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Tag: 2024

desantis
November 2, 2023
William Upton
Politics

DeSantis Hurries Out New Ad Campaign as ‘Bootgate’ Hits Mainstream.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign, scrambling to salvage their primary hopes, are rushing out a new ad campaign in Iowa well ahead of schedule. The ad, which touts DeSantis’s leadership record, wasn’t originally supposed to begin airing until mid-November. To kick the ad blitz off early, the Desantis campaign has had to drop an addition $320,000 on top of the $2 million they’ve already spent on ads that were set to run from mid-November through the Republican Iowa Caucuses on January 15th, 2024.

The renewed urgency from the DeSantis campaign comes after a series of late-October polls showing the Florida Governor tied with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in both Iowa and nationally. The earlier-than-expected ad blitz may also be an attempt at damage control after a bungled podcast appearance resulted in a slew of viral social media memes poking fun at DeSantis’s short stature and penchant for wearing cowboy boots.

The viral “#bootgate” social media frenzy was kicked off by DeSantis’s October 30th appearance on the PBD podcast, hosted by Iranian-American entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David. DeSantis appeared to be caught-off-guard when Bet-David pressed him on why he only seems to wear cowboy boots – which social media trolls contend contain lifts to increase his hight. After DeSantis awkwardly tried to brush off the question, while Bet-David produced a pair of expensive Ferragamo shoes he intended to gift the Florida Governor. DeSantis frantically declined the Italian-designer shoes which usually retail for over $1,000, claiming he can’t accept gifts.

He has, in fact, taken many gifts during his tenure as Governor including a golf simulator for the Governor’s Mansion, and private flights from Iran-linked donors.

The exchange and renewed accusations that DeSantis uses lifts in his footwear to overcome his vertical impairment quickly spread on X (formerly Twitter) and eventually even captured the attention of the corporate media.

The DeSantis campaign’s emergency ad blitz in Iowa is actually their first ad buy of the entire primary. The cash-strapped campaign has been almost entirely reliant on the pro-DeSantis SuperPAC Never Back Down for most of its television and radio messaging.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign, scrambling to salvage their primary hopes, are rushing out a new ad campaign in Iowa well ahead of schedule. The ad, which touts DeSantis's leadership record, wasn't originally supposed to begin airing until mid-November. To kick the ad blitz off early, the Desantis campaign has had to drop an addition $320,000 on top of the $2 million they've already spent on ads that were set to run from mid-November through the Republican Iowa Caucuses on January 15th, 2024. show more
November 2, 2023
William Upton
News

WATCH: DeSantis Tacks Left, Demands Trump Off the Ballot if Biased Judge Convicts.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Republican Party should not nominate Donald Trump as its 2024 presidential candidate if the former President is convicted in one of the four politically motivated prosecutions against him. Speaking with MSNBC’s Morning Joe co-host Willie Geist, DeSantis said he believes a Trump conviction “…would be fatal in a general election. I don’t think the party should should nominate in that situation.”

DeSantis said he does not think someone convicted of attempting to ‘overturn’ the 2020 presidential election or ‘mishandling’ classified documents can win the 2024 presidential election against President Joe Biden, the Democrat incumbent. The Florida Governor’s comments add credibility to accusations he is only staying in the primary contest in the hopes that Democrat law-fare forces Trump to drop out.

The DeSantis campaign and its allies have a history trying to leverage the Democrat-driven political prosecutions of Trump against the former Republican President. Social media trolls closely aligned with DeSantis’s rapid response director, Christina Pushaw, celebrated the indictment of Donald Trump in Georgia and insinuated those they perceived to support the former President would be indicted next. Jeff Roe, chief strategist for pro-DeSantis SuperPAC Never Back Down, made light of the partisan witch-hunt against Trump while deflecting concerns over his candidate’s own struggling campaign, saying: “Well, I guess we’ll have as many restarts as they have indictments…”

Former President Trump currently faces 91 felony counts in four separate federal and state prosecutions. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith has secured indictments against Trump in Washington, D.C. for his alleged role in the January 6th riots and in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified documents. The former President also faces state prosecutions in Georgia and New York.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Republican Party should not nominate Donald Trump as its 2024 presidential candidate if the former President is convicted in one of the four politically motivated prosecutions against him. Speaking with MSNBC's Morning Joe co-host Willie Geist, DeSantis said he believes a Trump conviction "...would be fatal in a general election. I don't think the party should should nominate in that situation." show more
November 2, 2023
Breaking

Florida Senator Rick Scott Snubs DeSantis, Endorses Donald Trump.

