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Trump Issues Early Midterm Endorsement – Before Candidate Even Files To Run

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Donald Trump is throwing his weight behind a potential new Republican candidate in Florida, publicly urging Sydney Gruters to enter the race for Congress in the state’s 16th District — and promising his full endorsement if she does.

In a Tuesday post on Truth Social, Trump signaled strong support for Gruters, who has not yet officially declared her candidacy but is reportedly considering a run.

“Word is that Sydney Gruters, the wife of our GREAT Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, is considering launching her Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 16th Congressional District!” Trump wrote.

“Should she decide to enter this Race, Sydney Gruters has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, SYDNEY, RUN!” the president added.

The endorsement comes as the seat opens up following GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan’s decision not to seek re-election, setting the stage for what could become a competitive Republican primary in a reliably conservative district along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Sydney Gruters is married to Joe Gruters, a prominent figure in Republican politics who currently serves as chair of the Republican National Committee and as a Florida state senator. Her potential candidacy would further cement the Gruters family’s influence within both state and national GOP circles.

Responding to Trump’s backing, Gruters expressed gratitude while stopping short of confirming her plans.

“I am deeply honored to have the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” she said, according to Florida Politics. “His leadership transformed our country and continues to inspire millions of Americans who believe in putting America First. I’m especially committed to advancing policies that lower the cost of living for hardworking families across our community. I’m grateful for his support and look forward to making an announcement about the path ahead very soon.”

Gruters currently serves as executive director and vice president of advancement for the New College Foundation, giving her a background in education and nonprofit leadership that could shape her campaign message if she enters the race.

Trump’s early endorsement — issued before an official campaign launch — underscores his continued influence in Republican primaries and his willingness to shape candidate fields well ahead of election season. His backing often carries significant weight among GOP voters, particularly in Florida, a state where he remains highly popular within the party.

In his post, Trump also outlined the policy priorities he believes Gruters would champion in Congress, framing her as a reliable ally of his political agenda.

“A Highly Successful Civic Leader and Public Servant, Sydney has dedicated her life to serving her Community, and she and her family are fierce advocates for our Movement to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” Trump wrote.

“As your next Congresswoman, Sydney will fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, Champion School Choice, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

With Buchanan stepping aside and Trump already signaling his preferred candidate, the race for Florida’s 16th District is quickly taking shape — even as Sydney Gruters weighs whether to officially enter the contest.

Don Jr. Refutes Report He’s Eyeing Presidential Run

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump Jr. has once again found himself in the spotlight, this time for his fiery response to a Mediaite reporter’s question about his potential 2028 presidential run. In a tense exchange, Trump Jr. asked the reporter, “Are you f**king retarded?” after being asked whether he was considering a run for the White House in the upcoming election.

The controversy stemmed from a Mediaite article titled Donald Trump Jr. Considering a Run for President in 2028,” which cited three anonymous “high-level sources” who claimed that Trump Jr. was seriously weighing a presidential bid. Despite Trump Jr.’s strong denial of the claim, Mediaite proceeded with the headline and included his rebuttal much later in the article.

“I accurately predicted that my buddy JD would be an instant power player in national GOP politics, so your theory is that I worked my ass off to help get him the VP nomination because I want to run for president in 2028? Are you f**king retarded?” Trump Jr. responded, according to Mediaite. “I’m actually glad you’re printing this though because at least now the rest of the press corps will see how sh**ty your ‘sources’ are and how easily you’re played by them. Congrats, moron,” he added, emphasizing his frustration with the claims.

His reaction gained traction political circles, with many mocking Mediaite for running the story despite Trump Jr.’s strong dismissal. Republican strategist Andrew Surabian quickly weighed in on Twitter, claiming that many reporters in Washington, D.C., were sending him the story to mock Mediaite’s handling of the situation. “Every reporter in DC I know is sending me the story mocking Mediaite for running it. Total clowns,” Surabian tweeted on Friday.

Trump Jr. remains the only named source in the Mediaite story, with the outlet running his direct denial much later in the article after his sharp rebuke. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between politicians and the media, especially when it comes to high-profile figures like Trump Jr. who are often the subject of speculation.

The incident also highlights a broader trend in modern journalism, particularly with regard to Donald Trump and his family. Starting with his initial presidential run, many media outlets have been accused of loosening or outright abandoning traditional journalistic standards in their coverage of Trump and his associates. This has often included sensationalized headlines, reliance on anonymous sources, and the prioritization of clickbait over factual reporting.

In the case of Donald Trump Jr., Mediaite’s story—despite his firm denial—was a prime example of how some outlets have increasingly blurred the lines between speculation and reporting. Critics argue that the aggressive nature of the media’s coverage of the Trump family has led to a growing mistrust of the press, with outlets prioritizing controversy, intrigue and partisan agendas over responsible, balanced journalism. As the Trump dynasty continues to dominate American politics, the way the media handles their coverage remains a contentious issue, with many wondering if the standards that once governed political reporting will ever fully be restored.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Report: Former Congressman Mulling Senate Challenge

Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin is reportedly considering a run for Senate.

