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NationalWatch Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Wins Reelection (Newsmax)
By Eric Mack | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:35 PM EST
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., easily won reelection Tuesday night, Newsmax has projected, as Florida results showed strong Republican results behind Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
Gaetz was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Trump Endorses McCarthy for Speaker if GOP Retakes House (Newsmax)
By Michael Katz | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:31 PM EST
Former President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House should Republicans retake the chamber, as expected, after Tuesday’s midterm elections.
During an interview with Fox News posted Tuesday, Trump gave the thumbs-up to the California Republican, who at times has been at odds with the former president.
In April, audio leaked that showed McCarthy wanted Trump to resign as president after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. According to the audio, obtained by The New York Times, McCarthy called Trump’s actions “atrocious and totally wrong.”
Politico reported McCarthy and Trump spoke shortly after the audio was leaked, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person familiar with the matter said Trump “was not upset” at the initial New York Times story on the remarks but they did not know how he would feel about the revelation of the audio tape that substantiated it.
McCarthy, the House minority leader, likely has no challengers for speaker should the GOP win the majority. The party needed to net just five seats Tuesday to clinch control of the chamber.
The Hill reported McCarthy shored up his path to the speakership in part by giving members of the right flank a seat at the table. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is likely to chair the House Judiciary Committee if Republicans win the majority. McCarthy has also promised to restore the committee assignments for Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor-Greene.
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Katie Britt Holds Alabama Senate Seat for GOP, Ivey Reelected Gov (Newsmax)
By Jack Gournell | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:15 PM EST
Republican Katie Britt became the first woman elected to the U.S Senate from Alabama on Tuesday as she captured the seat opened by the retirement of GOP Sen. Richard Shelby. Britt is a former member of Shelby's congressional staff.
Newsmax called the race as soon as the polls closed in Alabama at 7 p.m. CST.
"Alabama First. That wasn't a campaign slogan, that was a promise," Britt told supporters at a victory rally Tuesday night. "God calls us to do hard things," she added, reminding them of what she said in the campaign, and vowing to keep up the fight once in the Senate.
She thanked Shelby for giving her a job 20 years ago and said that though she will be "filling his seat, I don't think his shoes will ever fit."
Britt faced Democratic nominee Will Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus.
Shelby, 88, is retiring after serving six terms in the U.S. Senate. Britt is Shelby’s former chief of staff and the former leader of the Business Council of Alabama, a business lobby. Britt becomes the first woman to win election to the U.S. Senate from Alabama and will be the first Republican woman to hold one of the state’s Senate seats. The state’s previous female senators, both Democrats, had been appointed.
Incumbent Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also easily won reelection to a second full term after rising to the position from lieutenant governor upon the resignation of former Gov. Robert Bentley.
Ively defeated Democrat Yolanda Flowers, the first Black woman to win a major party’s gubernatorial nomination in the state, after surviving both a health scare and multiple Republican challengers in the primary.
Smiling broadly and wearing a bright red jacket, Ivey took the stage before a huge American flag and waved to cheering supporters at a campaign celebration held at a restaurant in Montgomery.
“Y'all, we did it!” she exclaimed.
While Flowers’ candidacy was an interesting historical footnote, it posed no real threat to the GOP’s control of all three branches of government in a majority white, conservative state where voting patterns typically break down by skin color. Flowers closed her campaign with days of fasting and a lengthy prayer shown on Facebook.
Libertarian Jimmy Blake, a former Birmingham City Council member, also was on the ballot.
Ivey, who turned 78 in October, avoided a runoff in the spring despite facing a slate that included eight Republican challengers who forced her to the right. Ivey repeated former President Donald Trump’s lies about election theft and aired a campaign commercial in which she pulled a pistol out of her purse.
Following the primary, Ivey — who was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in 2019 and later said the disease was gone — was faced with questions about her health after she disappeared from public view for almost three weeks during the summer. She refused to say whether she underwent any medical treatment.
While Ivey’s absence made headlines, any doubts or concerns about her health didn't have any effect on her chances of victory. At her party, a jubilant Ivey thanked voters.
"Folks, there’s no doubt that the best is yet to come because we all know there’s no step too high for a high stepper,” said Ivey, repeating a campaign mantra.
