Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Following the disappointing results in Georgia’s Senate runoff election, the state’s Lieutenant Governor is voicing what he thinks happened.
Geoff Duncan, Georgia’s No. 2 Republican official, told CBS that Herschel Walker “will go down in history as probably one of the worst candidates in our party’s history” and said Republicans should unequivocally blame Donald Trump for the GOP’s disappointing midterm results.
“The only way to explain this is candidate quality,” Duncan added, alluding to Walker’s numerous controversies, including, but not limited to, claims he paid and pressured two women to have abortions despite running on a strict no-abortion platform and lied about his education, ties to law enforcement, and family.
Duncan said Warnock’s victory in a once-red state should serve as a wake-up call for Republicans and force the GOP to face some hard truths about the former president and his pull among the electorate.
“If we don’t take our medicine here, it’s our fault. … Every Republican in this country ought to hold Donald Trump accountable for this,” he said.
Walker’s defeat hands Democrats an outright majority in the upper chamber of Congress, 51-49.
Outgoing Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks refused to hold anything back while discussing former President Donald Trump during an interview.
Brooks, who is retiring from politics at the end of his term, tore into Trump throughout the interview with AL.com making it clear he believes the former president is morally bankrupt. The outgoing Alabama lawmaker was once considered a staunch supporter of the 45th President and in 2020 played a role in pushing Trump’s allegations the presidential election was stolen.
“It would be a bad mistake for the Republicans to have Donald Trump as their nominee in 2024. Donald Trump has proven himself to be dishonest, disloyal, incompetent, crude and a lot of other things that alienate so many independents and Republicans,” Brooks told the local outlet.
“Even a candidate who campaigns from his basement can beat him,” Brooks added, parroting a common right-wing barb directed at President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. “It’s just the way it is.”
“I did not fight for Donald Trump after the 2020 election,” Brooks also told Paul Gattis of Al.com. “I fought for election integrity. Donald Trump just happened to be the beneficiary of it.”
“Keep in mind 2016 when I said he was dishonest, you cannot trust a single word that he says and I have never recanted that. No question, I am displeased with Donald Trump. But that does not change the truthfulness of what I say. I challenge anybody to make the argument that you can trust the word of Donald Trump,” the conservative Republican added.
In 2022, Brooks received and then lost Trump’s endorsement in Alabama’s GOP primary for the U.S. Senate. Brooks eventually lost to Katie Britt who went on to win the Senate seat.
David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
He’s in…
A new report Sunday revealed Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has privately promised President-elect Donald Trump that Pete Hegseth has enough votes in the Senate to be confirmed to head the Department of Defense.
According to a report by CBS News, three sources have confirmed that Thune has assured Trump privately that his embattled defense secretary nominee will make it through the Senate confirmation process.
When asked to confirm the reporting, a spokesperson for Thune told CBS News, “Two things we don’t discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president.”
The confirmation briefing for the former Fox News star will occur later this month on Jan. 14.
On Sunday, Thune told Face The Nation host Margaret Brennan that all of Trump’s nominees will “still have to make their case in front of the committee.”
A week after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump nominated Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense. However, Hegseth faces allegations of sexual misconduct after an anonymous woman accused him of sexual assault in a Monterey hotel room back in 2017.
Hegseth has also faced accusations of alcohol abuse.
(Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) openly floated the idea of running for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) Senate seat on Sunday.
“Many have asked which perch I will be fighting from next, and some of you throughout this conference have even given me a few suggestions,” Gaetz said at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. “My fellow Floridians have asked me to eye the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee, maybe special counsel to go after the insider trading for my former colleagues in Congress.”
“It seems I may not have had enough support in the United States Senate. Maybe I’ll just run for Marco Rubio’s vacant seat in the United States Senate and join some of those folks,” Gaetz continued, nodding to the fact that he struggled to win enough support among senators to be President-elect Trump’s attorney general.
Rubio is leaving his Senate seat after being tapped by Trump to be his secretary of State. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will appoint Rubio’s replacement. Though it was not clear if Gaetz was seriously considering running for Senate, his remarks drew applause from the crowd.
Gaetz immediately resigned from Congress when he was tapped to be Trump’s attorney general. He later dropped his bid amid concerns that he didn’t have enough support in the Senate for his confirmation.
Gaetz had sued to stop the House Ethics Committee from releasing its report, with a lawsuit slamming the report, saying it included “untruthful and defamatory information.”
The Ethics Committee released the report on Monday:
Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter in law and former Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair, removed her name from consideration to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a Saturday post on the social platform X.
