DeSantis supporters leap to his defense against Trump ahead of primary fight

Naomi Lim

April 18, 05:30 AM April 18, 05:30 AM

Voters are getting a glimpse of what is shaping up to be an ugly 2024 Republican presidential primary between the top contenders, declared candidate former President Donald Trump and undeclared Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

But while DeSantis's supporters are now more vociferously jumping to his defense, with the governor not expected to announce a campaign until Florida's 2023 legislative session concludes next month, he risks being defined by Trump while the governor and his allies criticize the former president for his temperament and policy positions amid his mounting legal challenges.

BIDEN TRIES TO BREAK THROUGH AS GOP PRIMARY BRAWL STARTS

Last week, Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. launched its second TV ad attacking DeSantis, claiming he sought cuts to Social Security and Medicare, in addition to trying to raise the retirement age to 70. The 30-second spot, which came after a $3 million buy last month, also mocks DeSantis for allegedly eating chocolate pudding with three fingers in a 2019 anecdote reported by the Daily Beast.

Two days later, Never Back Down, the DeSantis-aligned super PAC, hit back during WHD News Sunday with its first TV ad, asking, “What happened to Donald Trump?" and urging the former president to "fight Democrats," not "lie" about the governor regarding entitlement reform. The previous day, the group had described Trump as a "gun grabber" during a 90-second digit spot geo-targeted to the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana.

"About time," Republican strategist John Feehery told the Washington Examiner. "Trump is starting to land some blows in defining DeSantis. About time that DeSantis starts fighting back."

But Claremont McKenna College politics professor John Pitney, a former Republican staffer, was uncertain about the Never Back Down ad's audience as Trump continues to dominate early polls. Months before the first GOP debate this summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump averages 52% of the primary electorate to DeSantis' 24%, according to RealClearPolitics. Simultaneously, Trump raised roughly $14 million during the first quarter of 2023, particularly around the time of his indictment in March.

"Here is the message: 'Trump is stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook,'" Pitney said of President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Do the DeSantis people really think that they can convince Republicans that Trump is too much like Biden and Pelosi? That seems pretty unlikely."

"Here's the problem for DeSantis," he added. "From the standpoint of hard evidence, the strongest arguments against Trump are that he's corrupt, that he stole government documents, and that he illegally tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But Republicans don't like those arguments."

Former Texas Republican Party Chairman Tom Pauken, who no longer backs Trump, contended DeSantis's other problem is that Democrats "want" the former president to be the 2024 nominee. For Pauken, DeSantis is better positioned to win a general election than Trump, standing by the governor's decision to downplay Florida's new six-week abortion ban.

"Well, it got done," Pauken said. "He [came] down on the side of life. ... I understand that there's a great division over abortion. But he signed the law, and he's focusing on the issues that he's really been in the fight over, which is the wokeism and taking on Disney."

The ads underscore concerns related to Biden, the White House, and Democrats scrutinizing Republicans over Social Security and Medicare, as well as the tone for the GOP primary between Trump and DeSantis.

The Trump spots cite votes DeSantis took in 2013, 2014, and 2015 when he was a congressman to change Social Security and the retirement age, as well as votes in 2013 and 2015 to tinker with Medicare. In response, Never Back Down points to DeSantis saying last month that he is "not going to mess with Social Security" and comments Trump made in 2020 that he would "look" at entitlement programs "at some point."

Trump has more recently repeated that Republicans should not "cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security." But his presidential budgets proposed decreases to the programs, and in 2012, Trump said then-GOP presidential standard-bearer Mitt Romney and vice presidential pick Paul Ryan's ideas would "save Medicare."

"We can also raise the age for receipt of full Social Security benefits to seventy," Trump wrote in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve. "We have to allow individuals to invest some portion of their Social Security funds in investments that are real and conservative. ... Privatization would be good for all of us."

MAGA Inc. spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in New Hampshire last year, even backed privatizing Social Security and upping the retirement age on the trail.

A Republican operative supporting Trump's campaign quipped this was not "a smart road for the DeSantis camp to go down."

"His PAC's spokesman Matt Wolking used to praise Trump for building the wall and now claims he didn't," the source said. "The fact that they're responding to this shows how vulnerable they know they are on this issue."

Biden tries to break through as GOP primary brawl starts

Naomi Lim

April 17, 04:00 AM April 17, 04:01 AM

President Joe Biden was hoping to underscore his record with the public before announcing a highly anticipated reelection campaign.

But declared and undeclared Republican presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, are hogging the political spotlight as the 2024 primary enters the spring, though not always to Biden's disadvantage.

BIDEN TRIES TO CONTAIN CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS LEAK FALLOUT: 'STAKES JUST GOT HIGHER'

Biden acting presidential compared to "the dumpster fire engulfing the Republican Party" is a proverbial political split-screen "I’d take any day of the week," according to former White House principal deputy press secretary Eric Schultz.

"President Biden is not going to get as much attention as his [predecessor] does for getting indicted, and that’s OK because this contrast is why Democrats have prevailed in the last three election cycles," Schultz told the Washington Examiner.

But Schultz encouraged reporters assessing a president's success by their media coverage to engage in "some self-reflection" as Biden returns from a five-day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland.

"The journalists who ask if Biden is going to get drowned out are the same journalists breathlessly covering Donald Trump wall-to-wall," he said.

Democratic strategist Tracy Sefl contended Biden's accomplishments, such as the partisan American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, will be promoted "in a more subtle way" amid "the Trump-GOP food fights."

"What I mean by that is, for example, a voter may be inundated with news about the latest Republican outrage, but they‘ll be listening to the coverage while driving home from a doctor’s appointment in their newly affordable electric vehicle over a local bridge that’s been fully repaired," she said.

But fellow strategist Mark Mellman disputed the assumption Biden is not commanding the public's attention, despite the White House taking advantage of preplanned trips across the country to attract local news coverage while national and international outlets were focused on Trump's indictment.

"[Presidents] always have competition, apathy and disinterest most important, but President Biden will always have the opportunity to talk to the American people," he said. "On any given day, Trump’s grave legal perils may well dominate the news. But President Biden has access to the public every and any day."

At the same time, Biden's trips to Minnesota and North Carolina were overshadowed by Trump speculating about being indicted in New York before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg advised the former president he was proceeding with charges.

For Duke University Polis Center Director Mac McCorkle, Biden's trip to semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed in Durham, North Carolina, to launch his "Investing in America Tour" and discuss his economic agenda was not "buried," but he did recall MSNBC leading with Trump's potential indictment instead.

"If it's Trump in the general [election], it's still going to be a referendum on Trump in many respects, so I just don't know that there's anything that Biden can do about it," he said. "And I'm not sure he has to do anything about that."

But University of Minnesota Center for the Study of Politics and Governance Director Lawrence Jacobs pointed to Biden's 43%-52% approval-disapproval rating after his visit to the Cummins Power Generation Factory, north of Minneapolis, where the president also cited his clean energy achievements.