In her re-election bid, Ivey mostly ignored her opponents and instead touted the state’s low unemployment rate and opposition to the policies of Democratic President Joe Biden. She had a campaign bank balance of more than $200,000 at the end of September compared to just $546 for Flowers, records showed.
Ivey first became governor in April 2017, when she was elevated from the office of lieutenant governor following the resignation of Robert Bentley, who quit in a plea agreement following a scandal over his relationship with a female staffer. Ivey defeated an experienced, well-known Democratic challenger, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, by 20 percentage points in 2018 to claim her first full term.
Voting Snag in Arizona Fuels Election Conspiracy Theories Voters arrive to cast their ballots at the Phoenix Art Museum on November 08, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty)
Associated Press Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:14 PM EST
A printing malfunction at 60 polling places across Arizona's most populous county slowed down voting Tuesday, but election officials assured voters that every ballot would be counted.
Still, the issue gave rise to conspiracy theories about the integrity of the vote in the pivotal state. Former President Donald Trump, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and others weighed in to claim that Democrats were trying to subvert the vote of Republicans, who tend to show up in greater numbers in person on Election Day.
Election officials from both political parties and members of Trump's own Cabinet have said there was no widespread voter fraud and that Trump lost reelection to Democrat Joe Biden.
The Republican National Committee, along with the campaigns of Lake and Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters, filed an emergency motion to extend voting hours in Maricopa County, which has about 60% of the state’s population and registered voters.
Arizona law allows anyone still in line when the polls close to vote.
"We have dozens of attorneys and thousands of volunteers on the ground working to solve this issue and ensure that Arizona voters have the chance to make their voices heard," the RNC chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, said in a statement.
Equipment malfunctions such as these are typical in every election, and officials have plans in place to ensure voting continues and all eligible ballots are counted.
At issue were printers that were not producing dark enough markings on the ballots, which required election officials to change the printer settings. Until then, some voters who tried to insert their ballots into voting tabulators were forced to wait and use other machines or were told they could leave their ballots in a drop box. Those votes were expected to be counted Wednesday.
The county recorder, Republican Stephen Richer, said he was sorry for the inconvenience.
"Every legal vote will be tabulated. I promise," he said.
The issue affected an unknown number of ballots in the county that includes metropolitan Phoenix.
When voters in the county check in, they are handed a ballot for their specific election precinct; the races for which they can vote are printed for them. That process allows voters to go to any voting location in the county. The voters then fill out the ballot and put it into a tabulation machine to be counted.
Some of the tabulators at 60 voting sites did not read the ballots because the printers did not produce what are known as "timing marks" dark enough to be read by the machines. Voters who had their ballots rejected were told they could try the location’s second tabulator, put it in a ballot box to be counted at the central facility later or cancel it and go to another vote center.
The majority of Arizona counties do not count ballots at polling places. Officials bring the ballots to a central facility for counting. The ballots that were left in the drop boxes in Maricopa County will be counted at their central site. The county is home to about 4.1 million people.
The problem slowed down voting in both traditionally Democratic and Republican areas, especially at an outlet mall in conservative far-flung Anthem. Some voters there reported waiting several hours to be able to vote with only one of two tabulators working.
By midday, nearly half of the 223 voting centers countywide reported no wait at all, and 210 of the centers reported a wait of a half hour or less. The Anthem location had a wait of about an hour.
At a polling place on the other side of the county, Phoenix voter Maggie Perini said she was able to vote without a problem, but that a man next her in line struggled with his ballot at a different tabulator. When he switched to the machine she had used, the ballot went through.
"And then I know one woman who was coming out, she tried like four or five times for it to work and it wasn’t working,” said Perini. “And someone had told her she could leave her ballot and she’s like, No, no, no, no, no.”
Voter Michael McCuarrie said his ballot wasn’t read so he dropped it off to be counted later.
"Fine as long as the vote is counted," said McCuarrie. "I don’t mind."
Lake told reporters after she cast her ballot midday that she was "embarrassed for Arizona."
"My advice is to stay in line. Don’t let this craziness stop you," Lake said.
