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    Michelle Obama Addresses White House Rumors

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    FLOTUS at Fayetteville, N.C. -The Arts Center speech Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

    There will not be another Obama in the White House any time soon…

    Despite rumors that former First Lady Michelle Obama is eyeing her own bid for the Presidency, her office is quashing those claims once and for all.

    “As former first Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, the director of communications for Obama’s office, said in a statement provided to ITK on Tuesday.

    Obama “supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign,” Carson said.

    The Hill has more:

    The statement rejecting any chance of Obama attempting a return to the White House as president, first reported by NBC News, comes after Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, publicly floated the evidence-free idea that the former first lady could replace Biden on the ballot in November.

    Commentators have also touted Obama as the “best chance” for Democrats to retain the White House in a potential matchup against former President Trump.

    However, despite the Left’s calls for Obama to consider running for public office, she has adamantly tamped down the speculation.

    In 2019, Obama said there was “zero chance” she would run for president.

    “There are so many ways to improve this country and build a better world, and I keep doing plenty of them, from working with young people to helping families lead healthier lives,” Obama, who founded the voter registration and engagement organization When We All Vote in 2018, said at the time.

    “But sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me,” she said.

    Biden Hints At Re-election Plans – There’s One Caveat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    What is taking Joe Biden so long?

    President Biden on Monday said he plans on running for reelection in 2024, but he’s not yet ready to make an official announcement.

    Biden spoke with NBC’s Al Roker for a “Today” show segment on the White House Easter egg roll. 

    “I plan on at least three or four more Easter egg rolls. Maybe five. Maybe six, what the hell? I don’t know,” Biden said with a smile.

    “Are you saying that you would be taking part in our upcoming election in 2024? Help a brother out, make some news for me,” Roker said.

    “I plan on running, Al, but we’re not prepared to announce it yet,” Biden responded.

    The 80-year-old president has repeatedly said for months that he intends to seek a second term in the White House, but he’s yet to make any formal announcements.

    The Democrat primary field is already growing. Self-help guru Marianne Williamson announced her plan to challenge President Biden last month and last week Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed he plans to formally announce his campaign at an event in Boston later this month.

    A number of Republicans have already announced their candidacy for the 2024 presidential nomination. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy jumped into the race in February. Former President Donald Trump is also making this third run for the White House. Last week, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson became the latest Republican to enter the contest.

    Pro-Trump Impeachment Republican Eyes New Public Office

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    Former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, the Republican who was ousted last year from her Southwest Washington congressional seat after voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump, plans to reignite her failed political career by running for state commissioner of public lands.

    The Seattle Times reports:

    Herrera Beutler announced her intentions at a meeting Monday morning with supporters of Future 42, a conservative political group, a meeting participant told The Seattle Times.

    “1,000% — she’s in,” the source said.

    Herrera Beutler was one of 10 House Republicans to cross party lines and vote to impeach Trump for allegedly inciting the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

    In an address on the House floor, Herrera Beutler called on her colleagues to embrace the moral clarity that comes with accepting the truth.

    “I rise today to stand against our enemy. And to clarify, our enemy isn’t the president, or the president-elect. Fear is our enemy. It tells us what we want to hear, it incites anger and violence and fire, but it also haunts us into silence and inaction. What are you afraid of?” she asked.

    “My vote to impeach our sitting president is not a fear-based decision. I am not choosing a side, I’m choosing truth. It’s the only way to defeat fear,” Herrera Beutler concluded, to a smattering of applause on the House floor.

    Report: Trump Team Mulling Replacement For Controversial Admin. Nominee

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    This Trump nominee could already be on his way out…

    President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has reportedly been drafting a list of alternative nominees for Defense Secretary in case Trump rethinks his choice of, Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegseth.

    According to Vanity Fair, which spoke to two unnamed Republican sources “close to Trump,” the president-elect’s transition team has been “quietly preparing a list of alternative defense secretary candidates should Trump abandon Hegseth,” following news of a 2017 sexual assault allegation.

    “It’s becoming a real possibility,” claimed one of the sources. The other source said, “People are upset about the distraction. The general feeling is Pete hasn’t been honest.”

    Shortly after Trump announced his decision to nominate Hegseth for secretary of defense this month, the Trump transition team was informed about a 2020 payment Hegseth reportedly made to a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a hotel and spa in 2017.

