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    New York Governor’s Race Shifts Toward Republicans

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Election forecasters have shifted another gubernatorial race towards Republicans with less than one month to go until Election Day.

    On Saturday, RealClearPolitics shifted the New York gubernatorial race from “leans Democrat” to “toss up” as Republican candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin continues to close the gap between himself and New York Gove, Kathy Hochul.

    The latest change comes just a week after the polling data aggregator shifted the race from “likely Democratic” to “leans Democratic.” In August Gov/ Hochul led Zeldin by as many as 24 points but another poll in September showed the governor up by 17. However new data suggest the Republican candidate has remarkably made it a competitive race in deep blue New York, according to The Daily Wire.

    New York’s move to “toss-up” comes a week after a Trafalgar Group poll indicated that the race is neck-and-neck. One of the biggest reasons Hochul appears to be lagging among her own party and Zeldin is surging is the growing problem of crime in the state. Trafalgar Group chief pollster Robert Cahaly told The Daily Wire last week that crime is overwhelmingly the top issue for New York voters. “It’s the only state we’ve seen crime exceed the economy,” he said.

    As Zeldin mentioned in his tweet, the Hochul campaign has not agreed to more than one debate that the governor wants to hold just two weeks before the election. In return, Zeldin refused to debate Hochul at all if she would not agree to more than one, meaning New Yorkers might not see the two gubernatorial candidates on stage together at all before the election.

    “I am rejecting Kathy Hochul’s offer to one single debate at the very end of October,” Zeldin said during a virtual press conference, according to the New York Daily News. “I believe that it’s important for Kathy Hochul to come back with an offer to do multiple debates in multiple parts of this state.”

    “I am not playing along with her games, I am not going to be playing along with this strategy that is an insult, disrespecting the voter of New York,” he added.

    Zeldin’s surge in the polls follows a recent shooting in front of his home. The Republican Congressman has made the issue of rising crime a cornerstone of his campaign.

    Fox News Proposes Presidential Debate

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

    Fox News has invited Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to participate in another debate before Americans cast their ballots.

    Fox has offered the candidates the opportunity to debate each other in Pennsylvania on two potential dates: Thursday, Oct. 24 or Sunday, Oct. 27. Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum would moderate the proposed debate.

    The network claimed in a statement addressed to the Trump and Harris campaign that the final debate would be an “opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments” before November. And they referenced a New York Times op-ed which called for Harris to debate on Fox News.

    “As made clear in The New York Times on Monday: ‘Harris Should Offer to Debate Trump Again – On Fox’ — this would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing argument,” said Fox News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace in a statement.

    Wallace added, “We’re including proposed criteria and format, which mirror those of the CNN & ABC debates; as well as data on our broad audience reach. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to foster informed political dialogue at this pivotal moment for our nation.”

    The rules proposed by Fox states that it will mute a candidate’s microphone when the time belongs to the another candidate. Moreover, Trump and Harris will not be permitted to interact with their campaign staff during commercial breaks

    CNN has offered to host another debate on Oct. 23 — with the Harris campaign accepting the offer. 

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    DeSantis Hints At Another White House Run

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is leaving the door open to another presidential bid after his unsuccessful 2024 campaign, signaling he could reemerge as a contender in the increasingly competitive 2028 Republican primary.

    “We’ll see,” DeSantis told Fox News host Sean Hannity on his podcast, “Hang Out with Sean Hannity.” The full interview is set to be released Tuesday.

    DeSantis, who is term-limited and will leave office in January 2027, faces a relatively short window to decide his political future. With the 2028 primary season expected to ramp up shortly thereafter, he will have roughly a year out of office to assess whether to launch another White House run.

    Once viewed as a rising star in the GOP, DeSantis entered the 2024 presidential race with significant momentum. His national profile surged his opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and a dominant nearly 20-point reelection victory in Florida in 2022. Early on, he was widely considered one of the strongest alternatives to former President Trump.

    However, his campaign struggled to gain traction amid a prolonged and often contentious rivalry with Trump, who retained deep loyalty among Republican voters. After finishing a distant second in the Iowa caucuses — with just over 21 percent of the vote and nine delegates — DeSantis suspended his campaign ahead of the New Hampshire primary and endorsed Trump. He ultimately placed third overall in the Republican primary, behind Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

    Reflecting on that race, DeSantis suggested his support was constrained by Trump’s presence in the field.

    “They were conservative voters, right? They didn’t want the non-conservative, they wanted me,” he said. “But the timing didn’t work out, obviously, for that.”

    “So you just got to see what happens,” he added.