Kansas GOP Sen. Moran Wins Reelection (Newsmax)
JOHN HANNA Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:19 PM EST
Kansas Republican Jerry Moran on Tuesday won a third term in the U.S. Senate, defeating Democrat Mark Holland, former mayor of Kansas City, Kansas.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Moran early in 2021, insulating him from a serious Republican primary challenge, though Moran voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election the month before Trump's endorsement. Holland won the Democratic primary in August against five other largely unknown candidates.
Moran's career has been marked by his ability to retain the support of all factions of the Kansas Republican Party. He represented a western and central Kansas district in the House for 14 years before being elected to the Senate in 2010.
Moran has gained some visibility in Washington in recent years for his work on veterans issues. He is the top Republican on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, after serving a year as chair when the GOP held a majority. He and Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, of Montana, led a successful effort this year in their chamber to pass improved health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.
Holland is a United Methodist pastor who was elected to local office in 2007, then Kansas City, Kansas, mayor in 2013. He served one term, losing his race for reelection in 2017.
It's been 90 years since Kansas elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Paulina Luna Beats Lynn in Florida's 13th Congressional District (Newsmax)
By Solange Reyner | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:00 PM EST
Trump-Republican Anna Paulina Luna has won Florida’s 13th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Eric Lynn and flipping the seat red.
Luna beat Lynn, 53% to 46%, according to election results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Luna held just a wafer-thin edge over Lynn last week, 45.9% to 45.3%.
Luna, one of two Hispanic Republicans running for Congress, last month told Newsmax that a "national shift" is leading Hispanics to join the GOP.
"I think that it's more of a national shift — and you're going to see that among all demographics," Luna said of the Hispanic vote. "It's interesting because the Biden administration and the Democrats like to falsely brand Hispanics as only being Mexicans, and that's simply not the case.
"In the last couple months, you had Jill Biden literally referring to us [as] breakfast tacos; you had most recently [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.] calling us crop pickers," she continued, saying that "after November, they'll be calling us Republicans."
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UPDATED 12:51 PM PT – Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Former Trump Political Adviser Steve Bannon’s prison sentence is being delayed.
In a court filing Monday, Judge Carl Nichols said Bannon “is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person … Or the community if released.”
Last month, he was sentenced to four months of jail time as well as a $6,500 fine.
Bannon was convicted in July on two contempt of Congress charges for not complying with subpoenas from the Democrat-led January Sixth Committee.
In the meantime, Bannon is stressing the importance of election day, calling it a referendum on one-party rule.
Sarah Sanders Next Governor of Arkansas (Newsmax)
By Eric Mack | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 08:42 PM EST
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is following in her father's footsteps, winning election as Arkansas' next governor Tuesday night, DecisionDesk HQ projected.
Sanders, whose father Mike Huckabee is the former governor of the state, served as former President Donald Trump's press secretary.
Sarah Sanders Next Governor of Arkansas (Newsmax)
By Eric Mack | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 08:42 PM EST
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is following in her father's footsteps, winning election as Arkansas' next governor Tuesday night, DecisionDesk HQ projected.
Sanders, whose father Mike Huckabee is the former governor of the state, served as former President Donald Trump's press secretary.
DeSantis Wins Reelection as Florida Governor (Getty)
By Jack Gournell | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 08:21 PM EST
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis easily defeated former Democratic challenger Charlie Crist to win another term in office Tuesday.
DecisionDeskHQ called the race as soon as all polls had closed in the state at 8 p.m. EST.
Crist, himself a former Republican governor of the state, bolsters DeSantis' status as a GOP rising star with potential White House aspirations.
DeSantis has vastly out-fundraised Crist and performed better in polls in the lead-up to an election where he rarely mentioned his opponent by name and instead characterized the race as a fight against the “woke agenda” of liberals.
Crist, on the other hand, centered his campaign on DeSantis, framing the Republican as a bully fixated on angling toward the presidency at the expense of the everyday problems of Floridians. At the candidates’ only debate, Crist repeatedly pressed the governor to commit to serving a full second term if elected. DeSantis skirted the question.
Former President Donald Trump in a Saturday rally for candiates in Pennsylvania called DeSantis "Ron DeSanctimonius" when reading out polling numbers for potential GOP 2024 candidates, but urged voters in a Florida rally the next day to reelect DeSantis. The current governor was notably absent from the rally for GOP Sen. Marco Rubio and others, however.
