All posts tagged "republican party"

Republicans 'absolutely apoplectic' as Trump put them in 'impossible situation': reporter

Republicans are "tearing their hair out" as President Donald Trump stomps on the midterm messaging, a New York Times journalist said.

During an appearance on CNN, Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke about the GOP's frustrations as Trump blames them for voters' anger ahead of the midterm while praising himself.

"They are tearing their hair out. They are absolutely apoplectic," Garcia-Navarro said. "They have tried to get President Trump on message."

During an interview with Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman, Trump said that voters are "not angry at me," but "they are angry at Republicans." On CNN, former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson noted that Trump wouldn't admit to being down in the polls or unpopular with voters, and "he's going to blame it on Republicans," adding, "Rest assured, if the midterms are bad for Republicans, he will say it was because he was not on the ballot."

Garcia-Navarro agreed, adding that Republicans have "tried to get President Trump on message" ahead of the midterms. "He has completely stepped on that message over and over again," Garcia-Navarro said.

"He's also made it impossible for them to separate from him because they actually do need his base to show up for them," she said. "But then they can't actually go out and try and attract new voters because he's like a lodestone around their necks."

Republicans' dependence on a president they can't get on message puts them "in an impossible situation," Garcia-Navarro said. "As you look at the midterms, it's really hard for Republicans."

Garcia-Navarro said "the only saving grace" for Republicans is attacking faults in the Democratic Party platform and a boost from redistricting.

"Ultimately, it's going to have to be not just a blue wave, but a blue tidal wave in order to sort of get past some of these structural things," Garcia-Navarro said.

MAGA's quiet secret revealed as 'sickness' at the heart of Trump's movement comes to light

A former Republican operative on Thursday disclosed how the growing scandal around Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) and the abuse allegations has revealed a harsh reality MAGA has tried to conceal.

Steve Schmidt, co-founder of the anti-Trump organization The Lincoln Project, explained that inside MAGA, Trump allies have pledged their loyalty to the president — no matter what.

Schmidt referred to Miller as a growing problem for the GOP with "a nuclear distemper problem," referring to the accusations that Miller poured boiling hot water on his ex-wife, Emily Moreno — the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) — and allegedly broke his 2-year-old daughter's collarbone.

"Now the senator has tolerated this, the abuse of his grandchild, the abuse of his daughter, because it was expedient for MAGA," Schmidt said.

"And in MAGA, family comes second to loyalty when it comes to Donald Trump," Schmidt argued. "Trump over family. And that's the sickness at the heart of MAGA."

Schmidt called out Moreno.

"The putrid senator who has been silent in his daughter's defense has now spoken out about the sick son-in-law, a member of Congress fully supported by Trump, because of course, he is as devoted to Trump as is his father-in-law," Schmidt said. "And so everybody looks away and it's uncomfortable to cover the alleged wife-beating, baby-abusing congressman, certainly on the broadcast news and legacy cable news stations."

Upsetting Trump, or disrupting the MAGA base, has kept Republicans from trying to keep this story under wraps, Schmidt added.

"The story, the stench of it, the amorality of it, keeps coming up to the surface and there it sits," Schmidt said.

Firebrand ex-GOP rep drops bizarre claim Mitch McConnell's wife may be a Chinese spy

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) uncorked a wild claim Tuesday that Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife is a "possible Chinese spy," TMZ reported Tuesday.

Greene was in New York City when the outlet stopped her on the street to talk about McConnell and the Republican Party — urging his family and conservative leaders to push for his resignation.

"I think it's extremely serious and I'd like to say shame on the Republican Party for just basically staying silent while such a powerful Republican senator is laying in a hospital like a vegetable and his wife flew to China and met with the vice president of China just days after he basically died, and they brought him back with CPR and took him to the hospital," Greene said.

McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 after an emergency call and CPR at his Washington home, but his office has not confirmed his condition, and Greene's characterizations of it are her own.

She called out the GOP.

"This is what they support," Greene said. "They support people holding on to power until they're practically dead, or do die in office, and this is why the state of our country is so pathetic."

