Category Archives: Donald Trump

As Republican Party pariah Liz Cheney made clear Tuesday in her opening remarks at the Houses investigation into the attack on the Capitol, lawmakers must get to the bottom of the events surrounding the insurrection or it will remain acanceron our Constitutional republic, undermining the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democratic system. Specifically, Cheney insisted that the Houseselectcommittee must not only determine what happened here at the Capitol but what Donald Trump was up to as well, saying, We must also know what happened every minute of that day in the White Houseevery phone call, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during, and after the attack.

Now, if Trump was (trigger warning here) still in power, his administration would no doubt refuse to allow anyone who had any contact with him on January 6 to testify before the committee, asserting executive privilege. But luckily for Congress, the country, and the humanity, Trump isnt in power anymore.

Per The Guardian:

FormerTrump administrationofficials can testify to Congress about Donald Trumps role in the deadly January attack on the Capitol and his efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election, the Justice Department (DOJ) has said in a letter obtained by The Guardian. The move by the Justice Department to decline to assert executive privilege for Trumps acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen, clears the path for other top former officials to also testify to congressional committees investigating the Capitol attack without fear of repercussions. The Justice Department authorized witnesses to appear specifically before the two committees. But a DOJ official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said they expected that approval to extend to the January 6 select committee thatbegan proceedings on Tuesday.

Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House select committee,told The Guardianin a recent interview that he would investigate both Trump and anyone who communicated with the former president on January 6, raising the prospect of depositions with an array of Trump officials.

The Justice Departments decision marks a sharp departure from the Trump era, when the department repeatedly intervened on behalf of top White House officials to assert executive privilege and shield them from congressional investigations into the former president.

Who might Thompsons committee want to talk to and what kind of questions might they ask? In addition to Rosen, The Washington Post suggested several people of interest on Tuesday:

Top of the list is precisely what then president Donald Trump did before, during, and after the attack. How did he prepare his speech preceding the insurrection, in which he told the crowd to fight? What did he anticipate his audiences reaction would be? When did he know the pro-Trump mob was threatening the Capitol? Why did he offer only mild statements long after the danger was clear? Did Trump-affiliated rally organizers coordinate with extremist groups? Answering such questions calls for subpoenaing former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; Mr. Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner; and other White House aides with useful information.

See the article here:

Will the 1/6 Committee Force Jared and Ivanka to Testify Against Donald Trump? - Vanity Fair

Politicians almost always act in their own electoral interest. This sounds bad except that much of the time that means that they are acting in the self-interest of the people who voted for them, representing the views of the majority of their constituents. It is rare that a politician acts against his own self-interestbut then again, Donald Trump is a rare breed of politician. No politician has made it a habit of acting against his own electoral interest like Donald Trump.

Trump and many of his Republican colleagues have allowed a virulent anti-vaccine/anti-masking/anti-social distancing campaign to spread among their voters, reinforced by Fox News. The campaign gained strength just in time for the emergence of a new and more contagious COVID variant: the Delta variant. Polling has shown that the anti-vaccine message is especially popular among Republicans. Kaiser Family Foundation data indicate that Republicans are the group most likely to say they will definitely not get a vaccine:

A total of 17 of the 18 states that voted for Trump in the 2020 election have the lowest vaccination rates. The exception was Georgia which went for Biden by a very small margin.

But in recent weeks some Republican leaders have been changing their tune. Right-wing stalwarts like Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), the House Republican whip, just got vaccinated publicly. This move is in contrast to former President Trump and First Lady Melania who got vaccinated before leaving the White House without making a public appearance out of it and without urging their supporters to do the same. The very conservative governor of Alabama held a press conference to admonish her constituents to get vaccinated. Appearing every bit the irritated grandmother talking to teenagers she said:

Its the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down. Ive done all I know how to do. I can encourage you to do something but I cant make you take care of yourself.

And Fox News has taken some small steps towards sanity with several high-profile anchors disputing disinformation from the web and urging viewers to get vaccines.

Slowly but surely, in recent weeks, the number of vaccinations has been increasing. So why the change of heart among conservative leaders? Reality is probably the biggest reason. Grandmothers dying, hospitals overrun, and young people getting sick have a way of combatting the nonsense on the web. Eventually conservative leaders will not want to bear responsibility for the pain of so many. Now that the COVID casualties are piling up in deep red states rather than liberal cities on the coasts they are finding their pandemic humanity. And so politics may well be driving the Republican about-face as elected officials recognize that people are dying and many of those are potential Republican voters in 2022 and beyond.

Health statisticians use a metric called excess deaths. According to the CDC, Excess deaths are typically defined as the difference between the observed numbers of deaths in specific time periods and expected numbers of deaths in the same time periods. In other words, people die every day but during the pandemic many more people died than would ordinarily during the same period.

