NationalWatch

Gov. Charlie Baker: Midterm America First Candidates Faced the Largest Rebuttal (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Monday, 14 November 2022 06:11 PM EST

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, says the midterm elections were indicative that voters in swing states “aren’t interested in extremism.”

“I think the biggest issue that played out in the midterms … is voters, generally speaking, especially in the battleground states, aren’t interested in extremism,” Baker told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “The Lead.”

“They want people who they believe are going be reasonable, who are going to be collaborative and who represent sort of the fundamental tenet of democracy — that it’s supposed to be a distributed decision making model and you’re supposed to be okay with that,” Baker said.

Baker did not run for another term. Democrat Attorney General Maura Healey will assume his position after Tuesday’s vote. She’s one of the first two openly gay women elected governor last week, along with Democrat Tina Kotek in Oregon.

Republicans touted their candidates as an incoming red wave but did not fare so well struggling to attain both chambers, while Democrats are set to secure the Senate. Republicans are favored to win the House but not by the predicted margins.

Conservative candidates lost some essential races despite an endorsement from former President Trump. Those include Doug Mastriano, R-Pa., Blake Masters, R-Ariz., and Bo Hines, R-N.C., all of whom championed the America First agenda.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., also struggled in a Republican district. Kari Lake, one of Trump’s most prominent America First candidates, is trailing in her election by one percentage point with 93% of votes in.

“I think in the midterms, one of the big lessons that the Republican Party nationally needs to take away from [the election] is voters want collaborative elected officials. They don’t want extremes,” said Baker.

On Sunday, White House senior adviser Anita Dunn said painting pro-Trump Republicans as extremists was a “very effective strategy” for the midterm elections.

Original Article

Prosecutors: No Criminal Charges Expected From Giuliani Raid (AP)

LARRY NEUMEISTER, TOM HAYS and ERIC TUCKER Monday, 14 November 2022 04:54 PM EST

Prosecutors in New York do not plan to criminally charge Rudy Giuliani in connection with a probe into his interactions with Ukrainian figures, they revealed in a letter to a judge Monday in what a lawyer for Giuliani declared a “total victory.”

They said they made the decision after a review of evidence resulting from raids on his residence and law office in April 2021. Federal prosecutors were investigating whether Giuliani’s dealings with figures in Ukraine in the run-up to the 2020 election required him to register as a foreign agent.

Prosecutors said a grand jury probe that led to the issuance of warrants that resulted in the seizure of Giuliani’s electronic devices had concluded.

They said that based on information currently available, criminal charges would not be forthcoming.

“In my business, we would call that total victory,” Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, told The Associated Press. “We appreciate what the US attorney’s has done. We only wish they had done it a lot sooner.”

Sixteen of Giuliani’s devices were seized as part of a federal investigation into his interactions with Ukrainian figures to see whether he violated a law governing lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities.

Giuliani is an attorney, former New York City mayor and former personal lawyer for ex-President Donald Trump. His communications with clients are generally protected by law, though there are exceptions.

Giuliani maintained throughout the probe that he had done nothing wrong. At the time of the filing by prosecutors, Giuliani was on a talk show and apparently unaware of the development.

Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for federal prosecutors, declined to comment on the court filing.

Giuliani remains a target of a special grand jury in Atlanta investigating attempts by Trump and others to overturn the former president's 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

Giuliani testified before the grand jury in August, but he was sanguine when he returned to New York, saying he had “satisfied his obligation under the subpoena.”

The letter by prosecutors quietly ends a probe that was revealed with much fanfare in April 2021 when federal agents were seen carting off computers and cellphones in Manhattan searches.

Shortly afterward, prosecutors said the FBI had successfully downloaded 11 devices and returned them to Giuliani, but needed more time to unlock seven others.

The letter Monday was prompted in part by the need for prosecutors to tell a judge that a former federal judge who had overseen a privilege inspection of the electronic devices, to see what had to be excluded from review by criminal prosecutors, was no longer needed.

The court-appointed monitor, Barbara S. Jones, filed an initial report in January that revealed Giuliani’s lawyers had asked her to block prosecutors from seeing just three of 2,200 seized electronic files deemed relevant to the investigation.

But in the past several months, news of any further progress on the review or any other aspect of the case largely evaporated. Prosecutors in New York went silent, a signal they were unlikely to add Giuliani to the long list of Trump associates charged with a federal crime.

Giuliani, 78, has been under federal scrutiny for several years over his ties to Ukraine. He was central to Trump’s efforts to dig up dirt against Democratic rival Joe Biden and to press Ukraine for an investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter.

He also sought to undermine Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, who was pushed out on Trump’s orders. He also met several times with a Ukrainian lawmaker who released edited recordings of Biden in an effort to smear him before the election.

Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor and onetime presidential candidate, vehemently denied any wrongdoing. At the time of the raids, he accused the Justice Department of “running roughshod over the constitutional rights of anyone involved in, or legally defending, former President Donald J. Trump.”

Original Article

Dem Super PAC Tip Line Seeks Damaging Info From Trump Announcement (Newsmax)

By Jack Gournell | Monday, 14 November 2022 04:38 PM EST

A top Democratic super PAC has launched a tip line for those attending former President Donald Trump's Tuesday announcement, The Hill Reports. The aim: getting damaging information to hurt Trump in a presidential bid.

American Bridge 21st Century on Monday announced the new project, just one day before Trump is set to make what he has termed a "special announcement" on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Longtime Trump adviser Stephen Miller said last week that that Trump will be confirming a much-teased run for another term in the White House.

"American Bridge is inviting folks who want to hold Trump accountable to send us tips about anything interesting or newsworthy they see at Trump's announcement on Tuesday," Drew Godinich, senior communications director at the leftist organization, told The Hill.

Godinich said American Bridge expects Mar-a-Lago to be "crawling with fringe weirdos and, potentially, known right-wing lunatics."