"Plenty of bad news now: inflation, possible decline of [the] economy, massive intel breach, etc.," he said. "Ducking coverage in 2023 [is] probably better than having headlines on bad news."

The White House has been trying to strike a balance between criticizing the Republican field without amplifying any presidential hopeful's message. But Biden aides do not seem to mind relitigating abortion access, entitlement reform, and gun control, with Democrats attributing their outperformance in last year's midterm elections to their positions on those issues.

As the Republican contenders attack one another on Social Security and Medicare, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was ready with a statement scrutinizing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for signing a bill into law that will further restrict Florida's abortion ban from 15 to six weeks into a pregnancy.

"At every opportunity following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, from the Kansas ballot initiative in August to five abortion ballot initiatives in November to last week’s elections in Wisconsin, the message has been clear: Americans demand the freedom to make their own decisions about their own bodies without government interference," she wrote Friday.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates similarly criticized "MAGA Republicans" for attending this weekend's National Rifle Association's convention in Indianapolis. Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH), former Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and multimillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy addressed the conference in person. DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley recorded video remarks.

"Unlike MAGA House Republicans, President Biden is acting to keep kids safe by providing communities with funding for well-trained school resource officers and appropriate school physical security improvements, among other school safety strategies that communities may choose for their schools," Bates wrote in a statement. "But we can’t stop there. We have to keep weapons of war off our streets and out of our schools, and take other commonsense steps to keep guns out of dangerous hands."

Donald Trump arrest: Former president rips 'fake case' and maintains his innocence

Naomi Lim

April 04, 09:32 PM April 04, 09:36 PM

Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee front-runner, was defiant in his first public on-camera remarks since he became the first holder of the office to be charged with a crime.

"I never thought anything like this could happen in America," Trump told supporters Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago, his private resort and club in Palm Beach, Florida. "The only crime I have committed is to fiercely defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it."

HOW BIDEN COULD BENEFIT FROM TRUMP INDICTMENT

Without third wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner by his side, the former president relitigated the federal Russia investigation, his first impeachment over Ukraine, and the 2020 election.

"This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election, and it should be dropped immediately," he said after being introduced as the "next president of the United States."

Observers who wondered whether he would criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York state Judge Juan Merchan were not required to wait long during his 25-minute speech, with Trump also scrutinizing special counsel Jack Smith, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia. The former president additionally had words to say about President Joe Biden, comparing his record with that of his predecessor.

"We are a failing nation. We are a nation in decline," he said. "With all being said, and with a very dark cloud over our beloved country, I have no doubt, nevertheless, that we will make America great again."

Donald Trump, Jr., Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), 2022 Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, My Pillow CEO Michael Lindell, and Richard Nixon ally Roger Stone were among the guests gathered in the former president's gilded ballroom. The former president earlier spoke to supporters who were not invited or could not attend on the phone.

Trump's indignant demeanor was different from the stone-faced appearance captured by the select photographers permitted in the Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday afternoon. There, he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments he made before the 2016 election.

As Trump was being booked and fingerprinted, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Trump being arraigned is not "a focus" for President Joe Biden.

"Of course, this is playing out on many of the networks here on a daily basis for hours and hours, so he will catch parts of the news when he has a moment to catch up on the news of the day," she said.

Biden ignored journalists who shouted questions about whether Trump being indicted was "politically motivated" before a meeting with his science and technology advisers at the White House

.

Bragg has been scrutinized for his scant charging document, unsealed during Trump's hearing, even by "Never Trumper" Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). In a press conference afterward, Bragg defended his case, drawing parallels between it and the federal investigations into Trump's role in Jan. 6, Georgia's inquiry into whether the former president interfered in the 2020 election, and, to a lesser extent, the federal investigation into his handling of classified information. Bragg, too, stood by the delayed action, citing new evidence.

"We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct," he said. "The participants' scheme was illegal. The scheme violated New York election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means."

Trump's attorneys held their own media opportunity, defending the former president's rhetoric regarding Bragg and Merchan. Trump had earlier shared a doctored image on social media of him swinging a baseball bat at Bragg and told supporters Merchan “hated” him.

“He’s not going after the judge. He noted there were some issues that might cause a conflict,” Trump lawyer Susan Necheles said.

During their return to Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday afternoon, after flying to New York on Monday, Trump's team disseminated a fundraising email with a manufactured mugshot. Trump aides claim they have raised millions since alluding to Tuesday's events two weeks ago while a grand jury was still impaneled.

Trump allegedly had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels in 2006, shortly after the birth of his son Barron with Melania. Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges related to organizing the $130,000 payment to Daniels before the 2016 election, was reimbursed by the Trump Organization for "legal expenses" while the former president was in the White House. Cohen was also involved in "catch-and-kill" deals with the National Enquirer, which paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for her story about an alleged affair with Trump and a Trump Tower doorman $30,000 for his claims the former president had a child out of wedlock. The tabloid never published the articles.

Trump's next court date is in December, when Merchan will rule on any motions filed by the former president's legal representatives. The trial is expected to start in January, the same month as Iowa's Republican primary caucuses.

Donald Trump arrest: How strong is Bragg's hush money case against the former president?

Kaelan Deese

April 04, 07:03 PM April 04, 07:04 PM

Former President Donald Trump faced an unprecedented indictment in New York criminal court Tuesday afternoon as the public was finally informed of the charges Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is levying against the 45th president.

The indictment consists of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump is accused of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels, Playboy model Karen McDougal, and a former Trump Tower doorman who'd claimed to know a story about a child Trump allegedly had out of wedlock.

DONALD TRUMP ARREST: READ THE FULL INDICTMENT IN THE HISTORIC CASE AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT

Bragg's office is alleging the falsification of those records ties into Trump's alleged political efforts to save face ahead of his 2016 presidential announcement.

"When you see the doorman payment, the McDougal payment, and the Stormy Daniels payment, you realize this is effectively a conspiracy that's being alleged," Scott Tenley, a former federal prosecutor and partner at Zweiback, Fiset & Zalduendo, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.

But legal experts have said there's no precedent for prosecutors to combine the falsifying business records charge with a violation of state election law in a case involving a presidential election or any federal campaign for that matter.

"It is incredibly difficult to show that the payments were for election purposes rather than for other purposes," Michael O’Neill, assistant general counsel at Landmark Legal Foundation, told the Washington Examiner last month.

Daniels's representatives contacted the National Enquirer to offer exclusive rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. David Pecker, the tabloid’s publisher and an ally of Trump, agreed to scope out damaging stories about him during the 2016 campaign, later agreeing to purchase the story of another woman’s affair with Trump and never publish it, described by Bragg's office as “catch and kill.”

Pecker ultimately did not purchase Daniels's story. Pecker and the tabloid’s lead editor, Dylan Howard, assisted in brokering a separate deal between Trump's ex-attorney Michael Cohen and Daniels's attorney.

