politics‘ poll of possible GOP contenders for the 2024 presidential race. However, whats even more shocking than Trump’s No. 3 position is the fact that respondents were warmer toward outgoing Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis decisively led the poll in a hypothetical Republican presidential primary, at 24.2 percent, followed by Cheney with 16.4 percent. Trump came in third place with 14.6 percent, nearly 2 points below Cheney

Trump was more popular than Cheney among self-identified Republicans, earning 21.1 percent to Cheney’s 10 percent, but DeSantis still emerged ahead in that group with 33.1 percent. 

However, more Utah voters said they didn’t know which candidate they’d cast their ballot for (20.7 percent) than backed either Trump or Cheney. 

The survey’s results are the latest sign Trump’s popularity among conservatives is fading. Last month, Trump officially announced his 2024 presidential campaign from his Mar-a-Lago resort but so far has received a tepid response from high-profile Republican lawmakers and donors who backed his previous presidential pursuits.

Trump’s numerous legal hurdles coupled with his bombastic personality have been contributing factors to many Republicans opting to look elsewhere for a candidate to defeat Joe Biden in the next election. In many polls, DeSantis has been seen closing the national gap with the former president but so far he’s remained tight-lipped over any potential campaigns for the White House.

Cheney, a harsh critic of the former President who lost her primary to a pro-Trump challenger, has floated a presidential campaign before. The outgoing Wyoming Congresswoman has told reporters before that she would do anything necessary to keep Trump out of the White House- including running against him.

Former CIA Agent Enters 2024 White House Contest

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The Republican presidential primary field just gained an unexpected new entry.

Thursday morning, former CIA clandestine agent Will Hurd announced he’s running for president.

Hurd, a one-time CIA officer from Texas who served three terms in Congress before deciding against running for re-election in 2020. He officially declared his candidacy in an interview with CBS News and also filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run.

“This is a decision that my wife and I decided to do because we live in complicated times and we need common sense,” Hurd told CBS News.

“To be frank on this, that we’re not talking about these things,” he said. “I’m pissed that our elected officials are telling us to to hate our neighbors. Our neighbors are not our enemies. They’re our fellow Americans who we just happen to have a disagreement with.”

“These are the issues that we should be talking about,” Hurd continued. “And I believe the Republican Party can be the party that talks about the future, not the past.”

The Democratic National Committee welcomed Hurd to the race by seeking to tie him to Trump.

“Will Hurd spent his career in Congress in lockstep with Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda – voting to rig the economy for the ultra-wealthy, ban abortion nationwide, gut Planned Parenthood, and repeal the Affordable Care Act, all while cozying up to the gun lobby,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. “The GOP primary field is overflowing with MAGA Republicans desperate to win over the right-wing fringes, and Hurd is just the latest entrant into an incredibly chaotic and extreme 2024 field.”

Hurd 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.

Former Vice President Mike Pence also recently entered the race after months of speculation.

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

Chris Christie Suggests He Would ‘Torpedo’ Trump in GOP Primary Battle

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suggested to an audience on Monday that he may enter the 2024 presidential race to target former President Donald Trump.

Christie hinted at potentially joining the race while delivering remarks at St. Anselm’s College in New Hampshire.

“You better have somebody on that stage who can do to him what I did to Marco because that’s the only thing that’s gonna defeat Donald Trump,” Christie said in reference to him going hard after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) during the debates. “And that means you gotta have the skill to do it and that means you have to be fearless because he will come back and right at you.”

Christie said that “it’s not gonna end nicely” and Trump’s “end will not be a calm and quiet conclusion.”

Christie campaigned in New Hampshire more than any other GOP candidate in 2016 but received lackluster results, leading him to suspend his campaign.

“And so, if I run again, I can’t imagine that I would continue to do it the same way,” he added. “But this time if I run, I would just hope that you come to a better conclusion than you did the last time.”

The former president and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis currently sit at the top of the polls for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Christie told Fox News that he wanted to go to New Hampshire to talk to people “who I know are the best-informed voters in the country about things that I think are important in the world and in our country right now — and to see how they react to that, and see that what they think about things that I think are important.”

