Saturday, September 20, 2025

National Review Says Pick DeSantis or Haley Because They’d Be Cool With ‘Losing’ a Stolen Election.

The establishment National Review magazine concedes it is an “understatement” to describe Donald Trump as the front-runner in the race for the GOP nomination, but is pleading that it is “not too late” for Republicans to choose Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis instead. The outlet claims the pair would be “quite likely” to defeat Joe Biden, but would be better “for the party and for the country” even if they lost because they would not try to fight a stolen election.

While the Review admits that Trump “notched some important conservative wins and even forged some creative victories” as President, citing the Abraham Accords, they insist he “disgraced” himself by “trying to deny the results of an election.”

“It’s impossible to imagine Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley, whatever their other flaws, engaging in such grotesquely selfish behavior injurious to our republic,” the Review states, arguing their willingness to submit to a potentially rigged election makes them “vastly preferable to Trump.”

“When a mob, fervently believing Trump’s lies, fought its way into the U.S. Capitol to try to end the count, Trump did little or nothing to try to stop it,” they add, falsely.

Nevertheless, the Review had to admit that “the electability argument [against Trump] has been rendered null and void by his strong polling in a hypothetical matchup with President Biden.”

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The establishment National Review magazine concedes it is an "understatement" to describe Donald Trump as the front-runner in the race for the GOP nomination, but is pleading that it is "not too late" for Republicans to choose Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis instead. The outlet claims the pair would be "quite likely" to defeat Joe Biden, but would be better "for the party and for the country" even if they lost because they would not try to fight a stolen election. show more
rfk jr record

RFK Campaign Investigated Over $70,000 Payments to CIA Daughter-in-Law.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is investigating potentially illegal payments the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK, Jr.) presidential campaign made to the candidate’s daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy — a former CIA officer. Kennedy’s campaign is alleged to have paid Fox Kennedy $70,000 for administrative work over just four months.

In a letter to the Kennedy campaign, the FEC asked for documentation regarding the payment and proof the financial compensation was not inordinately above fair-market value. If the campaign is unable to produce the requested documentation and evidence, the FEC warned it would pursue legal action.

“Salary payments made to members of the candidate’s family constitute personal use of campaign funds unless the family member is providing bona fide services to the campaign,” the FEC informed the Kennedy campaign, adding: “If a family member is providing bona fide services to the campaign, any salary payment in excess of the fair market value of the services provided is personal use.”

Amaryllis Fox Kennedy served in an administrative role on RFK, Jr.’s presidential campaign from July to September of 2023. In October of last year, former Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) resigned as RFK, Jr.’s campaign manager, with Fox Kennedy subsequently taking over the role.

RFK, Jr., a politically liberal Democrat, abandoned his Democrat primary challenge to incumbent President Joe Biden in early October — opting for an independent bid for the presidency instead. While the scion of the Kennedy political dynasty has garnered substantial popularity in general election polls, he has only managed to secure ballot access in a single U.S. state — Utah — as of early January 2024.

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The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is investigating potentially illegal payments the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK, Jr.) presidential campaign made to the candidate's daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy — a former CIA officer. Kennedy's campaign is alleged to have paid Fox Kennedy $70,000 for administrative work over just four months. show more
nikki haley

New Iowa Poll Shows DeSantis Slump to 13% While Haley Picks Up Chris Christie’s Votes.

A new poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters shows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slumping into a distant third place, with just 13 percent of the vote. President Donald Trump retains a commanding 54 percent of overall support, with Nikki Haley now in second place with 20 percent.

When respondents were asked how they would vote without Christie, who has pitched himself as the ‘Never Trump’ candidate, Haley appeared to suck up all of his support, rising to 22 percent. This still leaves her 32 points behind Trump, but if the movement from Christie to Haley remains consistent across early voting states it could put her neck-and-neck with Trump in New Hampshire. Back in April, DeSantis had 30 percent, against Haley’s paltry five.