    In a statement, Hegseth’s lawyer Timothy Parlatore insisted, “Mr. Hegseth is completely innocent. Not only did she take advantage of him, but we believe she then extorted him knowing that at the height of the #MeToo movement the mere public allegation would likely result in his immediate termination from Fox News.”

    The New York Times reported last week that Trump had “not moved off supporting Mr. Hegseth, despite claims that his team was reassessing the pick, according to several people close to the incoming president.”

    Hegseth’s nomination took Senate Republicans by surprise.

    Asked for his thoughts on the nomination, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) reportedly remarked, “Really? I’d have to think about it.”

    Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reacted, “Wow… I’m just surprised because the names that I’ve heard for Secretary of Defense have not included him,” while Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) asked, “Who?”

    Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) was more optimistic about the nomination, calling Hegseth “an impressive individual.”

    North Carolina Democrat Resigns After Tampering Trump Election Materials

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    A local Democrat Party chair in North Carolina resigned after he was arrested for allegedly ripping out and stealing roadside signs supporting former President Donald Trump. 

    Lowell Simon, the now former chair of the Moore County Democrat Party, who is also running for North Carolina House in November, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. 

    The Moore County Democratic Party announced in a Facebook post on Monday that 68-year-old Simon had resigned as chair “following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs.” 

    The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy working in the West End area observed Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday. 

    Fox News reports:

    “The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simon’s residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” according to the office. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.” 

    A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued Saturday. He was released “under a written promise to appear in court,” according to the sheriff’s office, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30. 

    “While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the local party wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”

    “My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” Simon said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon.”

    “We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines,” the local party added. “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”

    Paxton Offers Conditions For Potential Exit From Texas Senate Race 

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Thursday he would consider dropping out of the closely watched Republican Senate primary against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if Senate Republicans meet several conditions, a statement that comes as President Donald Trump prepares to weigh in on the race.

    Paxton said he would consider exiting the contest if Senate leadership agreed to eliminate the filibuster — the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance most legislation in the upper chamber — and pass a bill requiring voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.

    The legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, has already passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate, where Republicans lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

    Paxton framed his proposal as part of a broader effort to advance Trump’s agenda in Washington.

    “John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation,” Paxton wrote Thursday on the social media platform X.

    “The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare,” he added. “For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done.”

    Paxton’s comments come a day after Trump said he plans to issue an endorsement in the Texas Senate runoff and urged whichever candidate he does not back to exit the race to unify the party.

    In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said the GOP must quickly coalesce around a nominee ahead of the general election.

    “The Texas Republican Senate Primary has been very interesting to watch,” Trump wrote.

    “The Texas Republican Senate Primary cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer,” he continued. “IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively! Both John [Cornyn] and Ken [Paxton] ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!”

    The Republican primary advanced to a runoff earlier this week after neither Paxton nor Cornyn secured a majority of the vote. The runoff election is scheduled for May 26.

    Cornyn has expressed some openness to changes to Senate filibuster rules but has warned that eliminating the 60-vote threshold could backfire if Democrats regain control of the chamber.

    The incumbent senator has also supported the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote and present photo identification at the polls.

    Some Republicans have floated adopting a “talking filibuster,” which would require senators opposing a bill to hold the floor continuously to block passage. Under that proposal, legislation could ultimately pass with 51 votes once opponents stop speaking. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has expressed skepticism about implementing such a change.

    Republican leadership has also reportedly urged Trump to endorse Cornyn in hopes of avoiding a prolonged and potentially divisive primary fight.

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    Trump Cuts Tucker Carlson Loose From Political Movement

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump said Thursday that Tucker Carlson is no longer part of the MAGA movement, declaring in an interview that the former Fox News host “has lost his way.”

    “Tucker has lost his way,” Trump told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. “I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.”

    Trump’s comments come after Carlson sharply criticized the administration over recent U.S. strikes on Iran. Carlson called the military action “absolutely disgusting and evil.” He has also criticized the Trump administration on other issues, including the Epstein files and the war in Ukraine.

    In the same interview, Trump defended the Iran operation and described it as a success. The president gave multiple interviews Thursday in which he praised the strikes and insisted that Americans support the decision, saying people are “loving it,” despite polls suggesting a more divided public response.

    “They are decimated for a 10-year period before they could build it back,” Trump said of Iran.

    Carlson, meanwhile, warned that the decision to strike Iran could reshape Trump’s political movement. In an interview with Karl, he said the move would “shuffle the deck in a profound way” politically.

