Wednesday, July 2, 2025

DATA: Trump-Era GOP Set to Overtake Democrats as ‘Party of the Middle Class.’

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What Happened: Polling by CNN revealed the Republican and Democratic parties are now nearly tied in being seen as the “party of the middle class.”

👥 Who’s Involved: The poll surveyed 2,028 American adults and was conducted by SSRS for CNN.

📍 Where & When: Conducted between May 5 and May 26, 2023, across the United States.

💬 Key Quote: CNN’s Harry Enten stated, “This, I think, speaks to Democratic ills more than anything else. They have traditionally been the party of the middle class. No more.”

⚠️ Impact: The Democratic Party’s historic lead in this area has narrowed significantly, with more Americans now associating the Republican Party with leadership, change, and effectiveness under President Donald J. Trump.

IN FULL:

A new poll shows that Americans increasingly see the Republicans under President Donald J. Trump as best representing the middle class. The survey, conducted between May 5 and May 26, found that 34 percent of respondents identified the Democratic Party as the “party of the middle class,” while 32 percent said the same of the Republican Party. The poll surveyed 2,028 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 2.7 percent.

The findings reveal a dramatic shift from past decades. In 1989, the Democratic Party held a 23-point lead over Republicans in being seen as the party of the middle class. CNN Analyst Harry Enten commented on the results, saying, “This, I think, speaks to Democratic ills more than anything else. They have traditionally been the party of the middle class. No more. Donald Trump and the Republican Party have taken that mantle away.”

The poll also highlighted Americans’ broader perceptions of the two major parties. Forty percent of respondents said the Republican Party is the party of “strong leaders,” compared to just 16 percent who said the same for the Democrats. When asked which party represents “change,” 32 percent pointed to the GOP, while 25 percent chose the Democrats. On the question of which party “can get things done,” 36 percent favored the Republicans, compared to 19 percent for the Democrats.

President Trump and the MAGA movement have shifted U.S. politics significantly, with traditional Democrat groups like Latinos voting more and more for Trump and Trump-backed candidates. Florida’s Miami-Dade, once a bastion of Democratic support, is now majority Republican, largely thanks to shifting voting patterns among Latinos.

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This Democrat Senator Thinks Trump is Right on the Middle East.

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What Happened: U.S. Senator John Fetterman has broken ranks with fellow Democrats, praising President Donald J. Trump for scrapping the old Iran nuclear deal.

👤Who’s Involved: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), President Donald J. Trump, Democrats, Iran.

🧾Key Quote: “I really do think, now, Trump did the right thing to break that agreement,” said Senator Fetterman.

📌Significance: Fetterman continues to rebuff Democrats on Middle East issues, particularly emphasising his pro-Israel stance amid a massive wave of pro-Palestine activism among the left.

IN FULL:

Democrat Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has praised President Donald J. Trump’s Middle East policies, saying the Republican president was right to scrap the Obama-Biden Iran deal and push for a new agreement placing greater restrictions on the Islamist nation’s ability to enrich uranium. Notably, Fetterman’s comments put him at odds with most of his fellow Democrats, a fact he openly admits.

“I wasn’t really allowed to disagree, politically, with the original agreement on Iran,” Fetterman said during a panel discussion alongside Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) on June 2. “I really do think, now, Trump did the right thing to break that agreement,” he added.

President Trump scrapped the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic during his first term in office. Known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran deal was seen by critics as overly weak on enforcement and would likely do little to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapons program. While former President Joe Biden did not entirely reinstate he agreement, his government lifted sanctions on Iran and essentially allowed its nuclear program to continue unabated.

After retaking the White House in 2024, President Trump announced he would be reinstating maximum pressure on Iran with aggressive sanctions aimed at the country’s oil industry. However, Trump has also been clear that he would seek a new agreement with Iran to end its nuclear weapons development and subject the country to stringent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight. In March, President Trump told the Iranians they must negotiate a new nuclear deal with the United States or face consequences. “The other alternative [to negotiations] is we have to do something,” he said, suggesting the possibility of U.S.-backed strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Senator Fetterman’s comments are not unusual for him, as he has taken a pro-Israel stance since the October 7 massacres by the terrorist group Hamas, which provoked the current conflict in Gaza. Fetterman has also backed, at least in part, Trump’s efforts to reshore American jobs and was the first Democrat to meet with the America First leader following the 2024 election.