"If you're in South Florida and want to join American Bridge in the fight to hold Trump accountable, you should grab your phone and go down to Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday," Goodinch told The Hill. Tips can be emailed to TrumpTips@americanbridge.org, he said.

American Bridge was founded by David Brock, a former conservative-turned-liberal who National Review has described as a "right-wing assassin turned left-wing assassin" and Politico as a "former right-wing journalist-turned-pro-Clinton crusader."

The super PAC in October released a list of 21 Republicans most likely to seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Trump is on the list, along with officials from his administration and prominent GOP senators and governors such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who just won reelection.

American Bridge already has accused Trump of breaking campaign finance laws, saying he has spent political funds without officially announcing a campaign.

Original Article

Marc Lotter to Newsmax: Trump GOP 'Champ' Until Beaten (Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Jay Clemons | Monday, 14 November 2022 04:19 PM EST

Marc Lotter, communications director for the America First Policy Institute, didn't spend much time in a recent interview projecting which hypothetical Republican Party candidates might serve as "serious" challengers to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries.

"I'll use a boxing analogy here: To be the champ, you've got to beat the champ. And if you want to get in that ring [for 2024], you're going to have to knock [Trump] out," Lotter told Newsmax on Monday, while appearing on "American Agenda" with host Bob Sellers.

"Our polling tells us that Trump is still the prohibitive favorite," to secure the GOP's 2024 nomination, said Lotter. "[Trump] energizes people. He brings new leadership into the Republican Party."

Lotter, who directed communications for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign, acknowledged that DeSantis has built national support in recent months due to success in leading Florida through the pandemic shutdown and multiple hurricanes.

But Lotter said DeSantis still must weigh the pros and cons of entering the 2024 race as a direct Trump opponent, as opposed to waiting until 2028 and potentially picking up a large faction of Trump's electoral base.

"The other [Republican] candidates need to think about that. They also need to consider whether they can mount a serious campaign," said Lotter. "Part of the answer lies in putting your name on the ballot and giving it a shot."

During Monday's interview, Newsmax analyst Mark Halperin said Trump remains the GOP's most popular asset. However, after last week's midterm elections, instead of being an "800-pound gorilla," Halperin joked it might be just a "600-pound gorilla."

Lotter said Trump has plenty of momentum, and that could be conveyed in Tuesday's speculative presidential-announcement speech.

"I would expect [Trump] to highlight the results [of his presidency from 2017-21], and comparing the results of our country with President Trump, and the 'America First' leadership … compared to what we've got today," Lotter said.

"And it's pretty clear. The differences are dramatic," said Lotter, while adding that when Trump left office in January 2021, the U.S. had low inflation, low gas and food prices, and there was "no embarrassment" in Afghanistan — a swipe at President Joe Biden's handling of the August 2021 withdrawal from that country.

Lotter added: "My advice would be to lean-in to the successes he had [in office]. … [Trump] should make the case of Are you better off now than you were two or three years ago? The answer is no."

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Original Article

Lindsey Graham Joins GOP Senators Opposing Quick McConnell Vote Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (Getty Images)

By Jay Clemons | Monday, 14 November 2022 02:44 PM EST

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has joined the expanding list of prominent Republican senators requesting a pause in this week's GOP Senate elections.

On Sunday night, Graham offered his two cents on the party's in-house, timing-based debate, through a two-part Twitter message:

Tweet #1: "In light of #GASen runoff, it would be appropriate to delay Senate leadership elections until we know who is in the Senate Republican Conference. … I totally agree with Senator @TedCruz that to do otherwise would be disrespectful to @HerschelWalker."

Tweet #2: "All Republicans should be focused on winning in Georgia and trying to understand the midterm elections before Senate leadership elections or moving on to the 2024 presidential race."

Earlier Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, offered a similar message to his fellow Republicans, tweeting out, "The idea that Senate Republicans would have leadership elections on Wednesday is insane! #Verdict," while also promoting his podcast on Twitter.

Also last week, according to Politico, Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., voiced their concerns about holding Senate elections this week.

Hawley went even further in stating he would vote against McConnell as leader. Also, Senator-elect Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., has requested the Senate Republicans seek out new leadership, heading into 2023.

With Graham, Cruz, Hawley, Lummis, Schmitt, and Rubio on board for suspending the party election, it potentially gives more credibility to action by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah; and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who penned a letter to their Senate colleagues last week, imploring them to postpone the leadership votes, which are slated to run Wednesday morning.

"We are all disappointed that a Red Wave failed to materialize [on Election Night], and there are multiple reasons it did not," the senators wrote in the letter, according to Politico. "We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to why and what we can do to improve our chances in 2024."

According to the Newsmax elections tracker, the Senate Democrats preserved control of the chamber over the weekend, amid reports of the Nevada Senate race projecting a victory for incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who rallied past Republican challenger Adam Laxalt.

The Senate race in Georgia remains in limbo, since neither incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., nor Republican challenger Herschel Walker cleared 50% of the total vote in last week's election.

The runoff between the two candidates will take place Dec. 6. Graham referenced that battle in his tweets.

The fate of Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., becoming Senate majority leader could be at stake for the Senate elections, regardless of its date.

In addition to former President Donald Trump demanding McConnell step down from his role, a number of U.S. senators have publicly questioned the GOP leader's methods for investing in certain Senate candidates — while pulling funds from others.

For example, McConnell recently caught heat for providing extra attention and funding to the Alaska Senate race, even though two Republicans — incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and challenger Kelly Tshibaka — were competing against each other for the Senate seat.

The Newsmax elections tracker has Tshibaka leading Murkowski by more than 1 percentage point, or 3,100-plus votes, with 74% of precincts reporting.

Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso, R-Wyo. reportedly wrote the GOP senators last week, encouraging the group to follow through on a "robust" discussion about the GOP's Senate agenda, moving forward.

However, Barrasso did not signal any changes in the timing of this week's leadership vote.

"After presentations from candidates, and there is every opportunity to address questions from every member, we will complete leadership elections," wrote Barrasso, according to Politico.

