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Vance will likely be 2028 front-runner, but RNC chair ‘excited about the bench that we have’

Vance will likely be 2028 front-runner, but RNC chair ‘excited about the bench that we have’

With former president and now President-elect Donald Trump unable to run again for the White House in 2028, Vice President-elect JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the America First movement and the Republican Party’s powerful MAGA base. But even though the 40-year-old Vance will be considered the front-runner in the next GOP presidential nomination race, the chair of the Republican National Committee says the party will hold to its traditional role of staying neutral in an open and contested presidential primary. “We will,” RNC chair Michael Whatley said in a Fox News Digital interview. Vance, with Trump’s support in a party firmly in the president-elect’s grip, will be very hard to knock off in the 2028 Republican presidential primaries. RNC CHAIR SPOTLIGHTS TRUMP’S ROLE IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS “We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance,” Donald Trump Jr. said in October on the campaign trail.  The younger Trump, who’s a powerful ally of the vice president-elect, is extremely popular with the MAGA base. “The vice president will be in the catbird seat. No question about it,” longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney recently told Fox News Digital.  Carney, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the past four decades, said that Vance “is the guy to beat.” VANCE THE 2028 GOP FRONT-RUNNER, BUT CHECK OUT THESE OTHER POTENTIAL CONTENDERS David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, said that Vance is the front-runner due to “the size and the scope” of Trump’s Electoral College and popular vote victories last month, “and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump.” “There will be no shortage of people looking at it. But most people looking at it are seeing the relative strength of the Trump victory and the movement,” Kochel said. However, Kochel noted that “nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is.” Whatley, who was interviewed a week after Trump asked him to continue as RNC chair moving forward, said he’s “very excited about the bench that we have in the Republican Party right now.” “You think about all the Republican governors, you think about all the Republican senators, the members of the House that we have, the leaders across the country that have been engaged in this campaign are going to be part of the president’s cabinet,” he added. Whatley argued that the president-elect’s “America First movement is bigger than Donald Trump. He is the tip of the spear. He is the vanguard of this movement. But. It is a very big movement right now.” The chairman on Thursday also emphasized that “Donald Trump has completely remade the Republican Party. We’re now the working-class party. We’re now a party that is communicating and working with every single voter, speaking to every single voter about the issues that they care about. So, as we go into 2028, we are in a great position to be able to continue the momentum of this agenda and this movement.” Unlike the rival Democratic National Committee, which in the 2024 cycle upended the traditional presidential nominating calendar, the RNC made no major changes to their primary lineup, and kept the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary as their first two contests. Asked about the 2028 calendar, Whatley said “I’ve not had any conversations with anybody who wants to change the calendar on our side. I know the Democrats did during the course of this election cycle, not sure that it really helped them all that much.” “We’re very comfortable with the calendar as it is. But as we move towards 2028, we’ll have those conversations,” he added.

Swing state governor’s race gets curveball as top Dem runs independent, sparking calls for Buttigieg to enter

Swing state governor’s race gets curveball as top Dem runs independent, sparking calls for Buttigieg to enter

