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Today — June 26th 2024Your RSS feeds

GOP Rep Wins Primary Against Trump-Backed Candidate in Race to Replace Mitt Romney

By: Rebeka Zeljko

Rep. John Curtis won the Republican Senate primary in Utah on Tuesday against Trump-endorsed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs and former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, The Associated Press projected.

Curtis, who has served in Congress since 2017, won against Staggs and Wilson, according the AP projection. Curtis is now favored to win former Republican presidential nominee and Sen. Mitt Romney’s seat following his retirement.

Curtis, who was favored to win in many polls, was briefly registered as a Democrat and ran an unsuccessful campaign against Republican candidate Curt Bramble in 2000 for state Senate, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. He returned to the Republican Party in 2007 and has remained in the GOP since then.

Despite polling significantly behind Curtis, Staggs was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and other influential Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump praised Staggs for being “MAGA all the way” and said Staggs “is all about America First” in a video endorsement.

I'm honored to have the endorsement of Donald Trump! pic.twitter.com/Ry2n1mS9rE

— Mayor Trent Staggs (@MayorStaggs) April 27, 2024

Staggs was also endorsed by the Utah Republican Party, winning the most votes at the state convention just hours after earning Trump’s endorsement, according to Politico.

Ahead of the voting, Curtis led Staggs by 20 points according to a Noble Predictive Insights poll from June, and was leading Wilson by 23 points according to a June HarrisX poll.

Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.

The post GOP Rep Wins Primary Against Trump-Backed Candidate in Race to Replace Mitt Romney appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Spencer Cox wins Utah Republican primary for Governor

Spencer Cox won the battle in the Republican primary for governor in Utah, ending one of the more surprising primary challenges in the 2024 primary election cycle.

Yesterday — June 25th 2024Your RSS feeds
Before yesterdayYour RSS feeds

Hung Cao Wins Virginia Republican Senate Primary

By: Elizabeth Troutman

Hung Cao, a Vietnamese immigrant and career U.S. Navy veteran, prevailed Tuesday in a five-candidate race to become the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat from Virginia.

Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Cao won with 67% of the vote and will take on Sen. Tim Kaine, the two-term Democratic incumbent, in November.

“My message to Tim Kaine is: don’t go away mad, just go away. Thirty years getting rich on our dime is more than enough,” Cao told The Daily Signal. “We need fighters to solve our problems, not politicians.”

Cao’s campaign raised more than $2 million, double the amount of any of the other four Republican Senate candidates.

Cao will be “a tireless fighter to stop inflation, grow our Economy, secure our Border, strongly support our incredible Military/Vets, and defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social shared on X by Cao.

I’m honored to receive an endorsement from the 45th and 47th President of the United States Donald Trump! pic.twitter.com/fxAs5Ybrtn

— Hung Cao (@HungCao_VA) May 27, 2024

Cao came to the U.S. as a child from Vietnam in 1975. He and his parents were refugees. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1996 to 2021.

The father of five ran unsuccessfully for office as the GOP nominee in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District in the 2022 midterm elections.

He is the vice president at CACI International Inc., a national security technology firm.

The border crisis is a top priority for Cao, who promises to “build the wall” if elected to stop the “invasion” of illegal immigrants at the southern border.

“We will finish President Trump’s indicatives, and policies, of remain in Mexico and the completion of the border wall system,” the Cao campaign told The Daily Signal. “As Senator, Hung Cao will codify a secure border program into law.”

Cao resides in Purcellville, Virginia, a small town in Loudoun County about 50 miles from Washington, D.C.

Before running for Senate, Kaine served as Virginia’s governor and previously as lieutenant governor. In 2016, he was Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vice presidential running mate.

Cao defeated Jonathan Walker Emord, Eddie Garcia, Scott Parkinson, and Chuck Smith to win the GOP’s Senate nod.

Emord served as vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute and as staff attorney at the Federal Communications Commission. He is the founder of Emord & Associates, a Clifton, Virginia-based law firm, and is the author of five books.

Emord slammed Kaine as a “dead weight,” an empty suit who “just follows the party plan.” He noted that Kaine freely called himself “boring.” 

Garcia served as an Army officer from 1999 to 2017. He has subsequently worked as a communications officer at U.S. Central Command and as an Army congressional liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives. Garcia currently works in finance and owns MIL VETS, a networking app for veterans.

Smith spent two decades as a U.S. Navy legal officer before he opened his own law office in Virginia Beach.

Parkinson previously worked for three U.S. senators and served as Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff during the Florida governor’s time in the House of Representatives. He is a vice president of the Club for Growth, a conservative economic policy nonprofit. Parkinson boasted the endorsements of Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Mike Lee of Utah, and Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Eli Crane of Arizona, Byron Donalds and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, August Pfluger of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. 

Virginia hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 2002. Ahead of the primary Election Day, Cao said Monday he thought he was the only candidate in the race who could beat Kaine.

“Hung Cao served in the Navy for 25 years, while Tim Kaine has been in elected office for 30. The taxpayers signed the front of both men’s paychecks for decades,” the Cao campaign told The Daily Signal. “Tim Kaine got rich, while Hung Cao got scars.”

The post Hung Cao Wins Virginia Republican Senate Primary appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Conservative Stalwart Morton Blackwell Prepares for 10th Term as Republican Committeeman

By: Rob Bluey

When the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee next month, conservative leader Morton Blackwell once again will be in the middle of the action. This year’s convention will mark Blackwell’s 16th consecutive appearance, dating to 1964.

Upon the convention’s closing gavel, it also will be the beginning of his 10th term as Republican national committeeman representing Virginia.

Blackwell’s tenure puts him just behind Delegate Amata Radewagen, who was elected as American Samoa’s national committeewoman in 1988. She also represents American Samoa as a nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives.

With the defeat in April of Massachusetts’ Ron Kaufman, Blackwell is poised to be move up in tenure among the 168 members of the Republican National Committee. (Each state and territory—56 in all—elects one committeeman and one committeewoman; each also has a party chairman).

When Virginia Republicans gathered for their party convention May 31 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, Blackwell defeated Tim Anderson and Patti Lyman defeated Jean Gannon. Lyman will begin serving her second four-year term at the conclusion of the GOP convention in Milwaukee.

“I appreciate the honor of being elected to a tenth consecutive term as Virginia’s Republican national committeeman,” Blackwell told The Daily Signal. “The office is pretty much what one makes of it, because it comes with no special powers and few defined duties.”

