Elise Stefanik with Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons
New York’s own Elise Stefanik, one of the most influential Republicans in Congress and a close ally of President Donald Trump, has officially entered the race for governor — and she’s ready to fight for hardworking families fed up with Democratic mismanagement.
Appearing on Fox & Friends Friday morning, Stefanik declared:
“I’m running for governor to make New York affordable and safe. We have seen decades of single-party rule led by Democrats. And Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America.”
Fighting for Affordability and Safety
For years, New Yorkers have endured crushing taxes, skyrocketing costs, and unsafe streets — the direct result, Stefanik says, of failed Democratic leadership.
“New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation, with the highest taxes, the highest energy bills, the highest utility bills,” Stefanik said. “We also have a crime crisis because Kathy Hochul has brought us failed bail reform and has embraced the defund-the-police Democrats.”
She continued:
“After this week… when we saw a raging anti-Semite pro-Hamas communist who wants to raise taxes. And frankly, he barely won the majority of New York City voters, Kathy Hochul endorsed him and bent the knee.”
Stefanik made it clear that this campaign will be a coalition of common-sense New Yorkers — Republicans, Independents, and Democrats — united to take back their state.
“This is a broad coalition of Republicans, independents, and Democrats who know that enough is enough. We need commonsense leadership to make New York affordable and safe again.”
Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills. When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent… pic.twitter.com/HXyQlNIjEj
Stefanik is already assembling a seasoned team, including respected Republican strategist Tony Fabrizio, who served as pollster for President Trump’s 2024 campaign.
In her official statement, she promised:
“I am running for Governor to bring a new generation of leadership to Albany to make New York affordable and safe for families all across our great state.”
“Our campaign will unify Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to Fire Kathy Hochul once and for all to Save New York.”
Stefanik didn’t mince words about her opponent’s record:
“I’ve always put New York families first. Kathy Hochul has put New York families last again and again and again. She’s an accidental governor. She’s only in this position because she was Cuomo’s lieutenant governor.”
Taking the Fight to Albany
For many voters, Stefanik represents the kind of energy and clarity the Republican Party needs in New York. Her campaign centers on restoring economic freedom, supporting law enforcement, and defending traditional American values that Albany elites have ignored for too long.
“People are very concerned about affordability and I have a strong record of delivering for families,” she emphasized. “Kathy Hochul has made New York the most unaffordable state in the nation. We have the highest taxes, the highest energy prices, the highest utility prices, the highest grocery prices, and rent that continues to skyrocket.”
Her focus aligns with what many Republicans see as the winning issue for 2025 — the economy. As families struggle under high costs, Stefanik is promising to restore fiscal sanity and keep the American Dream alive in the Empire State.
Democrats Already on Defense
Predictably, Democrats responded with the same tired attacks. A spokesperson for the New York State Democratic Party claimed Stefanik “is a rubber stamp for Trump’s deeply unpopular agenda,” while the Democratic Governors Association tried to paint her as “Trump’s cheerleader.”
But these criticisms only highlight Stefanik’s strength — her loyalty to a movement that prioritizes working Americans, law and order, and energy independence.
Governor Hochul’s campaign immediately launched a website called “SelloutStefanik” — a move that many conservatives see as a sign of fear rather than confidence.
The Road Ahead
While Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman may also explore a run, Republican insiders widely view Stefanik as the frontrunner for the nomination. With strong fundraising ability, national connections, and a powerful message on affordability and safety, Stefanik has the potential to unite the GOP like no one else has in years.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is reportedly considering a run for president in 2028 — a move that, if realized, could reshape the Republican Party’s post-Trump era and test the staying power of the “America First” movement.
According to a new report from Notus, Greene has privately expressed interest in following in Donald Trump’s footsteps to the White House. The outlet cites four sources familiar with her thinking, saying Greene believes she represents the “real MAGA” faction — the core conservative movement that has reshaped the GOP since 2016 — and that many Republican leaders have drifted away from those grassroots values.
One source told Notus that Greene feels confident she has built the national donor network and grassroots support needed to mount a serious primary campaign, especially as the GOP’s base remains loyal to Trump’s populist agenda.
Building a National Brand
While Greene has long been a lightning rod for criticism from the left, she’s also gained national recognition for her unapologetic defense of conservative causes — from border security to religious freedom, from cutting wasteful spending to standing up against what she calls the “weaponization” of government against political opponents.