Greene demanded that McConnell's family be clear about his health and "take care of their family member." She said it was time for Kentucky to have a new election to replace the longtime senator.

"I want to call this out — this really irritates me," she added. "The Republican Party is all campaigning against communism right now. What about Elaine Chao? Elaine Chao flew to China and met with the vice president just a few days after Mitch McConnell practically died and went to the hospital. So, when are we going to call out a possible Chinese spy?"

"What woman leaves her husband's side while he is dead or dying in the hospital, flies to China and meets with the vice president? Answer me that," she added.

There is no evidence that Chao is a spy. TMZ reported that Chao was already in China and didn't rush home because of his medical emergency. Chao, who served as transportation secretary in the first Trump administration, was seen in Shanghai and Beijing in June and met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng around June 17.

Chao has been scrutinized for her ties to China in the past and faced accusations over her family's business connections to the country, which she has denied.

😳 Marjorie Taylor Greene tells @jacob_wass that Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, is a communist spy. pic.twitter.com/s1aVN7uZGN
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 7, 2026

Hookup site leak spurs denial from 'family values' GOP candidate

A married Iowa Republican campaigning for state lieutenant governor on a “traditional family values” platform has denied setting up a 2016 account linked to his email address on Adult Friend Finder, a hookup service for people seeking casual relationships.

Derek Wulf was last month named running mate to Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn. Both candidates have been vocal critics of non-traditional relationships.

Wulf is a third-generation cattle farmer and lives on a farm in Hudson, Iowa, with his wife, Dresden, and two children. They married in 2006.

An email address tied to him was exposed during a security breach on the website in 2016, according to LeakCheck.io, a respected cybersecurity platform that lets users check if their details are exposed in cyberattacks.

The data was highlighted by American Bridge 21st Century, a progressive research group and political action committee.

It is not known if Wulf signed up for the Adult Friend Finder account, or if somebody else used his email address. Multiple phone calls and emails to the candidate from Raw Story went unanswered.

But Luke Thompson, a strategist with the Lahn campaign, told Raw Story that Wulf denies setting up the account with the email that is associated with his phone service, and has said that he has not used the site.

“Anyone can set up an account for anyone,” Thompson said.

“This is a database that has routinely been used by identity thieves to set up accounts,” he added, referencing an Associated Press story involving Bernie Moreno and Adult Friend Finder.

Moreno, now a GOP senator representing Ohio, was linked to an Adult Friend Finder account set up in 2008 and seeking “Men for 1-on-1 sex."

Moreno's lawyer later told AP it had been set up by a former intern, Dan Ricci, as “part of a juvenile prank."

Thompson warned Raw Story, “Pursuing this in the face of this knowledge will change the nature of our relationship considerably."

Adult Friend Finder promotes itself as a platform for adults seeking casual and non-traditional relationships.

The site and its parent company, FriendFinder Networks, were hit by two massive data breaches in 2015 and 2016. The most recent was one of the largest breaches in history and exposed more than 412 million accounts.

It’s unknown if the account linked to Wulf is still active.

On June 12, gubernatorial candidate Lahn announced his choice of running mate.

“Today, I am proud to announce Representative Derek Wulf as my pick for Lieutenant Governor. Derek has been an Iowa First fighter for years in the legislature. Whether it was leading on Right to Repair, defending private property rights, or stopping corporate overreach - Derek has been there for Iowans and I am very proud to have him partner with me on this campaign and look forward to serving with him at the Capitol,” Lahn wrote on X.

Wulf has campaigned on restoring "Iowa’s values and way of life” and claimed the “foundation of our country is based on the person of Jesus Christ.” Lahn has shared similar messages, and in 2009 he called the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage as “judicial tyranny."

Trump's 'risky' GOP convention idea shows his 'stranglehold' is slipping: analysts

President Donald Trump's unusual decision to host a midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, this fall could have unexpected consequences for Republicans, a CNN analyst warned on Wednesday.

Journalist Chuck Todd told CNN anchor Erica Hill that the event, hosted by the Republican National Committee on Sept. 9 and 10, has been touted as an attempt to drive voter enthusiasm ahead of the crucial elections this fall — without Trump on the ballot — but that it might not benefit the GOP.

