Politics

Home Politics

Usha Vance Addresses Possibility Of Becoming First Lady In 2028

0
By Office of Vice President of the United States - @VP on X, Public Domain,

Second Lady Usha Vance is taking it day by day.

During a recent interview, the second lady responded to speculation her husband, JD Vance, is angling to be the next Republican presidential nominee.

“People do ask about it,” Usha Vance told Meghan McCain on her podcast “Citizen McCain.”

While she acknowledged the possibility of her husband, Vice President JD Vance, running for president, Usha Vance emphasized that she moved into the Washington area with “no intention whatsoever” of considering his political future. However, she pointed out that she also had no intention of being involved in politics four years ago.

For now, Usha Vance said she is focused on the present, though she did not completely dismiss the idea.

“My attitude is that this is a four-year period where I have a set of responsibilities to my family, to myself, to obviously the country and that’s really what I’m focused on,” Usha Vance said. “I’m not plotting out next steps or really trying for anything after this.”

She continued, “In a dream world, eventually Iโ€™ll be able to live in my home and kind of continue my career and all those sorts of things. And if that happens in four years, I understand. If that happens in some other point in the future, I understand. Just sort of along for the ride and enjoying it while I can.”

As vice president, Vance is considered the political frontrunner to be the Republican nominee for president in 2028.

“I really am just not focused on politics. I’m not focused on the midterm elections in 2026, much less the presidential election in 2028. When we get to that point, I’ll talk to the president. We’ll figure out what we want to do,” Vance told Lawrence Jones in a “Fox & Friends” exclusive interview in April.

In March, Tucker Carlson, co-founder of the Daily Caller News Foundation, forecasted that Vice President JD Vance will emerge as the Republican Partyโ€™s presidential nominee in 2028. Carlsonโ€™s statement, made on the โ€œVINCEโ€ podcast, sheds light on the increasing influence of Vance within the party and the likelihood of him becoming the successor to Donald Trumpโ€™s political legacy.

Despite Donald Trump declining to endorse Vance during a February Fox News interview, where he stated there were โ€œa lot of very capable peopleโ€ in the Republican Party, Carlson is optimistic that the former president will ultimately support the vice president in 2028. Trumpโ€™s comment, which may have seemed like a rejection to some, was interpreted by Carlson as a temporary stance, not a definitive end to any future support.

โ€œI think people want to leave a legacy, all of us do, and great men especially do. And the only person in the entire Republican Party from my position whoโ€™s capable of carrying on the Trump legacy and expanding it, making it what it should fully be, is JD Vance,โ€ Carlson explained. He also praised Vanceโ€™s loyalty to Trump and his profound service, indicating that Trumpโ€™s current withholding of endorsement may have been a strategic decision.

Nikki Haley Reveals New Timeline for 2024 Decision

2
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is taking some time to mull her options before making any hasty decisions about 2024.

Haley, who served as Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, has been named a potential contender to seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but says no final decision will come until after the holidays, according to The Hill.

โ€œWe are taking the holidays to kind of look at what the situation is,โ€ the former South Carolina governor said at an event at Clemson University. โ€œIf we decide to get into it, weโ€™ll put 1,000 percent in, and weโ€™ll finish it.โ€

โ€œA lot of people have asked if Iโ€™m going to run for president. Now that the midterms are over, Iโ€™ll look at it in a serious way, and Iโ€™ll have more to say soon,โ€ Hayley said at a Las Vegas meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition earlier this month.

โ€œFor now, Iโ€™ll say this. Iโ€™ve won tough primaries and tough general elections. Iโ€™ve been the underdog every single time. When people underestimate me, itโ€™s always fun,โ€ she added. โ€œBut Iโ€™ve never lost an election. And Iโ€™m not going to start now.โ€

Earlier this fall, Haley told reporters that she would not launch her own bid for the White House if Donald Trump runs for president in 2024 but it seems she’s reconsidering.

Trump announced his own bid for the presidency earlier this month but has been met with a lukewarm response from high-profile Republicans- and donors.

Veteran Republican strategist John Thomas, who backed Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections, recently told The Washington Examiner that he will not be supporting Trump a third time saying the bombastic Republican isn’t a viable candidate to defeat Democrats and take back the White House.

Thomas recently created the Ron to the Rescueย super PAC and says he’s committed to spending at least $50 million in the next six to 12 months to ensure the governor earns the GOP nomination over Trump. However, DeSantis has not even announced his presidential campaign.