On Monday, Zeldin told reporters he’s considering challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in 2024, according to Politico.

“We’ll keep an eye on the race,” Zeldin said while at the state Capitol on Monday to visit with lawmakers. “If we did run, it would be an extremely competitive race.”

The former Long Island congressman received nearly 47 percent of the vote against Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last November, the best performance by a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the solidly-blue state in two decades.

Gillibrand is running for her third term in the Senate next year. The Democrat has even launched a fundraising campaign on the possibility Zeldin may enter the race.

“It was something that I was giving no thought to, but she was trying to fundraise. And the best way to fundraise in the first quarter of 2023 was to speak about a viable opponent,” Zeldin said in an interview before joining former presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway at a dinner for the New York State Federation of Republican Women near Albany.

Zeldin said his main focus right now is helping out candidates for local office this year “who helped us during last year’s race.” He’s spent recent weeks traveling the state to campaign with the candidates “and that’s where the focus will remain” for the moment.

“We’ll see how the race shapes up,” he said of the possibility of challenging Gillibrand. But he acknowledged that “there’s even more of a Democratic-favored turnout” in a presidential election year than in a midterm like the one in which he led the GOP ticket in 2022.

Earlier this week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson told reporters the “Squad” member would not be challenging Gillibrand for the Senate seat in the next election.

Lauren Hitt, Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson, told Politico Sunday that the representative will not throw her hat into the ring in 2024.

“She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024,” Hitt said. “She is not planning to primary [Kirsten] Gillibrand.”

Last month, Zeldin publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president despite previously calling for a “robust” primary field.

“The GOP is filled with amazing talent to save our country from the failed policies of the Biden Admin. Our nominee in 2024 will be the 45th & 47th POTUS, Donald Trump,” he wrote.

“Our economy will be stronger, our streets will be safer, & our lives will be freer. He has my full support!”

‘I Wanna Smack Him’ Former GOP Governor Fumes Over Latest Trump Comment

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) told CNN anchor Jim Acosta that former President Donald Trump’s new rant about women made her want to “smack him across the face!”

The previous night, Trump described himself during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin as a “protector” of women who would defend them “whether the women like it or not” if he regains the White House this November.

On Thursday’s edition of CNN Newsroom With Jim Acosta, Whitman blasted Trump and said those remarks made her ball up her fists and get violent urges:

JIM ACOSTA: Harris at 19 points. She is leading Donald Trump among women. That is above where Biden was against the president at that time in 2020. Your thoughts, Governor Whitman?

GOV. CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN: Well, frankly, that comment of his, “whether they like it or not,” is just infuriating! And I think there are a lot of women who are still somewhat hesitant. Those women who are on the fence to whom that will be extremely offensive, and it will sway the vote.

And I don’t know why we’re still talking about the trash thing of the fact that Joe Biden mentioned that when Donald Trump has been denigrating people, men, women, minorities.

They’re calling them trash, calling them vermin, you know, poisoning our blood. We have to stop talking about the things he’s talking about and say, look at the things that he’s done and how his language is affecting the way we look at this election, the undermining of the public’s confidence in the electoral system. It’s all part of this package.

And I do agree that his base loves this, but there are still amazing to me number of people who haven’t quite made up their mind. And it’s comments like he’s going to take care of women whether they like it or not.

That just makes you clench your fists. It makes me clench my fist. I wanna smack him across the face!

He’s not taking care of me or my body!

Trump Attorney Rejects Press Sec. Position

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Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

Trump lawyer Alina Habba passed on the opportunity to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary, days after she emerged as a front-runner for the job.

Reports emerged earlier this week that Trump’s senior advisor and attorney was the favorite for the position, according to four sources. Habba traveled to Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday for discussions about a role, before announcing Thursday morning that she would not serve as press secretary.

“While I am flattered by the support and speculation, the role of Press Secretary is not a role I am considering,” Habba wrote. “Although I love screaming from a podium I will be better served in other capacities. This administration is going to be epic! So proud of the Trump team, the latest appointments and 47!”

A source said the Trump team lobbied Habba to take the job but she turned it down for reasons related to her family — Habba has three children and is based in New Jersey — and her law practice.

Sean Hannity pressed Habba on his Fox News show on Tuesday over whether she would take on the position. Habba said, “I am very loyal to President Trump. I would think about it very seriously.”

Former Florida Republican Announces Bid For Governor- As A Democrat

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Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A former Republican congressman and outspoken critic of Donald Trump is running for office…but this time as a Democrat.