Following the January meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Trump called Fetterman “fascinating” and said, “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”

Fetterman is not the only figure on the left to praise Trump’s policies. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the former far-left presidential candidate, surprisingly praised the Trump administration’s border policies.

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DHS Cracks Down on 500 Sanctuary Cities for Impeding Deportation Efforts.

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What Happened: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a list of 500 sanctuary jurisdictions it says are obstructing federal immigration enforcement.

👥 Who’s Involved: DHS, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Trump administration, sanctuary cities, counties, and states.

📍 Where & When: Across the U.S.; list released Thursday, May 29, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

⚠️ Impact: DHS claims sanctuary policies endanger communities and law enforcement while protecting illegal immigrants accused of criminal activity.

IN FULL:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a list of 500 sanctuary jurisdictions it accuses of obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration. The list, published Thursday on the department’s website, includes cities, counties, and states across the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized sanctuary city policies, stating, “These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens.” The DHS alleges that such jurisdictions shield individuals in the country illegally from federal immigration authorities, creating risks for both communities and law enforcement.

The department explained that the list was compiled based on several factors, including whether jurisdictions identify themselves as sanctuary areas, their compliance level with federal immigration enforcement, restrictions on sharing information with immigration authorities, and legal protections for illegal immigrants.

“Sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties, and states that are deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endanger American communities,” the DHS statement read.

This move by the DHS comes amid increased pressure from the Trump administration on local governments to align with federal immigration law enforcement. While law enforcement in Republican governed states are increasingly complying with President Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation efforts, Democrat-controlled states continue to by-and-large resist immigration enforcement efforts.

The DHS claims that sanctuary policies allow individuals accused of criminal activity to avoid facing legal consequences, putting public safety at risk. Critics of sanctuary policies argue that they undermine the rule of law and prioritize the protection of illegal immigrants over the safety of citizens.

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Trump Replacing DEI With ‘Merit-Based’ Hiring.

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What Happened: The Trump administration is rolling out its Merit Hiring Plan for federal agencies, releasing new guidance on Thursday that replaces decades of DEI-style polices with one that focuses on applicants’ skills rather than their race or gender.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), federal agencies, federal hiring managers, and federal job applicants.

📍 Where & When: The policy was released on Thursday through guidance issued to agencies across the federal government.

⚠️ Impact: President Trump’s Merit Hiring Plan marks a significant shift in federal employment practices that will now focus on bringing high-skilled individuals for critical roles. The plan also ends race and gender based hiring practices that critics contend created discriminatory political constituencies inside the government workforce.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump‘s administration is set to unveil a new federal employment policy focused on merit-based hiring instead of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements that have dominated government employment for decades. The new hiring guidance, released to federal agencies on Thursday by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is believed to bar the consideration of race and gender in employment decisions.

Based on legislation adopted last year in Congress, and ushered through by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the Merit Hiring Plan provides guidance for federal hiring and instructs agencies to consider relevant skills beyond just resume experience. Notably, this provision has long been pushed by conservative education activists and technology industry figures who contend that college education requirements lock out too many qualified individuals from the professional workforce.

Skill-based hiring evaluations will be made through interviews and relevant testing of applicants, though resumes and professional experience will still be considered determining factors in hiring decisions.

Additionally, federal agencies are being directed to continue collecting workforce demographic data. However, this data will no longer be released publicly and will merely be retained by the federal government to ensure its policies promote a workforce with diverse skills and professional qualifications.

Another significant change comes through guidance meant to speed up federal hiring processes. Federal interviewers will now ask applicants a more standardized set of questions rather than the previous more ad-hoc process. This is aimed at ensuring federal hirings take no longer than 80 days.