    Looking ahead, the 2028 Republican primary is already beginning to take shape, with several high-profile figures jockeying for early position. Vice President JD Vance currently holds a significant polling advantage, benefiting from his national platform and close alignment with Trump-era politics.

    Recent surveys illustrate the early dynamics of the race. A poll conducted by Echelon Insights found that 40 percent of Republican-leaning respondents favored Vance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed at 16 percent, while Donald Trump Jr., DeSantis and Haley trailed with 9 percent, 5 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Thirteen percent of respondents remained undecided.

    A separate poll by The Public Sentiment Institute showed a somewhat tighter field, with DeSantis polling at 13.5 percent — good for third place — behind Vance (29.3 percent) and Rubio (15.5 percent). Nearly 10 percent of respondents were undecided.

    The early polling underscores both the opportunity and the challenge for DeSantis. While he remains a recognizable figure with a record that appeals to conservative voters, he would likely enter a crowded field that includes establishment figures like Rubio, Trump-aligned candidates such as Vance and Trump Jr., and other potential contenders still weighing bids.

    With Trump’s future political role uncertain and no clear consensus successor, the 2028 race is shaping up to be a wide-open contest. Whether DeSantis can reestablish himself as a top-tier candidate may depend on how effectively he rebuilds momentum after his 2024 defeat — and whether the political environment proves more favorable the second time around.

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    Report: Mike Pence to Resist Special Counsel Subpoena

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Vice President Mike Pence is reportedly planning to fight a subpoena for testimony as part of a Justice Department special counsel’s investigation into former President Donald Trump.

    Multiple sources close to Pence informed Politico that the former VP, who is rumored to be planning to announce a 2024 White House run, will likely address his plans to resist the subpoena during a visit to Iowa on Wednesday.

    The aides told Politico that Pence’s decision to challenge Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request has little to do with executive privilege, instead, he plans to argue that his former role as president of the Senate — therefore a member of the legislative branch — shields him from certain Justice Department demands.

    Pence allies say he is covered by the constitutional provision that protects congressional officials from legal proceedings related to their work — language known as the “speech or debate” clause. The clause, Pence allies say, legally binds federal prosecutors from compelling Pence to testify about the central components of Smith’s investigation. If Pence testifies, they say, it could jeopardize the separation of powers that the Constitution seeks to safeguard.

    “He thinks that the ‘speech or debate’ clause is a core protection for Article I, for the legislature,” said one of the two people familiar with Pence’s thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss his legal strategy. “He feels it really goes to the heart of some separation of powers issues. He feels duty-bound to maintain that protection, even if it means litigating it.”

    That’s because the legal question of whether the vice president draws the same “speech-or-debate” protections as members of Congress remains largely unsettled, and constitutional scholars say Pence raising the issue will almost certainly force a court to weigh in. That could take months.

    “It is admittedly a constitutionally murky area with no clear outcome,” said Mark Rozell, a George Mason University political scientist who specializes in executive privilege. “Since there is a legislative function involved in the vice president presiding over the Senate, a court very well could decide that it must address the scope of the speech or debate privilege and whether it would apply in this case.”

    Last week, Smith’s office moved to subpoena Pence in one of its most aggressive moves to date as its inquiries into Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election accelerate. (RELATED: Special Counsel Overseeing Trump Criminal Probe Subpoenas Mike Pence)

    Notably, the Justice Department has previously argued in civil litigation that the “speech or debate” clause protects the vice president when working on Senate business. The department explicitly asserted in 2021 that Pence was shielded by the “speech or debate” clause in a civil lawsuit related to his role presiding over Congress’ Jan. 6 session.

    Republican Congressman To Retire After 20 Years On Capitol Hill

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    On Sunday, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul (Texas) announced he will not seek another term.

    McCaul, 63, has represented Texas’ 10th Congressional District, which spans from the Houston suburbs to Austin, since 2005. He also chaired the House Homeland Security and House Foreign Affairs Committees from January 2013 to January 2019 and from January 2023 to January of this year, respectively. 

    “It’s been an honor to serve for over two decades in the Congress,” McCaul told Martha Raddatz on ABC News’ This Week. “I’m looking now for a new challenge. I’m going to serve the remainder of my term. But I’m looking for a new challenge in the same space that would be national security, foreign policy, but just in a different realm.”

    McCaul was elected to the House for the first time in 2004. He went on to be re-elected to his seat 10 times, with his narrowest victory occurring in 2018, when he garnered 51.1 percent of the vote to Democratic candidate Mike Siegel’s 46.8 percent. 

    McCaul did not specify what his next steps would be after his term ends. 

