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Joe Manchin Reignites 2024 White House Speculation

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Joe Manchin via Wikimedia Commons

A Democrat Senator isn’t ready to give up his presidential aspiration quite yet.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin signaled that his interest in potentially launching his own presidential campaign has not been deterred by President Biden’s reported re-election plans.

While speaking with Semafor’s Steve Clemmons, Sen. Manchin declined to rule out a bid for higher office. 

“I don’t know what the next chapter will be, I don’t know [where] the future lies, I really don’t,” Manchin said when asked if he would run for president next year during a question-and-answer session hosted by Clemons.  

“I can tell you one thing: I feel, like most Americans, we’ve got to come together. Americans want to be united, they want to be together and right now we’re going further apart,” he said.  

He predicted that voters are going to be looking for “somebody” to bring the country together but didn’t say whether he would be the politician to do that as the next president.  

“I’m not saying I have any aspirations” to run for the White House, he said, adding a caveat: “I’ve been [in Washington] 12 years. I don’t like what I see; I don’t the direction we’re going and I’m going to work and commit myself to try to get people who want to do the right thing to find the pathway forward, bringing the country back together.” 

Manchin has recently criticized Democratic leaders for refusing to negotiate with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over a package of fiscal reforms to attach to legislation raising the debt limit.

“It’s unreasonable for any senator, any congressperson representing the United States government to say, ‘I’m not going to negotiate,’” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “If you can’t communicate and you won’t talk to each other, you got a problem.”   

Freedom Caucus Chairman Expected to Announce Challenge for House Speaker

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

Trouble is brewing among House Republicans.

House Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) is reportedly seriously considering mounting a bid to challenge Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to become the next Speaker of the House.

The expected announcement comes on the heels of Biggs’ openly criticizing McCarthy last week after Republicans experienced fewer-than-anticipated wins on election night. Rep. Biggs told reporters he believes House Republicans should work to enact a more rightward agenda in the next term.

“I think we need to have a real discussion about whether he should be the speaker or not,” Biggs told reporters on Thursday.

“I think that his statement recently that we shouldn’t impeach Secretary Mayorkas indicates that maybe we’re not going to be as aggressive going forward as we should be. I think we need to have a very positive statement of what we’re going to accomplish and do, and I haven’t seen that yet,” he added. “That’s — those are things that I think we should have a very frank discussion internally about, where we’re going to be going forward.”

However, nearly one week after Election Day and neither party has officially won control of the House – although Republicans are projected to win by most major outlets some lawmakers want to push the elections until a majority is declared.

“I think we don’t even know if we’re in the majority, so I think it’s responsible to just look and see where the cards fall right now, and we don’t know,” Rep.-elect George Santos (R-NY) said on Sunday.

Tuesday’s leadership election is slated to be conducted via closed ballot and will only require a plurality of the conference to secure the nomination. McCarthy would need to reach 218 votes during the floor vote in January to win the Speakership.

Greene Questions Details Of Trump Assassination Attempt

Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the 2024 assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, adding to growing debate within fringe circles over the incident.

Greene suggested in comments and social media posts that aspects of the shooting remain unclear, pointing to what she described as unanswered questions about how the attack unfolded and how security failures occurred.

Her remarks come despite official investigations concluding that the incident involved a lone gunman who opened fire at a campaign rally, grazing Trump’s ear before being killed by law enforcement.

As Mediaite reports:

Authorities identified 20-year-old Thomas Crooks as the sole shooter in the incident that injured Trump and two others. 50-year-old rally-goer Corey Comperatore, who was seated behind Trump, was killed, and Crooks was killed by authorities.

Since then, some MAGA stalwarts have joined other critics in calling for detailed information on the investigation into the shooting.

Greene retweeted a lengthy post by Trisha Hope, a self-described “J6 Activist,” in which she questioned the shooting and the legitimacy of the famous photo of a bloodied Trump with his fist in the air yelling, “Fight, fight, fight!”

Greene called Hope’s post an “Extremely important post worth the read and consideration.”

While Greene has amplified claims circulating online that question whether the full details of the incident have been disclosed, no evidence has been presented to support those theories.

Her remarks reflect a broader pattern among some political figures and commentators, including Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, who have expressed skepticism about the investigation’s findings.

Authorities have described the Butler shooting as a targeted assassination attempt carried out by a single attacker. The incident resulted in Trump being injured and at least one rally attendee killed, prompting a large-scale federal investigation involving the FBI and other agencies.

Subsequent congressional hearings also examined security lapses that allowed the shooter to access the rally site, with bipartisan calls for greater transparency and accountability from the Secret Service.

There is no indication from federal authorities that the official conclusions of the investigation are being reconsidered.

