Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel may find herself out of a job soon.
On Monday, while referring to RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel as “my friend,” Trump signaled her future as the party chair could be uncertain.
“Things are looking great in the Presidential Race of 2024 against Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social, adding later that “Ronna is now Head of the RNC, and I’ll be making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC Growth.”
In an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News, Trump predicted there would be “changes” to McDaniel’s leadership of the committee.
When “Sunday Morning Futures” anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Trump how McDaniel was doing, he said, “I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK initially in the RNC.”
“I would say, right now, there will probably be some changes made,” he added.
Trump signaled his confidence going into the South Carolina primary where he will face off against former governor Nikki Haley.
“This has been a very exciting Primary Season. The Iowa Caucus was won in Record Fashion … and likewise New Hampshire, where I had the honor of getting more votes than anybody in the History of the New Hampshire Primary, Republican or Democrat,” the former president wrote Monday. “Hopefully, we will continue this string of Victories in Nevada, the Virgin Islands, and then, South Carolina.”
Could Trump’s legal troubles come back to haunt him?
President Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon predicted Thursday that President Trump will go to prison if a Democrat wins back the White House in 2028.
“God forbid we don’t win in ’28, President Trump is going to prison,” Bannon, who was Trump’s advisor in his first presidency, said Thursday during an appearance on Real America’s Voice.
“And people are sitting around – still with the glow of November 4th and all the inaugurations and all the balls. We’re at war and things that’ve happened in the last 72 hours, if you don’t understand we’re in political warfare, you’re not awake,” he said, in remarks highlighted by Mediaite.
Trump’s flurry of executive actions since taking office in January has spurred myriad legal cases. Courts have repeatedly paused actions like mass firings of federal workers and sweeping moves on immigration.
Bannon did not specify what charges might send Trump to prison. He also warned Democrats would seek to remove Trump from office if they win back the House next year.
“We are kidding ourselves if we don’t think that Democrats are pulling all stops out to stop President Trump to take the House through any means necessary to impeach Trump,” he said.
Last year, Special Counsel Jack Smith dismissed his two cases after Trump’s electoral victory, referencing the Department of Justice policy that prohibits prosecuting sitting presidents. A fourth case in Georgia remains technically open, though it is effectively inactive. He was convicted on 34 felony counts in a hush money case in New York.
Former President Trump pledged over the weekend to launch a full-scale investigation into Comcast, the parent company of NBC and MSNBC, if elected.
In a series of Truth Social posts the former President attacked the networks’ knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events.”
“They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday.
“I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events,” the former President wrote.
“The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!” Trump added.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.
Last month, over 20 House Republican lawmakers refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker. However, after 15 grueling rounds of voting McCarthy finally held the Speaker’s gavel.
Not every holdout got exactly what he or she had asked for, some won plum committee assignments from McCarthy, here’s what we know so far:
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a vocal McCarthy foe during the speaker fight, flipped to “present” in the 14th round. Gaetz will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel and was appointed by the Speaker to the new weaponization subcommittee.
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona a former head of the Freedom Caucus and one of the five so-called “Never Kevins,” kept his position on the powerful Judiciary and Oversight committee. The Arizona Congressman was also named chairman of the Judiciary’s subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Ultimately, Biggs changed his vote to “present” on the final ballot for speaker, helping propell McCarthy over the finish line.
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, and will continue to serve on both the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. McCarthy also named Bishop to the Judiciary’s new subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the vocal McCarthy critic who voted “present” on the 14th and 15th ballots, was awarded a seat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee. She will also continue to serve on the Natural Resources panel.
Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, the freshman Congressman flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and won seats on the Homeland Security Committee and Budget committees.
Rep. Mike Cloud of Texas flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The Lone Star state Congressman won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. McCarthy also named him to the new select committee investigating the origins of the Covid pandemic.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, another lawmaker who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will serve on the Appropriations Committee for the first time.
Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona will serve on the Homeland Security Committee.
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was nominated to run against McCarthy for speaker and flipped to him on the 12th ballot. Donalds was named by McCarthy as the “speaker’s designee” on the influential Steering Committee, which decides which lawmakers get committee gavels and seats. Donalds also won a coveted spot on the Financial Services Committee, a top panel known on Capitol Hill as an “A” committee.
Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, one of the Never Kevins who flipped to “present” in the last round of voting, will serve on the Budget and Education and Workforce committees.
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and was reinstated by Republicans on two committees —Oversight and Natural Resources panels. He was named chairman of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland will continue to serve on the Appropriations panel. Harris, a physician, will be the chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration subcommittee.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The freshman Congresswoman won a seat on the Oversight and Natural Resources panels.
Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois will remain on the Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of the “Never Kevins” who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, was named by the speaker as one of nine Republicans on the Rules Committee. Additionally, the South Carolina congressman will remain on the Financial Services panel and will serve on the Budget Committee too.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee won a seat on the Financial Services Committee.
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who brokered a deal between conservatives and McCarthy, will remain on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Perry also won a new seat on the Oversight committee.
Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, a “Never Kevin” who flipped to “present” on the final ballot, will continue to serve on Natural Resources.
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who helped Perry negotiate a deal with McCarthy, was tapped to serve on the Budget committee and the influential Rules Committee. The Lone Star state congressman will also keep his seat on the Judiciary panel.
Rep. Keith Self of Texas will serve on the Foreign Affairs panel.
Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who flipped from “present” to vote for McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel.
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Residence Questioned by Courts
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not be listed as a presidential candidate on the New York state ballot after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to reinstate his name. Lower courts determined that Kennedy’s address in Katonah, New York, did not qualify as his fixed and permanent residence, leading to his exclusion from the ballot.
Kennedy’s legal team argued that removing him from the ballot would deprive his New York supporters of their right to vote for him. They emphasized that no evidence suggested voters had been misled about his candidacy. Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court declined to issue an emergency injunction.
Opposition from New York Attorney General
The emergency request to reinstate Kennedy’s name faced strong opposition from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. Her team argued that the state had already mailed absentee ballots and the certification deadline had passed, making it too late to add his name back to the ballot. The court’s refusal marks a significant setback for Kennedy’s campaign efforts in New York.
Kennedy suspended his presidential campaign last month and endorsed former President Donald Trump’s bid for the White House. Since then, he has worked to remove his name from ballots in critical swing states while keeping it on in others, triggering a series of legal battles.
This Supreme Court appeal marked Kennedy’s first attempt to remain on the New York ballot, but he isn’t the first candidate to face such a challenge. Earlier this month, the Green Party’s candidate, Jill Stein, also failed to secure a spot on Nevada’s ballot after the Supreme Court denied a similar emergency request.
New York Polls: Kamala Harris Leads Trump
Despite Kennedy’s exclusion from the ballot, the latest Siena College poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by 13 points in a direct matchup in New York. Pollster Steven Greenberg noted that although New York remains solidly blue, the margin isn’t as wide as in recent presidential cycles.
“Despite the Democratic convention, the debate and numerous other events during the six weeks between Siena College polls, there has been little movement in the horse race or in either candidate’s favorability rating. While the race appears largely static, Harris did pick up support among Latino voters, leading Trump 56-39%, up from 48-47% in August,” Greenberg noted. “Independents moved further in Trump’s direction, supporting him over Harris 58-34%, up from 47-40% last month. Interestingly, New York’s independent voters moved significantly in the Republican direction across several questions that will be on the ballot.”
“New Yorkers trust Harris more than Trump on abortion, democracy and the economy, and trust them equally on immigration. But there are huge partisan divides. Democrats trust Harris on all four issues by between 76 and 89 percent, and Republicans trust Trump by between 76 and 89 percent,” the Siena College pollster continued. “While independents trust Harris more on abortion by 50-42%, they trust Trump more on the other three by between 15 and 34 points.”
In previous elections, Democrats have won New York by at least 18 points. President Biden carried the state by 23 points in 2020. In a multi-candidate race, Harris’ lead drops slightly to 12 points.
Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to rename Greenland this week to Red, White and Blueland.
The legislation, called the “Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025,” directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to oversee the implementation of the name change and to ensure official documentation and maps refer to Greenland by its updated name.
The legislation also authorizes Trump to enter into negotiations with Denmark “to purchase or otherwise acquire Greenland.”
“America is back and will soon be bigger than ever with the addition of Red, White, and Blueland,” Carter said in a statement Tuesday, after introducing the legislation.
“President Trump has correctly identified the purchase of what is now Greenland as a national security priority, and we will proudly welcome its people to join the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in purchasing Greenland, a semi-autonomous country that is currently under Denmark’s control. He has argued that the U.S. taking over the Arctic island is necessary for national security purposes.
Greenland and Denmark have emphatically resisted Trump’s push to acquire the country.
“We don’t want to be Danes,” Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede previously said on Fox News. “We don’t even want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has also insisted Greenland is not for sale and that it is up to Greenland to make its decision about its independence.
Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem is hitting the ground running…
Shortly after being confirmed to the Cabinet position, Noem joined an immigration enforcement raid in New York City on Tuesday, and saw Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers bust “dirtbags” in the sanctuary city.
“Just now. Enforcement operation in NYC. Criminal alien with kidnapping, assault & burglary charges is now in custody – thanks to @ICE,” Noem said on X alongside a video of an arrest.
“Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets.”
