The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A new book reveals why former President Barack Obama says former South Bend mayor-turned Biden cabinet member, Pete Buttigieg will not make it to the White House. The former commander in chief who still holds a celebrity-like presence among Democrats says Buttigieg’s height is a big problem.
“Obama had actually been impressed by the brains, charisma, and chutzpah of the thirty-something mayor of a small midwestern city,” writes New York magazine correspondent Gabriel Debenedetti in TheLong Alliance. “Obama just doubted it would all add up to viability in a presidential campaign where image and fame mattered immensely—he thought Buttigieg was too short and, as a former volunteer for Obama in 2008, seemed too young—and where such a large field would make breaking through that much harder.”
Trump wasted no time calling attention to Mr. Buttigieg’s height during the 2020 election, spurring tons of memes and viral reactions on Twitter to the mayor’s short stature.
Every single commander in chief since William McKinley (1897-1901) has been at least 5 foot 9 inches tall. It’s never going to happen, but height isn’t the only reason. Debenedetti also notes that Obama was rightfully “turned off by Buttigieg’s apparent inability to win over nonwhite voters” in the Democratic primary.
Biden was similarly impressed by Buttigieg’s “gay Obama” schtick but “also thought everyone was kidding themselves” about his viability as a candidate. “The guy had gotten destroyed in the piddling race for DNC chair in 2017, so how was he going to be the party’s presidential nominee?” Debenedetti writes of Biden’s thinking at the time. The former VP was particularly annoyed when a bunch of former Obama staffers started lining up behind Buttigieg and Beto O’Rourke, another candidate with no shot at winning. “You believe this shit?” Biden would often vent to aides and associates.
Of course, Obama didn’t even want Biden to run in 2020 (or 2016). “You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t,” he reportedly told his former vice president before Biden declared his candidacy. As the Democratic primary wore on, Obama tried to warn his fellow Democrats not to “underestimate Joe’s ability to fuck things up.”
There have already been some rumors Buttigieg may seriously be considering making another run for president in the near future, however without the support of past presidents like Obama it’s doubtful he would be successful enough to gain the party’s nomination.
Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]
This could be big…
On Thursday, President Trump floated the possibility of holding a Republican National Convention ahead of the midterm elections.
While Trump did not offer any details about where the convention would take place or what would happen there, he touted various statistics that have been beneficial for the Republican Party this year.
The GOP is fighting to maintain control of both the House and Senate in 2026.
“The Republican Party is doing really well. Millions of people have joined us in our quest to MAKE AMERICA, GREAT AGAIN. We won every aspect of the Presidential Election and, based on the great success we are having, are poised to WIN BIG IN THE MIDTERMS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“We have raised far more money than the Democrats, and are having a great time fixing all of the Country Destroying mistakes made by the Biden Administration, and watching the USA heal and prosper. The results are incredible, a record pace!!! In that light, I am thinking of recommending a National Convention to the Republican Party, just prior to the Midterms. It has never been done before. STAY TUNED!” he added.
Historically, midterms have been tough elections for the party controlling the White House, typically losing roughly 25 seats in the House. Trump and the Republicans lost 41 House seats in the 2018 midterms.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis plans to run for U.S. Congress, he indicated in a resignation letter.
In the letter to Sunshine State Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Secretary of State Cory Byrd, Patronis said, “… this letter is to give you notice of my resignation from the role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the State of Florida in order to become a candidate in the 2025 Special Election for Florida’s First Congressional District.
“Because the primary election for CD 1 is currently scheduled for January 28, 2025, with the general election scheduled for April 1, 2025, I hereby irrevocably resign as CFO effective March 31, 2025.”
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President-elect Donald Trump urged Patronis to run for the House seat.
“I hear that Jimmy is now considering launching a Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 1st Congressional District!” Trump said in the post.
“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump declared.
Patronis shared a screenshot of Trump’s post and wrote in a post on X, “Put me to work, Mr. President! @realDonaldTrump I am here to serve.”
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz won re-election to the House seat earlier this month but resigned shortly after Trump tapped him for attorney general.
Last week, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the Cabinet position after the President-elect reportedly informed him her did not have the required Senate support for confirmation.
Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) appeared Monday to have given up any hope of receiving an endorsement from President Trump.
“I think that ship has finally sailed,” Cornyn said after voting in Austin, Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman’s John Moritz.
“I think that ship has finally sailed,” say Sen. John Cornyn regarding a Trump runoff endorsement. He adds that he would welcome a campaign visit by the president in the fall campaign. pic.twitter.com/ar48j9ByFI
The incumbent senator noted, though, that he would welcome a campaign visit by the president in the fall if he wins the runoff over Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).
Trump on Monday endorsed more than two dozen Republican candidates in races across the country but notably did not pick a favorite in the runoff between Cornyn and Paxton.
