Random

    Politics

    Home Politics

    Trump-Endorsed Candidate Launches Primary Challenge Against Massie

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    Veteran Navy SEAL and businessman Ed Gallrein officially launched his campaign Tuesday to challenge Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s strongly Republican 4th Congressional District. With President Trump’s full endorsement, Gallrein declared:

    “This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t need obstacles in Congress – he needs backup. I’ll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for.”

    Indeed, Trump had already thrown his weight behind Gallrein in a Truth Social post on Friday:

    “I hope Ed gets into the Race against Massie, who is now polling at about 9% because the Great People of Kentucky are wise to him — He only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left.”
    “Unlike ‘lightweight’ Massie, a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.”

    Trump’s endorsement is the latest chapter in a bitter intra-party battle. Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican, has diverged repeatedly from Trump’s agenda — most notably by breaking with the former president on major policy items, including the massive reconciliation package known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and by teaming with progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) to demand the release of files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The split has sharpened over time into an explicit effort by Trump and his allies to unseat Massie.

    Massie responded to Trump’s move by slamming Gallrein:

    “After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein.”

    Massie enters the race with more than $2 million cash on hand for his reelection bid and reported contributions of $768,000 from July to September. That level of fundraising shows he is not backing down.

    Kentucky’s 4th District is reliably Republican, meaning the winner of the GOP primary is extremely likely to win the general election. With President Trump’s base still the backbone of the party, his move to back Gallrein is a clear signal: he wants reliable allies in Congress who will advance the “America First” agenda without dissent.
    Massie’s independent streak—once an asset to those who prize policy purity—has now become a liability in the Trump era of the party. For Republicans concerned about unified action and legislative wins, the message is simple: stand with Trump or be replaced.

    We’ve secured major victories for America’s future PLEASE help us secure one more! Congressman Jeff Crank needs YOUR Help to deafeat the woke Left. Your voice powers our movement. Complete the Survey TONIGHT!

    Trump Reacts To Surprise Biden Pardon

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Biden’s sudden decision to pardon his troubled son Hunter has sent shockwaves across the nation.

    Following the shocking news on Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump reacted to Biden’s surprising decision.

    “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump wrote. “Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”

    The Trump transition team also reacted to the shocking news.

    “The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Trump’s incoming White House communications chief Steven Cheung said in a statement to Fox News.

    “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”

    On Sunday, Biden accused Republicans of unfair treatment and claimed Hunter was “treated differently” by prosecutors in a lengthy statement announcing the pardon. Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony firearm offenses in a Delaware trial earlier this year, and then pleaded guilty to multiple felony tax offenses in September. 

    “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” the president’s statement read.

    Biden had previously denied any intent to pardon his son after Hunter was convicted earlier this year.

    “I am not going to do anything,” Biden said after the conviction. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.”

    Trump previously told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin that, if elected, he “wouldn’t do anything that would be overt” regarding Hunter Biden’s cases, calling the first son’s legal woes “a sad situation.”

    While Trump supporters’ negative reaction to the news was to be expected a number of Biden supporters have also attacked the decision and noted that the President likely traded his own legacy to protect his family’s reputation.

    MSNBC contributor Charlie Sykes quoted a “smart person” that texted him, agreeing that Trump probably can’t “believe his own dumb fucking luck at this point.”

    The Atlantic’s deputy executive editor Yoni Applebaum quoted an article by his publication’s newest addition, Jonathan Chait, who said Biden “chose to prioritize his own feelings over the defense of his country.”

    Why GOP Red Wave Failed in 2020 But is More Likely in 2024

    By
    Paul Crespo
    -
    0
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    ANALYSIS – After the disappointing ‘Red Ripple’ last week the Republican questioning and blame game quickly began. 

    I wrote that the GOP failed to win more seats because it did not forcefully address the abortion issue by countering the left’s hysteria over the Dobbs decision. 

    I also argued that former President Trump didn’t help Republicans by continuing to obsess over the 2020 election and making the 2022 election all about loyalty to him.

    And I still believe those were major factors.

    However, conservative commentator Mark Levine provides an added perspective as to why (mathematically) 2022 could never have been a ‘Red Wave’ midterm election.

