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Republican Campaign Chair Warns Lawmakers Against In-Person Townhalls

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Republicans are on high alert…

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson warned congressional lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls and predicted that protests are only going to get worse.

The remarks came after President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to accuse “paid troublemakers” and Democrats of manufacturing the scenes of discontent at GOP events across the country. In a post on Truth Social,

Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!

According to Wall Street Journal Congress reporter Olivia Beavers, Hudson called for the full attention of all present at the closed GOP House meeting on Tuesday before warning that protests would be getting worse and that no one should be doing in-person town halls for the time being.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) reportedly stood up and shared that protestors had been picketing outside of her house and were harassing her children.

Hudson went on to claim that Democratic activists were “hijacking” the town hall events and “drowning out” local constituents, another source told Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. He added that Democrats would be attending the events just to get a “viral clip” of Republican lawmakers being challenged.

Hudson reportedly recommended that Republicans do virtual town halls or tele-town halls instead, rationalizing that this was a more efficient way of reaching constituents.

Rudy Giuliani’s Daughter Announces Plans To Vote For Harris

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

An epic betrayal…

The daughter of former New York City Mayor and Trump’s attorney announced she will vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

In the article titled, “Trump Took My Dad From Me. Please Don’t Let Him Take Our Country Too,” Giuliani wrote:

“I spent a lot of my life wishing my father had less power,” Caroline Giuliani said in her Vanity Fair piece. “But I never wanted it to happen like this. And selfishly, the deeper my dad gets stuck in the quicksand of his problems, the more fleeting our opportunities to connect as father and daughter become.

“After months of feeling the type of sorrow that comes from the death of a loved one, it dawned on me that I’ve been grieving the loss of my dad to Trump,” Caroline Giuliani continued. “I cannot bear to lose our country to him too.”

This isn’t the first time Caroline Giuliani has backed a Democrat for president over Trump.

In 2016, she also reportedly supported the Democrat presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying on Facebook that she was “pro-Hillary all along.”

In her Vanity Fair piece, Caroline Giuliani said she is voicing her “adamant support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” stating that she is “a recently engaged-to-be-married, 35-year-old who hopes to feel more joyous than fearful about the potential of becoming a parent” herself and that she is obligated “to advocate for a future worth bringing children into.”

Giuliani was disbarred last week in the nation’s capital by a federal appeals court due to his efforts to stop the transfer of power following Trump losing the 2020 election.

Musk Donates $5 Million To Trump Super PAC

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Image via Pixabay free images

Tech billionaire Elon Musk donated $5 million to the main super PAC affiliated with President Trump in late June despite an ongoing public feud, according to recent campaign finance filings. 

Musk made the donation to MAGA Inc. on June 27 — the same day he also donated $5 million each to the Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund, the main super PACs dedicated to boosting Senate and House Republicans. 

The donations appear to have come during a lull in the Tesla CEO’s spat with Trump.  

After spending at least $250 million to boost Trump’s 2024 White House campaign, Musk joined the administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Following a controversial four-month stint, the tech mogul announced his plans to step away in late May. 

The two men appeared to hint at peace in mid-June, with Trump saying he had “no hard feelings” and Musk suggesting he “went too far.” 

However, just one day after his donations to the president and congressional Republicans in late June, Musk was once again lambasting Trump’s tax and spending bill and reigniting the feud. 

The tech billionaire also followed through on threats to launch a new third political party called the “America Party,” though he has done little since to establish it.

Last month, President Trump also famously threatened to deport the South African billionaire by using DOGE.

“We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said when asked about the deportation. “We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon! Wouldn’t that be terrible?”

Musk’s most recent donation comes months after he said that he will dial back his spending on future political campaigns.

Asked about his plans for political contributions at Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum, Musk said over video that he’s “going to do a lot less in the future.” Musk spent nearly $240 million through his political action committee, America PAC, helping Trump and Republicans in the 2024 election cycle. His comments on Tuesday, however, indicate that he won’t be as aggressive in pushing Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.