Belowis a table usingCDC data showing the estimated excess deaths thathave occurred since February 2020by state, as apercentage of the population. So, for instance, Mississippi has lost approximately 0.35% of its population in excess of what was expected. The table is arranged in order of the magnitude of the loss. Of the top fifteen states that have suffered excess deaths, New York, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and New Mexico are Democratic strongholds. Three states, Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania are swing states that went for Biden in 2020 and the remaining eight states are Republican strongholds.

Note: New York numbers combine New York City with the rest of New York State.

Its not too far out to assume that in some places the Republican quiescence in the face of anti-vax nonsense may be killing their own voters. As we know from this long pandemic, it hits the elderly the hardest. People 65 and older are most likely to die. And as we know from many surveys, Trumps support is highest in the oldest age cohort, those over 65 years old. In Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania there will be tough contests at the statewide and congressional levels and 2024 is likely to be as close as was 2020. Given these numbers, killing off your most reliable voters is perhaps not the best strategy.

These data do not, in themselves, show that COVID is killing Republican voters or disproportionately affect Republican families. For example, we know that because of healthcare disparities, Black Americans are more likely to die from COVID than white Americans. In Republican states, increases in COVID infections, hospitalizations, and deaths could be affecting Black residents, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic, even in Republican stronghold states. However, the sudden change in rhetoric from conservative, Republican politicians, and even among Republican leaders who were previously vaccine-skeptical or vaccine-silent, suggests that something else is happening. It suggests that Republican politicians are recognizing where the current COVID wave is hitting hardest, and they arent Democratic cities and counties.

Trump himself has often been immune to rational political calculationsjust look at his insistence on endorsing the weaker candidate, Susan Wright, who recently lost the Republican special election in Texas 6th congressional district. The winner dubbed himself a Reagan Republican, not a Trump Republican. And in a final irony, Congressman-elect Jake Ellzey will replace Rep. Ron Wright who died of COVID.

Historically, rational political calculus has been a bipartisan quality, but not in the Trumpified GOP. If Trump wants to preserve the lives of his best voters, he would turn his rallies into mass vaccination sites. There is still time, but it is running out for thousands of Americans.

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COVID-19 is crushing red states. Why isnt Trump turning his rallies into mass vaccination sites? - Brookings Institution

TCF Center in Detroit erupting as counting continues

A chaotic scene erupted outside the vote tally room at TCF Center in Detroit as election officials informed dozens of challengers that they could not reenter the room due to it being over-capacity.

Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey on Wednesday described how she and other election officials were threatened and harassed in the wake of the 2020 presidential election after President Donald Trump madebaseless claims of corruption in the outcome.

"Threats were made against me, my staff and Detroit poll workers by phone, by email and in person," Winfrey said in testimony to the U.S. House Administration Committee, which held a hearing on threats of election subversion amid Trump's continued lies that the election was fraudulent.

The committee is considering whether legislation is needed to protect election officials and workers from harassment.

Trump lost Michigan to President Joe Biden by more than 154,000 votes and Republican lawmakers in Lansing, as well as elections officials and Trump's own Justice Department, have concluded there wasn't any evidence of widespread fraud. But Trump has continued to claim fraud, especially in Detroit, despite having done better in that city in 2020 than he did in 2016 when he faced Hillary Clinton.

More: Report: Barr rejected Trump's allegations of Detroit voter fraud. Trump called him worthless

More: Here's how Biden beat Trump in Michigan and it wasn't corruption

More: Trump's false claims are whipping up Republicans. They might also hurt their chances

After Trump pressed his claims, there were numerous incidents in Michigan and several other states where his supporters protested, threatened or harassed election officials or staff pressing claims of fraud that were never proven.

Winfrey said she expected to receive more harassment for merely appearing before the committee.

"Some of my colleagues have been shot at ... all of us have been threatened," she said, though she didn't elaborate on the circumstances of anyone who may have been targeted by firearms. "We just want to uphold democracy. ... It's unfair that we're attacked for doing our jobs."

"I feel afraid," she continued. "I know I'm going to get some kind of repercussion for just sitting here today."

In her testimony, Winfrey said the most direct threat she encountered came some time after she had testified, despite having been diagnosed with COVID-19, to election officials responsible for certifying the vote.

Walking in her neighborhood, she said "an unknown Caucasian male approximately 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds approached me ... and abruptly stated, 'I've been waiting for you at work and decided to come by your house.' "

Winfrey said the man continued, saying, "Why did you cheat?" and "Why did you allow Trump to lose? You are going to pay dearly for your actions in this election."

