Kinzinger Rips Trump For CPAC Speech – Says Former President ‘Just Needed His Monthly Dose Of Adoration’

Posted on March 3, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) went on CNN on Tuesday to blast Donald Trump for the CPAC speech he gave this past weekend, claiming that he was “really bored” during it because it was like many of the others the former president had previously given.

Kinzinger Attacks Trump

“I think that that was the first time we had heard Donald Trump speak,” Kinzinger stated. “It would be shocking, you know, all that stuff … but it was the same exact — I mean … he could have given that speech in September, and with the exception of having talked about impeachment, it would have been the same speech he gave this time. He had no new ideas.”

“I mean, to me, it looked like somebody that just needed his monthly dose of adoration in front of a crowd. So, I really was bored,” he added.

“Honestly, I watched it because I knew he was going to call my name out, and I wanted to be able to know how to respond and what was said,” Kinzinger said.

“But it was a hard speech to get through because I was just like, you know, looking at my phone a lot, as you can tell by the number of the tweets I had,” he concluded.

Trump Called Out Kinzinger In His Speech

Kinzinger was one of the Republicans who Trump attacked by name in his speech, with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) being mentioned as well. Kinzinger has been trying to fire back at Trump ever since, appearing on “Morning Joe” on Monday to respond as well.

“I think, you know, what you could see at that speech yesterday was recycling old talking points,” Kinzinger said, according to The Hill.

“You know, just stream of consciousness and I think it’s obvious there is no vision from Donald Trump there’s no desire to paint a vision,” he said. “All he really desires is to stand in front of a crowd and be adored and he got that in ample amounts yesterday.”

“This president has done nothing but reflect people’s darkness back to them, reflect their fears back to them,” Kinzinger added.

“It was sad, but I’m still hopeful that, you know, 45 percent of people at this Trump rally didn’t want Donald Trump again, and I think there’s a growing number of people out there that see he’s a has-been,” he concluded.

This piece was written by James Samson on March 3, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Kinzinger Rips Trump For CPAC Speech – Says Former President ‘Just Needed His Monthly Dose Of Adoration’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Award-Winning Reporter To Sue Gretchen Whitmer Over Nursing Home COVID Data

Posted on March 2, 2021 by LifeZette

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer got some bad news this week when a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist announced plans to sue her for the release of COVID-19 nursing home data.

Reporter Says He’s Preparing Lawsuit Against Whitmer

Seasoned reporter Charlie LeDuff revealed on Twitter that he is teaming up with Mackinac Center, a Michigan-based free market think tank, to file a lawsuit against Whitmer.

“We are preparing a lawsuit against Gov. Whitmer of Michigan,” LeDuff wrote. “She refuses to turn over COVID death data and accurate nursing home numbers to the public. All the way to the Supreme Court, Madam.”

We are preparing a lawsuit against Gov. Whitmer of Michigan.
She refuses to turn over COVID death data and accurate nursing home numbers to the public.
All the way to the Supreme Court, Madam.
Thanks to the@MackinacCenter, who has agreed to take our case.https://t.co/sH3BtfZ32m pic.twitter.com/le65xN83SP

— Charlie LeDuff (@Charlieleduff) February 27, 2021

“The public has a right to know,” LeDuff told Fox News. “Above all, the public has a need to know. We shut down the entire economy, we interrupted our children’s lives, all in the name of protecting the most vulnerable.”

“We now know this was the institutionalized elderly. If we could not protect them, at the very least we deserve an explanation from Madam Governor.”

“If there’s something more to it than that, let’s say gross incompetence or gross negligence or gross press conferences designed to cover the facts, then she needs to answer for it. As I’ve always said, the power lies with the people, not the political parties,” he continued.

Whitmer’s office declined to comment when contacted by Fox.

Republicans Demand Investigation Into Whitmer And Nursing Homes

This comes after multiple Republican state lawmakers sent a letter to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson calling for a “full investigation” into Whitmer’s handling of nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

These Republican legislators cited “discrepancies” in the data surrounding deaths and cases “in the state’s long-term care facilities.”

