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State of the race: Game on in Iowa as Haley battles DeSantis for second place behind Trump

State of the race: Game on in Iowa as Haley battles DeSantis for second place behind Trump

DES MOINES, Iowa – EXCLUSIVE – He trails former President Donald Trump by at least 25 points in the latest polls in the state that leads off the Republican presidential nominating calendar, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis remains confident. “We’re going to win here. We have what it takes,” DeSantis vowed in a Fox News interview in Iowa’s capital city. The Florida governor spoke minutes before he sat down with former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy – two of his 2024 GOP White House rivals – in front of a large crowd of social conservative voters in a state where evangelicals play an outsized role in Republican politics. DeSantis is making a strong showing in Iowa central to his bid to defeat Trump, who remains the commanding Republican front-runner as he makes his third straight run for the White House. DESANTIS, HALEY, RAMASWAMY, GET PERSONAL AS THEY SIT SIDE-BY-SIDE But Haley, who’s enjoyed momentum in the polls in recent months thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates, has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire – which holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican schedule – and her home state – which holds the first southern contest. Now, she aims to make a fight of it in Iowa, where she’s pulling even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls. “The momentum is real. The excitement is there. We’re going to keep working hard to win every Iowan’s vote. We’re not going to give up on Iowa,” Haley touted in a Fox News Digital interview Friday ahead of a town hall in Newton, Iowa. COULD THIS IOWA EVANGELICAL LEADER’S ENDORSEMENT PUT DENT IN TRUMP’S COMMANDING LEAD? With under two months to go until the January 15 caucuses, Haley returned to Iowa showcasing over 70 new Hawkeye State endorsements. And Haley is set to launch a $10 million ad blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire in two weeks. Asked what kind of finish she needs in Iowa, Haley responded, “we don’t look at it as what do we have to have. The way I look at it is, we’re not going to stop until we get every single person’s vote. That’s the focus.” But Haley, who only last month opened her headquarters in Iowa, is playing catch up with DeSantis, who been all-in on the Hawkeye State for months. Between his campaign and the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down, the Florida governor has built up a formidable ground game.  “We’re going to get the job done,” he pledged. In a major boost for DeSantis, the Florida governor landed the endorsement earlier this month of Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is very popular among Hawkeye State Republicans. Reynolds’ backing helped DeSantis alter a negative narrative. Reynolds is scheduled to spend Saturday campaigning with DeSantis at multiple stops in Iowa.  DeSantis called the endorsement “a huge plus for us.” He’s also aiming to land the endorsement of Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of The Family Leader, the influential social conservative group that hosted Friday’s presidential forum. Vander Plaats backed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania in 2012, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2016 — all three of whom went on to win the Iowa caucuses, but failed to capture the GOP presidential nomination. When asked about winning the support of Vander Plaats, DeSantis told Fox News “we would love that endorsement…I think after this forum, that may be a time when they want to dig in.” WITH NINE WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE FIRST VOTES IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE, THIS CANDIDATE REMAINS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT DeSantis, who earlier this year signed a six-week abortion ban into law in Florida, questioned Trump’s social conservative credentials and argued that “Haley has moved left on a lot of these issues, so I’m really the conservative choice at this point. I think the governor [Reynolds] endorsing me shows that. I think you’ll see us coalesce the support of conservatives on caucus night.” At the forum, Haley doubled down on comments on her stance on abortion that she made last week at the third Republican presidential debate, in which she urged Americans to find consensus when it comes to limiting abortions. Haley also reiterated that she is “unapologetically pro-life” and emphasized that “our overall goal is how do we save as many babies as possible and support as many moms as we can.”  Nicole Schlinger, a longtime Iowa-based strategist with close ties to evangelicals, told Fox News that “this was the answer that I think Iowans were waiting for from Amb. Haley on life issues… I think that was very positive.” “Gov. DeSantis really came alive during the second half of this forum,” added Schlinger, who’s neutral in the GOP presidential nomination race. “This was a very pro-DeSantis crowd. He got the biggest applause.” A couple of hours before the presidential forum in Des Moines, Haley landed a surprise endorsement from another social conservative leader in Iowa. As Haley was taking questions from the audience at a town hall in Newton, Iowa, former state GOP executive director and former president of the Iowa Right to Life Marlys Popma stood to speak. “I was an undecided voter when I walked in here today, and I am no longer an undecided voter,” Popma said, as many in the crowd applauded. “I just want to tell Nikki that I wholeheartedly support you.” While Haley and DeSantis have repeatedly clashed in recent weeks as they battle for second place in the polls behind Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, there were no fireworks at the Family Leader forum. Asked if it’s getting personal between her and DeSantis, Haley told Fox News “no, it’s not personal. I think Ron’s been a good governor. I think we’re both fighting to save our country. I

