Saturday, March 21, 2026

Top DeSantis, ‘Club for Growth’ Backers Are CCP App Investors Working to Prevent U.S. Ban.

Major backers of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign have also been working diligently on Capitol Hill to prevent the U.S. government from banning the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok – a suspected espionage tool. The neoliberal Club for Growth has become a leading voice in Washington, D.C. in opposing a ban or substantive restrictions. The Club for Growth’s opposition efforts appear to be financially fueled, in part, by billionaire Jeff Yass.

In 2012, Yass took a roughly 7 percent stake in ByteDance – TikTok’s Chinese parent company. Valued at $21 billion today, Yass’s ByteDance investment makes up a bulk of his $28 billion net worth. In order to protect the wealth he’s acquired, Yass has leaned heavily on The Club for Growth’s influence among Republican lawmakers. Since 2010, Yass has contributed $61 million the neoliberal advocacy group’s political action committee – just under a quarter of its budget over the same period.

Two of the Club for Growth’s biggest allies in Congress, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have been outspoken critics of efforts to ban TikTok. Both lawmakers have also received contributions from Yass.

Yass’s effort to protect his Chinese investment extends to the 2024 presidential campaign, as well. The Club for Growth was an early backer of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. A committee supporting the Florida governor’s presidential bid has received nearly $3 million from Yass.  In late 2022, when most Republican governors moved to ban TikTok on state government devices, Gov. DeSantis demurred – only finally signing a government device ban in May of this year shortly before announcing his presidential bid. Douglas Leone, whose Sequoia Capital is another major investor TikTok investor, has contributed at least $2 million to the pro-DeSantis SuperPAC Never Back Down.

ByteDance and TikTok’s control by the Chinese Communist Party has been well documented. The social media app’s parent company ByteDance has received significant financial support from the state-owned China Internet Investment Fund. The company has several cooperation agreements with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and least one ByteDance vice-president, Zhang Fuping, also serves as a committee secretary within the Chinese Communist Party.

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Major backers of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign have also been working diligently on Capitol Hill to prevent the U.S. government from banning the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok – a suspected espionage tool. The neoliberal Club for Growth has become a leading voice in Washington, D.C. in opposing a ban or substantive restrictions. The Club for Growth's opposition efforts appear to be financially fueled, in part, by billionaire Jeff Yass. show more
desantis polls

DeSantis Slips Into FIFTH in New Hampshire Poll.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has slipped to fifth place in the New Hampshire primary according to a new poll. Former President Trump continues to dominate the Republican field in The Granite State, garnering just shy of 40 percent of the vote.

Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who has spent the last two months campaigning heavily in New Hampshire, is in second place with 13 percent. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is in third with 12 percent, followed by Chris Christie with 11 percent. Gov. DeSantis has dropped 13 points since since the last CNN/University of New Hampshire survey and rounds out the top five candidates with just 10 percent.

The sinking poll numbers come as another blow to DeSantis’s presidential ambitions. Earlier this week, billionaire mega-donor Ken Griffin announced he would be sitting out the rest of the primary cycle despite being an early financial backer for the DeSantis campaign. Griffin blasted the Florida Governor’s political operation, stating: “It’s not clear to me what voter base he is intending to appeal to.”

On Monday, former President Trump announced that he has twice as many signed Iowa caucus pledge cards as the DeSantis campaign despite being outspent 5-to-1 in the state. The Iowa caucuses are considered a must win for Ron DeSantis, though the governor has consistently polled in a distant second to Trump.

The National Pulse previous reported that, speaking before of a packed and energized audience in Dubuque, Iowa today, Trump announced a “full Fentanyl blockade” of U.S territorial waters. The former President added that, “Biden’s horror show at the southern border ends at high noon on Inauguration Day, 2025.”

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has slipped to fifth place in the New Hampshire primary according to a new poll. Former President Trump continues to dominate the Republican field in The Granite State, garnering just shy of 40 percent of the vote. show more
kari lake

Kari Lake to Launch AZ Senate Bid.

Arizona Republican Kari Lake is preparing to launch a Senate run in the early weeks of October, according to three individuals familiar with her plans, as published by POLITICO.

Known for her staunch support of former President Donald Trump, Lake, who refused to concede her narrow loss in Arizona’s gubernatorial race last year, has been dropping hints about her bid for months.

Recent weeks have seen her engaged in active involvement in national politics, including headlining events in Iowa and Michigan.

Lake’s intention to run has had an effect on the Republican field for the seat currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), with Blake Masters, the state’s 2022 Senate nominee, appearing to postpone his entry into the race after initially preparing to do so in September.