“It has now come to our attention that these reporting errors have likely not been resolved,” the Republicans claimed, adding that Whitmer’s “regional hub policy put patients with and without COVID-19 in the same facilities” and the decision to do so “may have exacerbated the death toll in those facilities.”

Andrew Cuomo In Hot Water As Well

This comes as New York’s Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing calls of impeachment for his withholding of data on nursing home resident deaths. This is only one of the problems Cuomo is facing, as multiple former aides have accused him fo sexual harassment.

This piece was written by James Samson on March 2, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Dem Senator Hirono Blames Trump Rhetoric For Alleged Rise In Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

Posted on March 2, 2021 by LifeZette

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) spoke out on Sunday to blame former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on COVID-19 for an alleged spike in anti-Asian hate crimes.

“You were the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, a striking surge in anti-Asian hate crimes here in America. Why is this happening, and what should be done about it?” asked ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Hirono Responds

“It’s happening because we didn’t have leadership at the top, starting from President Trump calling it the China virus and the Kung flu and all of that, which apparently it unleashed this kind of targeted hate crimes among Asian-Americans, and the increase is dramatic,” Hirono replied.

“Just last week in New York, a person who was just walking down the street got knifed. He is in serious condition,” she added. “Soon thereafter, four people walking in New York were knifed. One died. In California, you have incidents of 90-year-old people being knocked down, attacked. That person died.”

Hirono Praises Biden

“So I’m glad that Joe Biden, unlike Trump, has put this issue forward through his executive memorandum, which by the way contains many of the provisions that I put in a resolution that I tried to pass last year condemning targeted hate crimes against Asian-Americans,” she continued.

“The idea is for the attorney general, soon-to-be new attorney general, to work with community groups to prevent and prosecute these kinds of hate crimes,” Hirono said.

“So it’s being recognized by President Biden and that, you know, leadership throughout our country should condemn in no uncertain terms, when you have Asian-Americans afraid to walk down the street for the fear of being knifed, this is an issue that needs to be dealt with,” she added.

Hirono Addresses Cuomo Claims

In this same interview, Hirono called for an independent investigation into the sexual harassment claims that were made against New York’s Democratic Governor George Stephanopoulos.

“The proper response for any of these kind of allegations of reprehensible, inexcusable behavior is to listen to the — mainly women who come forward … and then to do the appropriate investigation and corroboration of the allegations,” Hirono said.

“In the case of Gov. Cuomo, it seems to me that the New York attorney general would be the independent entity to conduct such an investigation,” she added.

This piece was written by James Samson on March 2, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Dem Senator Hirono Blames Trump Rhetoric For Alleged Rise In Anti-Asian Hate Crimes appeared first on The Political Insider.

Jim Jordan Defies Left To Say ‘I Hope On January 20, 2025’ Trump Is The President Again

Posted on March 2, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) went on Fox News on Monday to fully endorse former President Donald Trump, should he decide to run again in 2024.

Jordan Endorses Potential Trump Run In 2024

“[H]e’s the leader of the conservative movement,” Jordan said of Trump. “He’s the leader of the America first movement, and he is the leader of the Republican Party.”

“And I hope, and you know, I hope — like I said yesterday, I hope on January 20, 2025 he’s, once again, will be the leader of our country,” he added. “I hope he runs, but he’s definitely the leader of our party.”

“We need to stay together, and the vast, vast, vast majority of our party supports President Trump as our leader,” Jordan said.

Jordan Thinks Trump Would Have Won Re-Election Under Normal Circumstances

Jordan went on to say that he believes Trump would have won re-election, had things been done as they normally are.

“I mean, look, the left knew that under existing rules, they couldn’t beat President Trump,” he explained.

“So in the run-up to the election, they had to change the law but they couldn’t because they — and they couldn’t do it in a constitutional fashion because in the key swing states, they didn’t control the legislature,” Jordan continued. “So they had to go around it with Democrat partisan secretary of states, with local Democrat partisan judges.”

“In some cases, you had the partisan supreme — state supreme courts in these states just change the law, go around the state legislature unconstitutionally, and that was the point we made when we objected on January 6,” Jordan added.