“The problem is, for Trump, is he needed to announce and pretty much steamroll everybody. He needed all the donors to capitulate his way. He needed all the party leaders to come his way, and while he’s had some success, it’s not been unanimous, and he needed it to almost be unanimous because the cracks that are appearing are going to turn into canyons very soon,” he explained. “He’s going to be constantly trying to, like, plug these leaks. I think his legal challenges, whether they have merit or not, I would think are going to turn his operation into more of a sclerotic beast.”

“I still like the guy. I just think he should move from a party leader to a party elder. That’s kind of the nuanced dynamic here that I want to make sure it’s not lost in the media, and also voters are reminded that it’s OK to vote for somebody else. It doesn’t mean you don’t like Trump,” Thomas continued. “I think at the end of the day, particularly primary voters want to get excited about their nominee, but it really is a sport about winning. If you don’t win, you can’t enact your legislative agenda. It’s not just about rallies and having a good time. It’s about winning, and Trump has kind of called into question at best his ability to do that anymore.”

Paxton Offers Conditions For Potential Exit From Texas Senate Raceย 

0

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 โ€” the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance most legislation in the upper chamber โ€” 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 Trumpโ€™s agenda in Washington.

โ€œJohn 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,โ€ Paxton wrote Thursday on the social media platform X.

โ€œThe truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than meโ€”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,โ€ he added. โ€œFor the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trumpโ€™s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done.โ€

Paxtonโ€™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.

โ€œThe Texas Republican Senate Primary has been very interesting to watch,โ€ Trump wrote.

โ€œThe Texas Republican Senate Primary cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer,โ€ he continued. โ€œIT 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!โ€

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 โ€œtalking filibuster,โ€ 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.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Expected to Announce Challenge for House Speaker

5
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Trouble is brewing among House Republicans.

House Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) is reportedly seriously considering mounting a bid to challenge Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to become the next Speaker of the House.

The expected announcement comes on the heels of Biggs’ openly criticizing McCarthy last week after Republicans experienced fewer-than-anticipated wins on election night. Rep. Biggs told reporters he believes House Republicans should work to enact a more rightward agenda in the next term.

โ€œI think we need to have a real discussion about whether he should be the speaker or not,โ€ Biggs told reporters on Thursday.

โ€œI think that his statement recently that we shouldn’t impeach Secretary Mayorkas indicates that maybe we’re not going to be as aggressive going forward as we should be. I think we need to have a very positive statement of what we’re going to accomplish and do, and I haven’t seen that yet,โ€ he added. “That’s โ€” those are things that I think we should have a very frank discussion internally about, where we’re going to be going forward.”

However, nearly one week after Election Day and neither party has officially won control of the House – although Republicans are projected to win by most major outlets some lawmakers want to push the elections until a majority is declared.

โ€œI think we don’t even know if we’re in the majority, so I think it’s responsible to just look and see where the cards fall right now, and we don’t know,โ€ Rep.-elect George Santos (R-NY) said on Sunday.

Tuesdayโ€™s leadership election is slated to be conducted via closed ballot and will only require a plurality of the conference to secure the nomination. McCarthy would need to reach 218 votes during the floor vote in January to win the Speakership.

Former GOP Senator Jumps Into Race In Battleground State

1

Former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu officially entered the 2026 race in New Hampshire, campaigning to succeed retiring Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. In his launch video, Sununu told voters: โ€œCongress just seems loud, dysfunctional, even angry. I want to return to the Senate to help calm the waters.โ€

Sununu served three terms in the House before defeating then-Governor Shaheen in 2002 to win the New Hampshire Senate seat; he lost the rematch in 2008. His return comes nearly two decades after leaving public office for the private sector.

For Republicans, this is a golden opportunity. New Hampshire is the regionโ€™s only true swing state, and with Shaheen stepping aside, the seat opens up in a cycle where the GOP seeks not just to defend but expand its Senate majority. National Republicans believe Sununu brings strong name recognition and credibility in the Granite State.

Still, the path is not automatic. Sununu must first secure the GOP nomination. His strongest competition comes from former Senator and Ambassador Scott Brown. Brown has leaned into the Trump-era base, emphasizing his alignment with President Trumpโ€™s agenda and fundraising heavily. Heโ€™s already called out Sununuโ€™s past independent streak, pointing to his backing of John Kasich in 2016 and Nikki Haley in 2024, as well as his published op-ed branding Trump a โ€œloser.โ€

President Trump has remained officially neutral so far. While that leaves Sununu without an immediate endorsement booster, it also leaves room for maneuver. Reports suggest national Republican strategists view Sununu as the strongest candidate to flip the seat โ€” a flip that would not only return it to the GOP column, but help lock in and expand the Senate majority Republicans are aiming for.