    “It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of central Texas and to chair the prestigious Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees,” McCaul said in a post on X. “My father’s service in World War II inspired me to pursue a life of public service, with a focus on defending our great nation against global threats, and I have been proud to carry out that mission in Congress for more than two decades.”

    A fair number of House Republicans have announced they will not run again (or retire early) heading into the 2026 elections. For example, Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) recently announced an early retirement, stepping down after the passage of a major budget/tax bill and citing a private sector opportunity.

    In some cases, Republicans are leaving not because they want to retire entirely but because they are running for other offices (governor or Senate) or want to vacate for private sector roles. According to Ballotpedia, as of mid-2025, there are thirteen Republicans in the U.S. House who announced they will not seek re-election in 2026.

    On the Democratic side, there are also retirements (or folks not seeking re-election) but somewhat fewer, or in less vulnerable districts. For example, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has announced he will not seek re-election. Some retirements are strategic for Democrats as well, but the key point is that many open seats will be up for grabs, and Republicans appear to be making more moves in this space.

    The GOP has a narrow majority in the House now, so even a small number of seat losses could flip control. That means each retirement — especially in competitive or swing districts — matters a lot. Analysts are pointing out that Democrats will challenge many of those open seats, and that Republicans will need to defend not just incumbents but maintain strength in districts where GOP retirements create open seats.

    To preserve control, Republicans will likely lean on a few advantages: favorable redistricting in some states, maintaining strong turnout in rural and suburban areas, and messaging that emphasizes border security, inflation, or other issues where GOP polling tends to do well. But there are headwinds: historically, the party in control of the White House tends to lose seats in midterms, public dissatisfaction with national issues could tilt momentum the other way, and some of the retirements are in districts where Democrats showed strength already.

    Given all that, Republican control of the House is not guaranteed but is plausible — if the party runs good campaigns, holds together its coalition, and defends seats well, especially in light of several vulnerable open seats caused by retirements. If you like, I can pull up a list of those Republican districts most at risk and what the forecasts are showing.

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    Trump Taps Mike Huckabee For Us Ambassador Role

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    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.

    Woman Arrested After Traveling To D.C. While Threatening To Assassinate Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    An Indiana woman has been arrested after threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump.

    On Monday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Nathalie Jones, 50, of Lafayette, Indiana, was arrested in the District of Columbia on Saturday in connection with making a series of threats on social media in which she threatened to kill President Trump.

    “Hi everyone, it’s Judge Jeanine. I just wanted to let you know here from the United States Attorney’s Office in D.C. that an individual by the name of Nathalie Rose Jones is now in custody, charged with two federal crimes for knowingly and willfully threatening to take the life of the President of the United States,” Pirro said in a clip she released on social media.

    “She did come from New York to Washington, D.C. and she has been threatening and calling for the removal of the president and even worse as she got to D.C. Her threats were on Facebook and Instagram and she continued to call the president a terrorist and was working to have him eliminated. She is now in custody. She will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Make no mistake about that,” Pirro said with a hint of a smile.

    On Facebook between August 6 and August 15,  “Nath.Jones” allegedly continued to post threatening comments about President Trump. In an August 6 post directed at the FBI, Nath.Jones wrote that “I am willing to sacrificially kill this POTUS by disemboweling him and cutting out his trachea with Liz Cheney and all The Affirmation present.”

                On August 14, in a post directed to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Nath Jones allegedly wrote “please arrange the arrest and removal ceremony of POTUS Trump as a terrorist on the American People from 10-2pm at the White House on Saturday, August 16th, 2025.”

                On August 15, the U.S. Secret Service conducted a voluntary interview with Jones, during which she stated the President was a “terrorist” and a “nazi,” that if she had the opportunity, she would take the President’s life and would kill him at “the compound” if she had to, that she had a “bladed object,” which she said was the weapon she would use to “carry out her mission of killing” the president, and that she wanted to “avenge all the lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic,” which she atrributed to President Trump’s administration and its position on vaccinations.

                On August 16, Jones joined a protest demonstration that started at Dupont Circle, and circumnavigated the White House complex. Following the march, the U.S. Secret Service interviewed Jones for a second time, during which she admitted that she had made threats towards President Trump during her interview the previous day. She denied having any present desire to harm the President of the United States. Law enforcement arrested her and she confirmed that she was the owner of the Facebook user account “Nath Jones” and that she had posted the threatening statements.

    Pirro, who was best known in recent years for her hot takes on The Five, is now the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Her office also put out a statement on the arrest, which read, “Nathalie Rose Jones, 50, of Lafayette, Indiana, was arrested in the District of Columbia on Saturday, August 16, and charged in connection with making a series of threats on social media in which she threatened to kill President Trump, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.”

