Latest news with #CongressionalNews
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Top State Dept. official who once attended conference with White nationalists picked to lead US Institute of Peace
Congressional news January 6th Race & ethnicity Donald TrumpFacebookTweetLink Follow Darren Beattie — a top State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump's first term after CNN revealed that he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists — will now serve as the acting president of the US Institute of Peace, according to a senior State Department official. Beattie was appointed by the USIP board of directors, the official said. CNN has reached out to USIP for comment. Beattie currently serves as the acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, a role where he is 'passionate about affirmatively advancing free speech as a diplomacy tool, and marshalling America's exceptional cultural achievements in the arts, music, and academia in furtherance of the safety, strength, and prosperity of the American people,' according to the State Department website. The official said that Beattie will continue to serve at the State Department. The elevation comes as the Trump administration continues its efforts to dismantle the agency amid a broader effort to reshape the federal government. USIP is not a federal agency within the executive branch. It was created by Congress as a nonpartisan, independent body in 1984 that owns and manages its headquarters. The institute, which was founded during the Reagan administration, 'promotes research, policy analysis, education, and training on international peace and conflict resolution in an effort to prevent and resolve violent conflicts, and to promote post-conflict stability,' according to a description on CNN's KFile reported in 2018 that Beattie, a former Duke University visiting instructor, spoke in 2016 to the H.L. Mencken Club – a gathering that has included White nationalist figures such as Richard Spencer and Peter Brimelow. Beattie, who was then working as a speechwriter in the Trump White House, defended his speech, claiming it was academic in nature and didn't contain anything 'objectionable.' The Washington Post later reported he was fired after CNN's article. After being ousted from the Trump White House in 2018, Beattie launched Revolver News, a far-right media outlet that has spread conspiracy theories regarding the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. The website has boosted false claims that federal agencies orchestrated aspects of the attack and that extremist groups involved were under government control. CNN's KFile has also reported that Beattie also has made a series of racially charged comments, writing in one tweet last year, 'Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.' Beattie also deleted at least half a dozen tweets that ridiculed his now boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including ones calling him 'low IQ' and repeating a false rumor about Rubio's sexuality. In response to a series of questions regarding this from CNN earlier this year, Beattie responded, 'Secretary Rubio is 100 percent America First and it's a tremendous honor to work for him in advancing President Trump's world historical agenda.' Rubio has declined to comment on Beattie's past offensive statements. Beattie will take over USIP at a time when the Trump administration is attempting to reimagine the role of the US abroad and dramatically dismantle key parts of the federal government, including through legal challenges against the agency that paved the way for a second round of mass firings earlier this month. USIP employees originally received termination letters on March 28, though a federal judge ruled in May that the Trump administration unlawfully removed the board of USIP and that subsequent actions taken by officials installed by the Department of Government Efficiency to dismantle the agency are therefore 'null and void.' In late June, a federal appeals court stayed that ruling, leading to this month's firings. CNN's Shania Shelton contributed to this report.
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
RNC Chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate from North Carolina, sources tell CNN
Senate election US elections Congressional news Republican National CommitteeFacebookTweetLink Follow 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, one of the sources says, after Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, opted against running. A North Carolina Republican consultant who has worked to set up Whatley's campaign told CNN that a formal announcement is expected to come 'in the next week to 10 days.' Politico first reported Whatley's plans. 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 opted against running for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. She 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. 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 an open-seat race in Michigan; Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection; and New Hampshire, where Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is retiring. 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.
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Democrat Roy Cooper expected to run for Senate from North Carolina, sources tell CNN
Senate election US elections Congressional news FacebookTweetLink Democrats are expected to get their top Senate recruit next week as former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper plans to enter the race, sources tell CNN. Cooper, who was term-limited after finishing eight years as governor at the end of 2024, is widely popular in the state and has never lost a race over more than 30 years in state politics — for state Senate, attorney general and governor. He won most of those races in years when Republicans carried the state in presidential elections. An announcement is expected soon. Democrats see the North Carolina race as a top opportunity to flip a Republican seat. Sen. Thom Tillis pulled out of running for a third term after coming under heavy criticism from President Donald Trump for breaking with him most prominently over the Republican policy bill signed earlier this month. The news of Cooper's entry was first reported by Axios. Morgan Jackson, a longtime Cooper political adviser, told CNN he would not confirm the story but said Cooper would be making his intentions known in the coming days. Cooper is expected to appear and speak at Saturday's Democratic Unity Dinner, a major state party fundraising event, in Raleigh. Multiple sources tell CNN he will not make an announcement then. Wiley Nickel, a former Democratic congressman, is already in the race. Republicans have been searching for a candidate of their own since Tillis announced he would not run. Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and a North Carolina native who currently lives in Florida, is considering a bid for the Republican nomination. Cooper was asked by Kamala Harris's aides to be one of the running mate options she considered last year, but opted not to participate. He has long been sought by Democrats as a Senate candidate but passed on several other recruitment efforts. This is a developing story and will be updated.
