Billionaire investor Mark Cuban is attempting to walk back his recent comments about Donald Trump.
Last week, Cuban embarrassed himself on “The View” sparking immediate backlash from conservatives. Now, he’s admitting his comments were “a mistake.”
Cuban came under fire Thursday after he claimed former President Trump wouldn’t campaign with women like former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley because he doesn’t associate with “strong, intelligent women.”
“Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever,” Cuban said. “It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them, and, you know, Nikki Haley will call him on his nonsense with reproductive rights and how he sees and treats and talks about women. I mean, he just can’t have her around. It wouldn’t work.”
Cuban has been attempting to spin his comments since they went viral on Thursday and drew the ire of several prominent conservative women.
“It’s part of politics, it was my mistake, and I apologized for it. I certainly wasn’t saying anything negative about anyone supporting Trump,” Cuban said.
“This is what I said during a conversation about why Nikki Haley was not active in his campaign,” Cuban wrote on X Thursday. “I know many strong, intelligent women voting for Trump, including in my extended family. I’m certainly not saying female voters are not smart, strong and intelligent.”
“I know he has worked with strong, intelligent women, like Elaine Chao, Kelly Anne, Ivanka and many others,” Cuban added. “I stand by my opinion that he does not like being challenged publicly.”
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel admitted his aggressive hatred of Donald Trump over the years has cost him.
During an appearance with the Naked Lunch podcast, Kimmel admitted he’s likely lost “half” of his fans due to his relentless bashing of Trump over the years.
“There was at one time, maybe, I don’t know, like right around the beginning of this whole Trump thing where … that was kind of hinted at,” Kimmel said.
“But I just said, ‘Listen, I get it. I don’t disagree. I mean, you’re right.’ I have lost half of my fans — maybe more than that,” he conceded. “Ten years ago, among Republicans, I was the most popular talk show host, at least according to the research that they did.”
Eventually, Kimmel gave ABC an ultimatum. “If you want somebody else to host the show, then that’s fine. That’s OK with me. I’m just not going to do it like that,” he said. “They knew I was serious … I just couldn’t live with myself.”
Along with defending his actions against Trump, Kimmel also swooped in to defend President Joe Biden, who has experienced record-low approval ratings.
“He’s a nice old man who quite plainly cared about people through[out] his whole life. He’s certainly not evil. If you believe that, you’ve got some real problems.”
A reporter was fired from the new outlet Axios after calling a news release from Florida’s Department of Education “propaganda” in an emailed response to the department.
“This is propaganda, not a press release,” Tampa Bay reporter Ben Montgomery said in a reply to a release from Florida’s Department of Education about an event with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), according to a screenshot posted Monday by the department’s communications director.
Axios’ Editor-in-Chief Sara Kehaulani Goo confirmed that Montgomery is no longer with Axios but declined to discuss the conditions of his departure. Montgomery’s last article listed on Axios’ site is dated Tuesday.
Montgomery shared a post from Vanity Fair staff writer Charlotte Klein that said he’d been fired over the email but didn’t comment on the news directly, instead offering a cheeky response to the recent change, “Some personal news: I made crepes this morning for the first time in years. Strawberry compote and whipped cream. They were delicious.”
The press release Montgomery was commenting on announced that DeSantis would host a roundtable discussion “exposing the diversity equity and inclusion scam in higher education.” The Florida governor in the release argued “the woke mob” is pushing “political indoctrination” onto students.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has referred two former U.S. officials to the Justice Department for potential criminal investigation, escalating efforts to revisit the events that led to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
A spokesperson for Gabbard confirmed that the referrals target a whistleblower and former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, both of whom played central roles in the 2019 inquiry. The spokesperson did not specify what crimes were alleged, and any decision to pursue charges rests with federal prosecutors.
The move follows Gabbard’s release of newly declassified testimony and documents that she argues show a “coordinated effort” within the intelligence community to “manufacture a conspiracy” used to justify Trump’s impeachment.
