Category Archives: Donald Trump

Nobodys ever gone through what I have, Trump added. They got me on all phony stuff.

Trump found fault with most of his fellow Republican leaders, past and present. Still clearly vexed by the ghost of the late Arizona senator John McCain, Trump without prompting brought up the partys 2008 presidential nominee, whom he had attacked for years.

John McCain was a bad guy, he said of the decorated prisoner of war. He was a bully and a nasty guy, bad guy. A lot of people disliked him. Last in his class in Annapolis. All that stuff, but he was a bad guy. I say it to you. I dont care. Does it affect me? I won Arizona, okay? By a lot. Didnt turn out that way in terms of the vote, but I won Arizona. Everyone knows it. He didnt affect me. I won the first time. I won it the second time.

Trump, who in fact lost Arizona to Biden, continued with this fix. You know, I did three rallies in Arizona, he said. I never had an empty seat. Governor Doug Ducey, who withstood Trumps pressure to overturn the result, was not a loyal party member, according to the former president. I think Ducey is a terrible Republican, he said. Ducey did everything he could to block voter integrity, to block people from making sure the vote was accurate.

Trump also complained about former House Speaker Paul Ryan, whom he labeled a super-RINORepublican in name only. And he said Mitch McConnell has no personality nor a killer political instinct. He faulted McConnell for refusing to eliminate the filibuster to ram through Republican legislation and for not persuading Senator Joe Manchin, the moderate Democrat from West Virginia, to switch parties.

Hes a stupid person, Trump said of McConnell. I dont think hes smart enough.

I tried to convince Mitch McConnell to get rid of the filibuster, to terminate it, so that we would get everything, and he was a knucklehead and he didnt do it, Trump said.

Trump said he wished he had had partners in Congress like Meade Esposito, who was the head of the Democratic Party machine in Brooklyn from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Esposito, who was close to Trump and his late father, Fred Trump, was known for his patronage and commanded respect.

Nobody would ever talk back to Meade Esposito. Meade Esposito didnt have a RINO like a Mitt Romney, you know, or as I said, Ben Sasse, whos a lightweight, Trump said, invoking two Republican senators who sometimes criticized him. He added, Mitch McConnell compared to Meade Esposito, its like a baby compared to a grownup football player with brains on top of everything else.

Esposito had run a citywide patronage system that doled out important jobs to loyalists and people providing gifts and favors. The party boss gained a fearsome reputation for his intimidation tactics and connections to organized crime. Amid an investigation of his work, Esposito retired in 1983; he was convicted of offering a gratuity and interstate travel charges in 1987.

Other presidents attend to philanthropic interests, write memoirs, and curate presidential libraries after leaving office. But not Trump. Many of his Palm Beach days have followed the tempo and style he set back in Washington, a reflection of his addiction to the twenty-four-hour news cycle and appetite to maintain political relevance. In the morning hours, he spends time alone in his private quarters watching television and making phone calls to allies and friends. Many days he plays a round of golf at one of his nearby clubs. And in the afternoons, he puts on his suit, applies his makeup, and emerges for meetings with whichever politicians or acolytes have made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago. By early 2021, Trump had turned his club into a political base camp for his potential comeback.

Trump made no secret of his interest in perhaps running for president in 2024. Would he choose Pence again as his running mate?

Well, I was disappointed in Mike, Trump said. But, you know, Ill be making a decision at some point. I will say this: Based on the polls, those polls are great, the Republican Party loves Trump. Ninety-seven percent!

When we pointed out that Pence is said to be interested in running for president, too, Trump seemed to welcome the competition. Its a free country, right? he said. Its a free country.

But Trump all but ruled out running with Chris Christie, who had been runner-up to Pence in his 2016 veepstakes, and Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, who had criticized Trumps attempts to subvert the vote in repeated interviews with Tim Alberta of Politico.

Chris has been very disloyal, but thats okay, Trump said. I helped Chris Christie a lot. He knows that more than anybody, but I helped him a lot. But hes been disloyal.

As for his former ambassador, Trump said he was rebuffing her outreach. Nikki Haley wants to come here so badly, he said. She did a little nasty couple of statements...She has been killed by the party. When they speak badly about me, the party is not happy about it. Its pretty amazing. Theres not been anything like this.

Over the years, Trump rarely has expressed misgivings. But he regrets his response to protests last summer in Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, and other cities. I think if I had it to do again, I would have brought in the military immediately, he said.