David Jolly on Thursday officially launched his longshot campaign for governor as a Democrat. 

“Let’s end the politics of division and return Florida to voters who simply want an economy that works, the best education system in the world, safe communities, and a government that stays out of their doctors’ offices and family decisions,” Jolly said in a press release. 

“This is a different type of issues-driven, results-focused campaign, and it will be driven not by anger and division but by optimism and solutions,” he continued. “We are building a new coalition of Floridians who deeply care about their state and are desperate for real answers to real problems that are putting our quality of life at risk.”

Jolly previously represented Florida’s 13th congressional district, which includes parts of the greater Tampa area, from 2014 to 2017. He lost his seat to former Gov. Charlie Crist (D), who like Jolly, left the GOP. Jolly officially left the Republican Party in 2018.

The former Republican turned Democrat will face a fierce race in the Sunshine State that has become one of the most prominent red states in the country. Trump, who is now a Florida resident, won the state by 13 points in November. Republicans have also flipped a number of traditionally Democrat strongholds, including Miami-Dade County, and hold a voter registration advantage.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who is term-limited, defeated Crist in his 2022 reelection bid by nearly 20 points.  

Jolly is the first Democrat to throw his name in the ring for governor. Former state Sen. Jason Pizzo (D-Fla.) is said to be mulling an independent run after leaving the Democratic Party last month. 

On the Republican side, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) officially launched his bid for governor earlier this year. Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is also rumored to be considering a bid. 

Report: Oprah Pitched a White House Run with Mitt Romney

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

This union would have certainly shaken up the 2020 election…

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

Axios has more:

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

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

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

Republican Senator Todd Young Declares He Will Not Vote For Trump In November

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) has announced that he will not be voting for former President Donald Trump in the upcoming November election.

“Principled conservatives need to incentivize our party to nominate somebody that principled conservatives can believe in. I’m tired of having my vote taken for granted,” the Indiana Republican announced on Wednesday night. 

The Washington Examiner’s Emily Jacobs reports:

Young split from the former president after he refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, though he voted against impeachment. He pledged not to vote for Trump again in 2023 over his conciliatory tone toward Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine and has remained undeterred by the wave of endorsements from his GOP colleagues.

Young said it was fair for people to ask if abstaining from casting a vote in November would “reward one person at the expense of the other,” adding, “My response is, at some point, principled conservatives need to incentivize our party, the Republican Party, to nominate somebody that principled conservatives can actually believe in.”

“Stated differently, I’m tired of having my vote taken for granted,” he explained. “I think a lot of Hoosiers are.”

Young and his colleagues who don’t support Trump have faced increasing questions about their respective plans for November as the former president became their party’s nominee. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence said last week that he could not endorse Trump “in this campaign,” citing his conscience. 

“I won’t be voting for Biden. I also won’t be voting for Trump,” Young told an Indiana reporter, echoing Pence’s announcement to Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “So, does that mean I leave it blank? Does that mean I identify another conservative who’s almost certain not to be the next president of the United States and write them in? I haven’t decided that, and I think that’s a largely unimportant point. I don’t know who goes in that line, if anyone.” 

According to FiveThirtyEight, as of January 2021, Young supported the Trump administration’s legislative position 82.2% of the time.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. Republished with permission.

Trump Tied with DeSantis in New Poll of GOP Voters

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The latest Monmouth University poll shows that former President Donald Trump is tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the leading choice for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.

According to The Hill, the Monmouth University poll found a third of Republican voters saw Trump, who kicked off his campaign in November, as their top presidential pick, and another third favored DeSantis, who has yet to formally announce he’s running.

Former president Mike Pence scored just 2 percent support and Nikki Haley — who is set to become the only other big-name Republican officially in the ring with Trump — earned just 1 percent.

Trump closed the gap with DeSantis from a similar poll back in December that put the Florida governor ahead by 13 points, with 39 percent support compared to 26 percent for the former president. Trump has since climbed 7 points, and DeSantis has fallen 6 points.

But despite the uptick in voters backing Trump for the GOP nomination, DeSantis takes the win in a hypothetical primary matchup between the two, earning 53 percent to Trump’s 40 percent.

“Both Trump and DeSantis are well-liked by the party’s rank and file, but it’s likely that voter opinion of Trump is more firmly set than it is for DeSantis right now. The unknown factor is whether DeSantis can maintain this early edge if and when he gets on the campaign trail,” Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray said in a report.

The Florida governor is said to be close to his final decision on whether he’ll run in 2024 and is widely expected to jump in the ring.

Trump Names Florida Republican To Be Next U.S. Attorney General

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On Wednesday, president-elect Donald Trump officially nominated Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be the next Attorney General.

Read the full statement:

It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States. Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice. Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department. On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization. He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution. We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ. Under Matt’s leadership, all Americans will be proud of the Department of Justice once again.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.