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VP Vance Predicts ‘Dumbest’ Democrat Candidate Will Secure Nomination In 2028

Vice President JD Vance took aim at the Democratic Party’s likely 2028 presidential contenders during a lighthearted but pointed exchange on Fox News, joking that the party’s “dumbest” candidate is most likely to emerge from the primary.

In an exclusive interview released Wednesday on Jesse Watters Primetime, Watters raised speculation about California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s national ambitions, noting the governor’s frequent media appearances and rumored White House aspirations.

“Gavin Newsom, obviously, is running for president. Have you seen this guy cross his legs? Have you ever seen anyone cross their legs like that?” Watters asked jokingly.

“My legs don’t cross like that, Jesse,” Vance replied with a laugh. “You can interpret that however you want to.”

Watters went on to frame the looming Democratic contest as a showdown between Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Gavin and Kamala are on a collision course,” Watters said. “Who’s gonna win?”

“The dumbest candidate will probably win,” Vance quipped. “That’s my guess with the Democratic Party.”

Vance argued that the current Democratic bench reflects deeper structural problems within the party, particularly its fixation on identity politics over competence.

“I mean, look, the Democrats have a couple of big issues, and one is that they lean so far into wokeism that they can’t see the obviousness of the fact, which is that Kamala Harris is not qualified to be president of the United States,” Vance said.

“That’s why she got the vice presidential nomination. That’s why she got the presidential nomination. This is who Kamala Harris is.”

Vance contrasted Harris with Newsom, describing the California governor as emblematic of failed progressive governance.

“Now, the flip side is, I think you have an unbelievably corrupt and incompetent governor in Gavin Newsom,” he said. “The fact that those are the two frontrunners just suggests how deeply deranged the Democrat Party is. Let them fight it out. We’ll figure it out.”

A Weak Democratic Bench for 2028

While Newsom and Harris dominate early speculation, Democrats face a thin and fractured 2028 field. Other frequently mentioned names include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—each of whom carries significant liabilities with general-election voters. Many Democrats privately acknowledge that the party lacks a unifying figure with broad national appeal, particularly as voters continue to recoil from progressive economic and cultural policies.

Republicans, by contrast, are positioning themselves as the party of stability, affordability, and public safety heading into the next election cycle.

Cost of Living and Accountability

Watters noted that Democrats are expected to campaign heavily on cost-of-living issues in upcoming elections, a strategy Vance dismissed as deeply hypocritical.

“That’s a pot-meet-kettle situation,” Vance argued, pointing to Democratic-led policies that fueled inflation, higher energy costs, and housing shortages.

He credited the Trump administration with reversing those trends.

“We haven’t even been in office for a year, and you’ve already seen prices start to come down. You’ve seen rents start to come down. You’ve seen groceries leveling off,” Vance said.

“Is there more work to do? Absolutely. But the people who are going to do that work is the Trump administration, is the president of the United States, who is solving the Democrats’ affordability crisis.”

“You don’t give power back to the very people who set the house on fire,” he added. “You give more power to the person who put the fire out.”

Impeachment Politics

When asked whether Democrats would attempt to impeach President Trump again if they regain control of Congress, Vance said such a move would be predictable—and revealing.

“I’m sure he’ll get impeached,” Vance said. “Look, they have nothing to actually run on or govern on.”

“Their entire obsessive focus of that party is they hate Donald Trump,” he continued. “So, if they ever get power, are they going to lower Americans’ taxes? No. Are they going to make your life more affordable? No. Are they going to solve the crime crisis? No.”

“What they’re going to do is they’re going to spend all their time and all of your money trying to get Donald Trump.”

Vance urged voters to focus on results rather than partisan theatrics.

“I think the American people should vote for the people who want to make their life more affordable, who want to make their neighborhoods safer,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to deliver every single day.”

Newsom Responds With a Meme

Newsom’s office responded to the interview with a digitally altered image of Vance crossing his legs in an exaggerated pose, captioned: “We all know JD copies Daddy.”

Mike Lindell Announces Run For Minnesota Governor

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It’s official…

On Thursday, MyPillow founder and Trump loyalist, Mike Lindell, announced he is running to become the next governor of Minnesota.

Lindell made the announcement on Steve Bannon’s War Room. The CEO vowed to “stand against rampant fraud” under current Gov. Tim Walz (D).

Lindell continued:

I’m still standing; MyPillow is still standing; and now I want you to know that I will stand for you as the next governor of the state of Minnesota. I will stand for you against the rampant fraud under Governor Walz. I will stand with you against a crime that threatens the safety of your family. I will stand for you against government-sponsored [unintelligible] your livelihood, via exploiting property taxes, excessive fees, and unfair sales tax. I’ll stand for you against unnecessary regulation that strangle the entrepreneurial spirit. I will stand for businesses of all sizes — small, medium, large, doesn’t matter. We need to defend those who provide our citizens with jobs that they need to… in turn take care of our families.

