Texas Weekly Online

Texas-trans-white
Menu
Menu

Author: shailender

Newsom reveals when he’ll decide on 2028 White House bid amid growing speculation

Newsom reveals when he’ll decide on 2028 White House bid amid growing speculation

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he will decide within the next two months whether to seek the presidency, revealing that he plans to make up his mind by early January about a potential 2028 bid. Newsom, who will leave office in January, was asked about his presidential aspirations while attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkey. “As it relates to 2028, we’ll make that decision in the next few months,” Newsom told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency. “I’ll make the determination at the beginning of the year,” he continued. “So we’ll spend the next few weeks with the family and make a decision early January.” GAVIN NEWSOM SEEKS COUNSEL FROM ‘MASTER’ BILL CLINTON AS HE PLOTS PROJECT 2029 Newsom has long been discussed as a potential 2028 contender, frequently mentioned among possible Democratic candidates, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. However, fellow Californian and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris could complicate Newsom’s plans if she decides to launch another White House bid. Newsom previously said he would not run for president if Harris entered the race. “I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see,” Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a September interview. “But I wouldn’t run if she ran.” “If she runs, you will not,” Tapper responded. NEWSOM ROASTED ONLINE FOR ‘STAGED’ FLY-FISHING INTERVIEW WITH CNN ANCHOR WHERE HE DROPPED MAJOR 2028 HINT “Of course not. Why would I?” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t do that to her … I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?” Newsom also suggested during the interview that spectators would feast on the “mutual-assured destruction” among Democrats competing for the nomination. “I mean, you do whatever you want. I don’t care,” Tapper told Newsom. “But [the] counterargument would be, like, you know, she had her shot. And you’ve never run, and she’s run twice.” “Yeah,” Newsom responded. “I mean, that’d be the approach to the campaign, certainly. That’d be the case you’d make. Pretty good one, actually. That’s objectively true.” KATHY HOCHUL ENTERTAINS MASSIVE POLITICAL PROMOTION AS DEMOCRATS LOOK AHEAD TO 2028 Newsom, who is term-limited after 2026, outlined his political timeline just over a week after Republicans suffered sweeping defeats in the midterm elections, losing control of both chambers of Congress and several traditionally Republican strongholds. Newsom said he was “particularly pleased with the outcome of the election.” “Donald Trump’s presidency, as we know it, ended last week in the U.S.,” he said. “It was an historic rebuke of his tenure and now it’s incumbent upon those that were successful to govern and to lead my party. The Democratic Party now has to set forth a positive alternative agenda to Donald Trump.” Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Dan Patrick concedes Texas ‘turned purple’ after Democrats’ historic blue wave

