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GOP Presidential Candidate Drops Out, Makes Key Endorsement

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Larry Elder ,Sgt. Jacob Harrer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder has suspended his presidential campaign and is throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump.

In a statement Thursday evening, Elder expressed gratitude for his supporters and said he was honored by their enthusiasm and grassroots support. He further explained that after assessing his campaign and the state of the race, he had made the “difficult decision” to suspend his campaign.

“Throughout my campaign, I have been steadfast in my belief that the biggest issues facing our nation are the crisis of fatherlessness, the dangerous lie that America is systemically racist, the need for an amendment to the constitution to set federal spending to a fixed percentage of the GDP — otherwise government gets bigger whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge, and the need to remove the Soros-backed DAs across the country who refuse to enforce the law,” he said in a statement.

“The breakdown of the family structure and the absence of positive father figures in the lives of many children have far-reaching consequences for our society, including the crime wave we are currently seeing in America today,” he continued. “I hope that my campaign has helped shine a light on these critical issues and sparked important conversations about how we can solve them.”

In August, Elder made waves after he threatened to sue the Republican National Committee (RNC) for not including him in the first GOP debate. While the RNC determined Elder had failed to meet the required threshold for number of individual donors and polling, he accused them of purposely silencing him.

“I said from the beginning that it appeared the rules of the game were rigged, little did we know just how rigged it is. For some reason, the establishment leaders at the RNC are afraid of having my voice on the debate stage,” he said in an X post at the time.

In his Thursday statement, Elder encourages Republicans to support Trump for president.

“Now that I am exiting the race, I am proud to announce my endorsement of Donald Trump for President of the United States. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing conservative, America-first principles and policies that have benefited our great nation,” Elder said. “We must unite behind Donald Trump to beat Joe Biden and fight back against Biden’s unprecedented election interference and the left’s destruction of America.

“I want to thank my supporters, volunteers, and donors who invested their time, energy, and resources in this campaign. From Iowa to New Hampshire to Nevada and beyond, I am grateful for the opportunity to have met so many incredible Americans who share our values.”

Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk Endorses JD Vance For President In 2028

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Xuthoria, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

PHOENIX — Erika Kirk, the chief executive of Turning Point USA and the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, formally endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 on Thursday, offering an early show of support that drew sustained applause at the group’s AmericaFest conference.

Kirk’s remarks, delivered before a packed ballroom of activists and donors, marked one of the earliest high-profile endorsements of the post-Trump era, signaling that influential conservative organizations are already looking ahead, years before that period formally begins.

A Long-Term Strategy for the Right

Framing her endorsement as part of a broader political plan, Kirk said Turning Point USA is focused less on individual races and more on reshaping the electoral map.

“For both 2026 and 2028, we’re investing in states and not just in races,” Kirk said. “So what I mean by that is we are building the red wall — Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire. That’s going to be very important to us.”

She stressed that the immediate goal remains protecting Republican majorities in Congress to support President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.

“We’re going to ensure that President Trump has Congress for all four years,” she said.

A Line That Lit Up the Room

Kirk’s most forceful moment came when she turned directly to the next presidential cycle.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for ’28 in the most resounding way possible,” she said, drawing cheers and a standing ovation from much of the crowd.

The endorsement is notable for its timing. With nearly three years to go before the next presidential election, few Republican leaders have been willing to publicly line up behind a successor.

Vance: Focused on the Job for Now

Vance has not announced a presidential campaign and has repeatedly said his attention remains on his role as vice president.

In an interview last month with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Vance acknowledged he has thought about what comes next, but said he avoids dwelling on it.

“I’ve thought about what that moment might look like after the midterm elections, sure,” Vance said. “But whenever I think about that, I try to put it out of my head and remind myself the American people elected me to do a job right now.”

He warned that premature ambition can be counterproductive.

“If you start getting distracted and focus on what comes next, I think it actually makes you worse at the job that you have,” Vance said.

For now, he said, the administration’s political focus is straightforward.

  • Win the 2026 midterms
  • Hold Republican majorities
  • Revisit future plans after that

“And then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it,” Vance said.

A Crowded Field Taking Shape

Kirk’s endorsement comes as early maneuvering intensifies within the Republican Party. Vance is widely viewed as a top-tier contender, but he is far from alone.