“That’s the point the president was making yesterday,” he said. “These state legislatures are going to have to get control of their election law and put in place the changes that President Trump talked about in his speech yesterday.”

Jordan Says Democrats Are ‘Scared’ Of Trump

This comes a month after Jordan ripped Democrats for their second impeachment effort, saying that they are “scared” of Trump.

“Democrats are going to these lengths because they are obsessed with canceling President Trump,” Jordan continued. “They’re scared of him.”

“They know he works [for] the American people, and not the Washington Swamp,” he added. “Unlike most politicians, President Trump did what he said he’d do. Hopefully, one day, he’ll get to do it again.”

Full Story: Jim Jordan Claims Democrats Are ‘Scared’ Of Trump

This piece was written by James Samson on March 2, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Jim Jordan Defies Left To Say ‘I Hope On January 20, 2025’ Trump Is The President Again appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump Plans New Super PAC, Setting His Sights On 2022 Elections

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Becky Noble

Former President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is planning to form a super PAC as part of his post-presidential footprint into Republican Party politics.

Trump confidante and advisor Corey Lewandowski has been named to head up the super PAC, which is still in the planning stages as we head into CPAC weekend.

Trump political team member, senior advisor Jason Miller, said, “MAGA supporters and candidates supporting President Trump’s America First agenda are going to be impressed with the political operation being built out here. We expect formal announcements of the full team in the coming weeks, which will include some very talented operatives not yet named.”

Trump told political advisers yesterday at a multi-hour meeting at Mar-a-Lago that he’s chosen Corey Lewandowski to run a yet to-be formed super PAC https://t.co/xtXzw6Tqcc

— POLITICO (@politico) February 26, 2021

Forming A Trump Super PAC Plan

According to a report by Politico, the meeting took place on Thursday at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida.

In addition to Lewandowski and Miller, the meeting’s attendees included former Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien, former deputy Campaign Manger Justin Clark, former Campaign Manager Brad Parscale, former White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino, and attorney Alex Cannon.

Donald Trump already has a leadership PAC called “Save America,” which was last reported to have roughly $31 million in the bank. While there are limits to how much a regular PAC can raise, super PACS are not limited on how much money can be raised for a particular cause.

In the short amount of time since Donald Trump left the White House, it has become very apparent that he will play a huge role in shaping the future of the Republican Party.

This development is much to the chagrin of people like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Mitt Romney, and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), all of whom have been harsh critics of Trump.

A Trump endorsement is likely to be coveted by many 2022 GOP candidates.

Some of these coveted endorsements could fall to the primary challengers to seven of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.

Of course, Trump has already begun handing out endorsements for 2022.

So far the former President has endorsed his former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has announced a run for Governor in Arkansas, and Sen. Jerry Moran’s reelection bid in Kansas.

'Where Do We Go from Here as a Party?' Jason Miller Says Trump Plans to Look Forward, Not Back, in Headlining Speech at CPAC https://t.co/3uQmXGU9nL via @mediaite

— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) February 25, 2021

Trump To Give Major Speech At CPAC

In his first major appearance since leaving office, Donald Trump is scheduled to give the keynote address this coming Sunday in Orlando at CPAC, the large yearly gathering of conservatives.

Many expect that Trump will lay out his political vision and plans going forward for not just 2022, but possibly 2024 as well.

According to Fox News, the former president intends to address issues such as immigration, jobs, and energy during his CPAC keynote.

It’s no surprise that Trump intends to tackle immigration after President Joe Biden hastily halted building of the wall on America’s southern border.

Jobs and energy are also on the agenda in light of Biden’s EO halting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline project which has cost people their jobs, a good many of them being union jobs.

CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp told “Fox & Friends” Thursday of Trump, “He knows it’s a very important reset for him and for the country and for half the country and so many people who are here in this ballroom.”

His advisers say the CPAC speech will demonstrate that Trump‘s influence in the party is stronger than ever.https://t.co/0W6CEuxq3w

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 23, 2021

Trump will reportedly slam President Biden during upcoming CPAC speech | Just The News https://t.co/MLtRZDpZJX

— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) February 25, 2021

Trump Ready To Move The Republican Party Forward

The Politico report goes on to say that Trump told his advisers that he is eager to “engage” in the outcome of the 2022 elections.