The victory for DeSantis will serve to advance speculation of a 2024 presidential run, a question DeSantis has so far dodged as former President Donald Trump has teased a third presidential run. Trump, who credits himself for propelling DeSantis to a first term in the governor’s office, has grown frustrated with DeSantis’ refusal to rule out a 2024 run, according to people familiar with Trump’s thinking.
Crist, who served as a Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and resigned a congressional seat to run this year, has been forced to fend off barbs about various stances held over his decades in Florida politics.
The Associated Press contributed.
DeSantis Wins Reelection as Florida Governor (Newsmax)
By Jack Gournell | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:29 PM EST
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis easily defeated former Democratic challenger Charlie Crist to win another term in office Tuesday.
DecisionDeskHQ called the race as soon as all polls had closed in the state at 8 p.m. ET.
Crist, himself a former Republican governor of the state, bolsters DeSantis' status as a GOP rising star with potential White House aspirations.
DeSantis has vastly out-fundraised Crist and performed better in polls in the lead-up to an election where he rarely mentioned his opponent by name and instead characterized the race as a fight against the "woke agenda" of liberals.
Crist, on the other hand, centered his campaign on DeSantis, framing the Republican as a bully fixated on angling toward the presidency at the expense of the everyday problems of Floridians. At the candidates' only debate, Crist repeatedly pressed the governor to commit to serving a full second term if elected. DeSantis skirted the question.
Former President Donald Trump in a Saturday rally for candiates in Pennsylvania called DeSantis "Ron DeSanctimonius" when reading out polling numbers for potential GOP 2024 candidates, but urged voters in a Florida rally the next day to reelect DeSantis. The current governor was notably absent from the rally for GOP Sen. Marco Rubio and others, however.
The victory for DeSantis will serve to advance speculation of a 2024 presidential run, a question DeSantis has so far dodged as former President Donald Trump has teased a third presidential run. Trump, who credits himself for propelling DeSantis to a first term in the governor's office, has grown frustrated with DeSantis' refusal to rule out a 2024 run, according to people familiar with Trump's thinking.
Crist, who served as a Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and resigned a congressional seat to run this year, has been forced to fend off barbs about various stances held over his decades in Florida politics.
The Associated Press contributed.
GOP Sen. Marco Rubio Reelection Win a Quick Call (Newsmax)
By Eric Mack | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 09:41 PM EST
In what was supposed to be a challenge from Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., the Senate race in Florida wound up being a quickly called result.
Newsmax has projected Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a winner of reelection.
"Congratulations @RonDeSantisFL and @marcorubio on your amazing victories!" Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted.
Rubio won a third term, defeating Demings and holding a key seat as the GOP tried to regain control of a closely divided Senate.
Rubio, 51, faced perhaps his toughest battle since he was first elected in 2010 after serving as the Florida House speaker. Once a presidential hopeful in 2016, Rubio's name is less often mentioned as a potential 2024 candidate.
Rubio ran a campaign pulled from the Republican playbook, tying Demings to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden and hammering her on issues like spending, rising inflation, and a crisis at the southern border.
The Republican was helped by shifting voter registration numbers in Florida. The last time Rubio ran for reelection, Democrats had about 327,000 more registered voters than Republicans. That has since flipped, with the GOP now having a nearly 300,000 advantage over Democrats.
Demings, 65, outraised Rubio and built a national profile by playing a prominent role in then-President Donald Trump's first impeachment and being on then-candidate Biden's list of potential running mates. But it wasn't enough.
Much of her criticism of Rubio centered on a poor attendance record, his backing of a national abortion ban, and questioning his honesty. She accused him of lying about her record and using GOP buzzwords like "socialist" and "radical" to condemn her.
Demings is finishing her third term in the U.S. House, but focused most of her campaign on her career in law enforcement, which included serving as Orlando's first female police chief.
Rubio had relatively easy paths to his first two Senate victories, winning a three-way race in 2010 when sitting Republican Gov. Charlie Crist ran as an independent and peeled away votes from Democrat Rep. Kendrick Meek. Rubio then defeated Rep. Patrick Murphy in 2016 by nearly 8 percentage points.
Rubio ran for president in 2016, winning the Minnesota primary before dropping out of the race eventually won by Trump, who mercilessly mocked Rubio as "Little Marco." Rubio initially said he wouldn't seek a second Senate term, which led to a scramble of GOP candidates looking to fill his seat. But Rubio changed his mind just before candidate qualifying ended and easily held onto his seat in 2016.
As vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Committee on Foreign relations, Rubio has pushed for taking a harder line against China and returning manufacturing of critical supplies like prescription drugs to the U.S.
During his first Senate campaign, Rubio repeatedly reminded voters of his working class background and "only in America" story as the son of Cuban immigrants who became a U.S. senator. His father was a bartender and his mother a hotel maid.
Demings, who was hoping to become Florida's first Black senator, used a similar "only in America" story. She grew up in Jacksonville, where segregation was still an issue, as the daughter of a janitor and maid. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and began her career in social work before becoming a police officer.
The economy weighed heavily on the minds of Florida voters. Three-quarters of them believe things in the country are heading in the wrong direction, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 3,300 voters in Florida. About half rank jobs as the most important issue facing the country.
Almost 8 in 10 voters say the nation's economy is not so good or poor. When looking at their own family's financial situation, about half describe it as holding steady while almost 4 in 10 say they are falling behind. However, 6 in 10 voters say they are confident they can keep up with their expenses and find a good job if needed.
For an overwhelming majority — roughly 9 in 10 voters — inflation was a factor in the election. For about 6 in 10, inflation was the single most important factor.
Meanwhile, nearly 7 in 10 voters say the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion was an important factor in the election. About 6 in 10 say they favor a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide and a third opposed it.
Alyasha Shakir, a 50-year-old Broward County employee, said he was concerned about moves to eliminate access to abortion and voted for Demings. "You know the Senate is very important right now. We need all that we can get up in Washington right now for the Senate," Shakir said while voting early in Fort Lauderdale.
In Orlando, a real estate agent and mother with her toddler strapped to her chest, who gave her name as Ashley S., said Tuesday she voted only for Republicans, because they supported keeping schools open during the pandemic. "I just want to keep Florida free," she said.
The Associated Press was used in this report.
Mich. Secretary of State Rips Trump for Voicing Election Integrity Concerns (Newsmax)
By Jay Clemons | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 07:49 PM EST
Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan secretary of state who's also up for reelection during the midterms cycle, slammed former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for spreading "lies" about election integrity — for which she claims could eventually lead to political violence.
"This isn't true," wrote Benson, while responding to a Truth Social post from Trump that alleged voters in Detroit were being turned away from polling stations.
Benson, a Democrat, then added: "Please don't spread lies to foment or encourage political violence in our state. Or anywhere. Thanks."
Trump used his high-profile platform Tuesday to comment about various polling issues in Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania — all battleground states.
"Same thing is happening with Voter Fraud as happened in 2020???" added Trump in a separate post.
The former president spent the last week touting various House, Senate, and gubernatorial candidates throughout the Midwest and southern states.
Trump has also endorsed Kristina Karamo — Benson's primary competition in Michigan — for the secretary of state position.
As Newsmax chronicled earlier Tuesday, election officials in Arizona's Maricopa County — easily the state's largest county — incurred major technical errors while tabulating votes.
At one time, there were reports of nearly 25% of votes in Maricopa County not being properly processed, fueling outrage directed at Arizona election officials — including Katie Hobbs, the current secretary of state who's also running for the governor's office (against Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake).
After the problems were initially reported, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, chair of Maricopa's elections board, and county recorder Stephen Richer released a video explaining the issue.
They also sought to reassure voters their ballots would be counted after taken to a central location.
"We've had a few tabulator issues at a couple locations where the tabulator isn't immediately taking the ballot," said Richer, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
"Instead it can either be central count tabulated here, or if that issue can be addressed there, then it can be fed into the tabulator — or voters can go to any of the other 221 voting locations," added Richer.
Trump's most prominent response to the tabulation problems in Arizona:
"They are now saying that about 20% of the so-called Voting Machines in Maricopa County are not counting the Votes that have been placed in the Machine. Only Republican areas? WOW! Kari Lake, Blake Masters, and all others are being greatly harmed by this disaster. Can’t let this happen, AGAIN!!! I believe Attorney General Mark Brnovich is on the case, big time. He has a chance to be the biggest hero of them all, and at the same time save our Country from this Cancer from within!!!"
