Vivek Ramaswamy speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is already the frontrunner for a consequential race…
On Monday, the biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy officially kicked off his highly-anticipated run to be the next Governor of Ohio.
Ramaswamy, who was floated early on as a potential running mate for Trump, promised to increase the Buckeye State’s pull factor for citizens across the nation and promote the president’s agenda if he is elected as governor.
“President Trump is reviving our conviction in America,” Ramaswamy told listeners at a Monday launch event in Cincinnati. “We require a leader here at home who will revive our conviction in Ohio, and that is why today I am honored to announce that I am running to be the next Governor of a great state at the heart of the greatest nation known to mankind,”
“I will lead Ohio to be the top state in the country where patriots across America actually flock to instead of Florida and Texas,” he continued. “I will lead Ohio to be the state of excellence in America.”
Quickly after announcing his run for Governor, President Trump posted on Truth Social a message promising his “complete and total endorsement.”
Thank you President Trump. I’m truly honored to have your endorsement. We’re behind you all the way & we will Make Ohio Great Again! pic.twitter.com/iKFB54ZUXw
“VIVEK RAMASWAMY is running for Governor of the Great State of Ohio. I know him well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL,” Trump wrote late Monday in a Truth Social post. “He’s Young, Strong, and Smart.”
“Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country,” he said of the biotech entrepreneur. “He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
The world’s richest man Elon Musk, who has ascended to a visible role alongside White House staff, also wished the Ohio Republican luck after launching his political campaign.
“Good luck, you have my full endorsement,” the tech billionaire wrote Monday in a post on his social platform X, quoting Ramaswamy’s video announcing his next political venture.
Former President Donald Trump unleashed a fiery monologue against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Thursday evening after winning re-election with higher-than-expected margins in the Sunshine State.
In a statement sent by Trump’s Save America PAC to his supporters, the former president called DeSantis an “average” Republican governor with “great Public Relations.” The former president also took credit for DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial victory that earned him his first term as governor and honed in on DeSantis’s response to COVID-19 which has largely been credited as the move which propelled him to national recognition.
In the unprovoked attack, Trump also revived the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” in what appears the most extreme escalation between the two Florida Republicans to date.
Read the statement below:
“NewsCorp, which is Fox, the Wall Street Journal, and the no longer great New York Post (bring back Col!), is all in for Governor Ron DeSanctimonious, an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations, who didn’t have to close up his State, but did, unlike other Republican Governors, whose overall numbers for a Republican, were just average—middle of the pack—including COVID, and who has the advantage of SUNSHINE, where people from badly run States up North would go no matter who the Governor was, just like I did!”
Trump continued by saying that DeSantis was “desperate” in 2017 and that DeSantis “had low approval, bad polls, and no money, but he said that if I would Endorse him, he could win.”
“I also fixed his campaign, which had completely fallen apart,” Trump continued. “I was all in for Ron, and he beat Gillum, but after the Race, when votes were being stolen by the corrupt Election process in Broward County, and Ron was going down ten thousand votes a day, along with now-Senator Rick Scott, I sent in the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys, and the ballot theft immediately ended, just prior to them running out of the votes necessary to win. I stopped his Election from being stolen…”
“And now, Ron DeSanctimonious is playing games!” Trump concluded in his attack on DeSantis. “The Fake News asks him if he’s going to run if President Trump runs, and he says, ‘I’m only focused on the Governor’s race, I’m not looking into the future.’ Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that’s really not the right answer.”
However, Trump wasn’t done bashing Republican governors and soon turned his ire toward first-term Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the second wave of rage-filled statements.
“Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) in Virginia couldn’t have won without me,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him – or he couldn’t have come close to winning. But he knows that, and admits it. Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia – But he’ll get it done!”
It’s unclear what provoked Trump’s comments against Youngkin but hours before the enraged message Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Sears announced she will not support Trump’s 2024 bid despite supporting him in past elections.
VA Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears on Trump running in ‘24: “A true leader understands when they have become a liability. A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage and the voters have given us that very clear message…I could not support him.” pic.twitter.com/HBarw1VUit
“A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” Sears said. “A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage. And the voters have given us that very clear message.”