“I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida,” she later added.
President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010
Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy has beaten three-term Democrat Sen. Jon Tester in the Montana Senate race, flipping a key race towards the GOP.
THANK YOU, MONTANA!!
We The People made our voices heard, we completed our mission, and now we will secure our children’s future and save America together!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tAhb05grPG
Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy has beaten three-term Democrat Sen. Jon Tester in the Montana Senate race, flipping a key race as Republicans are set to take back control of the Senate, the Associated Press projects.
His win increases the Republican majority in the Senate to at least 52, per the Associated Press projections.
Early on in the cycle, the Montana race was deemed one of Republicans’ best pickup opportunities and one of Democrats’ most vulnerable seats of the 2024 cycle.
Sheehy launched his Senate bid exclusively with Fox News Digital in June 2023, calling for “a new generation of leaders to step up” in Congress in his bid to oust the red state Democrat.
Former President Trump endorsed Sheehy, who he described as an “American Hero,” in February, after Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale launched a short-lived bid for the seat.
Democrats were protecting 23 Senate seats this cycle, more than double the number of Republicans who are defending 10 seats in the chamber.
The Florida Republican Party is seriously considering turning its back on current Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, who is currently seeking re-election.
According to Politico, Former state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, the newly-elected chair of the Lake County Republican Party and an avid Trump supporter, secured enough signatures from party officials to call a special meeting to decide whether McDaniel should be terminated as RNC chair.
“Ronna McDaniel failed in her position as RNC Chair in the 2022 election cycle and has yielded extremely unimpressive election results for the GOP in the last 3 election cycles,” read the petition for a special meeting.
Republican Party of Florida Chair Joe Gruters is now obligated to at least call a special meeting because 30 members of the executive committee signed onto the petition. It does not guarantee a vote would be taken. Gruters on Wednesday endorsed McDaniel in a letter to party officials, calling her a “successful RNC Chair & the party would be well served by her continued leadership.”
Sabatini previously served in the state House before losing this year’s bid to represent Florida’s 7th Congressional District.
The RNC’s leadership election is scheduled for Jan. 27.
So far Trump has stayed away from commenting on the RNC leadership contest, however, some of his top advisers have announced their support for McDaniel serving for another two-year term.
Among the biggest names who signed onto Sabatini’s push for a special meeting is Rep. Matt Gaetzone of Trump’s biggest congressional allies.
“Look what we’ve got from Ronna McDaniel?” Gaetz said last weekend at Turning Point USA’s Americafest 2022 conference in Arizona. “Someone who probably spent more of their time promoting their own podcast.”
The move by Sinema means the Arizona Senate race has largely been solidified as a matchup between Democrat Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake.
The Arizona lawmakers changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent in 2022.
The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Sinema’s seat as “toss up.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reacted to the news that broke during the daily briefing, noting that the White House has worked “closely” with Sinema on “key, important bills,” including the border security deal out of the Senate.
“She’s been a partner with us on many critical issues that matter to the American people and we think that’s important,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Capitol police have arrested a Massachusetts man who allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. armed with Molotov cocktails and a knife to kill newly-confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ryan Michael “Reily” English, who turned himself in to U.S. Capitol Police at 3:12 p.m. ET Monday, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., initially planning to kill Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a police affidavit revealed.
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America – Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0
But English shifted his target to Bessent after stopping at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and reading that the Senate was voting Monday on his nomination as President Donald Trump’s Treasury chief, the document said.
CNBC reported English contemplated throwing the Molotov cocktails at Bessent’s feet, according to the affidavit, which was filed in Washington, D.C., federal court. And if he were able to get close enough, English said, he would have stabbed Bessent with a knife.
Bessent’s nomination was confirmed about three hours after English’s arrest. President Trump’s Cabinet nominee received bipartisan backing and was confirmed Tuesday with a 77-22 vote.
English has been charged with unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm, as well as carrying a firearm, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds.
The affidavit said English approached an officer at the south door of the Capitol and said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” English told the officer that he was carrying weapons, including two Molotov cocktails.
Two officers detained and searched English, finding two devices constructed of 50-milliliter vodka bottles with gray cloth affixed to their tops. They also found a folding knife and a lighter, according to the court documents.
He said he was at the Capitol to “kill Scott Bessent,” the affidavit said.
Police said they searched the vehicle and found a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with cloth cut off the sleeves.
Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Before transporting English into custody, police said they found a receipt in his pocket with a note written on the back of a receipt:
“Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters,” the note read, according to the affidavit.