As Democrats hope to retain the governor’s seat in the swing state of Michigan with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited, a top Democratic figure has launched an independent bid, leading to a search on the left for an alternative standard-bearer. Three-term Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, viewed for some time as very likely to seek the governor’s office, reportedly surprised the state’s body politic by announcing he will do so as an independent. “I went to Lansing and built relationships with Democrats and Republicans. We took our neighborhoods out of the darkness of burned-out streetlights and we lit the entire city to the national standard… and reduced Detroit’s unemployment rate to its lowest rate in more than 30 years,” Duggan said in his campaign launch video. “The current system forces people to choose sides that find solutions. I want to see if I can change that.” BUTTIGIEG REJECTS CRITICS OF EV FUTURE: LIKE PEOPLE IN 2000S SAYING WE COULD HAVE LANDLINES FOREVER He struck a similar tone in recent remarks to reporters: Duggan said in his final year as mayor he wants to “establish a working relationship with the Trump administration,” and noted he had done so with fellow Motor City native HUD Secretary Ben Carson one term prior. He also told The Associated Press he views many Americans as being “tired of both parties and tired of the system – and so I want to offer people a choice.” That choice led Democrats to reportedly pivot to a prominent Indiana native who recently moved north to his husband’s home state. At an event with Detroit autoworkers, one man shouted a question about the Lions – rather than Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s home-state Colts – which the AP illustrated as a potential challenge for the Traverse City newcomer to connect with Michiganders if he decides to run. Another man at the event praised Buttigieg’s willingness to be “one of the few” politicians to speak to both liberal and conservative media audiences. Buttigieg has said he won’t make any official political decisions on “how to make myself useful” until after his current boss, President Biden, leaves office, but has been contacted by several Michigan Democrats about entering the race. Duggan’s announcement, however, was met with derision from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, another potential Democratic contender. “In moments like this, we don’t flee from the party, but we stay and fix it,” Benson told FOX-2, which reported she is considering tossing her hat in the ring. Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist in the Great Lakes State, told the AP that people are “shocked and angry” at Duggan for eschewing the Democratic Party label. “Many view this as a serious situation where Mike Duggan could put the governor’s mansion in the hands of Republicans and roll back years of progress,” he said. While the left wing is divided between Duggan’s independent run and jockeying to fill the Democratic row on the ballot, the Republican race appears wide open. “You know what, [20]26 is always in the back of my mind, but right now, we’re focused on [20]24,” conservative media host Tudor Dixon – the 2022 Republican nominee – said just before the presidential election when asked about running again. HOUSE PANEL RELEASES YEAR-END REPORT ON BIDEN-MICHIGAN ELECTIONEERING CONTROVERSY Other names floated in the Michigan press include businessman Perry Johnson – who briefly ran for president on the GOP line in 2024 – businessman Kevin Rinke, and several sitting GOP lawmakers. Adding to the electoral uncertainty were Michigan’s 2024 split results, as voters there chose both Republican President-elect Trump and Democratic Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin from the top-tier races.  As for Whitmer, reports have viewed her as a top contender in the 2028 Democratic presidential contest, along with several other governors, like Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, California’s Gavin Newsom, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Maryland’s Wes Moore, Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Minnesota’s Tim Walz. Fox News Digital reached out to the Michigan GOP, Michigan Democrats and Buttigieg’s office for comment.

Virginia Gov. Youngkin calls for end to taxes on tips ahead of legislative session

Virginia Gov. Youngkin calls for end to taxes on tips ahead of legislative session

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is pushing to eliminate taxes on tips ahead of the commonwealth’s next legislative session. This proposal would return an estimated $70 million annually to the pockets of Virginia workers, Youngkin’s office said Monday in a press release. An end to taxes on tips could help more than 250,000 people in Virginia who work within the food service industry, the personal service industry such as hairstylists, the hospitality industry and others who receive tips through their employment in other industries. “We have delivered over $5 billion in tax relief to date, and we remain committed to lowering the cost of living for hardworking Virginians. It’s their money, not the government’s,” Youngkin said in the release. YOUNGKIN TO DRAFT SANCTUARY CITY BAN, MAKING STATE FUNDING ON ICE COOPERATION “By removing tips from taxable income, it will directly increase the take-home pay of hundreds of thousands of Virginians and give them more buying power, which in turn will improve financial stability, stimulate local economies, and honor the value of their hard work,” he continued. Virginia workers who earn tips would be able to claim a deduction on their state tax return if the income is included in their federal adjusted gross income, the release said. “This is way to keep more money in their pocket as opposed to giving it to a government. We’re already running surpluses and therefore, no taxes on tips is going to become the manta in Virginia,” Youngkin said Monday during an appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” The governor’s proposal echoes President-elect Trump’s call during his campaign to end taxes on tips. Vice President Harris also expressed support for eliminating taxes on tips during her presidential campaign. GLENN YOUNGKIN ‘PERSONALLY INVITES’ NEW TRUMP ADMIN TO SETTLE IN VIRGINIA OVER MARYLAND AND DC The proposal comes ahead of the start of Virginia’s legislative session next month. It would require approval from the commonwealth’s General Assembly, and it is unclear if Democrats, who control both chambers, would support Youngkin’s proposal. Next year, Virginia’s gubernatorial race will be held, where Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, is expected to face off against U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat.

Trump threatens more lawsuits against media as ABC to pay $15 million to settle case