    “Jones was charged in a complaint in U.S. District Court with threatening to take the life of, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, and transmitting in interstate commerce communications containing threats to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another,” added the statement.

    They tried to silence Trump. They tried to silence YOU. Now it’s time to fight back with the truth. Stand with Trump — demand every shred of evidence be brought to light. [ADD YOUR NAME TODAY]

    Election Forecaster Predicts Trump-backed Murkowski Challenger Will Cruise to Victory

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    9
    Lisa Murkowski via Wikimedia Commons

    RINOs beware.

    Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is on the edge of losing her seat in Congress to Trump-endorsed challenger Kelly Tshibaka according to election forecaster FiveThirtyEight.

    Alaska’s 2022 race is operating on a 2020 ballot measure in which voters approved ranked-choice voting in the state’s elections, meaning both Tshibaka and Murkowski will appear on the ballot despite being members of the same party. The two women emerged as the top two candidates in the state’s August nonpartisan blanket primary. They will face off with Democrat candidate Patricia Chesbro in November’s general election.

    The latest report from FiveThirtyEight revealed the GOP is more-than-likely going to win the seat this November and Tshibaka is considered most likely to emerge with the victory at 53%.

    Tshibaka, the Trump-backed Republican challenger who previously served as a commissioner of the Alaska Department of Administration, opted to challenge Murkowski after the incumbent senator voted to impeach former President Trump following the Jan. 6th Capitol riot.

    The Alaska Republican Party voted to censure Murkowski after her impeachment vote.

    Originally appointed to the Senate in 2002, Murkowski has long been a swing vote during partisan senate battles, ranking in as the second most liberal Republican senator to a 2017 GovTrack analysis of lawmakers reported. Her ranking put her to the left of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WVa., the senate’s most conservative Democrat, according to Fox News.

    According to the latest poll from RealClearPolitics, Tshibaka was reported to have a nine-point advantage over Murkowski.

    Republican Don Bacon Declines To Run For Re-election

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    On Monday, Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon announced he will not seek re-election.

    “After 30 years in the Air Force and 10 years in Congress, it’s time to spend my future with the love of my life, our four kids, and our wonderful grandchildren. Thank you, Nebraska!” Bacon announced Monday. 

    Bacon’s announcement comes as Congress works overtime to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. Through the reconciliation process, the megabill seeks to deliver on the president’s key campaign promises, including tax cuts, immigration reform and energy production. 

    Bacon has represented Nebraska’s second congressional district since 2017. He won re-election in 2024 by less than two percentage points. 

    Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced Sunday he would also not seek re-election next year. Like Bacon, Tillis has been willing to buck Trump and the Republican Party on key issues, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Tillis was one of just two Republicans who voted against a procedural vote on the bill in the Senate this weekend. 

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    Trump Assassination Attempt 911 Calls Released

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Months after a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Butler County officials have released 911 calls from that day.

    One redacted call came from the wife of a 74-year-old shooting victim from Moon Township, telling police her husband was shot at the rally, but she does not know what hospital he was transported to. James Copenhaver, a 74-year-old man from Moon Township, was shot and critically wounded at the rally.

    “Paramedics serviced him. I called Butler Hospital. He’s not there. They told me to call 911,” the woman can be heard telling a dispatcher.

    The dispatcher tells her to stay on the line and not hang up.

    “I won’t,” she says.

    Other 911 calls released by Butler County give more insight into the moment gunman Thomas Crooks fired approximately eight times, nicking Trump in the ear, killing Corey Comperatore, and injuring Copenhaver and another man named David Dutch.

    “We’re at the Butler Farm Show. We need assistance now,” says another.

    “We’re at the Trump assembly, and there’s a guy shooting,” another caller can be heard telling dispatchers.

    Listen to the chilling audio below:

    The calls reveal a chaotic scene after shots rang out at the rally, with attendees unaware whether the shooter was an active threat to those attending the event.

    Investigation revealed that Crooks had accessed the roof of a nearby building by climbing HVAC equipment and piping on the side of the building, which was outside the official perimeters of the rally but less than 200 yards from where Trump was speaking on stage.

    A local officer with Butler County identified where the shots were coming from, located the shooter, and fired one round at Crooks with his rifle, “which caused the shooter to recoil and briefly fall out of sight,” Adams Township Police Department Sgt. Edward Lenz testified in September.

    A Secret Service counter sniper then fired the fatal shot that neutralized Crooks on the roof of the AGR building, where he was perched with a direct line of sight to Trump.

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