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    Republican Hopeful Refuses to Sign RNC Pledge to Support 2024 Nominee

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Texas Congressman William Hurd is refusing to sign on to the rules laid out by the Republican National Committee (RNC) to support the 2024 presidential nominee, therefore disqualifying him from the 2024 debate stage.

    In an appearance on CNN, Hurd, who has positioned himself as a centrist, anti-Trump contender for the Republican nomination, said that he was fine meeting all the other criteria for attending the Republican presidential debates, but would not pledge to support Trump if he is the eventual nominee.

    “That’s right,” he answered when asked if it was true that he would not pledge to support the eventual 2024 Republican nominee. “I’m gonna work towards hitting all the requirements, but I can’t lie to get access to a microphone.”

    “I’ve taken one oath, and that’s to protect the Constitution,” he continued. “I’m not going to support Donald Trump. I recognize the impact that it has on on on my ability to get access to the debate stage, but I can’t lie. It’ll be easy to say I’ll do it, and then when it comes down, you know, change your mind. But I just can’t, I can’t do that.”

    The RNC laid out its requirements for Republican candidates to secure a spot on the debate stage last month. In the RNC rules, candidates must poll at least 1% in three national polls, sign a pledge to support whoever the 2024 nominee ends up being, and reach a minimum of 40,000 unique donors, among other qualifications.

    Hurd, one of the most recent entries into the Republican field, fails to register in most recent polls. 

    Report: Judge To Block Trump Admin’s Harvard Foreign Students Ban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    PaWikiCom, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A federal judge in Boston issued a preliminary injunction Thursday to block the Trump administration’s directive to strip Harvard University of its ability to admit international students.

    Judge Allison D. Burroughs – who was appointed by former President Barack Obama – already granted Harvard University a temporary restraining order last week, preventing the government from revoking the Ivy League school’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The program permits the university to host international students with F-1 or J-1 visas to study in the U.S.

    At Thursday’s hearing, Burroughs said the block on the Trump administration would stand for now.

    Fox News reports:

    In its lawsuit, Harvard said the revocation would impact more than 7,000 visa holders – more than a quarter of its student body.

    Homeland Security Investigations doubled down in a filing on Wednesday on its intent to withdraw Harvard’s certification of its Student Exchange Visitors Program. DHS cited several “compliance issues,” citing the university’s failure to follow reporting requirements, failure to “maintain a campus environment free of violence and antisemitism” and “practices with foreign entities raising national security concerns.”  

    Lawyers representing Harvard said in Thursday’s hearing that international students are “terrified” and are “facing real harm in real time.” 

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

    DeSantis Responds To Opponents Who Claim He Doesn’t Have Enough ‘Personality’ To Be President

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    Ron DeSantis is paying no attention to the critics.

    During an interview with Piers Morgan, the popular Florida Governor laughed off critics who claim he lacks the personality to be elected president.

    “One of the other criticisms that is used against you about your personality, probably because some people don’t know you very well, because those who do, who I’ve spoken to, tell a different story,” Morgan said. “But you’re being depicted in some of the national media as very intense, quite boring, charisma devoid.”

    Morgan said that one critic who reviewed DeSantis’ book said that DeSantis “would launch any charm offensive unarmed.”

    “Well, I appreciate the knocks on the book, it’s the number one book in America far and away,” DeSantis responded after chuckling. “I’ve sold more than any non-president in the history of the country in terms of the first week, so we’ve been doing pretty good, a lot of people like it.”

    “So here’s the thing, I think these are people who are in the political class, journalist class, politicians in, like, D.C. in particular, they get mad I don’t do the cocktail parties,” DeSantis said. “I don’t like rubbing elbows with other people. I like doing my job and then spending time with my family. That’s just what I do.”

    “A lot of the people that are criticizing, you know, they would say, ‘Oh, he doesn’t do well with donors. He doesn’t glad hand with them,’” he said. “And yet I raise more money than any non-presidential candidate in the history of America! Are you kidding me?”

