Trump is inserting himself into the messy race to become the next House speaker. Will it matter?
Donald Trumpโs decision to insert himself into the chaotic race to replace Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker will serve as a test of the former presidentโs sway with lawmakers as he works to win a second term.
Vivek Ramaswamy proposes mass federal layoffs as more GOP hopefuls look to slash US government
Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to reduce the federal employee headcount by half in his first year in office and by 75% during his first term if he makes it to the White House.
โFlorida manโ leads GOP revolt in House speaker vote
Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said late Tuesday thereโs no scenario in which heโll drop his bid to become House speaker despite failing to win multiple rounds of voting, a historic defeat that brought the first day of the new Congress to an abrupt, messy end.
Gaetz staying on Judiciary panel, despite investigation
Democrats called for him to step aside from the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department. AdHe's remained on both the House Armed Services Committee and on the Judiciary Committee, which has congressional oversight of the Justice Department. Gaetz said the allegations were part of an extortion plot by a former Justice Department official, whom he identified as David McGee. โNo part of the allegations against me are true, and the people pushing these lies are targets of the ongoing extortion investigation,โ he said. The Justice Department did not immediately comment.
Does a Twitter ban violate First Amendment rights? A legal expert weighs in
These are the rules for Congress, for our government, which Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and all other social media platforms are not. โThe Constitution actually is irrelevant here in terms of the banning of public officials, including President Trump, from Twitter. Meaning, social media platforms have become less like shops and restaurants and more like the roads and bridges of the internet. โThe bigger question that might raise is is should we start to treat these larger social media platforms, which do have vast power like Facebook? In the Florida legislature, thereโs a bill thatโs been filed for consideration that would allow users to sue social media companies for blocking their content.
Gala ignites political dispute over COVID-19 restrictions
The New Jersey restaurant that hosted the political gala put on by the New York Republican Club was ordered temporarily closed Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines. (Courtesy New York Republican Club via AP)A New Jersey restaurant that hosted a political gala put on by a New York Republican club was ordered temporarily closed Friday over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, has tightened restrictions on indoor gatherings recently in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. New York Young Republican Club President Gavin Wax scoffed at the criticism online, saying the group had done nothing wrong. New York state reported 30,000.
President Trump wins Florida, collects 29 electoral votes
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ President Donald Trump has won Floridaโs 29 electoral votes, defeating Democrat Joe Biden in a prized battleground state crucial to the Republicanโs bid for another four years in the White House. In the end, Trump prevailed with the help of a loyal base, particularly in the stateโs rural reaches. Both campaigns made Florida a priority in the waning weeks of an election year thrown off-kilter by the pandemic. It remains to be seen how the social unrest after high-profile police killings of Black people might have influenced the race. Biden did win Duval County this year -- the first time a Democrat had won the county since Jimmy Carter swept the south in 1976.
Trump wins Florida; voters raise minimum wage to $15
โ District 3: Republican Kat Cammack has won Floridaโs U.S. House seat held by her former boss, retiring Florida Republican Rep. Ted Yoho. He defeated Democrat Donna Deegan, a former television news anchor who has worked to raise money for breast cancer research and to help patients. โ District 15: Republican Scott Franklin has won Florida Rep. Ross Spanoโs seat in the U.S. House. Deutch was first elected in 2010 and represents a firmly Democratic district that includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. A supermajority of Florida voters approved the amendment to the Florida Constitution that will raise Floridaโs minimum wage from the current $8.56 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026.
Campaigns step up Florida ground game
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ The presidential race is tightening in Florida, with recent polls showing a near tie. Both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Bidenโs and President Donald Trumpโs campaigns are making multiple stops in the Sunshine State this week before the final presidential debate. Biden campaign surrogate Dianne Williams-Cox was in Jacksonville and is confident in Bidenโs support from minority voters. American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp said social mediaโs response to the story is evidence the Trump campaign is fighting a two-front battle. Biden and Trump face off in the final presidential debate on Thursday night.
Conservatives lash out at Liz Cheney over Trump criticism
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio noted Cheney's criticism of Trump on defense and foreign policy and accused her of not supporting the president on his coronavirus response. Leading the criticism was Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who recounted the confrontation on his podcast, Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz, shortly after it happened. He also tweeted about Cheney, who is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and said she should step down from her post as head of the GOP conference. Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda, Gaetz tweeted. House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair.
Ethics panel clears Rep. Gaetz in lease for district office
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON The Office of Congressional Ethics has recommended no further action against a Florida congressman who is paying a donor and former legal client $5,000 a month to rent space for his district office. The independent office has ended a preliminary investigation after finding insufficient evidence to continue the case against Rep. Matt Gaetz. The two-term lawmaker has said he did nothing wrong and that the lease is at or below market rate.The Office of Congressional Ethics opened the inquiry after news reports about the leasing arrangement surfaced in April. The office is a nonpartisan entity that reviews allegations of misconduct against House members, officers and staff, and makes recommendation to the House Ethics Committee. Merrill owns Empire Partners, L.L.C, the company that has billed him for the rent since Gaetz took office in 2017.
Lawyer dresses as the Grim Reaper to protest Floridaโs open beaches
Walton County, Florida โ Most Floridians hitting the newly reopened beaches are trading stay-at-home sweatpants for shorts and swimsuits. Uhlfelder, an attorney, is haunting Florida beaches dressed as the Grim Reaper to protest their reopening, which he believes is premature. But if we donโt take measures to control things, this virus is going to get really, really out of control,โ he warned. Scythe in hand, he traveled to beaches around Walton County, Florida, that have reopened ahead of the stateโs planned May 4 reopening. Phase One of the reopening allows restaurants and retailers to open at 25% capacity.
Trump gets cheers, 'lock him up' chants at World Series in DC
President Donald Trump attends Game Five of the 2019 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Donald Trump received a mix of cheers and boos as he was shown to the crowd at the World Series. As a shot of US troops came on the screen during the Nationals' "Wave Your Caps" mid-inning segment, the stadium erupted in cheers before a shot of Trump appeared. The crowd's response shifted to boos instead of cheers, to which Trump smiled and continued to wave. Trump also did not participate in the "Baby Shark" salute to Nationals outfielder Gerardo Parra before his at-bats.
Florida Bar panel clears Gaetz after tweet probe
Florida Bar spokeswoman Francine Walker said in an email that a letter of advice will be sent to Gaetz and made public likely on Friday. They are taking no disciplinary action against me & are sending a letter of advice, Gaetz tweeted. I thank the Bar committee members for their sound judgment.In February, Gaetz, a Northwest Florida Republican, accused Cohen, who is married, of having girlfriends on the eve of giving testimony to Congress. Democrats and other critics accused Gaetz, a major Trump supporter, of engaging in witness tampering. The Florida Bar has said it investigates potential conduct violations any time words of a Florida lawyer result in complaints.
Gaetz faces House probe after Cohen tweet
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz faces a House investigation into allegations he tried to intimidate President Donald Trumps former lawyer before a congressional appearance this year. The House Ethics Committee said Friday that Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican, failed to provide testimony after a complaint from a House member alleged that Gaetz sought to intimidate former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. A statement from the committee said Gaetz was informed on May 16 that its ability to resolve the complaint would be hindered without his testimony. But in a statement to The Hill, Gaetz defended his refusal to comply with the House investigation. In February, Gaetz accused Cohen, who is married, of having girlfriends on the eve of Cohen giving testimony to Congress.