However, Trump teased on Tuesday morning that he ultimately would make an endorsement, saying he’s known who he would throw his support behind for a while but kept it under wraps.
🚨 JUST NOW: President Trump announces HE'S ENDORSING in the John Cornyn vs Ken Paxton US Senate Texas GOP primary today
"I'll be making an endorsement at 12:30-1PM today for the big race."
Shortly after Cornyn and Paxton advanced to the runoff in March, Trump said he would endorse a candidate and asked that the candiate he did not back to drop out of the race. Despite Paxton’s hard-line support for the president, he vowed he would not to drop out.
Cornyn recently has touted his support for Trump. He wrote Monday on the social platform X that he has a 99.3 percent voting record with the president’s position and is “proud of what we have accomplished together.”
(Los Angeles - EUA, 09/06/2022) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro, durante Sessão Plenária de Abertura da IX Cúpula das Américas..Foto: Alan Santos/PR
A former Republican Senator is endorsing Kamala Harris for president.
Over the weekend, Jeff Flake (Ariz.) who served as ambassador to Turkey, officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
Flake said in a statement posted to X, on Sunday he is supporting the Harris-Walz ticket because he believes in the rule of law and wants to support a candidate “who respects the will of the voters and would never attempt to use the powers of the Presidency to overturn an election” and “seeks to unite our country” rather than divide it.
Flake, who described himself as a “conservative Republican,” added, “I would encourage all Republicans who feel this way to do the same. After all, in times like these there is nothing more conservative than putting country over party.”
I’ll be supporting Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice President.
I’ve served with Kamala in the U.S Senate. I’ve also served with Tim in the House of Representatives.
I know them. I know first of hand of their fine character and love of country.
Flake, a vocal Trump critic during his time as a senator during the Trump administration, said that he wanted a candidate who uses “the political process created by our founders to debate and to persuade, not disparage or demonize” and “understands that political opponents are our fellow citizens, not the enemy.”
“I want to support a presidential candidate who seeks to unite our country, rather than one who divides us,” Flake said in the video. “One who represents the ideals of new generation of leadership, not based on grievances of the past but hope for the future.”
In the video, and later in an interview with Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday morning, Flake pointed to Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results as a reason he cannot support him — and that he wants a candidate who “respects the will of the voters.”
“I think Republicans believe in the rule of law in particular, and it’s difficult to support a candidate who, having lost an election, tries to use the powers of the presidency to overturn that election,” Flake said in an interview with ABC. “That is anything but respect for the rule of law. So I know that a lot of conservative Republicans feel the way I do, that you just can’t support a candidate like that.”
Flake served in the House from 2001 to 2013 and the Senate from 2013 to 2019.
Flake served as an ambassador to Turkey, stepping down earlier this month.
He noted on ABC that as an ambassador, he could not make the endorsement until he resigned.
“Having spent the past three years overseas as a United States ambassador, I’ve seen up close that we have very real enemies abroad,” Flake said in the video. “We also have vital and indispensable allies. I want to support a presidential candidate who understands and appreciates the difference.”
Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Republican Celeste Maloy beat state Sen. Kathleen Riebe, a self-described moderate, to win Utah’s special election Tuesday night.
Maloy, a pro-Trump candidate, filled the last remaining seat in the U.S. House of Representatives with her victory in Utah’s 2nd congressional district.
As a candidate, Maloy touted her roots growing up in rural southern Utah, of which the district covers a vast portion, and has leaned into her support of former President Donald Trump, arguing the numerous ongoing prosecutions against him are politically motivated.
“It’s exciting that we’re going to have somebody come out of this primary that represents rural and southern Utah. I think it’s time for that, and everybody’s ready for it,” Maloy said following her primary win.
However, Riebe has argued the race is a pickup opportunity for Democrats, and has leaned on her experience as a school teacher while making the case that people in the district “are ready for a change.”
In an interview with Deseret News in August, Riebe expressed concern over the nation’s rising debt, and vowed to join the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition if elected.
“Coming to a very rational decision and having very moderate ideas, I think that is what serves us best,” she told the outlet.
This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.
A group of Evanston, Illinois, residents are suing their city government over a $20 million scheme to give away $25,000 each to Black residents as “reparations” for wrongs experienced by past generations.
The nonprofit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced it “filed a class action lawsuit against Evanston, Illinois, on behalf of six individuals over the city’s use of race as an eligibility requirement for a reparations program which makes $25,000 payments to black residents and descendants of black residents who lived in Evanston between the years 1919 and 1969.” (RELATED: San Francisco Debates $5 Million Per Person Reparations Proposal)
The New York Times photo archive, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“The Evanston, Illinois’ ‘reparations’ program is nothing more than a ploy to redistribute tax dollars to individuals based on race,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This scheme unconstitutionally discriminates against anyone who does not identify as Black or African American. This class action, civil rights lawsuit will be a historic defense of our color-blind Constitution.”