Trump Backs Stefanik for House GOP Chair (Newsmax)
By Nicole Wells | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 06:44 PM EST
Former President Donald Trump said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has his support for another term as chair of the House Republican Conference.
On the eve of the election, Trump reportedly told Fox News, “I think she’s fantastic.”
While Stefanik is favored to win the conference chair position, she faces a challenge from Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., according to The Hill. Donalds threw his hat in the ring for the position when Stefanik was reportedly considering running for the No. 3 spot of House majority whip, which would be available if the GOP regains control of the House.
If Republicans make the sweeping gains predicted, current House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., will likely advance to the No. 2 position of majority leader. According to The Hill, he faces no competition for the post.
“I am proud to earn the support of my good friend President Trump for House Republican Conference Chair,” Stefanik said in a statement. “Over the past two years, we have unified House Republicans around President Trump’s America First agenda. There has been no greater partner than President Trump in helping House Republicans as we flip the House red tonight to save America.”
House Republicans are slated to vote on their leadership in Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 15, coinciding with Trump’s long-awaited “very big announcement,” as speculation mounts that he will launch a 2024 bid for the presidency.
Stefanik said, “I will continue working with President Trump to save America from the disastrous one-party Democrat rule. I am looking forward to his big announcement next week, he has my full support in 2024.”
Trump to Newsmax: Will Be 'Very Big Night' — If No Fraud (Newsmax/"Spicer & Co.")
By Luca Cacciatore | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 06:40 PM EST
Former President Donald Trump told Newsmax that Republicans will “have a very big night,” assuming there is not a massive amount of fraud in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Joining “Spicer & Co.,” the former president drew attention to voter machine issues in Maricopa County, Arizona, where about 20% of locations reported tabulation issues, which led to some individuals moving polling stations.
“I’m very concerned when I look at what’s going on in Arizona … the machines are breaking down, and the machines aren’t equipped properly. And they’re putting votes, I guess, into the machines, and the votes aren’t coming out — they’re not registering,” Trump explained.
“The lines are massive, and these are Republican areas, I guess, from what I’m hearing. This is very early,” the former president continued, adding that he was also worried about Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, extending voting hours after a paper ballot shortage.
Although Trump said that assuming “everything was fine” the election would be a huge victory for the Republican Party, the president also qualified it by stating he “wouldn’t make that assumption” as he does not “know what level they can cheat.”
Still, he predicted that Republicans could see a 51, 52, and even potentially 53-seat majority in the Senate. That’s a stark change from last month when Trump said it was much closer to a divided chamber.
“We have some people now that could happen. [GOP candidate Don] Bolduc could happen in New Hampshire. And I think [Arizona Republican] Blake Masters has a really good chance,” Trump stated, also noting Herschel Walker’s chances in the Georgia race.
Trump clarified why he did not announce his intent to run for president in 2024 on Monday night in Ohio, admitting that he wanted to but “didn’t want to take away from what’s happening today” in the elections.
“I just felt maybe it was better off doing it where it’s by itself a little bit, and it’s just a few days — actually one week, exactly one week later,” he confirmed. “We’re going to make a … statement that people are going to be very happy about.”
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Despite 'Stolen Valor' Charges, National GOP Sticks With OH-09 Candidate (Newsmax)
By John Gizzi Tuesday, 08 November 2022 06:32 PM EST Current | Bio | Archive
Two months ago, Trump Republican J.R. Majewski’s formerly high-flying campaign for Congress in Ohio’s redrawn 9th District (Toledo) was devastated by charges that would normally devastate any candidate.
The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Air Force veteran had exaggerated his record in uniform. In addition, despite Majewski’s claim that a “brawl” barred him from re-enlisting, records that were released showed drunken driving was the reason for his discharge.
So, even after the district lines were drawn to make it difficult for Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur to be re-elected, the longest-serving female ever to serve in Congress (40 years), was suddenly better-than-even money to win again.
But no one is writing off Majewski in the final stretch. Like his hero Donald Trump, the GOP nominee made it clear he was staying in the race and running hard despite the serious charges against him.
Contrary to a report in the Insider publication by reporter Dave Levinthal, the National Republican Congressional Committee has not “bailed on Majewski in a sign that the GOP brass have left him to defend himself.”
