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The Hill
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Pelosi: Texas proposed House lines ‘undermining the diversity that we need to have' in Congress
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that a set of new House lines proposed by Texas Republicans is 'undermining the diversity that we need to have' in Congress. 'Let me just say that what you just described was the elimination of many minority seats in Texas, and that's unfortunate, because the gerrymandering that they're doing is also undermining the diversity that we need to have in the Congress,' Pelosi told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'The Lead.' On Wednesday, Texas Republicans introduced a suggested set of new House lines, placing their party closer to gaining five seats in 2026. The freshly proposed map will likely mostly directly impact lawmakers situated near or in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, Austin, Houston and the southern border. Democrats are hungry to regain power in Congress after their losses last November, which have left them debating what caused them to fail in that election. Later in Tapper's show, he interviewed current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who said that his party will 'defy history when we grow the majority in the House' in next year's midterm elections. 'We have a solid, hardworking Republican majority in the House right now — and the Senate — we're delivering for the people. And I'm very excited to go out and tell that story,' Johnson told Tapper. 'I'm very excited about the midterm election. You know that we're going to defy history when we grow the majority in the House, because it's only twice in the last 90 years that a sitting president has picked up seats for his party in that first election cycle, but we're going to do it this time,' the Louisiana Republican added.
The Hill
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Johnson: GOP will ‘defy history when we grow the majority in the House'
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that his party will 'defy history when we grow the majority in the House' in next year's midterm elections. 'We have a solid, hardworking Republican majority in the House right now — and the Senate — we're delivering for the people. And I'm very excited to go out and tell that story,' Johnson told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'The Lead.' 'I'm very excited about the midterm election. You know that we're going to defy history when we grow the majority in the House, because it's only twice in the last 90 years that a sitting president has picked up seats for his party in that first election cycle, but we're going to do it this time,' the Louisiana Republican added. While Republicans currently hold the House, Senate and White House, Democrats are gunning for the reins of power in the two chambers of Congress after devastating losses in last November's election. On Wednesday, Texas Republicans introduced a proposed group of fresh House lines, placing the party closer to snagging five seats next year. The new suggested map will likely mostly directly impact lawmakers situated close to or in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Austin, Houston and near the southern border. Democratic strategist James Carville said in an interview earlier this month that President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' is going to be seen as a 'mass extinction event,' predicting his party will gain over 40 House seats in the 2026 midterms. 'And I like the unified party — every Democrat voted against this. Every Democrat, regardless of the ideology, their ethnicity … we can all rally around this, and we can run on this single issue all the way to 2026. And Paul is right, we're going to pick up more than 40 House seats,' Carville said on CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360.'
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
George Conway says Trump not ruling out Maxwell clemency ‘just insane'
Attorney George Conway criticized President Trump on Friday for not completely ruling out a pardon for convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell at the center of the Jeffrey Epstein case. His words came after Trump told reporters earlier in the day that he was 'allowed' to grant Maxwell clemency but hadn't considered taking the measure. 'She is a sexual predator. She was found guilty of doing these things. She [was] found guilty of, she would take the passports away from these girls, who they dragged to Epstein island. She did all of this stuff,' Conway said during an appearance on CNN's 'The Lead with Jake Tapper.' 'She's neck deep, way in.' 'And so the notion that they would give her clemency is just insane,' he added. Conway, a staunch Trump critic, joins a chorus of Democrats and even some conservatives who are railing against the Trump administration for failing to release files related to the Epstein case. Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, and Maxwell, who's now serving a 20-year sentence, were convicted for sex trafficking and other charges. Maxwell appealed her guilty verdict and is fighting to have her case heard before the Supreme Court. This week, she met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about the case. During those meetings, the Justice Department granted her limited immunity in exchange for her candor, ABC News reported. However, some, including Conway, said she can't be trusted. 'The Justice Department trashed on her credibility back when they prosecuted her,' he told Tapper on Friday. 'They said that she couldn't be trusted under oath.' Trump was notified that his name was listed in files tied to Epstein's dealings earlier this year. But the president denies any wrongdoing and says those seeking information about his involvement with the deceased financier are engaging in a 'witch hunt.'
The Hill
19-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Tapper hits CBS parent over Colbert cancellation: Paramount in a ‘bend-the-knee phase'
CNN anchor Jake Tapper criticized CBS's parent company over its recent decision to cancel 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' arguing that Paramount Global is in a 'bend-the-knee phase' to President Trump. 'Obviously, President Trump has made no secret of his hatred of being mocked, specifically the jokes that people like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel make at his expense. in this era where corporations such as Paramount don't just ignore a president complaining,' Tapper said during his 'The Lead' show on Friday. 'Don't just dismiss any thin-skinned leader, because we live in a country with a First Amendment right to mock the president,' he added. 'That would be one thing, but no Paramount is in a bend-the-knee phase.' CBS announced on Thursday evening that 'The Late Show' will end its run in May 2026. 'This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,' the outlet said in a statement. The news comes weeks after Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement with Trump over his lawsuit against ' 60 Minutes ' after it aired an interview with former Vice President Harris during the 2024 presidential election. The then-GOP nominee blasted the company for the episode, which he argued was edited in his Democratic rival's favor. The outlet later released a full transcript of the interview. Colbert has often criticized Trump on the show and criticized his own outlet following news of the settlement. 'I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: it's big, fat bribe,' he joked at the time. The deal also came as Paramount looks to complete a multibillion-dollar merger with entertainment media company Skydance — a move that will require a green light from the Federal Communications Commission. Tapper on Friday called the looming cancellation of the 'Late Show' a way for the company 'to please President Trump as Paramount's Sherry Redstone waits for the Trump administration's blessing for a lucrative merger with a company called Skydance, a merger previously hung up by a substantively very weak lawsuit from Trump against CBS.' Trump, however, celebrated the decision, saying Colbert's talent 'was even less than his ratings.' On the other side, media hosts and Senate Democrats have criticized the move, calling for an investigation into the cancellation. The Writers Guild of America East and West asked New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Friday to probe why CBS is canning the show — and inquired if sunsetting the show was meant to assist Paramount.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tillis calls out Trump advisers as ‘amateurs'
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) took a swing Wednesday at President Trump's advisers, calling them amateurs in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. 'I don't have a problem [with] President Trump. I got a — I got a problem with some of the people I consider to be amateurs, advising him,' Tillis said in the interview that aired on CNN's 'The Lead.' 'I'm going to make it very clear to them guys, when you act like the president when I — when he's out of the room, you don't impress me. And they'll hear more of that in the coming months,' he added later. Tillis also said he has 'disagreed with bad advice that some of' the president's 'advisers are giving him, whether it's on a nominee or whether it's on policy.' Republican senators have not been pleased about how Trump treated Tillis recently, with the president blasting the North Carolina Republican last week on social media after Tillis said he would not vote for the 'big, beautiful bill,' Trump's legislative package centered around tax cuts. Tillis is viewed highly among colleagues as a team player with a focus on results, and numerous Republicans believed he would have had the best chance of keeping his seat for Republicans in next year's election. 'Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post late last month. 'I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America.' The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