“I could not support him. I just couldn’t, because we have seen, for example, in those states where he has endorsed the candidates, in fact, Republicans on the same ticket who he did not endorse over-performed, whereas his candidates totally underperformed by as much as 10 points,” she added. “We have a clear mission, and it is time to move on.”
On Friday, Gov. Youngkin said he hadn’t seen Trump’s comments.
“I didn’t see it. And I have to be honest, I’ve been busy all morning. Listen, you all know me, I do not call people names. I really work hard to bring people together,” Youngkin said.
Asked about former President Trump saying Gov. Youngkin’s name “sounds Chinese” and that he couldn’t have won without him, @GovernorVA says he didn’t see the comments. He said he does not call people names and he is focused on bringing people together @8NEWSpic.twitter.com/PlZ9aFXTWv
Billionaire Nicole Shanahan, who was the running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., threatened to primary senators who vote against his nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
With Kennedy’s confirmation hearing set to begin on Wednesday morning, Shanahan wrote on X on Tuesday, where she posted a video warning senators not to oppose his nomination.
“He is more than qualified,” Shanahan said. “He’s proven, principled, and prepared to lead. I’ll list I’ll share a list below of key senators. If they represent your state, they need to hear from you. If they don’t, please call your own senator and ask them to vote yes.”
She then addressed several senators whose votes she said she would monitor.
“The two candidates I helped elect, Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Jon Ossoff, please know I will be watching your votes very closely,” Shanahan added. “I will make it my personal mission that you lose your seats in the Senate if you vote against the future health of America’s children.”
Shanahan listed more senators, including “Lisa Markovsky” a clear nod to Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski also voted “no” on Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon.
“And more than that, I also want to say to Senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Markovsky, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Thom Tillis, James Lankford, Cory Booker, John Fetterman, Bernie Sanders, and Catherine Cortez Masto,” she said. “This is a bipartisan message and it comes directly from me. While Bobby may be willing to play nice. I won’t. If you vote against him, I will personally fund challengers to primary you in your next election, and I will enlist hundreds of thousands to join me.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has reservations and made it clear she’s hesitant about supporting RFK Jr. for the role/
“Well I’m certainly concerned about it. I know others have other, other points of concerns that they want to drill down on and try to get some commitments, public commitments, from him on,” the senator said. “But vaccines are important.”
A House Democrat is attempting to force a vote to impeach President Donald Trump.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) introduced his impeachment resolution as privileged on Tuesday afternoon, meaning leaders have two days of the House in session to take up the legislation.
House GOP leaders could move to table the motion, a procedural vote aimed to scuttle a piece of legislation without having lawmakers vote on the legislation itself.
No Republicans are likely to support impeaching Trump, however, meaning Thanedar’s measure will likely fail.
“Donald Trump has unlawfully conducted himself, bringing shame to the presidency and the people of the United States,” Thanedar said when deeming his resolution privileged.
Thanedar also took a swing at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), calling it a “flagrantly unconstitutional creation.”
The India-born Michigan Democrat first introduced seven articles of impeachment against Trump in late April.
They include charges of obstruction of justice, tyranny, bribery and corruption, and abuse of trade powers, among others.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is in hot water over her recent book and it could cause a major dent in her career.
Noem’s new memoir No Going Back has sparked several controversies over its content, including an anecdote about Noem killing her 14-month-old dog and a story about the governor meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un which the Republican has yet to corroborate.
Interrogating Noem over the book on Newsmax’s Wake Up America, Rob Finnerty assessed that Donald Trump likely won’t invite the Republican to be his running mate due to the recent scandal.
Finnerty then said, “Governor, if you asked me a month ago who’s at the top of the list to run with Donald Trump, I would have said your name. If you asked me that same question this morning, I don’t even think you’re on the list.”
The host went on to say that the content within Noem’s book, specifically her allegedly fabricated meeting with Kim Jong-un, is likely what spoiled her chances of becoming Trump’s running mate.
Kristi Noem crashes and burns this morning on Newsmax 👇
NEWSMAX HOST ROB FINNERTY: If you asked me a month ago who's at the top of the list to run with Donald Trump, I would've said your name. If you asked me that same question this morning, I don't even think you're on the… pic.twitter.com/3sKHpo3pFY
“I should not have put that anecdote in the book,” conceded Noem, to which Finnerty shot back, “But an anecdote indicates that it happened, right?”