DeSantis Snaps When Asked If He Will Support Trump As 2024 GOP Nominee

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The claws are out.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had a combative response when asked if he would support Donald Trump if he ultimately becomes the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

“What I would say is this. When you are saying that [former New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo did better on COVID than Florida did, you are revealing yourself to just be full of it,” DeSantis said, responding to the question at a press conference on Thursday. 

“Nobody believes that,” he added to applause. “And you know why I know that? Because I remember in 2020 and 2021 when he was praising Florida for being open, saying we did it much better than New York and Michigan, and everyone was coming to Florida, and that we were one of the great governors in the United States.”

DeSantis then circled back to the original question and said, “It’s like, I want to beat Biden, okay? I will do that. I will get that done. And I think more importantly than that, I will actually bring these policies for a landing and get it all done up there.”

“But it’s an important process and you respect the process and you respect the people’s decisions, how this goes, but I’m very confident that those decisions are going to be positive for us,” he said. 

The Florida governor’s remarks come as Trump’s campaign has moved in recent days to attack the governor over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Report: Trump to Skip First Debate to Participate in Rival Event with Tucker Carlson

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Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former President Donald Trump has reportedly finalized his plans to skip the first Republican presidential debate and instead participate in an event with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

 The New York Times reported the news noting the former president has spent the last several days soliciting feedback from aides and allies on whether to participate in the debate.

When The Hill contacted for comment on the reported agreement between Trump and Carlson, an aide for the former president said his campaign “hadn’t confirmed anything on our end” and cautioned against “getting too far ahead” as it relates to the former president’s plans.

Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination, has for weeks signaled a hesitation to participate in the Aug. 23 debate, which is being hosted by the Republican National Committee and will be broadcast on Fox News.

Trump Opposes RNC Plan To Name Him ‘Presumptive Nominee’

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Ronna McDaniel via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump wants to win the Republican nomination fair and square…

On Thursday, former President Trump said he does not support efforts to pressure the Republican National Committee into declaring him a “presumptive nominee.”

The former president made the remarks Thursday on his proprietary social media platform, Truth Social.

“While I greatly appreciate the Republican National Committee (RNC) wanting to make me their PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE, and while they have far more votes than necessary to do it, I feel, for the sake of PARTY UNITY, that they should NOT go forward with this plan, but that I should do it the ‘Old Fashioned’ way, and finish the process off AT THE BALLOT BOX,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s statement pushes back on efforts led by a former aide of his campaign, David Bossie — an RNC committee member who has urged Republicans to rally around the former president.

The RNC was set to consider a resolution that, if approved, would have declared Trump to be the party’s presumptive nominee for president in 2024. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the resolution before it was reportedly withdrawn

In a statement, RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said, “Resolutions, such as this one, are brought forward by members of the RNC. Chairwoman McDaniel doesn’t offer resolutions. This will be taken up by the Resolutions Committee, and they will decide whether to send this resolution to be voted on by the 168 RNC members at our annual meeting next week.”

Fmr. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Announces Presidential Bid

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Arkansas Governor — and noted Trump critic — Asa Hutchinson announced his decision Sunday morning to compete to become the next Republican nominee for president.

In contrast to the GOP establishment’s decision to defend former President Donald Trump, Hutchinson called for Trump to drop out of the race following his indictment.

Hutchinson’s announcement came during an interview with ABC’s Johnathan Karl:

As Fox News reports:

Hutchinson is the third Republican to announce a campaign and will face off against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. Several another figures are expected to enter the race but have yet to do so.

“I have made a decision, and my decision is I’m going to run for president of the United States,” Hutchinson told ABC News. “While the formal announcement will be later in April, in Bentonville, I want to make it clear to you…I am going to be running. And the reason is, I’ve traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country. I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts.”

Hutchinson has mulled a potential presidential run for months, receiving support from a new super PAC in February.

He remains a long-shot candidate in what is expected to become a crowded field, however. While his only announced opponents are Haley and Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to announce his campaign soon.

Republican Gov. Warns Against Haley For Vice President

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said former President Trump should not pick fellow GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley as his running mate.

