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‘Tormented’ Tucker Carlson Apologizes For ‘Misleading’ Viewers On Trump

Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said he is โ€œsorryโ€ for misleading viewers about President Donald Trump, acknowledging in Monday’s episode of his podcast that his past support helped shape public perception.

Speaking on “The Tucker Carlson Show” alongside his brother, Buckley Swanson Peck Carlson, he said he feels โ€œtormentedโ€ by his past backing of Trump and accepted some responsibility for helping elevate him politically.

โ€œI want to say Iโ€™m sorry for misleading people,โ€ Carlson said, adding that the impact of those decisions will weigh on him โ€œfor a long time.โ€

Carlson also reflected on what he described as missed warning signs, saying that he and others who supported Trump are โ€œimplicatedโ€ in the current political landscape.

WATCH:

The remarks come amid a growing public rift between Carlson and Trump, with the president increasingly criticizing the commentator in a series of social media posts.

Carlson, once one of Trumpโ€™s most prominent media allies, has become more critical in recent months, particularly over foreign policy decisions and messaging.

As Mediaite reports:

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Carlson in recent months in response to his former ally becoming increasingly critical of the Trump administration โ€“ most notably its handling of the Epstein files and the presidentโ€™s war against Iran.

This month, the president called Carlson โ€œa Low IQ person,โ€ โ€œstupid,โ€ and โ€œhighly overratedโ€ in several Truth Social rants attacking him, as well as other former allies, including Megyn KellyAlex Jones, and Candace Owens.

Responding to Trumpโ€™s attacks this month, Carlson remarked, โ€œIโ€™ve always liked Trump and still feel sorry for him, as I do for all slavesโ€ฆ Heโ€™s hemmed in by other forces. He canโ€™t make his own decisions. Itโ€™s awful to watch.โ€

Carlsonโ€™s son Buckley Carlson โ€“ who shares the same name as his uncle โ€“ left his job as Vice President JD Vanceโ€™s deputy press secretary last week following Trumpโ€™s repeated attacks against his father.

Monday’s apology follows earlier revelations from legal proceedings indicating Carlson had privately expressed skepticism about Trump even while publicly supporting him.

The remarks have drawn mixed reactions across the political spectrum.

Some critics view the apology as an acknowledgment of the influence prominent media figures can have on public opinion. Others have questioned the timing, given Carlsonโ€™s long-standing role in shaping conservative discourse.

It remains unclear whether the comments signal a lasting shift in Carlsonโ€™s political stance or a temporary break, similar to the waning support he showed toward the end of Trumpโ€™s first term.

The episode underscores continuing divisions within conservative media and the broader political movement surrounding Trump, as the administrationโ€™s attention remains focused on international developments.

READ NEXT: โ€˜Awesomeโ€™? Senatorโ€™s Iran Reaction Sparks Outrage

Report: Dem Whistleblower Informed FBI That Adam Schiff Approved Classified Leaks to Target Trump

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Photo via Gage Skidmoer Flickr

A Democratic whistleblower told the FBI that Adam Schiff approved leaking classified information in order to discredit Presidentย Donald Trump,ย according to newly-released documents.

The documents, which were obtained byย Just The News,ย were recently handed over to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel.ย  In the report, the intelligence staffer referred to the leaking as “treasonous” and “illegal,” in addition to being unethical. He was most recently interviewed by the FBI in 2023.

The staffer also said that he personally attended a meeting where Schiff greenlit the leak.

Fox News reports:

“When working in this capacity, [redacted staffer’s name] was called to an all-staff meeting by SCHIFF,” the documents state, per Just The News. 

“In this meeting, SCHIFF stated the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States DONALD J. TRUMP.ย SCHIFF statedย the information would be used to indict President TRUMP.”

“[The whistleblower] stated this would be illegal and, upon hearing his concerns, unnamed members of the meeting reassured that they would not be caught leaking classified information,” the report added.

John Solomon, who co-authored the piece with Just The News’ Jerry Dunleavy, appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” to discuss the report.

“This is the first of several major leak investigations we’re going to see over the next several days,” Solomon said. “You’re going to see other major people that were clearly identified by the FBI, having leaked classified secrets.”