Atkinson’s actions were instrumental in advancing a whistleblower complaint that raised concerns about Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In that call, Trump asked Zelenskyy to investigate then–former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
The whistleblower wrote at the time: “I have received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.”
Gabbard has sharply disputed the legitimacy of that complaint and Atkinson’s handling of it. Her office said Atkinson relied on “secondhand information” and “politicized, manufactured narratives,” and “did not follow standard IG procedures.”
“In his own words, IC IG Atkinson recognizes that his conclusions were based on a ‘preliminary investigation,’” her office said, quoting testimony in which he acknowledged he had not determined whether the alleged actions “actually took place.”
Under federal law, however, an inspector general’s role at that stage is limited to assessing whether a whistleblower complaint appears credible, not to fully investigate or verify the claims.
In a post on X, Gabbard accused “deep state actors” of constructing “a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President @realDonaldTrump in 2019.”
Atkinson, who was fired by Trump in 2020, previously defended his conduct, saying he had “faithfully discharged” his duties and served “without regard to partisan favor or political fear.”
Democrats quickly condemned the referrals and the broader effort to revisit the impeachment.
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the whistleblower “demonstrated courage and principle” in exposing Trump’s “efforts to extort Ukraine and falsely smear his opponent.”
“This apparent criminal referral will amount to nothing because no misconduct occurred,” Himes said. “But what it will do is chill future whistleblowers from coming forward… I suspect that is precisely the point.”
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, dismissed the declassified materials as “a nothingburger” and “another sad attempt… to get in Donald Trump’s good graces.”
Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress tied to the Ukraine matter. He was acquitted by the Senate in early 2020 in a largely party-line vote and has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling his conversation with Zelenskyy “perfect.”
The latest referrals come as part of a broader push by Gabbard and other officials to reexamine controversies from Trump’s first term, including intelligence assessments of Russian election interference. While some figures connected to those investigations have been subpoenaed in ongoing probes, no charges have been filed.
At the same time, the effort unfolds against a backdrop of renewed political and legal scrutiny surrounding Trump. While prior impeachment proceedings ended in acquittal and are widely viewed as politically unlikely to result in removal from office, they continue to shape partisan divisions in Washington. Any new impeachment-related efforts would face long odds in Congress, particularly given the high threshold required for conviction in the Senate.
Still, the renewed focus on the 2019 impeachment underscores how the political battles of Trump’s presidency continue to reverberate, with competing narratives over the Ukraine episode remaining central to broader debates about executive power, accountability, and the role of intelligence agencies in U.S. politics.
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump on Tuesday commemorated the fifth anniversary of the death of conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh, honoring the longtime broadcaster as “a really great man” who left a lasting mark on American politics and media.
In a video message filmed at his desk in the Oval Office and later posted to Truth Social, Trump reflected on his personal friendship with Limbaugh and praised the late host’s patriotism and influence.
“Well, this is the fifth anniversary of the loss of a really great man, a great conservative, somebody that loved our country, loved his family,” Trump said. “He was a friend of mine, Rush Limbaugh.”
Limbaugh, who died in February 2021 at age 70 after a battle with advanced lung cancer, was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern conservative media. For more than three decades, The Rush Limbaugh Show dominated talk radio, reaching millions of listeners daily and helping shape the ideological direction of the Republican Party.
Trump recalled that he had never personally met Limbaugh at the time the radio host endorsed his 2016 presidential campaign — an endorsement that many political observers viewed as a pivotal moment in the Republican primary.
“I’d never met Rush when I announced that I was running,” Trump said. “I’ll never forget, 2015 and I got a call all excited that Rush Limbaugh just endorsed you. I’d never met him. He liked my opening speech.”
Trump was referring to his June 2015 campaign launch, when he descended the escalator at Trump Tower and delivered remarks that focused heavily on border security, crime, and national sovereignty — themes that would become central pillars of his campaign and presidency.