Other Republicans frequently mentioned as possible 2028 candidates include:

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio
  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
  • Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
  • Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
  • Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
  • Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul

At the same AmericaFest gathering, ideological tensions within the conservative movement were also on display. Media figures Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson took public shots at one another, reflecting broader disagreements over the direction of the right and Carlson’s past platforming of far-right figures, like white supremacist Nick Fuentes.

An Early Marker for 2028

Still, Kirk’s remarks underscore the influence of Turning Point USA and its ability to mobilize young activists, donors, and grassroots organizers nationwide.

With the 2026 midterms looming and 2028 already on the minds of key players, her endorsement serves as an early marker of where some of the conservative movement hopes to go next — and a sign that JD Vance is already being positioned as a central figure in the GOP’s future.

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Democrat Senator Pushes Back On ‘Rightward Shift’ Accusations, Defends Trump Meeting

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A Democrat Senator defended his recent meeting with President Trump after his recent bipartisan efforts have sparked criticism.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said on Monday that President Trump was “kind” and “cordial” at a Mar-a-Lago meeting that sparked scrutiny

“Overall, it was a positive experience. I mean, he was kind, he was cordial. It wasn’t in any kind of theater. It wasn’t trying to get your picture taken to kind of put something out on social media. It was just, really, a conversation. We actually spoke for over an hour,” Fetterman told “The View.”

Fetterman met with Trump at his Palm Beach resort earlier this month, ahead of the inauguration, and Trump left with praise for the Pennsylvania senator. 

“He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful,” Trump said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

Fetterman’s open-minded approach to Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans has stirred speculation about the first-term senator’s motives, including questions about whether he was preparing to change parties.

During Monday’s episode of The View, Sunny Hostin ran back a clip of former police officer Michael Fanone, who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, on MSNBC this week. Fanone name-dropped Fetterman, having publicly endorsed his run for office, as a lawmaker who “ran for the hills” and abandoned law enforcement when Trump pardoned rioters.

Hostin added that critics “on the left” have called out the senator for undergoing a “rightward shift.”

“What do you say to those who are now, in a sense, questioning your commitment to the Democratic Party?” she asked.

Fetterman began by refuting the idea he had changed and underscoring his disgust at the Jan. 6 pardons.

First, I just want to say I am so sorry for what happened to that officer. I mean, he’s had a heart attack. His life – he almost died. I mean, I have had a stroke, same thing. Absolute empathy, and just appalled for witnessing what happened on January 6th, and I absolutely would reject pardoning people that were involved in that.

As for rightward? That’s just… that just happens not to be true. I have been on record too saying I am not going to become a Republican, you know? Although maybe some people might be happy on one side, but I would make a pretty terrible Republican because, you know, pro-choice, pro-really strong immigration, pro-LGBTQ, you know, just pretty, like… I don’t think I would be a good fit.

So I’m not going to change my party, and if I am going to do, I’m going to show up. I’ll give you the exclusive. I can announce. So I can’t keep chasing down every last thing that’s online because they just happen not to be true. Just look at my votes. Look at the things… I haven’t changed in a way.

Trump Scores Legal Victory, Case Against Hillary Clinton Resuscitated – What’s Next?

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Hillary Clinton via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A federal appeals court on Friday granted former President Donald Trump more time to file a crucial document in his effort to revive his failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.

The lawsuit, originally filed in March 2022, accuses Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, former FBI Director James Comey and others of rigging the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s legal team claims the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to “discredit, delegitimize and defame” him during his first presidential campaign.

Trump’s request for additional time was aimed at resuscitating the racketeering (RICO) suit. His legal team also sought to expand their arguments in the case.

Law & Crime reports:

Now, in the waning days of his third bid for public office, the underlying lawsuit is long-since dead and gone – dismissed as “frivolous” and “hyperbole” by a district court in Florida in September 2022 – but remains on appellate life support in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a terse order, Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Kevin C. Newsom gave Trump an opportunity to stretch the process a bit further – and to opine about the issues at stake in the appeal at length.

“Appellants’ unopposed motion to exceed the word limitation in their consolidated reply brief and to enlarge the time to file that brief is GRANTED,” the judge’s order reads. “The consolidated reply brief, which may not exceed 10,000 words, is due by September 27, 2024.”

In late August, Trump asked Clinton’s counsel for consent in order to obtain the since-granted extension – citing “pressing hearings occurring in other cases.” The original deadline was Aug. 30. The original word limit, under court rules, was 6,500 words.

