Ron Desantis Begins Rally Tour Of Battleground States With Fbi Raid And 2024 As The Backdrop
Phoenix, Ariz. Former President Donald Trump’s hold over the Republican party remained at a rally that he did not attend in Phoenix over the weekend as some of the biggest candidates in the 2022 cycle decried the FBI search on Mar-a-Lago.
“I really anticipate that the state of Florida will be the one to get the election wave off the ground,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during his roughly 46-minute appearance at an event for Arizona Senate nominee Blake Masters and gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake.
DeSantis, who is up for reelection in 2022, came in second in a recent CPAC straw poll for the 2024 presidential election, 45 points behind Trump although the poll was taken before the FBI search. But when Trump was taken out of the poll, DeSantis was in the lead.
DeSantis’ visit to Phoenix capped off a chaotic six days since the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and seized 11 sets of classified documents. The unsealed search warrant revealed that Trump is under investigation for destruction, removal or destruction of records, obstruction of an investigation, and violating a provision of the Espionage Act related to gathering, transmitting or losing defense information.
“How dare they. Joe Biden, we have had enough. Our ‘government created of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ That government has turned onto ‘we’ the people. And we will begin to fight back,” Lake said.
Could Donald Trump Face Ron Desantis On The Republican Ticket For President
Having Trump and DeSantis speaking at the same time on different sides of the state Saturday highlights Floridas status as the center of the GOP universe, and the growing rivalry between the partys two biggest stars.
Trump increasingly has indicated that he plans to run for president again, but polls show many Republicans would prefer DeSantis as the next GOP presidential nominee. DeSantis routinely ranks second in GOP presidential primary polling to Trump, and has inched ahead of the former president in some state surveys.
The Florida GOP event in Hollywood will be the DeSantis show, with the governor presiding over a party that Trump reshaped in his own image but now seems to be gravitating towards a younger standard bearer with some of Trumps pugnaciousness, but less baggage.
Trump isnt giving up his grip on the party willingly, though, even as a range of other figures including Hawley and Cruz subtly jockey with DeSantis to emerge as the GOPs next national leader.
All of that ambition will be on display in Tampa and Hollywood this weekend, providing a potential preview of whats to come in 2024.
Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached at [email protected]
Trump To Rally House Republicans As Party Turns Eye To Midterms
Donald TrumpTwo Fox News contributors quit over Tucker Carlsons Jan. 6 documentary GOP senator: Decisions on bills not made based on if they hurt or help Trump or BidenORourke wont say if he wants Biden to campaign for him in Texas senate raceMORE is set to rally House Republicans at a Florida fundraiser on Monday as the GOP turns its gaze from the off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey and other states to its goal of recapturing control of Congress in 2022.
I will be doing a roundtable and speaking tonight at the National Republican Congressional Committee annual dinner in Tampa, Trump said in a statement issued through his leadership PAC. Look forward to being there!
The planned appearance at the National Republican Congressional Committees fundraising dinner in Tampa was first reported in September. But it comes on the heels of a string of Republican victories in state and local elections spanning from New Jersey to San Antonio.
In the GOPs highest-profile win of the year, Republican Glenn YoungkinTerry McAuliffeOcasio-Cortez on Virginia governors race: We were unwelcome to pitch inRepublicans eager to take on Spanberger in VirginiaWas education really the winning wedge issue for the GOP? School board elections tell a different storyMORE in the race for Virginia governor, a major triumph for Republicans in a state that has lurched to the left over the past decade.
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Trump Attracts Thousands To Sarasota Rally Urging Fight For Conservative Policies
SARASOTA In a return to campaign-style rallies in Florida, former President Donald Trump urged his supporters in Sarasota to fight for conservative policies at every level.
Saturdays Save America Rally in Sarasota attracted a record crowd to the Sarasota Fairgrounds, organizers said. The event gave Trumps most fervent supporters an opportunity to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend with the 45th president and other conservative firebrands.
Together we will take back the House, take back the Senate and we will save America, Trump said.
Theres only one way to save our nation, he added. We have to work for a victory in the mid-terms next year. We have to keep fighting like we are right now.
As he addressed the crowd, Trump looked back on his record while he was president. He touted his efforts to improve the economy, secure the border and support the military.
The difference under President Joe Biden has been stark, Trump contended. Since leaving office, Trump argued the countrys status as a foreign policy leader and the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border have declined. He also denounced Critical Race Theory, calls to defund the police and Bidens proposed tax increases.
