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Florida CFO To Run For Matt Gaetz’s Former House Seat

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis plans to run for U.S. Congress, he indicated in a resignation letter.

In the letter to Sunshine State Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Secretary of State Cory Byrd, Patronis said, “… this letter is to give you notice of my resignation from the role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the State of Florida in order to become a candidate in the 2025 Special Election for Florida’s First Congressional District.

“Because the primary election for CD 1 is currently scheduled for January 28, 2025, with the general election scheduled for April 1, 2025, I hereby irrevocably resign as CFO effective March 31, 2025.”

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President-elect Donald Trump urged Patronis to run for the House seat.

“I hear that Jimmy is now considering launching a Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 1st Congressional District!” Trump said in the post. 

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump declared.

Patronis shared a screenshot of Trump’s post and wrote in a post on X, “Put me to work, Mr. President! @realDonaldTrump I am here to serve.”

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz won re-election to the House seat earlier this month but resigned shortly after Trump tapped him for attorney general. 

Last week, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the Cabinet position after the President-elect reportedly informed him her did not have the required Senate support for confirmation.

January 6th Panel Votes to Recommend DOJ Prosecute Trump

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Monday, the House Select Committee investigating the events surrounding the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot voted to recommend the Department of Justice criminally prosecute former President Donald Trump.

The committee voted 9-0.

According to Fox News, the first referral recommended by the committee is for Trump’s obstruction an official proceeding of Congress. The committee will also refer Trump to DOJ for conspiracy to defraud the federal government, making a false statement and inciting, assisting, or aiding and comforting an insurrection.

In what is expected to be its final meeting on Monday, the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6 said it will formally ask the DOJ to pursue charges after a nearly 18-month probe into the former president’s involvement in the activities that lead to the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.

The committee’s unprecedented criminal referral holds no official legal weight, and a final determination in whether to pursue the charges will be up to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department.

At Monday’s meeting, the committee’s members, seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans, each presented a portion of their findings against Trump before taking the vote to issue criminal referrals. 

The committee will also refer four Republican members of Congress to the House Committee on Ethics for defying the committee’s subpoenas. One of the Republicans who defied their subpoena was then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif.)

The committee also subpoenaed:

  • Jim Jordan, R-Ohio
  • Mo Brooks, R-Ala.
  • Scott Perry, R-Pa.
  • Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.

According to The Hill, It’s unclear if the Ethics panel will launch an investigation based on the select committee’s new recommendations. Unlike most other standing committees, membership on the Ethics panel is evenly divided between the parties. And the committee strives — at least rhetorically — to avoid the divisive partisan politicking that practically defines some of the other panels. 

Yet with just weeks left in the 117th Congress, there’s a small and closing window for the committee to launch any new probes while Democrats are still in the House majority. And it’s unlikely that a GOP-led Ethics Committee would take the remarkable step of investigating the role of sitting Republicans in an event as polarizing as the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. 

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.

Democrat Senator Announces He Won’t Seek Re-election

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Michigan Democrat Sen. Gary Peters announced he will not seek re-election when his term ends in Jan. 2027.

Peters, a two-term senator and former congressman, told the Detroit News that he will start a “new chapter,” spending more time with family after nearly two decades of public service. 

“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life,” Peters told the outlet. 

“And that goes back to 2008 when I first won that House seat. I thought it would be for a matter of a few terms that I would serve, and then I would go back to private life.” 

His decision to retire leaves open a senate seat in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024.

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

Heckler Tased at Marjorie Taylor Greene Town Hall as Audience Cheers

Arrest image via Pixabay

Things are heating up…

A heckler at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) town hall on Tuesday was tased by police as supporters of the congresswoman cheered.

At least three people were removed from the town hall after interrupting the event, including a man who had to be tased by police after he became violent.

Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons

In footage of the incident, posted by several reporters, multiple police officers could be seen struggling to restrain the man while escorting him out of the venue.

Watch:

After the man became violent and lashed out against the officers, shouting, “Get the fuck off me!” two officers could be seen deploying their tasers against him as Greene’s audience cheered and applauded.

“Don’t move! Stop!” an officer could be heard shouting at the man as he continued to resist arrest.

Greene then declared, “This is a peaceful town hall. Now, this is a peaceful town hall, ladies and gentlemen. This should not have to happen. This is a town hall.”

“Like I said before, this isn’t a political rally or a protest. I held a town hall tonight. You know who was out of line? The protesters,” Greene told reporters after the event. “There was a place designated outside for the protesters because we support their First Amendment right. So you know who was out of line? The protesters. The police did a great job, I am very thankful.”

