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Republican Senator Announces Retirement News

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

Utah Senator Mitt Romney is not running for re-election.

The longtime Trump critic unveiled the surprising announcement in a statement taking jabs at President Joe Biden as well as Donald Trump.

“I have spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-eighties. Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in,” Romney said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

“We face critical challenges—mounting national debt, climate change, and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China. Neither President Biden nor former President Trump are leading their party to confront them.

“On the deficits and debt, both men refuse to address entitlements even though they represent two thirds of federal spending. Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax and President Biden offers feel-good solutions that will make no difference to the global climate.”

“While I’m not running for re-election, I’m not retiring from the fight. I’ll be your United States Senator until January 2025. I will keep working on these and other issues and I will advance our state’s numerous priorities. I look forward to working with you and with folks across our state and nation in that endeavor,” Romney said.

New Accusations Released About Member of Trump’s Family and Inner Circle

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[Photo Cred: Office of the President of the United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro recently made some potentially damaging accusations about Jared Kushner, former President Trump’s son-in-law and longtime White House adviser.

As reported by Mediaite, Navarro recently bashed Kushner about his portrayal of several dramatic actions he allegedly took while working at the White House.

“Appearing on Newsmax, Navarro addressed Kushner’s claim in his recently-published book that he was treated for thyroid cancer while serving in the White House.

Host Chris Salcedo flagged the excerpt from the book and stated Kushner “withheld a cancer diagnosis during tense negotiations with communist China.

Navarro addressed Kushner’s book.

“It’s fiction,” he continued. “And the thyroid thing, that came out of nowhere. I saw the guy every day. There’s no sign that he was in any pain or danger or whatever. I think it’s just sympathy to try to sell his book now.”

Salcedo asked if Kushner is “worthy” of Trump’s trust.

“No,” Navarro replied. “Time after time, whether it’s mismanagement of the campaign, mismanagement of the pandemic, taking too much credit for NAFTA, taking too much credit for the Abraham Accords. I mean, the guy was just a one-man wrecking crew, 36 years old I think when he got in there with no training. His only qualification was that he was the boss’s son-in-law.”

Notably, Navarro is dealing with a few of his own issues at the moment. A few days ago he was sued by President Biden’s Justice Department for refusing to hand over emails from his personal accounts which were used to conduct official White House business. Earlier this summer, he was criminally charged for ignoring a subpoena from the Jan. 6 Committee.

Republican Congresswoman Reverses Retirement Decision

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On Monday, Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz (R) announced she would seek another term in Congress after all.

“Deciding where your duty lies — family, work, or country, is never an easy task. Earlier last year, I decided to take some time off from running for public office to recharge and spend more time in Indiana with my family,” Spartz said in a statement.  

“However, looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on,” she continued. 

Last year, Spartz announced that she would not be running for another term, saying in a statement at the time “being a working mom is tough” and that she wanted to spend more time with her daughters.

However Spartz seemed to signal she would reconsider her decision in recent months, saying on NewsNation’s “The Hill” in September, “I do need to regroup because I think my party is failing the people.” 

The solidly red district in Indiana’s Fifth Congressional District went for former President Trump in 2020 by 16 points.  

Nikki Haley Reveals New Timeline for 2024 Decision

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The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is taking some time to mull her options before making any hasty decisions about 2024.

Haley, who served as Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, has been named a potential contender to seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but says no final decision will come until after the holidays, according to The Hill.

“We are taking the holidays to kind of look at what the situation is,” the former South Carolina governor said at an event at Clemson University. “If we decide to get into it, we’ll put 1,000 percent in, and we’ll finish it.”

“A lot of people have asked if I’m going to run for president. Now that the midterms are over, I’ll look at it in a serious way, and I’ll have more to say soon,” Hayley said at a Las Vegas meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition earlier this month.

“For now, I’ll say this. I’ve won tough primaries and tough general elections. I’ve been the underdog every single time. When people underestimate me, it’s always fun,” she added. “But I’ve never lost an election. And I’m not going to start now.”

Earlier this fall, Haley told reporters that she would not launch her own bid for the White House if Donald Trump runs for president in 2024 but it seems she’s reconsidering.

Trump announced his own bid for the presidency earlier this month but has been met with a lukewarm response from high-profile Republicans- and donors.

Veteran Republican strategist John Thomas, who backed Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections, recently told The Washington Examiner that he will not be supporting Trump a third time saying the bombastic Republican isn’t a viable candidate to defeat Democrats and take back the White House.

Thomas recently created the Ron to the Rescue super PAC and says he’s committed to spending at least $50 million in the next six to 12 months to ensure the governor earns the GOP nomination over Trump. However, DeSantis has not even announced his presidential campaign.