In recent months, Greene has sought to expand her reach beyond the hardcore MAGA base. She’s made high-profile appearances on Bill Maher’s “Real Time” on HBO, The View, and CNN, signaling an effort to engage audiences outside of conservative media. Her willingness to enter unfriendly territory underscores her confidence and desire to make the case for conservative principles in front of skeptics.
As one GOP strategist told Notus, “She’s trying to take the MAGA message to a national stage — not just to Republicans, but to all Americans who feel Washington is broken.”
Criticizing the GOP’s Lack of Direction
Greene has also been unafraid to criticize her own party when she believes it has lost focus. On Real Time, she expressed frustration with Republicans who, after years of campaigning to repeal and replace Obamacare, “still don’t have a plan.”
“I’m angry about that,” Greene said on the show, adding that conservatives need to deliver tangible results, not just rhetoric.
In recent weeks, she has also called out male Republican members of Congress as “weak” for caving to establishment pressure, blasted the GOP for having “no plan” to avoid government shutdown chaos, and criticized the party’s leadership for not pushing harder to release Jeffrey Epstein files, saying Americans deserve transparency and truth.
A Populist in the Trump Mold
Those close to Greene describe her as both fiercely loyal to Donald Trump and equally committed to ensuring his populist movement survives beyond him. She was one of Trump’s earliest and most vocal defenders during both impeachments and remains one of his strongest allies in Congress.
At the same time, Greene has worked to develop her own national voice, one that emphasizes restoring American sovereignty, rebuilding manufacturing, reducing foreign entanglements, and protecting traditional values that she argues have been under assault from both the left and establishment Republicans.
The 2028 Question
When asked directly about a presidential run during an appearance on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast last October, Greene laughed off the speculation — but didn’t shut it down entirely.
“Oh my goodness. I hate politics so much, Tim,” she said. “People are saying that, and I’ve seen a few people saying ‘she’s running’… What I’m doing right now is I very much want to fix problems. That’s honestly all I care about.”
Still, those familiar with her thinking say Greene’s ambitions go beyond her congressional seat. With her growing national platform, fundraising power, and ability to command headlines, she could emerge as one of the most influential Republican figures in the post-Trump era — whether she runs in 2028 or not.
In August, President Donald Trump made his clearest endorsement yet for a future Republican presidential candidate, declaring that Vice President JD Vance is “most likely” to carry the MAGA torch after his second term ends.
Trump described Vance as “probably the favorite” to lead the Republican Party into the next election cycle.
“He’s most likely the heir,” Trump said, referring to Vance. “He understands the movement, he understands the people, and he’s doing a phenomenal job as Vice President.”
Trump also praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling him “somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” suggesting Rubio could play a key role in a future Vance-led administration or campaign.
Rubio, for his part, echoed Trump’s praise of Vance during a recent interview with Lara Trump on Fox News.
“I think he’s doing a great job as Vice President. He’s a close friend, and I hope he intends to do it,” Rubio said of Vance.
Although recent polling has shown Rubio with some early support among Republican voters for a potential 2028 run, conventional political wisdom indicates he wouldn’t start publicly signaling interest in running for president until much closer to the election.
“You never know what the future holds,” Rubio said. “But if I’m able to finish this term strong and we accomplish what we’ve set out to do, I’ll be satisfied with that as the apex of my public service career.”
Justice Department officials in Miami and Washington, D.C. are moving forward with grand jury subpoenas as part of an expanding investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, according to Fox News sources.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones is supervising the probe, according to Fox News.
Fox News previously revealed that both Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey were under federal investigation as of July 2025. Comey is already facing trial in January, while Brennan has not yet been indicted — though prosecutors are preparing to present evidence to a grand jury in South Florida.
The case gained renewed momentum last month when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) formally referred Brennan to the Department of Justice, accusing him of lying under oath to Congress.
Jordan charged that Brennan “willfully and intentionally” misled lawmakers during his 2023 testimony, when he denied that the CIA relied on the Steele dossier in compiling the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) — the report that alleged Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump. Brennan also claimed the CIA had opposed using the dossier’s contents — a claim Jordan and other Republicans say is demonstrably false.