Said engagement reportedly includes plans to “exact revenge” on those that the former president feels were not loyal to him.

This could include House Republicans who voted to impeach, and possibly Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who Politico says Trump criticized for not “overturning the election.”

The new super PAC could serve as a conduit for Trump to raise funds and funnel them to his favored candidate in key 2022 races.

Trump has also recently met with Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, and former Senator David Perdue of Georgia.

However, it is not known if he intends to meet with any other possible presidential candidates who are attending CPAC including Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota.

According to a report from “Morning Consult,” 59% of GOP voters say Trump should play a “major role” in the Republican Party going forward.

To the disappointment of the GOP establishment, that might be all he needs.

'Buckle up' for CPAC, Trump is back and better than ever: Jason Miller https://t.co/xdZJYiyxD3

— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) February 26, 2021

The post Trump Plans New Super PAC, Setting His Sights On 2022 Elections appeared first on The Political Insider.

Liz Cheney Faces New Calls To Step Down After Latest Bizarre Anti-Trump Attack

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Becky Noble

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) is facing a new round of calls for her to step down as the Chair of the House Republican Caucus after her public claim that former President Trump should have no role in the future of the country.

Cheney is the third highest ranking House GOP member.

Cheney, who has been frequently outspoken about her opposition to Donald Trump, was part of a House Republican leadership briefing on Wednesday with reporters. During the briefing, Cheney and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) were both asked about Trump’s upcoming speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.

Reporters asked if Trump should “have a prominent speaking role” at the conference. McCarthy replied matter-of-factly, “Yes he should.”

Cheney disagreed.

“That’s up to CPAC. I’ve been clear about my views of President Trump and the extent to which, following Jan. 6., I don’t believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country.”

There was an awkward few seconds as reporters laughed and McCarthy replied, “On that high note, thank you very much.”

Q: Do you believe former President Trump should speaking at CPAC?@GOPLeader: "Yes he should."@RepLizCheney: "That's up to CPAC….I don't believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country."

McCarthy: "On that high note, thank you very much." pic.twitter.com/ZOkTUbpQCP

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 24, 2021

Not Cheney’s First Run-In With The Party She Leads

Liz Cheney’s first dust up with her fellow Republicans came back in January, after she was one of ten Republicans to vote for impeachment in the House.

At the time, Rep. Matt Rosedale (R-MT) stated that, “Rep. Cheney did not consult with the rest of our conference before supporting impeachment. She failed to abide by the spirit of the Conference rules and is ignoring the preferences of Republican voters. I’m calling on her to step down as Conference Chair.”

At the time, even House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had some concerns about Cheney’s impeachment vote.

The first effort to unseat Cheney failed. Ultimately, only 61 Republicans voted to oust her, 145 members voted against removal in a secret ballot. But that was not the end of her run-ins with other House Republicans.

Cheney and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have also had words.

Gaetz has accused Cheney of having an “America Last” vision for the country, and has even gone to Cheney’s home state of Wyoming to support those who want a change in who represents them in Wyoming’s only congressional seat.

At a rally in Cheyenne, Gaetz stated that, “There are basically two things that Liz Cheney has done in the United States Congress: frustrate the agenda of President Trump and sell out to the forever war machine.”

In response to Gaetz’s campaign swing through Wyoming, Cheney fired back on Twitter.

"Rep. Gaetz can leave his beauty bag at home. In Wyoming, the men don’t wear make-up.” – Liz Cheney

— Hoodlum (@NotHoodlum) January 24, 2021

As would be expected, Cheney has enjoyed the full support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Cheney’s Latest Comments

Liz Cheney’s latest comments regarding former President Trump once again have Freedom Caucus members calling for her resignation in House leadership.

Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who is a Trump supporter, said that “she should step down.”

He went on to call her comments “outrageous” and “consistent with at least four other statements she’s made in the last few weeks,” and that he does not believe “she is able to carry out” her duties as Caucus Chair “any further.”

