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Mike Lawler Announces Re-Election Campaign As Republicans Seek To Defend Razor-Thin Majority

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief…

On Wednesday morning, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York announced he will seek re-election in next year’s midterms in his crucial battleground House district, which covers a large swath of New York City’s northern suburbs.

Lawler, who announced his news in an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” had been seriously considering a bid for New York State governor.

“There’s no question Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America,” Lawler told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, before adding, “In 2026, she needs to be defeated. But after months of deliberating over this and really working through it, I’ve decided the right thing to do for me and my family and my district is to run for re-election.”

His news is seen as a major relief to the White House and congressional Republicans, who are defending their razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterms. 

Top House Republicans as well as President Donald Trump had pressed Lawler to seek re-election, and Fox News confirmed that Lawler met with Trump last week at the White House to discuss his 2026 plans and other issues.

“While I fundamentally believe I am best positioned to take on Kathy Hochul and offer New Yorkers a real choice for Governor, I have made the decision to run for re-election to the House and continue the important work I’ve been doing over the past two and a half years,” Lawler shared in a statement with Fox News Digital Wednesday morning. 

The Democratic Governors Association called Lawler’s decision a “humiliating setback” for Republicans, arguing that his choice means he doesn’t believe a Republican can win statewide.

However, Republicans now seem likely to avoid a hotly contested primary, as they said they hoped only one of Lawler or Elise Stefanik would go forward with a gubernatorial run.

Elise Stefanik released a statement Wednesday morning, calling Republicans “more unified than ever in our mission to fire the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul in 2026” and Lawler a “great, effective, and hardworking Representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District.”

“As I have previously stated, I am focused on supporting strong Republican local and county candidates on the ballot this November to lay the groundwork with a strong team for next year. I will make a final decision and announcement after this year’s November election which we are all focused on,” Stefanik added. 

Stefanik seems all but certain to run for governor, with a source familiar with her thinking telling The Hill last month that “it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

Republicans have been hopeful that they could seriously compete for the office in 2026 after impressive performances in recent years. Hochul only won reelection in 2022 by about 6 points, a much closer margin than observers expected.

Trump also made significant gains in New York in last year’s presidential election, while still falling short by double digits of victory in the state.

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Obama Issues Rare Response To Trump Russiagate Allegations

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    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Former President Barack Obama responded to President Donald Trump‘s call to prosecute himself and others in a rare public statement on Tuesday.

    Trump, earlier on Tuesday, claimed that former President Barack Obama was the “ringleader” of Russiagate, calling for him to be criminally investigated amid new claims that members of his administration allegedly “manufactured” intelligence that prompted the Trump–Russia collusion narrative.

    “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.” 

    “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” Obama’s spokesman continued. “Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.” 

    He added: “These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.” 

    Rodenbush’s statement on behalf of Obama comes after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently declassified documents revealing “overwhelming evidence” that claimed that after Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, then-President Obama and his national security team allegedly laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe. (RELATED: Tulsi Gabbard Declassifies Treasonous Conspiracy By Obama Officials in Trump-Russia Probe)

    The new documents name Obama, top officials on his National Security Council, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, national security advisor Susan Rice, Secretary of State John Kerry, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others.

    John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, delivers one of several briefings that President Barack Obama received on the attempted Times Square car bombing, in the Oval Office, May 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons] This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

    Gabbard, on Monday, sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department related to those findings. Department of Justice officials did not share further details on whom the criminal referral was for.

    In the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump called for “severe consequences” for Obama.

    Trump said:

    The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama. What they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016 but going up to 2020 of the election, they tried to rig the election and they got caught. There should be very severe consequences for that. When we caught Hillary Clinton, I said, you know what, let’s not go too far here. It’s the ex-wife of a president and I thought it was sort of terrible. I let her off the hook and I’m very happy I did. But it’s time to start — after what they did to me and whether it’s the right or wrong — it’s time to go after people. Obama has been caught directly.