Cohen paid $130,000 from his own funds, and the Trump Organization later reimbursed him while Trump was a sitting president, citing Cohen's payment as a "monthly retainer" for his legal work.

According to Bragg's investigation, it revealed Pecker's alliance with Trump continued through the 2016 election and the former president's inauguration. The investigation revealed that after Pecker's help, he was invited to the inauguration and later a dinner at the White House in 2017.

The grand jury heard testimony from various witnesses since it was formed in January, including two appearances by Pecker.

"If you look at the statement of facts, there's some really damning information that clearly came from Pecker, which is an agreement to engage in the 'catch and kill' to help Trump's campaign," Tenley said.

Jared Carter, a professor at Vermont Law School, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that "it's the prosecutor's burden to prove the case," noting that "demonstrating intent" by Trump is the crux of getting a conviction.

Legal experts have also pointed out several potential holes that could make Bragg's case a steep uphill battle to convict the former president. For one, Cohen is not considered a strong possible witness given his credibility is open to challenge since he pleaded guilty in 2018 to nine felonies and was sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Since the case against Trump also ties back to 2016 and 2017, legal experts have suggested it may fall outside the range of the statute of limitations. Trump's legal team will likely attempt any effort to dismiss the case, and Trump is not expected to be back in court until December.

"I mean, it's worse than a zombie case," former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz previously told the Washington Examiner. "Zombies were once alive. This case never had any life to it — made up from the very beginning, and it's also a clear violation of the statute of limitations."

There could be some exceptions to the five-year deadline, such as the fact that Trump was previously in the Oval Office and if the person being charged was living out of state.

Responding to several questions at a Tuesday afternoon press conference about why Bragg decided to bring the case now, the district attorney said it was because the evidence in the case was "ready."

“Under New York State law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud, and an intent to conceal another crime. That is exactly what this case is about," Bragg added.

Meanwhile, Trump's legal team entered a not guilty plea Tuesday and previously indicated that they plan to make "a lot of motions" once they see the indictment, attorney Joe Tacopina said last week.

"I don't think this case is going to see a jury. I think it's going to go away on papers," Tacopina said. "I think there's a legal challenge that will be made and should be made successfully."

Tacopina has even referenced the case of two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and his federal indictment as an example that underlines his view that Bragg posits a flimsy case. Edwards was charged with soliciting nearly $1 million from wealthy donors to hide an affair.

Although he ultimately admitted to the affair, which contrasts with Trump's denial of an affair with Daniels, Edwards was acquitted by a jury in 2012 that found him not guilty of one count of receiving illegal campaign donations and deadlocked on five other charges, which the Justice Department subsequently dropped.

Carter predicted that Trump will likely continue his "scorched earth" legal strategy to "slow things down."

"And clearly, the president is trying to take political advantage of this case. And so in some ways, the longer this drags on, you know, the better for him," Carter added.

Donald Trump indicted: Can he turn Manhattan grand jury vote into 2024 gold?

W. James Antle III

March 30, 07:22 PM March 30, 07:22 PM

Former President Donald Trump’s long anticipated New York indictment, handed down on Thursday, will test whether he can continue to defy the laws of political gravity.

The rumors of the Manhattan grand jury indictment, stoked by Trump himself, rallied the Republican base behind the former president, who has already announced for 2024.

DESANTIS VS. TRUMP AS THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE

Rank-and-file Republican voters are animated by the belief that the criminal justice system has been weaponized against conservatives. Trump’s argument is that this can be done to him, it could happen to any of his supporters.

“A former president, a current candidate and my friend President Donald J. Trump is a victim of a corrupt and distorted version of the American justice system and history,” Trump attorney Alina Habba said in a statement afterward. “He will be vindicated.”

Trump himself described the indictment as “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”

“The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before,” he continued. “Ever.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is viewed as a partisan figure. The legal case is believed by some experts to not be very strong. The issues at hand — the charges are believed to be related to the payment of hush money to a porn star — are less consequential than those involving Jan. 6, the 2020 election, or Trump’s handling of classified documents.

But there is no guarantee that this will continue to redound to Trump’s benefit. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is not a declared candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. But the expected contender has already displayed a willingness to relitigate Trump’s alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, a story that might not age well with social conservatives. And central to the Florida governor’s appeal is that he is a no-drama alternative to Trump.

Trump, by contrast, is leaning into the drama. He has denounced Bragg as the latest of his Democratic tormentors. He held his first rally since the indictment reports began circulating in Waco, Texas, the site of the deadly federal raid on the Branch Davidians’ compound in 1993.

Nearly any other candidate would have to suspend their campaign in response to a development of this nature. Trump could easily use his mugshot or images of his perp walk to galvanize the Republican base. He has denied reports that he would welcome being shot during an arrest, but many in his orbit are seeking to turn his legal woes into a political windfall.

"The unprecedented election interference from corrupt Socialist District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a political witch-hunt and a dark day for America,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said in a statement.

President Joe Biden and the White House have remained quiet about Trump’s latest legal issues. Many Republicans allege the indictment is designed to aid Biden politically, pointing to the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation during the 2016 campaign.

Trump has survived two impeachments, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, his 2020 reelection defeat, and his role in a disappointing midterm election result for Republicans with his hold on the base intact.

It is possible that even if an indictment helps Trump in the Republican primaries, it won’t have the same effect in a general election. Trump will carry the distinction of being the first president ever to be indicted, a marker that does not seem likely to enable him to win back suburban voters who swung against him four years ago.

Both Biden and DeSantis are likely to play up the chaotic nature of Trump’s presidency. The headlines surrounding a criminal trial will help feed that narrative.

There is also the possibility that the Manhattan grand jury will only be the beginning of the legal troubles Trump will face, with other investigations brewing elsewhere on multiple fronts.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IN THE

But for now, Trump is betting he can benefit politically from a legal development that would doom any more conventional campaign. To him, the grand jury vote is the ultimate proof of his argument that he is the victim of a sustained witch hunt.

The question is how long Republican primary voters will agree.

Biden heralds midterm elections as 'rejection' of 'extremism' undermining democracy

Naomi Lim

March 29, 12:43 PM March 29, 12:43 PM

President Joe Biden alluded to former President Donald Trump's 2020 election challenges during an address delivered as co-host of his second Summit for Democracy.

Biden underscored last year's midterm elections as "free, fair, and secure," demonstrating the "resilience" of the country's democracy after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

BIDEN REVEALS WHICH STATES HE IS TARGETING IN SPENDING BLITZ — AND 2024

"Voters resoundingly and roundly rejected the voices of extremism attacking and undermining our democracy," he told the virtual summit on Wednesday from the White House. “Our job is to keep building on our progress so we don’t start heading in the wrong direction again."

Biden cited the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act as one instance in which he is ensuring "elections continue to reflect the will of the American people and protect the peaceful transfer of power."

