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Steve Bannon Reportedly ‘Laying The Groundwork’ For Presidential Run In 2028

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According to Axios, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is “laying the groundwork” for a possible campaign by discussing staffing with allies and setting up a political action committee.

Bannon has also been making appearances at GOP events in key early-primary organizing circles. Axios pointed to his attendance at Colorado and Georgia Republican Party events as a sign he may be building relationships with local activists who play a major role in primary politics.

Still, Axios framed the effort as something bigger than one candidate’s ambitions.

“The MAGA godfather isn’t serious about becoming president — that’s not the point,”
Axios reported.

Instead, the outlet said Bannon has told allies he wants to pressure Republicans to embrace a clearer “America First” vision — including non-interventionist foreign policy, economic populism, and opposition to Big Tech.

Matt Gaetz weighs in

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) described Bannon’s political brand in blunt terms, telling Axios:

“The Bannon campaign will merge the foreign policy of Rand Paul with the tax policy of Elizabeth Warren.”

A “nontraditional” campaign model

Axios also reported that Bannon’s associates “envision a nontraditional campaign” that could be run largely from his Capitol Hill podcast studio, avoiding the typical early-state grind of rallies in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Bannon denies it — and says his focus is Trump

Bannon isn’t publicly embracing the idea. He reportedly told Axios the entire notion was:

“bullsh*t,”

and said he’s focused on supporting a third term for Trump — “despite the Constitution’s two-term limit on presidents.”

Meanwhile, Trump is already signaling 2028 succession plans

While Bannon talks about “America First” leverage in 2028, President Donald Trump has also been dropping hints about what he wants the post-Trump Republican bench to look like.

In recent comments reported by multiple outlets, Trump has pointed to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the next generation of Republican leadership — and suggested they could be a dominant force heading into 2028.

Poll: Third-Party Candidate Leading In 6 Battleground States

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

This is unexpected…

The poll from The New York Times and Siena College shows Robert F. Kennedy Jr. beating both Trump and Biden among voters under 45 in six swing states.

Mediaite reports:

The polling shows that in an average of data gathered from Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, Kennedy has 34 percent support base with voters aged between 18-29, and he also has 31 percent with 30-44 year old voters. Trump’s numbers stand at 29 percent with 18-29 year olds, and 30 percent with 30-44 year olds. Biden stands at 30 percent in both categories.

And in some states, Kennedy is winning younger voters by enormous margins. In Arizona,  Kennedy has 39 percent of the 18-29-year-old vote to Trump’s 26 — and in Georgia, Kennedy leads Trump 35 to 28 in the same demographic. Biden still has some sway with younger voters in several states — pulling in 37 percent of the 18-29 year old vote in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Kennedy originally entered the 2024 contest as a Democratic primary challenger to Biden, but it was about a month ago when he dropped that bid and reinvented his campaign as a third party independent run. Much of the media focus on Kennedy’s run has focused on his numerous bizarre and misinformation statements, though recent polls have shown that his independent bid could be cutting into Trump’s base more than Biden’s.

Report: Republican Expelled From State Party

The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party.

The unanimous vote was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty.

The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain.

In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party’s time.

“Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon,” he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair.

According to the resolution, Duncan is “banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party.”

The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged.

The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates.

The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker. 

It also notes Duncan’s public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP.

The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to “attack the Republican Party.”

The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an “expelled Republican” in future references.

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

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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.

Trump’s Voter Citizenship Requirement Blocked By Federal Judge

In a controversial decision that critics say undermines basic electoral integrity, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a preliminary injunction Thursday blocking the Trump administration from implementing key provisions of its election reform order — including a requirement that individuals provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

The Trump administration’s order, signed in March, sought to address the widespread public concern over election security by aligning U.S. registration standards with those used by many developed nations — where proof of citizenship is a basic requirement to cast a vote. Yet, in her ruling, Judge Kollar-Kotelly sided with Democratic operatives and partisan groups, granting their request to halt implementation of what should be a commonsense safeguard.

It’s already a felony for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. So why oppose a mechanism to verify that voters are, in fact, eligible citizens? The administration’s proposed policy simply sought to enforce existing law, not change it. But for activists and partisan lawyers, that’s apparently too much.

Critics of the ruling argue that it demonstrates a disturbing disconnect between legal theory and electoral reality. While the plaintiffs claimed the executive order infringes on the “Elections Clause” of the Constitution — which delegates much of the authority over elections to the states — the Trump order targeted the federal voter registration form, which is a product of federal law and administered by a federal agency.

Among the more absurd arguments presented during the case was the suggestion that requiring proof of citizenship would complicate voter registration drives at grocery stores and public venues. In other words, ensuring that only citizens vote is too inconvenient for activists looking to register voters en masse.