“The problem is, for Trump, is he needed to announce and pretty much steamroll everybody. He needed all the donors to capitulate his way. He needed all the party leaders to come his way, and while he’s had some success, it’s not been unanimous, and he needed it to almost be unanimous because the cracks that are appearing are going to turn into canyons very soon,” he explained. “He’s going to be constantly trying to, like, plug these leaks. I think his legal challenges, whether they have merit or not, I would think are going to turn his operation into more of a sclerotic beast.”

“I still like the guy. I just think he should move from a party leader to a party elder. That’s kind of the nuanced dynamic here that I want to make sure it’s not lost in the media, and also voters are reminded that it’s OK to vote for somebody else. It doesn’t mean you don’t like Trump,” Thomas continued. “I think at the end of the day, particularly primary voters want to get excited about their nominee, but it really is a sport about winning. If you don’t win, you can’t enact your legislative agenda. It’s not just about rallies and having a good time. It’s about winning, and Trump has kind of called into question at best his ability to do that anymore.”

House Speaker Called Trump to Apologize After Criticizing 2024 Campaign

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

Warning: This article contains graphic language.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy(R-Calif.) is begging Donald Trump for forgiveness.

McCarthy reportedly called the 2024 White House hopeful on Tuesday to apologize for casting doubt on the strength of Trump’s campaign against President Joe Biden.

McCarthy appeared on CNBC Tuesday morning and was asked if Trump could win the election.

“Can he win that election? Yeah, he can,” McCarthy said. “The question is, is he the strongest to win the election? I don’t know that answer.”

“We’re told top aides to the former president and allies who know both men quickly traded messages asking, in short: What the fuck? Some called McCarthy a ‘moron,’ we’re told. Others looked to Trump campaign hand Brian Jack, who also advises the speaker and has been a critical bridge between both men, to play mediator as Trump hit the trail in New Hampshire,” Politico reported.

On CNN’s News Central Wednesday, reporter Lauren Fox called Tuesday a “a day of cleanup” for the House Speaker. She continued:

He held a call, called the former president yesterday to apologize, according to new reporting from our colleagues Melanie Zanona and Kristen Holmes. He told the former president he misspoke, and, of course, he blamed reporters for taking the comments out of context, according to McCarthy, but that isn’t where it ended…He had an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, a right-leaning news agency, to try to talk more about why he believed Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden. Later, his campaign sent out a fundraising email saying that Donald Trump was stronger than ever.

This just goes to show you that Kevin Mccarthy knows that his right flank is so important for him to hold on to his speakership. He cannot anger people in his conference who are getting behind the former president, who are fervently behind him at all times, no matter what that means in term of defending Donald Trump, and that is why Kevin McCarthy went out of his way yesterday to go ahead and apologize to the former president, and then in subsequent interviews, make it clear that he does believe Donald Trump could be a strong contender to beat Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.

CBS In Chaos? ‘60 Minutes’ Producer Resigns Amid Trump Legal Battle

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Bill Owens, the executive producer of CBS’ “60 Minutes,” announced his resignation on Tuesday, claiming a loss of editorial independence. The decision comes in the wake of a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against CBS, alleging deceptive editing in a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

As Mediaite reports:

Owens said Tuesday in a memo to staffers obtained by Mediaite that he decided to step aside because “over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for ‘60 Minutes,’ right for the audience.”

Owens is the third producer to run 60 Minutes in its more than 50 years on the air.

“So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” Owens wrote.

Owens made clear the show will continue without him. “The show is too important to the country. It has to continue, just not with me as the executive producer,” he wrote.

The Lawsuit’s Allegations

President Trump’s lawsuit, initiated in December 2024, accuses CBS of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the federal Lanham Act. The core of the complaint is that “60 Minutes” edited Harris’ interview to portray her more favorably, potentially influencing public opinion during the presidential election. Specifically, the lawsuit points to discrepancies in Harris’s responses about the Israel-Gaza conflict, suggesting that the edits were made to enhance her image and disadvantage Trump’s campaign.​

Resignation Amid Corporate Considerations

CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, is reportedly considering settling the lawsuit to facilitate an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, which requires FCC approval. This move has sparked internal conflict, with Owens and other CBS journalists opposing a settlement, viewing it as a compromise of journalistic integrity.

CBS’ Response and Transparency Efforts

In response to Trump’s allegations, CBS released the full, unedited transcript of the Harris interview in February, asserting that the editing was standard journalistic practice aimed at clarity and brevity, not deception. The network maintains that its editorial decisions are protected under the First Amendment.