“He liked when I got up in June and I said, ‘We got bad borders, we got bad crime, we got bad everything,’” Trump continued. “He liked it. I came down the escalator with now our first lady, and he thought it was great.”
The endorsement from Limbaugh, a trusted voice among grassroots conservative voters, helped solidify Trump’s credibility with parts of the Republican base at a time when many party leaders were skeptical of his candidacy. Throughout Trump’s presidency, Limbaugh remained a vocal defender of the administration’s policies, particularly on immigration, trade, and judicial appointments.
In 2020, during his State of the Union address, Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — shortly after the broadcaster publicly announced his cancer diagnosis. The emotional ceremony, conducted on the House floor, was met with sustained applause from Republican lawmakers and supporters.
FLASHBACK: President Trump awards Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his 2020 State of the Union address — one of the greatest moments of his first term.
Following his departure from office in January 2021, Trump made his first television appearance on the day of Limbaugh’s death, calling into Fox News to describe him as “irreplaceable.”
In Tuesday’s video, Trump echoed that sentiment, invoking fellow conservative commentator Sean Hannity’s oft-repeated phrase: “There will never be another Rush Limbaugh.”
“But it’s five years and we miss Rush,” Trump said. “To his family, his great wife and family, I just want to say we miss you all, we miss him, and they’ll never be anybody like him.”
Limbaugh’s impact on conservative media remains evident years after his passing. His pioneering model of nationally syndicated political talk radio reshaped the industry and paved the way for a generation of commentators across radio, television, and digital platforms. For many supporters, he served not only as a political analyst but as a daily companion and cultural touchstone during moments of national debate and partisan conflict.
As Trump’s message underscored, the connection between the two men reflected a broader political realignment that defined the past decade of Republican politics — one rooted in populist messaging, media influence, and direct appeals to voters outside traditional party structures.
Five years after his death, Limbaugh’s voice may be gone from the airwaves, but his imprint on American conservatism — and on Trump’s political rise — continues to be remembered by allies and supporters alike.h’s death, when he called into Fox News’ Outnumbered to praise the conservative juggernaut as “irreplaceable.”
By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/191819781@N02/53626268079/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147209317
One of Donald Trump’s most outspoken celebrity critics just made an argument few saw coming.
During Thursday’s episode of The View, Whoopi Goldberg surprised her fellow hosts by urging the newly crowned NBA champion New York Knicks to accept President Donald Trump’s invitation to the White House — despite years of tensions between Trump and the league.
The debate erupted after reports that the Knicks, fresh off their first NBA title in more than 50 years, are expected to receive the traditional White House invitation extended to championship teams.
Most of Goldberg’s co-hosts argued the team should decline.
“There’s a reason why every single previous NBA champion crowned during the Trump administration refused to go,” co-host Sunny Hostin said, arguing that Trump has a history of politicizing White House appearances.
But Goldberg broke ranks.
“I want them to go,” she declared. “I want all those Black men to stand in our house and remind all of those people… that when you try to destroy one part of history, you’re destroying all of our histories.”
The audience erupted in applause as Goldberg continued.
“I want them to go. If only so the kids know that nobody — nobody — can keep you down if you are rising up.”
DERANGED: The View’s Whoopi Goldberg: “I want [the New York Knicks] to go [to the White House]. I want all those black men to stand in our house and remind all of those people, as we tried to remind the Vice President, that when you try to destroy one part of history, you’re… pic.twitter.com/EIoC3d1u6W
The comments were notable coming from Goldberg, who has repeatedly criticized Trump throughout both of his presidencies and frequently clashes with conservatives on political issues.
Her argument wasn’t an endorsement of Trump. Instead, Goldberg framed a White House visit as an opportunity for the players themselves to send a message by simply showing up as champions.
The debate comes as the Knicks weigh whether to participate in one of sports’ longest-standing traditions. Several championship teams across professional sports have skipped White House visits in recent years amid political controversies, and NBA teams in particular have had a rocky relationship with Trump dating back to his first term.
