WASHINGTON - Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson appears on MSNBC’s Morning Joe discussing the massive security efforts for the inauguration in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2017. The show features interviews with top newsmakers and politicians and in-depth analysis of the day's biggest stories. Official DHS photo by Jetta Disco.
NBC News president Noah Oppenheim is stepping down after nearly half a decade at the helm.
The announcement was made Wednesday by NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde who also revealed New York Times editor Rachel Blumenstein is taking over the position.
According to The Hill, Blumenstein most recently has served as deputy managing editor of the Times and comes to NBC after a long career in digital and print journalism, but lacks any network news experience.
With Oppenheim’s departure, two other top NBC News executives will be promoted, the company said. Libby Leist, who has overseen the TODAY show, will now be an executive vice president, TODAY and Lifestyle, while Janelle Rodriguez, who has spearheaded the network’s news streaming service, will join the leadership team as executive vice president, NBC News NOW, the company said.
“The appointments of Rebecca, Libby and Janelle provide a powerful foundation for the News Group as it continues to grow its leadership position,” Conde said
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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.
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A second Trump presidency will have a lasting impact…
Former adviser to President Barack Obama recently predicted on a podcast that if Trump wins the November election he will secure a “MAGA court majority” for years to come.
Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer sounded alarm bells over the former President’s past Supreme Court picks and cautioned listeners against supporting the presumed Republican nominee.
“Think about the stakes of the Supreme Court. If Donald Trump wins, he will almost certainly get two more appointments. By the end of Trump’s second term — were he to win — [Clarence] Thomas will be 82, [Samuel] Alito will be 78,” he said.
Pfeiffer and his co-hosts agreed the pair will “definitely” be retiring in a second Trump term. Pfeiffer also noted Justice Sonia Sotomayor will also be 72 when Trump would be leaving a second term.
Trump would ultimately have five appointments to the Supreme Court, creating a “MAGA” majority for decades, the political advisor argued.
“If he gets two appointments, that means he will have appointed five Supreme Court Justices, all of whom will be around or below the age of 60 when he leaves office,” he said. “That is a court majority — a MAGA court majority that will rule for decades. We can win the next however many presidential elections and absent something sort of extraordinary happening, Trump’s fingerprints will be all over the Supreme Court and so I think we should make this a big issue.”
“Think about the stakes in the Supreme Court. If Donald Trump wins, he will almost certainly get two more appointments…If he has two appointments, that means he will have appointed five Supreme Court justices” —@danpfeiffer on the 2024 election
Donald Trump has a strong message for Senate Republicans.
The former President called for the ouster of roughly a third of the Republican Senate caucus following the passing of a massive $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
According to Mediaite, Trump initially took to social media to congratulate Kevin McCarthy on becoming Speaker after 15 rounds of votes before changing his tune.
He then turned his ire to “Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow.” Of course he is making another racialized reference to Elaine Chao, who served as Secretary of Transportation in his own administration. “Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him,” he wrote. “PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!”
Great job Kevin! We must now stop Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow. It’s as though he just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want. The $1.7 TRILLION quickly approved Bill of the week before was HORRIBLE. Zero for USA Border Security. If he waited just ten days, the now “United Republican Congress” could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT. Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!
Following is a list of the 18 Republican Senators who voted to pass the spending bill, however, Senators Blunt and Shelby have since retired.
• Roy Blunt (Missouri) • John Boozman (Arkansas) • Shelley Capito (West Virginia) • Susan Collins (Maine) • John Cornyn (Texas) • Tom Cotton (Arkansas) • Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) • Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma) • Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) • Jerry Moran (Kansas) • Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) • Rob Portman (Ohio) • Mitt Romney (Utah) • Mike Rounds (South Dakota) • Richard Shelby (Alabama) • John Thune (South Dakota) • Roger Wicker (Mississippi) • Todd Young (Indiana)
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The true winners of last night’s debate are former prime-time Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk, owner of X – formerly Twitter.
If you’ve spent the last 24-48 hours under a rock – here’s what transpired last night. Eight Republican candidates running to be the next President of the United States took the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to talk about their visions for the future of America – and how they are the proper alternatives not only to the babbling buffoon currently in the White House Joe Biden, but also to America’s 45th President Donald Trump – now running for the office for a third time. The Wisconsin event was moderated, albeit poorly, by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
Of course, the debate in itself was probably somewhat staged. According to multiple reports, the candidates and their prep camps were given the questions in advance.
While the debate was going on in Milwaukee, Tucker Carlson aired an opposing pre-recorded interview with America’s 45th President Donald Trump, who himself is set to be arraigned in a Fulton County, Georgia court on Thursday where he is expected to front up a bail payment of $200,000. (RELATED: Trump Agrees To Release Conditions, Including $200,000 Bond)
Tucker Carlson has enacted fully-fledged revenge on his former employer and put millions of dollars in the pockets of a new corporate overlord, Elon Musk.
