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Report: Trump Signals Expanded Role For The Military Within The US

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President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

Donald Trump signaled what changes he may consider if he wins the 2024 presidential election.

While campaigning in Iowa, Trump said he was advised against using the military to quell violence in largely Democrat-led cities.

ABC News Detriot has more:

Calling New York City and Chicago “crime dens,” the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination told his audience, “The next time, I’m not waiting. One of the things I did was let them run it and we’re going to show how bad a job they do,” he said. “Well, we did that. We don’t have to wait any longer.”

Trump hasn’t revealed any exact plans for the military in his second term but has signaled mass deportations and travel bans for some countries.

The Insurrection Act allows presidents to call on reserve or active-duty military units to respond to unrest in the states, an authority that is not reviewable by the courts. One of its few guardrails merely requires the president to request that the participants disperse.

“The principal constraint on the president’s use of the Insurrection Act is basically political, that presidents don’t want to be the guy who sent tanks rolling down Main Street,” said Joseph Nunn, a national security expert with the Brennan Center for Justice. “There’s not much really in the law to stay the president’s hand.”

Trump has spoken openly about his plans should he win the presidency, including using the military at the border and in cities struggling with violent crime. His plans also have included using the military against foreign drug cartels.

Tim Scott Ends 2024 Presidential Campaign

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Michael Vadon, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

In a surprising turn of events, the presidential primary field has one less competitor… Tim Scott has officially dropped out of the race.

Scott made the announcement on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy,” the host himself a former Republican South Carolina congressman who wrote a book with Scott.

“I love America more today than I did on May 22nd, but when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign,” Scott told Gowdy. “I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, Not now, Tim.”

Scott’s campaign sent a fundraising email just minutes before he made his announcement giving donors what it called “one last chance to donate this weekend and help Tim reach his campaign goal.”

Scott launched his candidacy in May 2022 and was the second South Carolinian after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to run for the White House on the Republican side. 

Scott’s decision came a few days after the third Republican debate.

Scott’s decision to drop out of the race leaves the question of who the South Carolina Senator will ultimately choose to endorse in the race as other candidates are openly vying for his support.

“The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in,” he said when asked who he will support.

Scott also gave a thumbs down to the idea that he could serve as the nominee’s running mate on the Republican Party’s 2024 national ticket.

“Being vice president has never been on my to-do list,” he said.

Who will be the next candidate to call it quits? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge To Keep Trump Off 2024 Ballot

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The Minnesota Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to bar former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot.

Left-wing group Free Speech For People argued that Trump violated the 14th Amendment during the Jan. 6th, 2020 Capitol riot.

The 14th Amendment disqualifies anyone from running for office who had previously taken an oath of office who then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

The Daily Wire has more:

“There is no state statute that prohibits a major political party from placing on the presidential nomination primary ballot, or sending delegates to the national convention supporting, a candidate who is ineligible to hold office,” Chief Justice Natalie Hudson ruled.

However, the court’s ruling only applies to the state’s primary ballot and left open the possibility that the plaintiffs could make another attempt to block Trump from appearing on the general election ballot in November 2024.

Trump celebrated the ruling in a series of Truth Social posts on Wednesday.

“Ridiculous 14th Amendment lawsuit just thrown out by Minnesota Supreme Court,” Trump said. “Congratulations to all who fought this HOAX!”

In response to the ruling, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in part: “Today’s decision in Minnesota, like New Hampshire before it, is further validation of the Trump Campaign’s consistent argument that the 14th Amendment ballot challenges are nothing more than strategic, un-Constitutional attempts to interfere with the election by desperate Democrats who see the writing on the wall: President Trump is dominating the polls and has never been in a stronger position to end the failed Biden presidency next November.”

Iowa Governor Reveals Reasoning Behind Unexpected Endorsement

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Photo via Gage Skidmore

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is explaining why she broke tradition and decided to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

The popular Republican governor told NBC News’ Dasha Burns that she broke with Iowa’s tradition of governors remaining neutral through the primaries because the country has “too much at stake.”

“I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer,” she said. “We have too much at stake. I truly believe that he is the right person to get this country back on track.”

NBC News noted that the endorsement was the “biggest endorsement of the primary” season so far and that it was a significant boost for the DeSantis campaign.

When asked why she endorsed DeSantis, who is in second place in the race, she said: “I don’t base my decision on polls. I take a look at who I believe is the right person for the right job. I believe that Ron is the right person for the right job. And I believe he’s going to win.”

Burns later asked about her relationship with former President Donald Trump who has fired off repeated attacks against Reynolds, often accusing her of being disloyal to the former President.

When asked when the last time she spoke to Trump, she said, “Probably the last time he called to ask if I would endorse him, and I said I wasn’t at this point.”

Trump Calls For Pence’s Endorsement After Abruptly Ending Campaign

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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. 

New Polls Show Trump’s Competitive Edge In Most Swing States

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Democrats are freaking out but the numbers don’t lie…

Multiple new polls show that former President Donald Trump is currently leading President Joe Biden in many of the most critical swing states.

The polls, conducted by Bloomberg News & Morning Consult, were taken in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — seven key battlegrounds. And the returns don’t for Biden — specifically when it comes to the economy.

Mediaite has more:

“Swing state voters trust Trump significantly more than Biden on the economy (49% to 35%), with independents holding even less trust in Biden on this key issue (47% to 25%),” Morning Consult reported. “Among the 1,323 self-identified independents across the seven states, Biden is 10 points behind Trump on the ballot that includes third-party candidates, and he is 8 points behind Trump in a direct head-to-head.”