Trump had no such second thoughts about his handling of the pandemic. He said he had been very tough in protecting the country by restricting travel, first from China and then from Europe. He said he did so against the wishes of his top medical advisers; in fact, most of them agreed with the restrictions before he made his decision, according to participants in the discussions and their contemporaneous notes. But he correctly said he pushed scientists at the FDA at a level that they have never been pushed before to get vaccines approved in record time.

I think we did a great job on COVID and it hasnt been recognized, Trump said, noting that other countries saw spikes in COVID-19 infections in the months after he left office. The cupboards were bare. We didnt have gowns. We didnt have masks. We didnt have ventilators. We didnt have anything...We brought in plane loads. We did a great job.

When we asked Trump why he encouraged people to believe things that werent true or to distrust science and the media, he delighted in talking about the scientific smarts in his familys genes.

First of all, Im a big person, he said. Do you know this? My uncle, Dr. John Trump, I think he was at [the Massachusetts Institute of Technology] longer than any other professor. Totally brilliant man. He had numerous degrees. So thats in the genes. I always go with that stuff. But its a little bit in the genes and Dr. John Trump, he was a great guy. My fathers brother. No, Im a big believer in science. If I wasnt, you wouldnt have a vaccine. It depends. Are you talking about disinformation or are you talking about lies? There is a more beautiful word called disinformation.

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Im Getting the Word Out: Inside the Feverish Mind of Donald Trump Two Months After Leaving the White House - Vanity Fair

Not too long ago, The New York Times floated the idea of a Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTrump hails Arizona Senate for audit at Phoenix rally, slams governor Arkansas governor says it's 'disappointing' vaccinations have become 'political' Watch live: Trump attends rally in Phoenix MORE-Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisPoll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary Florida asks Supreme Court to block CDC's limits on cruise ship industry Noem to travel to South Carolina for early voting event MORE presidential primary. Aside from the lame attempt to sow division among Republicans, it was an absurd suggestion. DeSantis does not have the profile or national experience to challenge Trump. Plus, he must burn over a year running for reelection.

If Trump formally pulls the trigger on running (he is informally running now), there is only one Republican who could beat him: Mike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PencePoll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary Bipartisan congressional commission urges IOC to postpone, relocate Beijing Games Noem to travel to South Carolina for early voting event MORE.

It seems impossible. Trump has trashed Pence mercilessly for failing to knuckle under and ignore the Constitution. The most fervent Trump fans have turned on the former VP. Pence himself went into hibernation, refusing to push back forcefully, even in the face of an avalanche of Trump insults. Pence learned the hard way that loyalty is a one-way street with Trump and that The Donald is prepared to stab even the most loyal in the back at a moments notice.

But Pence has found his voice. He is reentering the public sphere branding himself as a principled conservative. While Pence has not criticized or broken with Trump, he has not cowered pathetically, begging for a return to the fold (like Nikki Haley).

I have written that Pence has no chance at the GOP nomination in 2024, and I think that still applies to a crowded field without Trump. The combination of multiple acceptable options and the adamant opposition of Trump would likely be fatal to a Pence campaign.

But a one-on-one Pence-Trump fight is a different matter entirely.

Granted, Trumps approval numbers with Republicans are still high. In the most recent YouGov benchmark scores, Trump gets 83 percent favorable, barely budging from his January numbers. But that number masks significant weakness as a 2024 nominee. GOP voters are, more and more, looking for other options. Plus, every week brings bad news or another Trump misstep.

The worst of the new polling asked who would be stronger against President BidenJoe BidenTrump hails Arizona Senate for audit at Phoenix rally, slams governor Republicans focus tax hike opposition on capital gains change Biden on hecklers: 'This is not a Trump rally. Let 'em holler' MORE and showed Trump at 36 percent and fresh face (i.e., not Trump) at 52 percent.

But even if you dont trust a poll by sworn enemy John BoltonJohn BoltonBolton: Trump lacked enough 'advance thinking' for a coup Trump said he hoped COVID-19 'takes out' Bolton: book US drops lawsuit, closes probe over Bolton book MORE, there is plenty of other unpleasant polling for Trump. When asked which candidates Republicans would consider supporting for president, Trump led the field but with only56 percent. Pence was next at 28 percent. For Trump, thats a 27-point drop from his approval rating.

The Capitol riot and the Trump Organization indictment are problematic as well. Rank-and-file Republicans are not pleased with the riot and are nervous about Trumps unending legal entanglements. In the July 6YouGov benchmark, GOP voters strongly disapprove of the riot (75 percent disapprove,10 percent approve), even if they do not blame Trump (81 percent do not). But Trumps rhetoric supporting and excusing the rioters is sure to boomerang on him. One wonders if Trump reads the polls.