Original Article

Florida Dem Seeks DOJ Probe Into '18 Elections After Trump Quip (Newsmax)

By Eric Mack | Monday, 14 November 2022 02:28 PM EST

Failed Florida Democrat gubernatorial primary candidate Nikki Fried, the state's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is calling on the Justice Department to investigate the state's 2018 election.

Fried's call comes after former President Donald Trump's claimed in a Truth Social post that he rooted out "ballot theft" in Florida by sending in the FBI and Justice Department to monitor the count.

"To my knowledge, there was no involvement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Office of the US Attorney in the 2018 Florida election," Fried wrote in a statement Monday.

"If the president was tampering with state ballots, we need to know. If he is fabricating these allegations in the name of politics, we also need to know. Either way, these actions hurt our democracy and Floridians deserve to know their elections are operating with integrity."

Fried called for the investigation in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday.

"Last week, former President Donald Trump made allegations that, with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys, he assisted in ending 'ballot theft' in the 2018 election for Florida's governor and prevented that 'election from being stolen,' " Fried's letter read. "It is imperative you address these allegations immediately.

"There was no widespread election fraud in the 2018 election in Florida. There was no broad allegation that the election was being stolen from Ron DeSantis in favor of Andrew Gillum.

"I know because I was on the ballot in 2018. Although there was a recount for both the race for governor, as well as my own, there was no fraud, and no foul play. To my knowledge, there was no involvement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Office of the United States Attorney.

"As you know, voter fraud and tampering with ballots is a serious charge. It is also a serious charge to make these allegations in the name of politics when no such charge occurred. This is why I strongly urge you to address this matter publicly as soon as possible."

Original Article

Michelle Obama: Losing the 2016 Election to Trump 'Still Hurts' Michelle Obama (Getty Images)

By Peter Malbin | Monday, 14 November 2022 02:06 PM EST

In Michelle Obama's new book, "The Light We Carry," which comes out Tuesday, she writes that the Democrats losing the 2016 election to former President Donald Trump "still hurts."

"It shook me profoundly to hear the man who'd replace my husband as president openly and unapologetically using ethnic slurs, making selfishness and hate somehow acceptable."

"It felt like something much uglier than a simple political defeat," Michelle Obama said in a clip from the audio version of her forthcoming book obtained by NPR.

"I couldn't help but return to the choice our country had made to replace Barack Obama with Donald Trump. What were we to take from that?" Obama said.

She will be interviewed on NPR on Tuesday.

"Barack and I always tried to operate on the principles of hope and hard work — choosing to overlook the bad in favor of the good, believing that most of us shared common goals and that progress could be made and measured, however incrementally, over time," Obama said.

"We'd tried to live those principles out loud, recognizing that we made it as far as we had despite, and maybe even in defiance of, the bigotry and bias so deeply embedded in American life. We understood that our presence as Black people in the White House said something about what was possible," Michelle Obama read.

"It shocked me to hear him speaking about differentness as if it were a threat," she said of Trump, who succeeded former President Barack Obama.

"Stuck in my house over the frightening early months of 2020, I saw no logic to any of it. What I saw was a president whose lack of integrity was reflected in an escalating national death count and whose poll numbers were still decent."

Michelle Obama is a best-selling author of the memoir "Becoming." She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard University Law School.

The Obamas have not returned to live in Chicago. They live in a luxurious home in Washington, D.C.

Original Article

Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life Endorses Trump (Newsmax)

By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, 14 November 2022 01:37 PM EST

The leader of a prominent Catholic pro-life organization says he's endorsing former President Donald Trump to reclaim the nation's top office in 2024.

Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, made the endorsement Monday in his personal capacity and not as an official spokesperson. He said he strategically decided do so a day before Trump is expected to announce his candidacy.

"I wanted to come out early because I wanted the timing here to be an expression of the fact this has always been my conviction, that he's the man for the job right now," Pavone told Newsmax on Monday.

"My support is not simply in reaction to his announcement but that I've been advocating for him all along, since 2015, and that my conviction hasn't changed, it's only increased."

Saying he would not attend Trump's scheduled announcement event at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Pavone added that he planned be at the former president's Palm Beach, Florida, home later in the week for policy meetings.

Pavone was asked what he tells people who say they're Republicans, but hesitate to support Trump because of his personal actions and comments.

"The importance right not of literally saving the country really puts personality issues off the radar," Pavone told Newsmax. "I don't care what the personality is of a man that's going to save me from drowning, rescue me from a burning building, or do life-saving medical treatment on me. I really don't care.

"But there's another element, simply that you wouldn't have the Trump results without the personality."

In his released statement, Pavone praised Trump and his administration for leading "America to unprecedented heights in our economy, our security, our freedom, our respect for life, our judicial integrity, our role in fostering world peace, and our respect among nations."

"Speaking as a Catholic priest, I can say he has done more for the Church than any President," Pavone said in his statement. "He has urged the clergy to speak openly and boldly, and personally I have been more inspired and encouraged by him than by any Catholic leader.

"Many great men and women embrace and fight for his policies, are exemplary public servants, and have my profound respect. But only Trump is Trump. Many can say that they want to make America great again, but only he can say that he actually did it – and that's the best argument that he can do it again."

Original Article

Trump Admits to Taking Sensitive Documents He Deemed 'Personal' Former President Donald Trump (Getty Images)

By Brian Pfail | Monday, 14 November 2022 01:16 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump admitted he took documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, arguing they were designated as personal records rather than presidential records.

Trump's attorneys said, "a President determines whether a document constitutes a Presidential record or a personal record," and "when that decision is made, it is not subject to challenge."

Trump's legal team contends "there is no authority whatsoever for the notion that the Government can seize documents from a President, and simply declare that they are Presidential records."

Federal law permits presidents to deem certain records as "personal" so long as they have no decision-making value to future administrations.