Sununu emphasized the campaign will focus on Granite State issues such as healthcare affordability, energy costs, housing and border security, rather than Washington partisan squabbling. He said: โ€œMaybe youโ€™re surprised that Iโ€™m running for the Senate again. Iโ€™m a bit surprised myself. Why would anyone subject themselves to everything going on right now? Well, somebody has to step up and lower the temperature. Somebody has to get things done.โ€

In short: the Republican field now features a heavy-hitter with deep state roots, strong ties to New Hampshire, and a credible path to winning in 2026. The GOP has the chance to turn this open seat into a win โ€” but Sununu will have to navigate primary politics, reconcile his past positions with todayโ€™s Republican base, and secure key endorsements to prevail.


Sununu & Trump: A Complicated Relationship

Understanding Sununuโ€™s past interaction with Trump helps clarify the dynamics at play in this race.

Background of Sununuโ€™s past opposition

  • In 2016, John E. Sununu served as a national co-chair for John Kasichโ€™s presidential campaign. He did not support Trumpโ€™s 2016 bid.
  • In the 2024 Republican primaries, Sununu backed Nikki Haley rather than Trump.
  • He authored an op-ed published just ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary with the blunt headline โ€œDonald Trump is a loser.โ€

Why this history matters

  • That record means Sununu begins the 2026 Senate contest with baggage in the Trump-aligned wing of the party. Some voters will view him skeptically if they believe loyalty to Trump is a key litmus test.
  • On the other hand, his independence also offers advantages: he can appeal to moderate Republicans, independents and swing voters in New Hampshire who may have turned off by raw partisan rhetoric. Because New Hampshire is a swing state, that broader appeal could be a strategic asset.

Where Trump stands (so far)

  • Trump has not yet endorsed in the New Hampshire GOP Senate primary, leaving the field open.
  • While Trump once publicly signaled support for Sununuโ€™s brother (former Governor Chris Sununu) in a possible Senate run, John E. Sununu must still make his case to the President and his base.
  • Some Republican strategists believe that Trump may be pragmatic โ€” if Sununu emerges as the strongest candidate to flip the seat, the president could be willing to support him despite the earlier friction. As one adviser put it: โ€œPresident Trump appreciates winners โ€ฆ and understands that John E. Sununu puts this race on the map for Republicans.โ€

What Sununu must do

  • He needs to demonstrate to GOP primary voters that, despite his past, he is committed to key Republican priorities (border security, low taxes, energy independence, etc.).
  • He may need to secure Trumpโ€™s endorsement โ€” or at least neutralize opposition from the pro-Trump base.
  • He needs to keep the campaign message centered on winning the seat back for Republicans, rather than internal Republican feuds.

Why a Sununu Win Matters for Republicans

  • Seat flip potential. With Sen. Shaheen retiring, this is a rare open seat โ€” and Republicans have a strong opportunity to convert it. Flipping a Democratic seat in a swing state is a direct path to expanding the GOP Senate majority.
  • Midterm dynamics favoring Republicans. Holding a 53-47 majority after the next election would give Republicans greater flexibility on legislation, confirmations, and oversight. A successful 2026 campaign in New Hampshire would contribute meaningfully to that goal.
  • Messaging advantage. A win in a northern swing state helps buck the narrative that Republicans can only win in deep red states. Demonstrating competitiveness in a place like New Hampshire strengthens the GOPโ€™s appeal to independent and moderate voters.
  • National momentum. Winning this seat could provide momentum going into 2028 and reinforce the partyโ€™s strategy of targeting vulnerable Democratic seats. It also signals to donors and activists that the GOP has a winning blueprint beyond the usual battlegrounds.

Bottom Line

John E. Sununuโ€™s entry into the 2026 Senate race is a major development for Republicans. He brings name recognition, prior Senate experience, and a base in a state that is both competitive and critical to national Senate math. The complications with his past stance toward Trump are real โ€” but not necessarily insurmountable

Report: Oprah Pitched a White House Run with Mitt Romney

2
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

This union would have certainly shaken up the 2020 election…

The latest revelation in “Romney: A Reckoning” by McKay Coppins, out a week from Tuesday, reveals that Oprah Winfrey floated a presidential run and suggested Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney join her for a”unity ticket.”

Axios has more:

Coppins writes that Romney told him Winfrey, a Democrat, made a pitch to run together “to save the country,” according to a source familiar with the manuscript.

Romney tells Coppins he dismissed the idea, believing that such a campaign would inadvertently help Trump.

Last month, Romney announced he would not run for re-election.

