Former Vice President Mike Pence did not file campaign paperwork for a 2024 White House run.
On Monday, Pence spokesperson Devin O’Malley quickly tried to dispel reports after a Statement of Candidacy form was submitted to the Federal Election Commission in Pence’s name.
“Former Vice President Mike Pence did not file to run for President today,” O’Malley said in response to a reporter who tweeted Pence had entered the race.
“Someone filed a Pence filing. But it wasn’t Pence, his spokesman says, suggesting it was a prank,” tweeted New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.
Despite the Pence team’s attempts to contain the fake news story, it wasn’t long before multiple outlets mistakenly reported the FEC submission.
While Pence is not responsible for the latest 2024 rumor the former Vice President has hinted at a presidential run in the near future. Last month, Pence told reporters he’s giving “prayerful consideration” to a 2024 bid.
If Pence ultimately does announce a 2024 White House run he would be facing off against his old boss on the debate stage, teeing up an intense primary battle.
Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]
Bringing out the big guns…
Former President Donald Trump plans to sue the Department of Justice (DOJ) for $100 million, claiming the FBI’s 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate was a blatant act of “political persecution.”
During the infamous raid, federal agents discovered over 100 classified records as they executed a search warrant at Trump’s Palm Beach property.
Trump denied the 40 criminal counts related to his handling of the documents. Special Counsel Jack Smith claims he actively obstructed the government’s attempts to retrieve the materials, including those related to nuclear secrets and national defense capabilities.
Trump’s legal team argues the raid was executed with “clear intent to engage in political persecution,” according to a memo obtained by Fox News reporter Brooke Singman.
The lawsuit, led by Trump attorney Daniel Epstein, alleges that the DOJ’s actions constituted “tortious conduct” against the former president, citing “intrusion upon seclusion, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process.”
Epstein argues that the decisions made by Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray were “inconsistent with protocols” and driven by an agenda to “injure President Trump.”
Epstein’s filing also argues: “The FBI’s conduct in the raid… constitutes a severe and unacceptable intrusion that is highly offensive to a reasonable person.
Epstein further claims that the raid and subsequent indictment were part of a broader scheme to interfere with Trump’s political ambitions, describing it as “very accurate and precise election interference.”
The DOJ has 180 days to respond to Epstein’s notice before the case moves to federal court.
By Kevin Payravi - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=179718533
Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, one of Venezuela’s most prominent pro-democracy leaders, is strongly backing President Donald Trump’s hard-line approach toward Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime. In a new interview that aired Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Machado said Trump’s strategy has given hope to millions of Venezuelans suffering under socialist rule.
Asked whether she supports increased U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan officials and further U.S. seizures of illicit oil shipments, Machado was unequivocal.
“Look, I absolutely support President Trump’s strategy, and we, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,” Machado told host Margaret Brennan.
Speaking from Oslo, where she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize after spending nearly a year in hiding, Machado noted that she had dedicated part of the award to Trump.
“I think that he finally has put Venezuela in where it should be, in terms of a priority for the United States’ national security.”
Machado argued that Maduro’s regime is far more dangerous than a conventional dictatorship.
“This is a very complex criminal structure that has turned Venezuela into a safe haven of international crime and terrorist activities, starting with Russia, Iran, Cuba, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Colombian guerrilla [groups], [and] the drug cartels operating freely and directed in partnership with Maduro and his regime.”
Machado has long been one of Maduro’s most effective opposition figures. After she overwhelmingly won the opposition primary in 2023, the regime barred her from running, then orchestrated an election that independent experts later declared “mathematically and statistically impossible.” Despite that, Maduro claimed victory and refused to relinquish power. Machado endorsed a stand-in candidate but remained the movement’s central figure—until she was forced into hiding for her safety.
Now, speaking publicly for the first time in months, Machado is calling for increased international pressure.
“We want every legal action through law enforcement … not only from the United States, also from other Caribbean, Latin American and European countries that further block the illegal activities of the regime.”
Her argument is straightforward:
“We need to increase the cost of staying in power by force. Once you arrive to that point in which the cost of staying in power is higher than the cost of leaving power, the regime will fall apart. And it’s the moment where we advance into a negotiated transition.”
Additional Context: Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize
Machado’s praise comes as Trump has repeatedly been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, particularly for:
The Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations—an achievement some foreign-policy experts called one of the most important diplomatic breakthroughs in decades.
His diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions with North Korea, which earned him multiple nominations from European lawmakers.
His support for democracy movements in Latin America, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
On Tuesday, President-elect Trump announced former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel.
“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
Huckabee served as governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007, winning two full terms after taking over for former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker (R), who resigned.
Trump’s ambassador to Israel during his first term was David Friedman, who worked on brokering the Abraham Accords, which aimed to normalize relations between Israel and Arab nations.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will announce on Friday Lt. Governor Jon Husted as his pick to fill the Senate vacancy left by Vice President-elect JD Vance ahead of his inauguration on Monday, according to Fox News.
The announcement will be made at approximately 1 p.m.
Vance gave the Senate notice of his forthcoming resignation on Jan. 9, which became official on the following day. He officially resigned 10 days prior to his and President-elect Trump’s swearing in.
“To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate. When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day,” Vance said in a statement.
After Vance’s resignation, new Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said in his own statement, “Ohio couldn’t be prouder of JD Vance! He has served our country with great honor, first in the Marines, then in the US Senate, and now as our 50th Vice President! I’m extremely thankful to JD for his early and unwavering support. A truly amazing journey for an outstanding guy!”
Once the new senator is sworn in, Republicans will officially have a 53-vote majority.
Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken allies on Capitol Hill, has escalated her public break with the former president—this time taking direct aim at the Make America Great Again movement itself.
In a lengthy interview with independent political commentator Kim Iversen published on YouTube Thursday, Greene accused Trump of abandoning the grassroots voters who fueled his rise, branding MAGA a betrayal of the very people it promised to serve.
“MAGA is — I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people,” Greene said.
The Georgia Republican, who resigned from Congress last fall, argued that Trump has shifted his focus away from everyday Americans and toward wealthy donors and entrenched interests. According to Greene, political loyalty is now driven by money rather than principle.
“He’s more worried about serving the big big donors,” she said, referring to donors who contribute to Trump-aligned PACs and high-dollar projects, including his newly announced ballroom. “Those are the people that get the special favors, the government contracts, they get the pardons.”
Greene went on to argue that foreign governments and multinational corporations now wield disproportionate influence over U.S. policy.
“And it’s the foreign countries that are running the show here,” she added. “It’s the major big corporations and what is best for the world. That’s really what MAGA is.”
Her criticism extended to foreign policy, particularly Trump’s focus on Iran and the Middle East. Greene suggested domestic unrest is being ignored in favor of overseas conflicts.
“I’m sorry, we’ve got civil war practically breaking out in Minnesota, can we not care about that?” she said.
Greene reserved her sharpest criticism for U.S. involvement in Israel and Gaza, accusing Trump of prioritizing foreign interests over American lives and values.
“We’re seeing war on behalf of Israel,” Greene said. “We’re seeing the people in Gaza — innocent people in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of them completely murdered, so that they can build some new real estate development and money can pour in and everyone can get rich there in New Gaza.”
The remarks mark a dramatic evolution for Greene, who was once considered among Trump’s most reliable defenders in Congress. Her relationship with the former president began to fracture publicly after she accused him of dragging his feet on releasing government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—an issue popular among the GOP base skeptical of elite accountability.
Following those comments, Trump publicly distanced himself from Greene, dubbing her “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Greene” and claiming she had “some sort of act going on.” Their feud intensified in the months that followed, culminating in Greene’s decision to leave Congress altogether.
While Greene has framed her resignation as a rejection of Washington politics, speculation has continued to swirl within conservative circles that she may be positioning herself for a future national run. Allies and critics alike have noted that her recent media appearances, broader ideological critiques, and willingness to challenge Trump directly resemble the early stages of a potential presidential or third-party campaign.
Greene has not formally announced any plans to run for president, but she has also declined to rule it out—fueling rumors that her break with Trump may be less about stepping away from politics and more about redefining the post-Trump conservative movement on her own terms.
According to a November report from Notus, Greene has privately expressed interest in following in Donald Trump’s footsteps to the White House. The outlet cites four sources familiar with her thinking, saying Greene believes she represents the “real MAGA” faction — the core conservative movement that has reshaped the GOP since 2016 — and that many Republican leaders have drifted away from those grassroots values. (RELATED:Marjorie Taylor Greene Reportedly Prepping For 2028 Presidential Run)
One source told Notus that Greene feels confident she has built the national donor network and grassroots support needed to mount a serious primary campaign, especially as the GOP’s base remains loyal to Trump’s populist agenda.