The Steele dossier, a controversial collection of memos compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele, accused then-candidate Donald Trump of collusion with Russia. The dossier was later debunked, and evidence showed it was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will not be seeking re-election after completing her current term, she announced in a video Thursday morning.
Trump cheered Pelosi’s announcement in comments to Fox News, “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America.”
He called her “evil,” “corrupt,” and “only focused on bad things for our country.”
“She was rapidly losing control of her party and it was never coming back. I’m very honored she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice,” Trump said.
Watch:
President Trump responds to Nancy Pelosi's retirement: "The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was Evil, Corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country. She was rapidly losing control of her party and it was never coming back. I'm very honored… pic.twitter.com/7ZtNpJknCq
“There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.’ I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I’ve always honored the soul of Saint Francisco — ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.’ The anthem of our city,” Pelosi said in a voiceover.
“That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans to be the first to know I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative as we go forward.”
Pelosi has been a power player in U.S. politics for decades, having served as House speaker from 2007 to 2011 and then again from 2019 to 2023.
Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi’s rivalry has been one of the defining political dramas of recent years, symbolizing the deep partisan divide in Washington. From Trump’s first impeachment—driven by Pelosi’s Democratic House—to their public clashes over the State of the Union address, the two leaders turned political disagreement into personal enmity. Trump often cast Pelosi as the face of establishment obstruction, accusing her of putting party politics ahead of American progress. For many Republicans, her approach epitomized the D.C. elite’s refusal to respect the voters who put Trump in office.
Even after Trump left the White House, the feuds continued to shape both figures’ legacies. Pelosi frequently invokes Trump as a threat to democracy, while Trump uses her name as shorthand for what he sees as the failures of liberal governance.
A federal appeals court has reopened a potential path to dismissing President Donald Trump’s controversial hush money conviction, a major development that could upend the first criminal verdict ever rendered against a U.S. president.
On Thursday, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit revived Trump’s bid to move the case out of New York state court and into federal court—where he plans to argue that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity shields him from prosecution for actions connected to his time in office.
The appeals panel said it “cannot be confident” that the lower court properly evaluated Trump’s arguments before rejecting his request last year.
“The court bypassed what we consider to be important issues bearing on the ultimate issue of good cause,” the panel wrote.
The judges did not express an opinion on whether Trump’s strategy should prevail, but sent the case back to the lower court for further review.
“We leave it to the able and experienced District Judge to decide whether to solicit further briefing from the parties or hold a hearing to help it resolve these issues,” the panel added.
Trump’s team has long maintained that the Manhattan prosecution was politically motivated and orchestrated by Democratic officials seeking to damage his 2024 campaign. The conviction—34 counts of falsifying business records—stemmed from what prosecutors described as a “hush money” payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the alleged affair and consistently argued that the payments were legal expenses.
The move to federal court, if successful, could provide a new venue for Trump to challenge what many conservatives view as an abuse of prosecutorial power and a double standard in the justice system. The Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision in July strengthened Trump’s position, establishing that presidents are entitled to significant constitutional protections against criminal prosecution for official acts.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called President Donald Trump “a vile creature,” adding that he is “the worst thing on the face of the earth” during an unhinged interview.
Pelosi made the comments during a sit-down interview with CNN that aired on Monday. The hostile remarks come as political violence in the United States continues to rise, following two assassination attempts on President Trump in 2024 and the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in September.
“He’s just a vile creature, and the worst thing on the face of the earth, but anyway,” Pelosi said of Trump.
“You think he’s the worst thing on the face of the earth?” asked CNN journalist Elex Michaelson.
“I do, yeah,” Pelosi replied.
She defended her harsh words about Trump, arguing that he “does not honor the Constitution of the United States.”
“In fact, he’s turned the Supreme Court into a rogue court. He’s abolished the House of Representatives. He’s chilled the press,” Pelosi added. “He’s scared people who are in our country legally.”
Pelosi: Trump is "a vile creature. The worst thing on the face of the Earth."
CNN: "You think he's the worst thing on the face of the Earth?"
The 85-year-old congresswoman was not asked to explain how Trump has made the Supreme Court a “rogue court” or what she meant by arguing that the House of Representatives has been “abolished.” The CNN interview focused on California’s special election on Tuesday, when voters will cast their ballots on Proposition 50, which aims to redraw the state’s congressional maps to further favor Democrats.