Trump’s lawyers replied a few days later with a detailed request for an extension, which the judge found persuasive.

“The interests of justice and judicial economy will be served by permitting this extension of time in the context of the multiple consolidated appeals,” Trump’s attorneys wrote. “Appellants’ counsel conferred with Appellees’ counsel regarding the relief sought in this motion and all Appellees oppose this extension request.”

Following the judge’s decision, Clinton reluctantly agreed to the extension without objection.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

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Dem Senator Leaves Door Open For Potential Presidential Run

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Could this no-nonsense Democrat be angling for a presidential bid?

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) did not rule out a 2028 presidential run during a Wednesday podcast with political analyst Chuck Todd.

When Todd pressed Fetterman on “The Chuck ToddCast” about whether he would run for the White House, the senator indicated he was unsure about whether he was paving the way for another independent-minded Democrat or considering his own bid.

“I know we’re wrapping up, so I’m going to make you answer the ’28 question,” Todd said. “What would it take to get you to run for president?”

“I am focusing right now on just the burgeoning kinds of chaos and trying to find a balance and find a way forward,” Fetterman replied. “And, you know, doing things that I know that will anger parts of my base. I hope that there is room in my party for someone who wants that kind of truth.”

Todd pressed further, asking if Fetterman was attempting to “plow a path forward for somebody like that” or if he wanted to “take the path” himself.

“I don’t know,” Fetterman responded before Todd cut him off, noting the senator was “not saying no” to a potential run.

“I’m not afraid of being honest. And now if there is going to be blowback or I’m punished, I get that. But for me, I think it’s more important to be honest and to describe the danger of where we possibly are at,” Fetterman responded. “And we have to stop and think before we make another significant mistake that’s even more and more difficult to come back from.”

Todd told the senator he would mark Fetterman “as not a no for ’28.”

“What I’m saying is that there will be a 2028,” the senator responded.

Watch:

A Washington Post analysis from January this year listed Fetterman as one of “12 Democrats who make the most sense for 2028,” citing his independence within the Democratic Party.

Others considered to be potential Democratic 2028 contenders include failed 2024 candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and a handful of Democratic governors — Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Wes Moore of Maryland. Polling generally suggests that Democrats are by far most interested in seeing Harris become the party’s nominee again, followed distantly by Buttigieg and Newsom, according to Newsweek.

Todd on Sunday recommended Harris not pursue political office for the next several years.

“If I were advising her, I’d tell her: go throw yourself into the rebuild of LA and get involved with the LA Olympic Committee,” he said. “Be above politics for a couple of years and come back maybe in 2030 or 2032.”

Trump Calls Greene A ‘Traitor’ Amid Fight For Epstein File Transparency

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Trump pushed back Sunday evening against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) warnings about her personal safety, escalating an already tense dispute within the GOP over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac before departing Palm Beach, Fla., the president reiterated his criticism of Greene, again referring to the outspoken conservative as a “traitor” when asked about her claim that Trump’s rhetoric could endanger her life.

“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Greene,” Trump said, correcting a reporter who used the congresswoman’s actual name. “I don’t think her life is in danger. I don’t think — frankly, I don’t think anybody cares about her.”

A short time later, Trump doubled down on Truth Social, taking aim at Greene as tensions continue to rise over her calls for the full release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Wacky Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown (Remember, Green turns to Brown where there is ROT involved!) is working overtime to try and portray herself as a victim when, in actuality, she is the cause of all of her own problems,” Trump wrote. “The fact is, nobody cares about this Traitor to our Country!”

Greene, who has long portrayed herself as one of Trump’s staunchest allies, had posted earlier on X that “the hoax pizza deliveries have started now, to my house and family members,” and said her family’s construction business had received a pipe bomb threat. She argued that Trump’s attacks on her were “a dog whistle to dangerous radicals that could lead to serious attacks on me and my family.”

Responding to Trump labeling her a traitor, Greene wrote that the accusation is “absolutely untrue and horrific” and said such language “puts blood in the water and creates a feeding frenzy. And it could ultimately lead to a harmful or even deadly outcome.”

“I am not a traitor,” she insisted. “However, when the President of the United States irresponsibly calls a Member of Congress of his own party, traitor, he is signaling what must be done to a traitor.”