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Arizona Republican Kari Lake is preparing to launch a Senate run in the early weeks of October, according to three individuals familiar with her plans, as published by POLITICO. show more

EXC – Trump in Iowa: ‘Biden Border Horror Show Ends at High Noon on Inauguration Day’.

Former President and Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump is expected to announce a “full Fentanyl blockade” for U.S. territorial waters, as well as declaring that “a vote for President Trump means Joe Biden’s horror show at the southern border ends at high noon on Inauguration Day, 2025,” in remarks set to be delivered at 4pm EST in Dubuque, Iowa on Wednesday.

The National Pulse can also reveal first that Trump’s speech at the Grand River Center will focus intensely on America’s energy, immigration, and economic crises heralded by the White House-hyped “Bidenomics” policy platform.

“This is an invasion,” Trump will declare, as well as insisting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers be allowed to “do their jobs,” rather than being forced to “catch and release” illegals. Trump is also expected to give examples of the impact of this policy, highlighting specific illegal migrants who have committed heinous crimes including murders on American soil since being released by Biden’s government.

Just this week, American learned of Roberto Emilio Vasquez-Santamaria, a released illegal who went on to bludgeon American citizen to death after just a few months in the country.

“The Biden border disaster is now so egregious that the far-left mayors of New York and Chicago, and even the liberal governors of New York and Massachusetts, are slamming Crooked Joe for swamping their cities and towns with thousands of unwanted migrants—bringing crime, disease, and a colossal burden on schools, hospitals, and public resources. The mayor of New York said the migrant crisis ‘will destroy New York City’,” Trump is expected to highlight.

Trump says his second administration will follow “the Eisenhower Model” to “carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American History,” as well as demanding that Congressional Republicans ban the Biden regime “from using a single taxpayer dollar to release or resettle illegal aliens into the United States effective September 30th.”

WATCH AT 4PM EST: 

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Former President and Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump is expected to announce a "full Fentanyl blockade" for U.S. territorial waters, as well as declaring that "a vote for President Trump means Joe Biden’s horror show at the southern border ends at high noon on Inauguration Day, 2025," in remarks set to be delivered at 4pm EST in Dubuque, Iowa on Wednesday. show more

DeSantis Endorser Ken Buck Opposes Biden Impeachment, Demands Job at CNN.

Congressman Ken Buck, a Republican “soft endorser” of the Ron DeSantis campaign, is vocally opposed to the impeachment of President Joe Biden and now trying to ditch his work in the Capitol in exchange for a contributorship at CNN.

“I am interested in talking to folks at CNN and other news organizations — on the, I don’t want to call them left, but sort of center-left — and having an opportunity to do that full-time or do that as a contributor would be great also,” Buck said.

He was among eight members of the House of Representatives and one Senator, Mike Lee, who attended a DeSantis event in April, with the Florida Governor’s camp claiming his attendance as a “soft endorsement”. Now, Buck is best known as one of the House GOP’s leading RINOs – or Conservatives Under Notional Terms – for his efforts to stymie the impeachment investigation into Biden, as well as his support for the Biden regime’s harsh treatment of Jan 6 defendants.

He now faces a possible primary challenge by state Rep. Richard Holtorf on behalf of constituents “frustrated and upset” by his behavior, particularly his willingness to carry water for leftist news networks. He has even mooted “joining a DC-based law firm or seeking Biden’s nomination to the Federal Trade Commission.”

“Why is he on CNN and MSNBC? I don’t think the message he is explaining represents the sentiment of the district,” said Holtorf. “For any elected official, it’s not about you. It’s about the people in your district,” he added.

Buck, for his part, has openly admitted he has one foot out the door, and is “interested in talking to folks at CNN and other news organizations” about a new job.

Whether Buck’s support will prove a help or a hindrance to DeSantis, who has struggled to win MAGA converts and had to rely on Never Trumpers and even Democrats to man his ground operation, remains to be seen.

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Congressman Ken Buck, a Republican "soft endorser" of the Ron DeSantis campaign, is vocally opposed to the impeachment of President Joe Biden and now trying to ditch his work in the Capitol in exchange for a contributorship at CNN. show more

Don Jr’s X Account Hacked, Falsely Announces Death of Former President.

Hackers have taken control of Donald Trump Jr.’s account on X (formerly Twitter), claiming his father has died and that he will be running for the presidency in his stead.

The National Pulse confirmed with Donald Trump Jr’s team that the account is hacked and that the claim is false.

The hackers followed up the post with several others, including one saying “Fuck @JoeBiden Stupid Ass N*gga” – possibly in an attempt to get the account banned.

As of 9am EST, the account had been restored to Donald Trump Jr’s control.

