Democrat Cuellar warns Biden: Border crisis will ‘absolutely’ be election issue in 2024
MCALLEN, Texas — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, is warning fellow Democrats, including President Biden, to prepare for border security to be a top election issue in the 2024 cycle. Standing along the Rio Grande in Hidalgo, Texas, Saturday, Cuellar emphatically told Fox News Digital the situation at the southern border will “absolutely” be on voters’ minds this year. He traveled to the border this weekend as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that also included Reps. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas; Randy Weber, R-Texas; and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. ‘SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS’: MICHAEL MCCAUL SOUNDS ALARM ON BORDER PATROL MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS “If they’re looking at the same polls I’ve been looking at, the American public doesn’t like what’s happening,” Cuellar said of fellow Democrats. “I represent an area where it’s almost 80% Hispanic, a lot of Democrats,” he said. “So, yeah, the polls are showing that it’s an important issue.” Speaking of Biden, he said, “It’s in the president’s best interest politically to come up with a solution on border security.” WATCH: MIGRANTS CLAIM ASYLUM ON COLD JANUARY NIGHT AS CBP UNION LEADER TALKS BORDER CRISIS A Fox News poll from last month found that eight in 10 voters think the situation at the southern border is either an emergency (34%) or a major problem (45%). The group of lawmakers toured sections of the border Saturday and met with border and immigration officials. White House and Senate negotiators are working to cobble together a deal on border reform in exchange for GOP support for Biden’s $106 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine, Israel and other issues. KEY REPUBLICAN COMES OUT IN FAVOR OF IMPEACHING MAYORKAS, SAYS HE SHOULD BE ‘TRIED FOR TREASON’ Cuellar insisted a show of bipartisanship like their trip was a move in the right direction. “It’s important that if the negotiations go well, and they work something out, that some of us are able to [be] bipartisan,” Cuellar said. He suggested reforms on what constitutes legal asylum was something Democrats were coming around to. “For example, on the asylum when people come in, I support making changes. There’s a lot of Democrats that don’t,” Cuellar explained. “Now, Democrats are saying, ‘Maybe we need to look at that.’ So, I think we’re seeing now a shift where people are willing to get out of their comfort zones. If we have enough Democrats and Republicans, we can get it done.”
Conservatives warn Haley after Trump wins New Hampshire primary: ‘Drop out or help Democrats’
Reactions quickly started pouring in on social media following former President Trump’s victory over former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary, including from the Biden campaign and Trump supporters calling on Haley to drop out. “Congratulations to President Trump on his decisive victory tonight in America’s first-in-the-nation primary!” GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement. “Our House Republican leaders and a majority of Republican Senators support his reelection, and Republican voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have strongly backed him at the polls. It’s now past time for the Republican Party to unite around President Trump so we can focus on ending the disastrous Biden presidency and growing our majority in Congress.” “If Nikki Haley’s primary goal is to defeat Joe Biden in November, she will drop out tonight and endorse Trump,” Federalist co-founder Sean Davis posted on X. “If she continues to stay in a race she cannot win just to attack Trump, then we’ll know she’s fully owned by the left-wing Democrats who are funding her campaign.” “First time any candidate has won the first two primary states since 1976,” Eric Trump posted on X. DONALD TRUMP DOMINATES AGAIN, AS FORMER PRESIDENT EASILY BEATS NIKKI HALEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE GOP PRIMARY “Congrats to Donald Trump and the entire team on a decisive victory in New Hampshire!” Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance posted on X. “At this point Haley can either drop out or help the Democrats.” “I want to congratulate my good friend @realdonaldtrump on another resounding win in New Hampshire tonight,” the account for former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and his wife Candy posted on X. “This primary is over, and I pray @NikkiHaley will drop out so we can focus our efforts on defeating Biden in November. We have a country to save and the stakes are too high.” TRUMP ‘HONORED’ BY NEW HAMPSHIRE WIN, SAYS REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ‘VERY UNITED’ In a statement, the Biden presidential campaign said that the results “confirm Donald Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination, and the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party.” “Trump is offering Americans the same extreme agenda that has cost Republicans election after election: promising to undermine American democracy, reward the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and ban abortion nationwide. Joe Biden sees things differently. He’s fighting to grow our economy for the middle-class, strengthen our democracy, and protect the rights of every single American. While we work toward November 2024, one thing is increasingly clear today: Donald Trump is headed straight into a general election matchup where he’ll face the only person to have ever beaten him at the ballot box: Joe Biden.” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a staunch supporter of Haley’s, posted on X that her 2nd place finish “turned the narrative of the national media on its head and proved this is indeed a two person race.” “This race is far from over,” Haley told her supporters after Trump was declared the winner, backing up her previous comments leading up to the election that she intends to stay in the race for the long run. The Haley campaign sent out a press release late Tuesday night taking a shot at the Trump campaign and pollsters for predicting she would lose by 20 points in New Hampshire. “The political elites never learn. The same naysayers who said Nikki Haley couldn’t defeat a 30-year incumbent state legislator or win the governor’s race in South Carolina are the same people declaring the presidential race over after only two states have voted,” said Haley communications director Nachama Soloveichik. “Nikki Haley has never taken her cues from the establishment, and she’s not going to start now. Keep underestimating us — that will be fun.”