President Donald J. Trump hosts a Rose Garden Club dinner in honor of Police Week in the White House Rose Garden, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
President Donald Trump will deliver a prime-time “Speech to the Nation” from the White House on Thursday evening, with senior administration officials saying the address is expected to cover a variety of topics — including election integrity and the ongoing confrontation with Iran.
Trump announced the address Monday on Truth Social, saying it will begin at 9 p.m. ET. While he did not outline the full agenda, a senior adviser described the speech as a “potpourri” of issues the president considers most important.
Iran expected to be a major focus
According to a senior White House adviser, Trump is expected to provide an update on the administration’s response to Iran following weeks of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The address comes after the United States launched additional military strikes against Iranian targets in response to renewed threats against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has repeatedly vowed to keep the strategic waterway open and has warned Tehran of further consequences if it interferes with international maritime traffic.
Election integrity also on agenda
The adviser said election integrity is also expected to feature prominently in the speech.
Online speculation suggested Trump might revisit the 2020 Georgia Senate runoff elections, but the White House adviser rejected those reports, saying the president does not plan to focus specifically on those contests.
Instead, the president is expected to discuss election security more broadly as he continues pushing for stricter voter identification requirements and other election reforms ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump wants more prime-time addresses
Although Trump frequently speaks with reporters and holds campaign-style events, he has delivered relatively few formal, direct-to-camera prime-time addresses from the White House during his second term.
According to the senior adviser, the president wants to make such speeches a more regular part of his communications strategy, allowing him to address Americans directly on issues he considers significant.
The White House has not released additional details about the speech’s format or confirmed where on the White House grounds Trump will deliver the remarks.
With Iran, election security and other major issues expected to be discussed, Thursday’s address is shaping up to be one of the administration’s highest-profile televised events in recent months.
President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010
A Republican congressional candidate and former U.S. Marine has triggered a firestorm after posting a bizarre video branding President Donald Trump “the Antichrist” and declaring that he “must be killed.”
William Upham, a write-in candidate for Florida’s 5th Congressional District, delivered the nearly seven-minute religious and political rant while wearing a Marine Corps uniform—even though the service says he was medically discharged more than a year ago.
Upham initially presented his campaign as an effort to restore bipartisanship, return power to working Americans and “fix our broken political system.”
Then the video took a dark turn.
“We are led by a president who is the enemy of God,” Upham said, according to Fox News.
After quoting Bible passages and invoking the oath he took as a Marine officer to defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Upham leveled an extraordinary accusation against the commander in chief.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is the Antichrist,” Upham said. “He is a false messiah. And he is your enemy. And he must be killed.”
Upham claimed Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV and a previously posted AI-generated image depicting the president in Christ-like imagery helped shape his conclusion, according to the New York Post.
“He is nothing like Jesus Christ,” Upham said.
Later in the video, he urged Americans to consider whether they were “worshiping a false idol” before declaring: “President Trump is the Antichrist. And he will be killed and sent to hell. God will prevail against evil.”
Upham also said violence should never be used for “evil purposes such as vengeance or plunder,” an assertion sharply at odds with his earlier declaration about the president.
The Marine Corps swiftly disavowed the former officer.
“The Marine Corps is aware of the disturbing statements made by William Upham, who was medically discharged on May 30, 2025,” the service said in a statement posted to X. “The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values.”
Upham served in the Marines from 2021 until 2025 and reached the rank of first lieutenant, according to Task & Purpose.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao also condemned the candidate’s remarks.
“Unacceptable,” Cao wrote on X. “William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos.”
Unacceptable. William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos. https://t.co/VdCQTGCpa4
— Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao (@SECNAV) July 15, 2026
The Secret Service confirmed that it was aware of the video.
“The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the comments made by a congressional candidate in Florida, and we investigate anything that can be perceived as a threat toward one of our protectees,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”
The violent rhetoric is especially alarming after multiple assassination attempts against Trump and the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025.
Despite the national attention generated by his video, Upham appears to be a fringe contender in the August 18 Republican primary. He is running as a write-in candidate against five-term incumbent Rep. John Rutherford, conservative radio personality Mark Kaye and Donald Muirheid, according to Ballotpedia.