"We're going to keep working to further strengthen protections by working to pass what we call the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act," he said.

Biden's remarks at the summit, the inaugural event of which was last year, were attended virtually by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in addition to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso Mendoza, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, and Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova. Egypt, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Turkey were not invited to participate.

“We're committed to supporting democratic institutions, human rights, rule of law, media freedom," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters this week. "So decisions around whether to add countries to the summit invitation were made with all these themes in mind. Those that were newly invited in 2023 demonstrated clear political will to bolster the themes of the summit.”

Biden opened his speech Wednesday by apologizing for his raspy voice, a symptom of a head cold.

"That's the only thing that's happening to me these days," he said.

Trump vows to protect seniors from Republicans like Paul Ryan 'disciple' DeSantis

Katherine Doyle

March 13, 09:36 PM March 13, 09:45 PM

Former President Donald Trump vowed to protect seniors from “establishment” Republicans if returned to the White House, attacking a top would-be rival on Social Security and Medicare in his first trip to Iowa of the 2024 campaign.

Trump’s focus on entitlements suggests he believes his populist message lends him an edge over the Republican hopefuls weighing their prospects for the nomination.

In Davenport, Trump likened Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to the failed GOP 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), whom he maligned as a member of “the Paul Ryan Republican establishment,” leaning into a distinction that helped propel the former leader to victory in 2016.

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While in Congress, DeSantis “wanted to decimate” Social Security, “severely” cut Medicare spending, and lift the retirement age to 70 years old, Trump said on Monday, noting, “Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan [who] would constantly vote against entitlements.”

Trump added, “You remember … Democrats used that ‘wheelchair over the cliff' commercial? Very effective. That was about him.”

It’s also a target of President Joe Biden, whose White House has sought to drive a wedge between Republicans in negotiations over the debt ceiling.

Trump has stepped up his attacks on the field of potential GOP rivals, singling out DeSantis in particular. Unmentioned in Trump’s speech was Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a U.N. ambassador during the Trump administration and former South Carolina governor who recently called for changing the retirement age for people in their 20s.

Trump’s jabs also come as polls show DeSantis consolidating a groundswell of support with Republican voters. While Trump remains the favorite, the Florida governor polls consistently as Trump’s top rival in the 2024 Republican primary.

DeSantis is said to be carefully weighing a White House bid but has not made an announcement. A slew of appearances in early nominating states as the governor promotes his book have added to the speculation. He was in Iowa and Nevada over the weekend and will travel to New Hampshire next month.

Speaking to reporters aboard his private plane, Trump swiped at DeSantis and credited himself for securing the Florida governor’s victory in 2018, calling him disloyal.

“He was dead as a dog. He was a dead politician. He would have been working perhaps for a law firm or doing something else,” Trump told reporters while traveling to Iowa on Monday, according to Politico. Asked if he regretted his endorsement, Trump responded, “Yeah, maybe. This guy was dead. He was dead as a doornail. ... I might say that.”

Trump acknowledged another potential competitor orbiting the primary contest, Mike Pence, his former vice president, who rebuked his former running mate over the weekend over Jan. 6.

“As far as Mike, I heard his statement. And I guess he figured that being nice is not working because he’s at 3 in the polls. So he figured he might as well not be nice any longer,” Trump said.

Trump has drawn battle lines in the early nominating contest by reviving a message on trade and China that helped secure his victory in 2016.

DeSantis has brushed off Trump’s attacks in recent weeks, equating them to “background noise.”

Here's how Ron DeSantis plans to attack Trump: Very carefully

W. James Antle III

March 03, 06:00 AM March 03, 06:00 AM

After months of taking slings and arrows from former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) counteroffensive strategy is starting to take shape.

DeSantis has largely shrugged off increasingly personal attacks from Trump, who appears to regard the Florida governor’s apparent, yet still unannounced, interest in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination as an act of disloyalty. Trump frequently mentions his 2018 endorsement of DeSantis in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

As DeSantis drops the clearest hints yet that he will be getting into the race, however, subtle attempts to criticize and contrast himself with Trump have become noticeable.

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"I didn’t have a single leak in my administration,” DeSantis told WHD News. “You could have the best vision in the world, make the best decisions as the executive — if you don’t have people that will carry out that and implement it, then it’s not gonna amount to very much."

Whose administration might DeSantis be contrasting himself with?

The Trump White House leaked like a sieve. Officials jockeyed for position and a mercurial president’s favor. Frequent departures led to a high number of disgruntled former employees speaking to the press, sometimes on the record but often anonymously.

Trump also ignored the dictum that personnel is policy, hiring staffers and appointing high-level officials who disagreed with him on the issues. Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka were, as family members, his closest advisers. They were also essentially Democrats, centrists at best.

The discrepancy between Trump’s foreign policy and that of much of his national security team was illustrated by his appointment of John Bolton at a time when the administration sought to withdraw from Afghanistan and shrink the U.S. military footprint in the Middle East. Aside from DeSantis, the rest of the 2024 Republican presidential field may be dominated by people who worked for Trump, led by former Vice President Mike Pence.

But DeSantis was only complimentary of Trump in the interview.

“His endorsement was the big enchilada,” DeSantis said of winning Trump’s backing for governor, a regular bone of contention at Mar-a-Lago. “Our voters want to look at you, and they size you up, and they take this responsibility very, very seriously.”

DeSantis has also taken a page out of the playbook of an already declared Republican contender, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. He is using attack lines that overtly target President Joe Biden but also apply to Trump. One of the most obvious areas is age, as some Republicans clamor for a generational change in leadership.

“You know, don’t we need some more energy in the executive?” DeSantis told the Times of London. “Don’t we need a little bit more vigor and a little bit more punch?”

“I think people in Florida, I mean, we go very high-octane,” he added. “I bounce around to all corners of this state. And I think people respond to that.”

Biden is 80, DeSantis is 44. But Trump is 76. And this pitch also counterpunches against the Trump branding that helped doom the presidential ambitions of one of DeSantis’s predecessors as Florida governor: “low energy.”

But DeSantis doesn’t say the Trump part out loud. He emphasizes he is most interested in working against the agenda of Biden and the Democrats, not his fellow Republicans.

“Look, I have the responsibility to govern a state, and I’ve got to focus on delivering results,” DeSantis recently told the Washington Examiner. “I’ve also got to protect the people against Biden’s policies, and so when I’m getting in fights, I’m fighting Biden.”

“I think get it done, keep your eye on the ball, and just keep delivering results and fighting back against the Biden administration,” he added.

No direct mention of Trump, only Biden. But who doesn’t keep his eye on the ball, focus on delivering results, and make sure he only fights Biden rather than other Republicans? The former president, who goes after DeSantis by tying him to longtime Republican stalwarts such as Karl Rove, Jeb Bush, and former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).