“Their own staff turned them in when interviewed by the FBI. Nothing, again, happened,” he added. “It’s a common pattern. The question now is, in Donald Trump’s Justice Department, does that dynamic change?”

Soon after the report was published, Patel shared it on X, saying that the FBI “found it [and] declassified it.”

Lawmaker Targets Trumpโ€™s Mental Fitness โ€” Psaki Questions Strategy

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By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CC BY-SA 2.0,

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki is pushing back on growing calls within her own party to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Donald Trump, as some Democrats continue raising concerns about his mental fitness.

Psaki, now an MSNBC host, argued that focusing on removing Trump through the constitutional provision is both unrealistic and politically counterproductive.

Speaking on Stephen A. Smithโ€™s show Straight Shooter, Psaki acknowledged frustration on the left but questioned the value of repeatedly invoking the 25th Amendment.

โ€œI think there are times โ€” and I canโ€™t speak for everybody on the left, I donโ€™t agree with everything everybody says on the left either โ€” you know, sometimes itโ€™s just not constructive,โ€ Psaki said. โ€œI mean, youโ€™ve talked about the 25th Amendment. I have no issue with people saying theyโ€™re for invoking the 25th Amendment, but itโ€™s not going to happen. So itโ€™s like, why are we spending so much time, you know?โ€

Her comments come as some Democratic lawmakers continue to escalate concerns about Trumpโ€™s behavior, including Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who directly confronted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a House hearing on Friday.

During the House Education and Workforce Committee session on the HHS budget, Takano displayed large posters of Trumpโ€™s Truth Social posts, including statements threatening to destroy the โ€œwhole civilizationโ€ of Iran, attacks on Pope Leo XIV, and an AI-generated image depicting Trump as Jesus Christ.

โ€œMillions of Americans are questioning this presidentโ€™s mental fitness, his emotional stability, and whether he can carry out the duties of his office. Do you share their concerns about his mental health?โ€ Takano asked Kennedy.

After Kennedy did not immediately respond, Takano pressed further.

โ€œWe need a commander in chief that we know has full command of his mental faculties and is emotionally stable,โ€ he said. โ€œMr. Secretary, given everything that Iโ€™ve shown you today, will you insist that President Trump undergo an assessment of his mental fitness and his emotional stability?โ€

โ€œAbsolutely not,โ€ Kennedy replied.

Takano then asked whether Kennedy would support invoking the 25th Amendment if Trump were deemed unfit. Kennedy again rejected the premise, adding that โ€œthere hasnโ€™t been a president who is more sane.โ€

Takano accused him of placing loyalty to Trump above the Constitution, prompting Kennedy to fire back, โ€œWell, you need the fundraising video.โ€

Committee Chair Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) also weighed in, noting the partisan nature of such calls.

โ€œI would hesitate to say something about the 25th Amendment with the last president. There was no concern there from the other side, but I wonโ€™t say that,โ€ Walberg said.

Calls to remove Trump through the 25th Amendment have come from more than 50 Democratic lawmakers, along with other critics, some citing his rhetoric on Iran as evidence he is unfit for office.

But Psaki warned that the party risks undermining itself by leaning too heavily on such arguments and by narrowing its political appeal.

โ€œWhat is also true is that in order to win, you have to invite more people to the party,โ€ she said. โ€œSo if you want to win, you have to accept sometimes that there may be people who are part of your party, or youโ€™re going to welcome into the conversation, who you donโ€™t agree with on 100% of issues. And I think sometimes there can be a little litmus-testy feeling about whoโ€™s allowed to be a Democrat or who can consider themselves progressive.โ€

She also cautioned against a reflexive outrage-driven response to Trump.

โ€œAnd part of that goes hand in hand with feeling like you have to scream at the top of your lungs about everything that comes out of the Trump administration,โ€ Psaki said. โ€œAnd Iโ€™m outraged by a lot of it. But I donโ€™t think screaming about every single thing is the most constructive thing.โ€

James Carville Reveals Who Heโ€™s Betting โ€˜A Lot Of Moneyโ€™ On In 2028

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Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Democrat strategist James Carvilleโ€”known as much for his fiery rhetoric as his mixed record of election predictionsโ€”says heโ€™s ready to โ€œbet a lot of moneyโ€ that Democrats will take the White House in 2028 and then move to pack the Supreme Court.