And while Republicans dont blame Trump for the indictments, that support is rather soft. The indictments are viewed unfavorably, 62 percent to 18 percent, but 20 percent are undecided, 34 percent believe there will be future charges and 26 percent think Trump will be personally charged (21 percent undecided). Witch hunt or not, this is not impeachment where conviction is not possible due to the partisan split in the Senate. This is a possible federal trial, and GOP voters are appropriately nervous about Trumps legal troubles.

Other anecdotal evidence points to a slow degradation in Trumps strength within the GOP.

Ticket sales to the Bill OReilly-Trump extravaganza tour have been so-soat best. Trump continues to play the whiny victim instead of countering Biden on substantive policy. Americas biggest winner of all time, Tom Brady, ridiculed Trumpduring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers White House visit. No matter how you cut it, when mainstream people start laughing at you, its not good.

Trumps approval rating looks like a combination of Trumps ubiquity in the public eye and as a proxy for Republican opposition to an amalgam of the Biden administration, the mainstream media and the woke police.

But how does this work for Pence and not for other potential candidatessuch as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)?

If Trump follows through with running, there is no chance DeSantis or any of the gaggle of possible contenders jump in. They simply dont have the national experience or name recognition. But Pence does.

In spite of Trumps loathing, Pence is still popular among Republicans and conservatives. Morning Consult has Pence at 69 percent favorable to 23 percent unfavorable lower than Trumps 85 percent to 14 percent but, among all voters, Pence fares better at 41 percent to 47 percent, as opposed to Trumps 44 percent to 54 percent. Majorities of Democrats and independents view Trump unfavorably, while Pence does 15 points better than Trump among Democrats and has only a plurality of independents against him.

Pence has the ideological bona fides among conservatives and backed Trumps trade, China and tax policies. Unlike Trump, Pence has a consistent history as a conservative. He has real name recognition, on par with Trump, and now has experience on the national stage. The GOP may be more populated with closet Pence supporters than is commonly understood. In his debate with Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisKavanaugh conspiracy? Demands to reopen investigation ignore both facts and the law 'CON laws' limit the health care competition Biden aims to deliver JD Vance takes aim at culture wars, childless politicians MORE, Pence scored favorable marks, better than Trump. And while Harris polled better, the known anti-GOP bias in 2020 polling makes that conclusion suspect.

But the very thing Politico concluded would hurt Pence may be his ace in the hole Pences rather studious blandness.

Given GOP voters angst over Trumps volatile nature, legal problems and unwillingness to moderate his behavior even when it is in his interest, a bland alternative may be just what the doctor ordered. Ironically, 2024 may be the Republicans turn to look for a quiet, boring, acceptable candidate in order to win.

Just as the Democrats in 2020 opted for the anodyne Biden based on winnability and a fear that a Bernie SandersBernie SandersPoll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary Overnight Defense: US launches another airstrike in Somalia | Amendment to expand Pentagon recusal period added to NDAA | No. 2 State Dept. official to lead nuclear talks with Russia US launches second Somalia strike in week MORE or Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenKavanaugh conspiracy? Demands to reopen investigation ignore both facts and the law Biden signals tough stance on tech with antitrust picks Poll: 73 percent of Democratic voters would consider voting for Biden in the 2024 primary MORE candidacy would mean four more years of Trump, Republicans may have the same fear that a replay of Trump vs. Biden would guarantee another four years of Democratic control.

Trumps ballot test is running 27 points behind his favorable ratings just six months into the Biden administration.

Another three years of Trumps unbound ego seems destined to widen that gap.

And if Trump insists on running in spite of sinking polling numbers, the clamor for an alternative may be just too great. In that case, the only real possibility is Mike Pence.

Keith Naughton, Ph.D., is co-founder of Silent Majority Strategies, a public and regulatory affairs consulting firm. Naughton is a former Pennsylvania political campaign consultant. Follow him on Twitter@KNaughton711.

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Will Pence primary Trump and win? | TheHill - The Hill

Donald Trump has criticized the Cleveland Indians' decision to change their name to the Cleveland Guardians, calling it a "disgrace."

On Friday Trump released a statement saying, "Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace."

Trump said that the move was "disrespectful" to Native Americans. "I guarantee that the people who are most angry about it are the many Indians of our Country," he said.