However, the renewed attention on the Butler incident suggests it will remain a subject of political debate as the 2026 election cycle continues.

READ NEXT: House Dems Make Shameless Move Against Key Trump Official

Ivanka Trump Signals Potential New White House Role

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Could Donald Trump’s second White House administration include family members after all?

Ivanka Trump, the former President’s oldest daughter, signaled a willingness to return to politics if her father wins another term in the White House.

Puck’s Tara Palmeri reported, citing someone familiar with the matter, that the former president’s daughter, who served in his first administration, is “warming to the idea of trying to be helpful” again. The source told Palmeri that Ivanka Trump is “privately not ruling out having some sort of role.”

“She’s not like ‘Hell no’ anymore,” the person said.

Ivanka Trump served as an advisor in her father’s administration but announced in 2022 that she was leaving politics behind even though her father is running again. Other Trump family members have also made similar statements regarding future roles in the White House.

“This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics,” she said at the time.

Palmeri reported that Ivanka Trump has been advised to wait to make a full dive back onto the Trump team until the GOP convention this summer.

A spokesperson for the couple said in a statement that both are still committed to being in the private sector currently.

“As they’ve both repeatedly stated, Ivanka and Jared continue to focus on their family and lives in the private sector and do not intend to go back to politics,” the spokesperson said.

Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, also served as a senior advisor in Trump’s administration, helping to negotiate the historic Abraham Accords. 

Trump Prime-Time Speech: Direct Address On Iran & Election Security

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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.

READ NEXT: Top Trump Official Pressured To Replace Lindsey Graham

Tulsi Gabbard Gives Update On Trump Debate Prep

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Tulsi Gabbard via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former President Trump’s debate prep is going “great,” former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard informed Fox News.

“He knows the issues. He is very honed in on her [Kamala Harris’] record in reminding voters… ‘what have you done for the last three and a half years?’ You can paint this rosy picture about what you’re going to do, but we’re paying attention to what you’ve already done and how her policies have destroyed our economy, made us less safe, both here at home and abroad,” she told “FOX & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade.

The former president recruited Gabbard to help sharpen his skills ahead of the highly-anticipated Sept. 10 debate, where he is slated to face off against Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. 

Gabbard infamously tore into Harris during a 2019 Democratic primary debate for jailing hundreds of Californians for marijuana violations despite smoking the drug herself.

“She put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana,” she said during the viral exchange.

Thomas Massie Faces Trump Loyalty Test in Record-Shattering Kentucky Primary

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By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Thomas Massie, CC BY-SA 2.0,

Rep. Thomas Massie is staring down the biggest political threat of his 14-year congressional career on Tuesday as President Donald Trump and his allies unleash a political war chest in an effort to take out one of the last major Republican holdouts willing to publicly challenge him.

The showdown between Massie and Trump-backed retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein has turned into the most expensive House primary battle on record, with more than $32 million flooding into the race as both sides saturate northern Kentucky with attack ads, outside money, and even AI-generated deepfakes.

What was once a simmering feud has morphed into an all-out MAGA civil war.

Massie has spent years carving out a reputation as a libertarian-leaning conservative who often votes independently and sometimes infuriates Republican leadership. But his relationship with Trump deteriorated after repeated clashes over the administration’s handling of issues ranging from the release of government files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to U.S. involvement in Iran and Trump’s signature domestic package, the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Trump eventually stopped hiding his frustration.

The president blasted Massie as the “worst Republican Congressman in history” before personally recruiting Gallrein to challenge him and putting the full force of his political operation behind the effort.

Now the question hanging over Kentucky is simple: Can even Thomas Massie survive a direct collision with Trump?

The spending numbers alone look staggering.

According to reporting from The New York Times, pro-Trump groups and organizations unhappy with Massie’s opposition to U.S. policy toward Iran spent heavily against the Kentucky congressman, including millions from groups tied to pro-Israel advocacy efforts. Meanwhile, Massie received support from outside groups and donors from across the political spectrum eager to keep one of Congress’s most unpredictable Republicans in office.

Massie has leaned into that dynamic as the campaign entered its final days.

“After months of beating around the bush, one reporter finally writes the true story of my race,” Massie said after reporting highlighted major outside spending against him.

The race has also veered into bizarre territory.

The New York Times reported that opposing groups unleashed deepfake advertisements depicting fake scenarios involving both candidates. One pro-Massie ad used AI-generated imagery portraying Gallrein abandoning Trump on a battlefield, while a pro-Gallrein advertisement depicted an AI-generated Massie socializing with progressive Democrats.

Then came perhaps the campaign’s biggest eyebrow-raiser.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hit the campaign trail Monday to stump for Gallrein in a move that immediately drew criticism because Pentagon leaders traditionally avoid overt participation in partisan campaigns.