Speaking on his Politics War Room podcast Thursday with co-host Al Hunt, Carville responded to a listener question about what Democrats could have done differently to prepare for President Donald Trumpโ€™s second term. Instead of looking back, he offered a bold forecast for the next presidential cycle.

Carville eventually dropped a whopper of a prediction that he insisted he has plenty of confidence in.

โ€œIโ€™m going to tell you whatโ€™s going to happen. A Democrat is going to be elected in 2028. You know that. I know that. The Democratic president is going to announce a special transition advisory committee on the reform of the Supreme Court,โ€ the longtime Democratic strategist declared.

Carvilleโ€”once a top adviser to Bill Clintonโ€”has not always had a stellar record when it comes to predictions. Before the 2024 election, he confidently declared that Kamala Harris would โ€œsail her way to victory,โ€ repeating that claim several times, including in an op-ed for The New York Times.

In January, Carville admitted he had gotten it โ€œall wrong.โ€ Heโ€™s since been openly critical of Harrisโ€™s failed campaign, recently warning her allies to โ€œpipe downโ€ because โ€œno Democrat wants to hearโ€ from them.

On his 2028 prediction, Carville laid out how he believes a Democrat will expand the Supreme Court from nine seats to 13.

He argued:

โ€œTheyโ€™re going to recommend that the number of Supreme Court justices go from nine to 13. Thatโ€™s going to happen, people,โ€ Carville said. โ€œTheyโ€™re going to win. Theyโ€™re going to do some blue ribbon panel of distinguished jurists, and they are going to recommend 13, and a Democratic Senate and House is going to pass it, and the Democratic president is going to sign it, because they have to do an intervention so we can have a Supreme Court that the American people trust again.โ€

Carville wrapped up his remarks by doubling down on his bet.

โ€œJust keep that in the back of your mind,โ€ he said. โ€œAnd I would bet a lot of money that thatโ€™s whatโ€™s going to happen. A lot.โ€

If Carville is right this time, Democrats are preparing to reshape the nationโ€™s highest courtโ€”and, with it, the balance of power in Washingtonโ€”for generations to come.

Watch:

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New York Appeals Court Poised To Overturn Trump’s $454 Million Fine

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Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

An appeals court in New York appears set to issue a favorable ruling for former President Donald Trump after the state’s Attorney General’s Office controversially applied an anti-fraud law to his real estate practices. The case resulted in a hefty $454 million fine, which now faces potential reduction or reversal.

During Thursday’s hearing, justices from the New York Supreme Court expressed concern about the judgment, with one justice labeling the fine “troubling.”

The New York Post reports:

A panel of New York appeals court judges appeared skeptical about the gargantuan $454 million civil fraud judgment Donald Trump was dealt after he wasย found liable for business fraudย โ€” with one jurist calling it โ€œtroubling.โ€

The former president is attempting to reverse or reduce the judgment of $354 million โ€” plus an additional $100 million in interest โ€” after a judge sided with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who argued in a lawsuit that Trump inflated his net worth by billions to get better loan and insurance terms.

Trumpโ€™s lawyers, who have called Judge Arthur Engoronโ€™s February ruling โ€œdraconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional,โ€ appeared before a five-judge panel of a Manhattan appeals court Thursday to plead their case.

Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Judge Peter Moulton questioned whether Jamesโ€™ lawsuit turned into โ€œsomething it was not meant to do.โ€

In a post-verdict interview, Attorney General Letitia James stated that if Trump cannot pay the judgment, her office would pursue asset seizure, including Trumpโ€™s iconic properties like the 40 Wall Street skyscraper. “We will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” she told ABC News.

Fox News Legal Analyst Johnathan Turley criticized the ruling, calling it “astronomical” and accusing James of engaging in “mob justice” by threatening Trump’s assets.

James filed a civil fraud lawsuit against the former president and his three adult children in September 2022, on the heels of a years-long civil investigation into the Trump familyโ€™s real estate business, the Trump Organization.