As for the state-by-state results, in Arizona, Biden is polling at 43 percent while Trump has 47 percent. Biden is also trailing Georgia (Trump 48-Biden 43), North Carolina (Trump 47-Biden 43), Pennsylvania (Trump 46-Biden 45) and Wisconsin (Trump 46-Biden 44)

The Michigan poll shows Trump and Biden in a 44 percent deadlock, and Nevada is the only battleground where Biden is shown to be leading — with 46 percent to Trump’s 43. The poll determined in a closed matchup between Biden and Trump, the former president leads his successor by 4 points overall.

Biden defeated Trump in all but one of these battleground states during the 2020 election.

Nikki Haley Passes DeSantis in Latest New Hampshire Poll

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The Republican primary field is shifting…

A new poll of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire showed former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley— not Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — running second in the first primary state.

Haley beat DeSantis 19 percent to 10 percent in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY survey released on Wednesday morning.

But they both remain far behind the frontrunner, Donald Trump. The former president leads his Republican rivals with 49 percent support in the poll of 500 likely GOP primary voters that was conducted after the second debate and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

But Trump remains immovable atop the field. And no other candidate cracked double digits in the Suffolk/Globe/USA TODAY survey. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie notched 6 percent support, while entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott got roughly 4 percent apiece. Former Vice President Mike Pence and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum trailed even further behind, with just 1 percent each.

The poll comes days before GOP candidates will descend on New Hampshire next week, starting with the former president on Monday and most of the rest of the field at a weekend cattle call hosted by the state GOP.

Rumor Mill Swirls Around Youngkin Presidential Bid Once More

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Over the past few months, we have brought you numerous reports of influential Republicans in the Commonwealth and across the country calling on Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to enter the 2024 Presidential race.

This time, it seems to be much more serious.

Today, an op-ed published in the Washington Post has set the internet rumor mill alight once more.

Matt Gertz of the liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America noted that Fox News gave Youngkin unprecedented airtime this afternoon and ran him through the paces on all of the questions they asked the seven Republican Presidential who took the stage at the Reagan Library last night in Simi Valley, California.

From all of the reports we are seeing today, it seems like only a matter of time before he formally announces a run.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk. It first appeared in The Republican Standard.

Fox Host Hits Chris Christie With Brutally Honest Election Assessment

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

This has to sting…

Fox host Stuart Varney did not shy away from telling former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that he doubts the presidential candidate will succeed while discussing the upcoming debate.

Before adding his opinion on Christie’s electability, Varney asked the candidate to give some insight into the current debate stage.

“Of the people who are going to be on the debate stage less than two weeks away. Here’s your opportunity. Who do you think spews, if I may use that word, the most BS?” Varney asked.

“Well, Stuart, I’ll just base it on the last debate and it’s no doubt it’s Vivek Ramaswamy. He has absolutely no clue what he’s talking about on Ukraine. No idea what he’s talking about with China and Taiwan. He wants to abandon Israel. This is a guy who has read a lot of books but hasn’t done much. And so I think he wins the award from debate number one. But we’ll be together in California in two weeks. We can make a decision who spews the most in debate number two,” Christie asked.
“So you will make that decision, will not be me,” quipped Varney, asking, “You think you can win?”

“Of course,” Christie shot back.

“You have to believe you can win. But realistically, sir, I don’t think you could win the governorship of New Jersey at the moment,” Varney added, pressing the issue hard.

“Oh, look, I don’t. Well, I think given what Phil Murphy’s done, I think it could win the governorship of New Jersey again if I ran,” Christie replied, adding, “But that’s not what I’m running for. I’m running for president United States. Right now, we’re in second place in New Hampshire ahead of Ron DeSantis, ahead of Nikki Haley.”

“And that’s your big hope, isn’t it? Sure. Catch up in New Hampshire and Iowa. That’s your big hope,” Varney followed up.

“Yes. New Hampshire is where we’re staking a lot of our hopes and South Carolina. But remember, when each one of those primaries or caucuses happen, it changes the race completely where people actually vote as opposed to all the polling that we see. Polling is just hot air. Voting is when you go in and you make your voice heard. That’s what we’re counting on in New Hampshire in late January. And I’ll come right on Varney & Company after I win the New Hampshire primary. We can talk about it then,” Christie responded as the interview ended on a friendly note.

GOP Rival Threatens to Stalk Trump Across the Country Until He Debates

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is not letting Donald Trump off so easily…

Christie, one of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics, pledged Sunday to follow the leading candidate “around the country” if the former president does not debate.

“Well, if he doesn’t do any of the debates, Howie, you know, we’re going to give him another chance,” he told Fox News’s Howard Kurtz on “Media Buzz.” “I’m sure he’s not coming to the Reagan debate. We’ll give him another chance in Alabama. But if he doesn’t come there, then I’m going to follow him around the country. Wherever he goes, I’ll go. And we’ll wind up talking to each other one way or other. And he knows that’s true.”

When pushed further on the topic, Christie confirmed he would change his schedule to follow Trump around.

Trump refused to participate in the first Republican presidential debate, citing his massive lead in the polls and his rocky relationship with Fox News and Rupert Murdoch. Trump also indicated he does not plan to participate in the next debate.

Kurtz also asked the former governor if he has been “selling” Republicans as he attacks the former president, questioning whether Christie is just telling voters what they “want to hear about Trump.”

“You know, first, you have to make sure that you distinguish yourself from the front-runner, and I’m doing that. But also, you’ve got to tell people about what you’re for and what your experience will get them a chance to do,” he said.

“The American people are tired of being lied to,” he added. “They’re tired of being lied to by Joe Biden when he said the other day that he’s reduced the deficit when, in fact, he’s going to double the deficit this year. They’re tired of being lied to by Donald Trump when he says the election in 2020 was stolen, and that’s all he wants to talk about going forward is that and the fact that he’s out on bail in four different jurisdictions.”