Biggs also commented that, “I also think she is absolutely devoid of any kind of political reading of what’s going on in the party,” he added. “If she any sense of shame, she would step down.”

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) stated that Cheney has “forfeited her right to be the Chair of the Republican Caucus.”

Roy had been in agreement with Cheney that Trump “deserved universal condemnation for what was clearly impeachable conduct,” but that Cheney’s latest comments at the press briefing were “in complete opposition to where the majority of house Republicans stand” and “completely out of step with the Republican Conference.”

REP. CHIP ROY: "Yesterday, Liz [Cheney] forfeited her right to be chair of the Republican conference. You cannot stand up and make a statement that is so completely out of step with the Republican conference."

— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) February 25, 2021

Cheney Also Facing Backlash At Home

While Liz Cheney is hearing criticism in Washington from other Republicans, it is Wyoming Republicans she may want to pay attention to.

Since the first call for her resignation as Chair of the Republican Caucus, ten counties in Wyoming have voted to censure Cheney.

A partial statement from Sweetwater County states that Cheney had “betrayed the trust and failed to honor the will of the very large majority of motivated Wyoming voters who elected her.”

Cheney has already garnered a primary challenger for 2022 as well. Wyoming State Senator Anthony Bouchard announced his candidacy on January 20.

Of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, seven, including Cheney have primary challengers for 2022.

Wyoming State Sen. Anthony Bouchard files primary challenge to House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney. https://t.co/7mM632abmG

— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) January 20, 2021

Cheney defended her impeachment vote by saying, “this is a vote of conscience. It’s one where there are different views in our conference.”

Republicans in 10 of 23 Wyoming counties have now censured Rep. Liz Cheney — and more could soon follow suit. https://t.co/b9opQqhYmz

— Casper Star-Tribune (@CSTribune) February 1, 2021

The post Liz Cheney Faces New Calls To Step Down After Latest Bizarre Anti-Trump Attack appeared first on The Political Insider.

Donald Trump Jr. Deposed By DC Attorney General Probing Former President’s Inaugural Committee

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Rusty Weiss

Donald Trump Jr. was deposed earlier this month by Washington, D.C. attorney general Karl Racine in a probe of former President Trump’s inaugural committee, a court filing indicates.

Racine is spearheading a probe into the alleged misuse of inaugural funds involving a payment made by the Trump Organization to a D.C. hotel for nearly $50,000 in 2017, the week of the inauguration.

Trump Jr., a Trump Organization executive, in the deposition, stated he did not authorize spending $50,000 from his father’s inaugural committee on hotel rooms for his friends.

Racine has sued the organization and Trump’s D.C. hotel over misuse of inaugural funds.

He has accused both entities of “blatantly and unlawfully abusing nonprofit funds to enrich the Trump family.”

The former President’s son and the Trump Organization have denied any such accusations.

Donald Trump Jr. deposed in D.C. lawsuit over inauguration funds https://t.co/EI8OIWh5Qx

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 25, 2021

Trump Jr. Deposed By an Anti-Trump AG

Racine, a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and supporter of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, has had a bit of a fixation with the Trump family for years now.

So it’s no surprise that he’s deposed Donald Trump Jr.

Racine took part in a lawsuit against the former President on June 12, 2017, that alleged Trump had not fulfilled his pledge to separate his political activities from his business ventures while serving as president.

Yes, the good ol’ emoluments clause.

The Supreme Court ended the lawsuit last month, declaring them moot as he was no longer in office.

New filing from @AGKarlRacine
shows Donald Trump, Jr. was deposed on Feb. 11

Prosecutors are seeking more info on an almost $50k payment by the inaugural committee, to cover a block of rooms reserved by Trump Org

(reposted w/ corrected date)https://t.co/uFvwxVEzsi

— Ilya Marritz (@ilyamarritz) February 24, 2021

Just Another Witch Hunt?

Racine’s obsession with the Trump family also includes reviewing the potential for charges against the former President for his alleged role in the Capitol riot in early January.

“Lawyers inside the Washington, DC attorney general’s office are working to determine if it is legally viable to use district statutes to charge former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in the insurrection,” CNN reported two weeks ago.