A DHS spokesperson said the dawn operation targeted “murderers, kidnappers, and individuals charged of assault and burglary.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Justice Department were also cooperating with ICE. Among the arrests was a Dominican National wanted on an Interpol Red Notice for a double homicide in the DR. He fled to the United States. The operation is expected to continue through Friday.
ICE said on Monday that it had made 1,179 arrests in a single day, and had issued 853 detainers – requests that illegal immigrants in custody be turned over to ICE on release. New York City is one of a number of “sanctuary” cities that do not cooperate with ICE detainers, although Mayor Eric Adams has softened that stance in recent months, saying he is prepared to work with ICE on deporting violent criminals.
In light of the threat, the court is adding additional security for the judge, the court official said.
Nassau County Police bomb technicians responded to Engoron’s home out of an abundance of caution. Nassau County Police notified the court system of the threat, which they say they have determined to be unfounded.
Today’s court proceedings are expected to proceed as planned.
Trump is prohibited from delivering closing remarks by Engoron after he refused to agree to the judge’s proposed conditions to limit the subject of conversation to what is permissible in a lawyer’s closing argument.
The former president is on trial for allegedly deceiving lenders.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
On Wednesday morning, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York announced he will seek re-election in next year’s midterms in his crucial battleground House district, which covers a large swath of New York City’s northern suburbs.
Lawler, who announced his news in an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” had been seriously considering a bid for New York State governor.
“There’s no question Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America,” Lawler told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, before adding, “In 2026, she needs to be defeated. But after months of deliberating over this and really working through it, I’ve decided the right thing to do for me and my family and my district is to run for re-election.”
Serving the Hudson Valley has been the greatest honor of my life, and I'm proud of the wins I’ve delivered for New York and the American people. From delivering historic tax relief, raising the SALT cap, securing our border, and strengthening our national security and America’s… pic.twitter.com/yfB7trXzd1
His news is seen as a major relief to the White House and congressional Republicans, who are defending their razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterms.
Top House Republicans as well as President Donald Trump had pressed Lawler to seek re-election, and Fox News confirmed that Lawler met with Trump last week at the White House to discuss his 2026 plans and other issues.
“While I fundamentally believe I am best positioned to take on Kathy Hochul and offer New Yorkers a real choice for Governor, I have made the decision to run for re-election to the House and continue the important work I’ve been doing over the past two and a half years,” Lawler shared in a statement with Fox News Digital Wednesday morning.
The Democratic Governors Association called Lawler’s decision a “humiliating setback” for Republicans, arguing that his choice means he doesn’t believe a Republican can win statewide.
However, Republicans now seem likely to avoid a hotly contested primary, as they said they hoped only one of Lawler or Elise Stefanik would go forward with a gubernatorial run.
Elise Stefanik released a statement Wednesday morning, calling Republicans “more unified than ever in our mission to fire the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul in 2026” and Lawler a “great, effective, and hardworking Representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District.”
“As I have previously stated, I am focused on supporting strong Republican local and county candidates on the ballot this November to lay the groundwork with a strong team for next year. I will make a final decision and announcement after this year’s November election which we are all focused on,” Stefanik added.
Stefanik seems all but certain to run for governor, with a source familiar with her thinking telling The Hill last month that “it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”
Republicans have been hopeful that they could seriously compete for the office in 2026 after impressive performances in recent years. Hochul only won reelection in 2022 by about 6 points, a much closer margin than observers expected.
Trump also made significant gains in New York in last year’s presidential election, while still falling short by double digits of victory in the state.
Donald Trump is racking up endorsements left and right these days.
Despite being the first President to be criminally charged, Trump has seen a surge in support over the last weeks with numerous lawmakers publicly announcing their endorsements.
On Tuesday, Rep. Lance Gooden (R- Texas) opted to endorse Former President Donald Trump despite attending “positive” meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to launch a presidential campaign later this spring.
Gooden said in a statement posted on his Twitter account that he made the decision after “careful consideration” and a “positive meeting” with DeSantis. He said he has respect for DeSantis and his accomplishments as governor but believes Trump is the best candidate based on his record and “commitment to putting America first.”
“I met with Governor DeSantis, and while he has done commendable work in Florida, there is no doubt in my mind that President Trump is the only leader who can save America from the leftist onslaught we are currently facing,” he said.
“I wholeheartedly endorse President Donald J. Trump for the 2024 presidential election and vow to fight alongside him to reclaim our country from the leftist forces that threaten to destroy it. Together, we will ensure a prosperous and secure future for our great nation,” Gooden said.
Trump has also gathered several endorsements from Florida Republicans, claiming support from members of DeSantis’ own state party. They include Reps. Cory Mills, Anna Paulina Luna, Byron Donalds, Greg Steube and Matt Gaetz.