"He approached me in a threatening manner, coming closer and closer and my only recourse was to yell, 'I have COVID-19 and I will spit on you!' " she said.

Winfrey said a neighbor who was driving by intervened, asking whether Winfrey was OK and using her car to block the man while the Detroit clerk got home. But that wasn't the end, she said.

"Later that evening, I receive a message on Facebook stating that he was going to blow up my block and that I was a chicken head and ugly in person," she said, adding that she contacted Detroit police. "As recently as February 2021, I was notified by (Detroit police) that the police would be patrolling my home for the next couple of weeks. My husband and I decided to simply leave home."

Winfrey who also said she received insults and threats via social media and texts on her cellphone noted she wasn't the only election official to be harassed, as state and other local officials also received threats. She also noted that during the counting of absentee ballots at TCF Center in Detroit, several Republican challengers had to be removed because of "disruptive conduct."

"Some wore intimidating masks over their entire face, others banged on the walls and windows shouting, 'STOP THE VOTE,' " she said. "Others violated social distancing standards and, as required by COVID-19 rules, refused to place protectivemasks over their noses when asked. It appeared that this disruption attempted to undermine the tabulation of absentee ballots."

In response to a question from U.S. Rep. G.K. Buttterfield, D-N.C., Winfrey said her staff was shaken by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the harassment they received. "A number of my senior staff decided to take off work, to take (family leave). ... The overall climate ... is one of fear almost. Peopleare wanting to retire."

Winfreysaid the role of local clerks to protect the integrity of the vote is vital and asked the committee to take steps to protect them from harassment and intimidation while conducting their official duties.

"We need laws to protect us for simply doing our jobs," she said. "I'm not partisan in my job and, as such, me and my staff, we shouldn't be threatened. We shouldn't do the job fearfully."

Winfrey, who has served four terms as Detroits chief election officer, is up for reelection this fall. She will face three challengers in the citys upcoming Aug. 3 primary.

Shehas spoken out against bills introduced by Republican state lawmakers that someelection officials and voting rights advocates say would disenfranchise voters in the state based on misinformation that the Nov. 3 election was rife with fraud.

While Winfrey has positioned herself as an advocate for the citys voters, some of her challengers have argued that she hasnt done enough to ensure elections in the city are accessible and addressed persistent problems with mismatches between the number of ballots recorded as cast in the pollbook and the number of ballots counted.

Those concerns came to a boil after the August 2020 primary election when nearly three-quarters of the citys precincts recorded imbalances between the number of absentee ballots counted and the number of ballots recorded as cast, which state election officials attributed to recording errors. That prompted the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to ask state election officials to step in to help the city during the presidential election.

During the November election, about 70% of the counting boards charged with counting absentee ballots cast by the citys voters were out of balance without an explanation, but a post-election review was able to reconcile and resolve many of the discrepancies.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

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Winfrey describes threats in wake of 2020 election to congressional panel - Detroit Free Press

The assignment for a collection of national and local reporters in December of 2019 was simple: What was it like to cover President Donald Trump, both in his campaign days and as president?

"But when these pieces started coming in, many were very personal," said Jerry Ceppos, LSU journalism professor and editor of the book that resulted from the reporters' essays, "Covering Politics in the Age of Trump," published this month by LSU Press.

"We realized there was a higher calling for the book," he said. "Readers would be able to get into the mind of a reporter and see that we are human beings," said Ceppos, the William B. Dickinson Distinguished Professor in Journalism at LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication, where he previously was dean.

On Thursday, at 2 p.m., LSU Press and the Society of Professional Journalists, which funded the book, will hold a live, remote discussion and readings from the book with Ceppos and three of the book's 24 contributors: Mark Leibovich, chief national correspondent for the New York Times Magazine; Major Garrett, chief Washington correspondent for CBS News; and Mary C. Curtis, a columnist for Roll Call, the Capitol Hill news organization, on the LSU Press Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/LSUPress/.

People can RSVP for the reading on the "events" link on the above Facebook page, to get a reminder beforehand, at https://fb.me/e/RLu9Y7cA. After Thursday's reading and Q-and-A, the event will be available on the "videos" link of the LSU Press Facebook page.

The journalists' essays in the book fall into one of eight chapters, including "When the President Calls You Out," "Could All of This Be Our Fault?" and "Look to the Future."

One of the essayists, Ashley Parker, the White House bureau chief for the Washington Post, wrote in her piece for the book: "At the Post, our former executive editor, Marty Baron, stressed that we don't cover Trump any differently than we'd cover any other president. But Trump did present different challenges."

In the chapter called "The Story Isn't Always in Washington," Mark Ballard, the Capitol News Bureau editor for The Advocate and Times-Picayune, noted the Trump administration had better relationships with the local press than the national media.

