No more dithering, Democrats. Grab a bullhorn and fight.
Dan Klein
Acton
Don't wait for the midterms
I am tired of Democrats telling us about their plans for the midterms. I want to know their plans if there are no midterms. If they don't have any, they better get some soon because the other side has a plan and we can see it evolving before our eyes every day.
Frank LaBollita
Canton
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
RNC Chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate from North Carolina, sources tell CNN
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to run for the Senate in North Carolina, setting up a marquee race in next year's midterms, two sources familiar with Whatley's plans tell CNN. He will enter the race with President Donald Trump's backing, after Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, opted against running for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. A North Carolina Republican consultant who has worked to set up Whatley's campaign told CNN on Thursday that a formal announcement is expected to come 'in the next week to 10 days.' Politico first reported Whatley's plans. The president preemptively threw his support behind Whatley in a post on Truth Social Thursday night where he also endorsed RNC treasurer Joe Gruters to succeed him as the committee's leader. 'Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina,' Trump wrote. 'He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide! But I have a mission for my friends in North Carolina, and that is to get Michael Whatley to run for the U.S. Senate.' The RNC chairman's entry sets the stage for what's likely to be one of the best-funded, highest-profile Senate races on the 2026 midterm calendar. Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a popular Democrat who was term-limited after eight years and left office at the end of 2024, also plans to announce a Senate run in the coming days, sources told CNN. Lara Trump plans to remain in her in role as host of a weekly Fox News show and will also appear alongside Whatley at upcoming political events, a source said. 'I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my home state whom I love so much,' she said in a post on X. 'While I am not running in this election, my passion for Making America Great Again burns brightly, and I look forward to the future, wherever that leads.' The clash in North Carolina comes as Democrats, who need to flip four Senate seats to claim the majority, look for opportunities to make races for Republican-held seats competitive on an unforgiving map in which North Carolina could be the only true toss-up. Democrats' Senate hopes of flipping GOP-held seats elsewhere could hinge on retirement and recruiting questions. In Maine, five-term Sen. Susan Collins has beaten back stiff Democratic challenges in the past. In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn faces a primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a scandal-plagued conservative firebrand who Democrats view as a much weaker general election candidate. In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst has not yet announced her reelection plans, though Republicans have several strong potential replacements if she opts out. In Ohio, Democrats hope former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his seat in 2024, will attempt a comeback — this time challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Democrats must also defend Senate seats in several swing states, including Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection and open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire. Whatley previously spent five years as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and the RNC's general counsel. He took the helm of the national party in 2024 after Trump's tensions with former RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Gruters, who Trump on Thursday said 'will have my Complete and Total Endorsement' to succeed Whatley as chairman, was floated as a possibility for the leadership post in 2024 as well. 'I'm looking forward to advancing President Trump's America First agenda as the next Chair of the RNC,' Gruters said in a statement to CNN. 'He is the greatest President in our nation's history, and I'm ready to serve, fight, and win for our party and our country.' The Florida state senator is a longtime friend and ally of Trump, bucking the party line in the Sunshine State by backing Trump over Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Their relationship predates Trump's time in office to when he was a celebrity developer still weighing a political future. In 2012, on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Gruters convinced Trump to headline a fundraiser for the nearby Sarasota GOP. Gruters, who was chairman of the local party at the time, named Trump the Statesman of the Year. Trump had endorsed Gruters in his bid to become Florida's chief financial officer, a cabinet-level position that is elected statewide. It's unclear if Gruters will drop out of the race. DeSantis recently passed over Gruters and spurned Trump when he filled a vacancy at state CFO with state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia. This story has been updated with additional information. CNN's Donald Judd and Steve Contorno contributed to this report.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Karl Rove on Trump, Epstein saga: ‘There's hell to pay'
Republican strategist Karl Rove said in a new opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, 'there's hell to pay' surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the saga around the Epstein files. 'Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino—all members in good standing of MAGA world—said there was no client list of powerful figures in politics, finance and media,' Rove wrote in his Wednesday piece. 'They also confirmed Epstein wasn't killed by a Deep State hit squad at midnight in a federal prison but committed suicide. Many in MAGA reacted with incredulity and anger at Mr. Trump, the attorney general and the FBI leadership. There's hell to pay when those who hyped the conspiracy have closed the books on the case,' he added. Right-wing influencers who had long pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein turned their fury toward the Trump administration, especially Attorney General Pam Bondi, due to a recent Justice Department memo that dispelled many of the theories. Last week, President Trump admonished and sought to distance himself from backers who have pushed for additional information about documents related to Epstein. In a Truth Social post, the president dismissed the uproar due to the Epstein files as a 'scam' pushed by Democrats and suggested he no longer welcomed his supporters who have called for extra transparency around the documents. 'Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bulls‑‑‑,' hook, line, and sinker,' Trump said in his post. 'They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Trump Calls Jeffrey Epstein 'The Greatest' in Newly Revealed Note: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump wrote sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein a note in a signed copy of Trump's book in October 1997, calling him "the greatest," The New York Times reports. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Thursday night for comment. Why It Matters Trump's alleged connection to a leather-bound birthday book compiled for Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 has reignited debate and legal battles about the extent of relationships between high-profile individuals and Epstein, the disgraced financier. Epstein's circle—including influential fellow financiers, scientists and politicians—has remained a topic of public and political scrutiny since his arrest and subsequent 2019 death in a New York City jail cell. Pressure mounted for the Trump administration to release files connected to Epstein after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informed the president that his name was included in documents related to the investigation of the sex offender. The Trump administration attempted to disclose grand jury transcripts but was later denied by a federal judge. What To Know According to the Times report, Trump's name also appears on a list as a contributor for Epstein's 2003 birthday book. The Times said it reviewed the list, which included names like Leslie H. Wexner, the former owner of Victoria's Secret, and Wall Street executive Alan C. Greenberg. There was an introductory letter for the book written by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend who's serving a 20-year prison term, according to the outlet. Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against the The Wall Street Journal this month after the paper reported Trump allegedly signed a sexually suggestive drawing for Epstein's birthday book. The president took to Truth Social, saying, "The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I'm going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DJT" The Times reports that Trump had at least once before allegedly written a note to Epstein, in a signed copy of his book, Trump: The Art of the Comeback, saying, "To Jeff — You are the greatest!" What People Are Saying Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday: "The Radical Left Democrats are doing everything in their power to distract and obfuscate from our GREAT six months of service to America, results of which many are saying is the BEST six months in Presidential history. They have gone absolutely CRAZY, and are playing another Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax but, this time, under the guise of what we will call the Jeffrey Epstein SCAM. As things are revealed and, I hope will take place quickly, you will see that it is yet another Democrat CON JOB. Hopefully, the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this HOAX. Everyone should see what is there, but people who are innocent should not be hurt. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
