It’s not a secret that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is no fan of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz after helping lead the charge to oust him from the Speaker’s office.
While the Florida Republican who filed a motion to vacate the chair in October 2023, which triggered a vote of the House on whether to remove McCarthy as speaker claims his actions were motivated by McCarthy’s mishandling of the office, the former Speaker discussed his own opinion on the shocking events.
McCarthy claims Gaetz wanted him to end a House Ethics Committee probe examining whether Gaetz had sexual relations with a minor. In January, the left-leaning publication The Daily Beast reported that Gaetz privately told colleagues he was motivated by the ethics investigation.
Appearing on the PBD Podcast, McCarthy discussed the drama with host Patrick Bet-David.
The ex-speaker pointed to court filings unsealed last week in which witnesses testified that Gaetz was at a drug-fueled party that was attended by a 17-year-old.
“Everything I said has come to fruition,” McCarthy stated. “It’s unfortunate that one person would utilize something to stop what was coming after them and disrupt the entire Congress.”
“How is the relationship now?” Bet-David asked. “Because I know I saw you guys at the RNC where he walked up to you while you’re talking to somebody. ‘You wouldn’t be on the stage, you would be booed’ or something like that. Are you guys better know or–
“No!” McCarthy said. “I don’t hang around with pedophiles, I’m sorry.”
Watch:
The Department of Justice investigated Gaetz, but ultimately declined to prosecute.
The chair of the English Department at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly flipping the College Republicans’ table on campus Tuesday morning.
UW-Eau Claire Interim Provost Michael Carney confirmed the incident with Fox News.
SPREAD THE WORD!!!
We are DEMANDING the termination of Jose Felipe Alvergue from UWEC after he ATTACKED the UWEC Republicans’ peaceful assembly this morning. The ‘tolerant’ left needs to be stopped. Sick of this bullshit happening. pic.twitter.com/XAvjr53tqV
Violent outburst today in Eau Claire WI by Jose Felipe Alvergue, an unhinged liberal whose wife is up for reelection. He needs to be FIRED. pic.twitter.com/QSCV3zgETr
“I am deeply concerned that our students’ peaceful effort to share information on campus on election day was disrupted,” Carney said in a statement. “UW-Eau Claire strongly supports every person’s right to free speech and free expression, and the university remains committed to ensuring that campus is a place where a wide variety of opinions and beliefs can be shared and celebrated.”
He added that “civil dialogue is a critical part of the university experience, and peaceful engagement is fundamental to learning itself.”
“We are working with the Universities of Wisconsin and the Office of General Counsel, which is conducting a comprehensive investigation of this matter. The faculty member involved has been placed on administrative leave pending that investigation,” Carney said.
The UW-Eau Claire College Republicans identified the faculty member on Instagram as English Department Chair José Felipe Alvergue.
Tatiana Bobrowicz, UW-Eau Claire College Republicans chair, said in a video posted to the chapter’s Instagram page that she had just finished setting up a table on Election Day.
Jose Felipe Alvergue has now been confirmed by the university to be the attacker from this morning. pic.twitter.com/X1F2OtEoni
“A professor came up and flipped our table in a violent attack towards us. This is unacceptable,” Bobrowicz said in a statement posted to the UW-Eau Claire College Republicans Instagram account on Tuesday. “The university has since confirmed that this attacker was the chair of the university’s English Department. Once again, this type of violent attack will not be tolerated.”
UW director of media relations Mark Pitsch told Fox News in a statement that university staff “appreciate that UW-Eau Claire has taken swift action, and we will be working with them to conduct the investigation.”
Crowds erupted into chants of “2028” and “President!” Tuesday night as Rep. Thomas Massie delivered a defiant concession speech following his stunning Republican primary defeat — raising fresh questions about whether the longtime Kentucky libertarian could emerge as an outsider figure in the next presidential cycle.
Massie, who represented Kentucky in Congress since 2012, lost his seat to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein in what was widely described as the most expensive House primary race in U.S. history.
The race became a high-profile test of President Donald Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party, with Trump repeatedly urging supporters to back Gallrein while launching blistering attacks on Massie throughout the campaign.
Trump at one point called Massie a “major sleazebag” and “the worst Republican congressman in history” as tensions between the two escalated over a series of high-profile disagreements.
Massie had increasingly broken with the administration on issues ranging from the “Big Beautiful Bill” and military action to efforts surrounding the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
But Tuesday night’s concession speech quickly shifted from political obituary to something closer to a campaign rally.
“Listen, I would’ve come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede,” Massie joked to supporters. “And it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv.”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Massie later urged supporters to accept the outcome, telling them his defeat was “God’s will.”
