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Cook Political Report Shifts Multiple Races Toward Republicans

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The Cook Political Report has adjusted its ratings in two key mid-Atlantic congressional races, shifting both in favor of the Republican Party.

The nonpartisan election forecaster made its first change in the race for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, shifting its classification from “Lean D” to “Toss Up.” The race is for an open seat, following the announced departure of Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is leaving the House in January to run for governor. It now sees a competitive matchup between Eugene Vindman, brother of Alexander Vindmanโ€”who played a central role as a witness during Donald Trump’s first impeachmentโ€”and Derrick Anderson, a former Green Beret.

Despite Vindman significantly outspending Anderson on campaign ads, the race appears to have tightened.

The district covers a substantial portion of Central and Northern Virginia, including areas like Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Prince William counties, with Fredericksburg and Culpeper among its largest cities. It has a slight Democratic lean with a D+1 partisan voter index, which Cook’s Erin Covey notes may be Vindman’s saving grace in a presidential election year.

In another update, New Jerseyโ€™s 7th Congressional District, currently held by Republican Thomas Kean Jr., has shifted from “Toss Up” to “Lean R.” This change is significant as Kean’s seat is one of only 16 Republican-held districts that President Joe Biden carried in the 2020 election.

Kean may benefit from the favorable reputation of his father, former Governor Tom Kean, among his Northern New Jersey constituents. Moreover, his opponent, Democrat Sue Altman, has struggled to gain visibility in the costly New York City media market.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Elon Musk Accuses Trump Ally Of ‘Leaking’ Info To The Media

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Tensions are running high within Trump’s inner circle…

Billionaire Elon Muskย clashed publicly withย Boris Epshteyn, one of Trumpโ€™s closest allies in what sources called a โ€œmassive blowoutโ€ย over key Cabinet appointments.

According to three sources cited by Axios, the dispute reached a boiling point during a dinner at Trumpโ€™s Mar-a-Lago club last week during which Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking sensitive details about the transition process, including potential personnel picks.

โ€œYou donโ€™t know what youโ€™re talking about,โ€ Epshteyn reportedly fired back during the heated exchange.

The altercation highlights a power struggle as Musk, a newcomer to Trumpโ€™s inner circle, increasingly advocates for his preferred candidates. Musk has reportedly criticized Epshteynโ€™s influence in selecting Justice Department nominees, includingย Matt Gaetzย for attorney general.

Musk is lobbying forย Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trumpโ€™s transition team, as Treasury secretary, over Wall Street veteranย Scott Bessent.

Despite the friction, Musk maintains considerable support among Trumpโ€™s family and allies.ย 

However, the tech billionaireโ€™s growing role in the transition has rankled longtime Trump loyalists, who view him as overstepping boundaries.ย 

Musk has been among the president-electโ€™s most vocal and influential supporters since he endorsed Trump immediately after a July assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally but some in Trump’s inner circle say the Tesla CEO is being to overstay his welcome.

โ€œElon wonโ€™t go home. I canโ€™t get rid of him. Until I donโ€™t like him,โ€ Trump quipped, according to a source in the room when Trump met with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill last Wednesday.

some Republicans have questioned how long Trump and Musk can happily co-exist, particularly given Trumpโ€™s past frustration with those who take up too much of the spotlight.

โ€œTrump is not going to have another alpha. I think Trump is going to tire of him,โ€ one source close to the transition told The Hill.

One Republican lobbyist with ties to Trump said there are some in the president-electโ€™s orbit who think Musk is โ€œa little big for his britches.โ€

Trump transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt did not respond to requests for comment from The Hill, but in a statement on Wednesday to NBC News described Musk and Trump as โ€œgreat friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again.โ€

โ€œElon Musk is a once in a generation business leader and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency,โ€ Leavitt said.

Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Blames Senate Loss on Trump

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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.

Trump Releases America First Priorities After Being Sworn In

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Shortly after officially being sworn in as 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump issued a number of priorities he plans to enact.