Hostin noted that Knicks players have already been asked about the possibility, with guard Jose Alvarado reportedly saying he would follow whatever decision the team ultimately makes.
Sarah Haines echoed Goldberg’s point, arguing that the visual contrast itself could be powerful.
“Why don’t you show up and show them what real men look like?” Haines said.
Whether the Knicks ultimately accept the invitation remains to be seen. But Goldberg’s unexpected defense of a Trump White House visit may end up being one of the more surprising political takes to emerge from The View this year.
President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after delivering remarks at the House GOP Member Retreat, Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) announced Tuesday that she is launching a Republican primary challenge against Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), stepping into the race just days after President Trump publicly encouraged her to pursue a Senate run in Louisiana.
In a two-minute launch ad, Letlow framed her campaign as part of a broader fight to defend conservative priorities in Washington.
“I have fought alongside President Trump to put America first, standing up for our parents, securing our borders, supporting law enforcement, rooting out waste, fraud and abuse that drives up inflation and fighting to fix an education system too focused on woke ideology instead of teaching,” she said.
Letlow argued that Louisiana Republicans want a senator whose votes are predictable when the stakes are highest.
“A state as conservative as ours, we shouldn’t have to wonder how our senator will vote when the pressure’s on,” she continued, without mentioning Cassidy by name. “Louisiana deserves conservative champions, leaders who will not flinch.”
Watch:
Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate to ensure the nation we leave our children is safer and stronger.
Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust.
Cassidy confirmed the news on X, saying Letlow personally called him earlier Tuesday to share her decision to run.
“She said she respected me and that I had done a good job. I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election,” Cassidy wrote. “I am a conservative who wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Louisiana and the United States a better place to live.”
Cassidy has long presented himself as a policy-focused Republican, emphasizing issues such as fiscal restraint, energy development, and hurricane recovery, while also working within the Senate’s institutional framework—an approach that can play well with establishment GOP voters but has faced skepticism from grassroots conservatives in recent years.
Trump signals support for Letlow
Letlow’s announcement followed Trump’s recent public praise of the congresswoman, where he encouraged her to make the jump to the Senate. In a Truth Social post, Trump described Letlow as a “TOTAL WINNER!” and said she “has ALWAYS delivered for Louisiana.”
I’m honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust. My mission is clear: to ensure the nation our children inherit is safer and stronger. ⁰ This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver. pic.twitter.com/851hQkXhIN
That backing immediately reshaped the race, positioning Letlow as the most prominent Republican challenger Cassidy has faced as he seeks another term. In a state where Trump remains highly popular among Republican primary voters, his involvement is likely to be one of the biggest factors in determining the outcome.
A political fight years in the making
Cassidy has been under heavy pressure from many pro-Trump activists since 2021, when he became one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump during his impeachment trial following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump, but the vote left lasting consequences for Cassidy inside Louisiana GOP politics.
What Letlow is betting on
Letlow, who has represented Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District since 2021, rose to national attention after winning a special election following the death of her husband, Rep. Luke Letlow, who died from complications related to COVID-19 shortly after being elected.
Since entering Congress, she has worked to build relationships within the Republican conference while maintaining a strong conservative profile—supporting border enforcement policies, opposing Democratic-backed spending packages, and highlighting cultural issues such as parental rights and education.
Her campaign’s early tone signals she plans to run as a Trump-aligned conservative focused on the top issues driving Republican voters in 2025: immigration, inflation, crime, cultural pushback in schools, and government accountability.
New primary rules could raise the stakes
The race will also unfold under Louisiana’s new closed primary process, a change that could have major consequences. With a more Republican-only electorate participating, Cassidy may face an even more conservative and Trump-friendly primary environment than in previous cycles.
That shift could make it harder for Cassidy to rely on crossover voters or independents who might otherwise support an incumbent known for policy work and institutional seniority.