“I’m not going to talk about my conversations with world leaders,” Noem bluntly declared – a statement she has made repeatedly when pressed about the alleged meeting with Kim Jong-un.
Finnerty snapped, “Governor, I’m not asking you about the details of this alleged meeting. I’m asking if the meeting actually happened. I don’t think it did and I think if it did, you’d be able to confirm for me that, ‘Yes, it did, and here’s when it happened.’ It happened, say, at such and such a date or a month or you don’t have to be specific.”
After Noem refused yet again to say whether the alleged meeting actually took place, Finnerty continued, “Again, I think at one point you were at the top of that list, but you’re going to get questions a lot more difficult than that.”
Despite endorsing Noem’s book, Trump allegedly told several people he was “disgusted” by the governor’s anecdote about killing her 14-month-old dog Cricket in a gravel pit.
According to unnamed sources, Trump was baffled by Noem’s confession that she shot her dog after it proved “less than worthless” as a hunting dog and questioned, “Why would she do that?” and “What is wrong with her?”
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, a Republican, launched a Sunshine State gubernatorial bid on Wednesday, jumping into the race after President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for the role earlier this year.
“As a legislator and Speaker of the House, I stood with Ron DeSantis to brand our state the Free State of Florida,” Renner said in social media posts. “I’m running for Governor so that when the DeSantis era comes to an end, we can defend our victories and solve the challenges that remain.”
As a legislator and Speaker of the House, I stood with Ron DeSantis to brand our state the Free State of Florida. I’m running for Governor so that when the DeSantis era comes to an end, we can defend our victories and solve the challenges that remain. As a military veteran of two… pic.twitter.com/LFeLZOw7wx
Current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is serving his second-consecutive term and is consequently not permitted to be elected again in 2026, said that he is not backing Renner, noting, “I think it was an ill-advised decision to enter the race.”
Florida’s state constitution stipulates, “No person who has, or but for resignation would have, served as governor or acting governor for more than six years in two consecutive terms shall be elected governor for the succeeding term.”
Renner added in his posts, “As a military veteran of two wars, a state prosecutor, and Speaker of the House, I’ve fought the tough battles, and I will never back down from the fight for our conservative values. As a father, I am committed to securing Florida’s safety and prosperity for the next generation.”
Donalds jumped into the race earlier this year after Trump strongly backed him for the role, urging him to run.
Byron Donalds via Gage Skidmore Flickr
“Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post.
Former Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is now serving as a U.S. Senator, has also endorsed Donalds.
Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Following the disappointing results in Georgia’s Senate runoff election, the state’s Lieutenant Governor is voicing what he thinks happened.
Geoff Duncan, Georgia’s No. 2 Republican official, told CBS that Herschel Walker “will go down in history as probably one of the worst candidates in our party’s history” and said Republicans should unequivocally blame Donald Trump for the GOP’s disappointing midterm results.
“The only way to explain this is candidate quality,” Duncan added, alluding to Walker’s numerous controversies, including, but not limited to, claims he paid and pressured two women to have abortions despite running on a strict no-abortion platform and lied about his education, ties to law enforcement, and family.
Duncan said Warnock’s victory in a once-red state should serve as a wake-up call for Republicans and force the GOP to face some hard truths about the former president and his pull among the electorate.
“If we don’t take our medicine here, it’s our fault. … Every Republican in this country ought to hold Donald Trump accountable for this,” he said.
Walker’s defeat hands Democrats an outright majority in the upper chamber of Congress, 51-49.
In a lighthearted nod to the raunchy 2005 comedy “Wedding Crashers,” President Donald Trump and actor Vince Vaughn recently posed together in the Oval Office. The White House shared the moment on social media as a mock movie poster titled “White House Crashers,” featuring Vaughn standing beside a seated Trump — both smiling in front of the American flag and presidential seal.
Vince Vaughn stopped by the Oval Office on Friday to meet with Donald Trump. Following their chat, the official White House X and Instagram accounts shared a spoof “Wedding Crashers” poster titled “White House Crashers.”https://t.co/rPG5Biy8iJpic.twitter.com/F4sszBCM6p
Vaughn, well-known for his libertarian views, has long emphasized his commitment to individual freedoms. He has maintained cordial interactions with politicians across the spectrum — including a handshake with Trump at a college football game in 2020 amid the president’s first impeachment proceedings.