“I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. [F—] them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive [7 hearts],” it read.
In addition to his initial intention of killing Hegseth or Johnson, English told police he considered burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
English said that he surveilled the Capitol grounds and figured he would have to kill at least three police officers in order to get to Bessent. English “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop,” the affidavit said.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is taking some time to mull her options before making any hasty decisions about 2024.
Haley, who served as Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, has been named a potential contender to seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but says no final decision will come until after the holidays, according to The Hill.
“We are taking the holidays to kind of look at what the situation is,” the former South Carolina governor said at an event at Clemson University. “If we decide to get into it, we’ll put 1,000 percent in, and we’ll finish it.”
“A lot of people have asked if I’m going to run for president. Now that the midterms are over, I’ll look at it in a serious way, and I’ll have more to say soon,” Hayley said at a Las Vegas meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition earlier this month.
“For now, I’ll say this. I’ve won tough primaries and tough general elections. I’ve been the underdog every single time. When people underestimate me, it’s always fun,” she added. “But I’ve never lost an election. And I’m not going to start now.”
Earlier this fall, Haley told reporters that she would not launch her own bid for the White House if Donald Trump runs for president in 2024 but it seems she’s reconsidering.
Trump announced his own bid for the presidency earlier this month but has been met with a lukewarm response from high-profile Republicans- and donors.
Veteran Republican strategist John Thomas, who backed Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections, recently told The Washington Examiner that he will not be supporting Trump a third time saying the bombastic Republican isn’t a viable candidate to defeat Democrats and take back the White House.
Thomas recently created the Ron to the Rescue super PAC and says he’s committed to spending at least $50 million in the next six to 12 months to ensure the governor earns the GOP nomination over Trump. However, DeSantis has not even announced his presidential campaign.
“The problem is, for Trump, is he needed to announce and pretty much steamroll everybody. He needed all the donors to capitulate his way. He needed all the party leaders to come his way, and while he’s had some success, it’s not been unanimous, and he needed it to almost be unanimous because the cracks that are appearing are going to turn into canyons very soon,” he explained. “He’s going to be constantly trying to, like, plug these leaks. I think his legal challenges, whether they have merit or not, I would think are going to turn his operation into more of a sclerotic beast.”
“I still like the guy. I just think he should move from a party leader to a party elder. That’s kind of the nuanced dynamic here that I want to make sure it’s not lost in the media, and also voters are reminded that it’s OK to vote for somebody else. It doesn’t mean you don’t like Trump,” Thomas continued. “I think at the end of the day, particularly primary voters want to get excited about their nominee, but it really is a sport about winning. If you don’t win, you can’t enact your legislative agenda. It’s not just about rallies and having a good time. It’s about winning, and Trump has kind of called into question at best his ability to do that anymore.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.
Warning: This article contains graphic language.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy(R-Calif.) is begging Donald Trump for forgiveness.
McCarthy reportedly called the 2024 White House hopeful on Tuesday to apologize for casting doubt on the strength of Trump’s campaign against President Joe Biden.
McCarthy appeared on CNBC Tuesday morning and was asked if Trump could win the election.
“Can he win that election? Yeah, he can,” McCarthy said. “The question is, is he the strongest to win the election? I don’t know that answer.”
“We’re told top aides to the former president and allies who know both men quickly traded messages asking, in short: What the fuck? Some called McCarthy a ‘moron,’ we’re told. Others looked to Trump campaign hand Brian Jack, who also advises the speaker and has been a critical bridge between both men, to play mediator as Trump hit the trail in New Hampshire,” Politico reported.
On CNN’s News Central Wednesday, reporter Lauren Fox called Tuesday a “a day of cleanup” for the House Speaker. She continued:
He held a call, called the former president yesterday to apologize, according to new reporting from our colleagues Melanie Zanona and Kristen Holmes. He told the former president he misspoke, and, of course, he blamed reporters for taking the comments out of context, according to McCarthy, but that isn’t where it ended…He had an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, a right-leaning news agency, to try to talk more about why he believed Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden. Later, his campaign sent out a fundraising email saying that Donald Trump was stronger than ever.
This just goes to show you that Kevin Mccarthy knows that his right flank is so important for him to hold on to his speakership. He cannot anger people in his conference who are getting behind the former president, who are fervently behind him at all times, no matter what that means in term of defending Donald Trump, and that is why Kevin McCarthy went out of his way yesterday to go ahead and apologize to the former president, and then in subsequent interviews, make it clear that he does believe Donald Trump could be a strong contender to beat Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
