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Yes, a Trump-DeSantis Ticket Could Actually Happen

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

Despite this year’s midterms only being weeks away plenty of Americans are already looking forward to the next presidential election and the idea of a potential Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis ticket has most Republicans thrilled.

It’s no secret that the 45th President is seriously considering running in 2024, he’s all but confirmed the fact. However, another rising star has captured the hearts of many conservatives in recent years that could derail Trump’s plans. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is widely regarded as the favorite to receive the Republican nomination if Trump doesn’t run, and some analysts say he stands a solid chance of beating out Trump for the nomination if the two became competitors.

Some Republicans have begun to wonder if Trump ultimately does run for president who his choice for vice president would be, but one fact is for certain it won’t be Mike Pence. Conservatives have pointed to DeSantis as being a potential VP pick, a move that could avoid a divisive primary that could cost the GOP the White House.

Some experts have cautioned against a Trump-DeSantis ticket over concerns that the 12th Amendment might stand in the way since it seems to suggest that two candidates from the same state cannot run on the presidential ticket. Trump and DeSantis are each currently Florida residents.

The language of the amendment reads: “[t]he Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.”

However, based on historic precedent, there’s nothing standing in Trump’s way to selecting DeSantis as his running mate. During the 2000 election concerns arose when Governor George W. Bush of Texas selected former congressman Dick Cheney as his running mate because he maintained residency in Texas during his business career.

RealClearFlorida reports:

Cheney moved to Wyoming four days before Bush selected him as his running mate, and Bush/Cheney went on to victory. Liberals attempted a legal challenge on the residency issue, but courts and the legal community soundly rejected it. Cheney’s move to Wyoming put an end to the issue. The courts reasoned that Cheney had fulfilled the residency requirements by doing so.

The Bush/Cheney ticket is arguably a reverse version of a Trump/DeSantis ticket: Bush and DeSantis were both sitting governors, and thus ineligible to move. Cheney and Trump are businessmen with deep ties to other states. Some would say that Cheney had a major advantage that Trump does not. Cheney’s previous state of residence, Wyoming, loved him. Trump’s previous state, New York, is vigorously pursuing legal charges against him.

But there is no reason Trump would need to move to New York. He could move to Tennessee, Nebraska, Wyoming, or any other state that would react favorably to his residency. It does not matter that Trump has no previous affiliation with those states.

It’s worth noting that U.S. case law has opposed extraneous residency requirements for people running for Congress. This flexibility has allowed people like Alan Keyes and Hillary Clinton to move to new states to run for office. True, this case law has concerned states creating extra laws, as opposed to interpreting the 12th Amendment; but given that the judiciary has used the Constitution to strike down these laws, it is unlikely that the same judiciary would hold for extensive residency requirements to prevent someone from getting elected president or vice president.

Does this mean Trump will ultimately pick DeSantis as his running mate? Not by any means but it does mean he has the opportunity to build a ticket the conservative base is already energized to vote for. But first, Trump has to reveal if he plans to run for president…and now we wait.

Amanda Head: No, Gavin Newsom Isn’t a Moderate and His Own Family is Turning on him

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A trust connected to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s in-laws donated $5,000 to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Records show that the Siebel Family Revocable Trust, which is run by Kenneth Siebel Jr. and Judith Siebel, the parents of Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel, gave $5,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC in early April.

The Siebel family has a history of making donations to Republican candidates, including Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

Watch Amanda break down the drama HERE.

New Report Indicates Trump Will Postpone 2024 Campaign Announcement

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

New reports signal Donald Trump is seriously considering delaying his long-anticipated 2024 presidential campaign announcement.

The delay comes on the heels of a number of high-profile legal and political setbacks that sources close to the matter say have distracted from the potential 2024 announcement. (Related: Department of Justice Publishes Affidavit Used for FBI Raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort)

According to CNN:

After months of eyeing Labor Day weekend as the target launch date for a 2024 campaign, Trump has spent the past few weeks backing away from that timeline following the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and an increased panic among Republicans that the party may not be in for the red wave it has long anticipated this November.