A core argument of any DeSantis campaign is that it is possible to have Republican leadership that fights but better picks its battles — political combatants who are unafraid of Democrats and the media but more prudent, disciplined, and effective in hitting back.

Trump’s counterargument is that DeSantis is an imitation of the real thing and a vehicle for the GOP establishment to take back the party from the MAGA base while appropriating his "America First" rhetoric. Trump’s culture war is not your costume.

But that requires Trump to go after Republicans. It may have worked in 2016 against 16 GOP foes, but after a mostly disappointing midterm election, other than DeSantis’s 19-point landslide victory in what is generally considered a battleground state, this tactic might not have aged well.

Don’t expect DeSantis to respond in kind, making his likely campaign expressly anti-Trump. Not even when he is.

Teacher who wore MAGA hat to school protected by First Amendment, court rules

Cami Mondeaux

January 04, 02:51 PM January 04, 02:51 PM

A Washington teacher who wore a MAGA hat to a cultural sensitivity and racial bias training is protected under the law because the apparel itself does not cause a “tangible disruption” that outweighs his First Amendment rights, a federal appeals court panel ruled last week.

In a decision released on Thursday, the three-judge panel ruled in favor of former teacher Eric Dodge, who wore the hat supporting former President Donald Trump on at least two occasions at Wy'east Middle School before the 2019-2020 school year. Dodge’s choice to wear the hat is considered protected speech under the First Amendment, the panel ruled, despite complaints from other teachers who attended the training sessions.

TRUMP, BOGGED DOWN BY LEGAL WOES, DEMANDS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATE BIDEN

“While some of the training attendees may have been outraged or offended by Dodge’s political expression, no evidence of actual or tangible disruption to school operations has been presented,” Judge Danielle J. Forrest, who was appointed by Trump, wrote in the opinion. “Political speech is the quintessential example of protected speech, and it is inherently controversial.”

After Dodge wore the hat to a cultural sensitivity training, Wy'east Middle School Principal Caroline Garret allegedly told him he should use better judgment, according to court filings.

However, after wearing the hat again the next day, Dodge alleged he was “verbally attacked” by Garret and other school employees, accusing them of violating his First Amendment rights. Garret rejected Dodge’s accusations that she used profanity or raised her voice during the interaction, according to court documents.

Dodge filed a harassment complaint with the school district against Garret, which was later dismissed, but the former principal was asked to resign from her post and Dodge was relocated to another school. The sixth-grade teacher later sued the school district in federal court, alleging Garret and the district’s chief human resources officer violated his First Amendment rights.

The appeals court also found that the district did not take improper administrative action in its decision to relocate Dodge to another school. Michael McFarland, the lawyer representing the school district and chief human resources officer Janae Gomes, told CBS News that his clients were pleased with the ruling.

Joe Biden set to work with a House speaker he has called a 'MAGA Republican'

W. James Antle III

November 18, 06:31 AM November 18, 06:31 AM

President Joe Biden was effusive in his praise for departing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — but he will soon have to work with a man he has described as a member of a democracy-threatening political faction: a MAGA Republican.

Biden called to congratulate House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), likely the next speaker of the House, when Republicans won their 218th seat Wednesday night.

"I congratulate Leader McCarthy on Republicans winning the House majority, and am ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families," the president said in a statement.

But numerous times in the run-up to the midterm elections, Biden referred to “Kevin McCarthy and his fellow MAGA Republicans” while campaigning for Democrats.

DOES PELOSI STEPPING DOWN GIVE DEMOCRATS ENOUGH CHANGE FOR BIDEN TO RUN AGAIN?

Biden was always vague about who exactly was a MAGA Republican. Sometimes he hinted he was only referring to politicians who refuse to accept electoral defeats as legitimate. At other times the MAGA label seemed to be applied more broadly to standard conservative positions that predate former President Donald Trump’s political career.

Still, Biden has said the designation describes “a minority of the Republican Party.” As recently as the day after the election, he said, “I think the vast majority of the members of the Republican Party, we disagree strongly on issues, but they're decent, honorable people.”

Biden has been especially careful not to indict GOP leaders he may have to work with on legislation. He has never described Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as a MAGA Republican. The White House in September declined to answer a question about whether McConnell qualified as one.

“It didn't matter if you were a Republican, or independent, or Democrat — he asked for folks to come together and stand against what we were seeing: these attacks,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said while dodging the McConnell question after a Biden prime-time anti-MAGA speech. “And you don't have to look further than Jan. 6 of 2021 to see what the attack was."

Unlike McConnell, McCarthy reconciled with Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Trump endorsed McCarthy, and the California Republican encouraged the former president to play a role in the midterm elections.

While mostly blocking Biden’s agenda in the Senate except when Democrats could avoid filibusters through the reconciliation process, McConnell cooperated with Biden on a few big-ticket bipartisan items. This most prominently included infrastructure, gun legislation, and the semiconductor bill, all of which passed with McConnell’s vote. McCarthy’s team whipped against these bills in the House.

Biden served in the Senate with McConnell. He doesn’t have much of a prior relationship with McCarthy. “I think he's the Republican leader, and I haven't had much of occasion to talk to him,” Biden said of McCarthy in a post-election press conference. “But I will be talking to him.”

While Biden often singled out Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) on the stump, he also suggested a Republican-controlled House would damage the economy to hurt his reelection prospects or force him to cut programs like Social Security and Medicare.

There has long been an inconsistency between Biden’s frequent resort to partisan sharp elbows and his self-image as a bipartisan deal-maker. Both he and McCarthy have different interests in how to manage divided government with an eye toward 2024, when Biden may be looking for reelection and Republicans will certainly be seeking to hold the House and gain the White House.

Republican control of the House also means GOP lawmakers will have greater power to conduct congressional investigations. That means additional oversight of the Biden administration and investigations into matters like Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.

The last two Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden’s ex-boss Barack Obama, saw their reelection prospects boosted by running against Republicans in Congress. If McCarthy does not work as a foil for Biden, other members like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) might.

As the Democratic House majority slipped away, Biden nevertheless insisted that his legislative work was not done and maintained that “the future is too promising to be trapped in political warfare.”

“The American people want us to get things done for them,” Biden said. “They want us to focus on the issues that matter to them and on making their lives better. And I will work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, willing to work with me to deliver results for them.

But a mega-MAGA Republican?

We’ll soon find out.

Lake joins list of MAGA supporters bombing races as midterm elections reach their end

Rachel Schilke

November 15, 01:33 PM November 15, 01:33 PM

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is the latest in a string of MAGA enthusiasts to lose in the midterm elections as the final results for remaining races begin to roll in.

Lake lost to Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) on Monday night. Hobbs won with 50.4% of the vote, compared to Lake's 49.6%. The Republican, endorsed by former President Donald Trump and an avid 2020 election denier, has not conceded the race. Instead, she tweeted, "Arizonans know BS when they see it."