“I think I’ve done enough,” Musk said, adding, “If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”

Watch:

Former Georgia Republican Lawmaker Officially Ditches GOP For Dems

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A Republican lawmaker is jumping ship…

Geoff Duncan, who previously served as Georgia’s Lt. Governor, revealed he has officially registered as a Democrat.

Duncan, who served as lieutenant governor as a Republican from 2019 until 2023, wrote in an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that his path to becoming a Democrat began before President Donald Trump attempted to overturn his loss to former President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, which Duncan criticized at the time.

“My journey to becoming a Democrat started well before Donald Trump tried to steal the 2020 election in Georgia,” Duncan wrote in the newspaper.

“There’s no date on a calendar or line in the sand that points to the exact moment in time my political heart changed, but it has,” he continued. “My decision was centered around my daily struggle to love my neighbor, as a Republican.”

Duncan pointed to several policy issues that played a part in his decision to change parties, criticizing Republicans for their handling of issues such as health care, Medicaid, gun safety, immigration and how to help poor people.

The former Republican said GOP lawmakers have argued for decades that the solution to not having health insurance is to have a job, but noted that most uninsured people in the Peach State live in working households yet do not have insurance because of affordability or eligibility. 

“So, the reality is they have a job, just the wrong job,” Duncan wrote. “One that doesn’t offer health insurance or generate enough spare money each month to afford their own health insurance plan.”

Duncan’s party switch comes after the Georgia Republican Party expelled him from the party earlier this year over alleged disloyalty. The party’s resolution cited his endorsement of Biden in the 2024 presidential election and, once he dropped out, his endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as alleged efforts to undermine and sabotage some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker. 

The former Republican also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August in support of Harris.

Kari Lake Says She Won’t Seek Office Again

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

She’s done…

Former Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake says she’s done with pursuing public office.

“We know the movement that we have in Arizona, and I will never take that for granted. But there is a corrupt machine here that is hellbent on making sure I never hold office. So, I won’t put my family (and myself) through the torture of running again,” Lake wrote Saturday in a post on X.

Gallego, who had served in the House for nearly a decade representing a Phoenix-based seat, secured his victory against Lake, garnering 50.1 percent of the vote compared to Lake’s 47.7 percent, according to a polling aggregate from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.

Lake has recently been in the spotlight after Trump nominated her to lead Voice of America.

In her Saturday post, Lake pledged to support Trump and help revamp the media outlet. Trump has said his vision is for Lake to “ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.”

“I will go to Washington, D.C., return @VOANews to its glory days, and help President Trump Make America Great Again,” Lake wrote.

Poll Shows New Trump Advantage In New Hampshire

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

More good news for Trump…

A new poll conducted by St. Anselm College in New Hampshire indicates Biden’s poor debate performance is resonating with voters.

According to the poll, Trump now holds a two-point lead (44%-42%) over Biden. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is mounting an independent bid for the presidency after initially running in the Democratic primary, earned the support of just 4% of voters.

Neil Levesque, the director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm, declared that the poll shows “that New Hampshire is really a competitive state in the presidential election.”

“Events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect,” he added.

Among voters who were aware of the debate, 54% said Trump won, while just 6% said Biden won and 39% said there was no winner. The poll showed that 81% of those who watched the debate said it won’t affect their vote in November, so the trend might have started before the end of last week.

“I think people are very partisan,” Levesque said. “So, they’re in their camps and they say, ‘Well, I watched the debate, but it doesn’t affect how I’m going to vote.’ But certainly, events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect.”

Report: Nancy Pelosi Not Attending Trump Inauguration

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

A significant snub…

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will not be attending President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday, her spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.

Pelosi’s spokesperson did not share a reason for the former Democrat leader skipping the Monday event. The former Speaker attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.

Senior leaders of both parties typically attend presidential inaugurations, though Trump skipped President Biden’s inaugural event in 2021.