While his timeline could shift again between now and November, the onslaught of political and legal concerns has the former President feeling nervous about prematurely diving into the 2024 primary, according to nine former and current Trump aides and allies who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.

Otherwise, advisers say, the former President is more likely to be blamed for potential losses in the midterms if he becomes a candidate for president before November and his legal troubles distract from the bread-and-butter issues most Republicans — but especially those running in competitive races — would prefer to focus on.

The Republican Party has been predicted for months to sweep this year’s midterms by capitalizing on a series of blunders from the Biden administration such as the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, record inflation rates, and rising crime. However, analysts have recently reported that Republicans are now expected to win by a smaller margin than originally predicted.

A former Trump campaign aide told the outlet, “There is a direct tie if Trump becomes a campaign ad in November and Republicans lose the Senate, and the last thing he wants is to be blamed.”

READ NEXT: Ron DeSantis to Campaign for Trump-endorsed Candidates >>

Conservative Pundit Ann Coulter Declares ‘Trump is Done’

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

Is the Republican Party officially moving on from Donald Trump? According to conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

In Coulter’s latest podcast of Unsafe aptly titled “Trump’s Done” she dives into the signs Republicans are moving away from the former president and how his influence in slowly but surely dwindling.

Throughout the podcast Coulter notes how Trump’s star has begun to fade, comparing the phenomenon to Sarah Palin who saw her rockstar status revoked following John McCain’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign.

Coulter also noted Trump’s once-infamous rallies dwindling turnouts as further evidence he’s losing power within the GOP.

According to Mediaite:

“They’re like Deadheads,” Coulter said of those still running to MAGA rallies. “They’re following him from place to place. He sings the same songs.”

Loyalty among Trump “fanatics,” she added, is not “indicative of a movement sweeping the nation.” Coulter mentioned a pair of Stone emails she received from the Trump team. The first was an email “slamming” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), considered by many to be Trump’s biggest 2024 competition, should both men run for the Republican Party nomination. A second email, Coulter said, was Stone “backpedaling” on his criticism of DeSantis after he heard complaints from conservatives supportive of the governor.

Trump being “done” could be the message some politicians have been waiting to hear before wading into the 2024 presidential campaign arena. While the former President has made a habit of hinting at his potential presidential campaign some conservatives have held their breath in regard to their own political aspirations.

“Republicans, it’s not the party of Trump. It’s safe to come back, and it’s safe for Republicans to stand up and run without Donald Trump,” she said.

Former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley previously said she would not launch a presidential campaign if Trump also were to run, and she’s likely not the only Republican sharing that mindset.

However, Coulter was careful to note that moving away from Trump isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Party and predicted the GOP could still sweep the midterms.

“People are angry. Republicans are really angry. We are on a smooth glide path to really, really good midterm elections, and the only thing that can blow it is what probably will blow it: the Republican Party,” she said.

Ben Shapiro Points to Trump as Reason GOP is Losing Midterms Momentum

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Ben Shapiro via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Conservative pundit and co-editor of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro says former President Donald Trump is the reason Republicans are losing steam as they get closer to the November midterms finish line.

In a series of tweets, Shapiro said the Republican Party based its midterms strategy on a “miscalculation.”

“In fact, the entirety of American politics is based on dueling versions of the same false mythology: the Mythology of the Emerging Democratic Minority Majority (MEDMM),” Shapiro said on Twitter.

With less than 80 days until the midterm elections, Republicans are laser-focused on winning back the House from Democrats. However, even Mr. Shapiro noted that while Republicans remain poised to win back the House of Representatives it’s looking like it will happen with slimmer margins than previously predicted.

Last week’s Fox News power rankings predicted Republicans to win between 220 and 248 seats in the House, for a majority of between two and 30 seats. That’s less bullish on the GOP than the network’s July projection, which foresaw between 225 and 255 Republican House seats in the new Congress.

Shapiro concluded by warning that Republicans are playing exactly into Democrats’ hands.