"Covering Politics in the Age of Trump" is dedicated to the late Martin Johnson, who was dean of the Manship School when he had the idea for the book.

Johnson, who became dean in 2018 after Ceppos stepped down after seven years in the position, died at age 50 in his sleep on Sept. 28, 2020.

"It still gets to me," said Ceppos, adding, "Martin and I went to LSU Press together to drop off the first draft of the book."

Ceppos said the aim was to portray the impact of Trump's presidency on journalists.

"It was not at all intended as an anti-Trump book," Ceppos said last week. "It's about how journalists think and how they try to be objective."

"You can see that fairness is the goal," he said.

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What was it like to cover Donald Trump as president? Writers tell stories in new LSU press book - The Advocate

Former President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had a tee time with donors at a Trump golf course in April.

A political action committee Donald Trump co-founded to help Republicans take control of the Senate spent20%of its operating expenditures at the former president's businesses, according to a financial disclosure filed earlier this month.

TheTrump-Graham Majority Fund paid the Trump Hotels Collection $22,000on June 3 for a facility rental and catering. The PAC reported total operating expenses of $105,000 for the quarter.

Just days after it launched in April, theTrump-Graham Majority Fund held the Trump Graham Golf Classic at Trump International Golf Club Palm Beach. Theentry fee was $25,000, a person,reported Punchbowl News.

The PAC raised $705,000 last quarter. Contributors who pitched in at least $25,000 included Lynda Blanchard, Trumps former U.S. ambassador to Slovenia. She is nowrunning for Senate in Alabama.Herhusbandmade a big donation as well.Mississippi State Senator Joel Carter (R)also was in for $25,000. The PAC for the GEO Group, a private prison company,chipped in$20,000.

Representatives from the Trump-Graham Majority Fund and the Trump Organizationdidnot respondto inquiries.

Former President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) address their donors and Trump's customers.

I took an unusual route to get here. In a past life, I worked as a travel and food writer, which is how I got the assignment in 2016 to cover the grand opening of the

I took an unusual route to get here. In a past life, I worked as a travel and food writer, which is how I got the assignment in 2016 to cover the grand opening of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., just a couple miles from my home. When Trump won the election and refused to divest his business, I stayed on the story, starting a newsletter called 1100 Pennsylvania (named after the hotels address) and contributed to Vanity Fair, Politico and NBC News. Im still interested in Trump, but Ive broadened my focus to follow the money connected to other politicians as wellboth Republicans and Democrats.

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Trump PAC Spends 20% Of Its Operating Expenses At Trumps Business - Forbes

Nobodys ever gone through what I have, Trump added. They got me on all phony stuff.

Trump found fault with most of his fellow Republican leaders, past and present. Still clearly vexed by the ghost of the late Arizona senator John McCain, Trump without prompting brought up the partys 2008 presidential nominee, whom he had attacked for years.

John McCain was a bad guy, he said of the decorated prisoner of war. He was a bully and a nasty guy, bad guy. A lot of people disliked him. Last in his class in Annapolis. All that stuff, but he was a bad guy. I say it to you. I dont care. Does it affect me? I won Arizona, okay? By a lot. Didnt turn out that way in terms of the vote, but I won Arizona. Everyone knows it. He didnt affect me. I won the first time. I won it the second time.

Trump, who in fact lost Arizona to Biden, continued with this fix. You know, I did three rallies in Arizona, he said. I never had an empty seat. Governor Doug Ducey, who withstood Trumps pressure to overturn the result, was not a loyal party member, according to the former president. I think Ducey is a terrible Republican, he said. Ducey did everything he could to block voter integrity, to block people from making sure the vote was accurate.

Trump also complained about former House Speaker Paul Ryan, whom he labeled a super-RINORepublican in name only. And he said Mitch McConnell has no personality nor a killer political instinct. He faulted McConnell for refusing to eliminate the filibuster to ram through Republican legislation and for not persuading Senator Joe Manchin, the moderate Democrat from West Virginia, to switch parties.

Hes a stupid person, Trump said of McConnell. I dont think hes smart enough.

I tried to convince Mitch McConnell to get rid of the filibuster, to terminate it, so that we would get everything, and he was a knucklehead and he didnt do it, Trump said.

Trump said he wished he had had partners in Congress like Meade Esposito, who was the head of the Democratic Party machine in Brooklyn from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Esposito, who was close to Trump and his late father, Fred Trump, was known for his patronage and commanded respect.

Nobody would ever talk back to Meade Esposito. Meade Esposito didnt have a RINO like a Mitt Romney, you know, or as I said, Ben Sasse, whos a lightweight, Trump said, invoking two Republican senators who sometimes criticized him. He added, Mitch McConnell compared to Meade Esposito, its like a baby compared to a grownup football player with brains on top of everything else.