Watch:

Greene defended her record and her long-standing loyalty to Trump. “I fought harder than anyone to help President Trump get elected and I support his administration and the promises we made on the campaign,” she wrote. “My voting record is one of the most conservative voting records in Congress and I’m very proud of that. The toxic and dangerous rhetoric in politics must end and we need healing in this country for all Americans.”

The dispute comes as Greene has intensified her criticism of Trump’s earlier reluctance to endorse the full release of the Epstein files—documents many Republicans argue should be made public to expose potential wrongdoing and eliminate politically motivated speculation. The House is expected to vote this week on a measure compelling the Department of Justice to release those records. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who initiated the discharge petition to force the vote, said he expects significant Republican support.

By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer – https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695

Republican pressure on Trump increased last week after Democrats selectively released new emails, including one allegedly written by Epstein claiming Trump “knew about the girls.” Many conservatives view the move as a partisan attempt to smear Trump and distract from Democratic figures who were associated with Epstein. In response, and just minutes before his latest Truth Social post criticizing Greene, Trump urged House Republicans to back full transparency.

Lawmakers “should vote to release the Epstein files,” Trump said, arguing, “we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.”

Still, Massie cautioned that the Justice Department—now conducting new probes into Epstein’s alleged connections to Democrats—might use those investigations to justify withholding certain materials even after Congress acts. Republicans warn that bureaucratic resistance could undermine the effort for full disclosure, a point fueling frustration both inside and outside the party.

Poll Shows New Trump Advantage In New Hampshire

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

More good news for Trump…

A new poll conducted by St. Anselm College in New Hampshire indicates Biden’s poor debate performance is resonating with voters.

According to the poll, Trump now holds a two-point lead (44%-42%) over Biden. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is mounting an independent bid for the presidency after initially running in the Democratic primary, earned the support of just 4% of voters.

Neil Levesque, the director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm, declared that the poll shows “that New Hampshire is really a competitive state in the presidential election.”

“Events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect,” he added.

Among voters who were aware of the debate, 54% said Trump won, while just 6% said Biden won and 39% said there was no winner. The poll showed that 81% of those who watched the debate said it won’t affect their vote in November, so the trend might have started before the end of last week.

“I think people are very partisan,” Levesque said. “So, they’re in their camps and they say, ‘Well, I watched the debate, but it doesn’t affect how I’m going to vote.’ But certainly, events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect.”

Trump Intentionally Drives Dems Crazy With Third Term Talk

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Trump knows exactly how to drive Democrats crazy…

Trump has occasionally suggested he may run for a third term and even has “Trump 2028” hats in the Oval Office, much to the chagrin of his Democrat rivals.

On Monday, Trump declined to rule out running again when asked by a reporter which has prompted a fresh wave of meltdowns from liberal lawmakers and pundits.

The President made the admission while aboard Air Force One as it headed to South Korea on Tuesday night, or late Wednesday morning, local time.

“I would say that, if you read it, it’s pretty clear,” Trump said, referring to the Constitution during an in-flight gaggle with reporters. “I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad. I mean, it’s too bad. But we have a lot of great people.”

On Monday, Trump also said Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marc Rubio would be great Republican presidential nominees, setting up a potential rivalry between the two ahead of 2028.

A number of Republicans have claimed that Trump could in theory serve another term in the White House, potentially even as Vice President.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) suggested that the president “might be able to go around the Constitution” to serve a third term.

“If you read the Constitution, it says it’s not [possible],” Tuberville stated. “But if he says he has some different circumstances that might be able to go around the Constitution. But that’s up to him. We got a long way to go before that happens.”

Serving a third term is not “up to” the president.

A reporter then said, “But you’re open to it?”

“Well, I think that there’s going to be– have to have to be an evaluation from President Trump’s viewpoint to the Constitution,” the senator replied. “There will be a lot of legal aspects to it. Will it happen? It’s very unlikely. But, don’t ever close the book on President Trump.”

His former adviser, Steve Bannon, has ralso epeatedly claimed Trump can serve another term and that “there’s a plan” in place, and that the president will win in 2028.

However, despite some calls for Trump to potentially amend the Constitution, House Speaker Mike Johnson soundly rejected the proposal earlier this week.

“I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about the constrictions of the Constitution,” the speaker said. “I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution, because it takes 10 years to do that.”

Despite the glaring Constitutional issues associated with President Donald Trump serving a third term- which Trump has openly admitted to- Democrats still can’t pass on an opportunity to stage a meltdown over the matter.