On Thursday, the 20-term Congresswoman announced her retirement.
In a video posted to social media, Pelosi described her love for San Francisco, saying that in the midst of all the titles she’s held, “there has been on greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say I speak for the people of San Francisco.”
“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress. With a grateful heart I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” she added. “As we go forward my message to the city I love is this. San Francisco, know your power. We have made history, we have made progress, we have always led the way. And now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”
The Dhillon Law Group has filed a major lawsuit on behalf of the California Republican Party, state Rep. David Tangipa, and 18 California voters, arguing that Proposition 50 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit, led by attorneys from the prominent conservative firm, comes amid growing concerns that Democrats are manipulating redistricting nationwide to entrench their political power.
Dhillon Law Group Takes Aim at Racially Driven Redistricting
The legal challenge was filed shortly after voters approved Proposition 50 with 64% support on Tuesday. The measure, crafted and championed by California Democrats, was designed to redraw congressional districts under the claim of improving representation for Latino voters. But Republicans argue that the move is a blatant racial gerrymander that violates the 14th and 15th Amendments.
“This violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law, and the right under the 15th Amendment to not have one’s vote abridged on account of race,” said Dhillon Law Group partner Mike Columbo at a press conference. “When drawing the Proposition 50 map, the chief consultant who drew the map has stated that the first thing that he did was to increase the power of Latino voters.”
“Additionally, the state legislature has announced that the maps increase the power of Latino voters,” Columbo added.
Expanding Democratic Power Through the Ballot Box
The measure’s approval followed the Democratic-led legislature’s redistricting initiative that added five new congressional seats likely to favor Democrats — mirroring similar partisan efforts in states like New York, Illinois, and Maryland, where Democratic majorities have aggressively redrawn lines to lock in electoral advantages.
California Democrats justified the move by pointing to redistricting in Texas, where Republicans are expected to gain five seats under their new map. But GOP leaders argue that Proposition 50 goes far beyond a political counterpunch — instead crossing into unconstitutional racial engineering.
President Donald Trump weighed in on Tuesday, calling Prop 50 a “giant scam.” He added, “All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review.” While it’s unclear whether Trump’s remarks referred directly to the lawsuit filed the next day, they reflect widespread frustration among conservatives about what they view as systemic manipulation of elections by Democrats.
Legal Challenge: Prop 50 Fails the Supreme Court’s “Gingles Test”
According to the complaint, Proposition 50 expands the number of districts where Hispanic voters are likely to play a decisive role — from 14 to 16 out of California’s 52 congressional districts. The lawsuit points to the 1986 Supreme Court decision in Thornburg v. Gingles, which established a three-part test allowing states to draw minority opportunity districts under limited conditions.
Dhillon Law Group attorney Mark Meuser, who ran as the GOP Senate candidate in 2022, said California’s new map fails that test.
“We believe that the Supreme Court Gingles Test cannot be satisfied by the state, as such under the 14th and 15th Amendments, the maps drawn by Prop 50 will be considered unconstitutional,” Meuser said.
The lawsuit argues that Hispanics, now the largest ethnic group in California, cannot be considered a racial minority in the sense contemplated by the Gingles ruling — making Proposition 50’s race-based districting unjustifiable under federal law.
Rep. Tangipa: “Voices Are Being Diminished to Benefit Others”
Republican state Rep. David Tangipa, one of the plaintiffs, blasted the measure as a cynical ploy by Democrats to reshape the electorate in their favor.
“As the first Polynesian elected ever to the state legislature, I understand the diversity and the beauty that this state has,” Tangipa said. “And what we have seen with Prop 50, these maps, they are completely diminishing the voices of [some] groups to benefit other groups.”
A National Pattern of Democratic Redistricting Power Plays
The fight over California’s Proposition 50 is part of a broader national battle over redistricting, where Democrats have used state legislatures and ballot initiatives to secure long-term electoral advantages. In New York, Democrats are redrawing congressional lines to overturn a previous court-ordered map that favored Republicans. In Illinois, gerrymandering has been used to eliminate multiple GOP-leaning districts. And in Maryland, courts have repeatedly intervened to stop maps that heavily favored Democrats.
Republicans argue that Proposition 50 is the latest example of Democrats weaponizing race and redistricting to tilt elections.
President Donald Trump offered an explanation on Wednesday morning after Democrat candidates swept the 2025 elections.