Noem was asked by Newsmax’s Eric Bolling if it would be a mistake if Trump chose Haley to be his vice presidential pick and she only has one answer. She quickly replied “yes.”

“But if he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him. But then I would support the ticket, because he’s still the president and the president still makes the decisions,” Noem said Tuesday.

The popular South Dakota Governor has previously said she would be Trump’s running mate “in a heartbeat.” In September, the former president said he likes “the concept” of a female vice president but hadn’t given much thought to whom he would choose.

Noem is reportedly among a group of rumored candidates, including Haley.

“And you know, I just, I’ve had a lot of disagreement with Nikki Haley over the years, and I just don’t know which Nikki Haley is going to show up every day,” Noem said, highlighted by Mediaite. “She’s a different person depending on whatever works for her political agenda.”

“So, I just, what I love about President Trump, or what I think the American people love about President Trump, is that he’s just himself and he’s just genuine,” Noem continued. “He’s just a normal human being who tells the truth, and gets up every day fighting for people. He has no reason to do this job other than the fact that he really truly does believe in America. And he wants to put the people out there — they get up every day and go to work. He wants to put them first.”

Republican Hopeful Refuses to Sign RNC Pledge to Support 2024 Nominee

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Texas Congressman William Hurd is refusing to sign on to the rules laid out by the Republican National Committee (RNC) to support the 2024 presidential nominee, therefore disqualifying him from the 2024 debate stage.

In an appearance on CNN, Hurd, who has positioned himself as a centrist, anti-Trump contender for the Republican nomination, said that he was fine meeting all the other criteria for attending the Republican presidential debates, but would not pledge to support Trump if he is the eventual nominee.

“That’s right,” he answered when asked if it was true that he would not pledge to support the eventual 2024 Republican nominee. “I’m gonna work towards hitting all the requirements, but I can’t lie to get access to a microphone.”

“I’ve taken one oath, and that’s to protect the Constitution,” he continued. “I’m not going to support Donald Trump. I recognize the impact that it has on on on my ability to get access to the debate stage, but I can’t lie. It’ll be easy to say I’ll do it, and then when it comes down, you know, change your mind. But I just can’t, I can’t do that.”

The RNC laid out its requirements for Republican candidates to secure a spot on the debate stage last month. In the RNC rules, candidates must poll at least 1% in three national polls, sign a pledge to support whoever the 2024 nominee ends up being, and reach a minimum of 40,000 unique donors, among other qualifications.

Hurd, one of the most recent entries into the Republican field, fails to register in most recent polls. 

White House Press Secretary Rushes To Biden’s Defense After Doocey Asks New Provocative Question

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White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing on Friday, July 30, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)

“President Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history. Why does the White House staff treat him like a baby?”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre became visibly agitated after receiving that question from Fox News Correspondent Peter Doocy.

Doocy asked the provocative question in response to revelations in a new book, claiming White House staff treat the 80-year-old president “like a toddler.”

Fox News has more, including Jean-Pierre’s reaction:

“No one treats the president of the United States, the commander in chief, like a baby. That’s ridiculous. It’s a ridiculous claim,” Jean-Pierre responded.

Doocy cited an upcoming book by The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer, “The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future,” in which the author writes that Biden, after appearing to call for regime change in Russia in March 2022, “fumed to friends about how he was treated like a toddler.”

“Was John Kennedy ever babied like that?” Biden asked, according to the book.

Jean-Pierre dismissed the excerpt, arguing that books inevitably get written about every administration with “a variety of claims.”

When Jean-Pierre attempted to pivot to Biden’s trip to the upcoming G20 summit in India, Doocy brought up a Wall Street Journal Poll showing two-thirds of Democrats believe Biden is too old to run for president.

“Look, here’s what I know. Here’s what I can speak to. I can speak to that – a president who has wisdom. I can speak to a president who has experience. I can speak to a president who has done historic – has taken historic action and has delivered in historic pieces of legislation. And that’s important,” an increasingly impatient Jean-Pierre retorted.

This piece was first published in American Liberty News. Republished with permission.