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Boebert Places Fifth In Straw Poll At GOP Primary Debate

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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 Politics has 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.

Report: Conservative Network Shared Private Smartmatic Employee Data With Trump Team After 2020 Election

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Voting systems company Smartmatic is suing conservative media network One America News (OAN) and new evidence shows a direct connection to former President Donald Trump.

According to a report by CNN, an email exchange dated January 8, 2021, between OAN president Charles Herring and Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, who is also being sued by Smartmatic as well as other individuals tied to Trump for spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, purportedly contained a spreadsheet full of passwords for employees of Smartmatic.

The court records don’t reveal how OAN obtained the spreadsheet; according to CNN, lawyers for Smartmatic alleged the possession of the information means OAN executives “may have engaged in criminal activities” by “appear[ing] to have violated state and federal laws regarding data privacy.”

Per CNN:

While Smartmatic’s public filings didn’t identify the sender or recipient of the email, court records from a separate 2020-related lawsuit confirm that Herring and Powell exchanged emails on the same date. The pair’s communications about the purported Smartmatic spreadsheet, which have not been previously reported, resurrect questions that have dogged OAN for years regarding its tendency to blur the lines between opinion journalism and brazen political advocacy.

Smartmatic is seeking billions of dollars in damages from OAN and Fox News after the networks falsely claimed that the company flipped votes during the 2020 election.

Last year, Dominion Voting Systems won nearly $800 million in its similar defamation suit against 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.”

Nikki Haley Kicks Off New Hampshire Primary With Unanimous Victory

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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is off to a strong start in New Hampshire.

Haley won all six votes in Dixville Notch, N.H. which kicked off first-in-the-nation primary voting at midnight early Tuesday morning.

Of the six votes, four are registered Republicans and two are undeclared voters. The remaining voters in the Granite State will head to the polls later on Tuesday.

Although the small resort community is too small a sample size to signal the direction of the voters’ preferences, Haley celebrated the votes in a post on X, formerly Twitter, early Tuesday morning.

“A great start to a great day in New Hampshire,” the former South Carolina governor wrote. “Thank you Dixville Notch!”

Trump still leads New Hampshire with 50.6 percent of the vote, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average. Haley is currently at 36.8 percent. Recent polls suggest Haley performs well among independents and moderate voters in New Hampshire. 

Trump Hints At VP Pick Hours After DeSantis Calls It Quits

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Who will be Donald Trump’s next running mate? America is waiting with bated breath…

On Saturday, Trump hinted that people likely won’t be shocked by his choice but stopped short of sharing any more details.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier asked Trump in New Hampshire about when he will decide who could join him on the ticket if he secures the nomination, Trump answered, “Well, it’s never really had that much of an effect on an election, which is an amazing thing, both election and primary. It’s never really had much of an effect.”

“I may or may not really [decide] something over the next couple of months. There’s no rush to that. It won’t have any impact at all. The person that I think I like is a very good person, a pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised, but I would say there’s probably a 25 percent chance that would be that person,” Trump continued.

Earlier this month, Trump signaled he’s already made his decision on a running mate. (RELATED: Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice)

“I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

Baier asked Trump if South Carlina Sen. Tim Scott, who ended his campaign in November, is among those being considered for the position.

“You know, [Scott] endorsed me. There’s an example, [Nikki Haley] comes from South Carolina, Tim Scott is from South Carolina. But if you look [at] the governor, great governor, another senator [Lindsey Graham]. We happen to like Lindsey,” Trump said. “But, [Gov. Henry McMaster (R)] knows it very well. He endorsed me. It’s very hard for a governor to endorse somebody when you haven’t … I mean, Henry McMaster was the lieutenant governor under her and he endorsed me … What does that tell you?”

In a Fox News town hall in Iowa earlier this month, Trump indicated he would be willing to consider any of the people who ran against him.

“I’ve already started to like [Chris Christie] better,” Trump said, in reference to the former New Jersey governor who dropped out of the primary race earlier this month. Christie and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Christie’s 2024 campaign largely squared on criticizing the former president.

On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially ended his presidential campaign, spurring rumors the Republican could be teaming up with Trump.

However, Trump said it’s “highly unlikely” he’d ask Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to serve in a second Trump administration after DeSantis ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed him.

“It’s probably unlikely,” Trump said after DeSantis dropped out of the race. “But I have to be honest: Everything’s a possibility, but I think it’s highly unlikely. I have a lot of great people, and I have great people that have been with me right from the beginning.”

Report: DeSantis Drops Out Of 2024 Contest

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On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially paused his 2024 presidential campaign.

The Hill has more:

“Following our second-place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on our way forward,” DeSantis said in a video message posted on X, a few hours ahead of an event he had scheduled in New Hampshire. “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”

“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” the governor continued. “While I have had disagreements with Donald Trump such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear.” 

DeSantis went on to signal his support for Trump while knocking former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. 

“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear. A repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.” 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

During a town hall event hosted by Fox News on Wednesday, Donald Trump revealed he has decided who will be his running mate if he becomes the Republican nominee for president.

“I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

“We’ll do another show sometime,” Trump said when pushed by host Martha MacCallum to “give us a hint.”

“What about any of the people who you’ve run against?” MacCallum asked. “Would you be open to mending fences with any of them?”

“Oh, sure. I will, I will,” Trump responded. “I’ve already started to like Christie better.”

Hours before Trump’s event with Fox News, the former New Jersey governor announced he is dropping out of the 2024 contest.

MacCallum then jokingly asked if Trump would consider Christie as a running mate.

“I don’t see it, I don’t see it,” Trump said. “That would be an upset. Christie for vice president. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to announce, nah.”

Report: Christie Dropping Out Of 2024 Race

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

New reports indicate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to end his presidential campaign very soon.

Mediaite has more:

Journalist Mark Halperin broke the news on his Substack after speaking with two anonymous sources.

Halperin wrote that the Christie campaign was expected to make an announcement at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Christie is not expected to immediately announce an endorsement.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Christie Predicts Trump Will Become GOP Nominee If He Wins New Hampshire

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) predicted that if Donald Trump wins the New Hampshire primary later this month he will more than likely move on to become the party’s nominee.

While speaking at a town hall event in New Hampshire, Christie warned that Nikki Haley’s popularity in her home state of South Carolina will not be enough to deter Trump if he wins the Granite State. South Carolina’s primary comes next month.

“If he wins here, don’t expect South Carolina to save us; it’s not going to happen,” the former New Jersey governor told the crowd Tuesday. “So you all are the ones who are going to make the call here.”

Trump currently leads with 41.5 percent support in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average of the state. Haley, the former South Carolina governor, places second with just more than 30 percent. Christie trails in a distant third place with 11.5 percent.

Christie expressed doubts at the town hall about Haley’s ability and interest in defeating Trump for the nomination.

He argued she is not actually running to beat Trump because she said in the past she would pardon him if he’s convicted in any of his criminal trials. She also has not ruled out being the former president’s running mate, Christie added.

“Let’s say I dropped out of the race right now and I supported Nikki Haley. And then three months from now, four months from now, when you’re ready to go to the convention, she comes out as his vice president. What will I look like?” he said. “What will all the people who supported her at my behest look like?” 

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.”