But this framing reveals the central issue: voter registration is being treated like a political campaign tactic, not a civic responsibility. If accuracy and integrity are seen as barriers to convenience, something is deeply wrong with the system.

If the courts won’t even allow the federal form to be updated to reflect current law, critics argue, how can Americans have confidence that elections are fair and secure?

Ironically, while liberal groups celebrate the decision as a “victory for voters,” many Americans see it as a victory for loopholes and ambiguity. The same people who insist elections are sacred and democracy is under threat are now openly opposing the most basic eligibility checks used around the world.

Meanwhile, Trump’s other proposed reforms — including tighter mail ballot deadlines and review of voter rolls against immigration databases — were allowed to stand. But with the citizenship requirement blocked, many worry that the core vulnerability in the system remains unaddressed.

When noncitizens can easily register to vote — intentionally or accidentally — and the federal government is barred from checking, who exactly benefits?

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Great America News Desk. It is republished with permission.

READ NEXT: President Trump Signs Executive Order Requiring Proof Of Citizenship To Vote In Federal Elections

Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Blames Senate Loss on Trump

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Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Following the disappointing results in Georgia’s Senate runoff election, the state’s Lieutenant Governor is voicing what he thinks happened.

Geoff Duncan, Georgia’s No. 2 Republican official, told CBS that Herschel Walker “will go down in history as probably one of the worst candidates in our party’s history” and said Republicans should unequivocally blame Donald Trump for the GOP’s disappointing midterm results.

“The only way to explain this is candidate quality,” Duncan added, alluding to Walker’s numerous controversies, including, but not limited to, claims he paid and pressured two women to have abortions despite running on a strict no-abortion platform and lied about his education, ties to law enforcement, and family.

Duncan said Warnock’s victory in a once-red state should serve as a wake-up call for Republicans and force the GOP to face some hard truths about the former president and his pull among the electorate.

“If we don’t take our medicine here, it’s our fault. … Every Republican in this country ought to hold Donald Trump accountable for this,” he said.

Walker’s defeat hands Democrats an outright majority in the upper chamber of Congress, 51-49.

Trump Prime-Time Speech: Direct Address On Iran & Election Security

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President Donald J. Trump hosts a Rose Garden Club dinner in honor of Police Week in the White House Rose Garden, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

President Donald Trump will deliver a prime-time “Speech to the Nation” from the White House on Thursday evening, with senior administration officials saying the address is expected to cover a variety of topics — including election integrity and the ongoing confrontation with Iran.

Trump announced the address Monday on Truth Social, saying it will begin at 9 p.m. ET. While he did not outline the full agenda, a senior adviser described the speech as a “potpourri” of issues the president considers most important.

Iran expected to be a major focus

According to a senior White House adviser, Trump is expected to provide an update on the administration’s response to Iran following weeks of escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The address comes after the United States launched additional military strikes against Iranian targets in response to renewed threats against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has repeatedly vowed to keep the strategic waterway open and has warned Tehran of further consequences if it interferes with international maritime traffic.

Election integrity also on agenda

The adviser said election integrity is also expected to feature prominently in the speech.

Online speculation suggested Trump might revisit the 2020 Georgia Senate runoff elections, but the White House adviser rejected those reports, saying the president does not plan to focus specifically on those contests.

Instead, the president is expected to discuss election security more broadly as he continues pushing for stricter voter identification requirements and other election reforms ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Trump wants more prime-time addresses

Although Trump frequently speaks with reporters and holds campaign-style events, he has delivered relatively few formal, direct-to-camera prime-time addresses from the White House during his second term.

According to the senior adviser, the president wants to make such speeches a more regular part of his communications strategy, allowing him to address Americans directly on issues he considers significant.

The White House has not released additional details about the speech’s format or confirmed where on the White House grounds Trump will deliver the remarks.

With Iran, election security and other major issues expected to be discussed, Thursday’s address is shaping up to be one of the administration’s highest-profile televised events in recent months.

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CNN’s Liberal Agenda Leads To Major Layoffs And Reorganization: Report

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The notoriously liberal CNN news network is reportedly planning to lay off a large number of employees as part of a significant reorganization of its news gathering process and the introduction of a digital subscription service later this year.

Sweeping Changes at CNN

In a move that many see as a desperate attempt to stay relevant, CNN is looking to “streamline” its story pitching process, lean more heavily on video content, and more effectively monetize its digital user base. This comes as no surprise to those who have long criticized the network for its biased and often misleading coverage.

Key Developments:

  • Massive Layoffs: Over 100 journalists are set to lose their jobs. This is part of a significant overhaul aimed at cutting costs and revamping the network’s strategy.
  • Digital Focus: CNN plans to launch a subscription-based digital news product, hoping to cash in on its dwindling audience.
  • Increased Streaming Investment: The network will also boost its investment in free, ad-supported streaming services in an effort to attract more viewers.