Then someone shouted: “We’re just getting started!”
“I like that,” Massie replied with a smile.
Moments later, the room broke into chants of “2028.”
“What happens in 2028?” Massie asked with a grin.
The crowd immediately answered with another chant:
“President!”
Laughing, Massie played along.
“All right, you’ve made a compelling argument,” he said. “You spoke your piece, but I need a medical margarita first, and we’ll talk about it later.”
Watch via C-SPAN:
Whether the moment was simply a crowd of disappointed supporters refusing to say goodbye — or the earliest hint of a future national movement — remains unclear.
Massie has never publicly indicated interest in a White House run, and his loss Tuesday marked a major political setback. Still, figures who cultivate anti-establishment appeal and challenge party leadership have repeatedly found influence beyond Congress.
For now, Massie may be headed out of Washington. But if the reaction from supporters Tuesday night was any indication, some in his base appear convinced his political story may not be ending — only changing direction.
The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party.
The unanimous vote was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty.
The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain.
In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party’s time.
“Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon,” he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair.
According to the resolution, Duncan is “banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party.”
The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged.
The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates.
The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker.
It also notes Duncan’s public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP.
The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to “attack the Republican Party.”
The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an “expelled Republican” in future references.
Republicans are looking forward to 2024 now that official projections reveal the GOP fell short of its goal to re-take the Senate this year.
While the expected “red wave” turned out to be more of a “red ripple” conservatives refuse to be knocked down for long. Republicans are already setting their sights on which vulnerable Democrats to target during the next election cycle in hopes of turning the upper chamber red.
Early reports indicate West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin should expect to find himself within the GOP’s crosshairs in 2024.
Despite the fact Sen. Manchin has sided with Republicans more than any other Democrat lawmaker, strategists are predicting that won’t stop Mitch McConnell from pouring millions of dollars into West Virginia next cycle to flip Manchin’s seat.
West Virginia Attorney General and failed 2018 Senate hopeful Patrick Morrisey has already been named a likely challenger to seek Manchin’s seat.
While speaking to The Hill, Morrisey said Manchin lost significant political capital when he voted in favor of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which included major components of President Biden’s agenda.
Manchin stonewalled President Joe Biden’s original Build Back Better plan but ultimately was the deciding vote for the renegotiated Inflation Reduction Act.
“Sen. Manchin deeply disappointed West Virginians and let them down tremendously when he supported the ‘Build Back Broke’ bill last summer. That legislation really hit our state very hard. You can dress up the pig any way you want but most people in West Virginia understand that that bill is going to hurt us,” Morrisey told the outlet.
“He let the air out of his balloon and it’s not going to be so easy to pump it back up,” he said.
Morrisey, who is “evaluating options” about what to do in 2024, said “we’re looking very closely at the Senate race.”
Morrisey and his team estimated they will have at least $12 million to spend on a Senate Republican primary alone.
“I learned a lot from a past experience in a terrible political environment. The environment in 2024 is going to be much, much stronger” for Republicans, he predicted.
Morrisey narrowly lost his bid to unseat Manchin in 2018 by 3 percentage points or about 19,000 votes, which turned out to be closer than what the polls indicated before Election Day.
The Hill also lists Gov. Jim Justice (R) and Rep. Alex Mooney (R) as other potential challengers to Manchin.
However, on Tuesday Rep. Alex Mooney, R, W.Va., announced that he will run for Senate in 2024 in a bid to unseat Sen. Joe Manchin.
Listen in to @HoppyKercheval today. I’ll be on at 10am and have an important announcement about the future of our state.
President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)
ANALYSIS – Where there’s smoke there’s fire. And there is a lot of smoke surrounding Joe and Hunter Biden. It is increasingly clear that Joe Biden has repeatedly lied about his involvement in, and knowledge of, his son Hunter’s overseas influence peddling businesses.
And with Biden’s Department of Justice (DoJ) and FBI dragging their feet with documents requested by congressional investigators, an official impeachment inquiry may be the only way to get to the truth.
And that official inquiry may be coming very soon.
Republicans could open an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden over ties to his son Hunter’s shady and unethical business entanglements when Congress reconvenes on September 12.
In the final presidential debate of the 2020 U.S. election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joseph Biden, moderator Kristen Welker asked Biden: “there have been questions about the work your son has done in China and for a Ukrainian energy company when you were vice president; in retrospect, was anything about those relationships inappropriate or unethical?”
“Nothing was unethical. My son has not made money in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about, China,” Biden replied.