"I think the Democrats will help pay for this Convention," Todd said. "I think they would love to see this race as nationalized as possible in the midterm elections. The more nationalized they are, the worse that is for the incumbent party."

Todd pointed to history and emphasized the convention could ultimately backfire for Republicans.

"Doing this the way that Trump wants to do it, making it about him, making it about you're either with Trump or you're against Trump, that's the frame, frankly, Democrats would love to go into the general election with," Todd explained.

He also described how GOP insiders were strategizing to target moderate Republican voters.

"Now I understand why there are some that argue inside the Republican Party, knowing that Trump is unpopular with the middle, that say, 'This is a turnout election. We're not trying to persuade anybody. We've got to find ways to fire up the MAGA base,' and the MAGA base has never shown up when Donald Trump hasn't been on the ballot," Todd said.

"So, this is an attempt to do that. I'm skeptical this is going to work, especially at a time when he's more unpopular now than he has been at any moment of his stranglehold on the Republican Party," Todd added. "So ... Democrats will help pay for this convention if they promise to nationalize this message and make it all about Trump."

"I think it's highly risky. I understand the rationale. Strategically, in some of these red states that Democrats have to win — the Senate races in Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Alaska, Nebraska — the Republican argument is that if they just get their own voters out, they can hold those seats," he continued. "I just think it's highly risky. I do, and I think it only helps Team Blue more than they think it will help Team Red."

Disbelief as MAGA rep warns GOP being taken over by 'crazy people': 'He’s one of them!'

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) warned on Wednesday that Republicans were in a serious battle to stop "crazy people" from controlling the GOP — and the internet had plenty to say in response.

During a live interview with Newsmax, Fine commented on Democrats and said he was concerned about the Republican Party.

"When these people surfaced decades ago, they didn't take them seriously," Fine said. "They were so determined to gain power, they said we'll take anybody into our tent and now those people have taken over the tent. That's why we got to fight in my party, in the Republican Party, to not let crazy people take over. Because if we do, we're done. I think what we see happening to the Democratic Party, it may be good for Republicans but it is terrible for America."

Fine's comments drew criticism online among commentators.

"That battle was lost in the spring of 2016," S.V. Dáte, White House correspondent at HuffPost, wrote on X.

"Crazy people have taken over… no doubt, he’s one of them!" Alene Browdy, political commentator and vice president of sales and merchandising, wrote on X.

"How does anyone on the right say this with a straight face?" author Luke Epplin wrote on X.

"Too late for that, genius. Vote this bigot the f--- out," Rodger Williams, a progressive political commentator, wrote on X.

"In related news, I am launching a campaign to save the brontosaurus," politics writer Julian Sanchez wrote on Bluesky.

That battle was lost in the spring of 2016. https://t.co/LQ7Bf0n0GP
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) July 1, 2026

Trump's raging rant after major Supreme Court loss fuels internet firestorm: 'Says what?'

Reactions were rolling in Monday after President Donald Trump and his Republican Party were dealt a serious blow in the Supreme Court's ruling on mail-in ballots.

Reporters asked Trump for his thoughts during a press conference in the Oval Office after the high court upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, rejecting the president's attacks on the voting practice.

Trump was asked what comes next for the SAVE America Act, which the president has referred to as a priority.

"Because of the mail-in ballot ruling, which was a little bit surprising, it gives people more time to vote illegally," Trump said.

Trump himself has voted by mail — and the internet was quick to point that out.

"If it's a weekday afternoon in America, reporters are nodding sagely and respectfully and pretending it's normal for a president to say things your family would put your uncle in a padded room with non-toxic crayons and a ball of string if he said them," the political commentary account Recovering Journalist wrote on X.

"Yes, the 'illegal' mail-in votes, even though Trump votes by mail. It’s like OJ telling you driving a Ford Bronco should be illegal," progressive political commentator Chris Robinson wrote on X.

"Trump’s an idiot. It doesn’t give any more time to vote," Vince Wilson, liberal political commentator and YouTuber, wrote on X.