The Major League Baseball club announced the name change on Friday through a video narrated by Tom Hanks.

"There's always been Cleveland. That's the best part of our name," Tom Hanks said in the video.

"And now it's time to unite as one family, one community to build the next era for this team in this city, to keep watch, and guard what makes this game the greatest. To come together and welcome all who want to join us."

Club owner Paul Dolan said that the killing of George Floyd, and the protests that followed, prompted him to change the name, according to AP.

Read more:The definitive oral history of how Trump took over the GOP, as told to us by Cruz, Rubio, and 20 more insiders

The decision comes amid a wider cultural shift of institutions in the US ditching names and logos that are considered racist.

Cleveland's name change comes two years after it removed a racist caricature of a Native American character "Chief Wahoo" from player's uniforms.

In his statement, Donald Trump said he was a "FORMER" baseball fan, and criticized people who made "changes to destroy our culture and heritage."

Several Native American activists and politicians welcomed the Cleveland club changing its name, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary.

"The long practice of using Native American mascots and imagery in sports teams has been harmful to Indigenous communities. This is a welcome and necessary change," Haaland said.

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Donald Trump says Cleveland Indians name change is 'such a disgrace' and 'disrespectful' to Native Americans - Business Insider

Ohio Republicans are divided on candidates for the open U.S. House seat, as former President Donald Trump's choice is competing with candidates backed by other conservative leaders, an anti-abortion group and Trump's own former allies.

The winning candidate will succeed former U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, who resigned in May to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

Trump's selection for the GOP-leaning 15th Congressional District race is Mike Carey, who was described by Trump's Save America PAC release to "be a courageous fighter for the people and our economy, is strong on the Border, and tough on Crime."

Though Trump won Ohio twice by wide margins, Carey faces at least nine other contenders for the position, some of whom have received support from strong former Trump allies or other organizations.

The 15th Congressional District is gerrymandered to include all or part of 12 Ohio counties including parts of Columbus, and will have the special election primary on Aug. 3.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below:

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has also been crossing the district to campaign for Carey.

Stivers, himself a National Guard major general, is supporting first-term state Rep. Jeff LaRe, a former deputy sheriff and security services company executive, to represent Ohio's 15th district. LaRe is running on a pro-law enforcement platform that includes tough talk on border control, immigration policy and the need to continue to tackle the opioid crisis and a pledge to keep Ohioans safe.

LaRe is among one former and three sitting state lawmakers running in the Republican primary, the others being state Sens. Stephanie Kunze and Bob Peterson and former state Rep. Ron Hood.

On the Democratic side, state Rep. Allison Russo, a health policy expert, faces Greg Betts, a former Army officer and decorated combat veteran, for the party's nomination.

Kunze has the backing of the GOP in the district's largest county, Franklin, and of the Value In Electing Women PAC founded to elect Republican women to Congress.

"Ohio hasn't had one Republican woman in its congressional delegation in nearly a decade," its executive director, Julie Conway, said. "Stephanie Kunze is not only the right person to represent the 15th district, but she'll be a principled conservative and a powerful advocate for the needs of all constituents."

Peterson's campaign has focused on his farming background and his service in the Statehouse where he's been either in the Ohio House or Senate since 2011. The powerful Ohio Right to Life PAC, the political arm of the state's oldest and largest anti-abortion group, has endorsed him.

Hood, meanwhile, has snagged the endorsement of a key Trump ally: U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. In a tweet, Paul called Hood "a proven constitutional conservative who will stand for the entire Bill of Rights and for an America First foreign policy."

If that were not enough to divide the district's Trump-supporting base, another Trump ally, conservative activist Debbie Meadows, wife of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, has backed Ruth Edmonds in the Republican race. Edmonds is on the advisory board to Ohio's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Meadows' Right Women PAC said Edmonds, who is Black, "will be a powerful voice in Congress, countering the growing BLM/Marxist movement." It said Edmonds' "life experiences, her Biblical worldview, and her Christian faith have uniquely prepared her to stand up against the race-baiting bullies of the radical Left."

Influential New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who founded Elevate PAC, formed to promote female Republican candidates, opted against backing Edmonds or Kunzesticking instead with Trump's man, Carey.

In a statement, Stefanik, who now chairs the House Republican Conference, said she was standing by Trump's pick because "to defeat the socialist Democrat agenda and fire Nancy Pelosi in 2022, we need more proven conservative fighters in the House Republican Conference."