“My focus is on improving Republican political training programs and making sure that ‘the rules of the Republican Party’ continue to permit some power in the party to flow from the bottom up and not just from the top down,” he said. “And I always fight for conservative principles.”

Blackwell is known in the conservative movement for founding the Leadership Institute in 1979. For 45 years, it has trained more than 250,000 individuals on campaign tactics, fundraising, grassroots activism, and communicating effectively. The institute also has a network of 2,300 campus groups and conservative newspapers to reach the next generation of Americans.

Turning Point Action congratulates @MortonBlackwell and @pattilyman2 on their win in Virginia.

These patriots have served tirelessly on the RNC and will continue to defend our conservative values for another four years.

We are excited to see them continue to represent @VA_GOP… pic.twitter.com/HaireeCwDr

— Turning Point Action (@TPAction_) June 1, 2024

Starting with Sen. Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign in 1964—when Blackwell was the candidate’s youngest delegate to the San Diego convention—he has made a point of taking an active role in Republican politics.

He served as an alternate delegate for Ronald Reagan in 1968 and 1976, and was a Reagan delegate in 1980 when he secured the GOP nomination for president. Blackwell led Reagan’s youth effort for the 1980 campaign, then worked as a special assistant on the White House staff during Reagan’s first term.

Blackwell’s conservative principles have made him a favorite among movement activists, particularly at times when the Republican National Committee didn’t reflect the sentiments of the grassroots.

“As an oasis of conservatism in the RNC desert of establishmentarianism over the last 40 years, Morton Blackwell has been a steady and dependable defender of conservative principles,” said Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s former attorney general. “Virginia is proud to return the longest-serving dedicated conservative, probably in the entire history of the Republican National Committee, for another four years!”

Former President Donald Trump was among the high-profile endorsements Blackwell received in advance of his reelection. Virginia’s trio of statewide elected officials—Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares—also backed his bid along with several other political leaders.

Following his victory, Blackwell credited two GOP power players in Arlington County: Republican Committee Chairman Matthew Hurtt and former Chairman Andrew Loposser.

I want to thank the delegates to the @VA_GOP Convention for re-electing me as your National Committeeman and to the volunteers who helped get me across the finish line.

I especially want to thank Andrew Loposser and @matthewhurtt for all your hard work. pic.twitter.com/XjG1ISCrea

— Morton Blackwell (@MortonBlackwell) June 2, 2024

“As someone who has traveled with Morton to nearly every RNC meeting since 2013, I understand what an asset he is to grassroots conservatives on the RNC,” Hurtt told The Daily Signal. “His knowledge of rules and process and his commitment to empowering conservative activists within the GOP is unmatched. Virginia Republicans—and conservatives nationwide—are lucky to have such a well-respected and staunch advocate in their corner.”

In 2020, The Heritage Foundation honored Blackwell with its Titan of Conservatism Award, noting his dedication to training conservatives over the span of 50 years.

Rich Anderson, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, told The Daily Signal that he personally benefited from Blackwell’s training during his own public service in the Virginia General Assembly.

“Morton Blackwell has a long and storied history of training conservatives who are called to public service,” Anderson said. “Morton has an equally impressive period of lengthy service as a member of the Republican National Committee, and I am pleased that he and I will continue to partner as members of the governing body of our national party.”

With the @VA_GOP State Convention in the history books, the people have spoken–and our RNC delegation team is set for the next 4 years. Congrats to @MortonBlackwell & @pattilyman2 on their reelections. We look forward to working with @ChairmanWhatley on a WINNING year in 2024! pic.twitter.com/9nzSp8FyUE

— RPV Chair Rich Anderson (@RichAndersonRPV) June 3, 2024

Anderson and Blackwell will be together in Milwaukee next month to officially nominate Trump as the 47th president of the United States.

The post Conservative Stalwart Morton Blackwell Prepares for 10th Term as Republican Committeeman appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Republicans back stopgap spending bill into 2025 in anticipation of GOP wins

By: Julia Johnson
Republican senators are looking to pass a continuing spending resolution that would push the date for new bills to be approved to 2025, when the GOP may have a Senate majority and potentially the White House.

Under the dome and on the diamond

By: Chad Pergram
Similarly to daily life on Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats recently faced off in the Congressional Baseball Game, an annual charity event that started more than 100 years ago.

Maddow: GOP, Trump 'Running Against the American System of Government'

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said Tuesday on "Deadline" that former President Donald Trump and Republicans were "running against the American system of government."

The post Maddow: GOP, Trump ‘Running Against the American System of Government’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Morning Glory: Blue America v. Red America

By: Hugh Hewitt
What used to be differences that were accepted and understood have become breaking points friends. There is a separation between Blue and Red America that is deep and deepening.

Pelosi: ‘Republicans Have Always Tried to Wrap Themselves in the Flag While They Denigrate It'

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

In the wake of newly released video of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) acknowledging she should have asked for a National Guard presence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the former House Speaker declared Monday on MSNBC's "Deadline" that former "Republicans have always tried to wrap themselves in the flag while they denigrate it."

The post Pelosi: ‘Republicans Have Always Tried to Wrap Themselves in the Flag While They Denigrate It’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Pelosi: Trump and His Toadies 'Trying to Do Revisionist History on January 6'

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

In the wake of newly released video of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) acknowledging she should have asked for a National Guard presence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the former House Speaker said Monday on MSNBC's "Deadline" that former President Donald Trump and his "toadies" were trying to make a revisionist history on the events that day at the U.S. Capitol.

The post Pelosi: Trump and His Toadies ‘Trying to Do Revisionist History on January 6’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Raskin: 'The Handmaid's Tale' Is the GOP Guidebook for Trump Second Term

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said Sunday on MSNBC's "Velshi " that “The Handmaid's Tale” was the guidebook for Republicans if former President Donald Trump won the November election.

The post Raskin: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Is the GOP Guidebook for Trump Second Term appeared first on Breitbart.

ABC's Hostin: Black Male Trump Supporters as Real as 'Unicorns'

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

ABC legal analyst Sunny Hostin said Friday on ABC's "The View" that black male supporters of former President Donald Trump are as real as "unicorns."

The post ABC’s Hostin: Black Male Trump Supporters as Real as ‘Unicorns’ appeared first on Breitbart.