Leadership’s Statement

CNN’s leadership has been transparent about the impending changes. Thompson, a key figure in the network, informed employees about the upcoming layoffs and restructuring. He emphasized the network’s shift towards more video content and digital monetization.

Thompson’s Remarks:

  • “Wherever possible, we’ve closed open positions rather than target currently occupied roles. However, some of our colleagues will learn today that their jobs are being eliminated or are at risk,” Thompson wrote.
  • This message highlights the tough decisions CNN is making in an attempt to stay afloat amid financial struggles and a declining viewer base.

Historical Context

This isn’t the first time CNN has faced major layoffs. In late 2022, under former President Chris Licht, the network laid off scores of workers while reorganizing the newsroom and making significant changes to its programming. These past efforts to revamp the network did little to curb the continuing decline in viewership and trust.

The Future of CNN

With these drastic measures, CNN’s future remains uncertain. The network, which has long been a mouthpiece for liberal agendas, now finds itself at a crossroads. Can it reinvent itself and regain the trust of its audience, or will it continue to fade into irrelevance?

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Insiders Say Trump Has Finally Settled On His 2028 Favorite

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President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is increasingly signaling that Vice President JD Vance is his preferred heir to the MAGA movement, according to multiple White House insiders, though the president has stopped short of offering a formal endorsement for the 2028 Republican nomination.

The reports suggest Trump has moved away from privately weighing Vance against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and now speaks more confidently about the vice president’s political future.

White House Sources Point To Vance

According to Axios, White House aides say Trump has begun making comments such as “JD looks great” and no longer frames the question as a choice between Vance and Rubio. One administration source told Axios that “JD is earning it, and Trump sees it.”

The turning point for Vance reportedly came in mid-June when he joined presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in helping negotiate the memorandum of understanding with Iran, a key step toward ending the conflict.

The diplomatic breakthrough coincided with the June 16 release of Vance’s book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.” Already scheduled for a promotional tour, Vance received additional national exposure because of his prominent role in the negotiations.

Vance conducted 33 interviews during June, appearing on conservative podcasts, at White House press briefings, in informal media gaggles, and on programs across the political spectrum, including HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” and ABC’s “The View.”

One Trump adviser told Axios that although the president does not watch “The View,” he saw clips from Vance’s appearance and was pleased with what he saw.

Trump Hasn’t Made It Official

Despite the reports, Trump has not publicly endorsed Vance as his successor.

Over the past year, the president has repeatedly praised both Vance and Rubio while emphasizing that the next presidential election remains years away. He has previously suggested that the vice president would naturally have an advantage but has also described Rubio as a strong potential leader.

Political observers note that withholding a formal endorsement allows Trump to maintain influence within the Republican Party while avoiding an early succession battle.

Rubio Remains An Influential Figure

Rubio continues to be viewed as one of the administration’s most influential officials, but allies say he has shown little interest in challenging Vance for the Republican nomination.

The secretary of state has publicly praised Vance and has previously indicated he would support the vice president if he decides to seek the White House in 2028.

2028 Race Already Taking Shape

Although the Republican presidential primary is still more than two years away, speculation about Trump’s eventual successor has intensified as potential candidates build fundraising networks and expand their national profiles.

For now, Trump has not formally anointed a successor. But according to White House insiders, the president increasingly appears to view Vance as the leading contender to carry the MAGA banner after he leaves office.

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Trump And Vince Vaughn Recreate Iconic Movie Moment In Oval Office Spoof Photo

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In a lighthearted nod to the raunchy 2005 comedy “Wedding Crashers,” President Donald Trump and actor Vince Vaughn recently posed together in the Oval Office. The White House shared the moment on social media as a mock movie poster titled “White House Crashers,” featuring Vaughn standing beside a seated Trump — both smiling in front of the American flag and presidential seal.

Vaughn, well-known for his libertarian views, has long emphasized his commitment to individual freedoms. He has maintained cordial interactions with politicians across the spectrum — including a handshake with Trump at a college football game in 2020 amid the president’s first impeachment proceedings.

People Magazine has more details on the creative photo op:

“White House Crashers,” the poster reads in a font similar to one used on the artwork for the 2005 buddy comedy flick, with Trump taking the place of Vaughn’s costar Owen Wilson.

“President Donald J. Trump & Vince Vaughn in the Oval Office 🇺🇸,” the White House wrote in the post’s caption.

Wedding Crashers follows Wilson, 55, and Vaughn as divorce mediators who spend their free time crashing wedding receptions in order to meet women. It also stars Isla FisherRachel McAdamsChristopher Walken and Bradley Cooper.

Aside from the post, the White House and the president both did not release any further information about Vaughn’s visit to Washington, D.C., nor did the actor.

Representatives for Vaughn did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.

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