For his part, the first-time candidate Carey hasn't campaigned on being "a proven fighter," but on Trump's twice-winning label of "outsider." He has never held elective office, but has lobbied the state Legislature.

Carey represented a company named in an indictment of a former House speaker and others allegedly involved in an elaborate bribery and dirty tricks scheme to pass a sweeping piece of energy legislation, House Bill 6. That firm, Murray Energy, is cited as "Company B" in the federal indictment. The company has not been accused of any crimes.

Other Republican candidates include: John Adams, owner of a chemical business; Eric M. Clark, a nurse at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; former Perry County Commissioner Thad Cooperrider; golf club owner Thomas Hwang; and attorney Omar Tarazi, a member of the Hilliard City Council.

The winners of the primaries will face off on Nov. 2.

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Donald Trump Allies Break With Ex-President on Supporting Ohio House Candidate - Newsweek

President Joe Biden appeared to mock Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Virginia.

In a video shared to Twitter by @Acyn, President Biden was filmed mid-speech making a point of stopping to drink from a glass of water.

"Excuse me," he said before putting the glass to his mouth using one hand in what seemed to be a comedic reference to Trump's previously noted habit of drinking water with both hands.

His actions drew loud cheers from the crowd at the rally being held in Arlington, Virginia as part of Democrat Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign.

The significance of Biden's sip was not lost on social media where the clip has been watched more than 576,000 times, earning over 1,300 retweets in the process.

In a separate tweet, Democrat political strategist and consultant Adam Parkhomenko shared the video commenting "Biden just trolled the s*** out of Trump with a cup of water."

Dr Dena Grayson, a scientist and former Democrat congressional candidate, retweeted the video stating that she loved having a president "who can drink a glass of water with a single hand!"

Writer Holly Figueroa O'Reilly also shared the tweet writing, "That sound you hear is a stubby-fingered, orange faced man-child crying about how his water bottle was rigged so he had to use two hands."

Author Majid M Padellan, meanwhile, posted the video alongside the words: "ONE. HAND."

At least two videos have since surfaced comparing Biden's ability to drink water with one hand to Trump's two-handed approach.

The former president's drinking style became the source of much debate last year when he was filming during a graduation speech at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, struggling to raise a glass of water to his mouth.

In a video posted to Twitter, Trump appeared to be having some issue lifting the glass to his lips using his right hand and eventually had to use his left to help.

Following the speech the hashtag "#Trumpisnotwell" began trending on Twitter.

A week later, Trump addressed the incident during a campaign rally in Tulsa where he claimed he used two hands because he did not want to spill water on his silk tie.

"I look down at my tie because I've done it, I've taken water and spilled down onto your tie, it doesn't look good for a long time, and frankly the tie is never the same," he told the crowd.

To emphasize the point and dispel any notions of ill health, he then proceeded to pick up a glass of water with one hand and drink from it.

Since then, several conflicting videos have been shared online, some showing Trump appearing to drink one-handed with ease and others showing him using two.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Trump Organization for comment.

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Joe Biden Mocking Donald Trump by Drinking Water With One Hand in Viral Video - Newsweek

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, said he thought Jared Kushner had already flipped on his father-in-law as the criminal investigation into Trump's business empire intensifies.

Cohen did not offer any evidence but said he thought that was the case because of how little Kushner had been mentioned.

Cohen tweeted on Wednesday that Kushner's name had been absent from "all the controversy, indictments and arrests" related to the investigation. He speculated that this was because Kushner was already cooperating with prosecutors.

"Interesting how @jaredkushner (#SecretaryOfEverything) name appears to be absent from all the controversy, indictments and arrests," Cohen tweeted. "Is he next to fall or a cooperating witness? Knowing what a snake he is, I bet the latter!"

Cohen was one of Trump's most trusted confidants, but their relationship deteriorated in 2017. Federal prosecutors investigated Cohen over hush-money payments made to women who said they had affairs with Trump and over Cohen's comments to Congress about Trump's business dealings in Russia.

Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes including lying to Congress, tax evasion, and bank fraud. Cohen, who is serving the rest of his sentence under house arrest, has become one of Trump's most vocal critics.

Cohen has cooperated with prosecutors and provided evidence against his former boss since at least 2019 in a bid for a more lenient sentence.

Representatives for Kushner did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

On July 1, the Manhattan district attorney's office issued a 15-count indictment against the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, its chief financial officer, including charges of grand larceny and tax fraud. Prosecutors described a years-long scheme by executives at the company to avoid taxes.