    DeSantis concluded that “I deal better with regular people than I do with some of the people in the political class, and I think that has been true for the entire time I’ve been around”

    White House Denies Reports It’s Seeking New Defense Secretary

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    2

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t mince words Monday, firing back at an NPR report claiming the administration is quietly searching for a new secretary of defense.

    In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Leavitt dismissed the story as “fake news” and reaffirmed that President Trump has full confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — echoing remarks she made earlier during an appearance on Fox News.

    At the center of the controversy are revelations that Hegseth shared sensitive details about a planned U.S. airstrike in Yemen through a private Signal chat. According to a New York Times report published Sunday — later corroborated by The Wall Street Journal — the previously unreported March 15 exchange included Hegseth’s wife, brother and personal attorney.

    Hegseth allegedly disclosed the timing of F/A-18 Hornet aircraft departures for an operation targeting Houthi terrorists. The Signal group, titled Defense | Team Huddle, was reportedly used for both personal and professional updates — but in this instance, it included highly sensitive operational information.

    The incident follows a previous misstep involving another Signal chat, where a conversation between top administration officials — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance — was accidentally shared with a prominent liberal journalist from The Atlantic.

    The Pentagon inspector general’s office has launched an inquiry to assess whether the use of a platform like Signal violated protocols for handling certain information.

    Despite the growing pressure, the administration has shown no public sign of backing away from Hegseth. In addition to Leavitt’s denial of the NPR story, Trump himself has brushed off concerns over Hegseth’s Signal chats.

    The White House may be banking on a unified public front to contain the fallout.

    READ NEXT: Trump Cabinet Member Robbed

    Michael Cohen Requests Judge Dismiss Trump Lawsuit

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Michael Cohen is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit he faces from former President Trump.

    The former Trump “fixer” says that Trump’s $500 million lawsuit against him is “retaliation” for his part in being a witness in Manhattan prosecutors’ criminal case against the former president.

    “This suit combines the worst of Mr. Trump’s vindictive impulses. The Complaint, frivolous and scattershot, is an abusive act of pure retaliation and witness intimidation, albeit a ham-fisted one. It must be dismissed as a matter of law,” Cohen’s attorneys wrote in a court filing, according to The Hill.

    “Former President Donald J. Trump has described his favorite Bible verse as ‘an eye for an eye,’ which fairly captures his long history of exacting brutal retaliation — both broadly against perceived political, professional, and personal enemies, and specifically against Defendant Michael D. Cohen. Some of this retaliatory conduct has been petty and mean-spirited; some of it is patently unlawful and includes witness tampering, obstruction, and civil rights violations. Mr. Trump often abuses the court system to this end,” Cohen’s attorneys wrote.

    In the new dismissal motion, Cohen’s attorneys contended Trump’s suit must be tossed because many of Trump’s claims were brought too late, while others weren’t specific enough or did not show Trump suffered any harm.

    Trump’s filed a lawsuit against Cohen last month in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

    The suit alleges Cohen breached a confidentiality agreement and his attorney-client relationship with the former president, among other claims. The former president’s suit takes aim at Cohen’s book, podcast, and various media appearances, claiming he maliciously worked to acquire attention and wealth at Trump’s expense. 

    Trump’s lawsuit against Cohen came shortly after he was indicted in New York on 34 felony charges concerning allegations he orchestrated a plan with Cohen and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to help squash politically damaging stories before they became public knowledge.

    Canadian Conservative Poised To Lose Seat After 20 Years In Stunning Fall From Grace

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    A stunning loss for Canadian conservatives…

    Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is projected to lose the parliamentary seat he has held for more than 20 years in a stunning defeat to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy.

    The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a state-owned outlet, projected the loss on Tuesday morning following Monday’s federal election.

    However, Elections Canada’s decision to pause the counting of special ballots means it remains unclear whether the Liberals, led by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, will walk away with a minority or majority mandate.

    Fanjoy, who is projected to take Poilievre’s seat in Parliament, worked in business and marketing and lives in a carbon-neutral house in Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, according to CBC.