"President Trump was still serving his term in office when the documents at issue were packed, transported, and delivered to his residence in Palm Beach," according to Trump's lawyers. "Thus, when he made a designation decision, he was President of the United States; his decision to retain certain records as personal is entitled to deference, and the records in question are thus presumptively personal."

Trump's attorneys made the argument before Judge Raymond Dearie, the special master reviewing the records seized by FBI during the raid last August that was "personally approved" by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

An appeals court granted the Justice Department a partial stay of Judge Aileen Cannon's lower court order, allowing DOJ to continue its criminal investigation using the documents seized.

Cannon had ruled that she "temporarily enjoins the Government from reviewing and using the seized materials for investigative purposes pending completion of the special master's review or further Court order."

The appeals court sided with DOJ that Cannon "likely erred" in her ruling, preventing DOJ's criminal investigation and requiring prosecutors to allow Dearie to review the documents with classified markings independently.

"The Presidential Records Act authorizes a sitting President to designate records as personal records during his term in office," Trump's attorneys argued. "The contents of the seized materials underscore the fact that President Trump treated these papers as personal records. The documents seized from Mar-a-Lago included [REDACTED]. However, the Special Master has not been tasked with assessing the correctness of President Trump's designations. In other words, it is the President's designation — not the appearance or content of a given document — that is determinative."

Trump's team added, "President Trump need not put forth documentary evidence of his designation decisions because his conduct unequivocally confirmed that he was treating the materials in question as personal records, rather than Presidential records."

The Justice Department argued that Trump's legal arguments were flawed and nonsensical.

"Plaintiff may not designate records qualifying as 'Presidential records' under the Presidential Records Act as his 'personal' records simply by saying so," DOJ told the court. "Plaintiff's designation of certain categories of records as 'personal' records is inconsistent with the text of the PRA."

DOJ then added, "Seeming to recognize that a record cannot both be a 'personal' record and be shielded by executive privilege, Plaintiff has indicated in dozens of instances that he asserts executive privilege only if the Special Master rejects his assertion that a document is a 'personal' record and determines that it is a Presidential record."

The records show Trump was being investigated under 18 U.S.C. 793, part of the Espionage Act, and in relation to "willful retention of national defense information." The records also pointed to 18 U.S.C. 2071, more specifically, the "concealment or removal" of government records, including 18 U.S.C. 1519, related to "obstruction" of a federal investigation.

Dearie is expected to decide next month whether to recommend prosecutors be permitted to access roughly 3,000 documents, though Cannon has the ultimate say. DOJ also has a pending appeal at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, requesting the entire process Cannon ordered at Trump's request be shut down.

Original Article

Mark Levin Opposes Andy Biggs for Speaker (Newsmax)

By Nicole Wells | Monday, 14 November 2022 01:10 PM EST

Conservative radio host Mark Levin on Monday denounced the effort by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., to become Speaker of the House.

"Andy Biggs has spent years opposing Convention of States," Levin wrote on Twitter. "As Arizona Senate president he refused to allow a vote on it. Only after he went to Congress was Arizona able to pass its resolution for Convention of States."

Levin added in a follow-up tweet: "I strongly OPPOSE his effort to become speaker. He's NOT a constitutional conservative."

Biggs on Thursday said Republicans should have a "good discussion" about whether Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy should become House speaker.

"I would say maybe, not so fast," Biggs said on The Absolute Truth with Emerald Robinson podcast. "Maybe we should have a good discussion within the confines of our internal body. Look, we were told we were going to have an incredible, incredible wave. And if that were to have been the case, a 20, 30, 40 seat margin, you would say, 'Well Kevin's the presumptive Republican nominee for speaker.'

"But I think we need to have a serious discussion. He's back-pedaled on things like impeachment. In some ways, that indicates a willingness to be weakening the oversight authority that we need to have, and the leverage points we need to have in order to deal with a Democrat president."

According to the Daily Caller, McCarthy formally declared his candidacy for the position on Wednesday and is currently running unopposed. Although a number of races have not yet been decided, Republicans are expected to hold between 220 and 225 seats in the House. McCarthy and his allies had predicted that the GOP would emerge from the midterms holding more than 230 seats.

In openly questioning if McCarthy should lead the lower chamber, Biggs is joined by Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., while many potential challengers have endorsed McCarthy's bid, including Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan.

Former President Donald Trump is also supporting McCarthy.

According to the Caller, the Freedom Caucus is likely to demand procedural rule changes in exchange for supporting McCarthy's candidacy. Many members are keen to revive the motion to vacate the chair, which would allow any member to request a vote to remove the speaker at any time. Democrats made drastic changes to the procedure when they took control of the House in 2019, according to the Caller.

Original Article

Supreme Court Lets House Panel Get Ariz. Republican's Phone Records Kelli Ward (Getty Images)

Monday, 14 November 2022 12:51 PM EST

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for a congressional panel to obtain phone records from Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, rejecting her request to block a subpoena issued in the investigation into the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack by former President Donald Trump's supporters.

Ward, a Trump ally, had asked the Supreme Court to intervene after lower courts declined to bar telephone carrier T-Mobile from complying with the subpoena from the Democratic-led House of Representatives select committee seeking three months of her telephone records.

The committee sought Ward's records as part of its probe into events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters who sought to block Congress from certifying his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

The committee on Oct. 22 sent Trump a subpoena to testify under oath and provide documents. Trump filed a lawsuit on Friday in a bid to block the subpoena.

Trump, who is considering another run for the presidency in 2024, has accused the panel of waging unfair political attacks on him.

The panel has said Ward participated in multiple aspects of the attempts to interfere with the 2020 electoral count as Trump allies acted on his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.

The records of the calls and text exchanges sought by the lawmakers spanned from Nov. 1, 2020, to Jan. 30, 2021, and covered a period when Ward was part of a group of Republicans who falsely presented themselves as Arizona's presidential electors. The potential use of false electors was part of a scheme to foil congressional certification of the election results.