    And also explains why a congressional ‘Red Wave’ is far more likely in 2024.

    His point is that the electoral map simply favored Democrats over Republicans this year as far as how many seats were up for grabs in Congress.

    And how many were Democrats vs Republicans?

    As Fox News reported:

    “I noticed that many of the same people who were wrong about a red wave are now telling us what to think about a non-red wave. The experts, the consultants, the ruling class, the media, the politicians. We need to think for ourselves, enough of the static,” the host said over the weekend. “I said before the election, and I said repeatedly here and on radio: Forget about the red wave. Forget about a red tsunami. Forget about Armageddon and vote.”

    In the Senate, Republicans had to defend 20 of the 34 seats up for re-election. To win the majority, Republicans would have had to “tap into” the 14 Democrat incumbent seats, the host explained.

    “That was a tall hill to climb. And this is one of the reasons I wasn’t on this red-wave bandwagon so fast,” he said. “I needed to think about it. 2024. This is the key. The next election cycle, 33 seats are up. Now, listen to this. Two-thirds of them are Democrat seats. So the Democrats have to defend 23 Senate seats. The Republicans have to defend only ten.”

    “So,” he continued, “the math in 2022 never really led to a red wave possibility and the math in 2024, it does lead to a red wave possibility. Does that mean there will be one? Of course not. But I’m just explaining the math, the simple math. We had about 60% of the seats up. They have almost 70% of the seats up in the next round. So what does that mean? Democrats needed to have some serious gains in the Senate last week to stave off a disaster in 2024. They failed miserably.”

    So, while the congressional ‘Red Wave’ never materialized in November, because it likely never could, the GOP and conservatives are now very well positioned to make big gains in 2024.

    And that includes retaking the Senate. Fox News continued:

    Looking ahead to 2024, Levin said Republicans have a much higher chance of pulling off a true “red wave” than they did in last week’s midterms.

    “In 2024, [Democrats are] in a horrendous situation when two-thirds of the Senate seats that are up are Democrat seats, and they’re [now] celebrating that they only lost the House by a relatively few votes, but they lost the House. And the GOP can now block these radical kook programs that Biden’s pushing. They can conduct investigations. They can do what they need to do, and they damn well better.

    But this will only happen if the GOP picks the right candidate at the top of the ticket in 2024, and also makes its case in a far better way than it did just now. 

    Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

    Pete Buttigieg Signals Openness to 2028 Run

    By
    Seijah Drake
    -
    4
    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.

    Chris Cuomo Slams Democrats For Not Criticizing Kamala Harris ‘Because Trump’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The hard truth…

    Chris Cuomo called out Democrats for their apparent refusal to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris since she became the Democrat’s nominee for president.

    On Tuesday’s episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, the former CNN and current NewsNation anchor claimed her supporters now treat her like “Black female Jesus” when, according to him, many of them didn’t even like her just months prior.

    “Kamala Harris is not a godsend, alright?” Cuomo said. “You people didn’t even like her six months ago! Now, all of the sudden, she’s black female Jesus the way [Barack Obama] was Black Jesus. And let me tell you something: he had a lot more going for him than Kamala Harris does — and not just as firsts go — but his type of campaigning, his type of persuasion his charisma. He was imbued with things that she is not. And I don’t mean that as a criticism. It’s just a point of comparison. And her process fucked her also. There’s a convenience in it, but it fucked her also because there are a lot of misgivings about her. There is an underlying feeling that she didn’t get this the right way, she may not have won a primary. She didn’t even make it to the first round of primaries when she did run; and that is both fair and unfair at the same time.”

    Cuomo then claimed Democrats refuse to criticize her as she’s running against Donald Trump. He believes that’s a mistake.

    “But look, this idea of, ‘Don’t say anything bad about her because Trump,’ I don’t buy that,” he continued. “I don’t buy that, and it’s not how you get to a better place. It’s a relative assessment. She has negatives. So does he. Does he have more? Yeah. He also has a way more intense following. That’s why this race is so tight. Now explain that to me. Unless you want to write off half this country as bigots, how do you explain it being so tight? Maybe you’re not as right about everything as you think you are. Maybe you should be a little bit more to open to the people that you disagree with. Maybe they’re not all racists.”