Hegseth, appearing at a Kentucky rally, described Gallrein as “reinforcements” for Trump’s agenda.

“I have to say up front, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen,” Hegseth said.

Pentagon officials insist the appearance complied with ethics rules and federal law. But critics pointed out that a sitting Defense secretary jumping into a heated primary battle represents a rare break from long-standing Pentagon norms designed to protect the military’s image.

The Kentucky slugfest is also being watched for what it could reveal about Trump’s grip on the Republican Party.

Just days ago, Trump-backed forces scored another major win when Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy — one of Trump’s longtime GOP critics — lost his renomination battle. (RELATED: Former Senator Laments Anti-Trump Congressman’s Primary Loss)

Now Republican strategists are watching Kentucky, along with contests unfolding Tuesday in Georgia and Pennsylvania, for clues about whether Trump’s political muscle remains as powerful as ever.

For years, Massie built his brand around being the Republican who refused to fall in line.

Tuesday could determine whether that brand still works in Trump’s GOP.

Top Trump Ally Warns Dem Billionaire Is Meddling In His GOP Primary

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A clean-energy super PAC backed by a billionaire Democratic donor is unleashing a multimillion-dollar advertising barrage against one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress—just days before Tennessee Republicans choose their nominee.

The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition has spent approximately $1.3 million opposing Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and promoting his Republican challenger, former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. The group recently committed another $700,000 for the closing days of the campaign, bringing its total investment in the race to roughly $2 million, according to Fox News Digital and Axios.

Ogles argues the onslaught is no ordinary primary intervention.

“When you have a group spending roughly $2 million in a Republican primary, that tells you how much money they’re making off of government subsidies,” Ogles told Fox News Digital.

The Tennessee Republican accused renewable-energy interests of attempting to punish him for supporting the rollback of Biden-era tax credits and subsidies.

“They’re upset that the government welfare has been taken away from them,” he added.

Democratic Megadonor Fuels PAC

Federal Election Commission records show the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition raised nearly $6.8 million through June 30, despite registering with the agency only in January. The super PAC reported more than $5.1 million in cash on hand at the end of that period, according to its FEC filings.

Fox News Digital reported that $6 million of the PAC’s funding came from Chris Larsen, the California billionaire who co-founded the cryptocurrency company Ripple.

Larsen has an extensive history of supporting Democratic candidates and organizations. His previous donations include millions for the super PAC that backed Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign, along with contributions benefiting Democratic congressional committees, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Jane Fonda Climate PAC.

Axios also identified Larsen as a major supporter of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The billionaire has made climate activism a central focus of his philanthropy and has invested in climate-technology companies and funds. Ogles, however, says the spending in Tennessee is intended to send a warning to other Republicans who oppose federal energy subsidies.

Invest in Tomorrow Coalition Chairman Tom Matzzie made clear that the group sees Ogles as part of a broader political campaign.

“Our campaign is here to show that politicians who oppose clean energy do so at their own political peril,” Matzzie, who also serves as CEO of the solar company CleanChoice Energy, told Axios. “Andy Ogles is next.”

Trump Rallies Behind Ogles

Ogles, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has repeatedly voted to reverse renewable-energy initiatives enacted under former President Joe Biden.

But he believes his close relationship with Trump has also placed a target on his back.

“It’s because I’m close to the president,” Ogles told Fox News Digital. “It is because I am outspoken.”

Trump has endorsed Ogles and held a late-campaign tele-rally encouraging Tennessee Republicans to support him. The president described Ogles as a loyal ally who has “always been there when we needed him.”

“As the Trump-endorsed candidate in this race, I am being targeted by left-wing liberals from California because I am one of President Trump’s closest allies,” Ogles said separately in a statement obtained by Axios.

Ogles still faces a potentially dangerous contest.

A poll commissioned by the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition found Ogles leading Hatcher 37% to 33%, with approximately 30% undecided. The survey questioned 400 likely Republican primary voters and carried a five-point margin of error—making the race a statistical dead heat.

The poll was paid for by a group actively working to defeat Ogles and should be viewed in that context.

Hatcher has also out-raised the incumbent. Axios reported that Hatcher collected approximately $720,000 through July 17, compared with $610,000 for Ogles. Hatcher entered the final stretch with $105,000 available, while Ogles had $58,000 and approximately $70,000 in campaign debt.

The challenger has secured endorsements from former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. His background as a farmer and former state agriculture commissioner could also prove valuable after redistricting shifted the 5th District toward more rural and agricultural communities.

Ogles faced another well-funded primary challenge in 2024 but prevailed with 56.5% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

Energy Fight Reaches The Ballot Box

Ogles maintains that he supports an “all-of-the-above” energy policy but opposes allowing Washington to select favored industries through subsidies.