The ongoing situation underscores the tensions between media organizations and political figures, raising questions about journalistic independence, corporate influence and the role of the press in democratic societies. As CBS navigates legal challenges and corporate decisions, the resignation of a key figure like Owens highlights the complexities at the intersection of media, politics and business.​

READ NEXT: Ex-Fox News Star Jumps Into High-Stakes Governor’s Race [WATCH]

Kellyanne Conway Drops Major Hint on Trump’s Impending 2024 Announcement

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Longtime Donald Trump strategist Kellyanne Conway gave shocking insight into the former president’s long-awaited 2024 election announcement.

When asked when Trump plans to make a formal election announcement Conway revealed the former president will likely make it public following the midterm elections.

Conway noted that some in Trump’s circle had urged him to announce before the midterms, but she and others advised him against doing so and potentially stepping on Republicans’ chances of taking back both chambers of Congress. 

“I give him a ton of credit for not announcing this year, for not stepping in the way of midterm candidates. […] I think you can expect him to announce soon,” Conway said at a Christian Science Monitor event.

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1588228184746631168

Trump has recently made more subtle hints about his 2024 plans while in public. During recent appearances, Trump’s small but noticeable shift in language is considered a key indicator he’s preparing to make his announcement.

Last year, Trump told Fox News and other outlets he would “probably” wait until after the 2022 midterm elections to formally announce whether he will launch another White House bid, saying the timeline was “probably appropriate.”

However, at a rally in Robstown, Texas, on Oct. 22, Trump slightly altered his messaging, saying he will “probably have to do it again,” in what advisers close to him tell Fox News Digital is a “clear sign” of his plans.

“I ran twice,” Trump said. “And now in order to make our country successful, safe and glorious again, I will probably have to do it again.”

Trump advisors and those around him told Fox News Digital that they believe it is not a question of “if” Trump is going to run for president again in 2024, but “when” he is going to announce his campaign.

In his final week of campaigning, Trump is focused on get-out-the-vote efforts, but sources close to him tell Fox News Digital that he sees his involvement in early primaries in key battleground states like Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida and Michigan as “key tests,” noting that the outcomes of those races will be “important” to, what some call, an “inevitable” decision.

A new report from The New York Times indicates Trump already has a potential date for the announcement and multiple advisers. According to sources close to the former President, Trump is eyeing November 14th as the potential date he announces his third presidential campaign.

Trump’s daughter, Tiffany Trump is scheduled to get married at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Nov. 12. An announcement could come shortly after that event. 

Fox News Host Mark Levin Skewers Trump Middle East Visit

Fox News host Mark Levin had a lot to say about President Trump’s current visit to the Middle East…

Without mentioning President Trump by name, Levin was remarkably critical of the commander-in-chief, taking to social media to blast Saudi Arabia for playing a “significant role on the 9/11 slaughter of our people.” He also condemned Qatar for having “protected the leader of the 9/11 attack from the FBI, before he was able to launch his war on America that killed our people.”

Levin posted on X:

Saudi Arabia played a significant role on the 9/11 slaughter of our people. I didn’t hear their Crown Prince even apologize once yesterday for what they did to us. And I know the 9/11 families are reeling from this.

And Qatar protected the leader of the 9/11 attack from the FBI, before he was able to launch his war on America that killed our people. The debate about whether the plane is a legal gift is beside the point. Qatar is a terrorist regime that has murdered Americans.

I cannot let bygones be bygones and those Americans who suffered the consequences of what these monarchies did cannot either. I can’t stop thinking about all the innocent people who went to work that day, and were on those planes, and all the firefighters and police officers who died horrible deaths.

As for Iran, if they get a nuclear weapon that’s on our generation. And our country will suffer the horrible consequences. These are terrorists. They don’t think like us and they don’t love life like us. We must have the guts and wisdom to protect ourselves.

In a separate post, Levin praised Trump, but not without dinging him for using “lines used by the Soros-Koch isolationist crowd about neocons and interventionists” in his speech to the Saudis. Levin linked to a Jewish Insider article about the speech and noted via X:

Isolationism or globalism? Or both?

Actually, POTUS’s speech included some of the lines used by the Soros-Koch isolationist crowd about neocons and interventionists, but the irony is that it was given in the context of a globalist outreach effort to make economic and military deals with and between Middle East monarchies/dictatorships and the biggest of America’s globalists/internationalists/corporatists. We don’t know the details but if they’re great deals for we, the people, that’s wonderful. I truly believe the President is THE best at making GREAT deals. Nonetheless, this looks like globalism wrapped in isolationist language.