At the same time, a crowded field could still complicate the race. If multiple Republicans enter the primary and divide anti-Cassidy voters, Cassidy could benefit from winning a strong plurality of establishment conservatives, business-oriented Republicans, and voters who prioritize seniority and committee influence.
A high-profile Louisiana showdown
With Letlow officially in the race and Trump already signaling his preference, Louisiana is shaping up to host one of the GOP’s most-watched Senate primaries this cycle. The contest will likely test whether Republican voters prioritize seniority and governing experience—or whether they want a more confrontational, Trump-aligned fighter in the Senate.
For now, both candidates are claiming the conservative mantle. Letlow is promising a senator who will “not flinch,” while Cassidy insists he remains “a conservative” focused on improving life in Louisiana—and says he expects to win.
“She said she respected me and that I had done a good job,” Cassidy wrote. “I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election.”
A Florida freshman representative is taking drastic measures since the release of the Durham report.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fl.) has filed a motion to have Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) expelled from Congress.
“He used his position on House Intelligence to push a lie that cost American taxpayers millions of dollars and abused the trust placed in him as Chairman,” Luna said in a statement Wednesday. “The Durham Report makes clear that the Russian Collusion was a lie from day one and Schiff knowingly used his position in an attempt to divide our country.”
Schiff, who was the top lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee when Democrats the House majority, has repeatedly claimed that Trump and his campaign colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.
While the Durham report did not recommend any new charges it did offer a blistering review of how the FBI launched and carried out the investigation. It caps a four-year investigation by Durham.
“I’m convinced when this dark chapter of our history is written, it will reflect that those Republican members who lacked the courage to stand up to the most unethical president in U.S. history, Donald Trump, consoled themselves by attacking those who did,” Schiff said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday.
The California Democrat also knocked the conclusions of the Durham report, fighting back against the idea that it proved that his claims of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia were a lie.
“Durham spends four years trying to prove this deep state conspiracy theory that Trump kept telling his base was going to be proven,” Schiff said. “The whole thing, of course, was a big bust.”
BREAKING NEWS:
A MAGA Republican Member of Congress just filed a motion to expel me from the U.S. House of Representatives.
I stood up to Donald Trump and held extreme MAGA forces accountable. Now they want payback.
They’ll go after anyone who defends the rule of law.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in National Statuary Hall on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)
ANALYSIS – Joe Biden has made a bizarre habit of awkwardly and abruptly walking away from important events, often leaving other world leaders and important figures alone waiting for a handshake or photo.
Sometimes Biden also shakes hands with people who aren’t there or walks around dazed and confused.
But now he did this disrespectful walking away schtick at the White House to an elderly Vietnam War hero, Army Captain Larry L. Taylor, to whom Biden had just presented the Medal of Honor.
The heroic Taylor earned the medal by braving intense ground fire for 45 minutes while making low-level attack runs, strafing the enemy with bullets and aerial rockets while flying an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter as a mass of Vietnamese insurgents surrounded a small U.S. Army patrol on the ground.
Running low on fuel and ammunition, Taylor eventually decided to extract the four men on his own with his two-man-only chopper.
As The Blaze reported: “Immediately after setting the Medal of Honor around Taylor’s neck and giving the tearful veteran a handshake, Biden abruptly bolted out of the East Room as if to beat the traffic.”
Biden abruptly walks out of the Medal of Honor ceremony, even before the closing benediction pic.twitter.com/Ck0i8EIf8Q
In the video of the ceremony, one reporter can be seen with a look of bewilderment at the sight of Biden hurrying out since the event was far from over.
Left standing alone next to the American flag, the uniformed 81-year-old Taylor remained stoically at his post, waiting for the closing benediction.
Referring to Biden, former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan wrote on X, “Pardon my French… But what a f***ing idiot.”
Pardon my French… But what a f*cking idiot.
The continuous lack of respect Biden has for anyone is appalling.