To the Condescending Cranks Faking Outrage Over Upside-Down Flags

By: Tony Kinnett

In our modern political dumpster fire, there has never been an art so refined and illustrious as pointless pearl-clutching. 

In this, the ninth year of 2016, most everyone is fairly desensitized to the political drama emanating from the Left’s ardent claims that any conservative policy or protest is an appeal to fascism as their own organizations and protesters set fire to cities (and sometimes themselves).

Republicans pass a bill banning sexually explicit content in public schools from kindergarten to third grade? Florida Democrats and media labeled it fascism.

A U.S. Supreme Court justice’s wife flies a Revolutionary War flag commissioned by George Washington? Salon’s senior writer described Justice Samuel Alito and his wife as “extremely invested in the semiotics of American fascism.”

The New Republic, The Guardian, taxpayer-funded PBS—any time a Republican so much as upholds parliamentary procedure, defends former President Donald Trump, or questions the surge of gang and cartel members amid waves of illegal immigrants—these outlets are ready in the wings to call any to the right of Chairman Mao a fascist.

The latest banner of fascism to be shouted down in a “Two Minutes Hate” session out of George Orwell’s “1984”: flying the flag of the United States upside down. The horror!

As ridiculous as it might sound—the group that has spent the past eight years defending those who burn, shred, and desecrate the U.S. flag is suddenly outraged over many in the nation who have flown the U.S. flag upside down in a symbol of distress over Trump’s political prosecution and conviction.

Many on the Left and precious few on the Right have taken to social media to lambast those who would fly the U.S. flag upside down as “disrespectful,” “treasonous,” and “idol-worshipers.”

Is this the case? Are those who reacted to Trump’s felony convictions in New York City simply bowing at his feet in a brutal backstabbing of the United States? Is this heinous, unspeakable act the very hallmark of fascism and the alleged “cult of personality” that the Left has predicted for almost a century?

Of course not, and you know that.

We needn’t walk down the halls of easily accessible history to discern how this wrist-shattering pearl clutch is both hypocritical and ignorant. But we’ll do so, not out of necessity but because heaping good data en masse against poorly constructed arguments is entertaining.

First and foremost: Flying the flag of the United States upside down is not disrespectful, illegal, treasonous, or even unprecedented.

Although 4 U.S. Code § 8, commonly referred to as the “Flag Code,” isn’t legally enforceable (because U.S. citizens retain First Amendment rights to do with their own flags whatever they wish), flying the flag upside down under appropriate circumstances wouldn’t violate the law.

The law clearly states: “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” (The “union” refers to the patch of blue with 50 stars.)

Thousands in the U.S. have flown our flag upside down to express their “dire distress” in such instances over the past century.

Leftists consistently flew the U.S. flag upside down throughout Trump’s presidency to signal their deep disquiet and fear, from Washington state to Louisiana. Democrats in New Jersey resolutely flew the flag upside down in protest of Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. Some Republicans flew their flags upside down when Barack Obama was reelected in 2012.

The American flag has been flown upside down as “a tribute to veterans’ sacrifice,” and was one of the many symbols of protest against the Vietnam War used by leftist demonstrators in the 1960s.

The Flag Code doesn’t specify what “extreme danger to life or property” entails, nor does it restrict such interpretation to a physical danger or a political one. Might there be a situation today in which many Americans feel in deep distress over a perceived danger to the life and property of their republic?

Never before in American history has a former president, much less one running for office again, been charged and convicted in such a kangaroo-court fashion that even his political adversaries note the insanity of the circumstances.

In an extremely heated presidential election campaign, indicting one of the two frontrunners would be considered enough of an anathema—but the case of New York v. Trump was more than precarious, it was a circus. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, ran on the promise of doing anything he could to find something to indict Trump with. Outside his jurisdiction, Bragg used a federal election statute—which the Federal Election Commission already had stated Trump didn’t violate—as a convoluted lever to turn 34 counts of “falsifying business records,” misdemeanors that by this point were outside New York’s statute of limitations, into felonies.

As if that weren’t enough, Judge Juan Merchan refused to allow a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission to testify, refused to allow the defense to speak to the jury before deliberation, and informed jurors that to convict they didn’t have to reach a unanimous decision on what crime was committed.

Such actions by Merchan set a nation on fire even as trust in institutions already was wavering.

Elie Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor, wrote for New York magazine, an extremely liberal publication: “Prosecutors got Trump—but they contorted the law.” Honig pointed out that never before in U.S. history has there been a state prosecution using federal election law.

You’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned Trump’s sex life, his character, or his business decisions—in fact, many of those expressing extreme distress at this forded Rubicon aren’t being protective of Trump like he was some kind of nonsensical religious idol. 

Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who have spent the past few years as Trump’s chief opposition within the GOP, both called this case and conviction despicable. 

When a reporter asks President Joe Biden whether he used this case to politically persecute Trump and he casts a wicked grin in her direction, how is the nation supposed to respond?

Reporter: "President Trump refers to himself as a political prisoner and blames you directly. What's your response to that, sir?"

Biden: *smiles*pic.twitter.com/CZY8JUMvKO

— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) May 31, 2024

Why is the left side of the aisle afforded the right to ride through towns and cities shouting about the impending doom of the republic like some bastardized caricature of Paul Revere, and the right side isn’t allowed to call out the very sham John Adams unpopularly fought in court to prevent?

Spare me your clutched pearls, neoconservatives. Your faux dignity and condescension at the concerns of Americans whose carcass of a justice system is paraded openly don’t move me. 

I don’t have to defend Trump’s personal life and sign onto a “cult of personality” to recognize that each of us has a right to be free from political persecution and election interference. 

Commentator Alyssa Farah’s silly claims that flying the flag upside down signals “selling out” are as pathetic and hypocritical as the rest of the cast of “The View” with whom she clucks and quacks about abortion rights, gun confiscation, and anti-Catholicism.

Whistling past the graveyard and sending a “strongly worded letter” have only mired us further in the muck of Third World antics.

I reserve the right to fly my flag upside down to signal my extreme distress at this danger to the life and property of the republic I love, and I’ll do so whenever I find it appropriate.

The post To the Condescending Cranks Faking Outrage Over Upside-Down Flags appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Elizabeth Warren: Republicans in 'Revenge Fantasy' over Trump Conviction

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said Wednesday on MSNBC's "Alex Wagner Tonight" that Republicans were in a "revenge fantasy" over former President Donald Trump's guilty verdict in the New York business document trial.