“I’m not against solar,” he told Fox News Digital, explaining that he had considered installing panels on his own farm. “But I don’t want a government subsidy to make it work.”

With the national debt approaching $40 trillion, Ogles argued that taxpayers should not be forced to underwrite investments that cannot survive in the private market.

Invest in Tomorrow’s spending campaign suggests renewable-energy executives intend to make that position politically costly—not only for Ogles, but for other Republicans watching the Tennessee race.

Early voting concluded Saturday, Aug. 1. The Republican primary will be decided Thursday, Aug. 6.

Fox News Host ‘Baffled’ By Kamala’s Lack Of Preparation

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Fox News host Geraldo Rivera might be regretting his endorsement.

Days after backing the Democrat nominee the Fox News host was left stunned after her lack of preparation for her interview with anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday.

Rivera and Sean Spicer joined NewsNation’s Dan Abrams, founder of Mediaite, on Wednesday to break down Harris’s interview and despite Rivera’s public support for Harris, he was left mostly unimpressed with her appearance.

“I am baffled by the lack of preparation going into the highest profile interview she has,” Rivera said, calling the interview “a wash.”

He argued that Harris’s weak point was in terms of immigration and the southern border.

“For example, she knew, they knew, the Democrats knew that it was going to be all about immigration. Bret was going to come out smoking on immigration and he would culminate his lament over how awful the situation is with pictures of the victims. That’s the Republican playbook, it’s obvious that it was coming. How could she not be ready to answer Laken Riley and Mollie Tibbetts and so forth?” he said.

The southern border, he added, will continue to be the weak point for Harris and her campaign.

“From this moment on, I advise them to not be the doormat when it comes to this issue,” he said. “It’s their biggest Achilles heel.”

Donald Trump released a statement after Kamala’s interview:

“Kamala Harris’ interview with Bret Baier was a TRAIN WRECK. Kamala was angry, defensive, and once again abdicated any responsibility for the problems Americans are facing. She couldn’t give a straight answer to a single question because she has no answers. Kamala’s entire campaign is based on lies about President Trump. Kamala can’t handle the pressure of an interview with Fox News—she certainly can’t handle the pressure of being President of the United States.”

Trump-endorsed Candidate Concedes Primary Following 23-Vote Margin

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Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger, one of the state’s most powerful Republicans, conceded his GOP primary race Tuesday after a second recount confirmed he trailed by just 23 votes. The razor-thin loss to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page ends Berger’s long tenure representing the Triad-area district and signals a potential leadership shake-up in a critical battleground state ahead of the midterms.

“While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory,” Berger said in a statement following the recount results.

“Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state’s outlook and reputation. It has been an honor to play a role in that transformation.”

Unofficial results showed Page winning 13,135 votes to Berger’s 13,112, capping a dramatic contest that initially saw Page ahead by just two votes on primary night. His margin grew slightly as election officials reviewed provisional and absentee ballots, and subsequent recounts failed to change the outcome.

Berger’s defeat marks a major upset in North Carolina politics. As Senate leader since 2011, he has been a central figure in shaping Republican policy in the state. His loss comes despite an endorsement from President Donald Trump and reported efforts by GOP leaders to persuade Page to step aside, underscoring tensions within the party as it prepares for a high-stakes election cycle.

The outcome is likely to reverberate beyond the district. North Carolina is one of the nation’s top political battlegrounds, and Republicans are working to defend their legislative supermajority while also competing nationally to maintain their narrow U.S. House majority in the midterm elections. Party leaders have been particularly focused on redistricting efforts, including recent changes to congressional maps aimed at flipping a Democratic-held seat.

Page, who had urged Berger to concede as recounts concluded, framed his victory as a call for unity heading into November.

“I thank him for wishing me the best moving forward,” Page said after Berger called to concede. “Now it’s time for our community to come together and focus on winning in November.”

He will face Democrat Steve Luking in the general election in what is considered a GOP-leaning district. Berger defeated Luking in 2024.

Despite the loss, Berger will remain in office through January and continue to preside over the Senate during the short legislative session. He emphasized his intention to support fellow Republicans as they prepare for the general election.

“Looking ahead, I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the short session to ensure North Carolina continues to be the best state in the nation in which to live, work, raise a family, and retire,” Berger said. “In the months ahead, I will also do everything I can to support all Republican Senate candidates and protect our supermajority.”

With control of Congress and key state legislatures at stake, Republicans are increasingly wary of internal divisions and low-turnout primary surprises. Berger’s narrow defeat highlights how even entrenched incumbents can be vulnerable, adding a new layer of uncertainty as the party heads into a pivotal midterm season.