Read more: The definitive oral history of how Trump took over the GOP, as told to us by Cruz, Rubio, and 20 more insiders

The indictment against Weisselberg twice listed an unnamed co-conspirator, leading to speculation that one of Trump's immediate family members could be the next to face charges.

Weisselberg, one of Trump's most trusted staffers, had told prosecutors that he would not flip on his boss, The Washington Post reported in June.

Commentators have since speculated that the prospect of criminal charges and prison time could tempt members of Trump's family to turn on him.

Cohen alleged in June that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, had been involved in creating false documentary evidence on Donald Trump's behalf. No evidence of that has emerged.

Mary Trump, the former president's estranged niece, has speculated that Ivanka could be persuaded to provide evidence against her father.

"As counterintuitive as this might sound, I think Ivanka has, one, more to lose, and, two, more to hang on to. Her husband's family is legitimately very wealthy," she told The Daily Beast earlier in July.

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Michael Cohen says he thinks Jared Kushner has already flipped on Trump - Business Insider

Seriously, literally, this is a cult.

Donald Trump, who regrets not ordering the White House flag to be flown at half-staff to mourn Ashli Babbitt, the rioter and Qanon believer killed while storming the U.S. Capitol, is determined to create a narrative that his idiot insurrectionists are in fact part of an army of holy MAGA warriors.

I would venture to say it was the largest crowd I had ever spoken before It was a loving crowd too, by the way. Many, many people have told me that was a loving crowd. It was too bad, it was too bad that they did that Trump said in one of his post-presidency interviews from Mar-a-Lago. He didnt mention the violence, but insisted that, In all fairness, the Capitol Police were ushering people in They were hugging and kissing. You dont see that. Theres plenty of tape of that.

You dont see that tape because that didnt happen, but thats the point of this cult: Never mind your lying eyes, have faith in your Dear Orange Leader.

Personally, what I wanted is what they wanted, he concluded, meaning to overturn the results of the election because hed said there was fraud and never mind all of the judges appointed by Republicans and Republican state and election officials who said there was no evidence of any of that. Heretics. The GOP is dead, and theres only the MAGA movement now, as the partys leaders sojourn to his sacred golf clubs to confess their sins.

Kevin McCarthy, who briefly knew better before remembering his place and getting on his knees, saw the same religious iconography I did when Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol Building in the hopes of installing their reality-TV hero as a sick new sort of American Idol. Men wore Armor of God patches and someone carried a Jesus 2020 banner. Sure, the idea that Trump was leading a death cult had been batted around for some time, but Jan. 6 was something new in its religious fervor and Trump knew it too, which is why hes been fighting to make Babbitt into the first MAGA martyr.

Now that hes a certified loser, a twice-impeached, one-term historical freak show of a president, his only hope as a political leader is to turn his movement into a cult, worshipping himself of course. Its the Trump Steaks of religion.

In March, during the height of the pandemic, Gallup released a poll showing Americans memberships of religious institutions (churches, mosques and synagogues) had declined by more than 20 percent since the turn of the century to the lowest level theyd ever recorded. During a time of despair and hardship, Americans were rejecting religion. Only 47 percent of Americans belong to some religious institution and, as Public Religion Research Institute chief Robert P. Jones told the Washington Post, White evangelical Protestants have been losing ground among young people. As they have shrunk over the last decade, their median age has risen from 53 to 56, compared to a median age of 47 in the country overall.

That same month, his group released a poll showing that one in five Americans believe in Qanon and agreed with the statement, There is a storm coming soon that will sweep away the elites in power and restore the rightful leaders. So one in five Americans believe in a kind of weird hybrid of religion and politics, centered on the idea that Democrats are a secret cabal of child sex traffickers.

At CPAC last weekend, thousands flocked to Dallas as if joining a religious pilgrimage. They displayed Q slogans, bought Trump merchandise and delighted in booing the name of Anthony Fauci as if he were Haman and harassing journalists.

There was a lot of trying to relitigate the election that Trump wont admit he lost. A seven-point plan to reinstate Trump was circulated with its first order of business being Reveal ACHILLES HEEL: Pull back the curtain on the horror show that is todays Democrat Party. Watch Pelosi melt, like the Wicked Witch of the West. See the Black Caucus and other key groups flip, unexpectedly, and watch the tables turn. Yes, Pelosi is going to melt, as speakers of the House often do. It promoted a website full of videos explaining how Mary Jo Kopechne was a reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, and how that connected to the moon landing and 9/11 and the death of JFK Jr. (which, given the Q peoples insistence that hes still alive, maybe counts as a form of progress).