In an unprecedented move for the senior Florida senator, Republican Rick Scott has endorsed former President Donald Trump over the state’s current governor, Ron DeSantis for the GOP presidential nomination.

“Sen. Scott’s endorsement is a reflection of Trump’s strength in the Republican primary… and his ability to beat Joe Biden,” said one source prior to Scott making his support official. This comes just before the presidential candidates’ address at the state GOP’s Florida Freedom Summit, with polls showing Trump holding a near-insurmountable lead over DeSantis among Republican voters both in Florida and nationwide.

State Rep. Randy Fine, formerly a key ally of Gov. DeSantis in the Florida Legislature, recently retracted his endorsement of DeSantis, and instead announced he will back Trump. This apparent preference of Trump over DeSantis among state Republicans may be unsurprising to Florida political insiders due to the reportedly strained relationship between Scott and DeSantis since the latter succeeded the former as governor in 2018. Since his challenging first gubernatorial race in 2010, Scott has generally avoided public endorsements in both Florida primaries and general elections.

Meanwhile, Florida’s other Republican Senator, Marco Rubio has remained quiet regarding who he will support in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Despite Rubio’s reportedly closer relationship with Trump than that of DeSantis, the senator is expected to remain neutral in the upcoming race.

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In an unprecedented move for the senior Florida senator, Republican Rick Scott has endorsed former President Donald Trump over the state's current governor, Ron DeSantis for the GOP presidential nomination. show more
November 2, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
Education
Politics

WATCH: Trump Proposes Patriotic ‘American Academy’ Which Harvard Should Pay For.

Former President Donald Trump has proposed the creation of a new university called the “American Academy,” which would award free online degrees in an effort to combat the rapid spread of “wokeness [and] jihadism” on college campuses across the United States.

“We spend more money on higher education than any other country and yet, they’re turning our students into communists and terrorists and sympathizers of many, many different dimensions… We can’t let this happen,” the 45th President argued in a video introducing the idea.

The university would target millions of Americans who did not complete their degrees and use their credentials to apply for various positions in the government or federal contractors. The institution would give credit for past work or essays as well as allow students to finish their studies for free.

The academy would receive funding from recipients of large endowments as well as fining and suing wealthy colleges such as Harvard, reports suggest.

“It’s a contrast with Joe Biden’s plan for free college, which is to essentially wipe out hundreds of billions of dollars of student loan debt. This is a different way,” said one Trump campaign official, who added, “We need to have affordable options for college without spending trillions and trillions of dollars.”

WATCH:

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Former President Donald Trump has proposed the creation of a new university called the "American Academy," which would award free online degrees in an effort to combat the rapid spread of "wokeness [and] jihadism" on college campuses across the United States. show more
November 1, 2023
William Upton
Politics

‘Florida Is Trump Country’ Billboards Pop Up Across Sunshine State, Demand DeSantis Spends More Than 1/3rd of His Time In State.

Roadside billboards reading “Florida is Trump Country” are popping up around the Orlando, Florida area ahead of the Florida Freedom Summit, urging Ron DeSantis to drop his long-shot bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and demanding the recently re-elected Governor spend more than just a third of his time in the state.

“With Florida Republican presidential primary polling showing former President Donald Trump leading Governor Ron DeSantis by a 36 percentage point margin- it is as clear today as it was in May that Donald Trump is the Sunshine State’s pick to be America’s next president,” the group behind the ads, Florida Forged, said in a statement.”

“But instead of dropping out and joining the overwhelming majority of his constituents behind the former President, Governor DeSantis has opted to spend more than 33.7% or 101 days of his second term out of state on the dole, abandoning Floridians now paying 900% more for insurance and billions more in new state taxes”.

“With Governor DeSantis thinking he’s earned a promotion for part-time work in a full-time job, it’s time Floridians reminded the governor that “Florida is Trump Country,” and will deliver the former President its full slate of 125 delegates on March 19th, 2024.”