While Christie has claimed he is bowing out of the race to increase the chances of Trump losing the nomination, a hot mic caught him admitting that he has little faith in Haley before he announced he was quitting.

“She’s going to get smoked, you and I know it, she’s not up to this,” he said, adding that DeSantis had recently called him “petrified” about the state of the race.

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A new poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters shows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slumping into a distant third place, with just 13 percent of the vote. President Donald Trump retains a commanding 54 percent of overall support, with Nikki Haley now in second place with 20 percent. show more

Editor’s Notes

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

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
As I said in my Editor’s Note on our original report on Christie dropping out, Haley being able to suck up his supporters is a potential game-changer at least in New Hampshire, where he polls around 12 percent to 28 percent for Haley and 44 percent for Trump
As I said in my Editor’s Note on our original report on Christie dropping out, Haley being able to suck up his supporters is a potential game-changer at least in New Hampshire, where he polls around 12 percent to 28 percent for Haley and 44 percent for Trump show more
for exclusive members-only insights

Trump Debunks ‘Dictator’ Hoax, Condemns Political Violence in Fox Town Hall.

Former President Donald Trump brushed off the constant “dictator” claims made against him by his political foes during Wednesday night’s Fox News Town Hall, stating, “I said I’m gonna be a dictator for one day, and we’re gonna do two things: The border, we’re gonna make it so tight you can’t get in… And the other is energy, we’re gonna drill, baby, drill.”

“After that, I’m not gonna be a dictator,” Trump continued. The former president made similar comments during a town hall last month, which were widely taken out of context and promoted by his opponents, including President Biden, as evidence that Trump intends to act as an actual dictator if elected again. In context, however, it appears that Trump’s definition of being a dictator is merely to use his constitutionally granted executive authority to address two serious issues — border security and energy security — that are greatly impacting Americans.

During the town hall, moderator Bret Baier also asked Trump if he would condemn political violence as never acceptable. “Of course,” Trump responded. “That’s right.”

Aired at the same time at a Ron DeSantis vs Nikki Haley debate on CNN, Trump’s town hall attracted rave reviews from online viewers. The debate for second place, however, was less palatable, with Haley and DeSantis mostly resorting to smear attempts against one another for just under two hours.

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Former President Donald Trump brushed off the constant "dictator" claims made against him by his political foes during Wednesday night's Fox News Town Hall, stating, "I said I'm gonna be a dictator for one day, and we're gonna do two things: The border, we're gonna make it so tight you can't get in... And the other is energy, we're gonna drill, baby, drill." show more

WATCH – Kassam Cautions ‘Populism Is In A Dependent Ascendency’, Needs to Be More Than a Protest Movement.

The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam cautioned supporters of populist movements across the globe that their movements are often too dependent on globalism as a mirror, creating a political symbiosis. Appearing on Stephen K. Bannon’s War Room, Kassam warned populists against complacency, especially as the 2024 environment feels increasingly like 2015/16.

TOO DEPENDENT ON GLOBALISM.

“Globalism is being routed. It is being routed intellectually. It is being routed morally. It is being routed by the public will,” Kassam said, adding, “but populism itself is kind of in this what I think is a symbiotic relationship right now with globalism. It is a push and pull. And they both kind of leverage each other.”

“The reason I think you have what is a dependent ascendency – if it is an ascendency at all – rather than an independent ascendency is because it really doesn’t have its legs. Populism, still, has been carried kind of on the back of a few figures the last decade,” he added.

VULNERABILITY WITHOUT ACTION.

The lack of formal political apparatuses, according to Kassam, has left many populist movements around the globe vulnerable to political persecution and law-fare actions by globalists. He pointed to the new globalist Tusk government in Poland ordering the arrest of populist officials in Andrzej Duda’s previous right-wing administration, as well as Jack Smith’s law-fare prosecutions of Donald Trump in the United States, as examples of globalists striking back.