X, formerly Twitter, has been working to position itself as the preeminent alternative to the mainstream media since the Musk buyout earlier this year. By the view numbers still rolling in on the video posted last night, they seem to have succeeded in doing that to a level even Musk himself may have never imagined.
As of the writing of this piece, Tucker’s 46-minute long X video has been viewed over 186.4 million times.
Mediaite noted the following in a piece published yesterday:
“The interview, which was taped this week and is dropping to coincide with the debate, is intended as additional salt in the wound for Fox executives wary that a Trump-less event will not bring in the major ratings typically expected from these kinds of nights.”
Notably, video-sharing platform Rumble which was the the first place to try and pitch itself as the free speech alternative to YouTube partnered with the RNC and probably boosted their own profits last night as well. The Rumble stream of the debate from the GOP’s channel has amassed 1.54 million views. Definitely a respectable number, but making up less than 1% of the views amassed by Carlson on X. For the record the Rumble stream via Roku is how I personally watched the debate, refusing to give my dollars to the Fox News machine.
Fox News has yet to officially release numbers on last night’s debate but here are some viewership numbers reported by Mediaite from past presidential debates:
“In 2015, Fox’s primary debate – with Trump and nine other candidates – drew 24 million viewers, smashing previous records and earning the distinction of being one of the most-watched cable programs ever. Overall, 2016 was a blockbuster year for debate ratings: the 12 Republican primary events averaged 15 million viewers.”
Even if Fox’s numbers last night were close to their past viewership – which they are not expected to be without Trump – Carlson’s X video dwarfed those numbers as well.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Great America News Desk. This piece is republished with permission from American Liberty News.
Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
With Thanksgiving less than one week away, some of America’s greatest patriots are still questioning whether they’ll be able to put food on the table for their families.
While President Joe Biden seems content ignoring America’s heroes the Coalition to Support America’s Heroes is stepping in to pick up the slack.
In 2004, the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes was established to ensure that in return for the sacrifices they made for us during the war on terror, wounded veterans and their families would receive all the support needed to restore their hope and rebuild their lives. Now, the Coalition is working to make sure every veteran has a Thanksgiving feast of their own. However, as one of the sole nonprofits providing direct emergency relief funds for veterans, they work overtime with limited resources as the organization experiences a downturn in charitable giving.
Out of more than 40,000 veteran service organizations (VSO) the Coalition to Support Americas Heroes is the only nonprofit organization that provides direct emergency relief funds, veterans are often directed to the Coalition by VSOs, Veterans Affairs, or other non-profits like the Wounded Warrior Project.
This Thanksgiving is already facing roadblocks due to sky-high inflation but coupled with a record amount of requests for help from veterans means the Coalition is struggling to keep up with demand. Each year, the Coalition gives hundreds, or even thousands of veterans funds to help alleviate the financial pressure that inevitably comes around the holidays.
However, according to the American Farm Bureau Association, the costs for holiday staples such as turkey, sweet potatoes, and stuffing have surged since the same time last year.
The price of a 16-pound turkey has risen from $23.99 last year to $28.96, marking a 21% increase as an outbreak of the avian flu impacts poultry flocks across the country. The costs for cubed stuffing mix, one dozen dinner rolls, and a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix have surged 69%, 22%, and 18%, respectively.
Coalition president and CEO David Walker says that the organization is now seeing an unprecedented need from struggling veterans as the country rebounds from a years-long COVID-19 pandemic which also exacerbated mental health issues and suicidal urges in veterans. With Thanksgiving around the corner, more than 240 calls have come into the Coalition in the past week, which is three times the number of calls from the first two weeks in October.
“The need that the Coalition provides is as essential now, if not more so than when we started because the battlefront has moved into the home,” Walker said. “Veterans call in using words like ‘evict’ or ‘repossess’ and the Coalition steps in to prevent them from using words like homelessness, divorce, or suicide.”
A Marine, identified as C.T. for privacy purposes, served in Iraq where he suffered a serious spinal injury during his tour. After C.T. returned home from his tour he found that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) hindered his ability to find a reliable job and he found himself in debt and facing eviction. The Coalition to Support America’s Heroes immediately intervened and paid C.T.’s debt and is currently working to place him in a job where he feels at ease and where his PTSD won’t be a problem.
“This was one of the most amazing surprises, the dollar amount is awesome my kids and I would like to Thank you!! But the thought of you guys not leaving me and my dependents BEHIND means more than anything,” another veteran wrote to the Coalition.