"Adjudicated rapist says what?" Dane Rauschenberg, long-distance runner and author, wrote on X.

If it's a weekday afternoon in America, reporters are nodding sagely and respectfully and pretending it's normal for a president to say things your family would put your uncle in a padded room with non-toxic crayons and a ball of string if he said them. https://t.co/ixmhMNxxXD
— Recovering Journalist (@JournoRehab) June 29, 2026

Alito throws Amy Coney Barrett's own line back at her as right-wing justices clash

Conservative justices Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett clashed on Monday in a Supreme Court ruling involving mail-in voting, which was considered a rejection of the Republican Party's attack on mail-in ballots.

Coney Barrett wrote the opinion in the 5-4 ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee that upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to arrive after Election Day. And in a scathing dissent, Alito used her own words to argue against the decision. Fellow conservative justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas joined the dissent.

"To say that this is not the most likely explanation of States' thought processes would be 'a delicately put understatement,'" Alito wrote.

The court ruling was deemed a defeat for Trump and Republicans, who have argued that the method should not be used before the midterm elections in November, according to CNN. Trump has asserted that there is widespread fraud involving mail-in ballots, despite no evidence of these claims.

Alito argued that "today’s decision leaves open opportunities for voter fraud that may further undermine Americans’ faith in the integrity of this country’s elections."

"It is undeniable that a prohibition on counting late-arriving ballots would provide an additional hurdle for bad actors seeking to stuff ballot boxes when early election results suggest a tight race. The majority incorrectly removes this safeguard from federal law," Alito wrote.

GOP leaders forced to scrap their own vote facing uprising from their own party

House Republican leaders scrapped Friday's scheduled votes as an internal party standoff threatened to derail the chamber's legislative agenda, according to a notice sent to members Thursday.

The impasse stemmed from GOP hard-liners blocking action over the stalled SAVE America Act, an elections bill currently stuck in the Senate, Politico reported.

Members were set to depart after a Thursday afternoon vote, according to Politico. Speaker Mike Johnson was scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump, hoping to broker a resolution that restores the House schedule next week.

Without a deal, both chambers could remain on extended recess through mid-July, deepening concerns about congressional productivity heading into summer.

Trump vowed on Wednesday to block a bipartisan affordable housing bill Congress had given final passage to the night before, declining to sign the bill and fueling panic from lawmakers over the SAVE America Act. During a closed-door, contentious luncheon on Wednesday, he tried to persuade the Republican senators to pass the bill, which he has called a priority ahead of midterms.

Right-wing star's GOP exit is darker than it looks: ex-insider

The departure of a right-wing star subtly hides a darker statement, according to a former Republican insider.

Steve Schmidt, a long-time GOP strategist, spoke on his podcast The Warning about right-winger Tucker Carlson's announcement that he's leaving the Republican Party. He dissected Carlson's move but put it in a context that Schmidt said revealed a deeper motive.

"Tucker Carlson has left because of the Jews," Schmidt said. "That's what he's saying."

Schmidt noted that he left the Republican Party in 2018, and that he at one time expected "Tucker Carlson would be the Republican nominee for president in 2028, beating the two lamos, Marco Rubio and the pathetic J.D. Vance," towards the end of Trump's term.

"But Tucker Carlson has bigger ambitions," Schmidt continued. "What he sees ahead is a fracturing of the two major political parties into a democratic socialist party on the democratic left and a right-wing party on the right, both of them hostile to the state of Israel, and both of them teeming with antisemitism."

However, "Tucker Carlson's antisemitism is not crude like so many practitioners of the vile art on social media," according to Schmidt. "He is not talking about the Jews poisoning the food supply of the world. He is not talking about conspiracies. Tucker Carlson is much more subtle."

Carlson's declaration that he's leaving the GOP amounts to saying "Donald Trump has failed," and what Carlson has done is to "declare that MAGA was a lie because it did not put the country first, it put Israel first," Schmidt argued.

Schmidt also warned that "we're going to have many consequences because of Donald Trump, but one of them may well be the crack-up of the two-party political system that produced the presidency so vile."