I will stand for those of you that are struggling with addiction. I will stand for you by making Minnesota’s education system one of the best. I am not alone in standing for you. I’ve never been alone. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been standing beside me all the way. Through the good times and the bad, she’s never let me down; and with God’s grace, I will never let you down, either.

Mike Lindell via Gage Skidmore Flickr

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Lindell adds uncertainty in an already crowded Republican field that includes Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives; Scott Jensen, a former state senator and the 2022 Republican nominee for governor; Chris Madel, a prominent lawyer in Minnesota; and State Representative Kristin Robbins.

They are competing for the chance to challenge Gov. Tim Walz (D) who is running for a third term.

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

Musk Signals Plan To Be Less Involved In Future Political Campaigns

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Elon Musk is backing away from politics…

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, said this week that he will dial back his spending on future political campaigns.

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

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

Watch:

Along with his major donations to the Republican effort last election cycle, Musk was also a major fixture on the campaign trail, appearing multiple times alongside Trump. After Trump took office in January, Musk led the effort, alongside the Department of Government Efficiency project, to find waste and fraud within the federal government.

After joining Trump in the White House, Musk got behind the conservative candidate in the closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court election, saying the race could affect the “entire destiny” of humanity. Musk’s America PAC spent millions of dollars on race, but conservative candidate Brad Schimel lost to liberal candidate Susan Crawford by 10 percentage points, and the liberals maintained a majority on the court.

Musk, who was regularly seen with the president during the Trump administration’s first 100 days, has taken a step back from overseeing Trump’s DOGE initiative.

“I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla…” Musk said last month.

The Tesla CEO added in his interview on Tuesday that he is committed to leading the electric car company for at least the next five years, saying that he wants “sufficient voting control” to keep Tesla from falling into the hands of activist investors.

“It’s not a money thing,” Musk said. “It’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company.”

Musk’s shift back to focusing on Tesla comes after the company saw a drop in revenue and net income over the first quarter of 2025. 

After Musk became a senior adviser to Trump and pushed for major government spending cuts, Tesla has been targeted by leftist activists who have set fires to and vandalized vehicles and threatened Tesla dealerships.

“Firing bullets into showrooms and burning down cars is unacceptable. Those people will go to prison, and the people that funded them and organized them will also go to prison. Don’t worry, we’re coming for you,” Musk said on Tuesday’s video call to the applause of the crowd.

Steve Bannon Responds To Reports He’s Eyeing Presidential Run

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Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Not so fast…

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is reportedly eyeing a presidential run in 2028 against de facto Trump successor Vice President JD Vance, according to the Daily Mail. However, after the report aired, Bannon wasted no time and responded to the claims on The National Pulse website, simply responding: “Trump 2028.”

Elina Shirazi, a senior political reporter focused on Trump’s foreign policy, wrote in an “exclusive” story on Thursday, “Sources close to Steve Bannon and Trump have told Daily Mail the 71-year-old War Room host has begun soliciting political advice.”

The report made clear, according to a GOP strategist, that Bannon’s planning is purely in the “contemplative stage,” but added that Bannon is concerned about a Vance run. Shirazi wrote:

One source in Bannon’s inner circle told the Daily Mail that the former strategist has privately ridiculed the prospect of Vance at the top of the ticket.

‘Love him… but Vance is not tough enough to run in 2028,’ the source said Bannon has conveyed to multiple people in his circles.

The Daily Mail noted that Bannon did not respond to the report, a claim he pushed back on in his comments to The National Pulse.

“The Daily Mail claims Bannon did not comment on the matter, but The National Pulse can also reveal that, according to Bannon himself, no request for comment was made to Bannon before the story’s publication,” noted the post on Bannon’s response.

It would hardly be Bannon’s first entrance into the world of politics. He initially ran Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign before being replaced by Kellyanne Conway. Since then, Bannon’s War Room show has been a key platform for MAGA Republicans to launch campaigns for office and has hosted countless elected Republicans. 

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump made his clearest endorsement yet for a future Republican presidential candidate, declaring that Vice President JD Vance is “most likely” to carry the MAGA torch after his second term ends.

Speaking on Tuesday, Trump described Vance as “probably the favorite” to lead the Republican Party into the next election cycle.

“He’s most likely the heir,” Trump said, referring to Vance. “He understands the movement, he understands the people, and he’s doing a phenomenal job as Vice President.”

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 President Donald Trump, according to newly-released documents.