Also, while delivering remarks after being sworn in the President announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”

MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN

  • President Trump will take bold action to secure our border and protect American communities. This includes ending Bidenโ€™s catch-and-release policies, reinstating Remain in Mexico, building the wall, ending asylum for illegal border crossers, cracking down on criminal sanctuaries, and enhancing vetting and screening of aliens.
  • President Trumpโ€™s deportation operation will address the record border crossings of criminal aliens under the prior administration.
  • The President is suspending refugee resettlement, after communities were forced to house large and unsustainable populations of migrants, straining community safety and resources.
  • The Armed Forces, including the National Guard, will engage in border security, which is national security, and will be deployed to the border to assist existing law enforcement personnel.
  • President Trump will begin the process of designating cartels, including the dangerous Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations and use the Alien Enemies Act to remove them.
  • The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty as the appropriate punishment for heinous crimes against humanity, including those who kill law enforcement officers and illegal migrants who maim and murder Americans.
     

MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AND ENERGY DOMINANT AGAIN

  • The President will unleash American energy by ending Bidenโ€™s policies of climate extremism, streamlining permitting, and reviewing for rescission all regulations that impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.
  • President Trumpโ€™s energy actions empower consumer choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, lightbulbs and dishwashers.
  • President Trump will declare an energy emergency and use all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure.
  • President Trumpโ€™s energy policies will end leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers.
  • President Trump will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
  • All agencies will take emergency measures to reduce the cost of living.
  • President Trump will announce the America First Trade Policy.
  • America will no longer be beholden to foreign organizations for our national tax policy, which punishes American businesses.


DRAIN THE SWAMP

  • The President will usher a Golden Age for America by reforming and improving the government bureaucracy to work for the American people. He will freeze bureaucrat hiring except in essential areas to end the onslaught of useless and overpaid DEI activists buried into the federal workforce. He will pause burdensome and radical regulations not yet in effect that Biden announced.
  • President Trump is announcing an unprecedented slate of executive orders for rescission.
  • President Trump is planning for improved accountability of government bureaucrats. The American people deserve the highest-quality service from people who love our country. The President will also return federal workers to work, as only 6% of employees currently work in person.
  • President Trump is taking swift action to end the weaponization of government against political rivals and ordering all document retention as required by law. President Trump is also ending the unconstitutional censorship by the federal government. No longer will government employees pick and require the erasure of entirely true speech.
  • On the Presidentโ€™s direction, the State Department will have an America-First foreign policy.


BRING BACK AMERICAN VALUES

  • The President will establish male and female as biological reality and protect women from radical gender ideology.
  • American landmarks will be named to appropriately honor our Nationโ€™s history.

Trump Says GOP Has a ‘Good Bench’ for 2028โ€”But Wonโ€™t Name a Successor Yet

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President Trump says Republicans are well-positioned for the futureโ€”and that the party has a deep lineup of potential leaders ready to carry the America First agenda into 2028.

In an interview airing Wednesday night on NewsNationโ€™s โ€œKatie Pavlich Tonight,โ€ Trump was asked whether he sees a clear successor who could continue his legacy in the White House.

โ€œI hope so,โ€ Trump said. โ€œAnd we certainly have a good bench. We have some very talented people.โ€

While the president acknowledged he has early favorites, he declined to name any one candidate this far out.

โ€œI do, but itโ€™s so early,โ€ Trump told Pavlich. โ€œI donโ€™t like to [say].โ€

Trump Highlights Key Leaders Driving the Agenda

When pressed for names, Trump pointed to the strength of his administration and the results his team is deliveringโ€”especially on issues central to Republican voters, including border security, economic recovery, and restoring Americaโ€™s standing abroad.

โ€œLook, we have great people,โ€ Trump said. โ€œIโ€™m not just talking about one or twoโ€”we have so many great people.โ€

Asked again who specifically stood out, Trump singled out several of the most prominent figures in his circle:

  • Vice President JD Vance, whom Trump credited with strong leadership and loyalty to the MAGA coalition
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a familiar and experienced voice on foreign policy
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has been a key figure in Trumpโ€™s economic team

Trump also praised officials leading the administrationโ€™s crackdown on illegal immigration and security efforts:

  • Tom Homan, Trumpโ€™s border czar and a longtime advocate of tougher enforcement
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has taken a visible role in administration security priorities

โ€œI could name 20 people that are phenomenal,โ€ Trump added.

A Sign of Confidenceโ€”and a Message to Voters

Trumpโ€™s remarks are being read by many Republicans as a clear message: the GOP is not just a one-man movement. While Trump remains the dominant figure in conservative politics, his comments suggest the broader America First bench is expandingโ€”a sign of stability and staying power for the party beyond any single election cycle.