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Hackers have taken control of Donald Trump Jr.'s account on X (formerly Twitter), claiming his father has died and that he will be running for the presidency in his stead. show more
can trump beat biden?

Voters Say Trump Is The Only Republican Who Can Beat Biden.

A new survey suggests former President Donald Trump is the only Republican candidate who can defeat Joe Biden and retake the White House in 2024. Conducted on behalf of the Democracy Institute, a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., the survey of 1,500 likely voters found that Trump leads Biden 49 to 45 percent in a head-to-head general election matchup. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would lose to Biden, 47 to 43 percent.

In addition to revealing the potential strength of a Trump presidential candidacy, the Democracy Institute survey found 67 percent of voters think Joe Biden is too old to continue serving as President. Fifty-six percent of respondents also say they believe President Biden is corrupt.

The Democracy Institute survey echoes other Republican primary polls that show former President Trump holding a near-insurmountable lead over the rest of the candidates. Trump currently holds 60 percent of the vote, while Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy edges out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place, each at 13 percent and 12 percent respectively.

Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign suffered another negative news cycle over the past week. The pro-DeSantis SuperPAC’s pollster WPA Intelligence was caught trying to pass off anti-Trump op-ed in Newsweek without disclosing that the firm is connected to the DeSantis campaign. Billionaire mega-donor Ken Griffin, an early supporter of DeSantis, blasted the ‘unclear’ campaign and said he would be sitting on the sidelines for the rest of the primary. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign announced it had double the DeSantis campaign’s pledge voter support for the Iowa caucus, despite being outspent in the state by the Florida Governor 5-to-1.

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A new survey suggests former President Donald Trump is the only Republican candidate who can defeat Joe Biden and retake the White House in 2024. Conducted on behalf of the Democracy Institute, a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., the survey of 1,500 likely voters found that Trump leads Biden 49 to 45 percent in a head-to-head general election matchup. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would lose to Biden, 47 to 43 percent. show more
Reverse brexit

UK Establishment Preparing to Reverse Brexit.

The globalist establishment is preparing to fully reverse Brexit, never properly delivered in the first instance, by signing the United Kingdom up to “associate membership” of an expanded European Union (EU) concocted by France and Germany.

The proposals for a “four-tiered” European Union will reportedly be revealed as President Emmanuel Macron, currently in his second and final term, meets with Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the left-wing Labour Party which is widely expected to regain power from the Conservative (in name only) Party in Britain’s next general election, to be held no later than January 2025.

The outer tiers will cater to European states that are not “willing and/or able to join the EU in the foreseeable future” – a category that will cater to not only Britain but also polities such as Serbia, Kosovo, and possibly Ukraine, which have been unable to secure full membership due to territorial disputes and issues with corruption, amongst other problems.

“Associate membership” of the EU would entail making payments into the EU budget and submission to EU judges, in exchange for Single Market membership. This would of necessity entail submission to the Single Market’s regulations and Free Movement migration regime.

Nigel Farage has predicted that Sir Keir, a fierce EU loyalist during the Brexit referendum, will see to it that Brexit persists “in name only” within two years of a Labour government, in large part because the Conservatives have refused to meaningfully diverge from the bloc.

EU judges currently retain jurisdiction over Northern Ireland, for example, and the European Court of Human Rights – technically a non-EU body, but one all prospective EU members are required to submit to – retains jurisdiction over the entire country.

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The globalist establishment is preparing to fully reverse Brexit, never properly delivered in the first instance, by signing the United Kingdom up to "associate membership" of an expanded European Union (EU) concocted by France and Germany. show more
pushaw pavone

DeSantis Spox Pushaw Attacks Pro-Life Stalwart Frank Pavone On Abortion.

Ron DeSantis’s “rapid response director”, Christina Pushaw, has viciously attacked a leading pro-life campaigner – Frank Pavone – for supporting Donald Trump, saying it “makes sense” that he is no longer a priest after a campaign by the far-left saw the Vatican defrock him for being an outspoken conservative.

Pavone, 64, is one of the highest-profile pro-life campaigners in America, and as director of the Priests for Life group was one of the highest profile Catholic clergyman in America prior to being removed from the priesthood. Pushaw, despite claiming to be a pro-life Catholic, now says she had never heard of him.

Pushaw is best known for her libertarian political positions and work as a registered foreign agent for a top Zelensky ally. She is close friends with homosexual surrogate fathers Dave Rubin and his “husband” David Janet, and has declared herself as “in favor of” illegal immigrant “dreamers”. Despite this, she felt comfortable attacking Pavone for his support for Donald Trump.