    Kamala’s Plan to Destroy America Unveiled – Only Trump Can Stop Her! Take a Stand TODAY!

    Don Bacon Hints At 2028 Presidential Run After Leaving Congress

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    An outgoing Republican Congressman signaled he could mount a future bid for the White House.

    “I got asked the other day, ‘You say you’re interested in being an executive — is that governor or president?’ I go, ‘Yes,’” Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon told NBC News in an interview last week in his office.

    “If there’s an opportunity, and I can make a difference, a unique difference, I would like to keep serving. I just don’t want to do two-year elections,” he continued in the interview, which was published on Sunday.

    Bacon announced last week he would not seek reelection in the vulnerable swing district, which includes Omaha and rural areas of Nebraska. In 2024, Bacon was one of three Republicans elected in districts that voted for former Vice President Harris over President Trump.

    Bacon, a five-term congressman and retired Air Force brigadier general, has represented the 2nd District since 2017. Known for his relatively moderate approach and clashes with President Donald Trump, Bacon has occasionally broke with his party on major issues. He voted to certify the 2020 election and co-sponsored bipartisan legislation like the “Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act” with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), aimed at improving the accuracy of hate crime reporting.

    Bacon acknowledged it would be difficult to win a White House bid, particularly as a House member and as a Republican who still embraces Reaganism and a hawkish view of foreign policy.

    “I don’t think it would be very easily done,” he said. “All I know is I have a heart to serve our country, and I have a vision.”

    Bacon suggested he’d be interested in serving as Defense Secretary “if God opens up that door,” but acknowledged his doubt that a Republican president would tap him for the post.

    Bacon also said that he would not run for governor against Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R), who was elected in 2023 and who, NBC News reported, is a “close friend” of Bacon’s.

    Bacon’s exit opens one of the most competitive House seats in the country. The 2nd District — which includes Omaha and parts of Douglas, Sarpy, and Saunders counties — has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+3. Once a Republican stronghold, the district has been trending leftward thanks to shifting demographics and political realignment, particularly during the Trump era. (RELATED: Rep. Don Bacon To Retire, Opening Key Battleground In Omaha’s 2nd District)

    Before Trump, the GOP had a lock on the district. George W. Bush carried it handily in 2000 and 2004. Even Mitt Romney won it by 7 points in 2012. But the tide began to shift in 2008, when Barack Obama flipped the seat — marking the first Democratic presidential win there since 1964.

    Trump won it narrowly in 2016, but Joe Biden carried the district by about 6 points in 2020, and Democrats held it again in 2024. These wins came despite Nebraska remaining solidly red overall.

    READ NEXT: Report: Marco Rubio Impostor Is Using AI Voice To Call High-level Officials

    Calling all Conservatives! Democrats are prepared to dump millions to defeat the GOP! Are you prepared to help? [DONATE]

    Dem Senator Leaves Door Open For Potential Presidential Run

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    Could this no-nonsense Democrat be angling for a presidential bid?

    Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) did not rule out a 2028 presidential run during a Wednesday podcast with political analyst Chuck Todd.

    When Todd pressed Fetterman on “The Chuck ToddCast” about whether he would run for the White House, the senator indicated he was unsure about whether he was paving the way for another independent-minded Democrat or considering his own bid.

    “I know we’re wrapping up, so I’m going to make you answer the ’28 question,” Todd said. “What would it take to get you to run for president?”

    “I am focusing right now on just the burgeoning kinds of chaos and trying to find a balance and find a way forward,” Fetterman replied. “And, you know, doing things that I know that will anger parts of my base. I hope that there is room in my party for someone who wants that kind of truth.”

    Todd pressed further, asking if Fetterman was attempting to “plow a path forward for somebody like that” or if he wanted to “take the path” himself.

    “I don’t know,” Fetterman responded before Todd cut him off, noting the senator was “not saying no” to a potential run.

    “I’m not afraid of being honest. And now if there is going to be blowback or I’m punished, I get that. But for me, I think it’s more important to be honest and to describe the danger of where we possibly are at,” Fetterman responded. “And we have to stop and think before we make another significant mistake that’s even more and more difficult to come back from.”

    Todd told the senator he would mark Fetterman “as not a no for ’28.”