Record GOP turnout, calls for Haley to leave race round out top 5 moments from the New Hampshire primaries
Former President Donald Trump and President Biden secured convincing victories in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primaries, both wins evidence that a general election rematch is looking increasingly likely. Trump’s main Republican opponent, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, had hoped to win enough support from moderate voters in the state for a come-from-behind win, as did Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who continues to make the case that Biden is too old and unpopular to successfully take on Trump. From record Republican turnout to intra-party criticism, here are the top five moments from the New Hampshire primaries: TIM SCOTT SETS CROWD ALIVE WITH ONE-LINER AFTER TRUMP SAYS HE ‘MUST REALLY HATE’ HALEY Despite her second loss in a row to Trump and polls suggesting the upcoming contests in Nevada and South Carolina, her home state, would produce similar results, Haley vowed to continue campaigning for the Republican nomination. “New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go,” Haley told a crowd of supporters gathered at her election watch party in Concord, New Hampshire, after the Fox News Decision Desk called the race for Trump. “At one point, in this campaign, there were 14 of us running, and we were at 2% in the polls. Well, I’m a fighter, and I’m scrappy. And now we are the last ones standing next to Donald Trump,” she added. It’s unclear how the loss could affect Haley’s fundraising, an important factor considering the South Carolina primary is a month away on Feb. 24. HALEY AND PHILLIPS OUTPERFORMED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE BUT IT’S STILL A TRUMP VS. BIDEN HORSE RACE Her campaign told Fox News Digital ahead of New Hampshire polls closing that it had raised $1.5 million since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race over the weekend. It is also set to launch a $4 million ad blitz across South Carolina on Wednesday. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman following his victory, Trump said he was “very honored” by the support he received from voters, and declared that the Republican Party was “very united” behind his candidacy. “I’m very honored by the result,” Trump said, adding that he was “looking forward to going against the worst president in the history of our country” in the general election, referencing Biden. When asked if he felt Haley would suspend her campaign, he said, “I don’t know. She should.” FREEDOM CAUCUS REVOLTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA OVER CLAIMS GOP PLANS TO ‘MUZZLE’ LEGISLATIVE POWERS, BOOST DEMS “She should because, otherwise, we have to keep wasting money instead of spending on Biden,” Trump said. “If she doesn’t drop out, we have to waste money instead of spending it on Biden, which is our focus.” “The party is very united except for her,” he added. Biden won his party’s primary despite failing to file as a candidate in the state last year, but did so with a massive write-in campaign that saw him tallying more than 60% of the overall vote at the time the race was called. The vote totals also appeared to show Phillips, who vowed to remain in the race, in a distant second, ahead of author Marrianne Williamson, another Biden critic. The exclusion of Biden from the ballot stemmed from the dispute between New Hampshire and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over whether the state’s primary would be held before South Carolina’s — a much more diverse state that the president won in a landslide in 2020. GOP CANDIDATE COMPARED DEPORTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO NAZIS, ‘NOT OPPOSED’ TO FAST-TRACKING DACA CITIZENSHIP New Hampshire refused to go along with the proposed DNC changes, and Biden subsequently decided not to file to place his name on the ballot. No delegates were allocated Tuesday as the primary was unsanctioned, but the DNC is expected to review the matter down the line. Following Trump’s sizable win, more big-name Republicans began calling on Haley to drop out of the race, including Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “Looking at the math and the path going forward, I don’t see it for Nikki Haley,” McDaniel told Fox News. “I think she’s run a great campaign, but I do think there is a message that’s coming out from the voters which is very clear: We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump, and we need to make sure we beat Joe Biden.” “It is 10 months away until the November election, and we can’t wait any longer to put out foot on the gas to beat the worst president, to beat a president that’s kept our borders open, allowed fentanyl to pour through, allowed inflation to go rampant. He is hurting the American