The investigation centered on whether the former presidentโ€™s company misled investors and tax authorities by inflating property values to get investments and subsequently deflating them to get tax and loan benefits.

Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing.

READ NEXT: House Republicans Subpoena Dishonored Anti-Trump Prosecutor โ€“ They Never Expected This

Citizens Sue City Over Scheme To Pay Race Reparations

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Image via Pixabay free images

A group of Evanston, Illinois, residents are suing their city government over a $20 million scheme to give away $25,000 each to Black residents as โ€œreparationsโ€ for wrongs experienced by past generations.

The nonprofit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced it โ€œfiled a class action lawsuit against Evanston, Illinois, on behalf of six individuals over the cityโ€™s use of race as an eligibility requirement for a reparations program which makes $25,000 payments to black residents and descendants of black residents who lived in Evanston between the years 1919 and 1969.โ€ (RELATED: San Francisco Debates $5 Million Per Person Reparations Proposal)

The New York Times photo archive, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

โ€œThe Evanston, Illinoisโ€™ โ€˜reparationsโ€™ program is nothing more than a ploy to redistribute tax dollars to individuals based on race,โ€ said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. โ€œThis scheme unconstitutionally discriminates against anyone who does not identify as Black or African American. This class action, civil rights lawsuit will be a historic defense of our color-blind Constitution.โ€

โ€œThrough a series of resolutions, the Evanston City Council created a program to provide $25,000 cash payments to residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,โ€ JW reports, after filing a class action, civil rights lawsuit which challenges โ€œon Equal Protection grounds Defendant City of Evanstonโ€™s use of race as an eligibility requirement for a program that makes $25,000 payments to residents and direct descendants of residents of the city five-plus decades if not more than a century ago. Plaintiffs seek a judgment declaring the Defendantโ€™s use of race to be unconstitutional. Plaintiffs also seek an injunction enjoining Defendant from continuing to use race as a requirement for receiving payment under the program and request that the Court award them and all class members damages in the amount of $25,000 each.โ€

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

JW argues that โ€œthe program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because:โ€

Remedying societal discrimination is not a compelling governmental interest.  Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469, 505 (1989); see also Regents of Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265, 307 ((1978) (opinion of Powell, J.) (describing โ€œsocietal discriminationโ€ as โ€œan amorphous concept of injury that may be ageless in its reach into the past.โ€)  Remedying discrimination from 55 to 105 years ago or remedying discrimination experienced at any time by an individualโ€™s parents, grandparents, or great grandparents has not been recognized as a compelling governmental interestโ€ฆ

Defendant also has not and cannot demonstrate that its use of a race as an eligibility requirement is narrowly tailored.  Among other shortcomings, Defendantโ€™s use of race as a proxy for experiencing discrimination between 1919 and 1969 does not limit eligibility to persons who actually experienced discrimination during that relevant time period and therefore is overinclusive.   Defendant also failed to consider race-neutral alternatives, such as requiring prospective recipients show that they or their parents, grandparents, or great grandparents actually experienced housing discrimination during the relevant time period because of an Evanston ordinance, policy, or procedure, as Defendant requires for the third group of prospective recipients.  Nor did Defendant take into account race-neutral anti-discrimination remedies before adopting its race-based eligibility requirement.

According to JW, the program works as follows:

The first group of persons eligible for the $25,000 payments are current Evanston residents who identify as Black or African American and were at least 18 years of age between 1919 and 1969. Evanston refers to this group as โ€œancestors.โ€

The second group are individuals who identify as Black or African American who are at least 18 years of age and have at least one parent, grandparent, or great grandparent who identifies (or identified) as Black or African American, lived in Evanston for any period between 1919 and 1969, and was at least 18 at the time. Evanston refers to this group as โ€œdirect descendants.โ€ A โ€œdirect descendantโ€ is not required to be a current resident of Evanston to receive the payment.