The post Elizabeth Warren: Republicans in ‘Revenge Fantasy’ over Trump Conviction appeared first on Breitbart.

Sens. Daines, Paul Join Republican Effort to Stop Democrat Agenda Post-Trump Verdict

By: Elizabeth Troutman

Two more Republican senators are joining the effort to stop the Senate Democrats’ agenda Wednesday in response to former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in a New York trial.

Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., are signing on to a Senate Republican letter vowing to oppose Democratic legislative priorities, a spokeswoman told The Daily Signal.

Eleven Republican senators vowed to oppose Democrats’ legislative priorities and nominations in a letter released Friday.

“Enough is enough,” Daines said in an emailed statement to The Daily Signal Wednesday. “Joe Biden and his Democrat allies weaponized our judicial system and undermined the American people’s trust in our government. I will not stand by as the Left’s radical agenda tears apart the fabric of our nation and threatens our Montana way of life.”

Paul’s office did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by time of publication.

The senators’ letter accuses the White House of making “a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally alter[ing] our politics in un-American ways.”

“As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart,” the letter reads. “To that end, we will not 1) allow any increase to non-security related funding for this administration, or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare; 2) vote to confirm this administration’s political and judicial appointees; and 3) allow expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people.”

With Daines and Paul, the letter now has 13 signatories:

  1. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah
  2. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio
  3. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
  4. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.
  5. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
  6. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.
  7. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan.
  8. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
  9. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
  10. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.
  11. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa
  12. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
  13. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.

In a press conference Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that he would not be signing on.

“The solution is to have a Republican majority and then we be in a position to determine what the agenda was going to be,” he said. “There are opportunities when you’re in the minority, but not to set the agenda.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is still deciding if he will join on, a spokesperson told the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

“Sen. Grassley is reviewing the letter and will confer with colleagues about its potential impacts on the legislative and appropriations process,” Grassley’s office said.

Rob Bluey contributed to this report.

The post Sens. Daines, Paul Join Republican Effort to Stop Democrat Agenda Post-Trump Verdict appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Problem With ‘Our Democracy’

By: Steve McKee

Earlier this year, Joe Biden’s campaign manager said, “We are running a campaign like the fate of our democracy depends on it.”

That’s a heady statement, but an intentional one. The president himself uses the term “our democracy” frequently, as do most progressive politicians and pundits as they wring their hands about the coming election.

Book titles such as “Reclaiming Our Democracy,” “The Future of Our Democracy,” and “Driving Our Democracy to Autocracy” are popping up increasingly as well.

A conspiracy? Doubtful. But neither is it merely coincidence.

According to Google’s Ngram Viewer, an online tool that searches historical sources to track word usage over time, only twice before has the term “our democracy” been in use more frequently than today: the late 1880s (around the time the Statue of Liberty was dedicated) and the late 1930s (during the height of the Great Depression and the onset of World War II).

Between 1950 and 1970, the term “our democracy” was rarely seen in print. But its usage has ratcheted up steadily since the Reagan Revolution began in 1981, and especially since 2000. It’s a development about which we all should be dubious.

I recall learning in 10th grade civics class (for readers born after 1980, that used to be a thing) that America is not a democracy, but a democratic republic. This is a distinction with a very clear difference, most notably the delegation by the people of various and vital public decisions to elected officials.

Although many will say that the term “our democracy” is an innocent shortcut, a catchall phrase for our nation specifically or rule by the people generally, the author of our Constitution would disagree. James Madison made clear in Federalist 14 that “under the confusion of names, it has been an easy task to transfer to a republic observations applicable to a democracy,” and that there are dangers in confounding the two.

Those dangers are manifest today. Progressives’ widespread and increasing use of this innocuous-sounding term is weakening our constitutional checks and balances and undermining the Bill of Rights, the only things standing in the way of what Madison called “the tyranny of the majority.”

Those who most traffic in the term wish to eliminate the Electoral College and reapportion the Senate by population rather than by state. They are working on multiple fronts to weaken First Amendment protections for speech and religion. They have long had the Second Amendment in their sights. And they consistently oppose individuals and organizations that push back against draconian federal restrictions such as public health lockdowns and climate change regulations.

If “our democracy” wants it, “our democracy” should get it, goes their reasoning, oblivious to Booker T. Washington’s admonition: “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.”

During this election cycle, however, progressives are putting “our democracy” to work in an even more pointed way. Like a magician using sleight of hand to distract his audience, they’re using the phrase to present a false binary to American voters. In sports, this is called “hiding the ball.”

Donald Trump, according to the Left, is an authoritarian who not only will take away our rights but eliminate elections. The charge is, of course, ridiculous—Trump stepped down despite his objections to the 2020 election results, and last I checked it’s his opponents who are using authoritarian tactics to ensure he doesn’t win reelection. But the charge is useful, which to a Marxist mind is all the justification it needs.

Contrasting the potential “autocracy” of a second Trump administration with Biden’s ostensible defense of “our democracy” is meant to distract us from recognizing the real decision that confronts the voters and the actual threat to our republic: the creeping totalitarianism of the administrative state.

Totalitarianism is defined as “subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of the life and productive capacity of the nation, especially by coercive measures.” Ask anybody who lived through COVID-19 if that sounds familiar.

And if you visit Britannica.com—the modern iteration of the company whose encyclopedias we used in 10th grade civics class to learn about things like history and government—you’ll see a more expansive description:

Totalitarianism is a form of government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens. It is characterized by strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. It does not permit individual freedom. Traditional social institutions and organizations are discouraged and suppressed, making people more willing to be merged into a single unified movement.

I could have sworn I heard something like that last line in a video at the 2012 Democratic National Convention: “Government is the only thing that we all belong to.”

Britannica goes on to say that it was Italian dictator Benito Mussolini who first used the term totalitario, meaning “all within the state, none outside the state, none against the state.” It cites as examples of totalitarian states not only Mussolini’s Italy but Stalin’s Soviet Union, Hitler’s Germany, and Mao’s China.

Given the growth of the federal government over the past century, totalitarianism certainly represents a greater threat to the United States than authoritarianism.

We’re not there yet, and thanks to America’s exceptional institutions perhaps we won’t get there. But as the recent violent increase in antisemitism shows, something we thought could “never again” happen very well might—all it takes is one generation of historical ignorance.