    As for Gabbard’s criminal referral, Trump was asked which specific figures should be under criminal investigation, to which he replied: “President Obama. He started it.”

    “And Biden was there with him, and Comey was there, and Clapper, the whole group was there. Brennan. They were all there in the room right here. This is the room,” Trump said from the Oval Office Tuesday during a meeting with the president of the Philippines. “It was President Obama. It was lots of people all over the place.”

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    Trump Vows To Start Prosecuting Obama For ‘Treason’

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    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    On Tuesday, President Trump called to prosecute former President Barack Obama as well as other officials over Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s claim of a “treasonous conspiracy” by the former administration.

    President Donald Trump called for the prosecution of former President Barack Obama and others, saying from the White House that it’s “time to go after people.”

    In the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump called for “severe consequences” for Obama.

    Trump said:

    The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama. What they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016 but going up to 2020 of the election, they tried to rig the election and they got caught. There should be very severe consequences for that. When we caught Hillary Clinton, I said, you know what, let’s not go too far here. It’s the ex-wife of a president and I thought it was sort of terrible. I let her off the hook and I’m very happy I did. But it’s time to start — after what they did to me and whether it’s the right or wrong — it’s time to go after people. Obama has been caught directly.

    Gabbard released a declassified report last week, claiming that Obama and his administration officials pushed concerns about Russian interference in the election in public while privately knowing it was not a major concern in the 2016 election. Gabbard, who also called for officials to be prosecuted, accused officials of trying to “usurp” Trump and American voters.

    “The intelligence community assessed — and this is what the documents detail — essentially Russia doesn’t have the tools, the capability, or the intent to try to change the outcome of the US presidential election,” she told Fox News on Saturday.

    Gabbard said she referred her information to the Department of Justice.

    CBN host David Brody asked House Speaker Mike Johnson about the matter, “I’ve heard Stephen Miller call this a ‘seditious conspiracy.’ I’ve heard Tulsi Gabbard call it a ‘treasonous conspiracy.’ You’re a constitutional guy; what do you see in this exactly? How do you term it?”

    “Well, I don’t know how to summarize it in — by way of description — in a snappy phrase, but I will tell you it is deeply problematic,” Johnson replied. “Before I became Speaker of the House I served on the House Judiciary Committee, which had jurisdiction over a lot of this, and we knew what was happening. We knew intuitively and we were gathering the evidence as we were investigating all of this ourselves. We knew the Russia collusion thing was a hoax. They used it as a basis to attack the president mercilessly.”

    Noting that he had served on Trump’s impeachment defense teams twice, Johnson recalled, “As we were preparing for those defenses, as we were investigating with our oversight responsibility in the Judiciary, we recognized that the people who are being called out now were involved in a scheme. We knew that it was a shameless, false, set of accusations, and yet, they perpetuated the lie on the American people. And they looked right under the camera and just lied, clearly. And they knew what they were up to the whole time so there must be accountability for that.”

    “People want to see subpoenas; they want to see depositions,” Brody posited. “They want to see, whether it be Brennan, Clapper, potentially the former President of the United States. Are you willing to go down that route? Cause a lot of people want to see some of these folks questioned under oath.”

    “Of course,” Johnson answered immediately. “I think we have a responsibility to follow the truth where it leads and to do it in an unbiased fashion, to do effectively the opposite of what that other team did.”

    “Does it get tricky at all with the former president, President Obama, looking at what his role in this is and bringing him in for some sort of deposition, potential subpoena?” Brody asked.

    “Well, listen, we have no concern about that,” Johnson said bluntly. “If it’s uncomfortable for him, he shouldn’t have been involved in overseeing this, which is what it appears to us has happened. There’s a lot of allegations on the table. Our job is to go and follow each of those trails and to find out the truth. And so those are very serious allegations with very serious implications, but we’re gonna have very serious people working on it and we will get the answers.”