The documents, which were obtained by Just The News, were recently handed over to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel.  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. SCHIFF stated 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.”

Ohio Governor Reveals Choice To Fill Vance’s Senate Seat

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will announce on Friday Lt. Governor Jon Husted as his pick to fill the Senate vacancy left by Vice President-elect JD Vance ahead of his inauguration on Monday, according to Fox News.

The announcement will be made at approximately 1 p.m. 

Vance gave the Senate notice of his forthcoming resignation on Jan. 9, which became official on the following day. He officially resigned 10 days prior to his and President-elect Trump’s swearing in. 

“To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate. When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day,” Vance said in a statement. 

After Vance’s resignation, new Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said in his own statement, “Ohio couldn’t be prouder of JD Vance! He has served our country with great honor, first in the Marines, then in the US Senate, and now as our 50th Vice President! I’m extremely thankful to JD for his early and unwavering support. A truly amazing journey for an outstanding guy!”

Once the new senator is sworn in, Republicans will officially have a 53-vote majority.

Pete Buttigieg Signals Openness to 2028 Run

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By NCDOTcommunications - https://www.flickr.com/photos/39320593@N03/53833141855/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149981273

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is offering unusually candid reflections on President Joe Biden’s failed 2024 reelection campaign, acknowledging that the decision to run for a second term may have harmed the Democratic Party — while carefully laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential bid.

Speaking to reporters after a veterans-focused town hall in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night, Buttigieg said “maybe” Biden’s 2024 candidacy was a mistake, adding that “with the benefit of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that’s the case.”

The remarks came amid renewed scrutiny over Biden’s final year in office, spurred in part by revelations from the new book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, which alleges that White House aides masked signs of cognitive decline in the then-president. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race in July after a widely criticized debate performance against now-President Donald Trump, a moment that triggered a wave of Democratic defections and calls for him to step aside.

He was replaced by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the general election to Trump in November.

While offering a subtle critique, Buttigieg also defended his former boss’s capabilities during key moments in 2024, citing the administration’s response to the Baltimore bridge collapse.

“Every time I needed something from him from the West Wing, I got it,” Buttigieg said. “The same president the world saw addressing that [collapse] was the president I was in the Oval with, insisting that we do a good job, do right by Baltimore.”

Readers should note that the bridge’s reconstruction has yet to begin.

Buttigieg was one of Biden’s earliest and most high-profile endorsers after dropping out of the 2020 Democratic primary, and later became a key member of the administration.

Buttigieg’s Iowa visit — which included a town hall attended by 1,800 people, meetings with former 2020 campaign staffers, and a videographer from his political action group Win the Era — has fueled speculation about a White House run in 2028. His decision earlier this year not to pursue an open Senate seat in Michigan, where he now resides, added to the chatter.

When asked if his trip signaled the start of a 2028 exploratory phase, Buttigieg offered a carefully measured response.

“Right now, I’m not running for anything,” he said. “What’s exciting and compelling about an opportunity like this is to be campaigning for values and for ideas rather than a specific electoral campaign.”

Still, when informed that many audience members said they would support him in 2028, Buttigieg responded with appreciation.

“Of course, it means a lot to hear that people who supported me then continue to believe in what I have to say.”

Though Iowa’s status in the Democratic primary calendar was downgraded for 2024, it remains a symbolic and strategic stop for presidential hopefuls. Buttigieg famously won the Iowa caucuses in 2020, edging out Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and building momentum that carried him into the top tier of Democratic contenders before ultimately endorsing Biden.

The Democratic Party continues to grapple with the fallout of the 2024 loss. Biden’s decision to run again — despite growing concerns about his age and health — divided the party and is now seen by some as a major factor in the GOP’s return to power.

With Vice President Harris having failed to secure victory in the general election and many long-time party leaders aging, figures like Buttigieg are increasingly in focus.

As Buttigieg tests the waters in early states and maintains a national platform through veterans advocacy and public speaking, it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to emerge as a top potential contender for the next Democratic presidential nomination.

Musician Withdraws Endorsement Over Viral Puerto Rico Joke

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Reggaeton star Nicky Jam walked back his previous endorsement of former President Trump Wednesday in the wake of fallout over a poorly received joke at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday.

In an Instagram post in Spanish, the singer born Nick Rivera Caminero explained he had endorsed Trump for his economic proposals, with “[Trump] being a businessman, I thought it was the best move.”

“Never in my life did I think that a month later a comedian would come to criticize my country, to speak poorly of my country, and therefore I renounce any support to Donald Trump and move aside from any political situation. Puerto Rico se respeta, Nicky Jam,” he said.

At a Tuesday rally in Allentown, Pa., the northern end of the Latino Corridor, Trump did not directly address the offending joke, but he said “nobody loves our Latino community and our Puerto Rican community more than I do.”