Once implemented, the federal government is expected to begin a more modest hiring period to restaff certain agencies. After being inaugurated in January, President Trump and his White House dismissed upwards of 140,000 federal workers through force reduction or employment buyouts. The Trump administration has indicated it could soon move forward with the dismissal of another 150,000 federal employees, while also bringing in new individuals to fill critical roles.

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Is Congress About to Start Codifying the DOGE Cuts?

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What Happened: The White House plans to send a rescission package to Congress, targeting DOGE cuts and other spending reductions.

👥 Who’s Involved: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Congress.

📍 Where & When: Vought announced the rescission package on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “We are doing everything we can to make the DOGE cuts permanent, either through rescissions or through impoundment.” – Russ Vought, OMB Director.

⚠️ Impact: The cuts will target areas such as foreign aid and funding for NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The process of filing additional cuts to be codified is expected to unfold over several months.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump‘s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought confirmed late Wednesday the White House’s plans to send a rescission package to Congress to claw back spending appropriated under the former Biden government. During a television interview on Wednesday, Vought confirmed that the spending clawbacks will include cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and will be sent early next week when the House of Representatives returns to session.

The package, according to Vought, will focus on eliminating wasteful spending in areas such as foreign aid, appropriations earmarked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and funding for NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Vought noted that this is just the beginning of a broader effort, saying, “We want to make sure that Congress passes its first rescissions bill, including the DOGE, and we will send more if they pass it.”

Vought emphasized that these cuts will not be included in a single comprehensive bill but will instead be addressed through a process spanning several months. Notably, rescission measures in the U.S. Senate are considered privileged and not subject to the filibuster. This means that only a simple majority of both houses of Congress is needed to pass the spending clawback.

According to the OMB Director, the cuts align with the fiscal year 2026 budget and include $160 billion in nondefense spending reductions. He stated that this is the lowest level of nondefense spending since fiscal year 2017 and, when adjusted for inflation, the lowest since 2000.

Vought also mentioned that the administration is exploring all available tools, including impoundment, to make the cuts permanent. “We are doing everything we can to make the DOGE cuts permanent, either through rescissions or through impoundment,” he said.

The rescission effort aims to ensure fiscal responsibility while addressing what the administration views as unnecessary and harmful expenditures. However, Vought acknowledged that the process would take time, adding, “It’s not going to be something that, hey, we’re going to have it in one bill, it’s going to be part of a process over the next several months.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Data: Corporate DEI Roles Declining Amid Trump Admin Pressure.

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What Happened: A recent study reveals a 13 percent reduction in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) jobs in the U.S., with 2,600 positions eliminated.

👥 Who’s Involved: Revelio Labs conducted the analysis; President Donald J. Trump and his Department of Justice (DOJ) are pushing back against DEI practices.

📍 Where & When: The data covers the growth and now accelerating decline of DEI jobs since 2016.

💬 Key Quote: “I’m hopeful and encouraged that Harmeet will drop the hammer on these companies,” says Will Hild, Executive Director of Consumers’ Research, referring to Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the civil rights division at the DOJ.

⚠️ Impact: While DEI job numbers remain above 2016 levels, they are rapidly falling from their peak. This suggests that Trump’s White House efforts to crack down on discriminatory DEI policies are working and reversing the course of corporate policies.

IN FULL:

A new analysis by Revelio Labs reveals a significant decline in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles across the United States, with 2,600 positions eliminated since 2023. This marks a 13 percent reduction, bringing the total number of DEI-related jobs to approximately 17,700 as of January 2025, down from a peak of 20,000 in 2023.

The report highlights a dramatic shift from the rapid growth seen in recent years. Job postings for DEI roles surged by 595 percent in August 2022 compared to 2020. Positions tied to terms like “belonging,” “social impact,” or “culture” are also reportedly in decline.