In addition to threats posed by globalists, the lack of political infrastructure has also exposed populist movements from within. Kassam, responding to Bannon’s examples of grassroots protests against globalism as a sign of the movement’s strength, said: “You point to protests and truckers and all of that, and I’ll just point to Giorgia Meloni and Mike Johnson.” Both were initially hailed as allies of right-wing populism but have since proven to be weak leaders who have caved to globalist political pressure.

“These people cannot be in charge of populist parties with populist bases,” Kassam said.

MORE THAN A PROTEST MOVEMENT.

Kassam also warned that many populist political movements become too complacent with being just a “party of perennial protest” –  stuck in permanent political opposition. “Here’s the crossroads that MAGA is at right now – America First, the global populist-nationalist movement writ-large… are you going to be parties of protest for the rest of your lives? Or are you going to be parties of government?” Kassam said, challenging populist political activists before adding: “Because if you’re going to be parties of government you can’t have Meloni in charge, you can’t have Jonson in charge. You can’t have Ronna McDaniel in charge. You actually have to take those reins of power and use them.”

“They’re giving you a choice. You can shut up and go along with it [globalism] or you can do something about it,” Kassam concluded.

WATCH:

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The National Pulse's Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam cautioned supporters of populist movements across the globe that their movements are often too dependent on globalism as a mirror, creating a political symbiosis. Appearing on Stephen K. Bannon's War Room, Kassam warned populists against complacency, especially as the 2024 environment feels increasingly like 2015/16. show more

Trump Blasts AI As ‘Very Dangerous’ Threat to U.S.

Former President Donald Trump has warned that artificial intelligence (A.I.) is “very dangerous for our country” in a post on Truth Social. Trump’s comments came after AI-generated, fake images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein surfaced online, peddled by Hollywood “celebrities” attempting to deflect attention from the habits of their own friends and colleagues.

“This is what the Democrats do to their Republican Opponent, who is leading them, by a lot, in the Polls. This is A.I., and it is very dangerous for our Country!” wrote Trump. “I was never on Epstein’s Plane, or at his ‘stupid’ Island. Strong Laws ought to be developed against A.I. It will be a big and very dangerous problem in the future!”

Trump’s comments were posted along with an article from the Daily Mail about Mark Ruffalo, who reposted fake, A.I.-generated images of Trump on Epstein’s plane on X and criticized X CEO Elon Musk for allowing such material to proliferate on the social media site.

Although Trump’s name appeared in court documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, the documents revealed that Trump never traveled on Epstein’s plane nor visited his private island. Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim whose lawsuit led to the ongoing unsealing of names of the convicted sex offender’s associates, testified that she never witnessed Trump commit any wrongdoing.

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Former President Donald Trump has warned that artificial intelligence (A.I.) is "very dangerous for our country" in a post on Truth Social. Trump's comments came after AI-generated, fake images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein surfaced online, peddled by Hollywood "celebrities" attempting to deflect attention from the habits of their own friends and colleagues. show more
nikki haley

Weather-Induced Low Iowa Turnout ‘Would Disproportionately Affect Trump.’

A polar vortex poised to pummel the Midwest could result in low voter turnout in Iowa that “would disproportionately affect Trump.”

Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State. Schmidt, told Axios the harsh winter conditions are most likely to negatively impact turnout amongst older Iowans. This “could disproportionately affect Trump,” said local Democrat strategist Jeff Link, as older voters skew in favor of the former President compared to his opponents. Bad winter weather in the Hawkeye State has already disrupted campaigning, with Trump and a number of his opponents having canceled campaign events due to inclement conditions.

Iowa, which holds its Republican Caucus vote on Tuesday, faces a winter storm warning with a projected snowfall of roughly one foot as an Arctic storm front descends upon the Midwest. Meteorologists are predicting that the extreme snowfall will be followed by a polar vortex sweeping into the region.

Trump’s dominance in the polls could also prove a hindrance to him on Caucus Day, as the feeling that his win is inevitable may cause complacency amongst his supporters, many of whom would then choose to stay home rather than face the cold.