In recent years, Republican voters have increasingly prioritized candidates who will:

  • fight the administrative state rather than manage it
  • take border enforcement seriously
  • resist โ€œforever warโ€ foreign policy
  • challenge corporate-media narratives instead of courting them

Trumpโ€™s list reflects that shift and highlights Republicans who have gained credibility with the base through real governance and public-facing leadership.

Midterms: Republicans Eye a Comeback in 2026

The comments come as Republicans begin gearing up for the 2026 midterms following setbacks in last yearโ€™s elections. Democrats and their allied media have tried to portray those results as a long-term trendโ€”yet history suggests otherwise.

Trump himself addressed the challenge in an earlier Fox News interview, noting that the party in power โ€œalways losesโ€ seats in midterm elections. That pattern has been true for decades and reflects voter turnout dynamics and backlash politics more than any permanent realignment.

A new Emerson College poll shows Democrats leading a hypothetical generic ballot matchup at 48.1% to 41.7%, with 10.2% undecided. But Republicans caution that early pollingโ€”especially this far from Election Dayโ€”often fails to capture likely-voter turnout, local issues, and late-breaking shifts that typically determine midterms.

Bottom Line

Trump may not be naming a successor yet, but heโ€™s signaling something important: the Republican Party has depth, talent, and rising leaders ready to keep building on the movement voters started in 2016.

For Republicans focused on winning in 2026โ€”and holding the line against Democratsโ€™ spending agenda, cultural policies, and bureaucratic overreachโ€”Trumpโ€™s message was simple: the team is strong, and the fight isnโ€™t slowing down.


Campus Chaos Erupts At UC Berkeley Ahead Of Ending Tour by Turning Point USA

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On Monday afternoon in Berkeley, a bloody confrontation broke out near the campus of the University of California, Berkeley as the conservative student-activist group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) held its final stop of the โ€œThis Is The Turning Pointโ€ tour. The event featured noted conservative voices Dr. Frank Turek and actor-activist Rob Schneider, and came just two months after the murder of TPUSAโ€™s founder, Charlie Kirk, at a campus event in Utah on Sept. 10.

According to video from Fox News Digital, the skirmish began around 4:30 p.m. PST. Two men were seen grappling in the altercation, with one suffering a serious facial injury and blood clearly visible. A mob of agitatorsโ€”many wearing keffiyehs and carrying left-wing protest signsโ€”surrounded the fight. The local police, including officers donning shields and batons, appeared challenged to regain control of the crowd.

The Berkeley Police Department reported at least two arrests by 6 p.m.โ€”one individual was arrested for battery. A university spokesperson clarified the brawl occurred off campus grounds and declined further comment.

Turek, in a recent interview ahead of the event, said he urged Kirk to make the Berkeley stop of the tour: โ€œIf I could go to any one event with him, it would be that oneโ€ฆ I wanted to go to UC Berkeley because it is so progressive and liberal in their views, and I wanted to provide evidence that Christianity was indeed true.โ€

As departure began, protesters reportedly surrounded all exits to the venue, heckled attendees, and shouted obscenities as they filtered out. It remains unclear how many individuals were injured in the fight.

Kirk, Trump & the Conservative Youth Movement
Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, with the mission of mobilizing conservative students on college campuses. His organization became a central pillar of conservative youth activism.

Kirkโ€™s relationship with Donald Trump evolved into a potent alignment:

  • Kirk was considered a key figure in helping Trump make inroads with younger voters, a segment Democrats long dominated.
  • He developed a direct line to the Trump orbit; multiple sources note that his influence extended beyond student activism into campaign strategy.

Kirkโ€™s impact on the GOPโ€™s youthful base, combined with his focus on campus organizing, made him a strategic asset to the Trump-aligned Republican coalition. As one analysis put it: โ€œKirkโ€™s efforts significantly contributed to Trumpโ€™s appeal among younger voters.โ€

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigatingย the protestsย at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, in the wake of several arrests at a Turning Point USA event.

โ€œWe saw all of this at Berkeley back in 2017. @UCBerkeley was sued, and settled the case,โ€ Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon wrote on the social platform X Tuesday, responding to another post claiming that โ€œAntifa has turned Turning Pointโ€™s event at UC Berkeley in California into an absolute WARZONE.โ€

โ€œThe @CivilRights will investigate what happened here, and I see several issues of serious concern regarding campus and local security and Antifaโ€™s ability to operate with impunity in CA,โ€ she added.