But Trumpworld is rife with this kind of magical thinking, if you can even call it thinking, from people desperate to connect random dots to find meaningand finding a perverse sort of community in their crazed conspiracizing, to replace the sort that perhaps they would have once found in a house of worship.

And Trump, of course, was happy to play into peoples most desperate and disconnected hopes. As the pandemic took hold here, he was talking about an Easter reopening with packed churches, and about how COVID would disappear one day," "like a miracle." More than a year later, its pretty clear the miracle was the vaccine that 47 percent of Republicans refuse to take.

The CPAC before Dallas had featured a gold Trump, since no religious movement would be complete without a false iconin this case one that was made in Mexico.

So if hes got a martyr, a golden calf, and worshippers, does that make Trump a religious leader? Nah, in America religions have tax-exempt status and we all know that Trump doesnt have that. Then again, he didnt pay any federal taxes for 10 out of the last 15 years so maybe Trumpism really is a religion after all.

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Certified Loser Donald Trump Is Rebranding MAGA as a Full-On Cult - Daily Beast

Meghan McCain is departing imminently from "The View," and the Daily Mail is reporting that ABC is looking for a "Trump Republican" to replace the conservative co-host who was often critical of the former president.

The three names floated in the tabloid's report are former Fox News and NBC host Megyn Kelly, firebrand Candace Owens, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, former first lady of San Francisco and Fox News host who's currently working on the campaign of controversial Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens. Guilfoyle's work with Greitens has reportedly drawn Trump's ire.

In response to the tabloid report, Guilfoyle's boyfriend Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, "LOL, hey @ABC even Id tune in to see @kimguilfoyle do this. Kim vs the other 4 doesnt seem like a fair fight though. You may need a few more libs."

Guilfoyle on "The View" would be, to put it mildly, insane.

The Daily Mail reported that ABC tried to hire Guilfoyle on three separate occasions while she was at Fox News, but it is unclear whether the network would still hire her now given that she was reportedly outed from Fox News over sexual harassment allegations. The Daily Mail also reported that co-host Joy Behar who got into several shouting matches with McCain is freaking out behind the scenes because the new co-host could be well to the right of McCain.

Of course, ABC likes it when said shouting matches go viral, and there would surely be no shortage of them with Guilfoyle in tow. Guilfoyle joining "The View" would also possibly complicate things for her ex-husband, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who frequently appears on the show.

Guilfoyle's workplace harassment allegations would, under normal circumstances, remove her from contention. But from a ratings standpoint, it's hard to imagine "The View" doing better than Guilfoyle. We'll see if that's what ABC decides to prioritize.

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Donald Trump Jr. intrigued by Kimberly Guilfoyle replacing Meghan McCain on 'The View' - SFGate

Donald Trump Jr. has weighed into the debate over the future of The View after Meghan McCain announced that she would be leaving the ABC show.

There's growing speculation over who might replace McCain after she said earlier this month that she would leave the show to remain in Washington, D.C., where she moved before the birth of her daughter, Liberty.

The daughter of the late GOP Arizona senator John McCain, she was the most conservative voice on the program, which she joined in 2017.

She would often get into heated debates with her more liberal colleagues, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines.

Although she provided a Republican voice, she was critical of former President Donald Trump and backed President Joe Biden, who was a close friend of her father's.

In reference to her notice period and the clashes she engaged in with her co-hosts, McCain said: "If you guys want to fight a little bit more, you have four more weeks."

Meanwhile, the son of the former President Donald Trump shared a Daily Mail.com report saying that the race is on to find a "Trump Republican" to replace McCain, so the show can appeal to a broader audience.

The Mail reported that this quest for a conservative has raised concerns behind the scenes that the show's presenters may have to tussle with someone further on the right.

In tweeting the article, Trump Jr. responded to rumors that his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former co-host on Fox's The Five, was being considered.

"LOL, hey @ABC even I'd tune in to see @kimguilfoyle do this," Trump Jr. tweeted.

"Kim vs the other 4 doesn't seem like a fair fight though. You may need a few more libs," he added, referring to liberal voices.

The Mail also reported that The View had tried three times to hire Guilfoyle while she was at Fox News. Other popular conservatives reportedly in the frame include Megyn Kelly and the controversial Candace Owens.

While the speculation mounts over what might happen after McCain's final show on August 6, Page Six reported that her exit will be followed by a number of guest host appearances in the fall.

