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Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Trump has Hegseth's back. Some of Hegseth's allies worry it won't last.
'Where's Pete?' he asked, according to a senior administration official who worked on the transition, recounting a now joked-about story. His advisers looked around confused. Pete, who? 'Pete Hegseth,' Trump said, referring to the Fox News star he'd admired over the years. 'I want Pete.' Trump has long admired the energy of the handsome, Princeton-educated Hegseth. During the GOP presidential primaries, when he felt 'Fox and Friends' wasn't giving him enough positive coverage, Hegseth's fawning commentary on the weekend version of 'Fox & Friends' buoyed his mood. A plus: The veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan emanates the 'warrior ethos' masculinity that Trump admires. The president saw him as the perfect messenger for an administration salivating to take a chainsaw to what MAGA viewed as the woke sensibilities of the armed forces. That desire ultimately won out even after Hegseth initially failed to disclose to the transition team that he'd paid a woman who alleged he sexually assaulted her as part of a settlement. (He has denied that accusation and was never charged.) And it stayed with Trump throughout the spring when Signalgate erupted. Notably, it was Michael Waltz who took the fall for adding a journalist to the chain. Trump, meanwhile, stood with Hegseth — even as many in the media speculated he was about to get canned. 'Keep fighting — I love what you're doing,' Trump told Hegseth during one meeting amid the controversy, a second White House official recounted. 'Whatever you need. You're a killer.' At the time, I asked one White House official why the administration stood by Hegseth despite the chaos. The answer was simple: Team Trump had put so much political capital in getting him confirmed that it would take a whole lot more dirt to send him packing. The reality is Trump doesn't give a fig about how Hegseth treats his staff, or whether there's an investigation into his use of Signal and classified documents, said one of the White House officials and three outside allies. 'He doesn't care about the palace intrigue stuff — he just doesn't,' said one top ally. 'It's not drama that impacts him or his agenda.' Nowadays, Trump's inner circle gives Hegseth props for the successful execution of Operation Midnight Hammer, the covert U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities and the military's joint-taskforce at the border. They credit him for historic recruitment and boosted morale with the troops who adore him. And they love that he's leading on Trump's desire to build a Golden Dome missile defense system to protect the U.S. Still, there's a dirty little secret that folks in the White House won't voice but their allies on the outside admit: No matter the drama, White House officials have to find a way to work with him because Trump has made clear that Hegseth is not going anywhere. 'The boss loves him — so it's like, 'We'll make it work,'' said one Trump ally close with the inner circle who has been aghast at the headlines. 'This is bullshit' The endless ability to forgive on Hegseth's behalf is particularly acute in the situation regarding the treatment of the fired employees, some who had known Hegseth for more than a decade and worked with him at a previous employer. Hegseth not only publicly harangued them as leakers but mused that his ex-buddies could be prosecuted by the Justice Department.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Nick Saban explains key reason why he hasn't jumped back into coaching
Nick Saban is adamant he won't be coaching football again anytime soon. The legendary Alabama head coach confirmed this on Fox's 'Fox and Friends' show on Friday, after rumors circulated last week of a potential return to the gridiron. Saban finally put his foot down during the program. Advertisement 'There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching,' Saban said. 'I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years — I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now.' Last week, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said he heard from a trustworthy source that Saban would return to coaching in the future. Advertisement These comments caused a media firestorm with multiple high-profile names, including Saban's daughter and other SEC coaches, chiming in about the possibility of his return. Nick Saban Coaching in 2023. Getty Images Saban is now working as a host for ESPN's 'College GameDay,' and his work proved to be noteworthy off the field last season, so much so that he won a Sports Emmy award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent. The seven-time national championship winner also works with the Alabama Football team as an adviser. Advertisement With the two jobs, Saban never thought about a possible return to coaching until rumors went wild. 'It's amazing to me that came up in the media and the media speaks for you, and thinks for you,' Saban said. 'I never really ever had a thought about getting back into coaching until two days ago.' Nick Saban talks to the media at Indianapolis for the championship game in 2022. AP The only time he thought about a return was due to the household chores he was forced to do by his wife, Terry Saban. Advertisement 'Miss. Terry said I had to run the sweeper in the entire downstairs,' Saban said. 'While I was running the sweeper, the thought occurred to me, when you were a coach, you had a heck of a lot better job than this. So that's the only time I considered it.'