A run of presidential primary polls in late-October show former President Donald Trump maintaining his near-insurmountable lead over the rest of the Republican field. Nikki Haley, meanwhile, has caught DeSantis for second place in both national polling and – most critically – in Iowa. Conducted from October 22nd to 26th, a national McLaughlin shows Haley and DeSantis tied at 8 percent – former President Trump, sitting in first place, holds a 47-point lead over both. An Iowa caucus poll from top-tier pollster Ann Selzer shows Trump capturing 43-percent of Republican caucus goers, while Haley and DeSantis again tie for a distant second.

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Roadside billboards reading "Florida is Trump Country" are popping up around the Orlando, Florida area ahead of the Florida Freedom Summit, urging Ron DeSantis to drop his long-shot bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and demanding the recently re-elected Governor spend more than just a third of his time in the state. show more
October 31, 2023
William Upton
Analysis
Politics

A Paid ‘Anti Extremism Expert’ Took The Stand in Trump’s Colorado Ballot Case Today. It Didn’t Go Well for Soros’s Group.

On day two of the case deciding whether to kick Donald trump off of the Colorado ballot, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s (CREW) legal team brought their star witness to the stand – sociologist and witness-for-hire Dr. Peter Simi. An associate professor at Chapman University, Simi is a purported expert on extremist groups and political violence – boasting an over 20-year career studying the subjects.

When he’s not in the classroom – or living amongst Neo Nazis for research – Simi moonlights as a paid witness in cases that involve instances of ‘right-wing extremism’ and is a go-to quote for several corporate media outlets. According to Simi himself, he is being paid $35,000 for his testimony – and has a rate of $300 an hour as an “expert”. Simi was previously a paid witness for the Unite the Right trial over the death of Heather Heyer at the hands of white supremacist James Fields.

Testimony from Prof. Simi dominated the second day of the Colorado Trump ballot case, as the CREW-backed legal team guided the sociologist though almost three hours of testimony before cross-examination. According to Simi, former President Donald Trump had formed a political bond with right-wing extremists from the very start of his entry into politics as he “spoke their language” and wasn’t afraid to support “conspiracy theories” such as “birtherism” – the idea that Barack Obama was born outside of America and was therefore ineligible to become President. Simi also claimed that invoking the year 1776 or displaying the Betsy Ross Flag could indicate an individual is affiliated with right-wing extremism.

During his testimony, Simi insinuated that Republican politicians – not Democrats however – who reference stolen elections or corrupt elections were sending signals to extremist groups to engage in political violence. The Chapman professor also insisted that Trump’s condemnation of the violence during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia was in fact an example of “double speak”, wherein Trump actually signaled support for extremists and they understood his need for creating “plausible deniability”.

Under cross examination from Scott Gessler – a member of former President Trump’s legal team – Simi’s testimony was exposed as being more conjecture and opinion than fact. Earlier in the day, Simi asserted that Trump driving his motorcade by the Million MAGA March was a signal to extremists in attendance to engage in violence. When pressed by Gessler, he admitted he was in fact not present for the march, and despite claiming that documents showed it was “Proud Boys” who instigated violence against Antifa, Simi had not included such documents in his expert report to the court.

Gessler honed in on Simi’s use of terms like “double speak”, humorously comparing the idea to the “So you’re telling me there’s a chance” scene from the popular comedy movie Dumb and Dumber where Jim Carrey’s character is unable to take the hint that his love interest isn’t all that in to him. Gessler repeatedly illustrated how Simi appeared to engineer desired conclusions through the selective use of data. Ultimately, the Chapman professor admitted he had no material evidence that Trump intended or proactively called for political violence in his speeches and rallies.

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On day two of the case deciding whether to kick Donald trump off of the Colorado ballot, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s (CREW) legal team brought their star witness to the stand – sociologist and witness-for-hire Dr. Peter Simi. An associate professor at Chapman University, Simi is a purported expert on extremist groups and political violence – boasting an over 20-year career studying the subjects. show more
October 31, 2023
William Upton
Politics

Muslim Voters Threaten To Withhold Votes From Biden For Backing Israel.