people, and we need to do everything we can to unite so that we can defeat him,” she added. VIRGINIA VETERAN AIMS TO BE 1ST FEMALE MARINE ELECTED TO CONGRESS, JOINS RACE TO FLIP COVETED DEM-HELD SEAT Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also took a sharp tone toward Haley, blasting her continued candidacy by saying it represents the “ugly underbelly of American politics, where the mega-donors are trying to do one thing when we the people say another.” “And it’s up to us, to we the people to at long last say, hell no, we the people create a government that is accountable to us and we the people have said tonight we want again, as we did in Iowa, Donald J. Trump,” he added. The New Hampshire Republican primary saw record turnout on Tuesday despite some reports that low energy among voters would depress the vote. With approximately 92% of the vote counted, more than 293,000 ballots had been cast compared to just over 101,000 with approximately 88% of the vote counted in the Democrat primary. The previous record for a Republican primary in the state was set in 2016 during Trump’s first run for the presidency, when around 284,000 cast ballots. Only registered
120 Republicans join effort opposing Biden’s ‘de facto EV mandate’
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of 77 House and 43 Senate Republicans is calling on the Biden administration to scrap proposed fuel economy regulations that they and energy industry groups have characterized as a de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandate. The 120 GOP lawmakers — led by Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich. — penned a letter late Tuesday to the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), warning that its corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards proposed in July would raise costs, restrict consumer choice, harm businesses and degrade both U.S. energy and national security. “We strongly urge NHTSA to withdraw its misguided proposal, go back to the drawing board and reissue new CAFE standards that comply with the law, rather than ones that seek to pick winners and losers in the free market and remake our country’s economy,” they wrote to NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. “Nowhere in law did Congress authorize NHTSA to set fuel economy standards that effectively mandate EVs while at the same time force the internal combustion engine out of the market,” the letter continued. “In fact, federal statute expressly prohibits NHTSA from considering the fuel economy of EVs when determining maximum feasible CAFE standards for passenger cars and trucks.” 17 RETIRED MILITARY OFFICIALS RAISE ALARM ON BIDEN’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE PUSH The letter added that, despite a clear statutory limitation prohibiting NHTSA from factoring the fuel economy of EVs into its CAFE standard regulations, the Biden administration accounted for EVs in its “regulatory baseline” and factored that baseline into its determination of the maximum achievable CAFE standards. The proposal, therefore, effectively requires the mass production of EVs, they said. The Republicans argued the NHTSA should set market-driven standards that promote competition among various technologies, not standards that “limit availability of and access to vehicle and fuel options.” They also noted that EV production has a sizable carbon footprint, a fact not factored into the administration’s rulemaking. MORE THAN 3,000 AUTO DEALERS SIGN LETTER OPPOSING BIDEN’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE “NHTSA’s out-of-touch de facto EV mandate ignores the reality that most Americans still prefer the internal combustion engine vehicle, and the fact there is a lack of consumer demand for EVs,” the Republicans’ letter added. “The low consumer demand for EVs can likely be attributed to the various unappealing aspects of these vehicles, including the typically higher sticker prices and insurance premiums, shorter average driving ranges, lower resale value, inadequate battery technologies for severe cold weather and lack of operational charging infrastructure, particularly for drivers in rural areas,” they wrote. “EVs are not a practical option for most Americans.” NHTSA’s proposed CAFE standards, which the Biden administration argued would help combat climate change and save Americans money, require passenger cars and light trucks to improve fuel efficiency by 2% and 4%, respectively, beginning in 2027. Under the rules, pickup trucks and work vans must boost fuel efficiency 10% every year starting in 2030. By 2032, the agency said, average U.S. fleet fuel economy could reach 58 miles per gallon. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the estimated average fuel economy for model year 2022 cars was 26.4 miles per gallon, meaning the proposed standards would mandate automakers to more than double fuel efficiency in less than a decade or face substantial penalties. VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS UPHOLD STATE’S EV MANDATE DESPITE GROWING OPPOSITION: ‘DEFY COMMON SENSE’ In a comment letter submitted to NHTSA late last year, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry group that represents several major automakers, said companies will pay more than $14 billion in non-compliance penalties under the proposal, impacting one in every two light trucks in 2027-2032 and one in every three passenger cars in 2027-2029. Overall, car prices are expected to increase by thousands of dollars as a result, simultaneously driving up the average age of vehicles on our roads and forcing consumers to choose EVs. Additionally, the Republicans warned the NHTSA’s proposal would benefit China while harming U.S. national security interests, noting that Chinese industry largely dominates EV supply chains. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, China produces about 75% of all lithium-ion batteries, a key component of EVs, worldwide. China also boasts 70% of production capacity for cathodes and 85% for anodes, two key parts of EV batteries. And more than 50% of lithium, cobalt and graphite processing and refining capacity — which is vital for EV batteries — is located in China, the IEA data showed. HOUSE JOINS SENATE, STRIKES DOWN BIDEN EV CHARGER RULE PROTECTING CHINESE COMPANIES “NHTSA’s proposed CAFE standards are just the latest attempt by the Biden administration to implement a de facto EV mandate,” Walberg told Fox News Digital in a statement. “These standards will limit consumer choice, increase costs and make us reliant on adversaries like China. “Instead of again pursuing unaffordable central planning, the Biden administration should let innovation and consumers lead us into the future,” the Michigan Republican continued. “Whatever that future looks like, it should not be mandated by bureaucrats in Washington.” Walberg and fellow Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act last year, which would block regulations proposed in April by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) significantly increasing tailpipe emissions standards for gas-powered cars. The House passed that legislation in December, but a companion bill introduced by Crapo has yet to receive a floor vote. Republicans and energy industry groups have argued that, together, the EPA proposal and the NHTSA regulations targeted in the lawmakers’ letter Tuesday are designed to push EVs on Americans. An estimated 8% of total vehicle sales were EVs in the third quarter of 2023, according to a Cox Automotive analysis. “NHTSA’s proposal, combined with EPA’s proposed tailpipe emissions standards, would result in a de facto ban on the sale of new vehicles using gasoline and other liquid fuels,” said American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Amanda Eversole. “These rules will hurt
Six killed in Mongolia explosion after gas truck-car collision
More than 600 firefighters were deployed in Ulaanbaatar to extinguish the massive fireball. At least six people, including three firefighters, were killed in an explosion after a truck carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) crashed into a car in Mongolia. The massive ensuing blaze on Wednesday in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, injured 11 people at an intersection near Dunjingarav market, Mongolia’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said. The truck was carrying 60 tonnes of LNG. The fireball engulfed several nearby buildings, including a residential one, while many cars were charred. Pictures shared by emergency services also showed windows blown out at a nearby school after the accident outside a shopping centre. Residents of a nearby apartment block were temporarily relocated, NEMA said, adding that roads around the area were closed as the authorities worked to clean up the site. More than 600 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire in an operation that involved 100 vehicles. Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia [B Altjin/AFP] “Unfortunately, as a result of the accident, three officers of the 63rd Fire Fighting and Rescue Unit of the National Fire Service were killed while performing their duty,” NEMA said in a post on Facebook. Ten of the injured people were taken to a hospital with burns and a child was being treated for poisoning. Richard Buangan, the United States ambassador to Mongolia, said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the tragic accident” and extended his condolences to NEMA staff in a post on X. The European Union’s ambassador to Mongolia, Axelle Nicaise, said she was “shocked and devastated” by the accident. Adblock test (Why?)