They add that Racine’s office was “collaborating at a high level with federal prosecutors.”

DC attorney general weighs legal viability of charging Trump under local statute for Capitol riot https://t.co/ESysk0NMMJ pic.twitter.com/DUnYwFToRW

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 13, 2021

Law enforcement officials tasked with protecting the Capitol testified earlier this week that they did not anticipate the riot at the Capitol on January 6th, indicating there was no way President Trump could have either.

Also deposed in the current case are Donald Trump Jr’s sister, Ivanka, and former Trump campaign deputy campaign manager Rick Gates.

According to the court documents, Trump Jr.’s deposition “raised further questions about the nature of the Loews Madison invoice and revealed evidence that Defendants had not yet produced to the District.”

Racine is reportedly seeking more time to collect further information and conduct three more depositions for the case.

The post Donald Trump Jr. Deposed By DC Attorney General Probing Former President’s Inaugural Committee appeared first on The Political Insider.

Report: Nikki Haley Isolated After Attacking Trump, Not Among GOP 2024 Presidential Hopefuls At CPAC

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Becky Noble

As conservatives gather for their annual conference known as CPAC, Nikki Haley will not be among the possible 2024 GOP contenders in attendance, with speculation that her rivalry with Donald Trump being a contributing factor.

According to one report, Haley is “isolated” after she attacked President Trump for the January 6 Capitol riot.

This comes in the aftermath last week of the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. asking for a meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Her request was turned down.

Haley has a long history of attacking President Trump.

Nope https://t.co/tcZhyyuZH1

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 20, 2021

Haley’s History Of Anti-Trump Comments

Nikki Haley has a history of comments critical of Trump, so it is not surprising that he would have turned down a meeting.

After the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and just prior to Tump’s second impeachment, in an interview Haley said of Republicans that “We need to acknowledge he let us down. He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t ever let that happen again.”

In the same interview, she questioned “any political viability” he was going to have going forward. Haley said she did not believe Trump would run in 2024. “I don’t think he can. He’s fallen so far.”

Haley’s comments on Donald Trump go back much farther than January of this year.

In 2016, she gave the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union Address, when she stated, “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices.”

In an interview the next day on NBC’s Today Show, Haley said that she was specifying then front-runner for the Republican nomination Donald Trump, was one of the “angry voices” she was referring to.

Haley invoked the Jun 2015 shooting of nine black parishioners in a Charleston church when she stated that she thinks Trump’s rhetoric is “dangerous.” She went on to say, “I know what that rhetoric can do. I saw it happen.”

She even went on to repeat the lie that Trump had not disavowed the KKK.

“I will not stop until we fight a man that chooses not to disavow the KKK,” Haley said. “That is not a part of our party, that is not who we want as president. We will allow not allow that in our country.”

Even PolitiFact acknowledges that Trump has disavowed white supremacists for decades.

In February of 2016, then South Carolina Governor Haley sounded every bit like a Never-Trumper.

Speaking to CNN affiliate WIS Television in Columbia, she said that candidate Donald Trump represented “everything a Governor doesn’t want in a president.”

Don’t see one person upset that Nikki Haley isn’t on CPAC speaker list

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) February 22, 2021

Haley’s Presidential Aspirations In Jeopardy?

According to a report from The Hill, a GOP source says that while Haley has been trying to position herself for a run for the White House, she is having difficulty in connecting with Trump supporters.

The source went on to say that “Haley has never understood the President and seems to not understand where the base of the Party is.”

The Hill also quoted Alex Conant, a GOP consultant and former advisor to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in reference to Haley’s comments:

“Trump might run again, so you have to treat him as a potential competitor. But even if he doesn’t, he wants influence over who the party picks, and loyalty is what he values more than anything else. So it’s hard to build your own identity separate from him while maintaining loyalty and his support.”

The fact that she may be seen as a flip-flopper may harm her presidential hopes. A week after the riot, the Charleston CBS affiliate reported that while Haley criticized the President for the riot, she “called for people to ‘give the man a break’.”

She also stated she did not think there was “basis for impeachment.”