    Watch:

    Years After Public Feud Trump Endorses South Dakota Senator

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    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    In an unexpected move, President Trump has endorsed Sen. Mike Rounds for re-election despite vowing to “never endorse” him again years ago.

    Trump previously endorsed Rounds in 2020, but later eviscerated the senator in 2022 after Rounds appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and described the 2020 election as “fair.”

    “‘Senator’ Mike Rounds of the Great State of South Dakota just went woke on the Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020,” Trump declared at the beginning of a lengthy statement in January 2022.

    “Even though his election will not be coming up for 5 years, I will never endorse this jerk again,” Trump later said in the statement.

    “The Radical Left Democrats and RINOS, like ‘Senator’ Mike Rounds, do not make it easy for our Country to succeed. He is a weak and ineffective leader, and I hereby firmly pledge that he will never receive my endorsement again!” Trump asserted in that statement several years ago.

    But in a surprising turnaround, President Trump is now endorsing Rounds.

    In a Monday Truth Social post, the President called the South Dakota Senator “An America First Patriot,” declaring, “Mike Rounds has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

    Sen. Rounds responded to Trump, thanking him for the endorsement.

    DOJ Fires 20 Employees Who Worked With Jack Smith On Trump Prosecutions

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    Twenty Department of Justice (DOJ) employees who worked with special counsel Jack Smith have been fired.

    The terminated staff includes two prosecutors, 12 support staff and six U.S. marshals who assisted with classified documents and the 2020 election investigations against President Donald Trump, an official confirmed to The Daily Caller.

    More than a dozen officials who worked with Smith were fired in January, while Smith himself resigned before Trump took office in January. Both of the cases were dismissed after Trump won the election.

    Joseph Tirrell, who was director of the Departmental Ethics Office, wrote on LinkedIn Monday that he was terminated by Attorney General Pam Bondi, sharing the letter he received in a post.

    “Until Friday evening, I was the senior ethics attorney at the Department of Justice responsible for advising the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General directly on federal employee ethics,” he wrote. “I was also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ethics program across the Department. I led a small, dedicated team of professionals and coordinated the work of some 30 other full-time ethics officials, attorneys, paralegals and other specialists across the Department of Justice, ensuring that the 117,000 Department employees were properly advised on and supported in how to follow the Federal employee ethics rules.”

    In his final report, Smith claimed Trump would have been convicted if he had not won the election. Yet Smith indicated he did not bring insurrection charges because he could not prove Jan. 6 was more than a riot or that Trump incited it.

    Smith sought to fast-track the cases ahead of the 2024 election but ultimately failed to bring either one to trial.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi fired Maurene Comey, a prosecutor with the Southern District of New York who had prosecuted deceased financier and child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

    Comey, a senior trial counsel, is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017.

    “The reason for her firing was not immediately clear. She did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment,” Politico said. “Comey, who had worked in the U.S. attorney’s office for nearly a decade, prosecuted both Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.”

    Maurene Comey worked at the SDNY for almost a decade.

    Ukrainians Praise ‘Agent Melania’ For Turning Trump Against Putin

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    First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

    Ukrainians have praised “undercover agent” Melania Trump for convincing her husband to turn against Putin following his apparent change of heart on Russia.

    Following a series of failed peace talks between the U.S. and Russia, Trump admitted during a press conference on Monday that it was his wife who played a key role in pointing out the duplicity of the Russian president, who has repeatedly embarrassed the White House by saying one thing and doing another.

    “I go home, I tell the first lady: I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “She said: Really? Another city was just hit.”

    He added: “We thought we had a deal numerous times. I get home, I’d say, ‘First Lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’d turn on the television or she’ll say to me one time, ‘Well that’s strange because they just bombed a nursing home.’”

    The revelation sent ripples throughout certain sections of pro-Ukrainian social media, and shortly after the announcement an X user posted a picture of “Agent Melania Trumpenko” wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a jacket emblazoned with the logo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

    Similar pictures soon emerged of the first lady wearing Ukrainian combat fatigues and draped in its blue and yellow flag.