What weve done is going to get better and better. The beautiful thing is people will see how bad it can go and how quickly it can be taken away, Trump said.
Among those waiting in line to hear the former president speak was Stacey Shinn.
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Does It Matter If The Documents Were Declassified
In a legal sense, probably not.
That’s because prosecutors are investigating three potential crimes. These are:
- Willful retention of national defence information
- Obstruction of federal investigation
- Concealment or removal of government records
Crucially, none of the three criminal laws in question actually depend on whether or not the files were declassified.
This means it is uncertain whether Mr Trump’s argument about declassification would hold up in court or even be considered relevant by a judge.
There are also elements of this story beyond declassification that could prove relevant. There are laws designed to prevent national security documents from being mishandled, for example, while the Presidential Records Act dictates that presidents risk committing a civil offence if official records are not preserved.
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The Search Came As Trump Is Weighing Another Run For The Presidency
The F.B.I.s search of Mar-a-Lago came as former President Donald J. Trump weighs an increasingly likely third White House bid. He has considered making an unusually early announcement this year, a move designed in part to shield himself from a stream of damaging revelations emerging from congressional and criminal investigations into his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 election.
But there have been increasing doubts about his viability as a candidate in 2024. A New York Times/Siena poll last month showed that while Mr. Trump maintained his primacy in the party, a significant number of Republicans said they would not support him in a rematch with President Biden. In that hypothetical matchup, Mr. Trump trailed President Biden, 41 percent to 44 percent.
During campaign rallies and speeches this year, Mr. Trump has continued to use the 2020 election as a political cudgel. Hes insisted that election fraud should be the top issue in the midterm elections, and that the investigations into his actions to undermine the results were merely a political hoax.
The election was rigged and stolen and now our country is being systematically destroyed, Mr. Trump said during a speech on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas.
New York Criminal Probe
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, has been investigating whether Trump’s family real estate company misrepresented the values of its properties to get favorable bank loans and lower tax bills.
Two top lawyers who had been leading the investigation resigned in February, throwing the probe’s future into question, but Bragg’s office has said it is ongoing. read more
Trump has denied wrongdoing and said the probe is politically motivated. Bragg is a Democrat.
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The House Jan 6 Panel Is Scheduled To Interview Pompeo And Mastriano On Tuesday
In the wake of the F.B.I. search of former President Donald J. Trumps property in Florida, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is gearing up to meet with two potentially key witnesses in its separate inquiry on Tuesday.
The committee is expected to meet with Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state under Mr. Trump, and Douglas V. Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania who served as a point person in the state for a plan to keep Mr. Trump in power by using slates of alternative or fake electors.
Mr. Pompeo has been in talks with the committee about his appearance for weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter, and could provide testimony about discussions within Mr. Trumps cabinet about the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office after the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Mr. Pompeos discussion regarding the 25th Amendment was reported by Jonathan Karl of ABC News in his book Betrayal.
A spokesman for the Jan. 6 committee declined to comment. A spokesman for Mr. Pompeo did not respond to a request for comment.
It is unclear what the committees response will be if Mr. Mastriano ends the interview abruptly.
Mr. Mastriano has turned over documents to the Jan. 6 committee that included information about busing people to Washington for a large rally that preceded the violence, and copies of posts he made on social media.
What Did Trump Say About The Sarasota Rally
In a statement a Trump spokesperson said: President Donald J. Trumpwill hold a major rally in Sarasota.
This Save America rally is co-sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida and marks President Trumps further support of the MAGA agenda and accomplishments of his administration.
It will feature a HUGE fireworks show to celebrate America following President Trumps remarks to conclude a full day event commemorating our Great Country, the statement adds.
Florida GOP Chair Joe Gruters told The Herald Tribune: Its going to be an absolutely amazing event. Its going to include fireworks and a lot of other great things.
Its going to be a very patriotic and exciting day and Im so thankful were going to be able to host him here.
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President Trump Campaign Rally In Tampa Florida
New York Time
President Trump delivered remarks at a campaign rally in Tampa. He talked about several issues, including the economy, China, and Democratic presidential nomineeread more
President Trump delivered remarks at a campaign rally in Tampa. He talked about several issues, including the economy, China, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. He also commented on the news that former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor was the anonymous author of a 2018 New York Time opinion piece, calling him a lowlife and disgrace to our country who should be prosecuted. close
Will Trump Be Imprisoned In Florida
It could end up that Donald Trump ends up in a prison of his own making in Florida.