Biden also said he never discussed business with his son.
Well, to put it in Biden terms, that was all a bunch of malarkey.
Now, nearly three years later, Hunter has rebutted Joe Biden’s assertions directly. In court testimony in late June, Hunter acknowledged that he had been paid substantial sums in China – the first official confirmation that this was the case.
This direct contradiction creates a major problem for the White House, and Republicans insist there’s a lot more to find out.
“A lot of the things the president said about his family’s shady business dealings, we’re proving every day that they’re not true,” Republican James Comer, Chair of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, said.
An impeachment inquiry is the next logical step to find out what is true.
The Epoch Times (ET) reported: “House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that initiating an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden would be a ‘natural step forward.’” This, following unresolved questions from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings.
The speaker said on Monday that the impeachment inquiry could start soon. McCarthy added that an impeachment inquiry would provide Congress “the apex of legal power to get all the information they need” to investigate whether President Biden misused his office to assist family businesses.
ET continued:
McCarthy said on Monday that the inquiry was needed to overcome stonewalling of congressional investigators looking for transparency about the Biden family’s business records following testimony from former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer that President Biden met with son Hunter Biden’s business partners during the time he was vice president, as well as concerns raised by whistleblowers at the IRS regarding Hunter Biden’s tax records.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has so far subpoenaed six different banks, receiving thousands of bank records of businesses and individuals connected to Joe Biden’s family members.
Those records showed that more than $20 million in payments from foreign sources have been made to the president’s relatives, including Hunter Biden, and their business associates while Mr. Biden was acting as U.S. vice president from 2009 to 2017.
Romanian, Chinese, and Russian nationals were among those making payments to the Biden family and their associates. The records also revealed that the funds were funneled through a network of at least 20 shell companies before being transferred to Biden family members.
An inquiry doesn’t mean the House will impeach Biden. But it does give Republicans far more legal power to force reluctant Biden DoJ bureaucrats and others to come forward with the truth.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Great America News Desk.
The FOX News Decision Desk can now confidently project West Virginia for Trump, as the former president clinches yet another commanding victory in this steadfastly red state. pic.twitter.com/gxVMvHIeT8
With Democrat Senator Joe Manchin opting not to seek reelection, the race left a critical seat open in a state that has shifted dramatically to the right in recent years. This Senate seat was a major target for Republicans, who view West Virginia as a strong pickup opportunity as they aim to regain control of the U.S. Senate.
The Republican Frontrunner: Jim Justice
Governor Jim Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Jim Justice, who has served as West Virginia’s governor since 2017, was widely seen as the frontrunner in the race to replace Joe Manchin. Initially elected as a Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017 during a rally with then-President Donald Trump, a move that aligned him with the state’s increasingly conservative electorate. Since then, Justice has solidified his position as one of the most prominent and popular figures in West Virginia politics, with consistently high approval ratings and strong support from rural voters.
Babydog and I are heading to Pennsylvania Thursday, October 17th, to campaign for President Trump! We'd love to see you there. Secure your ticket here. >>https://t.co/D6k2RsuSQEpic.twitter.com/kEPgKntsRl
Justice’s campaign for the Senate centered on his track record as governor, during which he has focused on job creation, economic development, and coal industry revitalization—key issues in a state that has been economically dependent on coal mining for generations. He also made a point of emphasizing his ties to former President Trump, who remains extremely popular in West Virginia.
The Democrat: Glenn Elliott
Attorney and Wheeling city councilman Glenn Elliott is hoping to succeed Joe Manchin. Elliott has emphasized his work as a city councilman in Wheeling, where he has focused on economic development, affordable housing, and revitalizing downtown areas. His campaign has argued that the state needs new leadership to address its economic challenges and improve the quality of life for working-class families.
Endorsements
Here are five key endorsements for Jim Justice in the 2024 West Virginia Senate race:
Donald Trump: The former president endorsed Jim Justice early in his campaign, cementing Justice’s status as the frontrunner in a state that overwhelmingly supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
“Big Jim will be a Great UNITED STATES SENATOR, and has my Complete & Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” Trump wrote.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Senator Blackburn endorsed Justice, praising his leadership and effectiveness as West Virginia’s governor, reinforcing his national Republican support.
“Governor Jim Justice is a proven effective leader, and I am honored to endorse him for Senate in West Virginia,” said Senator Blackburn. “He has shown himself to make decisions that are best for the people of West Virginia with honor, integrity, and patriotism. I am confident that Governor Justice is the best person to protect West Virginia values and the principles our country was founded upon. Now more than ever we need true conservative leaders to take back the Senate Majority and reverse the damage caused by the Biden Administration.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Abelardo de la Espriella, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella suspended the presidential transition Tuesday and accused outgoing President Gustavo Petro of planning a coup to remain in power after Petro refused to recognize the results of the country’s election.