Larry Hogan Sides With Biden, Says Republican Party is Filled With Signs of Fascism

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) is siding with President Biden and attacking the GOP.

Last week while addressing a crowd in Maryland, President Biden accused the Republican Party-especially supporters of former President Donald Trump of “semi-fascism.” (Related: President Biden Labels MAGA Supporters as a ‘Threat to Democracy’)

However, instead of rushing to defend his own party Gov. Hogan sided with the President and agreed he sees signs of Authoritarianism within the GOP.

The Washington Examiner reports:

“Well, there’s no question we see some — some signs of [authoritarianism in the Republican Party]. And I’m, you know, one of the ones speaking out,” Hogan said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.

“You know, I think it’s that kind of divisive rhetoric on both sides that’s really bad for America,” the Maryland governor said of Biden’s comments. “And, you know, I’ve been talking about the toxic politics, and if Republicans are calling Democrats ‘socialists’ and ‘communists’ and we have the president of the United States calling Republicans ‘fascist,’ I don’t think it adds to the overall discussion.”

“I mean, the fact that the president would go out and just insult half of America, because, effectively, half of America votes Republican, half of America ultimately votes Democrat — it swings a little bit one way or the other, but effectively, call half of America semi-fascist, because he’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate,” Sununu said. “It’s insulting. And people should be insulted by it. And he should apologize.”

Gov. Hogan is a longtime critic of former President Trump and has often been accused of being a RINO, a Republican in name only, by other conservatives.

On Monday, Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway called President Biden’s comments on Republicans “more hateful” than anything said by former President Trump.

According to Mediaite:

The more that he experiences some of his own decline with his mental faculties, the more that jerkiness comes out. This is more hateful than the worst thing Donald Trump ever said, and it’s being said about tens of millions of Republicans. He trying to walk it back and say it’s only about Trump supporters. That’s just another word for saying Republicans. Republicans support their previous presidents, including the most recent president, and this is just incredibly dangerous, dangerous rhetoric that nobody who purports to lead a country should be saying against half the country.

President Biden Labels MAGA Supporters as a ‘Threat to Democracy’

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Joe Biden labeled Republicans on the ballot in this year’s midterm elections as a “threat to democracy” while at a campaign event in Maryland Thursday evening. 

Touching on former President Trump and his “Make America Great Again” slogan Biden accused Republicans of wanting to send the country “backward.”

According to The Hill:

“Now you need to vote to literally save democracy again,” Biden told a large crowd at the Democratic National Committee rally in Rockville, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. “Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans have made their choice — to go backwards full of anger, violence, hate, and division. But we’ve chosen a different path forward, the future, unity, hope and optimism.”  

“We choose to build a better America,” Biden said.  

Throughout Biden’s speech, he also touched on accomplishments from his administration before circling back to Republicans. The President later attempted to separate what he labeled “MAGA Republicans” from “conservative Republicans” citing Maryland’s current Gov. Larry Hogan (R), as an example of the later. 

“The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security. They’re a threat to our very democracy,” Biden said as he wrapped up his remarks. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace, embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.” 

“This is why in this moment, those of you that love this country — Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans — we must be stronger, more determined, and more committed to saving America than the MAGA Republicans are destroying America,” he said.  

This is hardly the first time President Biden has attacked supporters of the former president and attempted to label them as dangers to society. In May, Biden called MAGA the “most extreme political organization in history” following the leak of a Supreme Court draft that signaled the end of Roe v. Wade.

“What are the next things that are going to be attacked? Because this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history. In recent American history,” Biden told the crowd.

On Friday, Biden’s White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down and defended the President’s comments calling Trump supporters fascists.

Mike Pompeo Offers New Insight into Possible Presidential Run

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

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised eyebrows when he was recently asked if he plans to launch a presidential campaign in 2024, possibly teeing up a challenge against his old boss Donald Trump.