โ€œAt no point in the application process are persons in the first and second groups required to present evidence that they or their ancestors experienced housing discrimination or otherwise suffered harm because of an unlawful Evanston ordinance, policy, or procedure or some other unlawful act or series of acts by Evanston between 1919 and 1969,โ€ Judicial Watch states in the laws.โ€ โ€œIn effect, Evanston is using race as a proxy for having experienced discrimination during this time period.โ€ (RELATED: Squad Member Introduces Proposal For $14 Trillion In Reparations)

Judicial Watch states in the lawsuit that โ€œthe six plaintiffs satisfy all eligibility requirements for participating in the program as โ€˜direct descendantsโ€™ other that the race requirement (the actual number of individuals who are potential class members is in the tens of thousands).โ€

Christine Svenson of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, LLC is assisting Judicial Watch in the lawsuit.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions ofย Great America News Desk. It first appeared in American Liberty News.

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Scott Bessent Emerges As Top Contender For Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat

[Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is being encouraged to enter the suddenly open race for South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat, a move that could place one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent Cabinet officials at the center of what is shaping up to be a closely watched Republican primary.

According to Politico, supporters reached out to Bessent on Sunday, urging him to run following the unexpected death of longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The outreach immediately adds another high-profile name to the growing list of Republicans being discussed as potential successors to Graham, who represented South Carolina in the Senate for more than two decades.

Graham died Saturday at the age of 71. A preliminary autopsy determined that he died from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, commonly known as hardening of the arteries.

No indication Bessent plans to run

Despite the speculation, Bessent has given no public indication that he intends to launch a Senate campaign.

People close to the Treasury secretary told Politico that he remains focused on leading the Treasury Department, a position he had long hoped to hold. A Treasury Department spokesperson declined to comment on the reports.

Still, even the possibility of a Bessent candidacy could reshape the race.

A South Carolina native, Bessent maintains homes in Charleston and Washington. Before joining the Trump administration, he built a successful career as a financier and hedge fund manager. Since taking office, he has become one of the administration’s most visible public advocates for Trump’s economic agenda, defending the president’s tax, trade, energy, and tariff policies in frequent television appearances and public events.

A different kind of Senate candidate

If Bessent entered the race, he would bring a combination of political and financial advantages uncommon for a first-time Senate candidate.

His statewide roots, personal wealth, experience in financial markets, and close relationship with Trump would make him an immediate contender in a Republican primary expected to place a premium on loyalty to the president and the ability to quickly organize a statewide campaign.

Bessent has also developed a higher political profile than many Treasury secretaries.

Initially viewed primarily as a market-focused economic expert, he has increasingly become one of the administration’s most outspoken defenders, regularly making the case for Trump’s broader policy agenda in addition to his economic initiatives.

A difficult decision

Running for the Senate would require Bessent to give up one of the most influential positions in the federal government.

As Treasury secretary, he serves as the administration’s chief economic spokesman and plays a central role in shaping tax policy, tariffs, sanctions, financial regulation, and international economic negotiations.

Those responsibilities could prove more appealing than leaving for a rapidly unfolding Senate campaign.

At the same time, opportunities to seek a Republican Senate seat in a state as reliably conservative as South Carolina are rare. The GOP nominee would begin the general election as the clear favorite.

Race expected to move quickly

South Carolina officials are expected to move quickly to fill the vacancy.

Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to appoint a temporary replacement while the state prepares for a special nominating process ahead of the November election.

Several prominent Republicans are already being mentioned as possible candidates, including Rep. Nancy Mace, who is reportedly giving serious consideration to entering the race.

The addition of Bessent’s name, however, would introduce a nationally recognized figure with deep financial resources and direct ties to the White House.

It would also create a significant personnel decision for Trump.

A successful Bessent Senate campaign would give the president another close ally on Capitol Hill for years to come. But it would also require Trump to replace a Treasury secretary who has become a central figure in advancing the administration’s economic agenda.

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Trump Re-endorses โ€˜RINOโ€™ Congressman He Unendorsed Less Than A Month Ago

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President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after delivering remarks at the House GOP Member Retreat, Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

President Donald Trump has re-endorsed Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd of Colorado, less than a month after withdrawing his support over Hurdโ€™s vote against the presidentโ€™s tariffs.

In a Friday post on Truth Social, Trump said Hurdโ€™s primary opponent, former Colorado GOP vice chair and Navy veteran Hope Scheppelman, agreed to exit the race and instead join his administration โ€œin a capacity to be determined.โ€ Trump had originally endorsed Hurd for reelection in October 2025, but rescinded that endorsement in February after Hurd joined six other Republicans and Democrats in supporting a House resolution to repeal tariffs on Canada.