“Every year is hard being away from my children, this act of kindness from your organization is more than thoughtful it’s priceless. Not just saying you care but showing it. My Goal is to help Veterans once I address some Mental and physical issues. This has relieved some pressure financially and giving some motivation. I SALUTE you guys!” J.D. continued.
A.K, another Coalition recipient, was awarded a purple heart after being struck by a mortar while serving in the Army in Iraq while her husband and child waited for her to return home. A.K. sustained severe injuries, a traumatic brain injury, and suffers from PTSD due to her brave service in Iraq. However, sky-high inflation coupled with unexpected home repairs caused A.K. to fall behind on mortgage payments, putting her family at risk of eviction. Thanks to the Coalition’s tremendous work A.K. and her family managed to catch up on their bills and will get to spend the holiday together giving thanks.
One veteran living in southern California expressed gratitude to the organization, “I just want you to know how happy this organization has made me; you have given me a sense of relief and joy during a very difficult year. I am so thankful for everything this organization has done for me and for all me fellow brothers and sisters in and out of uniform. Thank you for thinking of me when I didn’t think anyone was.”
With only days until Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, America’s heroes deserve support and comfort, and now is the time to say “thank you” to those to have sacrificed so much.
Follow the link HERE to contribute and give a veteran a Thanksgiving meal!
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is reportedly preparing to leave the Bureau in the coming weeks, fueling speculation that he may soon return to the conservative media landscape where he built a powerful national following. According to The New York Times, several individuals familiar with the situation say Bongino is already packing up his office and sending personal items back to Florida—an indication that an official announcement may be imminent.
These sources told the Times that Bongino could depart “as soon as this week or as late as mid-January,” though he has not yet publicly confirmed his plans. The former Secret Service agent and best-selling author was appointed to the FBI leadership team earlier this year by President Donald Trump, who tasked him with bringing greater transparency, accountability, and ideological clarity to an agency long accused by conservatives of political bias.
Dan Bongino via Gage Skidmore Flickr
Conflicting Signals About Bongino’s Plans
Other reports offer mixed signals. Fox News Digital, citing its own sources, noted Monday that Bongino has “not made a final decision” and disputed claims that his office was already empty. However, Fox’s sources did acknowledge that he is expected to clarify his future “in the coming weeks.”
If Bongino does leave the Bureau, many expect him to reenter the conservative media sphere in time for the 2026 midterm elections, when Republican strategists anticipate a major national referendum on the direction of the country.
Potentially Strategic Timing for His Exit
According to the Times, Bongino has privately floated the idea of aligning his departure with a major law-enforcement development—specifically a press conference connected to the long-running federal investigation into the pipe bombs planted near the DNC and RNC headquarters on January 5, 2021.
The incident, still unsolved after nearly four years, remains a source of public frustration. Conservatives argue the lack of progress underscores deep institutional failures at the FBI—failures Bongino has long criticized both before and during his time at the agency.
Repairing Tensions With Attorney General Pam Bondi
Behind the scenes, Bongino is also said to be smoothing tensions with Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom he sharply criticized earlier this year. In July, Bondi’s office released a memo stating that the much-discussed “Epstein client list” did not exist, contradicting years of speculation amplified in part through Bongino’s own podcast prior to his government service.
The Times reports that Bongino was so dissatisfied with Bondi’s handling of that matter that he threatened to resign at the time. Since then, he has reportedly worked to repair the relationship—an indication that he may be trying to ensure a clean exit from the Bureau, should he choose to move on.
Broader Political Context
Bongino’s potential departure comes at a pivotal moment for federal law enforcement. Republicans continue to push for sweeping reforms at the FBI, citing concerns about political motivations behind high-profile investigations dating back to the Russia probe. Bongino, viewed by many grassroots conservatives as a no-nonsense reformer, entered the FBI leadership at a time when trust in federal agencies has been sharply divided along partisan lines.
A return to broadcasting would position him once again as one of the most influential voices in conservative politics—a role he previously used to energize Republican voters, challenge media narratives, and champion pro-Trump policy priorities.
For now, the timeline remains unclear. But by all accounts, Bongino’s next move—whether announced this week or early in the new year—will be closely watched
President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that Democrats would waste no time pursuing impeachment if they manage to retake the House of Representatives in November, arguing that their opposition is driven more by hostility than policy disagreements.
“They’ll find something. There’ll be something,” Trump said during an exclusive interview on “The Will Cain Show.”
“I made the wrong turn at an exit, and let’s impeach him. They did that before. They impeached me on a perfect phone call, turned out. They impeached me twice and, by the way, I won the impeachments very easily and quickly, but they impeach. They’re very nasty people [and] they have bad policy.”