Those same institutions that have protected us from anything approaching authoritarianism increasingly are becoming our totalitarian masters. As William F. Buckley once observed, it is the extent, not the source, of government power that impinges on freedom.”

Whenever you hear talking heads refer to “our democracy,” pay special attention to what comes next. Don’t assume they’re referring to the democratic republic handed down from our Founding Fathers or trying to preserve our Constitution and its safeguards.

More likely they’re taking advantage of our increasing historical ignorance resulting from the Left’s capture of our educational institutions (which was all part of the plan).

Let’s call our nation what it is: a republic. Whether out of ignorance or malevolence, saying “our democracy” is less likely to strengthen our heritage than seed our demise.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.

The post The Problem With ‘Our Democracy’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Donald Trump: 'I Am the Political Prisoner of a Failing Nation'

By: Elizabeth Weibel · Elizabeth Weibel

Former President Donald Trump described himself as being "the political prisoner of a failing nation," days after a Manhattan jury found him guilty in his business records trial.

The post Donald Trump: ‘I Am the Political Prisoner of a Failing Nation’ appeared first on Breitbart.

RNC, Trump Campaign, Nevada GOP Sue State over Mail-in Ballot Practices

By: Elizabeth Weibel · Elizabeth Weibel

The Republican National Committee (RNC), former President Donald Trump's campaign, and the Nevada Republican Party filed a lawsuit against Nevada for counting mail-in ballots that are received the day after an election and do not contain postmarks.

The post RNC, Trump Campaign, Nevada GOP Sue State over Mail-in Ballot Practices appeared first on Breitbart.

Maxine Waters: Republicans 'Don't Have the Courage or the Patriotism to Stand Up for Democracy'

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) said on this week's broadcast of MSNBC's "The Saturday Show" that Republican men and women didn't have "the courage or the patriotism to stand up for democracy."

The post Maxine Waters: Republicans ‘Don’t Have the Courage or the Patriotism to Stand Up for Democracy’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Battle for Senate GOP Leader: Rick Scott Aims to Shake Up Status Quo

By: Rob Bluey

For the past 18 years, Senate Republicans have had one leader: Mitch McConnell took the job in 2006 and has retained it ever since. But with his decision to step down from the post after November’s elections, there are three Republicans vying to replace him.

One of them is Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. He was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and ran against McConnell two years ago.

He’s now competing with Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota to win the support of his Senate Republican colleagues.

The Daily Signal invited all three senators to discuss their plans, and Scott was the first to accept our request. Listen to our interview on “The Daily Signal Podcast” or read a lightly edited transcript below.

Rob Bluey: Senator, why did you decide to enter the race for Republican leader?

Sen. Rick Scott: First off, we’ve got to have big change. Let’s think about just the citizens we represent. They’re fed up with a budget that’s not balanced. They’re fed up with an open border. They’re fed up with all this wasteful spending. They’re fed up, basically, with the federal government that’s out of control.

If you want change, you’re going to have to change your way the Senate is run. We need to go back to represent our states. We need to be fighting over issues. The bill shouldn’t be decided by McConnell and [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer. We should go through a committee process. There’s so many things we’ve got to do to get this country back where it needs to go.

We need to have a Republican leader that has a relationship with President [Donald] Trump. He’s going to win. He’s going to have an agenda. We got to do everything we can to help him get his agenda done.

Republican Senators Pledge to Block Democrat Agenda Following Trump Verdict

Via Rob Bluey:https://t.co/eW5hAc59Ld

— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) June 1, 2024

Bluey: When you talk about those big changes, in some ways, it seems that you’re suggesting the Senate is broken right now and needs fixing. What are some of the ways that you would go about making sure those reforms are put into place?

Scott: No. 1, I don’t think a leader should have a term of more than six years. No. 2 is the bill shouldn’t be done by McConnell and Schumer. They should be done at the committee level where everybody has the opportunity to have input that are on those committees.

And then after that, we ought to have a robust amendment process on the Senate floor. So, if I would like an amendment that’s going to represent my state better, I ought to be able to do that.

If I can’t talk people into it, that’s my problem. If I don’t even have a chance because the bill never went through a committee or we never had any amendment votes, I have the opportunity to say yes or no. That’s not the way the Senate is supposed to represent work. I’m supposed to be able to represent my state and fight for the issues that are important to my state. That’s not how the Senate works right now.

Bluey: As you’ve observed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s approach to running the Senate, what you see as some of his biggest or most glaring failures?

Scott: He wants to, and he does a lot of this with McConnell, but they want to write the bills. It’s not written out of a committee. It doesn’t come up through a committee.

There’s one or two people who have input and then if they put them on the Senate floor where you just have an up-or-down vote, you don’t even have a chance to improve it. We all have ways we could improve these bills and we don’t even have a shot at trying to improve the bills.

That’s not the way the Senate is supposed to work. I’m supposed to be able to fight like hell for my state. Every senator should have the opportunity to fight for their state, but if you don’t go through a committee, you have no input on the bill, and you don’t have any amendment votes, it’s pretty hard to represent your state.

Bluey: Some of the early chatter in Washington seems to revolve around a leader’s role in raising money for members of his party. I’m curious to know your thoughts on that and perhaps why that shouldn’t be the sole qualification for somebody to get the job as leader?

Scott: Any leader is going to be able to raise money. A lot of the money flows through PACs that the leader might be or is tied to. Anybody is going to be able to raise the money as long as you’re willing to do the job.

As you know, I’m from a big state, so for my governor’s race I had to raise a lot of money and my Senate race. But the real job of the Senate leader is to represent the conference. Our bylaws, Republican bylaws, require us to have a legislative agenda. We haven’t had a legislative agenda since I’ve been up here for five years.

We need to come together as a group and say, “What do we want to get done the next two years?” And then let’s say, “OK, so now this is what we want to get done. How do we get it done? What’s going to be our strategy? What do we have to do to get these things done?”

That’s what we ought to be doing every day. We shouldn’t be sitting there and be reactive to what Chuck Schumer does.

And then, if we can get the majority, which I’m very optimistic, then let’s lead. Let’s focus on how do we secure the border? How do we balance the budget? How do we improve our foreign policy and have a positive agenda to solve the problems that the American public has sent us all to D.C. to do?