Taylor, originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, flew over 2,000 combat missions in UH-1 and Cobra helicopters, was engaged by enemy fire 340 times, and was forced down five times in Vietnam, according to the Army.
He had already received at least 50 combat decorations, including 43 Air Medals, a Bronze Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and the Silver Star, before being awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest recognition for bravery in the U.S. military.
The actions that earned Taylor the award were courageous indeed. On the evening of June 18, 1968, a four-man Army long-range patrol (LRP) team was trapped and surrounded by a large Viet Cong force.
The team desperately called for fire support. And that’s when Taylor came to the rescue. The Blaze reported that Lt. Col. Ann Hughes detailed Taylor’s brave deeds near the village of Ap Go Cong, prior to Biden’s sudden departure from the stage:
Then-1st Lt. Taylor heard the call and came powering over at the command of a light fire team comprising two [two-man] Cobra helicopter gunships.
Upon arrival, Taylor “immediately requested illumination rounds and supporting artillery to assist with identifying the enemy positions,” even though the fulfillment of that order would make his aircraft similarly easier to see and target.
Hazarding “intense enemy groundfire” and flying “at a perilously low altitude,” Taylor fed the enemy encircling the patrol team a constant stream of hot lead and rockets, and he did so for 45 minutes.
As all good things come to an end, Taylor’s team began running low on ammunition. However, the Americans below were not yet out of harm’s way. The Tennessean appealed to light to stop the encroaching darkness in its tracks.
The outlet continued quoting Hughes, “using his chopper’s searchlight, Taylor began performing fake strafing runs on the enemy, thereby distracting them from the patrol team.”
Running low on fuel, Taylor and his wingman pushed the insurgents back using up their remaining minigun rounds, then “directed the patrol team to move 100 yards towards the extraction point, where First Lieutenant Taylor, still under enemy fire, landed his helicopter and instructed the patrol team to climb aboard anywhere they could.”
Lt. Col. Hughes stressed that an extraction on a Cobra gunship was a “feat never before accomplished.”
The narrow Cobra, an advanced version of which is still flown by the Marines, is a two-seat hotrod of a helicopter gunship made for fast attack, not troop carrying.
This is serious stuff, an award well deserved, but Biden just walked away after giving Taylor his medal.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), an Army veteran who also flew helicopters, wrote, “At least he didn’t check his watch this time.”
Kari Lake speaking with supporters at a "Stand for Freedom" rally at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]
Former television news anchor-turned-staunch Trump supporter Kari Lake has been declared the winner of Arizona’s highly competitive gubernatorial primary.
With an estimated 94% of ballots counted, Lake has 46.78% of the vote, compared to Karrin Robson with 44.03%. Lake will now face off against Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs in the November 8th general election in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched races in the country.
Early Wednesday, Lake prematurely declared victory in the GOP primary while addressing supporters.“I wanted to come out here tonight, I wanted to say, ‘Wow, we already have the final results,’” she said. “But we know how our election systems work and they don’t work well. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m standing here.”
With three-quarters of the vote in, Robson led Lake by eight. However, Arizona is a state where mail-in ballots get tabulated first. Then, Election Day votes are counted. The process is the same in Florida. The result, depending on the order chosen by a given state, created red and blue mirages in 2020, given Democrats’ tendency to vote by mail and Republicans’ overwhelming desire to vote on Election Day.
Two years ago, that phenomenon lead to Biden leading Trump by four points in increasingly reddish Florida early on election night before Trump overtook him by a relatively decisive three-point margin. For Lake — who won the Election Day count in some precincts by as much as 40 points — the result was the same.
The highly anticipated race set up a proxy war between former President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence. Trump, who has become a kingmaker of sorts within the GOP threw his support behind Lake. Meanwhile, Pence and current Arizona Governor Doug Ducey chose Robinson.
Trump’s endorsements have become a sort of gauge of his own power within the GOP as he toys with launching a third presidential campaign.