Ward's lawyers argued that providing the committee with access to her telephone and text message records would violate the constitutional right to free association by giving the lawmakers access to names of Republican party members who spoke with her.

U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa in Arizona on Sept. 22 backed the subpoena, finding that Ward provided no evidence to support her claims that producing the records would chill such rights or result in harassment of those who interacted with her. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 22 declined to put the subpoena on hold while Ward appealed.

The House committee also has subpoenaed Ward as one in a group of people who it said had knowledge of or participated in efforts to send false "alternate electors" to Washington for Trump as Congress prepared to certify the election results. Ward and her husband, Michael Ward, signed on one of the slates of alternate electors for Trump.

Congress certified the election results in the hours after the pro-Trump rioters attacked police with a variety of weapons and stormed the Capitol.

The future of the committee after the Nov. 8 midterm elections is uncertain. If Republicans gain control of the House, they are expected to shut down the committee's work.

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan had temporarily put the subpoena on hold on Oct. 28 while the full court decided how to proceed. Kagan is the justice assigned to handle certain emergency requests from a group of states including Arizona.

Supreme Court Again Spurns Challenge to 'Bump Stock' Ban (Dreamstime)

Monday, 14 November 2022 11:31 AM EST

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away another challenge to a federal ban imposed under former President Donald Trump on devices called "bump stocks" that enable a semi-automatic weapon to fire like a machine gun.

The justices declined to review an appeal by a group of firearms dealers and individuals in Minnesota, Texas, and Kentucky after a lower court rejected their arguments that the government had violated the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment "takings clause" by effectively taking their private property without just compensation.

Trump's administration moved to reclassify bump stocks as machine guns, which are forbidden under U.S. law, in a rare firearms control measure prompted by a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.

The Supreme Court in 2019 declined to block the ban from going into effect. The justices last month rejected appeals by a Utah gun lobbyist and firearms rights groups of lower court rulings upholding the ban as a reasonable interpretation of a federal law prohibiting machine gun possession.

Bump stocks use a gun's recoil to bump its trigger, enabling a semiautomatic weapon to fire hundreds of rounds per minute to let it shoot like a machine gun. Trump pledged to ban them after a gunman used semiautomatic weapons outfitted with bump stocks in a shooting spree that killed 58 people at a country music festival in Las Vegas.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a U.S. Justice Department agency, reversed a previous conclusion and classified bump stocks as machine guns under a 1934 U.S. law called the National Firearms Act. The policy took effect in 2019.

Two sets of plaintiffs filed lawsuits seeking compensation for having to destroy or surrender their bump stocks in the Court of Federal Claims, which hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. A judge dismissed the actions, finding the policy to be a lawful exercise of the federal government's power to outlaw dangers to public health and safety.

The Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld those decisions last year for a different reason, ruling that a property right in the devices was inherently limited given the existing federal prohibition on machine guns.

In a nation divided over how to limit firearms violence, gun rights are becoming increasingly expansive. Legal experts have said a variety of gun control measures are at risk since the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in June recognizing for the first time a right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense under the Constitution's Second Amendment guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms.

That ruling, powered by the court's 6-3 conservative majority, struck down New York state limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home.

Senate GOP to Target Democrat Manchin in 2024 Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. (Getty Images)

By Nicole Wells | Monday, 14 November 2022 11:18 AM EST

Despite his record of voting with the GOP more than any other Democrat, Senate Republicans told The Hill that they will be targeting Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in 2024.

In the aftermath of the GOP's failure to regain control of the Senate in this year's midterms, Republican strategists say they expect Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to spend millions on the West Virginia race next cycle in an effort to oust Manchin.

One of several Republicans who could challenge Manchin in 2024, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey told The Hill that the moderate Democrat will pay politically for his support of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed the Senate in August along party lines.

The legislation advanced major parts of President Joe Biden's agenda, such as billions to combat climate change, prescription drug reform and tax reform.

"Sen. Manchin deeply disappointed West Virginians and let them down tremendously when he supported the 'Build Back Broke' bill last summer," Morrisey said. "That legislation really hit our state very hard. You can dress up the pig anyway you want but most people in West Virginia understand that that bill is going to hurt us."

"He let the air out of his balloon and it's not going to be so easy to pump it back up," he added.

Morrisey, who is "evaluating options," also told The Hill that "we're looking very closely at the Senate race."

The Mountain State attorney general tried to unseat Manchin in 2018, losing by 3 percentage points, or about 19,000 votes.

"I learned a lot from a past experience in a terrible political environment," Morrisey said. "The environment in 2024 is going to be much, much stronger."

Claiming it would give energy companies "the certainty they need to increase domestic energy production," Manchin said he voted for the Inflation Reduction Act because it would also lower health care costs and reduce the deficit.

Manchin, 75, hasn't said if he'll run for a fourth term, but West Virginia political experts told The Hill that he is giving every indication he will.

Former President Donald Trump won West Virginia in 2016 with 68% of the vote and in 2020 with 69% of the vote, which may factor into Manchin's retirement plans.

When asked about Republican plans to send Manchin packing, a spokesperson for the senator told The Hill that he doesn't avoid debate.

"A robust democratic process has never been more important to our country and Sen. Manchin encourages every candidate who values public service to enter the race," Manchin aide Sam Runyon said.

Original Article

Pence: Trump 'Reckless' on Jan. 6, 'Endangered Me and My Family' (Newsmax)

By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, 14 November 2022 10:56 AM EST

Former Vice President Mike Pence told ABC News that then-President Donald Trump was "reckless" on Jan. 6, 2021, and admitted he was "angered" by his then-boss' assertion he lacked courage by refusing to stop certification of the Electoral College results.

Pence, speaking during an exclusive interview at his Indiana home, discussed the infamous day protesters stormed the Capitol.

"The president's words were reckless and his actions were reckless," Pence told ABC News’ David Muir of Trump's behavior that day.

"It was clear he decided to be part of the problem."