    “We have to look out for ourselves, and we have to take care of each other. Let’s get to work,” Fanjoy wrote in a post on X.

    In his victory speech, Carney appeared to criticize the U.S. for President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which he called a “betrayal.”

    “We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” Carney said in his victory speech. “America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never … ever happen.”

    In late 2024, just before Trudeau’s resignation, Poilievre was up 25 points over the unpopular then-prime minister, according to Politico. However, Trump’s tariffs and comments about making Canada the 51st state took over the Great White North’s election cycle, likely fueling Carney and the Liberals’ victory. 

    President Trump has repeated remarks referencing Canada potentially becoming the 51st state.

    “What I’d like to see — Canada become our 51st state,” Trump said in February in the Oval Office when asked what concessions Canada could offer to stave off tariffs.

    Despite Canada being one of the United States’ top trade partners Trump asserted the U.S. did not need Canada’s lumber or automobile production.

    The president suggested it’s unlikely the U.S. will annex Canada, partly because neither side would be willing to put up with the economic pain that would be required for that to happen.

    “We don’t need them. As a state, it’s different. As a state it’s much different. And there are no tariffs,” Trump said. “So I’d love to see that. Some people say that would be a longshot. If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100 percent certain that they’d become a state. But a lot of people don’t like to play the game. Because they don’t have a threshold of pain.”

    Report: Sec. Mayorkas Tells Border Official ‘Resign or Be Fired’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    16
    NEW YORK CITY (September 11, 2022) Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lays flowers for USSS Master Special Officer Craig Miller and participates in the September 11th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City, NY. (DHS photo by Sydney Phoenix)

    A Biden administration border official is reportedly being pressured to resign from his role.

    Multiple sources close to the matter informed Politico that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus is being pressured by leaders to resign or be fired after criticizing their ineffectiveness at tamping down the border surge.

    Magnus was reportedly told on Wednesday by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that he should either resign or be dismissed and, so far, the CBP chief has refused to step down, according to four people.

    Some executive assistant commissioners at CBP have indicated they would leave the agency if Magnus does not resign, according to one of the current DHS official and the former DHS official.

    Mayorkas has since shifted Magnus’ duties and responsibilities to his deputy secretary, John Tien, and has deputy CBP commissioner Troy Miller, a career government official, running the agency’s day-to-day operations, according to three of the people.

    POLITICO reported in October that five current administration officials who work with Magnus described him as unengaged in his job, saying he often failed to attend White House meetings on the situation on the border, badmouthed other agencies to colleagues and superiors, and has not built relationships within CBP and across other immigration agencies to address the influx of migrants at the border. Several also said he fell asleep in numerous meetings, which Magnus blamed on the effects of his multiple sclerosis.

    Magnus has been leading the border agency since December and it’s currently unclear who might permanently take over his Senate-confirmed position if he complies with Sec. Mayorkas’ wishes.

    CBP is responsible for securing U.S. borders at and between ports of entry. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the agency responsible for arresting and detaining undocumented people within U.S. borders and both agencies are encompassed within DHS.

    The latest DHS data shows that for the fiscal year ending in September, nearly 2.4 million migrants were detained at the border, a 37% increase from the year before.

    Trump Announces Benjamin Netanyahu Has Agreed to His Plan to End War in Gaza

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during their joint press conference, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Leslie N. Emory)

    President Donald Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to his plan to end Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip during a press conference at the White House that followed a meeting between the two leaders on Monday.

    The United States released Trump’s 20-point plan in full moments before Trump and Netanyahu stepped out in front of reporters for the press conference.

    “I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan, and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years decades, even centuries. And begin a new chapter of security, peace, and prosperity for the entire region,” said Trump in his opening remarks.

    Read Trump’s peace plan, in full, below:

    1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

    2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

    3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

    4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.

    5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

    6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

    7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

    8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.

    9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.

    10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

    11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

    12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.

    13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

    14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.

    15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

    16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.

    17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.