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A polar vortex poised to pummel the Midwest could result in low voter turnout in Iowa that "would disproportionately affect Trump." show more
could donald trump be speaker of the house

UPDATED: Crooked Judge Engoron Revokes Permission for Trump to Give Own Closing Arguments at NY Trial.

Former President Donald Trump was expected to deliver his own closing arguments in the politicized New York trial against him and his company this Thursday. In an update that came after the publication of this original story, the far-left linked Judge Arthur Engoron rescinded the right of Trump to do so, according to the Associated Press.

Trump, along with several associates, stands accused by Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying the value of The Trump Organization’s assets on key financial statements to fraudulently receive tax and insurance benefits.

The former president’s plans to deliver the closing arguments were initially approved by Judge Arthur Engoron, who now appears to have bowed to political pressure, again, to stop the move. 

Letitia James’s office is asking Engoron to force Trump to pay nearly $370 million and to issue a lifetime ban on his doing real estate business in New York. She is also asking for a five-year ban on Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from operating in the New York real estate industry.

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Former President Donald Trump was expected to deliver his own closing arguments in the politicized New York trial against him and his company this Thursday. In an update that came after the publication of this original story, the far-left linked Judge Arthur Engoron rescinded the right of Trump to do so, according to the Associated Press. show more

Editor’s Notes

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

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
I believe that’s what they call “must-see TV”!
I believe that’s what they call “must-see TV”! show more
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POISONING THE BLOOD: Enough Fentanyl to Kill Over 1.7 Million Americans Seized in Florida.

Investigators working across multiple agencies have arrested 11 people and seized enough fentanyl in Florida to kill over 1.7 million. They also seized 12 kilograms of cocaine (~26.5 pounds) and two firearms.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says they worked with partner agencies at the local, state, and federal levels to achieve the bust, which centered on Maximo Espinosa.

Espinosa, previously arrested for armed heroin trafficking, is alleged to be the head of a drug trafficking organization running cocaine and fentanyl in kilo amounts across Florida, the northeastern United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Other players caught in the sting included Pedro Mejia and Omar Veloz, both already on probation for federal drug trafficking offenses.

Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office

In a separate investigation into the alleged Colon-Colon Drug Trafficking Organization, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested another six people allegedly involved in cocaine trafficking.

Suspected ringleader Roosevelt Colon-Colon was caught trying to throw away a handgun after law enforcement descended on a drug deal arranged by an undercover officer. Associate Julio Arroyo Rodriguez was also found to be carrying a loaded 9mm when he was arrested.

The Sheriff’s Office says they seized over two kilos of cocaine (~4.5 pounds) during the Colon-Colon sting.

Leading presidential candidate Donald Trump believes Joe Biden’s lax border policies are fueling the explosion in drug trafficking in recent years, warning that the drugs crisis and migrants carrying infectious diseases are “poisoning the blood” of the country.

Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.

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Investigators working across multiple agencies have arrested 11 people and seized enough fentanyl in Florida to kill over 1.7 million. They also seized 12 kilograms of cocaine (~26.5 pounds) and two firearms. show more

Melania Trump’s Mother, Amalija Knavs, Has Passed Away.

Former First Lady Melania Trump announced on Tuesday the passing of her mother, Amalija Knavs, aged 78. The news comes after weeks of leftists and Republican opponents goading Trump online with the phrase, “Where’s Melania?” when she was spending time at the hospital bedside of her dying mother.

“Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity,” Melania Trump wrote on Tuesday. “She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy.”

Speaking at his New Year’s Eve celebration at Mar-A-Lago, the former President had expressed hope that Knavs would recover from her illness. He shared that Melania had been at a Miami hospital, tending to her sick mother.

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Former First Lady Melania Trump announced on Tuesday the passing of her mother, Amalija Knavs, aged 78. The news comes after weeks of leftists and Republican opponents goading Trump online with the phrase, "Where's Melania?" when she was spending time at the hospital bedside of her dying mother. show more