Bluey: Conservatives were clamoring for that legislative agenda back in 2022 for the midterm elections. You offered one, Sen. McConnell rejected your idea, instead said he wanted to merely run against President [Joe] Biden. Looking back in retrospect, why was McConnell’s strategy a mistake?

Scott: He has the belief that you shouldn’t stand for anything. You should just talk about how bad the Democrats are. And the Democrats are bad, there’s no question about it.

But my experience as a business guy is I was able to attract talent to work with me on my management teams because I had an agenda to get done and they bought into the agenda. If they didn’t like my agenda, they wouldn’t come to work with me. The public wants a plan. The public wants a plan. I had a plan when I ran in 2010 to be governor to turn the economics of our state around, give people a job. When I came to D.C., I had a plan for how to make Washington work for you.

The public is clamoring for a plan. The public is clamoring for somebody that’s going to fight like hell to defeat the policies and the ideology of the radical Left, which we all know is destroying this country. That’s what the public wants. That’s what we all talk about when we run. While we ought to do it when we’re here.

Bluey: You’ve mentioned your role as a successful businessman. You have served as Florida’s governor. You have also worn the hat of being chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. In all three of those roles that you’ve had, what is your leadership style? What can people expect from you as somebody who is aspiring for this job?

Scott: First off, I’m very goal-oriented. I want to accomplish something. I became the governor, I built businesses because I wanted to accomplish something. I ran to the Senate because I wanted to accomplish something.

I’ve been very clear with my Senate role, we’ve got to change the way Washington works. It’s not working the American public right now. What they’re going to see is somebody that’s very focused on getting a result. That’s No. 1.

No. 2, if you look at my business career, my government career, this is a team event. You’ve got to bring people together to find a common goal to get anything done. And it’s not going to be just your ideas. You have to have a consensus. And so, you’ve got to figure out what it is and then you have to work and have a strategy to accomplish it.

If you look at any successful business, if you look at successful governors, that’s what they do. They have a plan and they work their plan. They surround themselves with people that believe in what they’re trying to accomplish.

That’s what they’ll see. If I can become the Republican leader, hopefully the majority leader, you’ll have a Republican conference that is very results-oriented and the goals will be very clear.

We will solve the problems that the country believes are the most important problems today. Those are securing the border, making sure that we get inflation under control, balancing the budget, making sure we fix our foreign policies so we don’t have wars going all around the world.

Bluey: On that specific note, what are some steps that you would like to take to empower those individual Republican senators to have a greater role in the legislative process?

Scott: The biggest thing is ask for their opinion, ask for their advice to get them in the middle of everything.

We have very talented Republican senators. And we are to say, “OK, with your background, would you like to be involved in this?” And you get people in the middle of it, of the issues.

And guess what? You bring out new ideas, you bring out new energy, and you get a lot of things done. But the biggest thing is, you get people in the middle of the problem. Republican senators, they want to solve problems, so let them do it, get them in the middle of it.

Bluey: What is your vision for reducing this reliance that it seems that Washington has year after year for omnibus spending bills and emergency supplementals?

Scott: Not having a budget to me is foolish. It’s not fair to the American public. Not having a budget is just basically having spending bills. What that means is we’re going to have more inflation.

That’s wrong. We should do everything we can to help all of our families by getting inflation under control. You cannot do it with a balanced budget, so we now have almost $35 trillion worth the debt. We have interest expense that exceeds our national defense budget. We have a Federal Reserve whose balance sheet is out of control.

What’s going to happen is, in that environment, interest rates can’t come down. That means that if you think you’re going to get a lower interest rate for a house, you’re foolish. Your credit card rate, interest rates are not going to come down. On top of that, we’re not going to see a reduction in gas prices and food prices and these things. So, spending matters.

I’ve always, my business life, I balanced the budget. The governor’s job, we balanced the budget every year. We actually paid off a third of the state debt in my years as governor. We can do this at the federal level.

The way you do it, is you say, this is my anticipated federal revenue, so that’s how much money we’re going to spend. You can do it, but if you just always say to yourself, “I don’t think I can get that done,” that’s going to be reality, you will not get it done.

Bluey: Will there be any backroom deals with a Leader Rick Scott in charge of things?

Scott: No, no. We all are part of this. You need to be transparent, you need to tell everybody what’s happening. If you want people to support what you’re doing, you don’t do it behind closed doors. You do it by talking to people, by getting their information, by getting them involved in what you’re trying to accomplish.

Bluey: You challenged Mitch McConnell for this job in 2022. What lessons did you learn from that race that you hope to apply this time?

Scott: Unfortunately, in that race, they rushed the vote to the next day, so we didn’t have time to actually go and sit down with everybody.

What I’m hoping to do is sit down with every Republican senator and say, “What do you want to accomplish?” And then my role will be if I can win is to say, “How do I help you accomplish your goals? How do I help you represent your state?”

The Republican leader’s responsibility is to help each senator be successful. A successful senator is somebody that is successfully representing their individual state.

Bluey: Sen. McConnell has served 18 years as leader. You would like to have a six-year term limit for this position. Why is that change important to you?

Scott: I’ve always believed in term limits because, No. 1, nobody consolidates power for a long time that way. No 2 is everybody realizes that you only have six years to get what you want to accomplish, so everybody gets more results-focused.

We have term limits for the governor, we have term limits for our legislature, and what that means is you’re going to get new leadership with new energy every few years, you’re going to have people very focused on what they can get done in their time in leadership or their time in office.

Bluey: Two of your colleagues, Sens. John Thune and John Cornyn, are also in the mix for Republican leader. What distinguishes you from each of them?

Scott: First off, they work hard to represent their state. Probably the difference to what I bring to the table is my business background. I built the largest hospital company; I built a variety of manufacturing companies. I’ve been involved in a variety of businesses. My first business was a donut shop when I was 22 and I got out of the Navy, so my mom could have a job. I had the opportunity to serve in the military. I had the opportunity to be the governor.

Those are the types of things I bring to the table, but the biggest thing is, and I tell people, I’m a turnaround guy. If you think the country’s headed in the right direction and you don’t think there has to be dramatic change, no one should vote for me. I believe the country’s in trouble. I believe there’s so many people in the American public who are struggling. The only way we’re going to make their lives better is if we have dramatic change. And that’s what I bring to the table.