Trump leads Biden on these key issues by massive margin: poll

Trump leads Biden on these key issues by massive margin: poll

A new poll suggests that significantly more voters trust former President Donald Trump in handling the ongoing crisis at the southern border compared to President Biden — just as the U.S. remains wracked by a historic migrant crisis. The Marquette Law School Poll asked respondents who would handle immigration and border security better. Of those polled, 50% said Trump, 27% said Biden, 7% said about the same and 16% said neither. Respondents also believed Trump to be better on the economy by a 21-point margin. It also found him preferred on the Israel-Hamas war, foreign relations and Medicare and Social Security by just one point. Biden was preferred on abortion policy and climate change. TRUMP SAYS HE WILL CARRY OUT THE ‘LARGEST DOMESTIC DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY’ IF ELECTED  The poll comes as the U.S. continues to face a migrant crisis now deep into its third year. There were more than 249,000 migrant encounters in October, the highest October on record. That comes after more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY23 — itself an annual record – and more than 600,000 gotaways. Republicans have hammered the Biden administration for its handling of the migrant crisis, blaming it on its policies — including the rolling back of Trump-era policies like the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and border wall construction, as well as decreased interior enforcement.  In the House, Republicans have passed a sweeping bill that would strictly limit asylum and increase border security measures — including resuming wall construction. But it has not received support from Democrats, which would be needed for it to pass the Senate. Republicans have also moved to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — although a bid to do that failed in the GOP-controlled House this week. Trump, running for the presidency in 2024, has promised to carry out the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history” if elected. THOUSANDS OF CHINESE NATIONALS, GOTAWAYS AT THE SOUTHER BORDER SINCE OCT 1: SOURCES  Meanwhile, the Biden administration has said it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis, and is in need of resources and immigration reform legislation to fix what it says is a “broken” immigration system. It also says it is using a strategy of implementing “consequences” for illegal entry while broadening “legal pathways” for migration. It has called for the passage of legislation it unveiled in early 2021, which not only would have broadened immigration paths but also would have granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants already in the country. It has yet to pick up any Republican support. The White House recently requested an extra $14 billion in supplemental funding for “border operations.” That includes money for for migrant services and housing, anti-fentanyl technology and more border agents. A fact sheet put out by the White House stressed that the Biden administration’s strategy is “focused on enforcement, deterrence and diplomacy” that includes a massive expansion of “lawful pathways” into the U.S. “The request we have made of Congress today provides critically needed funding to equip the Department of Homeland Security with the people and tools it needs to prevent cartels from moving fentanyl through our ports of entry and to enforce our immigration laws in an orderly and effective way,” Mayorkas said in a statement.  Meanwhile, the crisis has not only affected border communities but also cities and states deeper in the interior. New York City on Thursday announced deep budget cuts, including to policing and education, which it blamed on the billions it is spending on dealing with the more than 110,000 migrants that have come through the “sanctuary” city in the last year.