According to Toledo, the dissatisfaction with the handling of the joke has spread well beyond the Puerto Rican community.

“This is not just a Puerto Rican issue. All Latinos across the board have taken offense to this,” he said.

Speaking on a call with Voto Latino, Biden appeared to call Trump supporters “garbage” in response to Hinchcliffe’s joke.

Award-Winning Actor Details Who Should Lead Dems After Helping Push Out Biden

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Austin Green, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Oscar-winning actor George Clooney is weighing in on who he believes should take the reins of the Democrat Party next after helping push out Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 election.

In a candid interview with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Wednesday, Clooney offered an unexpected endorsement for one Democrat he said was “levitating above” the rest: Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

When asked directly by Tapper who he had his “eyes on,” Clooney offered praise to several potential candidates within the party before making a confident promotion of Moore. (RELATED: George Clooney Publishes New York Times Op-Ed Urging Biden To Step Down)

He began: “I really … there’s one person in particular I think is spectacular. There are a few: I like [Kentucky Governor] Andy Beshear.”

“I’m a Kentucky guy, I like him, he’s a good guy. And they’re smart. And he’s won in a red state. He’s a Democrat. I like [Michigan Governor] Gretchen [Whitmer], I think is very good.”

He continued: “But who I think is who I think is levitating above that is Wes Moore. I think he is the guy that has handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully. He has two tours of duty in Afghanistan, active duty. He speaks sort of beautifully. He’s smart. He ran a hedge fund. He ran the Robin Hood Foundation. He’s a proper leader.”

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Circling back to Moore, Clooney added, “I like him a lot. I think he could be someone we could all join in behind. We have to find somebody rather soon, you know, because we need to redo… Look, the other side, the side that I don’t support, they are, you know, running through government and doing their thing. So it’s our job now to put together a proper team to stand up because we’re right now polling very poorly.”

Statistician and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver is predicting that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) would become the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party in 2028.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ Women’s March NYC, 2019 [Photo Credit: Dimitri Rodriguez, CC BY 2.0, AOC]

In a video published to his Silver Bulletin newsletter on Wednesday, Silver and former FiveThirtyEight podcast host Galen Druke both chose Ocasio-Cortez as their No. 1 pick for likely 2028 Democratic presidential nominee.

“I think there’s a lot of points in her favor at this very moment,” said Druke. “In a Yale poll just out this week, AOC has the highest net favorability rating of any of the Democrats that they asked about.”

He argued:

So that means that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party and there’s a lot of people who could potentially get on board with her. But I think equally important is the fact that she has very fervent support. I think a lot of people are gonna run in 2028 and it’s going to be a contest for attention and getting those sort of people who might be in your boat to turn out and stay with you through thick and thin, and I think that’s Ocasio-Cortez. Like, the media is kind of obsessed with her, and they’re going to follow her every move, which means she will be able to keep the attention on her throughout the primary process.

Silver replied, “I agree with everything. She was going to be my first pick, and I can’t conceal that now, right? Because of some of the polling; because she has this kind of progressive lane, probably not to herself; because she is younger and media savvy. I mean, look, in polls, if she were to try to primary Chuck Schumer, she is now ahead in those polls and New York Democrats are actually a pretty moderate bloc.”

After Silver added, however, that he was not yet sure whether Ocasio-Cortez would even run, Druke said, “I think she’s gonna run. If you’ve been following her moves in terms of her ‘Fight Oligarchy’ tour, in terms of the kind of content she’s putting out on social media.”

Trump Floats Holding Republican National Convention Before Midterm Elections

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Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

This could be big…

On Thursday, President Trump floated the possibility of holding a Republican National Convention ahead of the midterm elections.

While Trump did not offer any details about where the convention would take place or what would happen there, he touted various statistics that have been beneficial for the Republican Party this year.

The GOP is fighting to maintain control of both the House and Senate in 2026.

“The Republican Party is doing really well. Millions of people have joined us in our quest to MAKE AMERICA, GREAT AGAIN. We won every aspect of the Presidential Election and, based on the great success we are having, are poised to WIN BIG IN THE MIDTERMS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“We have raised far more money than the Democrats, and are having a great time fixing all of the Country Destroying mistakes made by the Biden Administration, and watching the USA heal and prosper. The results are incredible, a record pace!!! In that light, I am thinking of recommending a National Convention to the Republican Party, just prior to the Midterms. It has never been done before. STAY TUNED!” he added.

Historically, midterms have been tough elections for the party controlling the White House, typically losing roughly 25 seats in the House. Trump and the Republicans lost 41 House seats in the 2018 midterms.

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