During a “Faith and Freedom Barbecue” event in South Carolina hosted by Rep. Jeff Duncan, Pompeo stopped short of confirming his next political move but was clear to note he would not let any outside actors influence his decision to run for office. The event is known to attract political donors as well as presidential hopefuls, other high profile Republicans in attendance included Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Tim Scott, who has also been floated as a possible presidential contender.

Mediaite reports:

“We’re going to make our decision based on if we think this is the right place for us to serve,” Pompeo said. “If I come to believe I ought to become president, that I have something to offer the American people, I will run no matter who all decides to get in and who else decides not to get in the race.”

The remark was a thinly-veiled shot at the former president who has not shied away from saying he’s seriously considering a third run for the White House. Trump’s repeated hints regarding his potential campaign have caused some conservatives to hold off on making their own decisions regarding the race.

In April, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said she planned to support Trump in 2024 and would not launch her own campaign against him.

“I would not run if President Trump ran, and I would talk to him about it. That’s something that we’ll have a conversation about, at some point, if that decision is something that has to be made,” she remarked.

This is hardly the first hint Pompeo has dropped that he’s seriously considering a run for president. In June, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked the ex-Secretary of State about his political ambitions.

“Are you planning to run for president in ’24?” she asked.

“Well, thanks for the compliment,” Pompeo deflected. “We need to build an American majority and an American coalition.”

“I’m working on 2022 all across the country helping to get folks elected,” he added. “And Susan and I will work and pray and decide how we’re going to best serve America as we move forward.”

Does Mike Pompeo have what it takes to take on Trump? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Judge Criticizes DOJ and FBI as He Rejects Argument to Keep Affidavit Under Wraps

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Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

A federal judge criticized the FBI and DOJ as he rejected a DOJ argument to keep the affidavit for the search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago under wraps.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart said the DOJ did not meet the government’s required burden of proof to keep the document sealed, The Daily Caller reports.

Reinhart wrote in his ruling that the government had a to show if it has a compelling governmental interest and the denial of access is “narrowly tailored to serve that interest.” 

The DOJ argued that the unsealing “would jeopardize the integrity of its ongoing criminal investigation,” and that there were privacy concerns with unsealing it.

In response, unsealing the document would “unsealing the Affidavit would promote public understanding of historically significant events. This factor weighs in favor of disclosure.”

However, Reinhart has the government did show a compelling interest in not unsealing the whole affidavit but that there was an alternative between unsealing the whole thing or not unsealing anything.

Reinhart has given the agency until August 25th to propose the redactions of the document they would like.

[READ NEXT: Trump Makes Fun of Failed CNN Host and Liz Cheney]

Trump Finds Time to Make Fun of Stelter Amid FBI Probe

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From the session "The War at Home: Trump and the Mainstream Media". [Photo Credit: nrkbeta, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

Despite emotions running high over an FBI probe into documents President Trump has in his possession the former president found time to make fun of his biggest critic at CNN, Brian Stelter.

Stelter was recently fired from the network amid declining ratings and a realization that he is no longer relevant.

The network is also attempting to make a move to become more neutral and Stelter, who was the media critic, chose to consistently criticize conservative media.

Mediaite reports:

“Brian Stelter of Fake News CNN got fired because he lied, and lied, and lied – ABOUT ME. May he REST IN PEACE!” Trump wrote, ironically misstating the circumstances of Stelter’s departure from the network.

“CNN will end its Reliable Sources program on Sunday, August 21st. As a result Brian Stelter will leave the company. We appreciate his contributions to the network and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors,” a CNN spokesperson told Mediaite in a statement this week.

Next, Stelter earned a place of honor beside January 6 Committee Vice-Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, because they have roughly equivalent roles in Trump’s life.

“Trivia question: Who’s got less charisma, Brian Stelter or Liz Cheney. I say Liz Cheney, because Stelter could have gotten more votes than she did the other night in Wyoming – She lost by 40!” Trump wrote.

Despite Trump being in a battle with the FBI and other legal battles, the classic Trump always shines through.

We’ expect nothing less from one of the best verbal sparers ever to do it.

[READ NEXT: DOJ ADMITS Trump was Right]