Trump’s comments reflect long-standing frustration among Republicans with what they view as Democrats’ reliance on investigations and impeachment rather than legislative solutions. During his first term, Trump became the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice—once over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and later over events surrounding January 6. In both cases, the Senate declined to convict, outcomes Trump and his supporters cite as vindication.
The president joined Will Cain live from Iowa, where he kicked off a push toward the 2026 midterm elections. The visit included interactions with voters and culminated in a campaign-style event in Clive, underscoring the administration’s early focus on maintaining Republican momentum and defending narrow congressional margins.
Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, with 218 seats to Democrats’ 213. That slim advantage has heightened concerns within the GOP about historical trends that tend to favor the out-of-power party during midterm elections.
History suggests Trump and Republicans face an uphill battle heading into November. Since the 1930s, midterm elections have almost always resulted in the president’s party losing House seats—and frequently losing control of the chamber altogether. Political analysts often attribute the pattern to voter complacency among the president’s supporters and heightened motivation among the opposition.
Trump acknowledged that reality while speaking to Cain.
“Whether it’s Republican or Democrat, when they win, it doesn’t make any difference. They seem to lose the midterms, so that’s the only thing I worry about,” he said.
“Maybe they [voters] want to put up a guard fence. You just don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. Even if a president did well, they seemed to lose the midterms, but hopefully we’re going to change that around.”
Republicans argue that the stakes of the upcoming midterms are especially high, pointing to Democratic calls for renewed investigations, aggressive regulatory policies, and expanded government spending. Trump’s message to voters in Iowa centered on the need for unified Republican turnout to prevent what he described as partisan gridlock and politically motivated impeachment efforts from resurfacing.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Thursday he would consider dropping out of the closely watched Republican Senate primary against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if Senate Republicans meet several conditions, a statement that comes as President Donald Trump prepares to weigh in on the race.
Paxton said he would consider exiting the contest if Senate leadership agreed to eliminate the filibuster — the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance most legislation in the upper chamber — and pass a bill requiring voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.
The legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, has already passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate, where Republicans lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
Paxton framed his proposal as part of a broader effort to advance Trump’s agenda in Washington.
“John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation,” Paxton wrote Thursday on the social media platform X.
“The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare,” he added. “For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done.”
Paxton’s comments come a day after Trump said he plans to issue an endorsement in the Texas Senate runoff and urged whichever candidate he does not back to exit the race to unify the party.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said the GOP must quickly coalesce around a nominee ahead of the general election.
“The Texas Republican Senate Primary has been very interesting to watch,” Trump wrote.
“The Texas Republican Senate Primary cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer,” he continued. “IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively! Both John [Cornyn] and Ken [Paxton] ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!”
The Republican primary advanced to a runoff earlier this week after neither Paxton nor Cornyn secured a majority of the vote. The runoff election is scheduled for May 26.
Cornyn has expressed some openness to changes to Senate filibuster rules but has warned that eliminating the 60-vote threshold could backfire if Democrats regain control of the chamber.
The incumbent senator has also supported the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote and present photo identification at the polls.
Some Republicans have floated adopting a “talking filibuster,” which would require senators opposing a bill to hold the floor continuously to block passage. Under that proposal, legislation could ultimately pass with 51 votes once opponents stop speaking. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has expressed skepticism about implementing such a change.
Republican leadership has also reportedly urged Trump to endorse Cornyn in hopes of avoiding a prolonged and potentially divisive primary fight.
CNN reporter Kristen Holmes was on the ground at former President Donald Trump’s rally in the Bronx on Thursday and couldn’t help but say she was stunned by the turnout in the deep blue community.
During the rally, Trump was joined on stage at one point by rappers “Sheff G” and “Sleepy Hallow,” who both endorsed him, and some Bronx residents expressed their surprise that a presidential candidate would hold a rally in their neighborhood.
While describing the rally to CNN host Anderson Cooper, Holmes said Trump had attracted “a bigger crowd than I think Democrats would like to see, particularly given this is one of the bluest counties in the entire country.”
Holmes added that Trump’s event in the Bronx didn’t just pull in people from miles away who travel to the former president’s campaign rallies.
“One of the things that was interesting to me is that the Trump campaign said that they were going to micro-target to get people from the community to come to this rally. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’ve gone to a lot of these rallies across the country, and there are often people who travel hundreds of miles to see Donald Trump and they’re not necessarily part of the community. However, one of the things that I found was that there were a lot of people here that were actually from the Bronx,” Holmes reported.
Even CNN is admitting President Trump's rally in the Bronx was a massive success:
"Certainly a bigger crowd than I think Democrats would like to see, particularly given this is one of the bluest counties in the entire country!" 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XScfuQmnVa