Reached by Newsmax last week, an NRCC spokesman Mike McAdams told Newsmax: “The NRCC has invested in OH-9 to defeat career politician Marcy Kaptur.”
A spokesman for Republican National Committee Chairman Ronna McDaniel also said the RNC was “fully committed to supporting the Republican ticket throughout Ohio.”
Earlier this year, Majewski stunned polls in both parties by overcoming two state legislators in the primary to win the GOP nomination in a suddenly winnable seat for a Republican. While the local Trump organization supported him, Trump himself did not endorse Majewski until after the primary.
Kaptur first won her seat in 1982 with a big upset of Republican Rep. Ed Weber. Two years later, she was re-elected over the late TV anchorman Frank Venner and has since cruised to re-election.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
Rep. Van Drew to Newsmax: 'Red Wave' Coming for GOP on Election Night (Newsmax/"The Chris Salcedo Show")
By Jay Clemons | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 06:26 PM EST
Nearly three full years have passed since Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., left the Democratic Party for the Republican side of governing.
And Van Drew doesn't have one lingering regret about the move.
Democrat leaders "told me how to vote, and said, 'You will obey. … But I told 'em, 'I'm from New Jersey. You don't talk to me that way,'" Van Drew recalled to Newsmax Tuesday afternoon, while appearing on "The Chris Salcedo Show."
Among the Democrats' most notable demands to the congressman: Van Drew said he was instructed to vote for impeachment of then-President Donald Trump.
"That's something I would never do," said Van Drew, who's up for reelection tonight in New Jersey's 2nd congressional district, which covers a large, reverse-L-shaped portion of the state's Atlantic Ocean coastline.
From Van Drew's perspective, Democrats favor encouraging division among the citizens, and the seeds of that contempt can be found in the lack of respect for law and order.
With Republicans, however, Van Drew attests the party supports the "fundamentals of America — faith, family, and freedom."
During his Newsmax interview, Van Drew was asked about the prospects of a "red wave" coming from Tuesday's election results.
This prompted the New Jersey Republican to knock the Democrats for spurring on the "crisis" along the United States-Mexico border, and implementing policies that led to record-high inflation levels and surging gas prices.
"Of course, people are leaving the Democratic Party. Of course, there's going to be a red wave," said Van Drew.
A dominant GOP victory would likely include a robust percentage of independent voters. And for still-undecided crowd of voters heading into Tuesday's midterms, Van Drew suggested a simple exercise of stocking up on groceries, filling up your car with gasoline, comparing the bottom lines of your 401k plan between the Biden and Trump administrations … and then, after all that, "try paying your bills."
Regarding high inflation, Van Drew said, "People can't afford to live, and we're making it increasingly difficult for them to survive" on limited resources.
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Trump: DeSantis 'Could Hurt Himself Badly' If He Runs in '24 (Newsmax)
By Theodore Bunker | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 05:44 PM EST
Former President Donald Trump this week said that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “could hurt himself badly” if he runs for president in 2024.
“I don’t know if he is running. I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly. I really believe he could hurt himself badly,” Trump said in an interview on Monday night. “I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it. I don’t think it would be good for the party.”
He added: “Any of that stuff is not good. You have other people that possibly will run, I guess. I don’t know if he runs. If he runs, he runs.”
Although Trump recently mocked the governor as “Ron DeSanctimonious” during an appearance at a Pennsylvania rally, he said on Monday that there is no “tiff” between them.
DeSantis is widely seen as a potential rival to the former president for the GOP nomination in 2024.
Trump later said on Tuesday that DeSantis “could have been more gracious,” after winning his seat in 2018, adding, that he “always had a decent relationship with him, but when I endorsed him, he was gone."
Trump continued: “He was not going to be able to even be a factor in the race, and as soon as I endorsed him, within moments the race was over. I got him the nomination. He didn’t get it, I got it. Because the minute I made that endorsement, he got it.”
Sen. Rick Scott Could Make Run at Majority Leader, if GOP Wins Midterms (Newsmax)
By Jay Clemons | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 05:41 PM EST
A prospective "red wave" from the midterm elections could also lead to a Republican battle for the Senate's most coveted leadership position.
On Sunday, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., opened up the speculative floodgates by declining to endorse Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the event of Republicans reclaiming the majority in the Senate chamber.