Petro claims progressive Sen. Iván Cepeda actually won the popular vote in Colombia’s June 21 presidential runoff, despite official results showing de la Espriella prevailing by less than 1 percentage point.
The certified tally gave de la Espriella 49.66% of the vote to Cepeda’s 48.70%.
Petro alleges the result was manipulated through algorithms operated from California by Israeli private intelligence companies. He has not released evidence establishing that those companies altered the vote count or that the officially reported results were fraudulent.
Claro que mis declaraciones son graves, Pero no irresponsables, están completamente probadas
Quien ganó las elecciones por voto popular fue Iván Cepeda, el triunfo de Abelardo se hizo con algoritmos desde California y los algoritmos los hicieron empresas de inteligencia privada… https://t.co/n2XSM2gAiP
International election observers have likewise reported no evidence of irregularities that would have changed the outcome.
De la Espriella alleges plan to ‘cling to power’
De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and businessman endorsed by President Donald Trump, responded in a video posted to social media.
He accused Petro and Cepeda of attempting to “cling to power at all costs” through what he called a “coup d’état.”
The president-elect called on Colombia’s armed forces to uphold the Constitution and disobey any unlawful orders from Petro. He also urged the international community to monitor the transfer of power and called on his supporters to “resist” until his scheduled inauguration Aug. 7.
Transition process breaks down
De la Espriella announced that he was suspending the formal transition process, known in Colombia as the “empalme,” during which the outgoing government provides information needed by the incoming administration.
Petro’s government then halted its side of the handover.
Finance Minister Germán Ávila, who is overseeing the transition for Petro’s administration, ordered his team to suspend its work in response. Ávila said the outgoing government had “nothing to hide” and criticized statements made by members of de la Espriella’s transition team.
The breakdown followed days of increasingly hostile accusations between the outgoing president and his successor.
Election observers defend vote count
International observers have not supported Petro’s claims that the runoff was fraudulent.
A European Union observer mission praised the transparency and efficiency of Colombia’s vote-counting process. The Carter Center described the system used to manage the results as reliable, transparent, and fully traceable.
De la Espriella was formally declared the winner after defeating Cepeda, who had campaigned on continuing many of Petro’s policies.
The result represented a major political setback for Petro, whose government has struggled with security concerns and a largely unsuccessful effort to negotiate peace agreements with several armed groups.
Incoming government moves ahead
Despite suspending cooperation with Petro’s administration, de la Espriella continued preparing to take office.
He announced six additional Cabinet appointments Tuesday, adding to previously named choices for the defense, interior, finance, and environment ministries.
The dispute has raised concerns about whether Colombia’s traditionally peaceful transfer of presidential power will proceed normally.
For now, Petro remains scheduled to leave office and de la Espriella is set to be inaugurated Aug. 7.
Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman is facing off against Trump-endorsed Republican Mehmet Oz for retiring Senator Pat Toomey’s seat has relied on multiple excuses pertaining to his poor health and a stroke he suffered earlier this year to avoid debating his opponent.
Fetterman’s campaign tactics are akin to President Biden’s basement method in 2020 and now even liberal-leaning publications like the Washington Post are taking notice and calling out the Senate hopeful’s behavior.
Former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is teasing another run for elected office.
In an interview with WMUR of New Hampshire set to air today, Brown said “it is no secret that” he has not been happy with what is happening nationally, including the border, economy, and fentanyl. And New Hampshire’s federal delegation is “in lockstep with those failed policies,” he said.
“They covered for Biden. They really didn’t support the closed border, the immigration. They’re not doing the things that I think are important for New Hampshire,” he said. “Is there another run? Yeah, I think so, and I’m obviously looking at it. I’m not going to announce anything. But I think it’s important for our delegation not to be obstructionists right now, because there will be a backlash.
“I’ve always felt, whether you are a Democrat or Republican, you need good, hardworking, honest people who are problem solvers. And if you recall…I was the most bipartisan senator in the United States Senate for the whole time that I was there,” Brown said on WBUR.
According to The Boston Herald, New Hampshire U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat and the first woman to be elected as both the state’s governor and senator, is up for reelection in 2026. She is a senior member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, Appropriations Committee, Armed Services Committee, and Small Business Committee.
Brown was the first Republican in Massachusetts elected to the U.S. Senate since 1972.
He was later nominated by President Donald Trump in 2017 to serve as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.