    Trump previously dismissed Carlson’s criticism of the strikes, saying it had no impact on him. Carlson reportedly visited the White House multiple times last month to lobby against the attack.

    Despite the public criticism, Carlson said he still supports Trump.

    Speaking to Status reporter Oliver Darcy on Thursday, the former Fox News host expressed continued loyalty to the president even after Trump publicly distanced himself from him.

    “There are times I get annoyed with Trump, right now definitely included,” Carlson said, adding, “but I’ll always love him no matter what he says about me.”

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    Federal Judge Resigns To Speak Out Against Trump’s ‘Assault On The Rule Of Law’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    8

    A federal judge appointed by former President Ronald Reagan has resigned his lifetime post to speak publicly against what he describes as a dangerous politicization of the justice system under Donald Trump. Mark L. Wolf, who served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts since 1985, announced his decision in an op-ed published in The Atlantic, saying he could no longer remain silent as he believes the former president uses the law to reward allies and target adversaries.

    Wolf, 78, said that stepping down would allow him to speak freely after decades of being constrained by judicial ethics rules.

    “President Donald Trump is using the law for partisan purposes, targeting his adversaries while sparing his friends and donors from investigation, prosecution, and possible punishment,” he wrote. “This is contrary to everything that I have stood for in my more than 50 years in the Department of Justice and on the bench. The White House’s assault on the rule of law is so deeply disturbing to me that I feel compelled to speak out. Silence, for me, is now intolerable.”

    A Massachusetts native and Harvard Law graduate, Wolf began his public service career in the Department of Justice in 1974, joining just after the Watergate scandal. He served under Attorney General Edward Levi during President Gerald Ford’s administration—a formative experience that, he said, shaped his views on nonpartisan justice and the importance of public trust in the legal system. He later became a top federal prosecutor in Boston before Reagan nominated him to the bench. Over nearly four decades as a judge, Wolf became known for handling high-profile corruption cases and for his work to strengthen judicial ethics and transparency.

    Wolf took senior status in 2013, meaning he already had a reduced caseload and his seat was filled the following year by Judge Indira Talwani. His resignation, therefore, does not create a new vacancy for any administration to fill. Instead, it marks his formal departure from a system he says is under siege from political manipulation.

    “I decided all of my cases based on the facts and the law, without regard to politics, popularity, or my personal preferences,” Wolf wrote. “That is how justice is supposed to be administered—equally for everyone, without fear or favor. This is the opposite of what is happening now.”

    Speaking to The New York Times, Wolf said he hopes to serve as a voice for other judges who feel bound by the Code of Judicial Conduct from speaking candidly about growing public distrust in the courts. “I hope to be a spokesperson for embattled judges who, consistent with the code of conduct, feel they cannot speak candidly to the American people,” he said.

    The White House pushed back sharply on Wolf’s remarks. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that judges “who want to inject their own personal agenda into the law have no place on the bench.”

    She added that Trump’s record of legal victories undermines Wolf’s claim of politicization: “With over 20 Supreme Court victories, the Trump Administration’s policies have been consistently upheld by the Supreme Court as lawful despite an unprecedented number of legal challenges and unlawful lower court rulings. Any other radical judges that want to complain to the press should at least have the decency to resign before doing so.”

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    Poll Reveals Legal Immigrant Voters Shift To Trump

    By
    Seijah Drake
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    5

    In a stunning political reversal, new polling shows that naturalized immigrant voters — once seen as a reliable Democratic voting bloc — are now favoring President Donald Trump and his immigration policies, delivering a serious blow to the Democratic Party’s long-term strategy of winning elections through mass migration and demographic shifts.

    CNN’s polling analyst Harry Enten revealed a dramatic change: immigrant voters, who gave Democrats a 32-point advantage in 2020, have swung right by 40 points. Republicans now lead among legal immigrant voters by 8 points — a staggering shift that few analysts saw coming.

    “More so than any group I can find, the voters who’ve become more hawkish on immigration are immigrants themselves,” Enten said. “They’ve gone from sympathy for illegal immigrants to a clear preference for stronger borders and enforcement — and they’re aligning with Trump.”

    In 2016, Trump received just 36% of the vote from naturalized citizens. That number jumped to 47% in 2024, with early 2025 polling suggesting the trend is continuing. Immigrant voters cite economic hardship, crime, and perceived unfairness in the immigration system as key reasons for the shift. Many are frustrated that they followed the legal process only to see unchecked illegal immigration flood the labor market and strain public services.