    Although the Slovenian-born first lady tends to keep her political views out of the public eye, the interjection is not the first time she has spoken in support of Ukraine. During Russia’s initial invasion in 2022 she implored her followers to donate to the Red Cross, claiming the suffering of innocent people was “heartbreaking and horrific” and that her “thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people.”

    Trump reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if his country’s military was able to hit Moscow and St. Petersburg with missiles in order to make Russia “feel the pain.”

    The president also threatened Russia with “severe tariffs” if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.

    Tucker Carlson Sets the Record Straight On Trump “Apology” Claim

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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    During a recent interview with German journalist Paul Ronzheimer, Tucker Carlson—former Fox News host and one of the boldest voices in conservative media—firmly denied reports that he apologized to President Donald J. Trump over criticism regarding U.S. policy toward Iran.

    What Trump Said

    Back on June 18, President Trump, during a candid moment in the Oval Office, reflected on Carlson’s prior criticisms about the administration’s military support for Israel and its proposed response to Iranian aggression. Trump remarked:

    “Tucker is a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that.”

    Tucker: I Didn’t Apologize—But I Still Back Trump

    When asked directly by Ronzheimer whether he did in fact apologize, Carlson didn’t beat around the bush:

    “Okay, no.”

    Carlson went on to clarify:

    “I really like Trump. I campaigned for Trump. I agree with Trump on the issues. I’d be happy to apologize—I’m an apologizer by nature—but I didn’t say anything that would warrant one in this case.”

    In typical Tucker fashion, he emphasized that disagreement among allies is not betrayal. He reaffirmed his longstanding support for President Trump, noting he has always stood by the policies that put America First.

    “I didn’t attack Trump. I disagreed with him, and I said how. That’s not the same thing as an attack, and it’s certainly not something I’d need to apologize for.”

    The Bottom Line: No Rift Here

    Despite what the media may want people to believe, there’s no feud brewing here. Carlson remains a powerful voice in the conservative movement and a staunch ally of President Trump. They may not agree 100% of the time—but they share a vision: strong borders, real national security, and putting American citizens first.

    Watch:

    Deep State May Be Forced To Cough Up More Records On Biden Influence Peddling Scheme

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    Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Americans may soon know more about a Biden family business arrangement selling White House access to foreign interests, under a  lawsuit from an ethics watchdog.

    The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch reports it may receive more records under a “Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for Biden family records and communications regarding travel and finance transactions, as well as communications between the Bidens and several known business associates.”

    “This lawsuit is an opportunity for the Trump team to stop the Deep State’s slow-walking of the release of Biden family corruption records,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

    The suit was originally filed in May 2023 “after the National Archives failed to respond to a February 2023 FOIA request.”

    This lawsuit previously “forced the release of  records revealing emails sent by Joe Biden using alias accounts during his vice presidency, in which he communicated with family members, including his son Hunter and brother James. The records also showed that in August 2016, Biden approved ending Secret Service protection for both Hunter Biden and Beau Biden’s daughter, Natalie, during a trip to Kosovo,” Judicial Watch reports.

    The emails included messages to Jim and Hunter Biden regarding the then-vice president’s schedule and meetings. Some emails showed Joe Biden using the alias: [email protected].

    According to Judicial Watch:

    The emails also showed that Hunter and Jim Biden accompanied Joe Biden on taxpayer-funded trips; and then-Vice President Biden in December 2009 emailing an aide after he forgot the password to his West Wing computer.

    The records showed that Hunter Biden used an email address ([email protected]) from his now-dissolved firm Rosemont Seneca Partners and that James Biden used an email address ([email protected]) tied to his consulting firm Lion Hall, which had been the subject of an FBI bribery investigation in the 1990s.