Lincoln Project Co-Founder Files To Run For Manhattan Congressional Seat

0

George Conway, a prominent conservative attorney and longtime critic of President Donald Trump, filed paperwork Monday with the Federal Election Commission to explore a bid for Congress as a Democrat.

Conway, a co-founder of The Lincoln Project โ€” a group of self-described Republicans formed to oppose Trumpโ€™s presidency โ€” is considering a run in New Yorkโ€™s 12th Congressional District. The Manhattan-based seat is currently held by Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is retiring at the end of this term. The district is one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, meaning the decisive contest is expected to take place in a crowded Democratic primary rather than the general election.

The potential field is already large. Among the declared candidates are Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy; Cameron Kasky, a leading organizer with March for Our Lives; New York State Assembly Members Alex Bores and Micah Lasher; and New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher. (RELATED: Report: Caroline Kennedy Pleaded With Son Jack Schlossberg Not To Run For Congress)

Conway was married for 22 years to Kellyanne Conway, Trumpโ€™s former campaign manager and later White House senior counselor. The couple, who share four children, divorced in 2023. Though George Conway was at one point considered for roles in the Trump administration, he ultimately declined to serve and instead became one of the presidentโ€™s most outspoken detractors.

Kellyanne Conway speaking with attendees at the 2018 Young Womenโ€™s Leadership Summit hosted by Turning Point USA at the Hyatt Regency DFW Hotel in Dallas, Texas. {Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons}

Kellyanne Conway detailed the strain on their marriage in her 2022 memoir, Hereโ€™s the Deal, calling her husband once a โ€œTrump-loving, MAGA-cap-wearingโ€ supporter who, she wrote, โ€œslowly turned his backโ€ on her and their children during her time in the White House. She recounted a July 4 weekend argument in 2019 during which George told her, โ€œYou have ruined yourself and you have embarrassed this family.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve embarrassed this family?โ€ she wrote in response. โ€œYou abandoned me for Twitter and sheโ€™s not even hot.โ€

Months after that incident, George Conway helped launch The Lincoln Project, which aimed to block Trumpโ€™s reelection. In August 2020, he announced he would take a leave of absence from the organization to spend more time with his family; Kellyanne Conway announced the same day that she would leave her White House position.

In early 2021, Conway publicly called for The Lincoln Project to shut down following allegations of serial sexual harassment against co-founder John Weaver, a longtime adviser to the late Sen. John McCain.

Trump Asks Judge To Dismiss Hush Money Case

4

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

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

“On November 5, 2024, the Nationโ€™s People issued a mandate that supersedes the political motivations of DANYโ€™s โ€˜People,โ€™” 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 Trumpโ€™s overwhelming victory in the 2024 Presidential Election.” 

Blancheโ€™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.ย 

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 Braggโ€™s own election campaign for another term as Manhattan DA. 

Blanche argued that “continuing with this case would be โ€˜uniquely destabilizingโ€™ and threatens to โ€˜hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus, both in foreign and domestic affairs.โ€™” 

“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 Trumpโ€™s motion to dismiss, but said he would be open to receiving the defense argument.ย 

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.

Amanda Head: Republicans Screwed Out Of Electoral Votes

1

The U.S. Census underreported populations in multiple Republican-leaning states, costing them representation in Congress, the Electoral College, and more…

Watch Amanda break down the situation below.

Rick Scott Challenger Calls It Quits

3
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Senate primary field is already shrinking…

On Wednesday, Phil Ehr announced his decision to drop out of the Senate primary and instead challenge incumbent Rep.ย Carlos Gimenezย (R-Fla.) for Floridaโ€™s 28th congressional district.

The move is a stark turnaround after Ehr initially entered the senate race to unseat Republican Senator Rick Scott.

Politico has more:

But Ehr, who once ran against GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in northwest Florida, said his decision to compete for Gimenezโ€™s House seat was motivated by what he called the โ€œchaos in the nationโ€™s Capitolโ€ due to the Republican infighting over House speaker that has kept that chamber without a leader for more than two weeks.

โ€œWe have in the House of Representatives chaos that is damaging America, chaos that is preventing us from being able to respond overseas,โ€ Ehr told Playbook.

Ehrโ€™s decision to mount a congressional campaign in South Florida was, in part, because he believes Gimenez is vulnerable and for the GOP lawmakerโ€™s support of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans like Gaetz. Gimenez is currently one of the holdouts opposed to the speakership bid of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Ehr also added that heโ€™s been a Florida resident since 1984, and while in the military he did missions in the area, including rescuing Cuban exiles during the Mariel boatlift. โ€œThis place is very familiar to me,โ€ Ehr said.