This comes as major corporations scale back DEI programs and reduce financial support for Pride events, following a crackdown on what the Trump administration has termed illegal DEI practices. President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order in January 2025 aimed at eliminating identity-based employment considerations and restoring merit-based opportunities. Among the corporations to comply, at least in part, are Target, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, and Verizon.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to release further guidance soon, including recommendations for the private sector and a list of ongoing compliance investigations. Additionally, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, led by Harmeet Dhillon, has named investigating race-based employment discrimination as a top priority.

Observers have raised concerns about the potential rebranding of DEI roles within corporate structures. Will Hild, Executive Director of Consumers’ Research, warns, “If they just relabel DEI to be some department of HR, it’s not going to do any good.” Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the human resources sector employed 922,000 people in 2024, up from 631,000 in 2016.

The analysis also revealed demographic trends within the DEI workforce. Women comprised more than 71 percent of DEI professionals from 2020 to 2024, compared to 51 percent in other roles. Additionally, Black and Hispanic workers accounted for 33 percent of DEI positions, compared to 21 percent of other roles. “That’s a tacit admission that they were engaging in race- and sex-based discrimination,” Hild commented, adding: “I’m hopeful and encouraged that Harmeet will drop the hammer on these companies.”

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Trump: ‘Harvard… They’re Getting Their Ass Kicked.’

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What Happened: President Donald J. Trump says “Harvard wants to fight” his administration, but is losing badly, and must hand over the names of its foreign students if it wants to deescalate tensions with the White House.

👤Who’s Involved: President Trump, Harvard University, the Department of Homeland Security, and foreign students enrolled under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

🧾Key Quote: “Harvard wants to fight. They want to show how smart they are, and they’re getting their ass kicked,” Trump said.

⚠️Fallout: The administration has frozen $3 billion in federal funding, moved to strip Harvard of its SEVP certification, and blocked new foreign visa appointments—threatening to cost the university hundreds of millions in tuition revenue.

📌Significance: Trump’s hard line against Harvard signals a broader crackdown on elite institutions accused of harboring antisemitism and evading federal oversight, while putting foreign student programs under unprecedented scrutiny.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump is stipulating that Harvard University must hand over the names of its foreign students if it wants to rachet down its conflict with the White House. Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the America First leader emphasized that “Harvard wants to fight” and that his administration is ready to continue increasing pressure on the university to comply with federal directives on antisemitism and foreign student visa vetting.

“So, we have to look at the list, and Harvard has to understand, the last thing I want to do is hurt them. They’re hurting themselves,” President Trump said, referring to his administration’s requests for the university to enact reforms and crack down on anti-Semitic activists and demonstrations on campus. “Harvard wants to fight. They want to show how smart they are, and they’re getting their ass kicked.”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has suspended an estimated $3 billion in federal funding for Harvard, tied to concerns it is failing to tackle anti-Semitism and discriminating against white and Asian applicants in favour of less qualified applicants from other groups.

Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved to revoke the university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. Around 27 percent of Harvard’s total enrolled student population is foreign, at just under 7,000. With the total cost for a foreign student to attend the Ivy League university estimated to be over $100,000 per year, the loss of those students could be a crippling financial blow to Harvard, in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

An Obama-appointed judge blocked this specific move, but the administration subsequently suspended the importation of foreign students generally, until new social media vetting processes are established.

While Harvard has tried to appear defiant to Trump’s White House directives in public, it is widely reported that the university’s administration is privately panicking over the reputational damage and financial burden the school is facing. Harvard is currently engaged in several ongoing lawsuits against the Trump administration.

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WATCH: Secret Recording of Hogg Meeting Reveals ‘Wizard of Oz’ Who Ran Biden White House.

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What Happened: A secret recording published by Project Veritas captured Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg and Biden-era White House staffer Deterrian Jones discussing the “enormous” power of Jill Biden’s chief of staff, Anthony Bernal.

👤Who’s Involved: David Hogg, Deterrian Jones, Anthony Bernal, Jill Biden, the DNC.

🧾Key Quote: “Jill Biden’s chief of staff had an enormous amount of power… that was, like, an open secret,” Jones says.