It’s widely noted, as this Huffpost article reports, that Florida Officials ‘Actively’ Preparing For DeSantis To Block Trump Extradition.
Basically, if the NY state AG or the Feds attempt to extradite Trump, then Republican, Trump supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will shield Trump from the extradition.
Actually, Trump is scheduled soon to spend some time in New Jersey. But there, a Democratic governor will probably, almost certainly, not block any extradition attempts. So Trump may decide not to avoid Florida’s humid season. He may decide that he’s, in practicality, going to be staying Florida.
I’d like to think that he may figure out that he could put himself at risk if he goes anywhere outside of Florida. Or, he may force some red state governors to issue him orders blocking his extradition.
I like the idea of him being stuck in Florida, unable to fly to his narcissism satiating rallies. I like the idea that he can’t leave Florida and that he may be feeling even the slightest sense that he is restricted, even imprisoned.
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So How Does Classification Work
There are three main categories of classified material – confidential, secret and top secret. These are given depending on the extent to which officials deem the public release of the material would damage national security.
When materials are classified, they are marked as such and only certain people – those who have passed the relevant level of security vetting – should be able to view them. There are also rules dictating how classified information is transported and stored.
Some senior officials do have the power to declassify documents. The president, too, has the authority to do this, but would usually delegate the task to those who have direct responsibility for the material.
It’s worth noting that documents related to nuclear weapons cannot be declassified by the president, as they fall under a different law, according to a security specialist who spoke to the Washington Post.
As the BBC’s US partner CBS reported, the president cannot declassify documents by simply saying so. A written memo would usually be drafted and signed by the president, before a consultation process takes place with the relevant agencies.
Once a final decision is made, the old classification level would be crossed out and the document marked as “declassified on x date”.
It is unclear whether Mr Trump followed the typical process with the documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago.
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Donald Trump has promised supporters that he will return to the White House in 2024 during a speech in Florida on Saturday.
The former president appeared on stage as part of an American Freedom Tour event in Fort Lauderdale.
With the support of everyone in this room, we will take back the House, we will take back the Senate and we will take back our country, said Mr Trump, according to a report by Insider.
He continued: And then most importantly in 2024, we are going to take back our beautiful White House.
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President Trump To Visit Central Florida For Campaign Event On Friday
SANFORD, Fla. President Donald Trump will be in Central Florida this week to hold a campaign event.
The Trump campaign said the president will be speaking at the Orlando Sanford International Airport at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Trumps visit to Sanford comes as Florida voters are already casting ballots in a state that could prove crucial in the presidential election.
The Department of State reported Saturday that more than 6,600 vote-by-mail ballots have already been returned and more than 5 million others have been requested. That could put Florida on a pace to double the number of people who voted by mail in the 2016 presidential election.
In 2016, 2.7 million voted by mail. This year, more than 2.3 million Democrats have requested vote-by-mail ballots, compared to nearly 1.6 million Republicans.
More than 1.1 million people not registered with either major party have requested ballots to vote by mail.
How Will President Trump Be Received In Florida After He Leaves The White House
by: Brian Entin, Nexstar Media Wire
Posted: Jan 15, 2021 / 08:37 AM EST
by: Brian Entin, Nexstar Media Wire
Posted: Jan 15, 2021 / 08:37 AM EST
PALM BEACH, Fla. When you drive over the bridge into Palm Beach, youre entering another world of wealth.
More than two dozen billionaires live on the island.
Stapleton has been covering Trump as president for the last four years, and has covered his life on Palm Beach for nearly three decades.
The neighbors at Mar-a-Lago do not want him here. And they have sent letters to the town council, Stapleton said.
President Trumps relationship with Palm Beach has been complicated.
He bought Mar-a-Lago for $10 million back in 1985.
And he has battled the town and county for various reasons ever since.
He sued the Town of Palm Beach because he wasnt allowed to have an 80-foot flag pole.
He sued the airport because he didnt like the planes flying over his house.
And a lawyer for one of his neighbors is now challenging whether President Trump can even live at Mar-a-Lago because its a private club.
There is some legal wrangling going on. There are a lot of people who say he cant legally live there because it is not his residence. He gave that up when he got permission to open the club. So there could end up being another legal hassle over that, Stapleton said.
The President changed his legal residency from New York to Florida last year.
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