Trump threatens more lawsuits against media as ABC to pay million to settle case

Donald Trump said yesterday at a Mar-a-Lago news conference that he would take a couple of questions.  By the time he finished speaking, he had gone on for an hour.  Trump made news on a dozen topics, a reminder of the freewheeling approach in which even among journalists who can’t stand him, the incoming president is a newsmaking machine who provides headlines around the clock, setting the terms of debate – in a sharp contrast with the reclusive Joe Biden.  Trump also deflected a few questions that he absolutely should not have answered, such as strategy on Ukraine and whether he’d retaliate against Iran. TRUMP LEAVES CHINA GUESSING WHAT HIS NEXT MOVE IS WITH INAUGURATION INVITE I was a bit surprised, though, that he launched an attack on the press, though, since this contradicted his recent remarks about reaching out to even hostile news outlets, as long as they treat him fairly.  This took place two days after ABC and George Stephanopoulos apologized to Trump to settle a defamation, agreeing to donate $15 million to a presidential library or foundation, plus another million bucks to cover his legal fees. This averted what could have been an embarrassing and grueling deposition by its star anchor. The network’s problem is that Stephanopoulos had repeatedly said Trump had been found liable for “rape,” repeating the word about 10 times, in the E. Jean Carroll civil suit, when the jury held him liable for “sexual abuse.”  While the judge said this would commonly be understood as rape, they are legally different in New York. You don’t agree to 15 million bucks unless you think you don’t have much of a case. While left-leaning pundits are accusing ABC of “caving” to Trump, the network made a different judgment call. Trump ripped the media as “very corrupt” and ticked off more lawsuits he has filed or plans to file. The president-elect said he planned to sue the Des Moines Register for having a poll before the election that turned out to be wrong. He praised pollster Ann Selzer as always having gotten him right until the Iowa caucuses, when she said he’d lose by 4 points and he won the state by 13.  RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SITDOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL Trump said he was taking legal action against “60 Minutes” for substituting a different, tighter answer to a different question than had been asked—a practice that most journalists, including me, said was a huge blunder by the CBS show.  “We have to straighten out the press,” he said. “The press is very corrupt. Almost as corrupt as our elections.” He added: “I’m doing this not because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to,” Trump said. “In my opinion, it was fraud and it was election interference.” Trump also said he would pursue a suit against Bob Woodward for making public the audiotapes from a book project. Woodward has said he never agreed not to do so.  And Trump plans to pursue his action against the Pulitzer Prize board for giving the Washington Post and New York Times awards for what he calls the Russia Russia Russia hoax. While it was certainly overplayed, the board says Trump could not point to any inaccuracies in the articles submitted.  And then there was Trump commenting on, well, just about everything else.  He said he would consider a pardon for indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams because he’d been treated “very unfairly.” He said he couldn’t understand how people could sympathize with the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson: “It was cold-blooded. Just a cold-blooded, horrible killing, and how people can like this guy is — that’s a sickness, actually.” DANIEL PENNY’S JURY PRAISED FOR EXONERATING HIM IN CHOKEHOLD TRIAL: ‘GOT IT RIGHT’ He heaped praise on Lara Trump but said the decision on whether to name her to a vacant Florida Senate seat was up to DeSantis. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that he has lobbied the governor to choose her. He defended DOD nominee Pete Hegseth, saying all he wants to do is improve the military. He also provided visual backing by bringing Hegseth to the Army-Navy Game, along with JD Vance, Elon Musk (of course), Ron DeSantis, Tulsi Gabbard and Speaker Mike Johnson. Trump said he would keep the polio vaccine but would have discussions with RFK Jr. about other vaccines, including his totally debunked theory that vaccines cause autism. Trump did argue there has been a rise in autism among boys. “I think he’s going to be much less radical than you would think,” he told reporters. Trump demanded that Biden officials explain what is happening with the mystery drones, since they obviously know.  That is a whole lot of news. Perhaps we’ve forgotten how Donald J. Trump loves to sound off on everything under the sun. We’re about to get a four-year refresher course.

Chief of Russian nuclear protection forces killed in Moscow bomb blast

Chief of Russian nuclear protection forces killed in Moscow bomb blast

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Chief of Russia’s Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence killed outside an apartment building. A bomb hidden in an electric scooter has killed a senior general in charge of nuclear protection forces in Moscow, Russia’s investigative committee said. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was chief of the Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, was killed on Tuesday outside an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt. “Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection forces of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, and his assistant were killed,” the investigative committee said. According to a law enforcement official, the explosive device “had a capacity of some 300 grams in TNT equivalent”, Russian outlet Tass news agency reported. Photographs posted on Russian Telegram channels showed a shattered entrance to a building littered with rubble and two bodies lying in the blood-stained snow. Reuters news agency footage from the scene showed a police cordon. A criminal case has been opened. Rubble and litter can be seen outside the building where the explosion took place [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters] Russia’s radioactive, chemical and biological defence troops are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination. Advertisement On Monday, Ukrainian prosecutors charged Kirillov in absentia with the alleged use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine said, according to the Kyiv Independent. Russia denies those accusations. In October, the United Kingdom sanctioned Kirillov and the nuclear protection forces for using riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield. Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, said that they had recorded more than 4,800 uses of chemical weapons on the battlefield since February 2022, particularly K-1 combat grenades. During the almost 3-year operation, Russia has made small but steady territorial gains to the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine it already controls. Adblock test (Why?)