“Through a series of resolutions, the Evanston City Council created a program to provide $25,000 cash payments to residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,” JW reports, after filing a class action, civil rights lawsuit which challenges “on Equal Protection grounds Defendant City of Evanston’s use of race as an eligibility requirement for a program that makes $25,000 payments to residents and direct descendants of residents of the city five-plus decades if not more than a century ago. Plaintiffs seek a judgment declaring the Defendant’s use of race to be unconstitutional. Plaintiffs also seek an injunction enjoining Defendant from continuing to use race as a requirement for receiving payment under the program and request that the Court award them and all class members damages in the amount of $25,000 each.”
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
JW argues that “the program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because:”
Remedying societal discrimination is not a compelling governmental interest. Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469, 505 (1989); see also Regents of Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265, 307 ((1978) (opinion of Powell, J.) (describing “societal discrimination” as “an amorphous concept of injury that may be ageless in its reach into the past.”) Remedying discrimination from 55 to 105 years ago or remedying discrimination experienced at any time by an individual’s parents, grandparents, or great grandparents has not been recognized as a compelling governmental interest…
Defendant also has not and cannot demonstrate that its use of a race as an eligibility requirement is narrowly tailored. Among other shortcomings, Defendant’s use of race as a proxy for experiencing discrimination between 1919 and 1969 does not limit eligibility to persons who actually experienced discrimination during that relevant time period and therefore is overinclusive. Defendant also failed to consider race-neutral alternatives, such as requiring prospective recipients show that they or their parents, grandparents, or great grandparents actually experienced housing discrimination during the relevant time period because of an Evanston ordinance, policy, or procedure, as Defendant requires for the third group of prospective recipients. Nor did Defendant take into account race-neutral anti-discrimination remedies before adopting its race-based eligibility requirement.
According to JW, the program works as follows:
The first group of persons eligible for the $25,000 payments are current Evanston residents who identify as Black or African American and were at least 18 years of age between 1919 and 1969. Evanston refers to this group as “ancestors.”
The second group are individuals who identify as Black or African American who are at least 18 years of age and have at least one parent, grandparent, or great grandparent who identifies (or identified) as Black or African American, lived in Evanston for any period between 1919 and 1969, and was at least 18 at the time. Evanston refers to this group as “direct descendants.” A “direct descendant” is not required to be a current resident of Evanston to receive the payment.
“At no point in the application process are persons in the first and second groups required to present evidence that they or their ancestors experienced housing discrimination or otherwise suffered harm because of an unlawful Evanston ordinance, policy, or procedure or some other unlawful act or series of acts by Evanston between 1919 and 1969,” Judicial Watch states in the laws.” “In effect, Evanston is using race as a proxy for having experienced discrimination during this time period.” (RELATED: Squad Member Introduces Proposal For $14 Trillion In Reparations)
Judicial Watch states in the lawsuit that “the six plaintiffs satisfy all eligibility requirements for participating in the program as ‘direct descendants’ other that the race requirement (the actual number of individuals who are potential class members is in the tens of thousands).”
Christine Svenson of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, LLC is assisting Judicial Watch in the lawsuit.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Great America News Desk. It first appeared in American Liberty News.
The polling shows that in an average of data gathered from Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, Kennedy has 34 percent support base with voters aged between 18-29, and he also has 31 percent with 30-44 year old voters. Trump’s numbers stand at 29 percent with 18-29 year olds, and 30 percent with 30-44 year olds. Biden stands at 30 percent in both categories.
And in some states, Kennedy is winning younger voters by enormous margins. In Arizona, Kennedy has 39 percent of the 18-29-year-old vote to Trump’s 26 — and in Georgia, Kennedy leads Trump 35 to 28 in the same demographic. Biden still has some sway with younger voters in several states — pulling in 37 percent of the 18-29 year old vote in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Kennedy originally entered the 2024 contest as a Democratic primary challenger to Biden, but it was about a month ago when he dropped that bid and reinvented his campaign as a third party independent run. Much of the media focus on Kennedy’s run has focused on his numerous bizarre and misinformation statements, though recent polls have shown that his independent bid could becutting into Trump’s base more than Biden’s.
Spoiler alert! “Poll has RFK Jr. grabbing 22% against Biden and Trump.” And we’ve only just gotten started. #Kennedy24https://t.co/XbPKFWZvFK
President Donald Trump is already the man to beat for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize — at least according to one major European bookmaker.
U.K.-based William Hill has installed Trump as the early favorite, giving him 3/1 odds to take home the prestigious award — despite the fact that the secretive Nobel Committee hasn’t even confirmed its list of nominees yet.