⚠️Fallout: The recording reinforces prior reports that a tight-knit inner circle around Biden—dubbed a “politburo”—functioned as the real power in his White House.

📌Significance: The leak adds fuel to concerns that the Biden presidency operated as a managed facade, with unelected aides and insiders pulling the strings while Biden’s cognitive decline deepened.

IN FULL:

A secret recording of a meeting with David Hogg shows the Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair and Deterrian Jones, an official at the Joe Biden-era White House Office of Digital Staff, discussing the “enormous power” wielded by Jill Biden’s chief of staff.

“The bigger issue was, like, the inner circle that was around Biden,” Hogg says in the Project Vertitas recording. “Like, Jill Biden’s chief of staff had an enormous amount of power.”

“That was, like, an open secret,” Jones says of the former First Lady’s chief lieutenant, Anthony Bernal. “I would avoid him. He was scary,” Jones adds, referring to Bernal as a “shadowy, Wizard of Oz type figure.”

“[H]e wielded an enormous amount of power, and I can’t stress to you [enough] how much power he had at the White House.”

The recording follows revelations about a “politburo” of aides, including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, Ron Klain, Anthony Bernal, and Annie Tomasini, said to have effectively run the White House as Biden’s cognitive impairment became more pronounced, controlling press and even Cabinet access to the elderly Democrat.

Hogg, still best known as an anti-gun rights activist, currently faces efforts to oust him from the DNC for his commitment to replacing establishment Democrats with more progressive figures.

WATCH:

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REVEALED: ‘Politburo’ of Aides That Controlled Biden White House.

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What Happened: A cabal of close and influential aides worked to hide Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline from the press and others in the Democratic government, including senior cabinet officials.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, longtime aides Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, Ron Klain, Anthony Bernal, and Annie Tomasini.

📍 Where & When: The allegations that aides covered up Biden’s cognitive and physical decline surfaced in July 2024 but have drawn increasing media attention with the publication of Original Sin on May 20, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “When you’re voting for president, you’re voting for the aides around him,” a Biden staffer reportedly told Original Sin author Alex Thompson.

⚠️ Impact: Claims raise questions about transparency, Biden’s fitness for office, and the Biden government’s handling of national security and policy issues.

IN FULL:

Evidence continues to mount that a covert operation within the Biden government, comprised of a tight-knit group of aides, worked to obscure President Joe Biden’s mental decline while effectively running the White House. Author and journalist Alex Thompson describes the group as a “politburo” of longtime aides Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, Ron Klain, Anthony Bernal, and Annie Tomasini. Last summer, The National Pulse reported that Bernal, Tomasini, and aide Ashley Williams served as intermediaries between Joe and Jill Biden and senior White House officials, effectively shielding the octogenarian Democrat from his own cabinet.

Thompson, the co-author of Original Sin, states concerns about Biden’s capacity to endure a reelection campaign or another term were raised by administration insiders as early as April 2023. Notably, even Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, who repeatedly told the American public that Biden’s health was fine, privately told White House aides that if the president suffered a fall in 2023 or 2024, he would likely need to be confined to a wheelchair and face an arduous recovery.

The protective environment around Biden became so fervent that at least one aide remarked that Biden “just had to win, and then he could disappear for four years,” with aides taking over day-to-day responsibilities. “When you’re voting for president, you’re voting for the aides around him,” the staffer allegedly stated. Even more concerning, at least two cabinet members are alleged to have expressed doubts regarding Biden’s cognitive state and ability to handle critical national security situations, such as a potential “2:00 AM crisis call.”

In January, The National Pulse reported that presidential historian Douglas Brinkley acknowledged that Biden was effectively unable to function as Commander-in-Chief during his final years in office. Like Thompson and reports last summer, Brinkley states that a cadre of key White House aides both hid Biden’s infirmities and effectively ran the country in his stead. Brinkley likened the situation to former President Woodrow Wilson, who suffered a stroke largely hidden from the American public. Following the stroke, his wife, Edith Wilson, essentially ran the country.