Bluey: Have you seen examples of your entry into the race or even just the chatter about you potentially entering the race before you formally did that has moved either of them in your direction when it comes to some of the reforms that maybe Mitch McConnell has not necessarily endorsed in the past?

Scott: One thing everyone has started talking about is term limits. Most people who are elected don’t really believe in term limits, but the average person believes in it. I know the public believes in it. Now we’re having a real conversation about. Should there be a six-year term?

We have a six-year term for every other leadership position in the Republican Senate. We ought to have one for the leader. There’s no reason it should be different. I think that’s No. 1.

No. 2, we’re starting to have conversation about it. How should we be managed? Because the leader’s role is not to be a dictator. The leader’s role is to be a leader of a group of individuals that get to represent their individual states.

Bluey: I recently had the opportunity to talk to Sen. Roger Marshall about the Republican-wide discussion that took place. It seems that those types of events may occur more frequently in the future, should this play out the way you hope.

Scott: I believe in it. I believe we ought to have real conversations and then have real discussions and let everybody bring their ideas to the table without any negative ramifications.

I don’t get why I was kicked off and [Sen.] Mike Lee was kicked off the Commerce Committee just because I ran against McConnell. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I think I’ve run the biggest company of any person ever in the history of the Senate that’s served. And then Mike and I got kicked off because Mike nominated me to be the Republican leader. That stuff is wrong.

>>> Sen. Roger Marshall Prescribes Solutions for Congress’ Budget Woes

We ought to say, “Hey, Rick, you bring this to the table. Mike, you bring this to the table.” Whoever it is, “This is what you bring to the table. You ought to be really active in those ideas. And let’s fight over who’s got the best idea and then let’s come together with the goal that we get a result.”

I know that we have to secure the border. I know that we have to get inflation under control. These are things that are so simple to me that the public needs and deserves.

Bluey: Those, of course, are big priorities of former President Donald Trump as well. You sound confident that he’s going to be victorious in November. Why are you the one who’s best positioned to not only advance his agenda, but also those critical votes on the nominees he puts forward to serve in his administration.

Scott: I knew President Trump before either of us ran for office. I’ve known him for a long time. I believe in what he’s trying to accomplish. He’s in the same position I am, that we have to have a dramatic change. We can’t nibble at the edges. There has to be a significant change in how our federal government is run. The public realizes that, that’s why he’s going to win.

What he’s going to need is a partner in the Senate who wants that to happen and help to make sure that’s exactly what happens in the Senate, not just in the White House.

Bluey: And finally, what kind of reaction have you received either from your constituents in Florida or some of your colleagues in the Republican conference since making the announcement?

Scott: I’ve had a lot of positive feedback. No. 1, my colleagues that want to sit down and talk about where we go, so that’s a positive. No. 2, in the state of Florida, people are excited that there’s a possibility of a Republican leader and hopefully the majority of their leaders are coming from our state.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott is running for Senate Republican leader. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The post Battle for Senate GOP Leader: Rick Scott Aims to Shake Up Status Quo appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Trump Vows to Fight On Despite Conviction

By: Philip Wegmann

Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, a New York jury brought the country to an unprecedented brink by finding Donald Trump guilty of financial fraud, making the former president a convicted felon for now (unless or until the conviction is overturned on appeal) and making the upcoming election a referendum, he now hopes, not just on his record against Joe Biden’s but the entire political system.

Republicans call it a miscarriage of justice; for Democrats, it’s proof that no one is above the law.

History will remember it as a new chapter: Donald J. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime.

“We didn’t do anything wrong. I am a very innocent man,” Trump told reporters after the verdict, dressed in his trademark blue suit and too-long tie at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York.

Then a familiar script as the former president embraced martyrdom, arguing that his conviction was part of a larger war for the soul of a nation.

“I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution,” he said. “Our whole country is being rigged right now.”

Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a case stemming from “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Each count carries a maximum prison term of four years.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just four days before Trump is slated to accept the Republican presidential nomination for a third consecutive time.

Although questions abound about the fate of the former president and the nation, there is little to no chance Trump will end up behind bars before the end of the year. He is expected to remain free on bail pending appeal, a process that is not likely to be exhausted until well after Election Day.

The case now shifts to the appellate courts—as well as the proverbial court of public opinion.

Democrats have been desperate to cast the election as a rematch of Biden v. Trump with an emphasis on character, not a judgment on President Joe Biden’s first term in office. They may have gotten what they wanted.

“Donald Trump is a racist, a homophobe, a grifter, and a threat to this country,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. “He can now add one more title to his list—a felon.”

Sources close to the former president prefer a different description.

A senior Trump campaign official predicted weeks before the decision that a conviction would “make him the Nelson Mandela of America,” comparing Biden to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his imprisonment of political rival and late dissident Alexei Navalny.

The framework suits Trump, who blasted out an email fundraiser shortly after his conviction calling himself “a political prisoner,” arguing both that “justice is dead in America” and “our country has fallen.”

This kind of rhetoric, complete with comparisons of the U.S. to the Third World, is likely to accelerate in the weeks and months ahead. Both major presidential campaigns now argue that the other could end democracy.

“These people would do anything and everything to hold onto political power. They don’t care if they destroy our country in the process,” said the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

Martyrdom has been a central theme of Trump’s return to politics. After his indictment in New York last year, the GOP nomination was practically a fait accompli and his campaign nearly told RealClearPolitics as much at the time. It is unclear whether that phenomenon will translate to a general election.

Court has not crippled Trump so far, however, and Biden has not surpassed his rival a single time this year in the RealClearPolitics Average of polls. Well aware of those numbers, the Biden campaign attempted to tamp down jubilation on the left over the bad legal news consuming the right. They warned that Trump still could win.

“There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” said Biden-Harris communications director Michael Tyler.

Ian Sams, spokesman for the White House counsel’s office reacted to the news by saying only, “We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment.” By remaining silent, however, he ceded the spotlight to Trump, allowing his rival to shape the first 24 hours of the narrative.

[Biden didn’t comment until early Friday afternoon, when he noted before turning to the Israel-Hamas war that, “just like everyone else,” Trump will have an opportunity to appeal the verdict. The president added: “That’s how the American system of justice works. And it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”]

Nothing bars Trump from running for president as a felon. It is unclear, however, if he will be able to cast a vote for himself while his case goes through the appeal process.

A more immediate consequence of the trial ending: Trump’s schedule just opened up, and Trump can return to the campaign trail in earnest.