Nauru seals diplomatic ties with China after dumping Taiwan
The tiny Pacific island broke ties with Taipei following elections that angered China. China and Nauru have formally agreed to resume diplomatic relations after the tiny Pacific island severed ties with Taiwan last week. A signing ceremony to seal the renewal of relations took place in Beijing on Wednesday. Nauru deepened Taipei’s diplomatic isolation by breaking ties on January 14 following Taiwanese elections that angered China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Nauru counterpart Lionel Aingimea raised glasses after signing a document formalising the rapprochement. “Although China and Nauru are geographically far apart and separated by vast oceans, the friendship between the two peoples has a long history,” said Wang. Aingimea said Nauru was looking forward to a “new chapter of the relationship of Nauru and China”, which would be built on “strength, built on development strategy”. Poaching allies Nauru broke ties with Taipei earlier this month after independence-leaning candidate William Lai Ching-te, reviled by Beijing, won the Taiwanese presidential election. The tiny island nation swiftly announced that it will no longer recognise Taiwan as a separate country. Beijing insists that the island is part of China’s territory. Located in the South Pacific, Nauru has switched loyalties in the past. In 2002, it recognised China after 22 years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In 2005, it switched back to Taipei. The latest switch came as a blow to Taipei. It left Taiwan with just 12 allies that officially recognise the island as a sovereign state, although it enjoys strong unofficial relations with the United States, Japan and other nations. China has been gradually poaching Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, partly to punish the ruling Democratic Progressive Party that advocates maintaining the status quo under which Taiwan has its own government, military and de facto independent status. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has never governed the island. Ten countries have switched ties from Taipei to Beijing since the initial election of DPP President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. China says that Taiwan must come under its control at some point and has staged military drills around the island to demonstrate its determination. After Nauru announced it was breaking ties, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang said China’s one-party Communist government’s intention was to “attack the democracy and freedom that the Taiwanese people are proud of”. William Lai Ching-te (L) and vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim (R) celebrate amid a shower of confetti during a rally after winning the presidential elections in Taipei, Taiwan, January 13, 2024 [EPA] Diplomatic controversies Beijing last week hit out at the United States after it decried Nauru’s switch. “Taiwan is a reliable, likeminded, and democratic partner,” the US Department of State said in a statement. “The PRC often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic relations that ultimately remain unfulfilled.” China accused the US of “blatantly making irresponsible remarks about a decision made independently by a sovereign state”. “This seriously violates the one China principle … seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs, and seriously violates basic norms of international relations,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning. China also summoned the Philippine ambassador after Manila congratulated the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election. Beijing had warned Manila “not to play with fire”. Adblock test (Why?)
Firefighters among victims of Mongolia fuel tanker explosion
NewsFeed Three firefighters were among several people killed in when a fuel tanker exploded in Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar, causing a huge fireball and setting nearby buildings alight. Published On 24 Jan 202424 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Big dent to INDIA bloc hopes as Mamata Banerjee says, ‘No alliance in Bengal’ for Lok Sabha polls
“I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone,” Mamata Banerjee.
As Trump easily beats Haley in New Hampshire, she vows to stay in the race
Nikki Haley swept the first votes cast in New Hampshire, but it was downhill from there. In the town of Dixville Notch, which has this strange ritual of voting after midnight, all six votes went to Haley, with journalists outnumbering them 10 to 1. It was clear that many at CNN and MSNBC were rooting for Haley, grasping at exit-poll figures that seemed favorable and downplaying Trump-friendly statistics, such as that 63% described themselves as very or somewhat conservative. “The Nikki Haley campaign has to be happy so far with what they’re seeing,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said. Well, not so much. When the last polls closed at 8 p.m. ET, the cable news networks said the race was “too early to call.” By then, Trump had jumped out to a 52 to 46% lead. HALEY VOWS TO CONTINUE ON AFTER FALLING TO TRUMP IN HIGH-STAKES NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY Within 13 minutes, NBC and Fox News projected Donald Trump the winner. Five minutes later, CNN called the primary for Trump as well. The only question now was the margin. Almost immediately, Haley came out smiling and swinging away, as if she had just cruised to victory. “What a great night. God is so good. Thank you, New Hampshire!” DEAN PHILIPS SETS HIS BENCHMARK FOR NH AS HE AIMS TO SHOW BIDEN IS ‘UNELECTABLE’ She seemed detached from reality, until she devoted one sentence to congratulating Trump on his victory. Then the former governor declared “we got close to half the vote.” Except, well, in a two-person race that’s not good enough. Haley then started attacking the man who named her U.N. ambassador, a montage of lines she has used before. Clearly fired up, she said Republicans have lost election after election under Trump. She said it was “time to put the negativity and chaos behind us.” She said Trump had a “senior moment,” after describing how he blamed her for Jan. 6 when he meant Nancy Pelosi. And her favorite, well-worn line: “A Trump nomination is a Biden win and a Kamala Harris presidency.” By the time Haley finished, Trump’s lead was up to 10%. Half an hour later, it was up to 12%. On CNN, former Obama White House official David Axelrod expressed doubt that Haley would want to contest her home state of South Carolina, where Trump has a huge lead in the polls. Even Maddow conceded “she can’t win in South Carolina.” When Trump came out, he mocked Haley’s address: “She’s doing a speech like she won. She didn’t win, she lost… She pretended she won Iowa… She had a very bad night… She’s still hanging around.” Then came the accusation he can’t let go of: “We also won in 2020.” And noting his lead in most general election polls, Trump said: “Beating Biden–who the hell can’t.” And then he pivoted to the border mess. When Haley’s day began with a “Fox & Friends” interview, it was clear that she had reached the when-are-you-dropping-out stage, and the former South Carolina governor pushed back hard against what she calls the “elite media.” “No, I don’t get out if I lose today… We’ve had 56,000 people vote for Donald Trump,” Haley said, meaning in Iowa. “I don’t care how much y’all want to coordinate Donald Trump. At the end of the day, that’s not what Americans want. Americans want a choice.” Brian Kilmeade jumped in: “I’m really wondering why you think we’re the enemy.” NEW HAMPSHIRE SHOWDOWN: WHY TRUMP IS CONNECTING WITH VOTERS AND HALEY AND DESANTIS HAVE NOT “Because I’ve looked at the media, look at the media saying, ‘Oh, this is Donald Trump’s to have,’ look at the political class all coalescing and saying, ‘everybody needs to get out.’ That’s not democracy. That’s not who we are, who we are. When have we ever had two people, down to two people in New Hampshire? And you say, oh, it’s over.” Could Haley have made it a tighter race in what should be her best state, in part because independents – and Democrats who changed their registration months ago – can vote in the GOP primary? It turns out that Ron DeSantis, who also faced a barrage of are-you-toast questions, hurt Haley by dropping out Sunday and endorsing Trump. Polls show that his voters went to the former president by a 2-to-1 margin. Haley’s miscalculations included canceling two debates with DeSantis, in which she could have made a passionate appeal to the voters, and not hitting Trump hard until the final few days. She also kept a light schedule, didn’t take town hall questions for days and basically stuck to her stump speech, which didn’t make much news. Her campaign soon put out a memo saying “not going anywhere” and explaining why several states “are fertile ground for Nikki.” In Trump’s final speech, in which he called Haley “not electable,” he’s widely reported to have slurred some words (though I don’t know why critics are obsessing over a brief reference to himself in the third person). “We have become a drug-infested, crime-ridden nation which is incapable of solvin’ even the swollest, smallest problem, the simplest of problems we can no longer solve. We can’t do anything. “We are an institute in a powerful death penalty! We will put this on!” Joe Biden’s campaign jumped on this as part of a concerted effort to portray the 77-year-old front-runner as clearly slipping – obviously to counter the liability that even many Democrats see the 81-year-old president as too old for a second term. Much of the media, especially some MSNBC shows, are also pushing the narrative that Trump is confused, especially since he mixed up Haley with Nancy Pelosi. A headline in the liberal New Republic says “Donald Trump is Losing It. Will the Media Make It a Story?” But even before the results were in, the media pivoted to whether Trump can win the general election, which shows they consider him the nominee, as does the veepstakes chatter. Politico
Assam Rifles soldier opens fire on colleagues before shooting self in Manipur, 6 injured
As per the information from the IGAR, all the injured soldiers were non-Manipuris and they were rushed to the military hospital in Churachandpur for further treatment. The jawans have now been reported to be stable.