Trump and allies blamed President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory on alleged voter fraud in several battleground states. The then-president claimed Pence, in his role as Senate president overseeing Electoral College results' certification, could have overturned the outcome by sending results back to the states.

Trump spoke at a Washington, D.C., rally before the attack, during which some demonstrators chanted "Hang Mike Pence" and erected gallows as they stormed the Capitol.

"The president's words that day at the rally endangered me and my family and everyone at the Capitol building," Pence told ABC News in an interview scheduled to air Monday night.

Pence was asked about Trump’s first tweet concerning the chaos even as lawmakers were "barricaded inside the House Chamber."

Muir reminded Pence that Trump tweeted, "Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution."

Pence took a few seconds and said, "It angered me.

"But I turned to my daughter, who was standing nearby, and I said, 'It doesn’t take courage to break the law. It takes courage to uphold the law,'" Pence told Muir.

Pence was asked about Trump’s whereabouts during the Jan. 6 attack.

"I can’t account for what the president was doing that day," Pence said. "I was at a loading dock at the Capitol, where a riot was taking place."

Muir asked Pence why Trump was watching TV from the White House and not making urgent calls.

"That'd be a good question for him," Pence said.

Pence, 63, is considered a possible contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Trump, 76, is expected to kick off his campaign for the GOP nomination on Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago.

Original Article

Zionist Group Leader to Newsmax: Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize Zionist Organization of America President Mort Klein (Getty Images)

By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, 14 November 2022 10:04 AM EST

Former President Donald Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements in the Middle East, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Mort Klein told Newsmax on Monday.

Klein, whose organization honored Trump on Sunday night, said on "Wake Up America" that Trump still should be honored for spearheading The Abraham Accords.

"It is astonishing that [former] President [Barack] Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize a month after he's president for nothing," Klein said. "Yasser Arafat, the terrorist, won a Nobel Peace Prize. This man [Trump] made peace with Bahrain, UAB, Morocco and Sudan called the Abraham Accords, peace deals that were never imaginable.

"People are not appreciating how much he did for peace in the Middle East, which affects the United States of America."

At a gala Sunday night, the ZOA awarded Trump its Theodor Herzl Medallion, previously presented to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, former President Harry Truman, and former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, among others.

"Donald Trump has been the greatest president for Israel, and for U.S.-Israel relations ever in the White House. He clearly deserved this award," Klein told Newsmax. "He moved the embassy to Jerusalem. He said that Jews had every right to live in Judea and Samaria, the West Bank. He had the strongest sanctions on Iran. And he stopped money to the Palestinians."

Klein then lambasted President Joe Biden for again sending money to the Palestinian Authority.

"I'm sorry to say, that Joe Biden not only reinstituted the $500 million, he now gives the Palestinian Authority $800 million, ignoring the fact that they pay Arabs to murder Americans and Jews and names school streets and sports teams after murderers," Klein said.

With former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again attempting to form a government, Klein was asked about the relationship between Netanyahu and Biden.

"Joe Biden and Netanyahu have been friends for a long, long time and the problem is Joe Biden has been hostile to Israel," Klein told Newsmax. "He's promoting establishing a Palestinian terror state which is a dictatorship, which is a terrorist a dictatorship. As well as criticizing members of the new [Israeli] government that's being formed."

Klein pointed out that Biden never criticized Palestinian leadership that included radical terrorists.

"There is a problem, and the problem stems from my own government here in America, Joe Biden, who's not looking at it rationally or fairly," Klein said. "Netanyahu has his hands full trying to deal with that."

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Original Article

CPAC Chairman to Newsmax: 'Silly' to Blame Trump for GOP Setbacks CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp (Getty Images)

By Brian Freeman | Monday, 14 November 2022 09:18 AM EST

CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp told Newsmax on Monday that it's "silly" to blame former Donald Trump for the disappointing performance of Republicans in last week's midterm elections.

Schalpp told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that "Trump's batting average on his candidates were better than almost anybody's and that "to blame Donald Trump [for the poor results] is silly."

Schalpp also supports Trump's desire to run for the White House again, saying: "If Donald Trump feels like he has the energy and the vision to run for president, he absolutely should do it. I love the man. His policies helped transform the country."

Schlapp conceded that it would be "risky" for Trump to declare his candidacy now, saying that "we're still in this Herschel Walker win-or-lose phase … but I think when you are a candidate and you know what you are going to do, waiting is usually not your friend."

Schlapp also lamented the continued uncertainly of many election races, saying: "I find it outrageous in the leading country in the world that we're still counting ballots" six days after the election.

He also asked why "Republicans lose 80% of these races every time it [the counting] goes into extra innings?"

Schlapp insisted that on Election Day, "Republicans went to vote and thousands and thousands of them, even if they went to went to multiple polling places, the polling machines weren't working. We'll never know how many thousands of Republicans went back home" without voting.

He added that ballot harvesting is ripe in places like Nevada, where Democrats are in virtual control of the process.

This system allows a person to turn in someone else's ballot, such as in nursing homes, without proper supervision, with Schlapp stating it "it is ripe with the ability to also have fraud — I cant prove any of that — but this is why you want tighter election laws that mandate voter ID."

Schlapp insisted that "in this country we have rules that change the outcomes of election that we wouldn't accept from other countries. This is what the Democrats are doing to try and make them easier to stuff ballots in boxes."

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Original Article

CPAC Chairman to Newsmax: 'Silly' to Blame Trump for GOP Setbacks CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp (Getty Images)

By Brian Freeman | Monday, 14 November 2022 10:16 AM EST

CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp told Newsmax on Monday that it's "silly" to blame former Donald Trump for the disappointing performance of Republicans in last week's midterm elections.

Schlapp told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that "Trump's batting average on his candidates were better than almost anybody's and that "to blame Donald Trump [for the poor results] is silly."

Schlapp also supports Trump's desire to run for the White House again, saying: "If Donald Trump feels like he has the energy and the vision to run for president, he absolutely should do it. I love the man. His policies helped transform the country."