Biden Calls To ‘Lock Up’ Trump

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Image via Pixabay

Yikes…

During a Tuesday visit to New Hampshire, President Joe Biden put this foot in his mouth once again.

During the campaign stop for Kamala Harris, the President called for his predecessor to be “politically” locked up while arguing a second Trump administration poses a threat to democracy.

The president was in Concord for an official event to highlight his administration’s efforts to lower health care costs and prescription drug prices. Minutes later, speaking at a political gathering at the New Hampshire Democratic Party headquarters, Biden was reiterating his longstanding argument that GOP nominee former President Trump, if re-elected, would be a threat to the nation’s democracy.

“Our democracy is at stake,” he said. “Think about it. Think about what would happen if Donald Trump wins this election.”

Biden then said “I know this sounds bizarre. It sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We got to lock him up.”

But the president appeared to instantly catch himself, adding “politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”

“Lock her up” was a regular chant by Trump supporters during the former president’s 2016 campaign, as he criticized Democratic presidential nomineeย Hillary Clintonย as being corrupt.

Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed in a statement that “Joe Biden just admitted the truth: he and Kamalaโ€™s plan all along has been to politically persecute their opponent President Trump because they canโ€™t beat him fair and square. The Harris-Biden Admin is the real threat to democracy. We call on Kamala Harris to condemn Joe Bidenโ€™s disgraceful remark.”

Why 2 Media Pundits Want Biden To Pardon Trump

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Biden has an opportunity here…

Chris Cuomoย andย Stephen A. Smithย joined together this week and suggested Presidentย Joe Biden give a pardon to President-electย Donald Trumpย after offering one to his sonย Hunter Bidenย over the weekend.

Smith joined Cuomo on Monday evening to break down the news. Biden’s decision to pardon his son has faced backlash in light of the fact that the president previously said he would not take such action.

Watch:

โ€œYou know what else Biden should do? And I know people are going to get upset about this, but just think about it before you go crazy on me โ€” not you, everybody else,โ€ Cuomo told Smith. โ€œIf I were he, I would pardon Trump. I would say, this has got to stop.โ€

Smith was in full agreement with Cuomo, telling Democrats itโ€™s time to move on and focus on future elections.

โ€œChris, thatโ€™s exactly what I would do, thatโ€™s exactly what I would do. Enoughโ€™s enough,โ€ the sports broadcaster said. โ€œYou know what? Youโ€™re the Democrats, you lost the election, you got your butt whipped, you could have prevented him from going back to the White House.โ€

Smith added itโ€™s โ€œtime to move forward,โ€ as any lingering investigations into Trump will die when he steps back into office.

โ€œYou want to get at Trump? Sit back and judge what he does,โ€ he said. โ€œGuess what? Youโ€™ve got a midterm election in two years. Are you going to be ready?โ€

Republican Don Bacon Declines To Run For Re-election

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

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

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

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

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

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 NewsNationโ€™s Dan Abrams, founder of Mediaite, on Wednesday to break down Harrisโ€™s interview and despite Riveraโ€™s public support for Harris, he was left mostly unimpressed with her appearance.

โ€œI am baffled by the lack of preparation going into the highest profile interview she has,โ€ Rivera said, calling the interview โ€œa wash.โ€

He argued that Harrisโ€™s weak point was in terms of immigration and the southern border.

โ€œFor 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. Thatโ€™s the Republican playbook, itโ€™s obvious that it was coming. How could she not be ready to answerย Laken Rileyย andย Mollie Tibbettsย and so forth?โ€ he said.

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

โ€œFrom this moment on, I advise them to not be the doormat when it comes to this issue,โ€ he said. โ€œItโ€™s their biggest Achilles heel.โ€

Donald Trump released a statement after Kamala’s interview:

โ€œKamala Harrisโ€™ 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 couldnโ€™t give a straight answer to a single question because she has no answers. Kamalaโ€™s entire campaign is based on lies about President Trump. Kamala canโ€™t handle the pressure of an interview with Fox Newsโ€”she certainly canโ€™t handle the pressure of being President of the United States.โ€