The Vatican, under Jesuit liberal Pope Francis, long persecuted Pavone for his political views, ordering him to step down from the Catholics for Trump advisory board in 2020 and finally defrocking him in late 2022 for disobedience to his liberal bishop.

Pavone had often been critical of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and other allegedly Catholic Democrats who promote abortion, and has described the bishops who lobbied against him as “Democrat loyalists”. Pavone’s supporters have often compared his harsh treatment by the Vatican to that of Rev. James Martin, another Jesuit whom the Pope has repeatedly promoted despite the fact he advocates for gay marriage and other LGBTQ priorities in defiance of Catholic teaching.

Pavone explained his position on Trump’s abortion remarks at length as Pushaw and the DeSantis campaign were attacking him, observing that Trump is “running a campaign in which he’s trying to help his party, our party, speak in a politically effective way on this issue.”

“Now, I’m not saying that justifies compromising morally – it doesn’t,” he continued. “You don’t compromise morally, you become politically wise. Jesus himself said it, you’ve got to be wise as serpents… because you look at what you’re trying to accomplish, you consider where your audience is, and you say, let me talk about this persuasively to lead them from point A to point B.”

Polls show Americans oppose abortion up to birth, supported by many Democrats and legal in Democrat-led Washington D.C. and multiple Democrat-led states – but only a minority support restrictions earlier than 12 weeks with no exceptions for rape.

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Ron DeSantis's "rapid response director", Christina Pushaw, has viciously attacked a leading pro-life campaigner – Frank Pavone – for supporting Donald Trump, saying it "makes sense" that he is no longer a priest after a campaign by the far-left saw the Vatican defrock him for being an outspoken conservative. show more
congress government shutdown

Capitol Crib Notes: GOP Still Arguing With Itself Over Government Shutdown.

Congressional Republicans are still stuck negotiating with themselves despite the appearance that a deal had been struck between the conservative and moderate wings of the House Conference to avert a government shutdown late Sunday night. It was announced at the time that the Freedom Caucus and Main Street Caucus had reached an agreement on a 30-day Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government while Congress continued work on passing the 12 major appropriations bills to fund the government for the next fiscal year.

Despite receiving backing from some of Washington D.C.’s biggest center-right institutions, the deal was already on the ropes by Monday morning. As of the last count, 18 Republican House members have announced they will not support the agreement, leaving House Speaker McCarthy without the votes to pass the CR. The deal is not expected to receive any Democrat backing.

Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX), a prominent leader in the Freedom Caucus who had previously promised to use ‘every tool’ to stop a short-term CR was one of the deal’s chief architects along with Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD). The conservative Heritage Action quickly backed the deal, stating, “The proposal cuts spending and seeks to end a worsening, self-inflicted border crisis.” The more libertarian FreedomWorks also backed the deal, telling Congressional Republicans: “We support the negotiated spending cuts and urge all members of the House to get behind the CR.”

Despite the pressure from both within the Freedom Caucus and from outside political groups, a handful of House conservatives still oppose the measure. On Sunday, former President Donald Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker that House conservatives shouldn’t back a CR unless they think they’re getting a fair deal – even if it interrupts the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

Among the members who’ve announced they will not support the CR: Reps. Dan Bishop (R-NC), Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Bob Good (R-VA), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Andy Ogles (R-TN) all appear to oppose any deal that doesn’t include significant spending cuts – with some wanting to return sending to pre-COVID levels.

Others, aligned with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) object because the deal’s eight percent spending cut would only last for 30 days; it fails to defund Jack Smith’s prosecutions of former President Donald Trump; and there is no mechanism to force Biden to actually secure the border. These members appear to include Reps. Corey Mills (R-FL), Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).

In the case of Rep. Ken Buck, it is speculated that he will simply oppose any measure pushed by the Speaker – including opposing the Biden impeachment inquiry – because he was snubbed as chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust. The chairmanship was given instead to the Big Tech-friendly Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).

Without the passage of a Continuing Resolution, the federal government is set to run out of money on Oct.1.

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Congressional Republicans are still stuck negotiating with themselves despite the appearance that a deal had been struck between the conservative and moderate wings of the House Conference to avert a government shutdown late Sunday night. It was announced at the time that the Freedom Caucus and Main Street Caucus had reached an agreement on a 30-day Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government while Congress continued work on passing the 12 major appropriations bills to fund the government for the next fiscal year. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE FROM WILL UPTON: At this morning’s House Republican Conference meeting, Speaker Kevin McCarthy told members an anecdote about downhill skiing
GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE FROM WILL UPTON: At this morning’s House Republican Conference meeting, Speaker Kevin McCarthy told members an anecdote about downhill skiing show more
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