“White House Crashers,” the poster reads in a font similar to one used on the artwork for the 2005 buddy comedy flick, with Trump taking the place of Vaughn’s costar Owen Wilson.
“President Donald J. Trump & Vince Vaughn in the Oval Office 🇺🇸,” the White House wrote in the post’s caption.
Wedding Crashers follows Wilson, 55, and Vaughn as divorce mediators who spend their free time crashing wedding receptions in order to meet women. It also stars Isla Fisher, Rachel McAdams, Christopher Walken and Bradley Cooper.
Aside from the post, the White House and the president both did not release any further information about Vaughn’s visit to Washington, D.C., nor did the actor.
Representatives for Vaughn did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.
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.
President Donald Trump teased the possibility of a future Republican “dream team” this week, but despite renewed speculation surrounding Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the president has made clear he has not yet chosen a favorite to carry the MAGA mantle into 2028.
Speaking to a group of law enforcement officials at the White House on Monday, Trump openly polled the crowd about who should succeed him once his second term ends.
“I don’t know. Who’s it going to be? Is it going to be JD? Is there going to be somebody else? I don’t know,” Trump said before asking attendees directly, “Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket.”
Applause in the room appeared louder for Vance, though Trump quickly clarified he was not offering an endorsement.
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance,” Trump said. “But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
The remarks immediately fueled speculation about the shape of the 2028 Republican primary field, which is increasingly viewed as likely to revolve around Vance and Rubio — two rising stars who have become central figures in Trump’s administration and broader MAGA movement.
Trump himself has repeatedly suggested Vance is currently the favorite to inherit the movement, while also leaving the door open to Rubio playing a major role.
Last August, Trump said Vance would “most likely” be the GOP nominee in 2028.
“Well, I think most likely, in all fairness,” Trump said at the time. “He’s the vice president. I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.”
Still, Trump stopped short of a formal endorsement then as well.
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here, so it’s too early obviously to talk about it,” he added. “But certainly, [Vance] is doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.”
Rubio, for his part, publicly signaled support for Vance last year, telling Vanity Fair: “If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him.”
Yet speculation about Rubio’s own ambitions has only intensified as he has emerged as one of the administration’s most visible and influential officials, juggling a growing list of high-profile responsibilities within Trump’s orbit.
At the same time, some political observers believe the eventual 2028 field may not unfold the way many Republicans currently expect.
Political analyst Mark Halperin argued Friday that Vance and Rubio are unlikely to engage in a bruising primary battle against one another despite widespread media speculation.
“We get to what I think is driving a lot of this, besides people loving Marco Rubio — and a lot people in my sources do — is Vance,” Halperin said during his online show.
Halperin pointed to concerns among some Republicans about Vance’s public image and political style, arguing Rubio may have advantages in traditional campaign settings.
“I will say that in the next two years, as people in the party and the media are comparing Rubio and Vance side by side, I don’t think Vance can win the performance competition,” Halperin said. “I think Rubio has improved enough and the perceptions are such that Vance is going to have a hard time.”
Still, Halperin ultimately predicted that if Vance decides to run, Rubio would likely avoid challenging him directly.
“These two guys are genuine friends,” Halperin said. “You cannot beat an incumbent vice president running for president unless you rip their face off. That’s just the way our politics work.”
Halperin floated another possibility that has received relatively little attention so far: Vance and Rubio eventually joining forces on a single ticket.
“If Vance runs, I think they’ll run together,” he said. “I think they’ll be a ticket, and they may even announce as a ticket from the beginning of the campaign.”
He also suggested there remains a real possibility Vance could ultimately decline to run altogether, citing the intense scrutiny presidential campaigns place on candidates and their families.
“So if Vance chooses not to run, and I think that’s a possibility, probably because of his kids, I think Rubio will be in an extremely strong position,” Halperin said.
Watch:
For now, however, Trump appears content to encourage speculation without settling the question himself.
While Vance remains widely viewed as the early frontrunner thanks to his position as vice president and close alignment with Trump’s political movement, Rubio’s growing stature within the administration has made him impossible to ignore in conversations about the GOP’s post-Trump future.
And despite the president’s playful “dream team” comments this week, Trump has repeatedly emphasized one thing above all else: the race to succeed him is still far from decided.