Schlapp conceded that it would be "risky" for Trump to declare his candidacy now, saying that "we're still in this Herschel Walker win-or-lose phase … but I think when you are a candidate and you know what you are going to do, waiting is usually not your friend."

Schlapp also lamented the continued uncertainly of many election races, saying: "I find it outrageous in the leading country in the world that we're still counting ballots" six days after the election.

He also asked why "Republicans lose 80% of these races every time it [the counting] goes into extra innings?"

Schlapp insisted that on Election Day, "Republicans went to vote and thousands and thousands of them, even if they went to went to multiple polling places, the polling machines weren't working. We'll never know how many thousands of Republicans went back home" without voting.

He added that ballot harvesting is ripe in places like Nevada, where Democrats are in virtual control of the process.

This system allows a person to turn in someone else's ballot, such as in nursing homes, without proper supervision, with Schlapp stating it "it is ripe with the ability to also have fraud — I cant prove any of that — but this is why you want tighter election laws that mandate voter ID."

Schlapp insisted that "in this country we have rules that change the outcomes of election that we wouldn't accept from other countries. This is what the Democrats are doing to try and make them easier to stuff ballots in boxes."

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find NEWSMAX in over 100 million U.S. homes via cable/streaming – More Info Here
• Watch NEWSMAX TV online – See It Here
• Download the FREE NEWSMAX App on Your Smartphone to Watch Now!

Original Article

14 Undecided Races Will Determine House Majority Election workers open mail-in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 11. (Justin Sullivan/Getty )

By John Gizzi Monday, 14 November 2022 06:36 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

With the projection Saturday by the Associated Press that Republican Lori Chavez-deRemer had snatched Oregon’s 5th District after 48 years of Democratic representation, there are now 14 U.S. races left that will determine which party rules the U.S. House of Representatives.

Eight of the undecided contests are in California, with most voters opting for mail-in voting, and these races will most likely be decided in the following week.

Others such as that for Alaska’s at-large House seat, which will finally be determined by the complicated ranked-choice system, is unlikely to be completed until the end of November.

There is a strong likelihood that the party which eventually holds a majority in the House will do so by one or two seats. If so, then it raises other questions: will Democrat Nancy Pelosi stay on as speaker if Democrats are in power, or will Republicans stick with Kevin McCarthy as speaker if they hold the majority?

Virtually every vote on a major issue will be nail-bitingly close.

As of late Sunday, there were 214 seats called for Republicans, 207 for the Democrats, and 14 undecided — figures which could change within hours, depending on how quickly the counting is completed.

For now, here are the races in which who rules the House of Representatives in January will be determined….

Alaska at large — Democrat Mary Peltola, who won a much-watched special election for the seat of the late Republican Rep. Don Young, now holds 47% of the vote with roughly 80% counted. Should she fail to win a majority, the ranked-choice system will eliminate the bottom vote-getter and give their second-choice votes to the top vote-getters. The process of eliminating runners-up will continue until one candidate gets a majority. The runner-up to Peltola, with 27%, is 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Arizona-1 — As of Sunday night, with 93% of the votes counted, six-term GOP Rep. David Schweikert had pulled ahead of Democrat challenger Jevin Hodge by a wafer-thin 894 votes out of more than 340,000 cast. Much of the First District is in Maricopa County (Phoenix) had been deluged by an unexpectedly large number of mail-in votes and by difficulties with tabulation machines.

Arizona-6—Republican businessman Juan Ciscomani leads Democrat State Sen. Kirsten Engel by less than 1% of the vote. Like the 1st, the 6th includes parts of Maricopa County and has had its troubles with tabulating machines. 90% of the votes have so far been counted.

California-3 — State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, a Trump-endorsed Republican, holds a lead of 53% to 47% over Democrat and physician Kermit Jones in this new and open Death Valley district. 53% of the vote has been counted so far.

California-9 — As of Sunday, Democrat Rep. Josh Harder was leading Republican and San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti by 56% to 43%. But barely half the votes have been counted so far and Patti’s county makes up a majority of this newly-drawn rural district.

California-13 — Republican farmer John Duarte has clung to a lead of 100 votes or less over Democrat State Assemblyman Adam Gray. Sixty-one percent of the votes have been counted and this Central Valley race is expected to take a while to decide.

California-22 — Another Central Valley race is a squeaker. Rep. David Valadao, one of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, holds a lead of 52.5% over Democrat State Assemblyman Rudy Salas.

California-27 — In 2019, Republican Mike Garcia won a special election and, a year later, narrowly (by 333 votes) won a full term in this Los Angeles County district. He now leads 2020 foe and former Democrat Assemblywoman Christy Smith with 55% and is claiming victory. Smith won’t concede and supporters note nearly 40% remains to be counted.

California-41 — Thirty-year Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican House member from the Golden State, faced the challenge of his career from former assistant U.S. Attorney and liberal Democrat Will Rollins. Backed by the growing LGBTQ population in Palm Springs and the Inland Empire, Rollins matched Calvert in fund-raising. As of Sunday, Calvert clung to a lead of 51.26% to 48.74%.

California-47 — Democrat Rep. Katie Porter leads in the Orange County-based district by about 1% over former Orange County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh. This is another that will take at least a week to decide.

California-49 — The lead appears to go back and forth between Democrat Rep. Mike Levin and Republican former San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott. As of Sunday, no one is predicting the outcome.

Colorado-3 — In what is considered the most Republican district in the Centennial State, controversial Rep. Lauren Boebert clings to just over 1000 votes against Democrat Adam Frisch. Betting is high that this race will go to a recount.

Maine-2 — This is another contest in which the lead is alternated every time new votes are counted. With about 90% of the votes in, Democrat Rep. Jared Golden and former GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin are separated by a few hundred votes.