Just got around to reading this, and I've never been surer that Nikki Haley will never, ever be president of the United States. https://t.co/5SgrfWPZyn

— Pablo Zevallos (@PabloZevallos) February 19, 2021

CPAC Will Draw Other Possible Presidential Contenders

As usual, this year’s CPAC gathering will draw other potential presidential hopefuls. Some other names that have been mentioned include Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is also scheduled to speak, and has even been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate recently by Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

Most of those mentioned have been strong supporters of Trump, not only of the direction he would take the Republican Party, but his “America First” platform.

Nikki Haley’s comments for and against Donald Trump may separate her from other would-be Republican candidates, and the optics may say that she may prove the sources right, that she is indeed out of touch with the base of the party.

Politco reported that Lee Bright, a former colleague of Haley and an “archconservative in the statehouse” in South Carolina, might have sounded the alarm about Haley.

“Nikki is willing to do whatever she needs to do and be whoever she needs to be,” he said.

He went on to add more serious accusations, “The fact is, she doesn’t have a core. Adapting to the electorate is what keeps you around in politics, and she’s done it more effectively than anyone I’ve ever seen. She went from being an enemy of the establishment to being the face of the establishment.”

Nikki Haley’s first decision about a White House run should be which part of the Republican Party she supports.

"Is Nikki Haley morphing into a presidency-losing Mitt Romney?" via (@TheHillOpinion) https://t.co/nLIySp3JKS pic.twitter.com/H1XqnLrz4f

— The Hill (@thehill) February 21, 2021

The post Report: Nikki Haley Isolated After Attacking Trump, Not Among GOP 2024 Presidential Hopefuls At CPAC appeared first on The Political Insider.

Liz Cheney Says Republicans Need To Make It Clear That ‘We Aren’t The Party Of White Supremacy’

Posted on February 25, 2021 by LifeZette

Representative Liz Cheney (R- WY), who is one of the Republicans that voted to impeach former President Donald Trump during his last impeachment trial, spoke out at a Reagan Institute event on Tuesday to say that the Republican party needs to “make clear that we aren’t the party of white supremacy” in the wake of last month’s Capitol riots.

Cheney Condemns Capitol Riots

“Certainly the potential of a 9/11-style commission, I think that is very important,” Cheney said. “I think there are many aspects of what happened on the 6th and in the days and weeks and months leading up to it that have to be investigated.”

“It’s very important, especially for us as Republicans, to make clear that we aren’t the party of white supremacy,” she added. “You certainly saw anti-Semitism. You saw the symbols of Holocaust denial, for example, at the Capitol that day.”

“You saw a Confederate flag being carried through the Rotunda,” Cheney continued. “And I think we as Republicans, in particular, have a duty and an obligation to stand against that, to stand against insurrection.”

Cheney Doubles Down

Cheney made it clear that she supports a 9/11-style commission to look into this riot, saying that its mandate should be to take a “clear eyed look” into Trump’s and his allies’ allegations of voter fraud and a “stolen” election.

“The president and many around him pushed this idea that the election had been stolen. And that is a dangerous claim. It wasn’t true,” she said. “There were over 60 court cases where judges, including judges appointed by President Trump and other Republican presidents, looked at the evidence in many cases and said there is not widespread fraud.”

Not stopping there, Cheney added that the commission should look into media organizations that pushed or continue to push the narrative of a fraudulent election, saying they are “contributing to a very dangerous set of circumstances.”

Cheney concluded by saying that this commission should follow the 9/11 commission’s model and have only retired officials serving as members.

“I think there are many aspects to what happened on the sixth and in the days, weeks and months leading up to it that have to be investigated,” Cheney said.

“And I think having a commission with the formality that we saw in the 9/11 Commission, with the bipartisan participation that we saw in the 9/11 Commission, that’s very important,” she concluded.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 24, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Mitt Romney Admits: Trump Would Win GOP Nomination If He Runs In 2024

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Becky Noble

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) says that if Donald Trump decides to run for a second term for president in 2024, it is likely he will get the Republican nomination. Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee himself, says that he thinks Trump will continue to play a big role in GOP politics.

Romney said on Tuesday, “He has by far the largest voice and a big impact in my party. I don’t know if he’s planning to run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I’m pretty sure he would win the nomination.”