Muslim American voters are threatening to sit out the 2024 presidential election unless President Joe Biden pressures Israel to accept a ceasefire with Hamas, the terrorist group that governs the Gaza territory. Prominent Muslim political leaders in key 2024 swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania have given Biden until 5pm ET today to demand that Israel pull back its forces from Gaza and enter into talks with Hamas.

In a letter, the National Muslim Democratic Council – an organization representing the interests of Muslim voters and political leaders in the Democrat Party – warned that they will “withhold endorsement, support, or votes for any candidate who endorses the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people.” The letter directly addressed President Biden and his government’s support for Israel after the barbaric October 7th terror attack perpetrated by Hamas, stating:

Your administration’s unconditional support, encompassing funding and armaments, has played a significant role in perpetuating the violence that is causing civilian casualties and has eroded trust in voters who previously put their faith in you.

Over a million Muslim Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election, making up significant portions of the electorate in Michigan and Minnesota – 71 percent of registered Muslim voters cast a ballot in the presidential contest. In a state like Michigan, which was decided by a narrow 2.6 percent margin in 2020, a drop off in support among Muslim voters could be catastrophic for Biden’s re-election campaign. Current polls show the race in Michigan between Biden and former President Donald Trump to be a statistical dead-heat.

On October 7th, the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas launched a horrific surprise attack on neighboring Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 Israeli citizens and soldiers. In addition to the Israeli deaths, 31 American citizens were also killed in the attack with others taken hostage and held in Gaza.

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Muslim American voters are threatening to sit out the 2024 presidential election unless President Joe Biden pressures Israel to accept a ceasefire with Hamas, the terrorist group that governs the Gaza territory. Prominent Muslim political leaders in key 2024 swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania have given Biden until 5pm ET today to demand that Israel pull back its forces from Gaza and enter into talks with Hamas. show more
October 30, 2023
William Upton
Analysis
News
Politics

NOW: Soros’s ‘Kick Trump Off Ballot’ Case Begins, With Far-Left, Democrat Donor Judge.

The George Soros-backed ‘Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’ (CREW) is arguing in a Colorado court this week that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualifies former President Donald Trump from the 2024 election ballot. The judge overseeing the case appears to be as equally radical-left and partisan as CREW itself.

INSURRECTION.

“Four years after taking an oath to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ the Constitution as President of the United States… Trump tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 election, leading to a violent insurrection at the United States Capitol to stop the lawful transfer of power to his successor,” the CREW lawsuit states.

“By instigating this unprecedented assault on the American constitutional order, Trump violated his oath and disqualified himself under the Fourteenth Amendment from holding public office, including the Office of the President.”

During Trump’s presidency, CREW waged a campaign of frivolous lawsuits against the president and those who served his administration. Often, the lawsuits would use tortured interpretations of obscure constitutional provisions in the hopes of finding a ‘silver bullet’ that would remove either Trump himself or his appointees from office. The Soros-backed group’s novel legal arguments failed to sway any judges at the time, but a rigorous effort of “venue shopping” landed CREW a friendly judge in Colorado it appears.

JUDGE SARAH WALLACE, LEFTIST.

Colorado District Judge Sarah B. Wallace, who will hear the case this week, has a history of making partisan-liberal political donations and has openly expressed disdain for former President Donald Trump. Wallace, appointed by a Democrat governor, is a financial backer of the far-left Colorado Turnout Project (CTP) – an organization dedicated to preventing politicians who “refused to condemn the political extremists who stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021″ from holding office. Wallace donated to CTP as recently as last year. 

Campaign finance records show Judge Wallace has also made campaign contributions to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), the Colorado Democrat Party, former Senator Doug Jones (D-AL), and Jamie Harrison a failed Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina who now runs the Democratic National Committee (DNC). CREW, meanwhile, is a member of the Democrat dark money cartel overseen by Arabella Advisors and their network of non-profits that serve as clearing houses for contributions made by far-left foundations and liberal billionaires.

KEEPING TRUMP OFF THE BALLOT.

The 14th Amendment argument being brought by CREW against former President Trump is a novel legal theory that has been met with little enthusiasm by election officials and legal scholars in other states thus far. This past August, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan brushed aside the idea Trump is disqualified from the ballot by the 14th Amendment. Scanlan said Trump would appear on the New Hampshire ballot along with the other qualifying candidates.