Levin’s comments come as President Trump faces scrutiny over his decision to accept Qatar’s gift of a luxurious $400 million “flying palace” to serve as Air Force One. (RELATED: Trump Announces Plan To Drop Sanctions On Syria)

The prospect has drawn bipartisan pushback, which Trump has met with indifference. 

“[The Qataris] said to me, ‘we would like to, in effect, we would like to make a gift. You’ve done so many things. and we’d like to make you a gift to the Defense Department,’ which is where it’s going. and I said, ‘Well, that’s nice.’ Now, some people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country.’ My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else, why wouldn’t I accept a gift?” Trump explained to Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesdsay. 

U.S. relations with Doha have come a long way since 2017, when Trump accused Qatar of harboring terrorism: “The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,” Trump said at the time. 

From there, Qatar became a major non-NATO ally to the U.S. in 2022 under President Biden and is home to Al Udeid Air Base, one of the U.S.’ largest Middle East bases and a key hub for U.S. Central Command operations. 

“Qatar is not, in my opinion, a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas. So what I’m worried about is the safety of the president,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told reporters on Tuesday.

The Constitution states that accepting a gift from an overseas power requires congressional approval. However, Trump has not requested permission to receive the plane, an offering made months after his family business agreed to develop a multi-billion dollar golf course in the Middle Eastern country. 

Arizona Republican Launches Campaign For Governor

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By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Karrin Taylor Robson, CC BY-SA 2.0,

On Wednesday, Arizona Republican Karrin Taylor Robson launched her comeback gubernatorial bid.

Robson, a small business owner and lawyer, launched her campaign with a new ad centered on President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and her desire to help take back her state from incumbent Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs. 

Robson lost her primary bid in 2022 to Trump-backed Republican nominee Kari Lake.

Robson scored early support from Trump less than two months ago during his visit to Arizona as president-elect.

“I thank President Trump for his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him to secure our border and make Arizona safe again,” Robson said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “Katie Hobbs has made it harder to live, work, and raise a family safely in this state. Like President Trump, I know how to create jobs. And like President Trump, I will not rest until our border is secure and Arizona families are safe,” she continued.

“Katie Hobbs and Joe Biden’s insane agenda has made life more expensive and dangerous,” Robson stated. “I will fight every day alongside President Trump for stronger borders, a stronger economy, and a stronger Arizona.

President Trump said Robson would have his support if she ran for governor while he was delivering remarks at Turning Point Action’s AmericaFest in December.

“Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin, ’cause if you do you’re gonna have my support, OK?” Trump said at the time.

Cook Political Report ranks the general election race as a “toss-up,” likely making it one of the most competitive races in the upcoming midterms.

The “Building A Better Arizona PAC” launched last month backing Robson, who formerly served on the Arizona Board of Regents. Former Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham and former Arizona Senate President Karen Fann created the group.

The primary is Aug. 4, 2026. It’s unclear if Hobbs will face a major challenger in the Democratic primary.

Robson will likely face off against another pro-Trump Republican during the primaries. Supporters of Rep. Andy Biggs hope that the president will shift gears and back his campaign instead, given his strong political agreements with him.

The congressman has already gained the endorsements of Reps. Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar, and Eli Crane.

“Andy Biggs is the greatest thing since sliced bread,” Sen. Mike Lee( R-Utah) said on X. “Arizonans, do yourselves a big favor and elect this man as your next governor!” 

Pardoned Ex-Proud Boys Leader Announces Run for Office

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Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio revealed on Wednesday that he would run for office after receiving a pardon from President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“It’s been a great two weeks, Greg,” he told Newsmax host Greg Kelly. “Two weeks ago I was in prison and just last night I was in Mar-a-Lago at the president’s house.”

“That is so amazing,” replied Kelly. “From prison to Mar-a-Lago, the most exclusive house in the world, possibly more exclusive than the White House.”

After the Newsmax host asked Tarrio what his next steps would be, he announced his intention to run for office.

“Last time I was on, I told you that I was gonna take some time, and I was going to really think about what I was going to do,” said Tarrio. “And I think my future is in politics. I think I’m gonna take a serious look at running for office at some point in 2026 or 2028, and I believe that there is a path for that because it is my passion.”

He continued, “I wanted to take some time to really think about it and I think I’ve made up my mind. I think that I’m going to go ahead and push, and again, there’s a lot of things that need to be aligned for that to happen, so I am gonna take my time with picking what office specifically, what district. Is it gonna be local? Is it gonna be at a federal level? I don’t know, but I will tell you that I have made a decision.”

Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison in September 2023 after being convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, even though he was not present at the Capitol that day.

Tarrio’s sentence was cut short last month after President Donald Trump signed pardons for defendants linked to the Capitol riot.