She is the latest MAGA Republican to lose her race in a midterm election that was expected to bring about a major victory for the party. However, Republicans had a weaker showing than expected, and the red wave never came to fruition. The Democrats secured a majority in the Senate, thanks to wins from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in Nevada against Adam Laxalt and Sen. Mark. Kelly (D-AZ) in Arizona against Blake Masters, another MAGA supporter.

TRUMP ANNOUNCEMENT LOOMS OVER GEORGIA SENATE RUNOFF AS GOP FRACTURES

Republicans are now on track to only net 1-2% of all House races due to MAGA supporters losing predictably winnable races, according to Dave Wasserman, the House editor of Cook Political Report. The projection comes as Republicans are set to have a 6-7% pro-GOP vote swing in the lower chamber of Congress.

"The #AZGOV outcome is the exclamation point on how badly MAGA enthusiasts bombed last week — costing Rs eminently winnable races up and down the ballot," Wasserman tweeted.

Lake joins the five other Trump-endorsed candidates who lost the gubernatorial race, the most notable being Tudor Dixon in Michigan. Dixon, who is a vocal Trump supporter, blamed the Michigan GOP, rather than Trump, for her loss.

Some Republicans are placing the blame on the shoulders of the former president himself for their significant losses. Sarah Chamberlain, the president of the Republican Main Street Partnership Political Action Committee, said Friday that Trump "single-handedly wasted" the party’s golden opportunity to make massive gains in Congress by endorsing bad candidates in key contests.

Several GOP leaders are hoping that Trump decides to stay out of the Senate runoff race in Georgia between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Trump-endorsed Republican Herschel Walker. Walker's campaign, meanwhile, is hoping for support from respected members of the GOP, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had overwhelming personal and state victories during the midterm elections.

Four of six Trump-endorsed Senate candidates in swing states have already lost their races, including Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, which the Democrats were able to flip blue, and Masters, whose victory could have led to preventing a Democratic majority. All four secretary of state candidates endorsed by Trump in swing states lost their races.

Backlash against Trump's involvement in the 2022 midterm elections comes as he is expected to announce his run for president on Tuesday night from Mar-a-Lago.

DeSantis is also projected to be a major contender for the GOP nomination for president in 2024. He said during a news conference Tuesday that Trump needs to "check out the scoreboard" when looking at his victories in Florida compared to Trump's in 2020.

Tensions between the two have continued to rise, as Republicans may look to dump the former president in favor of the Florida governor.

Trump expected to jump into 2024 race as GOP weighs dumping him for DeSantis

Christian Datoc

November 15, 06:30 AM November 15, 06:31 AM

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — Former President Donald Trump is expected to launch a 2024 bid for the White House, even as some Republicans are looking to dump him following Republicans’ underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterm elections.

Trump’s announcement will be made Tuesday evening in prime time, live from his private club in South Florida, Mar-a-Lago. However, some of his close advisers urged him in recent days to hold off until after the conclusion of Georgia’s Senate runoff election in December.

TRUMP ANNOUNCEMENT LOOMS OVER GEORGIA SENATE RUNOFF AS GOP FRACTURES

As a whole, Trump’s stock has slipped in recent weeks. His endorsed candidates suffered key losses on election night, including both the Senate and gubernatorial races in Pennsylvania, while Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has seen his star rise with likely Republican voters following a landslide, near 20-point reelection effort.

For his part, Trump has sought to elbow “DeSanctimonious” out of the race before either officially enters. He released a lengthy statement two days after the election lashing out at the “average” governor and his refusal to declare a desire to run for president.

“The Fake News asks him if he’s going to run if President Trump runs, and he says, ‘I’m only focused on the Governor’s race, I’m not looking into the future,’” Trump wrote in the statement. “Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that’s really not the right answer.” The former president and his family have even sent DeSantis thinly veiled threats in recent interviews with WHD News.

“I would tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering,” Trump said on Nov. 9 when asked about a potential DeSantis presidential bid. “DeSantis, I know more about him than anybody, other than, perhaps, his wife.”

Lara Trump, the wife of the former president’s second son, Eric, similarly suggested how it would be “nicer” for DeSantis if he didn’t run in 2024.

“Those primaries get very messy and very raw, we’ve experienced that before. So wouldn’t it be nicer for him, and I think he knows this, to wait until 2028,” she stated. “I think that Ron DeSantis is very smart. Look, he’s a young guy. There will be a lot of opportunity for him in the future, and he knows this, to run for president. I think he’s probably waiting to see what my father-in-law does.”

A growing number of GOP officials and lawmakers have also distanced themselves from Trump following the midterm elections. Senator-elect JD Vance (R-OH), a MAGA adherent and Trump endorsee, did not name Trump in a list of dozens he thanked in his election night victory speech. Vance did defend Trump in his postmortem on the midterm elections, however.

On Monday, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is facing his own post-midterm hurdles, declined to tell reporters whether he supports Trump being the 2024 nominee.

“President Trump’s endorsed candidates won roughly 90% of the time but fell short in a number of key races,” one GOP official noted to the Washington Examiner. “He’s far from perfect, but it looks like he doesn’t have the same pull in some of these swing states that he did in 2020 or 2016. On the other hand, people look at DeSantis as a fresh start. Someone who can continue on the work the Trump administration started, without any of the baggage.”

Some Trump supporters and critics alike, however, maintain that DeSantis won’t actually challenge Trump head-on in 2024.

The Lincoln Project’s George Conway, who is married to former Trump White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, said Sunday on Meet the Press that a Trump-DeSantis primary would be “the mud fest to end all mud fests.”

“For DeSantis, I don’t see what the upside is for him to do that if he might lose,” he continued. “Even if DeSantis does succeed in knocking off Trump, he will end up with some significant percentage of the Republican base angry at him.”

“He’s 44 years old, his best play, his most rational play — and he is rational, unlike Trump — would be to basically continue raising money by leaving open the possibility of running, keep building that massive war chest that he has,” Conway concluded.

President Joe Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee following the party’s surprising midterm performance, seemed tickled at the prospect of Trump and DeSantis slugging it out for the next two years.

“It’d be fun watching them take on each other,” he told reporters in his post-midterm press conference.

'350 election deniers': Biden puts number on MAGA Republicans on midterm ballot

W. James Antle III

November 03, 07:46 PM November 03, 07:46 PM

President Joe Biden has hesitated to name names when identifying “MAGA Republicans” who threaten democracy, but in New Mexico on Thursday, he did provide a number.

Biden said there were 350 “election deniers” on the Republican ticket in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The president previously used this number during a reception earlier this month for Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), who is challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for reelection. “Well, what happens is, if we don’t move on, deal with the state and local officials — you know, there are 350 deniers, Charlie,” Biden said.