    The lawsuit also forced the release of records showing then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter received a May 26, 2016, email detailing a scheduled “8:45 am prep for a 9 am phone call with Pres Poroshenko,” who was the president of Ukraine. Joe Biden’s email address is the alias [email protected], Hunter Biden’s email account is disclosed as [email protected]. (Hunter Biden was on the board of the controversial Ukrainian firm Burisma at the time.)

    CNN Commentator Suggests He’ll Run for Senate if Trump Tells Him To

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    CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings signaled that he would run for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) seat in 2026 if President Donald Trump tells him to.

    During an interview with Jennings on the Real America’s Voice show Bolling!, host Eric Bolling asked, “A lot of people are floating your name to take over, to jump into Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat next year in ’26. You thinking about it?”

    “Yeah, I haven’t made any announcements about that,” replied Jennings, who worked as a special assistant for former President George W. Bush. “There’s three people in the race, I know them all, like them all, have been in and out of their lives in varying degrees over the years. I’ve supported them all in various endeavors, so I’m confident the seat will remain Republican.”

    He continued, “I do think politics is a team sport, and I think Trump’s the head coach. And eventually he’s gonna weigh in on this, and my political advice would be to anybody, you know, if he calls a play, we’re gonna have to run it. I wouldn’t want to run against the president in Kentucky. So, I don’t really have any announcement about it at the moment.”

    After Bolling pressed, “If Trump taps you, you’re gonna run?” Jennings said cryptically, “I pay very close attention to everything the president says.”

    McConnell, who has held his Senate seat since 1985, announced in February he would not seek re-election in 2026 amid growing concerns over his health.

    Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and businessman Nate Morris have all declared their candidacy in the race.

    Justice Department Sued For Hidden Documents On Pennsylvania Trump Shooter

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    Americans may know more about the man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a legal watchdog filed a federal lawsuit for documents being concealed by the Justice Department.

    The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced in a statement it “filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for all records regarding Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate President Trump on July 13, 2024.”

    “No more delays and excuses, the FBI should release what it has on the man who tried to kill President Trump a full year ago in Butler. Attorney General Pam Bondi should direct a full and immediate records response to this Judicial Watch FOIA lawsuit,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

    Judicial Watch notes it sued after the FBI “failed to respond to a July 24, 2024, FOIA request for:”

    All records, including but not limited to, investigative reports, interview summaries (Forms 1023), letterhead memoranda, photos, audio/visual recordings, database inquiries, interagency communications, and any other records, whether contained in the Central Records System or cross-referenced files, related to Thomas Matthew Crooks, born September 20, 2003 in Butler Township, PA and died on July 13, 2024, who attempted the assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.

    All records of communication in any form, including but not limited to emails, text messages, encrypted app communications and voice recordings, between FBI officials and/or FBI sources, contractors, and assets on the one hand, and Thomas Matthew Crooks on the other hand.

    “On July 13, 2024, then-Republican presidential candidate Trump survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by 20-year-old Crooks, who fired eight rounds from his perch on top of a nearby building,” Judicial Watch explained, adding, “Crooks also killed one audience member, firefighter Corey Comperatore, and critically injured two others. Crooks was shot and killed by the counter sniper team of the United States Secret Service.”

    Judicial Watch has been pursuing the information for nearly a year, noting:

    In March 2025, Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for records related to security provided for the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, PA, during which there was an assassination attempt on President Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00704)).

    In September 2004, Judicial Watch sued the Department of Homeland Security for Secret Service and other records regarding potential increased protective services to former President Trump’s security detail prior to the attempt on his life at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:24-cv-02495)).

     In August 2024, Judicial Watch obtained records from the district attorney’s office in Butler County, PA, detailing the extensive preparation of local police for the rally at which former President Trump was shot. The preparation included sniper teams, counter assault teams and a quick response force. On August 9, in response to a separate open records request, Judicial Watch obtained bodycam footage of the July 13 assassination events from the Butler Township Police Department.