    “What I’m saying is that there will be a 2028,” the senator responded.

    Watch:

    A Washington Post analysis from January this year listed Fetterman as one of “12 Democrats who make the most sense for 2028,” citing his independence within the Democratic Party.

    Others considered to be potential Democratic 2028 contenders include failed 2024 candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and a handful of Democratic governors — Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Wes Moore of Maryland. Polling generally suggests that Democrats are by far most interested in seeing Harris become the party’s nominee again, followed distantly by Buttigieg and Newsom, according to Newsweek.

    Todd on Sunday recommended Harris not pursue political office for the next several years.

    “If I were advising her, I’d tell her: go throw yourself into the rebuild of LA and get involved with the LA Olympic Committee,” he said. “Be above politics for a couple of years and come back maybe in 2030 or 2032.”

    Report: Pete Hegseth Discussed Leaving Pentagon Post For Public Office

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reportedly had discussions about resigning from his role in the Pentagon to run for political office next year.

    If Hegseth were to follow through with a political campaign, it would amount to a major leadership shake-up at the department that oversees the American military and millions of federal employees. The Defense Department bars civilian employees from running for political office, meaning Hegseth would have to resign to do so.

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

    In a statement, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said, “Hegseth’s focus remains solely on serving under President Trump.”

    NBC reports:

    One of the people said their discussion with Hegseth happened within the past three weeks and that it was serious, not simply spitballing ideas. The other person, who also characterized it as serious, wouldn’t say when they had spoken — except that it was since Hegseth became defense secretary in January. The two sources, along with others in this article, were granted anonymity to speak candidly.

    The discussions centered on what it would take to run. One person said they discussed the eligibility requirements to run for governor of Tennessee and Hegseth’s chances of winning. The other person said they talked with Hegseth about the realities of a campaign.

    The sources said Hegseth has mentioned a 2026 gubernatorial run in his home state of Tennessee, where Governor Bill Lee is term-limited.

    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    However, officials close to Hegseth have strongly refuted the rumors that the Pentagon chief is planning an early exit.

    Parnell said in the statement: “Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made up story… again. Only two options exist: either the ‘sources’ are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked. Secretary Hegseth’s focus remains solely on serving under President Trump and advancing the America First mission at the Department of Defense.”

    Others in Hegseth’s orbit said he doesn’t plan to launch a campaign. A person who spoke with the secretary last week asked him about speculation that he was looking for an off-ramp from being defense secretary, such as running for political office in Tennessee. This person said Hegseth was “very, very clear” that he wasn’t going to run and denied even considering it. The idea, this person said, is “totally off the table.”

    NBC News reported that a longtime Trump adviser familiar with political discussions around Hegseth said he won’t run for office in Tennessee.

    Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and Fox News host, has campaigned for political office before. He ran for the U.S. Senate in his home state, Minnesota, in 2012 and withdrew after he failed to win the GOP nomination.

    Join Don Jr.’s mission to take down this Socialist candidate and save New York City. Support Republican patriots! [DONATE NOW]

    Trump Accuses Adam Schiff Of Mortgage Fraud

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Photo via Gage Skidmoer Flickr

    On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump accused former impeachment leader Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif) of committing mortgage fraud.

    “I have always suspected Shifty Adam Shiff (sic) was a scam artist,” Trump wrote. He then claimed that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division had determined that Schiff had improperly declared a Maryland home as his primary residence to secure better mortgage terms, despite representing California in Congress.

    “Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA,” Trump alleged, before outlining what he described as a fraudulent timeline beginning in 2009 and ending in 2020.

    According to Trump’s post, the alleged “fraud” began on February 6, 2009, with the refinancing of a property in Maryland, and continued “through multiple transactions” until October 13, 2020, when the property was finally “correctly designated as a second home.” He concluded the post with a familiar refrain: “Crooked Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice.”

    As of Tuesday morning, no independent confirmation of such an investigation has been reported.

    Schiff’s ownership of the Maryland property was reported on during his Senate campaign by CNN, which at the time reported that the then-House member wasn’t likely to face any legal repercussions because the law at issue is ambiguous when it comes to the definition of a primary residence.