In his first remarks since the elections, President Donald Trump said that the ongoing government shutdown was partly to blame for Republican losses on Election Day.
Trump told reporters during a breakfast with GOP lawmakers at the White House that election night on Tuesday “was not expected to be a victory,” and provided the 36-day government shutdown as one of two possible reasons.
“I think, if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor,” Trump said. “Negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor.”
Trump added: “And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot and was the biggest factor. But I don’t know about that. But I was honored that they said that.”
His remarks come after Democrats won resoundingly in multiple states on Tuesday, with exit polls showing economic worries were very much on the minds of voters.
“I don’t think it was good for Republicans,” Trump said of the election results. “I don’t think it’s good. I’m not sure it was good for anybody.”
Some major losses for Republicans included the New York City mayoral race, and contests for governor in New Jersey and Virginia. Democrats also secured another expected win in California, where voters approved a new congressional map that is designed to help their party win five more U.S. House seats in next year’s midterm elections.
Some moments are so perfect you just can’t make them up.
At Zohran Mamdani’s victory party, the jumbo screen read: “Trump is your president.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cy3EEaLMeR
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) isn’t backing down. On Tuesday, he filed impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg — the same judge who signed off on subpoenas in the secretive “Arctic Frost” probe targeting Republican lawmakers.
“Chief Judge Boasberg has compromised the impartiality of the judiciary and created a constitutional crisis,” Gill told Fox News Digital. “He is shamelessly weaponizing his power against his political opponents… Judge Boasberg was an accomplice in the egregious Arctic Frost scandal where he equipped the Biden DOJ to spy on Republican senators.”
Gill’s impeachment resolution hits Boasberg with one count of abuse of power, accusing him of authorizing “frivolous nondisclosure orders” that blocked telecom companies from alerting lawmakers their phone records were being subpoenaed.
Documents released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) show that Verizon followed those gag orders — while AT&T refused. Both the subpoenas and the gag orders bore Boasberg’s signature, igniting outrage from GOP senators like Ted Cruz, who called the operation “worse than Watergate.”
The judge’s defenders point out that the Stored Communications Act gives him discretion in approving such orders — but it’s unclear what evidence Boasberg reviewed before granting them.
Republicans say the surveillance trampled on the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, which protects lawmakers from law enforcement over their legislative work. Legal experts note that protection isn’t absolute — and the balance of power between Congress, the courts, and the executive branch is now back in the spotlight.
This isn’t Gill’s first attempt to oust Boasberg. He threatened impeachment earlier this year when Boasberg halted Trump-era migrant deportation flights but backed off after GOP leaders said it wasn’t the right moment.
By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,
Jack Smith, the special counsel who tried to bring down Donald Trump over classified documents, is still talking tough — even after his cases fell apart.
According to The New York Times, Smith made the remarks last month during a discussion at University College London with former Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann. Smith said the evidence demonstrated Trump’s “willfulness”—a key legal element that distinguished Trump’s case from the separate investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents, which resulted in no charges.
“The rule of law allows for different outcomes when the facts are different,” Smith said. “One of the major differences between the two cases is the obstructive conduct in the case that I investigated.”
He explained that to prove illegal possession of classified documents, prosecutors must show the defendant knowingly broke the law.
“In my particular case, we had tons of evidence of willfulness,” Smith said, pointing to Trump’s repeated public claims that the documents were his and his refusal to return them after investigators demanded their return.
Smith even cited Trump’s social media posts as proof of guilt — saying Trump’s insistence that the documents were his somehow showed “willfulness.” Critics say that sounds more like criminalizing free speech than proving a crime.
Trump fired back on Truth Social: “He is a CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE IN JAIL. A MAJOR LOWLIFE AND FAILURE.”
But the facts tell a different story: Biden walked free, Trump’s case got tossed, and Smith’s record of political prosecutions is in tatters.
Both of Smith’s cases have since been dismissed. A federal judge threw out the classified documents case in July 2024, and Smith dropped election-related charges after Trump’s November victory. The Justice Department’s own guidance bars the indictment of a sitting president, and the Supreme Court expanded presidential immunity in a ruling last year.
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans have referred Smith to the Justice Department for allegedly overstepping his authority by subpoenaing metadata from lawmakers’ phones during his probe into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