Steven Calabresi, a law professor who co-founded the Federalist Society and the originator of the argument claiming the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump from the ballot, now says his idea and interpretation of the constitutional provision are wrong.

Calabresi points to the fact that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment specifically disqualifies “officers of the United States” who have taken and betrayed an oath to uphold the Constitution. According to Calabresi, the President or Vice-President are not disqualified under this provision as they are the officials vested by the Constitution to appoint said “officers” and not officers themselves.

Judge Wallace has denied five separate motions by former President Trump’s legal team to dismiss the case so far. The trial, which begins today, is expected to last the entire week. If CREW prevails, it would likely be appealed all of the way to the United States Supreme Court.

You can watch the entirety of the proceedings, here. The National Pulse will have a summary of each day’s events in court every evening, where required.

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The George Soros-backed 'Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington' (CREW) is arguing in a Colorado court this week that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualifies former President Donald Trump from the 2024 election ballot. The judge overseeing the case appears to be as equally radical-left and partisan as CREW itself. show more
October 27, 2023
William Upton
News
Politics

Trump’s Mega Mar-A-Lago Fundraiser Pulls In Whopping $6M.

Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for his 2024 presidential campaign raked in around $6 million on Thursday night. The fundraiser featured several notable political figures and social media celebrities who are supporting the former President’s bid to retake the White House.

The fundraiser’s goal – on top of continuing to build Trump’s 2024 war chest – was to show a clear sign of strength and signal that for the Trump campaign, the primary is over and the general election fight against President Joe Biden has begun. Several high-profile political figures were in attendance, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and former-Speaker candidate and Florida Congressman Byron Donalds. Comedian and celebrity Roseanne Barr also made an appearance Thursday night.

When Trump took the stage to address the crowd in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, he quickly recognized conservative talk show host Larry Elder who had just hours before dropped out of the 2024 Republican presidential primary, and endorsed the former President. “Larry said don’t worry about it, when I drop out, you’re the guy and I love you and I love him,” Trump said.

Trump’s remarks focused mainly on his accomplishments as President, especially in regards to foreign policy and his administration’s successful work reining in Iran, China, and North Korea. The former President also took aim at President Joe Biden, who he blasted for undoing his successes. Trump also made clear that his fundraising and polling lead have made Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s path to a primary victory nearly impossible.

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Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for his 2024 presidential campaign raked in around $6 million on Thursday night. The fundraiser featured several notable political figures and social media celebrities who are supporting the former President's bid to retake the White House. show more
October 27, 2023
Politics

Larry Elder Ends Republican Prez Campaign, Endorses Trump.

Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder announced Thursday that he was ending his 2024 Republican presidential campaign, subsequently endorsing former President Donald Trump. Elder stated that he made the decision to offer his support to Trump, a leader whose efforts were “instrumental in advancing conservative America-first principles and policies.” Elder expressed hopes that his campaign highlighted issues he deems significant, such as fatherlessness, crime reduction, and opposing the view that the U.S. is a fundamentally racist nation.

Larry Elder’s announcement marks the fourth major withdrawal from the presidential race, following Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Perry Johnson, and former Texas congressman Will Hurd. Despite the relatively low visibility of his campaign in a field dominated by other high-profile Republican figures like former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Elder said he believed his campaign made a positive impact.

Elder’s political exposure began in 2021 with his bid to replace Newsom. However, the majority of voters opposed Newsom’s removal. Despite this setback, Elder maintained that his campaign generated resonance among voters. The Los Angeles-born lawyer, with a considerable conservative following through his radio programs and appearances on right-wing media outlets, professed his opposition to the Democrats’ “woke” agenda, Black Lives Matter, and claims that America embodied systemic racism.

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Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder announced Thursday that he was ending his 2024 Republican presidential campaign, subsequently endorsing former President Donald Trump. Elder stated that he made the decision to offer his support to Trump, a leader whose efforts were "instrumental in advancing conservative America-first principles and policies." Elder expressed hopes that his campaign highlighted issues he deems significant, such as fatherlessness, crime reduction, and opposing the view that the U.S. is a fundamentally racist nation. show more