โ€œI met with Hope Scheppelman and her husband Steven, of the Radical Left State of Colorado, to discuss various opportunities to serve our Country in a different capacity than her current run for the United States Congress,โ€ Trump wrote in his Friday post. โ€œTogether with them, we decided that Congressman Jeff Hurd, of Coloradoโ€™s 3rd Congressional District, should in no way, shape, or form, be impeded from winning the District in that the Democrat alternative is a DISASTER for our Country.โ€

โ€œTherefore, I will be fully supporting Jeffโ€™s Re-Election to the House of Representatives, giving him my Complete and Total Endorsement!โ€ the president added. โ€œEvery true MAGA supporter and Republican, if they truly care about saving our Country, will do everything in their power to unify together, and defeat the Crazed Radical Left Democrats this November.โ€

Trump had sharply criticized Hurd in his February 21 post announcing the withdrawal of his endorsement.

โ€œCongressman Hurd is one of a small number of Legislators who have let me and our Country down. He is more interested in protecting Foreign Countries that have been ripping us off for decades than he is the United States of America,โ€ Trump wrote at the time, defending his โ€œunbelievably successfulโ€ tariffs, which he said made โ€œAmerica Richer, Stronger, Bigger, and Better than ever before.โ€

โ€œTaking back an Endorsement is a difficult decision for me. I have only done it once before, with a former Congressman named Mo Brooks, from Alabama, who was leading by 54 points after my Endorsement for U.S. Senate, and then, he unexpectedly, for strictly political reasons, changed his views on the Rigged Election of 2020, and lost his Race in a Landslide to Katie Britt, who I Endorsed,โ€ Trump continued, referencing the 2022 Alabama Senate race.

โ€œThese are the decisions that must be made, however, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!โ€ he added at the time.

Following Trumpโ€™s renewed endorsement, Hurd expressed appreciation and emphasized party unity.

โ€œIโ€™m grateful for President Trumpโ€™s support and appreciate his efforts to unify Republicans in Coloradoโ€™s Third District,โ€ Hurd wrote in a Friday post on X. โ€œThe President and I share the same goals: securing the border, American energy dominance, and helping working families. I will continue to focus on representing Coloradoโ€™s Third District, delivering results for rural Colorado, and running a serious campaign to earn the support of voters across the district.โ€

With Scheppelman exiting the race and the candidate filing deadline now passed, Hurd appears set to run unopposed in the Republican primary for Coloradoโ€™s 3rd Congressional District. He is widely expected to secure the nomination on June 30.

The general election also favors Republicans. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as โ€œLikely Republican,โ€ and it backed Trump by 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. The seat is not among those targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is instead focusing on the neighboring 5th District.

The 3rd District was previously represented by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who moved to the more conservative 4th District in 2024 after a close reelection race two years earlier.

Georgia Official Who Broke With Trump In 2020 Announces Gubernatorial Bid

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Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) has officially entered the race for governor, setting the stage for a competitive Republican primary to succeed outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who is term-limited. In a two-minute campaign launch ad released Wednesday, Raffensperger portrayed himself as a principled conservative willing to take tough stands, vowing to uphold the Constitution and defend Georgia values.

โ€œIโ€™m a conservative Republican, and Iโ€™m prepared to make the tough decisions,โ€ Raffensperger declared in the ad. โ€œI follow the law and the Constitution, and I always do the right thing for Georgia, no matter what.โ€

Watch:

The announcement pits Raffensperger against prominent GOP contenders including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has received former President Donald Trumpโ€™s endorsement, and Attorney General Chris Carr, both of whom have strong support among grassroots conservatives. The winner of the GOP primary will likely face a high-profile Democratic opponent next November.

Revisiting the 2020 Election Clash With Trump

Raffensperger became a household name during the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, when Georgia became a critical battleground. After President Trump narrowly lost the state to Joe Biden by just under 12,000 votes, Trump and his allies raised concerns about election irregularities and widespread allegations of voter fraud. Raffensperger, as the stateโ€™s chief elections officer, found himself at the center of the storm.