Esposito had run a citywide patronage system that doled out important jobs to loyalists and people providing gifts and favors. The party boss gained a fearsome reputation for his intimidation tactics and connections to organized crime. Amid an investigation of his work, Esposito retired in 1983; he was convicted of offering a gratuity and interstate travel charges in 1987.

Other presidents attend to philanthropic interests, write memoirs, and curate presidential libraries after leaving office. But not Trump. Many of his Palm Beach days have followed the tempo and style he set back in Washington, a reflection of his addiction to the twenty-four-hour news cycle and appetite to maintain political relevance. In the morning hours, he spends time alone in his private quarters watching television and making phone calls to allies and friends. Many days he plays a round of golf at one of his nearby clubs. And in the afternoons, he puts on his suit, applies his makeup, and emerges for meetings with whichever politicians or acolytes have made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago. By early 2021, Trump had turned his club into a political base camp for his potential comeback.

Trump made no secret of his interest in perhaps running for president in 2024. Would he choose Pence again as his running mate?

Well, I was disappointed in Mike, Trump said. But, you know, Ill be making a decision at some point. I will say this: Based on the polls, those polls are great, the Republican Party loves Trump. Ninety-seven percent!

When we pointed out that Pence is said to be interested in running for president, too, Trump seemed to welcome the competition. Its a free country, right? he said. Its a free country.

But Trump all but ruled out running with Chris Christie, who had been runner-up to Pence in his 2016 veepstakes, and Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, who had criticized Trumps attempts to subvert the vote in repeated interviews with Tim Alberta of Politico.

Chris has been very disloyal, but thats okay, Trump said. I helped Chris Christie a lot. He knows that more than anybody, but I helped him a lot. But hes been disloyal.

As for his former ambassador, Trump said he was rebuffing her outreach. Nikki Haley wants to come here so badly, he said. She did a little nasty couple of statements...She has been killed by the party. When they speak badly about me, the party is not happy about it. Its pretty amazing. Theres not been anything like this.

Over the years, Trump rarely has expressed misgivings. But he regrets his response to protests last summer in Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, and other cities. I think if I had it to do again, I would have brought in the military immediately, he said.

Trump had no such second thoughts about his handling of the pandemic. He said he had been very tough in protecting the country by restricting travel, first from China and then from Europe. He said he did so against the wishes of his top medical advisers; in fact, most of them agreed with the restrictions before he made his decision, according to participants in the discussions and their contemporaneous notes. But he correctly said he pushed scientists at the FDA at a level that they have never been pushed before to get vaccines approved in record time.

I think we did a great job on COVID and it hasnt been recognized, Trump said, noting that other countries saw spikes in COVID-19 infections in the months after he left office. The cupboards were bare. We didnt have gowns. We didnt have masks. We didnt have ventilators. We didnt have anything...We brought in plane loads. We did a great job.

When we asked Trump why he encouraged people to believe things that werent true or to distrust science and the media, he delighted in talking about the scientific smarts in his familys genes.

First of all, Im a big person, he said. Do you know this? My uncle, Dr. John Trump, I think he was at [the Massachusetts Institute of Technology] longer than any other professor. Totally brilliant man. He had numerous degrees. So thats in the genes. I always go with that stuff. But its a little bit in the genes and Dr. John Trump, he was a great guy. My fathers brother. No, Im a big believer in science. If I wasnt, you wouldnt have a vaccine. It depends. Are you talking about disinformation or are you talking about lies? There is a more beautiful word called disinformation.

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Im Getting the Word Out: Inside the Feverish Mind of Donald Trump Two Months After Leaving the White House - Vanity Fair

Not too long ago, The New York Times floated the idea of a Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTrump hails Arizona Senate for audit at Phoenix rally, slams governor Arkansas governor says it's 'disappointing' vaccinations have become 'political' Watch live: Trump attends rally in Phoenix MORE-Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisPoll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary Florida asks Supreme Court to block CDC's limits on cruise ship industry Noem to travel to South Carolina for early voting event MORE presidential primary. Aside from the lame attempt to sow division among Republicans, it was an absurd suggestion. DeSantis does not have the profile or national experience to challenge Trump. Plus, he must burn over a year running for reelection.

If Trump formally pulls the trigger on running (he is informally running now), there is only one Republican who could beat him: Mike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PencePoll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary Bipartisan congressional commission urges IOC to postpone, relocate Beijing Games Noem to travel to South Carolina for early voting event MORE.