Romney went on to say that if Trump did run in 2024, he would not be voting for him.

Romney was a leading “Never Trump” figure in the GOP during the 2016 presidential contest, and voted to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial.

Trump is set to deliver a speech at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC.)

It will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House, and many expect that he will lay out his political plans for 2022, and 2024.

Trump’s Upcoming CPAC Speech Will Be ‘Show Of Force’ According To Adviser https://t.co/Qs0llFPCkd

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 24, 2021

Very Interesting Things Are Happening In The Republican Party

A source close to the former president told Axios that the speech is intended to be a “show of force,” and that he will state that “I may not have Twitter or the Oval Office, but I’m still in charge.”

Trump’s speech could just be a verification of sorts, of the transformation that is going on in the Republican Party that not all want to talk about or even acknowledge.

Donald Trump not only revealed the depths of the swamp, but that both sides of the aisle occupy it.

He also revealed deep fissures within the Republican Party. Even the most devout of the party cannot deny there is a Mitt Romney-Mitch McConnell-Liz Cheney wing of the party, then there is the Trump wing.

In an appearance on Fox News Monday morning, Eric Trump stated the very reason for his father’s popularity.

“There’s 75-80 million people who would follow my father to the end of the Earth.” He added that they love Trump because he is not a traditional politician.

“There’s no question he will play a pivotal role in politics for a very long time to come.” Eric explained. “I really do believe he is the modern Republican Party.”

It is the assessments of people like Eric Trump that make the Romney-McConnell-Cheney wing crazy.

But as we move closer not just to 2024, but even to 2022, will they realize that the Trump wing is becoming the much bigger tent?

I admire Liz Cheney's answer. But I also think that CPAC and Donald Trump are absolutely made for each other. Trump is the essence of CPAC. I think that a healthy conservative movement and Republican Party would recoil from CPAC. https://t.co/Cq4Cr0qM4L

— Jay Nordlinger (@jaynordlinger) February 24, 2021

Looking At The Numbers

Numbers may tell the story of the future of the Republican Party.

A recent Suffolk University/USAToday poll showed that 46% of those that voted for Trump in 2020 would follow him to a third party if he were to start one.

And something that should get the attention of the Romney wing of the party is that in a recent Rasmussen poll, 72% of Republican voters want their legislators to be more like Trump and less like establishment Romney, McConnell, Cheney types.

A Bad Ending For The GOP Establishment

A quick look at the numbers above show that things are not looking up for the establishment Republicans.

In addition to Mitt Romney saying he would not vote for Trump, Liz Cheney also said that, “Republicans must acknowledge the damage done by Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, and his encouragement of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) has begun a new PAC with the aim of “taking back the Republican Party from Trump.”

But like Liz Cheney, Kinzinger was among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, and has already got some pushback in the form of a primary challenger for 2022.

IT BEGINS…Anti-Trumper Adam Kinzinger Gets Legal Immigrant America First Primary Challenger https://t.co/LWuoobaxpV

— breakingnews (@evansnewsreport) February 24, 2021

Trump wing pushback has also come in the form of young guns like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who has had words with Cheney, and even gone to Wyoming to campaign against her.

Establishment Republicans:

If you try to purge Trumpism from the GOP, the base of our party will reject you.

America First is the future.

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) February 18, 2021

Gaetz has also called out Kinzinger.

Adam is a patriot who fought for America from Northwest Florida.

We will always appreciate & honor his service.

Now, he wants to target my America First politics, referencing me by name.

My response:

Fucking bring it.

Adam needs PACs to win elections.

I don’t. https://t.co/TE9TPt6QJv

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 11, 2021

Eric Trump also said of the Biden administration on Fox News Monday morning that “When you see some of these policies that are literally destroying jobs, that are destroying industries, that are causing Texas to freeze, that are cutting off our power to our energy grids and all these other nonsensical policies. Right now, the enthusiasm, it’s better than it’s ever been.”

He added that, “I think every single day, Biden makes people miss Donald Trump more.”

If you are talking about those in the Republican Party, it depends on who you are talking to.

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