Former first lady Michelle Obama also won’t be attending Trump’s second inauguration, though former President Obama will attend

News of Pelosi not attending was first reported by ABC News.

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

Maher Sounds Alarm – Trump Could Flip Marijuana Issue On Democrats

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On Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher, the long-time cannabis advocate gave credit where credit’s due — to Donald Trump.

Maher acknowledged Trump’s emerging strategy to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. It’s not full legalization, but it’s a significant shift that would loosen federal restrictions and move the ball forward on reform.

He didn’t mince words. “I’ve been telling Democrats for years, the Republicans are gonna steal pot from you as an issue,” Maher said, half-joking, half-dead-serious.

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

What’s notable here isn’t just the policy — it’s who’s moving on it. Trump, once again, is positioning himself as a disruptor who knows how to cut through noise and win over voters issue by issue.

Decider offers more information on Maher’s grudging respect for Trump’s “genius” strategy:

He drove it home with a riff on Trump’s playbook: “He’s the master at winning votes from small groups who are passionate about one issue, picking up a couple percent here, a couple there…” until Election Night turns into something like a bizarre Y-M-C-A celebration.

And when it comes to timing, Maher confessed—with tongue in cheek—that Trump finally swung by his own camp. “Finally, he got around to me,” he teased during his “New Rules” segment—comparing his own potential shift to that of single-issue Black voters who helped Trump make gains in key cities.

“What did you expect?” he shrugged. “He’s the master…” And amid all of this, Trump has already said he’ll have a decision on cannabis rescheduling “in the next few weeks”—a move that would send seismic ripples through the cannabis industry and potentially benefit Maher personally, since he co-owns The Woods, a West Hollywood consumption lounge.

Maher, who still identifies as a Democrat but often breaks ranks — especially with the woke crowd — used the moment to throw up a red flag to his own party. He warned that if Democrats keep dragging their feet, Republicans could flip the script and claim an issue long seen as their turf.

For all his usual sarcasm, Maher’s comments carried real weight: a unenthusiastic but clear nod to Trump’s political instincts — and a warning shot to Democrats who think this base-level issue is locked up.

READ NEXT: Leaked Emails: Team Biden Caught Smearing Scientist After Train Disaster

Trump’s Hockey Team Surprise Sends Shockwaves To Independent Voter Approval Rating

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President Donald Trump’s introduction of the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address sparked largely positive bipartisan reactions, with Independent voters showing particularly strong approval.

According to Lee Carter of the polling group maslansky+partners, Independent voters responded most enthusiastically when the team entered the House Chamber wearing their gold medals and USA sweatshirts, greeted by thunderous chants of “U-S-A.”

“The USA hockey team and military recognition moments were widely noticed,” Carter said. “Visual, patriotic moments landed more consistently than policy-heavy segments.”

Real-time dial testing conducted by the polling group showed the sharpest spike among Independent voters during the team’s entrance. Republican voters, who were already energized by the speech, showed additional gains in approval during the moment. Even Democratic voters—who overall were the least enthusiastic throughout the address—registered a modest uptick in reaction.

Participants in the polling offered enthusiastic feedback, with comments such as, “What a great moment!” and, “Love it!” Even some critics acknowledged, “They deserve recognition,” and, “It’s a nice moment.”

The president had invited the team to attend the State of the Union after their thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in the Winter Olympics gold medal game.

During the address, President Trump introduced the team to loud cheers from members of Congress and the audience, who once again broke into chants of “USA! USA! USA!”

“Our country is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it. People are asking me, ‘Please, please, please, Mr. President, we are winning too much. We can’t take it anymore. We’re not used to winning in our country. Until you came along, we were just always losing, but now we’re winning too much.’ And I say, ‘No, no, no, you’re going to win again. You are going to win big, you’re gonna win bigger than ever.’ And to prove that point, to prove that point, here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud,” Trump said, adding:

The men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team — come on in!

After extended applause inside the chamber, Trump remarked, “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen them get up. And actually, not all of them did get up, but they beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime, as everybody saw, as did the American women, who will soon be coming to the White House.”