It seems impossible. Trump has trashed Pence mercilessly for failing to knuckle under and ignore the Constitution. The most fervent Trump fans have turned on the former VP. Pence himself went into hibernation, refusing to push back forcefully, even in the face of an avalanche of Trump insults. Pence learned the hard way that loyalty is a one-way street with Trump and that The Donald is prepared to stab even the most loyal in the back at a moments notice.

But Pence has found his voice. He is reentering the public sphere branding himself as a principled conservative. While Pence has not criticized or broken with Trump, he has not cowered pathetically, begging for a return to the fold (like Nikki Haley).

I have written that Pence has no chance at the GOP nomination in 2024, and I think that still applies to a crowded field without Trump. The combination of multiple acceptable options and the adamant opposition of Trump would likely be fatal to a Pence campaign.

But a one-on-one Pence-Trump fight is a different matter entirely.

Granted, Trumps approval numbers with Republicans are still high. In the most recent YouGov benchmark scores, Trump gets 83 percent favorable, barely budging from his January numbers. But that number masks significant weakness as a 2024 nominee. GOP voters are, more and more, looking for other options. Plus, every week brings bad news or another Trump misstep.

The worst of the new polling asked who would be stronger against President BidenJoe BidenTrump hails Arizona Senate for audit at Phoenix rally, slams governor Republicans focus tax hike opposition on capital gains change Biden on hecklers: 'This is not a Trump rally. Let 'em holler' MORE and showed Trump at 36 percent and fresh face (i.e., not Trump) at 52 percent.

But even if you dont trust a poll by sworn enemy John BoltonJohn BoltonBolton: Trump lacked enough 'advance thinking' for a coup Trump said he hoped COVID-19 'takes out' Bolton: book US drops lawsuit, closes probe over Bolton book MORE, there is plenty of other unpleasant polling for Trump. When asked which candidates Republicans would consider supporting for president, Trump led the field but with only56 percent. Pence was next at 28 percent. For Trump, thats a 27-point drop from his approval rating.

The Capitol riot and the Trump Organization indictment are problematic as well. Rank-and-file Republicans are not pleased with the riot and are nervous about Trumps unending legal entanglements. In the July 6YouGov benchmark, GOP voters strongly disapprove of the riot (75 percent disapprove,10 percent approve), even if they do not blame Trump (81 percent do not). But Trumps rhetoric supporting and excusing the rioters is sure to boomerang on him. One wonders if Trump reads the polls.

And while Republicans dont blame Trump for the indictments, that support is rather soft. The indictments are viewed unfavorably, 62 percent to 18 percent, but 20 percent are undecided, 34 percent believe there will be future charges and 26 percent think Trump will be personally charged (21 percent undecided). Witch hunt or not, this is not impeachment where conviction is not possible due to the partisan split in the Senate. This is a possible federal trial, and GOP voters are appropriately nervous about Trumps legal troubles.

Other anecdotal evidence points to a slow degradation in Trumps strength within the GOP.

Ticket sales to the Bill OReilly-Trump extravaganza tour have been so-soat best. Trump continues to play the whiny victim instead of countering Biden on substantive policy. Americas biggest winner of all time, Tom Brady, ridiculed Trumpduring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers White House visit. No matter how you cut it, when mainstream people start laughing at you, its not good.

Trumps approval rating looks like a combination of Trumps ubiquity in the public eye and as a proxy for Republican opposition to an amalgam of the Biden administration, the mainstream media and the woke police.

But how does this work for Pence and not for other potential candidatessuch as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)?

If Trump follows through with running, there is no chance DeSantis or any of the gaggle of possible contenders jump in. They simply dont have the national experience or name recognition. But Pence does.

In spite of Trumps loathing, Pence is still popular among Republicans and conservatives. Morning Consult has Pence at 69 percent favorable to 23 percent unfavorable lower than Trumps 85 percent to 14 percent but, among all voters, Pence fares better at 41 percent to 47 percent, as opposed to Trumps 44 percent to 54 percent. Majorities of Democrats and independents view Trump unfavorably, while Pence does 15 points better than Trump among Democrats and has only a plurality of independents against him.

Pence has the ideological bona fides among conservatives and backed Trumps trade, China and tax policies. Unlike Trump, Pence has a consistent history as a conservative. He has real name recognition, on par with Trump, and now has experience on the national stage. The GOP may be more populated with closet Pence supporters than is commonly understood. In his debate with Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisKavanaugh conspiracy? Demands to reopen investigation ignore both facts and the law 'CON laws' limit the health care competition Biden aims to deliver JD Vance takes aim at culture wars, childless politicians MORE, Pence scored favorable marks, better than Trump. And while Harris polled better, the known anti-GOP bias in 2020 polling makes that conclusion suspect.