The betting giant says Trump was “overlooked” in 2025 — when the prize instead went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — but believes this year could be different.
“Trump is the leading contender,” said spokesperson Lee Phelps, putting his chances at roughly 25%.
That’s actually a dip from late last year, when oddsmakers were even more bullish on Trump’s chances — but he still tops the field.
From ‘Snub’ to Front-Runner
Trump allies were vocal last year after Machado took the prize for her fight for democracy in Venezuela.
Many supporters argued Trump deserved recognition for his foreign policy moves during his second term — including efforts to broker peace in global conflicts.
Adding fuel to that argument: Machado herself later honored Trump in a highly symbolic gesture, presenting him with her Nobel medal at the White House as a sign of gratitude for his role in Venezuela’s political shift.
(While the Nobel Committee made clear the award itself can’t be transferred, the moment still sent a powerful message.)
Trump Makes His Case
Trump hasn’t exactly been shy about his ambitions.
The president has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel, pointing to what he claims are multiple ended conflicts and major breakthroughs on the world stage.
“I should have gotten it four or five times,” he’s said in the past — a line that continues to resonate with his supporters.
What Happens Next?
As always, the Nobel process remains tightly under wraps. Hundreds of candidates are nominated each year by lawmakers, academics, and past winners — but the official shortlist is never made public.
The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in October.
Until then, Trump sits in a familiar position: at the center of global attention — and, this time, at the top of the odds board.
Vice President JD Vance warned Wednesday that Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal is not an isolated failure but part of a broader, nationwide scheme exploiting America’s welfare system — a problem the Trump administration says it is now aggressively moving to confront.
Speaking on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Vance said the administration believes a large-scale fraud ring involving illegal aliens and other bad actors has been siphoning billions of taxpayer dollars through government assistance programs.
“Anybody who is involved is going to get prosecuted,” Vance vowed on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Wednesday.
The vice president’s remarks come as the Trump administration announced it is pausing more than $10 billion in federal funding to five Democrat-run states, including California, amid concerns that taxpayer money was improperly distributed to noncitizens and fraudulent operations. Administration officials say the funding pause is meant to prevent further abuse while investigations are underway.
Minnesota at the Center of the Storm
At the heart of the controversy is Minnesota, where investigators estimate that fraud tied to state-administered programs could total at least $9 billion, making it one of the largest public assistance scandals in U.S. history. The scandal involves complex networks that allegedly used shell organizations, fake documentation, and weak oversight to drain funds intended for vulnerable Americans.
Vance did not mince words when asked whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — who announced Monday that he will not seek re-election — should step down immediately.
“I think Tim Walz should resign,” Vance told Fox News host Jesse Watters. “I almost feel bad for the guy, except for the fact that he should’ve seen this.”
Calling the situation a “massive failure of government,” Vance said the problem goes far beyond individual cases of improper benefits.
“It’s not just that people are getting welfare who shouldn’t get welfare. … It’s bigger than that,” Vance said. “It’s that people take this money and create whole businesses around siphoning money from the American taxpayer.”
Watch:
🚨 WOW! JD Vance just NAILED IT: "Even if there's no fraud, 85% [of Somali migrants] collecting welfare is WAY TOO MANY D*MN PEOPLE collecting welfare, getting RICH off the American taxpayer, while a lot of Americans struggle!"
Vance’s comments echo calls from multiple Republican lawmakers and state officials who have argued that Walz’s administration ignored repeated warning signs, failed to enforce basic safeguards, and allowed fraud to spiral out of control. Several have publicly demanded Walz resign immediately, saying Minnesotans deserve accountability and transparency after years of mismanagement.
The vice president also warned that Minnesota may only be the beginning.
The vice president predicted similar cases of fraud will be found in other places around the country.
California Under Scrutiny
Vance specifically pointed to California, accusing state leaders of openly extending welfare benefits to illegal aliens and daring the federal government to intervene.
He went on to accuse California of being “glaring and obvious about the fact they are giving welfare benefits to illegal aliens,” adding the Trump administration is sending investigators to “a lot of places.”
In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back, defending the state’s programs and criticizing the administration’s decision to freeze funding.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Newsom’s office said the California Department of Social Services administers childcare and other essential programs that allow working families to “afford safe, reliable care so parents can go to work, support their families and contribute to their communities.”
“These funds are not optional. They are critical lifelines for working families across California,” the office said. “The State of California aggressively investigates and prosecutes fraud. Using unsupported allegations to withhold childcare funding only from states that didn’t vote for the President doesn’t stop fraud — it harms struggling moms and dads President Trump claims to be fighting for.”
A Broader Reckoning
Trump administration officials argue that the funding pauses and investigations are long overdue and necessary to protect American taxpayers, restore integrity to public assistance programs, and ensure aid goes to citizens and lawful residents who truly need it.