The public refusal from Scott — also the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) — prompted media outlets to wonder if Scott harbors active plans of campaigning to replace McConnell within a Republican-controlled Senate.
"[Scott] might do it. I hope he doesn't," a Senate Republican strategist recently told The Hill.
Another strategist speculated that Scott's leadership plans could also be a steppingstone to a presidential run in 2024.
"One of his advisers said a fight for McConnell is good for him, and he's trying to raise his profile to see what his choices are post-NRSC," the second strategist told The Hill.
Back in March, McConnell told reporters that he would assume the majority leader position, if Republicans broke the current 50-all Senate tie in the midterms.
Leading into that announcement, McConnell reportedly "wasn't happy" that Scott had previously released an 11-point plan for the Senate, which called for "sun-setting all federal legislation" after five years.
"Now let me tell you what will not be part of our agenda: We will not have as part of my agenda a bill that raises taxes on half of the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years," McConnell said then.
A month prior, Scott told CBS News that he would "absolutely" vote for the Kentucky senator to serve another term as the Republican leader.
"I can't imagine there will be a leader besides Mitch McConnell," Scott said in mid-February.
As Newsmax chronicled in October, former President Donald Trump — a political ally to Senator Scott — criticized McConnell for reportedly pulling funds from the Arizona Senate race (featuring Republican candidate Blake Masters) and giving it to the Alaska Senate battle, pitting a pair of Republicans (incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and the Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka) vying for the top spot.
"The Old Broken Crow, Mitchell McConnell, is authorizing $9 million to be spent in order to beat a great Republican, Kelly [Tshibaka], instead of $9 million that could be used for Blake Masters, and other Republicans, that with this money would beat their Democrat opponent," wrote Trump then, in a statement posted on Truth Social.
Shortly before that, McConnell dismissed the "candidate quality" of certain GOP Senate contenders in the midterms, while hinting that Republicans could fall short of taking back the Senate.
It might have been a subtle jab at Trump, whose stable of endorsement Senate challengers includes Masters (Arizona), Tshibaka (Alaska), JD Vance (Ohio), state Attorney General Eric Schmitt (Missouri), Katie Britt (Alabama), Dr. Mehmet Oz (Pennsylvania), and Herschel Walker (Georgia).
When asked about McConnell on NBC's "Meet The Press" program from Sunday, Scott provided only a cursory answer.
"I'm not focused on anything except getting a majority Tuesday night," said Scott.
Trump Wants Rick Scott as GOP Senate Leader Over McConnell (Newsmax)
By Michael Katz | Tuesday, 08 November 2022 05:28 PM EST
Former President Donald Trump said he will force Senate Republicans to replace Mitch McConnell as their leader if he wins the presidency in 2024, and he endorsed Florida Sen. Rick Scott as a “likely candidate” for the job, The Hill reported.
In an interview Monday night with Fox News Digital aboard his private plane after a rally in Dayton, Ohio, for Senate candidate J.D. Vance, Trump called Kentucky’s McConnell a “lousy leader.” He praised Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and former two-term governor of Florida, as “highly underrated.”
“I think we’ll probably have to live with him for two years,” Trump said of McConnell. “And if I run, and I win, I will say, Don’t send me any legislation if he’s the leader, and he’ll be out in two minutes.”
Scott is predicting that Senate Republicans will pick up between two and five seats in Tuesday's midterm elections, which will boost his political stock in Washington and particularly among Republican colleagues.
Trump acknowledged he does not have enough support within the Senate GOP conference to oust McConnell from his leadership position after the midterms.
Scott stirred speculation over the weekend when he declined to endorse McConnell for another term as the Senate Republican leader, telling NBC host Chuck Todd he is not focused on anything beyond Election Day.
Trump provided more fuel to speculation by describing Scott as “a likely candidate” for majority or minority leader.
“I think Rick Scott is a likely candidate — he hates the guy,” Trump said, characterizing Scott’s feelings about McConnell. “He’s tough — he’s tough, and I think he would probably go for it.”
McConnell stopped speaking to Trump after the 2020 presidential election, which Trump claims he lost because of widespread fraud.
McConnell denounced Trump’s claims of election fraud as “wild falsehoods” and declared the former president was “practically and morally responsible” for provoking the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
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