Dan Patrick concedes Texas ‘turned purple’ after Democrats’ historic blue wave

Outgoing Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, acknowledged Thursday that the Lone Star State “turned purple” after Democrats’ so-called blue wave swept statewide races and flipped the governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat and Texas House. During his latest episode of the “Lt. Dan Podcast,” Patrick acknowledged that Texas’ political makeup is shifting left but stopped short of saying the state had turned blue after many others had described it as now a blue state. “Right now, I’d say it’s purple,” he said. “We’ve been winning consistently, and people see it as a red state. But this time, the Democrats turned out more of their Democrat voters than Republicans turned out of their voters. But what really made the difference were the independent voters, the voters who don’t vote in Republican or Democrat primaries. They only vote in general elections. “For almost every election, we’ve been winning those voters. We didn’t win them now. Will they stay voting for Democrats in the future? Two years ago, they almost all voted for the president. Four years ago, almost all voted for [Gov.] Greg Abbott, myself and the other Republicans. So, I wouldn’t say we are a blue state, but we’ve turned purple for this moment. TED CRUZ SAYS ‘BLUE TSUNAMI’ TOOK OVER TEXAS AFTER DEMOCRATS SWEPT STATEWIDE RACES “The wave election, a lot of factors involved from the top down, from Washington down to Texas and all the other states where Republicans lost,” Patrick added. “I would say it’s a group of voters who are willing to change their vote election to election depending on how they feel and how they feel about who’s in charge. So, we’re not a blue state, but we’re going to have to work too hard to be sure in ’28 and ’30 and ’32 we don’t become one.” Patrick, who ran for re-election but lost his race to Democrat Vikki Goodwin, was among the Republicans hit by Democrats’ blue wave. Abbott, who was vying for a fourth term, lost in his re-election bid to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, and Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton was defeated by Democrat James Talarico as part of huge Dem gains in the state and across the country, including in other traditional GOP strongholds. Democrats won every statewide race in Texas, bringing an end to decades of Republican control in contests that had once been considered sure bets for the GOP and leaving Sen. Ted Cruz as the only Republican holding statewide elected office. TRUMP’S GAMBLE ON KEN PAXTON BACKFIRES AS DEMOCRAT PULLS OFF HISTORIC TEXAS SENATE UPSET Patrick said Republicans lost voters in places and demographics they had gained in 2024, including the Rio Grande Valley and young voters. He joined President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders in attributing the party’s disastrous showing last week primarily to voters’ frustrations over affordability and the Iran war, which has caused soaring fuel prices. Gas prices are about 83 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to AAA, which listed the national average at $3.91 per gallon on Thursday, compared with $3.08 a year earlier. “We were in a tidal wave, a tsunami that washed across the country where people just said, ‘I can’t afford to feed my family. I can’t afford to pay my bills. I can’t even afford to fill up my car or truck,’” Patrick said.  “It was almost to the point where, no matter what our message was, it didn’t matter. People were unhappy, and I get it.” “People can agree with you on cultural issues or policy issues, but it doesn’t mean they’re gonna vote for you if they can’t afford groceries,” he added. Patrick further acknowledged that the war in the Middle East has increased the cost of fuel but refused to denounce Trump’s decision to attack Iran. “I totally support the president on that. If they had intelligence that Iran was gonna get a nuclear weapon, we could be in the middle of World War III if he didn’t take action, or Israel could have already been blown off the map,” Patrick said.  “So, I support what the president did, but the reality is that had an impact.”

Van Hollen challenges Schumer for Senate leadership after Democratic election sweep

Van Hollen challenges Schumer for Senate leadership after Democratic election sweep

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., officially has a challenger for the mantle of Democratic leader, and incoming majority leader, in the Senate. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has become a progressive darling and outlet for those against Schumer’s bid for another term as top Democrat, officially announced that he was jumping in to challenge the longtime figurehead of the Senate Democratic Caucus. “In this election, the American people called for change,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “They called for a change from Donald Trump’s disastrous policies – but even bigger than that, a change from the status quo that isn’t working for working people.” BERNIE SANDERS SAYS HE WON’T BACK SCHUMER AS PUSH FOR NEW LEADERSHIP GAINS STEAM “It’s now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership,” he continued. “This is not about any one person – it’s about answering the call of the American people. That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.” Van Hollen, 67, has served in Congress for 23 years, first starting in the House before moving to the Senate in 2017. Schumer, 75, has been an elected official since 1981. The Maryland Democrat’s decision to run against Schumer comes after a listening tour with Senate Democrats, and follows his initial ambition of “kicking the tires” on jumping into the 2028 presidential conversation. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: A USER’S MANUAL TO UPCOMING LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE Since entering the Senate, Van Hollen has occupied Schumer’s left flank. It wasn’t until earlier this week that he fully took a shot at him, arguing that the longtime leader had chosen the “crypto industry,” and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) over progressive candidates that eventually won during this past midterm cycle. But he’s managed to capture some of the superstars of the Left, most notably Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who pushed Van Hollen to run.  “The American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership. I called on Sen. [Chris Van Hollen] to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority.” RACHEL MADDOW WELCOMES ‘BIG FIGHT’ BETWEEN SOCIALIST AND MODERATE DEMOCRATS AFTER MIDTERM WINS Schumer did not take the challenge lying down. “I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead,” Schumer said on X. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.” “I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people,” he continued. Neither did his allies. Schumer has maintained since Democrats flipped the Senate that he would be the one to lead them over the next two years. And one of his possible lieutenants, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who is vying to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Democratic whip, is riding with him through the storm.  “Senate Democrats had historic victories last week, thanks to our talented candidates and the hard work of our caucus, led by Senator Schumer. And it was not the first time he has led this caucus back to the majority,” Schatz said in a statement.  “The American people sent a clear message: they want us to lower costs, end a needless war, and fight corruption. Our caucus has the right to have a conversation about the path ahead, but we have no time to waste,” he continued. “We must move quickly to vote, unify, and get to work. I endorse Senator Schumer for leader and will be voting for him in the caucus election.”