    However, Schiff’s spokesperson during the campaign and his current press secretary, told CNN last year that he has claimed both his properties as primary residences for mortgage purposes “because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.”

    The animosity between Trump and Schiff has been swirling for year and dates back to at least 2017, when the California lawmaker emerged as one of Trump’s most vocal critics during the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Schiff later served as the lead impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020, drawing attacks from the former president, who routinely referred to him as “Pencil Neck” and “Shifty Schiff.”

    Urgent! Stand with Trump against Impeachment! Complete the Trump audit NOW.

    Is Vivek Ramaswamy The GOP’s New Trump ‘Lite’?

    By
    Paul Crespo
    -
    13
    Vivek Ramaswamy speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

    ANALYSIS- Who is this skinny guy with the funny-sounding name? (That was his opening line at the debate). Vivek Ramaswamy wasn’t supposed to be at the center of the first Republican presidential candidate debate in Milwaukee.

    Ron DeSantis was supposed to be the viable GOP alternative to Donald Trump. A two-term governor of the third most populous state in the union, DeSantis, a Navy veteran who served in Iraq, is as conservative as they come.

    And he has a proven track record of fighting the left in Florida – and winning.

    But despite his solid bona fides and resume, DeSantis has a personality problem. He just doesn’t exude charm or confidence, and that’s hurting him – a lot.

    Meanwhile, Ramaswamy the 38-year-old Trump-defending, Cincinnati-born, biotech billionaire (worth at least $950 million), son of Pakistani immigrants, kind of stole the show at the debate.

    According to former FBI agent and body language expert, Joe Navarro: “[Ramaswamy] consistently looked the most comfortable on stage.”

    He was also the most openly and unabashedly pro-Trump. He was the first candidate to raise their hand when asked who would support the former President as the party nominee even if he is convicted on felony charges that he’s facing.

    He has also promised to pardon Trump if elected. But he went even farther than that.

    “President Trump, I believe, was the best president of the 21st century,” Ramaswamy said in a clip from the debate Trump posted on Truth Social.

    And Trump loved it.

    “This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big WIN in the debate because of a thing called TRUTH. Thank you, Vivek!”

    The ever-smiling political newbie Ramaswamy, who seemed to be having a blast on stage, was also the target of many of his GOP rivals.

    As TIME reported:

    Maybe it was Ramaswamy’s consistent and confounding defense of All Things Trump. Maybe it was his smooth talk and culture-war acumen. Maybe it was just the fact that Ramaswamy frankly does not care how things were done before and might just have enough self-made money to go the distance.

    Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie snarled that he had “had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT,” an A.I. battery. He then dismissed Ramaswamy as someone on the same level as a political figure universally loathed in the GOP. “The last person in one of these debates… who stood in the middle of the stage and said, ‘What is a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here?’ was Barack Obama. And I am afraid we are dealing with the same type of amateur standing on the stage tonight,” Christie said.

    But the quick witted Ramaswamy’s riposte to Christie was a zinger: “Give me a hug like you did to Obama, and you’ll help elect me just like you did to Obama. Give me the damn hug, brother.”

    Ramaswamy was referring to the 2012 incident when Christie was accused of “hugging” Obama during his visit in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy which hit days before the 2012 presidential election.

    It’s a claim that Christie has been denying since then, saying: “I didn’t hug him.”

    Photos at the time seem to back up Christie, but the zinger still worked.

    Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN under Trump, and ex-South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, who is of Indian descent, hit Ramaswamy too: “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.”

    I would agree with that assessment and believe he has made a few deeply flawed important national security statements – including on Ukraine and Israel.

    But he is super smart and can learn quickly.

    Then Vice President Mike Pence took a Christie-like jab at Ramaswamy, attacking the very same quality that originally helped raise Trump in the GOP base – that he is not a politician.

    “Now it’s not the time for on-the-job training,” retorted Pence. “We don’t need to bring in a rookie. We don’t need to bring in people with no experience.”

    AS TIME noted: “Attacks during debates are the norm but this was different. Ramaswamy’s competitors really don’t like him. Not even a little.”

    However, there is one important GOP rival who seems to like Ramaswamy – Donald Trump. And that could be all that matters.

    Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

    123...53Page 1 of 53
    © Great America News Desk 2022