The president also announced that he would honor goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After praising the team’s collective performance, Trump described asking players to vote on whether their goaltender deserved the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“But I have to say that, and I told them this, and we took a vote of the team. I said, ‘Anybody votes no, I’m not doing it.’ So they stood there, and they weren’t about to say no because I’ve never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck,” said Trump.

He continued:

Think of it– 46 shots on goal. And I asked him, “The one shot, the one where you put your stick in the back and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off, you practice that or was that a little lucky?” He refused to answer that question, but I just want to tell you that the members of this great hockey squad will be very happy to hear, based on their vote and my vote– and in this case, my vote was more important– that I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor, which we will be given and which has been given to many athletes over the years. But when I say many, not too many, like 12. It’s called the highest civilian honor in our country. The Presidential Medal of Freedom. Great athletes have gotten that very great, the best. And I thought he deserved it. And I did take a vote. Every single one of them. I said, “I’m not giving it if anybody goes no.” And every single one of them rapidly put up their hand. So I want to thank you all. What a special job you did. What special champions you are. Thank you very much.

The moment stood out as one of the evening’s most unifying highlights.

Trump Holds Back 2028 Endorsement As Vance Succession Talk Heats Up

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump is keeping the race to inherit his political movement wide open—for now.

Trump stopped short of endorsing Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 when reporters confronted him about the Republican Party’s future leadership at Shannon International Airport in Ireland.

Asked whether he was ready to “throw his weight” behind Vance, Trump quickly pumped the brakes.

“It’s too early. I mean, it’s too early. I think he’s terrific. There’s so many terrific people,” Trump responded.

When pressed about who could compete with Vance, the president again praised his vice president while declining to place him above the rest of the potential Republican field.

Trump said the GOP has several strong prospective candidates, adding that Vance is “fantastic” and has performed well as vice president. The exchange was captured in an official White House video recorded before Trump departed Ireland.

Trump Keeps His Options Open

The answer was hardly a rejection of Vance, but it fell short of the coveted endorsement that could give the vice president a significant early advantage in the Republican primary.

Trump’s comments also reinforced a message he has delivered before: He is not prepared to formally crown a successor nearly two years before the next presidential election.

That caution could preserve Trump’s influence over a potentially crowded field while preventing the 2028 contest from distracting Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The president has offered praise to several possible contenders, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). When asked about Cruz’s possible presidential ambitions in August, Trump called the senator “very talented” and said he believed Cruz might enter the race, according to the Daily Caller.

Vance Emerges As A Leading Contender

The president’s latest remarks came days after Vance received an enthusiastic reception at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

Vance used his convention appearance to defend the Trump administration’s record, urge unity among conservatives and position himself as a leading voice for the next generation of the MAGA movement. Attendees interviewed by the New York Post described the vice president as prepared to carry Trump’s political agenda forward.

Vance, however, has yet to announce a presidential campaign.

During a June interview with CBS News, he said he and second lady Usha Vance would discuss their future after the 2026 midterms. Vance also said he expected Trump to support whatever decision he ultimately made, although the two had not held a detailed conversation about a prospective campaign.

“I try not to make [decisions] until I absolutely must,” Vance told CBS News.

Mixed Signals From Trump

Trump has sent conflicting signals about whether Vance is already his preferred successor.

The Washington Post previously reported that Trump told donors during a private Oval Office meeting that Republicans would eventually need to elect Vance. The president subsequently disputed that account when questioned by the Daily Caller, saying it remained far too early to settle on a candidate.

Trump has also reportedly asked advisers to compare Vance with Rubio, underscoring that the president continues to weigh the strengths of multiple possible contenders.

Rubio has publicly attempted to cool speculation about a rivalry. During a May interview with NBC News, the secretary of state said he would support Vance if the vice president entered the race.

For the moment, Vance remains prominently positioned—but Trump appears determined to make him wait for the endorsement that could reshape the entire 2028 Republican contest.