But the very thing Politico concluded would hurt Pence may be his ace in the hole Pences rather studious blandness.

Given GOP voters angst over Trumps volatile nature, legal problems and unwillingness to moderate his behavior even when it is in his interest, a bland alternative may be just what the doctor ordered. Ironically, 2024 may be the Republicans turn to look for a quiet, boring, acceptable candidate in order to win.

Just as the Democrats in 2020 opted for the anodyne Biden based on winnability and a fear that a Bernie SandersBernie SandersPoll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary Overnight Defense: US launches another airstrike in Somalia | Amendment to expand Pentagon recusal period added to NDAA | No. 2 State Dept. official to lead nuclear talks with Russia US launches second Somalia strike in week MORE or Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenKavanaugh conspiracy? Demands to reopen investigation ignore both facts and the law Biden signals tough stance on tech with antitrust picks Poll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary MORE candidacy would mean four more years of Trump, Republicans may have the same fear that a replay of Trump vs. Biden would guarantee another four years of Democratic control.

Trumps ballot test is running 27 points behind his favorable ratings just six months into the Biden administration.

Another three years of Trumps unbound ego seems destined to widen that gap.

And if Trump insists on running in spite of sinking polling numbers, the clamor for an alternative may be just too great. In that case, the only real possibility is Mike Pence.

Keith Naughton, Ph.D., is co-founder of Silent Majority Strategies, a public and regulatory affairs consulting firm. Naughton is a former Pennsylvania political campaign consultant. Follow him on Twitter@KNaughton711.

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Will Pence primary Trump and win? | TheHill - The Hill

Donald Trump has criticized the Cleveland Indians' decision to change their name to the Cleveland Guardians, calling it a "disgrace."

On Friday Trump released a statement saying, "Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace."

Trump said that the move was "disrespectful" to Native Americans. "I guarantee that the people who are most angry about it are the many Indians of our Country," he said.

The Major League Baseball club announced the name change on Friday through a video narrated by Tom Hanks.

"There's always been Cleveland. That's the best part of our name," Tom Hanks said in the video.

"And now it's time to unite as one family, one community to build the next era for this team in this city, to keep watch, and guard what makes this game the greatest. To come together and welcome all who want to join us."

Club owner Paul Dolan said that the killing of George Floyd, and the protests that followed, prompted him to change the name, according to AP.

Read more:The definitive oral history of how Trump took over the GOP, as told to us by Cruz, Rubio, and 20 more insiders

The decision comes amid a wider cultural shift of institutions in the US ditching names and logos that are considered racist.

Cleveland's name change comes two years after it removed a racist caricature of a Native American character "Chief Wahoo" from player's uniforms.

In his statement, Donald Trump said he was a "FORMER" baseball fan, and criticized people who made "changes to destroy our culture and heritage."

Several Native American activists and politicians welcomed the Cleveland club changing its name, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary.

"The long practice of using Native American mascots and imagery in sports teams has been harmful to Indigenous communities. This is a welcome and necessary change," Haaland said.

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Donald Trump says Cleveland Indians name change is 'such a disgrace' and 'disrespectful' to Native Americans - Business Insider

Ohio Republicans are divided on candidates for the open U.S. House seat, as former President Donald Trump's choice is competing with candidates backed by other conservative leaders, an anti-abortion group and Trump's own former allies.

The winning candidate will succeed former U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, who resigned in May to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

Trump's selection for the GOP-leaning 15th Congressional District race is Mike Carey, who was described by Trump's Save America PAC release to "be a courageous fighter for the people and our economy, is strong on the Border, and tough on Crime."

Though Trump won Ohio twice by wide margins, Carey faces at least nine other contenders for the position, some of whom have received support from strong former Trump allies or other organizations.

The 15th Congressional District is gerrymandered to include all or part of 12 Ohio counties including parts of Columbus, and will have the special election primary on Aug. 3.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below:

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has also been crossing the district to campaign for Carey.

Stivers, himself a National Guard major general, is supporting first-term state Rep. Jeff LaRe, a former deputy sheriff and security services company executive, to represent Ohio's 15th district. LaRe is running on a pro-law enforcement platform that includes tough talk on border control, immigration policy and the need to continue to tackle the opioid crisis and a pledge to keep Ohioans safe.

LaRe is among one former and three sitting state lawmakers running in the Republican primary, the others being state Sens. Stephanie Kunze and Bob Peterson and former state Rep. Ron Hood.

On the Democratic side, state Rep. Allison Russo, a health policy expert, faces Greg Betts, a former Army officer and decorated combat veteran, for the party's nomination.

Kunze has the backing of the GOP in the district's largest county, Franklin, and of the Value In Electing Women PAC founded to elect Republican women to Congress.