An insider at the show told Page Six that the guest hosts will include conservatives, "some well-known, some not," and that producers will be "taking time to find the right person to fill the seat."

An ABC spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement that the network was "looking for a conservative voice and will take some time to find the right person to fill the co-host seat.

"Any specific names at this point are just speculation and rumor," the statement said, "we will be sharing plans for the new season including celebrating our historic 25th season in the coming weeks."

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a statement to Newsweek from ABC.

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Donald Trump Jr. Responds to Kimberly Guilfoyle 'The View' Rumor - Newsweek

It seemingly came out of nowhere. In 2010, Scott Walker, who was then the Milwaukee County Executive, did not campaign on it. In fact, he had said a couple of weeks prior to the election that he would use collective bargaining to win concessions over pensions and health insurance.

However, the demise of public employee unions had been a long-standing goal of a powerful right-wing network thats spearheaded by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and includes groups like the Bradley Foundation and the Koch brothers Americans for Prosperity.

Walker was very connected to this network. In fact, he was almost auditioning for it. There was a lot of posturing in 2010 by a number of Republican governors who were looking to attract attention from the Kochs in particular.

So Walker went furthest. Act 10 essentially eliminated collective bargaining rights for the states public employees both municipal employees and state employees except for nearly all of the police unions and all of the firefighters unions. Many of those unions had endorsed Walker.

Walker framed it as a way to save money: communities would gain flexibility. And, of course Act 10 played into economic resentment that had been building. The 2008 financial crisis was severe and lasting for many people, especially in rural America. So Walker was able to stoke resentment against public employees because they had decent benefits pensions, health insurance. They might, for example, be among the few people in a small community who even had employer-sponsored health insurance.

So there was this opening for a new Republican assault on labor. And prominent Democrats in some ways abetted this effort, with rhetoric attacking the public sphere. (Arne Duncan, Obamas secretary of education, in particular, had a lot of ideas that deeply antagonized public school teachers.)

There were these huge protests in Madison against Act 10 at least a hundred thousand people, some people say more showed up. They occupied the statehouse for three weeks, and Democratic state senators fled for Illinois (much like how the Texas Democrats are doing now over voting rights) in order to prevent a quorum on the bill. But there was little support for this among national Democrats. Neither Obama nor Joe Biden came to Wisconsin.

In the piece, I talk about how Obama had promised that he would walk on the picket line and protect collective bargaining rights if they were ever attacked. So that was a really important thing that people in Wisconsin, especially those who were part of the protests against Act 10, were keenly aware of and felt deeply betrayed over. Tellingly, I think many establishment Democrats wanted to distance themselves from that movement; Walker even boasted about that in his book. He bragged that Obama was too frightened to come to Wisconsin and defend labor.

Why has labor weakened so much? On one side you have these direct attacks; on the other side you have a negligence that is, in a way, a more subtle attack.

One of the criticisms made by some labor activists in Wisconsin was that this grassroots movement was quickly subsumed by an electoral effort, which in the end favored Walker because of the massive influx of dark money that flooded into the state to aid him. You had a hundred thousand people mobilized, and then all of a sudden they were told to go home and put their energy into a recall petition drive with the goal of ousting Walker. They did get a million signatures, and it was a remarkable grassroots effort not just centered in Madison or Milwaukee, it was really all over the state.

But ultimately, Walker was able to frame the recall as unjust and undemocratic, even though recall elections come out of a democratic reform thats been a part of Wisconsins political tradition for nearly a hundred years.

So Walker won, narrowly. Obama didnt campaign with Walkers opponent and even distanced himself from the whole episode, because he was worried about his own reelection. That was the most bitter blow for a lot of people in Wisconsin who had been activated by the fight for labor rights. All the energy at the Capitol just vanished.

However, in the piece I talk about the ways in which the Act 10 protests were an underappreciated spark for Occupy, the Sanders 2016 campaign, and the wider revival of a social-democratic strain which is firmly rooted in the labor movement and goes back to the New Deal, or even earlier.

You hadnt seen that kind of mass labor action in the United States in decades. It was so shocking. And even though it was defeated, it resonated and continues to resonate. Although in Wisconsin itself the situation is very bleak as far as any kind of turnaround because the Republicans have so thoroughly gerrymandered the state legislature. Theres no hope, in the near future at least, to restore the labor rights that were taken away.

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How Scott Walker's Wisconsin Paved the Way for Donald Trump's America - Jacobin magazine