Sources in regular contact with the former president report that the prospect of prison has not cast a shadow over Trump personally. One told RealClearPolitics that Trump “sincerely believes” that divine providence now guides his steps and “that he has been chosen for a time such as this.”

Trump has six months to convince the country to return him to the White House, and in the most extreme circumstance, to preserve his freedom. Republicans were as bullish over those odds as they were angry.

“Today’s verdict from this partisan, corrupt, and rigged trial just guaranteed Trump’s landslide victory on Nov. 5, 2024,” Mike Davis, founder and president of the pro-Trump Article III Project, told RealClearPolitics.

Former Rep. Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican who voted to impeach Trump, echoed that sentiment, warning that a conviction would backfire on Democrats. “The chain reaction will cause infinitely more damage than whatever they think they are preventing,” he told RCP.

The conviction created a tidal wave of donations as Trump began fundraising almost immediately after leaving court. The Trump campaign buckled briefly at the surge. The fundraising website, WinRed, temporarily crashed under the strain of heavy traffic.

“I’ll lose friends for this,” wrote Shaun Maguire in a lengthy post on X announcing his $300,000 donation to Trump. A partner at Sequoia Capital and a former Democratic donor, Maguire said that “lawfare” in part inspired his donation:

“Fairness is one of my guiding principles in life,” he said, “and simply, these cases haven’t been fair for Trump.”

Following the conviction, there was a discernable shift on the right among conservatives who normally argue that the judicial system ought to remain apolitical. Some Trump allies described the guilty verdict as “the Rubicon.”

Asked about the new Republican appetite to use the courts to go after political opponents, Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller told RCP that “the good guys must be as tough as the villains or freedom is doomed.”

The field of potential vice presidential candidates snapped to attention in their immediate condemnation of the conviction.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the verdict was “a complete travesty that makes a mockery of our system of justice.” Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, called it “election interference.” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said it was an “absolute injustice” that “erodes our justice system.”

“From the start, the weaponized scales of justice were stacked against President Trump. Joe Biden, far left Democrats, and their stenographers in the mainstream media have made it clear they will stop at nothing to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., in a lengthy statement to reporters.

“This lawfare should scare every American,” said a more succinct North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican. “The American people will have their say in November.”

The safest thing for any Republican elected official anywhere Thursday night was to attack the judicial system. Defending that institution, meanwhile, was verboten.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a frequent Trump critic now running for Senate, appeared to miss the memo when he shared a statement calling for GOP leaders to “reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”

Replied Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump adviser dispatched to oversee the Republican National Conventio: “You just ended your campaign.”

The most common sentiment among Trump’s close circle of advisers and friends was that something had changed permanently, not in the former president personally but in the country.

“Today marks a turning point,” said Brooke Rollins, who led Trump’s Domestic Policy Council before launching the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank often described as a Trump White House in waiting. “I see it as a fire that has been lit. I see the sleeping giant of the American people awakened.”

On the second day of jury deliberations, Trump had kept up appearances with a smile. A verdict was not expected Thursday, and by the afternoon, Judge Juan Merchan was preparing to dismiss the jury for the day.

The foreman replied instead that the jury had reached a verdict. He read each of the 34 charges and followed by a one-word pronouncement: “guilty.”

A smile turned to a grimace, and Trump, surrounded by his defense team, stared forward stone-faced as he listened to the verdict and American history. He vowed in brief remarks to reporters afterward that he would “fight till the end and we’ll win because our country’s gone to hell.”

It was like so many of the pronouncements he has made after so many of the other controversies that have defined his political life. It was also different. A loss, if the conviction stands, could mean prison.

Rollins predicted that Trump would persevere, as he has before.

“From my perspective,” she said, “it is almost biblical to see this sort of courage and leadership and unwillingness to back down even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.”

The post Trump Vows to Fight On Despite Conviction appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Mark Levin: 'Democrat Party Has Completely Destroyed Our Electoral System'

By: Pam Key · Pam Key

Conservative talker Mark Levin said Friday on FNC's "Fox & Friends" that the Democratic Party has completely destroyed our electoral system when reacting to former President Trump's felony conviction.

The post Mark Levin: ‘Democrat Party Has Completely Destroyed Our Electoral System’ appeared first on Breitbart.

No Surrender: Major GOP Donors Rally Behind Trump, Pledge Millions After Guilty Verdict

By: Simon Kent · Simon Kent

A host of major GOP donors pledged millions of dollars in support Thursday for former President Donald Trump after he was found guilty on all 34 counts in his Manhattan business records trial.

The post No Surrender: Major GOP Donors Rally Behind Trump, Pledge Millions After Guilty Verdict appeared first on Breitbart.

GOP's Online Donation Platform Overwhelmed After Trump's Guilty Verdict

By: Bradley Jaye · Bradley Jaye

Republicans' online donation website was so overwhelmed in the minutes after a Manhattan jury found Donald Trump guilty that its functionality was incapacitated.

The post GOP’s Online Donation Platform Overwhelmed After Trump’s Guilty Verdict appeared first on Breitbart.

Trump to Be Sentenced July 11, Four Days Before Republican Convention Starts July 15

By: Joel B. Pollak · Joel B. Pollak

President Donald Trump is to be sentenced in New York on July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention is set to begin on July 15 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where delegates are to cast their votes Trump as the presidential nominee.

The post Trump to Be Sentenced July 11, Four Days Before Republican Convention Starts July 15 appeared first on Breitbart.

Report: Trump and GOP Favored to Win White House, House, and Senate

By: Kristina Wong · Kristina Wong

Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are favored to win the White House and both chambers of Congress, according to a forecast model published by Decision Desk HQ and the Hill on Wednesday.

The post Report: Trump and GOP Favored to Win White House, House, and Senate appeared first on Breitbart.

Exclusive: Israel Heritage Foundation Leads Historic Mission to Israel with High-Level U.S. Delegation

By: Joshua Klein · Joshua Klein

The Israel Heritage Foundation led a historic mission to Israel with a high-level U.S. delegation to express solidarity with the Jewish state and its residents, as well as to gain a firsthand understanding of Israel's existential struggle, meeting with prominent Israeli policymakers and visiting key sites, including the “Ground Zero” of Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

The post Exclusive: Israel Heritage Foundation Leads Historic Mission to Israel with High-Level U.S. Delegation appeared first on Breitbart.

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