No reputable public opinion poll located as of Thursday showed measurable support for Upham. One prediction-market tracker gave Rutherford a roughly 93% chance of winning the nomination, however it’s important to note that prediction-market odds are not the same as voter polling.
Rutherford also begins the race from a commanding position. The former Jacksonville sheriff won reelection in 2024 with more than 63% of the vote, carrying the heavily Republican district by approximately 26 percentage points.
Upham’s own campaign website describes him as a Marine, prosecutor and Republican running “for God and country.” It also promises voters: “No more insiders. No more extremism. No more excuses.”
After his explosive video, that anti-extremism pitch is now facing intense scrutiny.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to unseal additional filings from special counsel Jack Smith laying out his election interference case against former President Trump
Chutkan agreed to a request from Smith to unseal exhibits that accompany his 180-page brief asserting that prosecutors can still bring much of their Jan. 6 case against Trump in the wake of a Supreme Court decision granting former presidents broad criminal immunity.
Chutkan granted Smith’s motion to post redacted versions of the exhibits, which could include grand jury transcripts, texts and other evidence assembled by prosecutors.
“The court determines that the Government’s proposed redactions to the Appendix are appropriate, and that Defendant’s blanket objections to further unsealing are without merit. As the court has stated previously, ‘Defendant’s concern with the political consequences of these proceedings’ is not a cognizable legal prejudice,’” she wrote.
Trump opposed both the unsealing of Smith’s motion as well as the accompanying evidence.
But Chutkan also agreed to stay her ruling for seven days after an earlier motion from Trump’s legal team asked for additional time “so that President Trump can evaluate litigation options relating to the decision.”
“There should be no further disclosures at this time of the so-called ‘evidence’ that the Special Counsel’s Office has unlawfully cherry-picked and mischaracterized — during early voting in the 2024 Presidential election,” Trump’s team wrote in an earlier filing Thursday.
President Donald Trump has told confidants that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is angling for a role in the Trump administration, describing the governor as “begging” for consideration, according to a report from Axios.
Trump, speaking privately, claimed DeSantis specifically sought the position of attorney general. One person familiar with the conversation said Trump put it bluntly: “Ron was begging me to be AG.”
Private meeting sparks speculation
The remarks followed a private lunch between the two Republicans at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami roughly a week earlier. Multiple sources briefed on the meeting said the discussion went beyond casual politics and touched on DeSantis’ future after leaving the governor’s office.
DeSantis is term-limited and set to step down in January 2027, which makes his next move one of the more open questions in Republican politics.
Not everyone close to the conversation agrees with Trump’s characterization. One source described the exchange as broader and less defined.
“There was a conversation at that lunch,” the person said. “I don’t think AG is real. But he’s gonna be looking for work and Trump likes him.”
Competing accounts of DeSantis’ interests
Other accounts suggest DeSantis has different ambitions.
According to Axios, a source familiar with his thinking said the governor has little interest in serving as attorney general. Instead, two roles stand out: secretary of defense or a future seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
“DeSantis is 100% not interested in the AG job,” the source said. “But he would be interested in two things: War secretary or Supreme Court, which would be his dream job.”
The same source pointed to DeSantis’ long-standing admiration for Justice Clarence Thomas, noting the two “almost have a father-son relationship.” DeSantis has frequently cited Thomas as a model for constitutional interpretation and has publicly defended him amid criticism from the left.
From rivals to allies
The behind-the-scenes discussions reflect a shift in the relationship between Trump and DeSantis.
The two were rivals during the 2024 Republican presidential primary, where tensions often played out in public. That dynamic changed after DeSantis exited the race and endorsed Trump. Since then, both camps have signaled a more cooperative approach.
DeSantis’ office pushed back on the idea that he is lobbying for a specific job, emphasizing instead that the governor “enjoys a great relationship with President Trump.”
Trump, for his part, has said publicly he would consider bringing DeSantis into his administration once the governor leaves office, though no formal offer has been made.
What comes next
Any path forward remains uncertain.
A Supreme Court appointment would depend on a vacancy, something no administration can guarantee. A Defense Department role would require changes in current leadership. And while DeSantis has not ruled out another presidential run, joining an administration could offer a different route to stay relevant on national policy.
For now, the conversations appear informal and fluid. But with DeSantis’ term winding down and Trump continuing to shape his political team, the question of where the Florida governor lands is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