Two other protesters were also removed from the town hall by police, including a man who could be seen resisting officers and asking, “Are you really doing this?” After the man continued to resist, officers could be seen pushing the man to the floor and handcuffing him.

Early on, a young woman went off on Greene as the congresswoman spoke about immigration. In particular, Greene said that “illegal alien criminals, cartels, and terrorists” are living at the U.S. southern border with Mexico and are “all inside the interior of the United States.”

Immediately after delivering the line, the protestor stood up and said “How about the KKK?”

“All inside the interior of the United States,” Greene repeated, as an officer approached the woman in the audience.

“The protest is outside,” Greene said. “Thank you very much. Protest is outside.”

“You butch-bodied bigot!” the woman yelled as she was being escorted out. Many in the crowd stood and applauded after the woman left the room.

Musk Says Trump Would Have Lost 2024 Election Without Him

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He can’t take this back…

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s feud about the “Big Beautiful Bill” hit a fever pitch on Thursday when the tech billionaire responded to the president’s criticism in a post on X.

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude,” Musk wrote in a post responding to Trump’s remarks about him.

While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that he was “very disappointed” by Musk’s vocal criticisms of the bill. The president claimed that Musk knew what was in the bill and “had no problem” with it until the EV incentives had to be cut.

“I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it,” Trump said. “All of a sudden, he had a problem. And he only developed the problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate.”

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

George Santos Announces Primary Challenge

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Ex-Congressman George Santos (R-Ny.) is reportedly planning a political comeback.

Less than a year after being expelled from Congress, Santos says he plans to mount a primary challenge against Nick LaLota (R).

During his visit to the Capitol for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, Santos announced on Twitter, that he would challenge LaLota of New York’s 1st Congressional District, on Long Island.

“Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick [LaLota] for the battle over #NY1,” Santos wrote on Twitter during Biden’s address. “I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country.”

“New York hasn’t had a real conservative represent them since I left office arbitrarily, thanks to RINO, empty suits like @nicklalota. He is willing to risk the future of our majority and the future of this country for his own political gain,” Santos wrote.

“God bless you all, and we are off to the races!” Santos concluded.

“To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in,” LaLota told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives on Dec. 1 after being indicted on multiple felony counts related to alleged campaign finance crimes, following which the House Select Committee on Ethics produced a report corroborating the indictment’s allegations. 

Ivanka Trump Signals Potential New White House Role

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Could Donald Trump’s second White House administration include family members after all?

Ivanka Trump, the former President’s oldest daughter, signaled a willingness to return to politics if her father wins another term in the White House.

Puck’s Tara Palmeri reported, citing someone familiar with the matter, that the former president’s daughter, who served in his first administration, is “warming to the idea of trying to be helpful” again. The source told Palmeri that Ivanka Trump is “privately not ruling out having some sort of role.”

“She’s not like ‘Hell no’ anymore,” the person said.

Ivanka Trump served as an advisor in her father’s administration but announced in 2022 that she was leaving politics behind even though her father is running again. Other Trump family members have also made similar statements regarding future roles in the White House.

“This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics,” she said at the time.

Palmeri reported that Ivanka Trump has been advised to wait to make a full dive back onto the Trump team until the GOP convention this summer.

A spokesperson for the couple said in a statement that both are still committed to being in the private sector currently.

“As they’ve both repeatedly stated, Ivanka and Jared continue to focus on their family and lives in the private sector and do not intend to go back to politics,” the spokesperson said.

Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, also served as a senior advisor in Trump’s administration, helping to negotiate the historic Abraham Accords

Dean Phillips Ends Presidential Bid

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips (D) has suspended his long-shot campaign for the White House.

He said that “it is clear that alternative is not me” in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I ran for Congress in 2018 to resist Donald Trump, I was trapped in the Capitol in 2021 because of Donald Trump, and I ran for President in 2024 to resist Donald Trump again – because Americans were demanding an alternative, and democracy demands options,” Phillips wrote on X. “But it is clear that alternative is not me. And it is clear that Joe Biden is OUR candidate and OUR opportunity to demonstrate what type of country America is and intends to be.”

“I ask you join me in mobilizing, energizing, and doing everything you can to help keep a man of decency and integrity in the White House. That’s Joe Biden,” he said.

“And it is clear that Joe Biden is OUR candidate and OUR opportunity to demonstrate what type of country America is and intends to be,” he wrote.

Phillips, who mounted a late White House bid in October, was running as an alternative to the embattled frontrunner

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

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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