BIDEN CALLS DESANTIS ‘DONALD TRUMP INCARNATE’ AT FLORIDA RECEPTION FOR CRIST

Biden also implied House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the likely incoming speaker if Republicans win a majority on Tuesday, was a “MAGA Republican.” He has been reluctant in the past to so designate GOP officials beyond former President Donald Trump, particularly when it involved lawmakers with whom he might have to deal in leadership roles, and said MAGA is a “minority of that party.”

A review of White House transcripts of Biden’s remarks finds that he has used some variation of “Kevin McCarthy and his fellow MAGA Republicans” six times, usually in the context of saying they would jeopardize the economy to force cuts to Social Security.

After a renewed focus on the economic issues that most polls say are dominant in this campaign, Biden delivered another prime-time address on the threats to democracy posed by the MAGA movement. This time, he highlighted what he saw as commonalities between the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by hardcore Trump supporters and the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Biden was in New Mexico to boost the reelection of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Democratic incumbent. The heavy campaign schedule in blue states and return to messaging designed to rally the progressive base suggested uncertainty about turnout among the party faithful, though it could also reflect Biden’s low approval ratings in purer battleground states.

“That governor of yours, she’s something else, isn’t she? She talks about being the shortest governor — she’s the tallest governor I know,” Biden said at a joint rally in Albuquerque. “She’s the real deal. She’s really the real deal. … No one’s going to fight harder for this state. It’s in her DNA.”

In remarks to an overflow crowd outside the rally earlier, Biden called her “the best governor in America.”

“And you got to reelect her,” he said, repeating a version of a line that has become a staple of his stump speeches: “Remember, this is not a referendum; this a choice. And the choice is stark between who we are, who she is, and who her opponent is. So let’s get going.”

Biden’s Wednesday night democracy speech in Washington, D.C., was heavy with references to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election. But he also referred to a present danger that Republicans would repeat that denial this year, despite being heavily favored in many races, and pleaded for patience as mail-in ballots are counted.

“As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America — for governor, Congress, attorney general, secretary of state — who won’t commit. They will not commit to accepting the results of elections that they’re running in,” he declared.

Biden has vacillated between attaching the MAGA label to the GOP brand as a whole and suggesting he is only talking about specific, if disproportionately influential, people beyond Trump himself. And he has said he has no quarrel with rank-and-file Republican voters while also saying “democracy is on the ballot.”

The White House in August identified five MAGA Republicans by name, three House backbenchers plus Trump and DeSantis. It has subsequently declined to be that specific.

Biden has frequently trained stump speech attacks on Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who chairs the Senate GOP campaign arm, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who is up for reelection this year, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a onetime friend of the president who sponsored a federal 15-week abortion ban after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

White House raises alarm on 'mega MAGA' economy as midterm picture darkens

Katherine Doyle

October 27, 05:00 AM October 27, 05:00 AM

With days until the midterm elections, the White House is going on the offensive against Republicans on the economy in a last-ditch bid to stanch Democrats’ bleeding.

The move comes as veteran Democratic strategists have publicly urged President Joe Biden to make a stronger economic case to voters worried about inflation after months of rising prices and as forecasts show Republicans tilting the balance in key races across the country.

MIDTERMS 2022: LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AHEAD OF CRUCIAL ELECTION

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, senior White House officials warned that Republican threats to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act would raise healthcare and energy costs for Americans and hike prescription drug prices for seniors.

Plans to extend tax cuts enacted during the Trump administration would hike the federal deficit, the officials said.

Also under threat from Republicans is President Joe Biden’s student loan relief program, they added.

The president’s policies “could not contrast more clearly with the Republican plan to repeal this relief for families,” one senior White House official said. She called the potential outcome of a Republican takeover next month “incredibly stark.”

Biden has warned that “mega-MAGA trickle-down economics” will hike inflation and risk the country’s credit rating if Republicans win control of Congress next month.

The picture has already darkened for Democrats as they seek to persuade voters that the party is best positioned to steward the country through a rocky economic period. Polls show voters favoring Republicans on the issue, and Biden's approval rating on his handling of the economy remains stubbornly low.

Many candidates in lean-Democrat races are now “teetering on the edge,” the Cook Political Report’s House editor, David Wasserman, has said.

In a new Monmouth University poll, Republicans hold a 6 percentage point advantage with registered voters, 50%, compared to 44% for Democrats. Republicans are also more likely than Democrats to say they are “extremely motivated” to vote, 64%-59%.

Asked about Biden’s own agenda, the first official said the president would focus on lowering consumers' costs, with a priority on bringing down oil prices “by ensuring that supply meets demand.”

If Democrats keep control of Congress, Biden has promised to codify abortion rights and push for an assault-style weapons ban.

Biden on Thursday will deliver remarks at a semiconductor factory in Syracuse, New York, to highlight his manufacturing and jobs agenda.

The White House said Biden intends to travel more ahead of the election but declined to preview specifics.

Biden doubles down on 'ultra-MAGA' attacks, looking at Trump as 'political gift'

Katherine Doyle

September 07, 07:00 AM September 07, 07:00 AM

President Joe Biden has trained his sights on the Republican Party’s “Trumpies” forward of the November midterm elections, elevating his polarizing former and likely long term rival in an endeavor to secure Democrats an electoral edge in the fall.

When viewing two battleground states on Labor Working day, Biden warned voters that democracy was less than threat from Republicans trustworthy to previous President Donald Trump, a message the incumbent Democrat has uttered with escalating urgency. Amid controversy, the president has insisted he is not aiming his fire at Trump's voters.

Republicans and Democrats agree that the technique aims to go the target absent from Biden as members of his bash put together to confront off from their GOP counterparts.

“He’s carrying out it to reinforce this strategy that the election is about improve, that it is not a referendum on his occupation as president in the final two a long time,” stated T.J. Rooney, a former chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

BIDEN'S 'MAGA' Attacks COULD 'SOFTEN' OPPOSITION TO TRUMP — IF HE STAYS ON Concept

Rather, holding the aim on Trump challenges uniting pissed off Democrats and swaying some independents. Biden started concentrating on “MAGA” Republicans just after a battleground study led by a best adviser indicated that the technique lends Democrats an edge in the November contests.

“It moves the needle. When you have a political gift that is Donald Trump, you participate in that hand as difficult and as generally as you can,” Rooney explained.

The aim on Trump will come as voters continue to convey misgivings about Biden’s management, inspite of the White House’s modern legislative victories.

Biden’s work acceptance is underwater at -12.4 percentage points, with 54.7% who disapprove in contrast to 42.3% who approve, according to a RealClearPolitics regular of polls.

“The Democrats would get hammered in November if the election is a referendum on their leadership in Washington,” explained Robert Blizzard, a veteran Republican pollster and associate at Community Viewpoint Techniques, citing the president’s inadequate approval score and America’s attitude towards the direction of the region.

Sixty-eight % of voters in a new Wall Avenue Journal poll mentioned the country was headed in the completely wrong direction, and shown the economy, inflation, and immigration between their best fears, problems they claimed Republicans had been superior equipped to deal with. One particular pollster identified at first damaging reactions to Biden's Philadelphia speech.