GOP rebels send warning to Speaker Johnson after blowing up vote last week: ‘We’re going to get cuts’

GOP rebels send warning to Speaker Johnson after blowing up vote last week: ‘We’re going to get cuts’

Members of the House Freedom Caucus are watching Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., with a wary but hopeful eye after a GOP rebellion over government spending saw the new leader take his first major public setback.  “He assures us, and we trust him that that’s the case,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital of Johnson’s goals to cut spending and advance conservative policies. Norman added, “Now, if that’s not the case, then I mean, we’re going to get cuts either way. We’re gonna start taking rules down. We’re just not going to keep going like this. We’re just not doing it. Whatever it takes.” Long-standing fractures within the House GOP Conference, primarily over government spending, rose to the surface again this past week after Johnson passed a short-term spending bill known as a continuing resolution (CR) to avert a government shutdown.  JOHNSON’S FIRST WEEKS AS SPEAKER MARKED BY GOP INFIGHTING — AND SOME VICTORIES “I’ve been very public about it, I think it was a mistake… and I think it was not in the best interest of trying to force Democrats to the table on the things we need to do,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.  “Bottom line is, he’s been in three weeks, he’s a good friend, he’s a good man. I’ll fully get behind him, you know, if we pick a fight, we’ll go fight. Let’s rock and roll, move forward,” Roy said. Roy and Norman were two of 19 Republicans who tanked a procedural vote, known as a rule vote, on the spending bill dealing with the Departments of Justice and Commerce on Wednesday.  Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., another opponent of Johnson’s CR who voted to kill the rule, told reporters afterward, “We’re sending a shot across the bow. We do this in good faith. We want to see these bills move. We want to see good righteous policy. But we’re not going to be part of the failure theater anymore.” HOUSE PASSES BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SPEAKER JOHNSON NOTCHES FIRST BIG LEGISLATIVE WIN Norman said his vote against the rule was as much a protest vote as it was about his opposition to the spending bill itself.  Johnson’s predecessor, ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted by eight Republican hardliners and all Democrats after putting a clean CR on the floor. But the conservatives who spoke with Fox News Digital insisted that Johnson is taking a different approach than McCarthy had — for now.  “It’s not in his nature to just listen at the beginning and then fade into the habits of just convening leadership meetings, and not listening to the people. He’ll be that listening speaker who continues to solicit the input of the rank-and-file moving forward,” Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., who voted for the rule, told Fox News Digital.  “That confidence… among us, the rank and file members, is going to help him as he moves forward.” Norman similarly praised Johnson: “We trust Mike… he laid it out, and he just was honest with us. We never had that with McCarthy.” SPEAKER JOHNSON ROLLS OUT PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PREVENT ‘SPENDING MONSTROSITY’ Though he warned, “This country is in trouble financially. There will be no difference between McCarthy and Johnson if the spending continues. We’ve got to come up with some solution.” Roy would not comment directly on comparisons between McCarthy and Johnson, explaining, “I’m not interested that much in rehashing all of this. It is what it is. We are where we are, and we need to move forward.” But the Texas Republican suggested that he saw the House GOP as largely in a similar spot as it was a month ago, before Johnson took charge — not that he blamed him. “What I would say is, there was a lot of noise for a month and change for us to end up with a CR,” Roy said. “There’s a whole lot of noise, there’s a whole lot of bluster, but we kind of got off track. And now we’ve got to figure out how to get back on track fighting.” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., another Freedom Caucus member who voted to advance the failed spending bill but against the CR, told Fox News Digital of Johnson, “I’m withholding any kind of judgment because I think it’s hard to imagine, if I was in his shoes, being able to find or devise a plan that’s different.” “The real test will be when it comes to FISA reauthorization or when it comes to finding a path on these appropriations bills,” he said. “What I think is the real fight is not between the conference and Mike Johnson, it’s the conference against the conference.”

US professors suspended, probed over Gaza war comments

US professors suspended, probed over Gaza war comments

In the past week, two University of Arizona educators were suspended and a University of Southern California professor was relegated to teaching remotely while the school investigated him, all after being recorded by students as they spoke about the war in Gaza.