As allegations mounted in recent weeks regarding the cover-up of Biden’s mental and physical decline, the Biden family announced last week that Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Typically slow-developing, prostate cancer is often caught in its early stages through PSA tests and routine prostate exams, though Biden’s medical records are unclear if he received either while serving as president.

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Trump’s Campaign Chief and RNC COO is Now Working for RINO John Cornyn to Defeat Ken Paxton.

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What Happened: In an effort to keep President Donald J. Trump out of the 2026 U.S. Senate primary in Texas, a SuperPAC backing incumbent Senator John Cornyn has hired former Trump campaign chief and Republican National Committee (RNC) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Chris LaCivita as a senior advisor.

👥 Who’s Involved: Chris LaCivita, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), and President Trump.

📍 Where & When: LaCivita’s hiring was quietly announced late last week, though The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief, Raheem Kassam, first scooped the move on March 5, 2025.

⚠️ Impact: The Cornyn campaign appears to hope that LaCivita will keep President Trump from backing Paxton’s primary challenge and potentially turn the incumbent U.S. Senator’s prospects for re-election around. However, polling has consistently shown Cornyn to be running behind Paxton by double-digits, suggesting that the Texas Attorney General is on course to defeat the Republican-in-name-only incumbent even without an endorsement from the White House.

IN FULL:

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is bringing on board Chris LaCivita, a controversial campaign aide to President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 campaign, hoping to keep the President out of what is shaping up to be a contentious and expensive U.S. Senate primary. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), an America First conservative and Trump ally, is challenging Cornyn for the U.S. Senate seat. He has been hammering the Senator for his voting record, failure to support Trump, and resistance to the America First agenda.

The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassas reported in early March that LaCivita was poised to join the Cornyn campaign, despite Axios erroneously claiming the scoop just last week.

LaCivita is being tapped as a senior advisor for Texans for a Conservative Majority, a SuperPAC backing Cornyn’s re-election efforts. However, the long-time Republican political establishment operative continues to be viewed with skepticism—if not outright hostility—by many Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters over his efforts to sideline some of President Trump’s most loyal and ardent allies. The National Pulse has extensively covered LaCivita’s efforts to undermine MAGA and MAGA-adjacent efforts during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Notably, LaCivita was one of the primary instigators in attacking Project 2025, a move that led to a slow hiring process for the incoming Trump administration. The ramifications are still playing out across key departmental roles.

As co-campaign manager during the 2024 race, LaCivita pushed the Trump campaign to cave to a Democrat campaign to demonize Project 2025. At the time, it was reported that LaCivita had also led efforts to force out Project 2025 director Paul Dans at the Heritage Foundation in what was little more than a turf war over management of the second Trump administration.

In another disturbing instance during the 2024 campaign, LaCivita backed the takeover of America PAC by former DeSantis campaign operatives, who had been accused of running the Florida governor’s primary bid into the ground. This came after LaCivita attempted to install attorney Charlie Spies—a man with ties to Jeb Bush—as chief counsel at the Republican National Committee (RNC). Spies was fired from the RNC after just two months on the orders of President Trump.

Additionally, LaCivita has been accused of being behind numerous campaign leaks. The National Pulse reported in November 2024 that the co-campaign manager was behind leaks to The Atlantic‘s Tim Alberta, attempting to blame young staffer Alex Breusewitz for comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s late-campaign Puerto Rico garbage joke at Madison Square Garden.

There are also allegations that LaCivita diverted millions of campaign dollars to vendors that were overcharging for their services. Even more troubling, when campaign staff began to blow the whistle on the overcharges, at least one came forward and alleged that a campaign conference room had been bugged to allow senior staff to spy on their colleagues.

Following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, LaCivita began working with Albania’s Sali Berisha, an opposition leader against Prime Minister Edi Rama. Under U.S. sanctions, Berisha launched a failed bid for Prime Minister and lost the May 11, 2025, election to Rama. Five days before the election, the Trump administration lifted the sanctions.

Polling data consistently shows Paxton has a significant lead over Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary.

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