"Ohio hasn't had one Republican woman in its congressional delegation in nearly a decade," its executive director, Julie Conway, said. "Stephanie Kunze is not only the right person to represent the 15th district, but she'll be a principled conservative and a powerful advocate for the needs of all constituents."

Peterson's campaign has focused on his farming background and his service in the Statehouse where he's been either in the Ohio House or Senate since 2011. The powerful Ohio Right to Life PAC, the political arm of the state's oldest and largest anti-abortion group, has endorsed him.

Hood, meanwhile, has snagged the endorsement of a key Trump ally: U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. In a tweet, Paul called Hood "a proven constitutional conservative who will stand for the entire Bill of Rights and for an America First foreign policy."

If that were not enough to divide the district's Trump-supporting base, another Trump ally, conservative activist Debbie Meadows, wife of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, has backed Ruth Edmonds in the Republican race. Edmonds is on the advisory board to Ohio's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Meadows' Right Women PAC said Edmonds, who is Black, "will be a powerful voice in Congress, countering the growing BLM/Marxist movement." It said Edmonds' "life experiences, her Biblical worldview, and her Christian faith have uniquely prepared her to stand up against the race-baiting bullies of the radical Left."

Influential New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who founded Elevate PAC, formed to promote female Republican candidates, opted against backing Edmonds or Kunzesticking instead with Trump's man, Carey.

In a statement, Stefanik, who now chairs the House Republican Conference, said she was standing by Trump's pick because "to defeat the socialist Democrat agenda and fire Nancy Pelosi in 2022, we need more proven conservative fighters in the House Republican Conference."

For his part, the first-time candidate Carey hasn't campaigned on being "a proven fighter," but on Trump's twice-winning label of "outsider." He has never held elective office, but has lobbied the state Legislature.

Carey represented a company named in an indictment of a former House speaker and others allegedly involved in an elaborate bribery and dirty tricks scheme to pass a sweeping piece of energy legislation, House Bill 6. That firm, Murray Energy, is cited as "Company B" in the federal indictment. The company has not been accused of any crimes.

Other Republican candidates include: John Adams, owner of a chemical business; Eric M. Clark, a nurse at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; former Perry County Commissioner Thad Cooperrider; golf club owner Thomas Hwang; and attorney Omar Tarazi, a member of the Hilliard City Council.

The winners of the primaries will face off on Nov. 2.

See the article here:

Donald Trump Allies Break With Ex-President on Supporting Ohio House Candidate - Newsweek

President Joe Biden appeared to mock Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Virginia.

In a video shared to Twitter by @Acyn, President Biden was filmed mid-speech making a point of stopping to drink from a glass of water.

"Excuse me," he said before putting the glass to his mouth using one hand in what seemed to be a comedic reference to Trump's previously noted habit of drinking water with both hands.

His actions drew loud cheers from the crowd at the rally being held in Arlington, Virginia as part of Democrat Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign.

The significance of Biden's sip was not lost on social media where the clip has been watched more than 576,000 times, earning over 1,300 retweets in the process.

In a separate tweet, Democrat political strategist and consultant Adam Parkhomenko shared the video commenting "Biden just trolled the s*** out of Trump with a cup of water."

Dr Dena Grayson, a scientist and former Democrat congressional candidate, retweeted the video stating that she loved having a president "who can drink a glass of water with a single hand!"

Writer Holly Figueroa O'Reilly also shared the tweet writing, "That sound you hear is a stubby-fingered, orange faced man-child crying about how his water bottle was rigged so he had to use two hands."

Author Majid M Padellan, meanwhile, posted the video alongside the words: "ONE. HAND."

At least two videos have since surfaced comparing Biden's ability to drink water with one hand to Trump's two-handed approach.

The former president's drinking style became the source of much debate last year when he was filming during a graduation speech at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, struggling to raise a glass of water to his mouth.

In a video posted to Twitter, Trump appeared to be having some issue lifting the glass to his lips using his right hand and eventually had to use his left to help.

Following the speech the hashtag "#Trumpisnotwell" began trending on Twitter.

A week later, Trump addressed the incident during a campaign rally in Tulsa where he claimed he used two hands because he did not want to spill water on his silk tie.

"I look down at my tie because I've done it, I've taken water and spilled down onto your tie, it doesn't look good for a long time, and frankly the tie is never the same," he told the crowd.

To emphasize the point and dispel any notions of ill health, he then proceeded to pick up a glass of water with one hand and drink from it.

Since then, several conflicting videos have been shared online, some showing Trump appearing to drink one-handed with ease and others showing him using two.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Trump Organization for comment.

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Joe Biden Mocking Donald Trump by Drinking Water With One Hand in Viral Video - Newsweek