Despite mounting pressure from Trump and many Georgia Republicans to challenge or overturn the results, Raffensperger maintained that his officeโ€™s audits and recounts showed no evidence of widespread fraud that would change the outcome. In a now-famous phone call, Trump urged Raffensperger to โ€œfindโ€ enough votes to change the result โ€” a conversation that later became a flashpoint in national debates over election integrity and presidential power.

While Raffenspergerโ€™s stance drew praise from Democrats and corporate media, it also alienated many in the Republican base, who felt he failed to investigate potential irregularities aggressively enough. That divide has lingered within Georgia GOP politics and is certain to shadow his gubernatorial campaign. Many grassroots conservatives remain skeptical of Raffensperger, while others credit him for adhering to the letter of the law during an unprecedented political firestorm.


A Crowded Field on Both Sides

The Republican primary is shaping up to be one of the most watched in the nation. With Raffensperger, Jones, and Carr already in the race, GOP voters will have a clear choice between different brands of Republican leadership โ€” from establishment-minded governance to more populist, Trump-aligned approaches.

On the Democratic side, the field is also taking shape. Declared candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, and former pastor Olu Brown. There is also persistent speculation that Stacey Abrams could enter the race again, potentially setting up a dramatic rematch after her narrow 2018 and 2022 defeats.

Georgia has transformed into a true political battleground over the last decade, with Republicans still holding most statewide offices but Democrats making steady gains. The 2026 gubernatorial race will be pivotal in determining whether Georgia remains under GOP control or flips blue.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Kempโ€™s seat a โ€œtoss up.โ€

Can Raffensperger manage to make peace with Trump and secure his endorsement? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Bill Maher Open To Voting Republican – But With Some Changes

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Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Comedian and longtime liberal commentator Bill Maher told Fareed Zakaria on CNNโ€™s GPS that he could โ€œof courseโ€ envision voting Republican โ€” but only if the party becomes something markedly different than what it has been.

Maher, who has been a longtime critic of Donald Trump and a traditional supporter of Democrats, laid out a number of caveats before making such a move. โ€œThey would have to certainly lose the idea of โ€˜we donโ€™t concede elections,โ€™โ€ he said.

He added his biggest concern:

โ€œAnd my biggest worry is that they feel that the excesses of the left are so great, that they are so antiโ€common sense. And again, theyโ€™re not completely wrong about that โ€” that they are so โ€” never met something that was counterintuitive that they didnโ€™t embrace. That they just canโ€™t let these people take power and, therefore, even if there has to โ€” if democracy has to be sacrificed for hanging on to power,โ€ Maher said.

Maher also questioned the GOPโ€™s longโ€term commitment to democratic norms after Trump:

โ€œWill they still keep that idea that we cannot let these people take power? These people who just do not have any idea of common sense, they want to reinvent everything. They are revolutionaries in a country that is not asking for [a] revolution โ€” theyโ€™re just asking for politicians to fix things. That is my biggest concern.โ€ He noted a hope for a โ€œreturn to normalcyโ€ after Trump โ€” though he expressed skepticism.

At the same time, Maher acknowledged areas where he believes Trump was right:

He pointed out the border, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives, and NATO contributions. โ€œHe showed that you can close the border. It wasnโ€™t something you needed congressional help for. You could just do it, and he did it. He just did it too far. And people don’t like to see people tackled at Home Depot and people they know who have been in this country for a long time.โ€

He wrapped up by hitting both parties:

โ€œWhy canโ€™t either one be normal?โ€ he asked rhetorically.


Why this matters for Republicans

Maherโ€™s comments underscore a key opportunity and challenge for the GOP: there are nonโ€traditional voices who might vote Republican โ€” but only if the party reaffirms core democratic norms and commonโ€sense governance rather than radical transformation. If Republicans continue to be associated with election denial, extreme rhetoric, or sweeping change beyond what voters ask for, they risk alienating such swing voices.

For Republican-leaning audiences focused on policy, governance, and institutional credibility, Maherโ€™s remarks are a reminder that expanding the partyโ€™s appeal may hinge more on tone and norms than just raw policy wins.