New York-22 — With the retirement of moderate Republican Rep. John Katko, the newly-drawn Syracuse district was supposed to go Democrat, but it’s not working out that way. Republican businessman Brandon Williams, who has the endorsement of the New York Conservative Party, leads Democrat Francis Conole by about 4000 votes with 95% counted.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

14 Undecided Races Will Determine House Majority Election workers open mail-in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 11. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

By John Gizzi Monday, 14 November 2022 07:24 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

With the projection Saturday by the Associated Press that Republican Lori Chavez-deRemer had snatched Oregon's 5th District after 48 years of Democrat representation, there are now 14 U.S. races left that will determine which party rules the U.S. House of Representatives.

Eight of the undecided contests are in California, with most voters opting for mail-in voting, and these races will most likely be decided in the following week.

Others such as that for Alaska's at-large House seat, which will finally be determined by the complicated ranked-choice system, is unlikely to be completed until the end of November.

There is a strong likelihood that the party which eventually holds a majority in the House will do so by one or two seats. If so, then it raises other questions: will Democrat Nancy Pelosi stay on as speaker if Democrats are in power, or will Republicans stick with Kevin McCarthy as speaker if they hold the majority?

Virtually every vote on a major issue will be nail-bitingly close.

As of late Sunday, there were 214 seats called for Republicans, 207 for the Democrats, and 14 undecided — figures which could change within hours, depending on how quickly the counting is completed.

For now, here are the races in which who rules the House of Representatives in January will be determined….

Alaska at large — Democrat Mary Peltola, who won a much-watched special election for the seat of the late Republican Rep. Don Young, now holds 47% of the vote with roughly 80% counted. Should she fail to win a majority, the ranked-choice system will eliminate the bottom vote-getter and give their second-choice votes to the top vote-getters. The process of eliminating runners-up will continue until one candidate gets a majority. The runner-up to Peltola, with 27%, is 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Arizona-1 — As of Sunday night, with 93% of the votes counted, six-term GOP Rep. David Schweikert had pulled ahead of Democrat challenger Jevin Hodge by a wafer-thin 894 votes out of more than 340,000 cast. Much of the First District is in Maricopa County (Phoenix) had been deluged by an unexpectedly large number of mail-in votes and by difficulties with tabulation machines.

Arizona-6—Republican businessman Juan Ciscomani leads Democrat State Sen. Kirsten Engel by less than 1% of the vote. Like the 1st, the 6th includes parts of Maricopa County and has had its troubles with tabulating machines. 90% of the votes have so far been counted.

California-3 — State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, a Trump-endorsed Republican, holds a lead of 53% to 47% over Democrat and physician Kermit Jones in this new and open Death Valley district. 53% of the vote has been counted so far.

California-9 — As of Sunday, Democrat Rep. Josh Harder was leading Republican and San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti by 56% to 43%. But barely half the votes have been counted so far and Patti's county makes up a majority of this newly-drawn rural district.

California-13 — Republican farmer John Duarte has clung to a lead of 100 votes or less over Democrat State Assemblyman Adam Gray. Sixty-one percent of the votes have been counted and this Central Valley race is expected to take a while to decide.

California-22 — Another Central Valley race is a squeaker. Rep. David Valadao, one of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, holds a lead of 52.5% over Democrat State Assemblyman Rudy Salas.

California-27 — In 2019, Republican Mike Garcia won a special election and, a year later, narrowly (by 333 votes) won a full term in this Los Angeles County district. He now leads 2020 foe and former Democrat Assemblywoman Christy Smith with 55% and is claiming victory. Smith won't concede and supporters note nearly 40% remains to be counted.

California-41 — Thirty-year Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican House member from the Golden State, faced the challenge of his career from former assistant U.S. Attorney and liberal Democrat Will Rollins. Backed by the growing LGBTQ population in Palm Springs and the Inland Empire, Rollins matched Calvert in fund-raising. As of Sunday, Calvert clung to a lead of 51.26% to 48.74%.

California-47 — Democrat Rep. Katie Porter leads in the Orange County-based district by about 1% over former Orange County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh. This is another that will take at least a week to decide.

California-49 — The lead appears to go back and forth between Democrat Rep. Mike Levin and Republican former San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott. As of Sunday, no one is predicting the outcome.

Colorado-3 — In what is considered the most Republican district in the Centennial State, controversial Rep. Lauren Boebert clings to just over 1,000 votes against Democrat Adam Frisch. Betting is high that this race will go to a recount.

Maine-2 — This is another contest in which the lead is alternated every time new votes are counted. With about 90% of the votes in, Democrat Rep. Jared Golden and former GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin are separated by a few hundred votes.

New York-22 — With the retirement of moderate Republican Rep. John Katko, the newly-drawn Syracuse district was supposed to go Democrat, but it's not working out that way. Republican businessman Brandon Williams, who has the endorsement of the New York Conservative Party, leads Democrat Francis Conole by about 4,000 votes with 95% counted.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

Trump Blames McConnell for GOP Race Losses

(Newsmax/"Wake Up America")

By Jeremy Frankel | Sunday, 13 November 2022 09:11 PM EST

Former President Donald Trump blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Sunday after Republicans lost the chance to take control of the Senate.

On his Truth Social account, Trump posted: "It’s Mitch McConnell’s fault. Spending money to defeat great Republican candidates instead of backing Blake Masters and others was a big mistake. Giving 4 Trillion Dollars to the Radical Left for the Green New Deal, not Infrastructure, was an even bigger mistake. He blew the Midterms, and everyone despises him and his otherwise lovely wife, Coco Chow!"

Trump was referring to McConnell spending millions of dollars to support incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who ran against a more conservative Republican, Kelly Tshibaka, while pulling money from the Arizona race in which Republican Blake Masters took on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.

Republicans lost the chance to take back control of the Senate when Democrats clinched a seat in Nevada. A runoff for the Georgia election on Dec. 6 will determine whether the Senate split will be 50-50 or if the Democrats will have 51 seats.

Original Article