California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is “deeply concerned” about remarks from President Donald Trump and his close allies about possibly seeking a third term in 2028.

Newsom, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender himself, was asked by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl if he takes such talk seriously.

“They’re not screwing around,” Newsom said.

Trump Asks Judge To Dismiss Hush Money Case

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Trump lawyers called for an “immediate dismissal” of New York v. Trump on Wednesday, saying the American people’s choice to elect the former president to a second term “supersedes” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “political motivations.”

In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan on Wednesday, Trump defense attorney and now-nominee for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche demanded the case against the president-elect be tossed. 

“On November 5, 2024, the Nation’s People issued a mandate that supersedes the political motivations of DANY’s ‘People,’” Blanche wrote. “This case must be immediately dismissed.” 

Blanche said that “immediate dismissal of this case is mandated by the federal Constitution, the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, and the interests of justice, in order to facilitate the orderly transition of Executive power following President Trump’s overwhelming victory in the 2024 Presidential Election.” 

Blanche’s pre-motion letter Wednesday was sent in order to request permission to file a motion to dismiss by Dec. 20, 2024 and to request a stay on all deadlines, which Bragg and New York prosecutors have agreed to. 

Blanche argued that Bragg “appears to not yet be ready to dismiss this politically-motivated and fatally flawed case, which is what is mandated by the law and will happen as justice takes its course.” Blanche pointed to Bragg’s own election campaign for another term as Manhattan DA. 

Blanche argued that “continuing with this case would be ‘uniquely destabilizing’ and threatens to ‘hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus, both in foreign and domestic affairs.’” 

“The Court must address these new issues and dismiss the case, prior to issuing a decision on the previously filed Presidential immunity motion,” Blanche explained. “Any other action would obviously violate the presidential immunity doctrine and the Supremacy Clause.” 

The letter comes after Bragg on Tuesday sent a letter to Merchan requesting a stay on the case until 2029. Bragg said he would oppose Trump’s motion to dismiss, but said he would be open to receiving the defense argument. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree stemming from the years-long investigation related to alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Kicks Off Anti-Trump Tour

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By Bingjiefu He - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

New York City’s Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is officially launching his “Five Boroughs Against Trump” tour in the Big Apple.

Mamdani kicked off his anti-Trump tour alongside Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) in Manhattan on Monday morning. He reportedly plans to visit Brooklyn on Tuesday, Staten Island on Wednesday, the Bronx on Thursday and Queens on Friday, Fox News has confirmed

The 33-year-old self-described socialist’s tour is a rejection of the Trump administration’s sweeping second-term agenda and his so-called “authoritarian” attack on working New Yorkers, specifically, immigration and health care reform. 

“There is no borough that will be free from Trump’s cruelty,” Mamdani said on Monday. “We will feel the pain of this legislation, whether we are in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, and we will shine a light this week and every week on the costs of this vision that is coming out of Washington, D.C.”

Donald Trump is waging a full-scale assault on American democracy, dismantling our institutions, attacking our universities and our scientific research base, using government power to serve himself and his donors, and targeting New York City because New Yorkers have always seen him for what he is – a narcissistic, wannabe dictator,” Nadler said during the event on Monday.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams are also running as an independents, and CEO of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliwa, is the Republican nominee. 

“Comrade Mamdani is the American people’s worst nightmare,” White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, told Fox News Digital. “His communist policies will crater our economy, increase crime, crowd out Americans with free health care for illegal immigrants, and defund the brave men and women of law enforcement who keep us safe.”

The White House added that “Mamdani’s idea of ‘immigration reform’ is no borders and amnesty for all the violent criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden released into our country. The American people have repeatedly rejected this Communist agenda and the more Mamdani shares his radical policies, the more the American people will recoil.” 

The New York Times reported last week that Trump recently spoke on the phone with Cuomo and has been speaking with associates about which candidate has the best chance to beat Mamdani in November. Meanwhile, Mamdani has described how his administration would be Trump’s “worst nightmare.”

“We see far too many parallels between Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo, far too many stories that make clear that both administrations have been characterized by corruption, by a sense of impunity, by an inability of an executive to understand that no means no, a prioritization of the interests of billionaires over working people, and an agenda that is driven by little else beyond the retention and accumulation of power,” Mamdani said Monday.