Biden is polling behind Democratic Residence candidates in some battlegrounds by an average of 6 proportion details, for each inside Democratic polls conducted in August and reviewed by Politico.

Nevertheless, according to the Journal’s poll, voters would favor Biden as president if the 2024 election had been held now in a matchup versus Trump.

Some of Trump’s endorsed candidates face very long odds in the countdown to November, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voicing skepticism that Republicans will retake the Senate, a information that has drawn rebuke within the celebration.

Blizzard explained Republicans won’t be divided by Biden elevating Trump’s specter, which he explained was the newest challenge right after college student loan forgiveness in a string of endeavours by the White Dwelling “to gin up enthusiasm between their Democratic foundation and body the forthcoming midterm as far more of a selection.”

Democrats, who have been keen for Biden to step into the ring, welcomed the blistering attack that he sent versus a red backdrop in Philadelphia last week

The bash has used more than $44 million boosting so-termed “Make The usa Terrific Again” candidates in approaching races, inspite of Biden’s recurring warnings that they risk imperiling the republic if elected.

“The the greater part of Democrats are saying, ‘It’s about damn time,’” stated Sasha Tirador, a Democratic consultant in South Florida.

While Tirador mentioned the Democratic foundation was already motivated by the Supreme Court’s overturning of constitutional abortion rights, Biden’s deal with last 7 days at Independence Hall stoked that enthusiasm.

“What the President did, as the leader of our party and country, was yell, ‘Charge!’,” she mentioned.

Rooney said that despite their deep considerations about “Make America Good Again” lawmakers, Democrats have a higher target.

“It’s about winning in November. You have to set your greatest foot ahead,” he stated.

‘Make Attorneys Get Attorneys’: How Trump FBI raid may possibly have exposed MAGA lawyers

Kaelan Deese

September 02, 11:59 AM September 02, 11:59 AM

Particulars launched this week from the Justice Department's investigation of documents previous President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate have prompted speculation by professionals as to no matter whether his lawyers could also be subject matter to legal implications.

Legal and intelligence specialists declare the proof laid out in the DOJ's Tuesday evening court filings could make a situation that Trump lawyers Christina Bobb and Evan Corcoran, who are symbolizing him in excess of the Aug. 8 raid at his Florida vacation resort, obstructed the federal investigation by allegedly telling FBI agents and prosecutors that they turned over classified records in spite of lots of remaining in Trump's possession.

"Make. Attorneys. Get. Attorneys," a engage in on Trump's "Make The united states Excellent Again" slogan, is how countrywide security lawyer Bradley Moss set it in a tweet, echoing the sentiment of lawful students who say there is precedent of a perceived possibility for attorneys involved with Trump's authorized disputes.

'SPIN IS REAL': TRUMP Lawyer RESPONDS TO UPROAR About Labeled Files

Moss referenced just one of the former president's lawyers, Alina Habba, who is symbolizing him in an unrelated investigation by New York Legal professional Typical Letitia James into his non-public business dealings, saying Habba and other lawful reps are "placing their foots in their personal mouths, usually on cable television," he instructed the Washington Examiner Thursday.

"Habba, for case in point, keeps earning herself a materials actuality witness, admitting on television to obtaining 'firsthand knowledge' of how factors have been arranged in the really exact same office environment in which FBI officials observed properly marked classified data," Moss claimed.

When Habba is not involved in representing Trump about the DOJ's felony investigation, she claimed to have an considerable expertise of Trump's Florida household in a WHD News interview Wednesday and as soon as said she performed a "diligent" research that provided "all desks, drawers, nightstands, dressers, closets, and many others" of the home in early Could, according to documents filed in a New York point out courtroom.

Habba criticized people who tied her reviews to an affidavit for "a fully unrelated case" in a subsequent interview with the network on Thursday, stating that she experienced never viewed categorized documents in her look for of Trump's house and that the "spin is genuine" with regards to the media's coverage of her opinions.

But Moss believes the "idea she engaged in that 'diligent' lookup and managed to miss out on the of course marked classified data defies credulity. The FBI definitely will want to ask her about it."

Some professionals have said the dilemma as to no matter whether Trump's lawyers could be held liable for obstruction of justice stems from a visitation by FBI brokers to the house in June, when Trump's lawyers did not permit them look for bins in a storage area in which the paperwork ended up retained.

Trump's custodian of information, who was not determined by identify in the DOJ's submitting but preceding experiences propose it is Bobb, signed a sworn statement on June 3 pledging to officers that a "diligent look for" for categorised records had been performed at Trump's estate. Corcoran allegedly informed federal brokers at the time that all categorised paperwork ended up returned, a assertion that falls flat in gentle of the a lot more than 100 extra labeled papers seized during the August raid.

National protection law firm Kel McClanahan recommended it is difficult to know what is precise about Bobb and Corcoran's discourse with investigators due to the fact "we have not witnessed the declaration," he instructed the Washington Examiner.

"And the extra lawyerly and weaselly the phrases are, the much more wiggle room there is simply because you have to confirm that it was a knowingly bogus assertion in get to prosecute somebody," McClanahan included.

The DOJ would most likely require to subpoena the legal professionals for communications and testimony in get to gauge Bobb's self-assurance in signing the certification, assuming she is the unnamed custodian of records, alongside with Corcoran's alleged statements to investigations.

McClanahan was brief to take note that these steps could interfere with attorney-shopper privilege, due to the fact any information and facts the DOJ would be trying to get for a potential obstruction case targeting the previous president would be regarded shielded communications between Trump and his attorneys.

"But then there is certainly this matter identified as the crime fraud exception," McClanahan added, specifying that if invoked, would bar lawyers from professing lawyer-customer privilege if they themselves have dedicated crimes or aided a criminal endeavor. Having said that, lawyers could invoke their Fifth Modification right versus self-incrimination if they knowingly misled the governing administration on Trump's behalf.

It's no key that numerous of Trump's lawyers have put themselves in lawful jeopardy via previous or current representation of him. Far more a short while ago, Trump's onetime individual attorney Rudy Giuliani was compelled to appear right before a grand jury in Ga about an investigation inspecting regardless of whether the former president interfered in the 2020 election. And 1 of the more noteworthy falls in Trump's environment occurred to attorney Michael Cohen, who was given a sentence of three years in federal prison and purchased to fork out $50,000 in 2018 once the lawyer pleaded responsible to marketing campaign finance violations and tax evasion.

Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing amid the flurry of investigations into him, his allies, and his Trump Corporation small business. The DOJ has not alleged any of his lawful associates of wrongdoing.

The former president statements to have declassified the documents uncovered at the Mar-a-Lago home, however his counsel contended in a filing Wednesday, which sought a exclusive grasp to critique evidence seized by the FBI, that it would be acceptable for the unique master to have a prime mystery/sensitive compartmented information and facts clearance.