    The frustration is especially acute among working-class immigrants, who face direct competition for jobs, housing, and school resources. Many now feel that the Biden administration’s immigration policies — spearheaded by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — have placed the interests of illegal border crossers ahead of those who played by the rules.

    For years, Democrats openly embraced a long-term strategy to shift the electoral balance through high levels of immigration. Influential think tanks like the Progressive Policy Institute argued that growing diversity would create an enduring Democratic majority. But the strategy assumed that legal immigrants would remain politically aligned with newer arrivals — an assumption increasingly proven false.

    This polling shift places Democrats in a bind: if they reduce migration, they’ll lose the influx of potential future voters. But if they continue mass migration, they risk alienating the immigrants already here — many of whom are becoming increasingly aligned with Trump’s America First policies.

    Since returning to office in January, Trump has taken aggressive steps to reverse Biden-era immigration policies. Illegal border crossings have plummeted, and employers are reporting tighter labor markets, especially in the construction and service industries — leading to slow but steady wage increases for lower-income Americans.

    The shift among immigrant voters adds to a growing list of Democratic vulnerabilities. Latinos, black voters, and even younger voters have begun drifting away from the party, especially in response to crime, inflation, and identity politics. Trump’s immigration stance — once demonized as “xenophobic” — now resonates as a defense of legal immigration and national sovereignty.

    A recent poll found that 59% of Americans supported Trump’s crackdown on violent protests in Los Angeles following ICE raids, which saw rioters waving foreign flags and attacking police. Among naturalized citizens, support for the crackdown was even higher.

    Trump Impeachment Star Witness Makes Longshot Run For Senate

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council official best known for his role in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment, announced Tuesday that he is entering Florida’s 2026 U.S. Senate race as a Democrat, challenging Republican Sen. Ashley Moody.

    Vindman rose to national prominence in 2019 after testifying against President Trump over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—testimony that became central to Democrats’ first impeachment effort. That impeachment ultimately failed, with the Senate acquitting Trump in a 52–48 vote largely along party lines.

    In his campaign launch video, Vindman leaned heavily on footage from the impeachment proceedings, framing his candidacy as an extension of his opposition to Trump. “The last time you saw me was here,” Vindman said, referring to the impeachment hearing. “Swearing an oath to tell the truth about a president who broke his.”

    Vindman went on to describe Trump as a “wannabe tyrant” and claimed the former president unleashed a “reign of terror and retribution” against him and his family—language that underscores how central anti-Trump activism is likely to be to his campaign pitch.

    A political newcomer with no prior electoral experience, Vindman faces steep odds in Florida, a state that has moved decisively to the right in recent election cycles. Trump carried the Sunshine State by 13 points in November 2024, and Republicans currently hold every statewide elected office. Florida has not elected a Democratic senator since Bill Nelson’s narrow reelection victory in 2012.

    Vindman, an Iraq War veteran, retired from the Army in 2020 after a decades-long military career. He later filed a lawsuit against Trump and several former aides, alleging “intimidation and retaliation,” but the suit was unsuccessful. His wife, Rachel Vindman, publicly criticized former President Joe Biden for declining to issue pardons to the couple at the end of his term.

    “Whatever happens to my family, know this: No pardons were offered or discussed,” Rachel Vindman wrote in a post on Bluesky. She added that she “cannot begin to describe the level of betrayal and hurt” she felt toward the Biden administration.

    Sen. Ashley Moody, a Republican and former Florida attorney general, was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the seat vacated by Marco Rubio after Rubio became secretary of state. Moody is running for reelection with the backing of President Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, giving her a significant institutional and fundraising advantage.

    The Cook Political Report currently rates the race as “solid Republican,” its strongest rating for GOP-held seats—reflecting Florida’s recent political realignment and Democrats’ continued struggles to remain competitive statewide.

    The 2026 contest is a special election to serve the final two years of Rubio’s term. The winner will need to run again in 2028 to secure a full six-year term.

    Vindman has lived in Broward County since 2023, a Democratic stronghold in South Florida. His twin brother, Eugene Vindman, represents a safely Democratic House district in northern Virginia, further highlighting the family’s close ties to Democratic politics.

    Nationally, Democrats face a difficult map in 2026 as they attempt a longshot effort to retake control of the Senate. To do so, they would need to defend vulnerable seats in states like Michigan and Georgia while flipping at least four Republican-held seats—an outcome most analysts consider unlikely.

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