    18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.

    19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

    20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

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

    The Hoover Institution supports conservatives. Discover what it takes to turn around a bad situation in this FREE eBook. [Download the free Ebook NOW]

    Supreme Court Reviews 14th Amendment Challenge to Boot Trump from Ballot

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Good news for Team Trump!

    On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear a bid to disqualify former President Trump from running for office under the 14th Amendment.

    John Castro, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, filed various lawsuits seeking to challenge Trump’s eligibility to appear on the 2024 ballot.

    Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states that no person shall hold elected office who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States.”

    The Hill has more:

    In a brief, unsigned order issued Monday, the justices declined to take up one of his cases after Castro lost in a lower court.

    “The Supreme Court can deny to hear the case but appellate courts cannot,” Castro responded on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

    “I’m still pursuing decisions in the liberal appellate courts and there’s a full blown trial scheduled for October 20 in New Hampshire and a bench trial in Arizona on October 31,” he added.

    Castro had argued Trump gave “his aid and comfort to the convicted criminals and insurrectionists that violently attacked our United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, which results in disqualification to hold public office pursuant to the self-executing nature of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

    The Supreme Court’s decision comes as Trump faces similar efforts in multiple states to disqualify him from the ballot.

    Over the weekend a liberal group in Michigan filed a lawsuit to keep Trump off the ballot, arguing he violated the 14th Amendment. (RELATED: Michigan Group Sues To Keep Trump Off 2024 Ballot)

    Trump, who waived his right to respond to Castro’s petition before the Supreme Court, has broadly attacked the legal push as “another ‘trick’ being used by the Radical Left Communists, Marxists, and Fascists.”

    Trump Scores Big Legal Win Against Pulitzer Prize Board Members

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2

    President Donald Trump scored a significant legal win Monday in his lawsuit against the members of the Pulitzer Prize Board.

    Last week, the board members filed a motion for Protective Order Governing Discovery in hopes of shielding their internal communications involving the decision to award The New York Times and The Washington Post a Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on Russiagate during Trump’s first term in office.

    Judge Robert L. Pegg of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Okeechobee County, Florida, stuck down their motion. 

    Fox News reports:

    “The rule requires ‘an affirmative showing of annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense’ from such party or person… Defendants have failed to meet this requirement, as there is no factual support in the record demonstrating that any defendant, much less each defendant, would be subject to annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense if a protective order is not entered,” Pegg wrote in his filing. 

    “President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in deception and fake news to account,” Trump attorney Quincy Bird told Fox News Digital. “The defendants, hiding behind the once-prestigious Pulitzer Prizes, attempted to resurrect a left-wing hoax by giving, as well as continuing to stand by and republishing, its disgraced award to the organizations that drove the infamous ‘Russia Russia Russia’ hoax.” 

    “This was a defamatory scam designed to damage President Trump’s image and presidential campaign. After today’s win in court, this case will now proceed to a very thorough discovery process and President Trump
    is committed to seeing this case through to a just conclusion,” Bird added. 

    In 2022, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board over the 2018 National Reporting prizes given to the Times and Post for coverage of the “now-debunked theory” of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

    The lawsuit states that a “demonstrably false connection was and remains the stated basis” for the coverage that received the prestigious award. 

    The staff of the Times and Post shared the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for “deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation’s understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration,” according to the Pulitzer website. 

    “A large swath of Americans had a tremendous misunderstanding of the truth at the time the Times’ and the Post’s propagation of the Russia Collusion Hoax dominated the media,” the complaint states. “Remarkably, they were rewarded for lying to the American public.”

    The complaint made a series of points indicating why it feels the Pulitzer Prize-winning stories are unworthy of the honor, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller failing to find evidence of collusion, and a DOJ Inspector General Report outlining malfeasance by federal investigators.

    Trump’s team previously called for “a full and fair correction, apology, or retraction” to be issued, in addition to the 2018 prizes being rescinded, but the Pulitzer Prize Board declared the awards would stand.

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