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Hulk Hogan became one of Trump's biggest supporters at RNC 2024 — after dumping the Democrats over a petty slight
Hulk Hogan gave one of the 2024 RNC's most memorable speeches last November when he tore off his shirt and declared, 'let Trumpmania run wild, brother!' The full-throated endorsement of his longtime pal President Trump came after he ditched the Democrats over a petty slight by former President Barack Obama. The pro wrestling legend, who died on Thursday in Florida at the age of 71, made an iconic appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, ripping off his tank top to reveal a 'Trump/Vance' tank underneath. The wrestler endorsed Trump in an unforgettable speech at the Republican National Convention. Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK The roaring endorsement came just days after Trump was shot on stage by a would-be assassin in Butler, Pennsylvania. 'As an entertainer, I try to stay out of politics. But after everything that's happened to our country over the past your years, and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent,' Hogan told the rapt delegates as he introduced Trump. Here is the latest on wrestler Hulk Hogan's death 'I've been in the ring with some of the biggest, some of the baddest dudes on the planet,' Hogan said. 'I know tough guys, but let me tell you something, brother, Donald Trump is the toughest of them all.' The White House paid tribute following the news, with spokesperson Harrison Fields sharing a picture of Hogan on X, captioning it, 'Rest In Peace, BROTHER.' Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, previously supported Obama, before a public falling-out in 2011. The wrestler was furious when the Democrat used his theme song, 'Real American,' for his entrance at that year's White House Correspondents' Dinner. 'I kind was a little upset that he didn't ask me permission to use my music,' Hogan told 'Fox and Friends' in October, 2011. 'I was a big Obama supporter and kind, like, believed everything he said he was gonna do,' Hogan said, before adding that he had had a change of heart 'now that nothing's happened.' In 2012, Hogan endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for president, praising his and Paul Ryan's ticket for offering 'a fresh start' to America. 'This is huge. This is exciting stuff what's going on with Romney and Ryan,' Hogan told 'Fox and Friends' in a separate appearance in August 2012. 'America's getting a chance to reinvent itself, kind of like I have. It's just a fresh start. Actions speak louder than words, and we're ready for some action, so this is exciting stuff,' he said.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Republican congress member Mike Lawler says he won't run for New York governor
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a moderate Republican representing a suburban New York swing district, said Wednesday he won't run for governor next year. Lawler had been viewed as a potentially strong challenger to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. But another prominent House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, also has been eying a candidacy. She said in a statement Wednesday she'll decide after this November's election. Lawler, a second-term Congress member from the Hudson Valley north of New York City, weighed his options as President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans strive to retain control of the House in next year's midterm elections. Lawler told the 'Fox and Friends' morning show that running for reelection to the House was 'the right thing to do for me and my family and my district.' 'Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this economy in the right direction,' he said. Lawler's seat has been a crucial swing district in recent elections. He noted Wednesday that he's one of few Republicans who won a seat in a district Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris won last year. Lawler is now coming off a successful fight to raise the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes, a significant pocketbook issue in New York and some other places primarily on the East and West coasts. Trump's big tax and spending legislation, which he signed into law this month, quadruples the cap on state and local deductions to $40,000, for the next five years. It had been capped at $10,000 as part of Trump's first-term tax overhaul. Lawler held a series of sometimes raucous town halls in his district over the spring — at a time when Republicans were being advised to skip the forums that were drawing angry questions about President Donald Trump's agenda. Trump in May endorsed Lawler for reelection in the 17th Congressional District , calling him 'a Strong Champion, and Highly Effective Representative' in a post on his Truth Social platform. Hochul, a former lieutenant governor, assumed the top office in 2021 after predecessor Andrew Cuomo resigned. Hochul then was elected in 2022. She also faces a challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, amid a feud between the two Democrats. Lawler arrived in the House after defeating former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Democrat who previously represented part of the district. During that campaign, The New York Times obtained a photo of Lawler wearing blackface in 2006 at a college Halloween party where he dressed as singer Michael Jackson. Lawler said the outfit was intended to be an homage to a childhood idol.
Hamilton Spectator
23-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Republican congress member Mike Lawler says he won't run for New York governor
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a moderate Republican representing a suburban New York swing district, said Wednesday he won't run for governor next year. Lawler had been viewed as a potentially strong challenger to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. But another prominent House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, also has been eying a candidacy . She said in a statement Wednesday she'll decide after this November's election. Lawler, a second-term Congress member from the Hudson Valley north of New York City, weighed his options as President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans strive to retain control of the House in next year's midterm elections. Lawler told the 'Fox and Friends' morning show that running for reelection to the House was 'the right thing to do for me and my family and my district.' 'Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this economy in the right direction,' he said. Lawler's seat has been a crucial swing district in recent elections. He noted Wednesday that he's one of few Republicans who won a seat in a district Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris won last year. Lawler is now coming off a successful fight to raise the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes , a significant pocketbook issue in New York and some other places primarily on the East and West coasts. Trump's big tax and spending legislation, which he signed into law this month, quadruples the cap on state and local deductions to $40,000, for the next five years. It had been capped at $10,000 as part of Trump's first-term tax overhaul . Lawler held a series of sometimes raucous town halls in his district over the spring — at a time when Republicans were being advised to skip the forums that were drawing angry questions about President Donald Trump's agenda. Trump in May endorsed Lawler for reelection in the 17th Congressional District , calling him 'a Strong Champion, and Highly Effective Representative' in a post on his Truth Social platform. Hochul , a former lieutenant governor, assumed the top office in 2021 after predecessor Andrew Cuomo resigned. Hochul then was elected in 2022. She also faces a challenge from her own lieutenant governor , Antonio Delgado, amid a feud between the two Democrats. Lawler arrived in the House after defeating former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Democrat who previously represented part of the district. During that campaign, The New York Times obtained a photo of Lawler wearing blackface in 2006 at a college Halloween party where he dressed as singer Michael Jackson. Lawler said the outfit was intended to be an homage to a childhood idol. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
