Trump's 'perfect storm' could cause 'great migration' of Republicans: Ex-GOP Senator

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Trump's 'perfect storm' could cause 'great migration' of Republicans: Ex-GOP Senator
Donald Trump (Photo by Brenden McDermid for Reuters)

A former GOP senator predicted that a "great migration" will begin where Republicans start to move away from supporting Trump.

"This is kind of a perfect storm," former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said during a Thursday appearance on Meet the Press NOW. "It may be that you can point to it and say, 'This is when the great migration begins.'"

The "perfect storm" that Flake sees is anger with Trump endorsing the primary opponents to respected GOP senators and disgust within the Republican Party with the $1.8 billion "slush fund" that critics fear will fund January 6 rioters.

Trump's support for the primary opponent of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) "angered so many Senate Republicans," Flake said. "That was bad enough because Bill Cassidy is a serious, good senator, well-liked."

Coming out against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) "means Republicans are going to have to spend tons and tons of time trying to defend that seat," Flake explained. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running against Cornyn in next week's primary, is "a very, very compromised candidate," Flake added.

"And then, some of these things Republicans simply cannot defend," Flake went on. "This slush fund for the president's political allies, that is just not going to fly, and Republicans are rightly running away quickly from that."

Flake pointed out that filing deadlines for Republican primaries across the country are passing. He expects that will eliminate "the fear that the president can target you," Flake said.

"You're going to see a lot happen in the Senate and in the House as members say, 'hey, we don't have to worry about the primaries anymore.'"

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'Tom Homan can shove it': NY lawmakers send defiant message with new ICE restrictions

New York lawmakers want the Trump administration to know they're not scared as they doubled down on restrictions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a new report.

"Tom Homan can shove it," Democratic New York state Sen. Andrew Gounardes told reporters in reference to Trump's border czar, according to reporting by Politico.

The remark is a defiant shot back at Homan, who called out New York at a border security expo earlier this month. Homan threatened to 'flood the zone' with ICE agents if the state passes legislation limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Gounardes joined with other New York Democratic lawmakers to approve a package of new restrictions on ICE operations in their state, Politico reported. Gov. Kathy Hochul backed the package, which passed the legislature on Thursday.

One of the new laws would even limit the NYPD and other local law enforcement from helping ICE with crowd control if it comes to New York to roll out operations like what was seen in Minnesota earlier this year, according to Politico.

Another law bans ICE agents, and federal and local law enforcement broadly, from wearing masks and creates a list of "sensitive" locations that ICE can't enter without a judicial warrant, Politico added.

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'Oh my god!' Analyst stunned as Trump fraud prosecutor refuses reporter's question

A political analyst was stunned on Thursday after one of President Donald Trump's federal fraud investigators refused to answer a reporter's question.

Colin McDonald, an assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement, spoke at a press conference announcing criminal charges against 15 organizations in Minnesota that have allegedly defrauded federal Medicaid and autism-related benefit programs. During the press conference, a reporter asked McDonald about Trump's previously commuted sentences for people convicted of stealing Medicaid money and whether some of the people charged on Thursday can expect similar leniency.

"I'll take a different question as the final question," McDonald said, pointing to a reporter on the other side of the room.

The prosecutor's comments stunned political analyst Adam Mockler, who reacted to them in a new YouTube video.

"Oh my god!" Mockler said. "They can't take any hard questions. Look, the guy's mouth is agape throughout the question being asked. He doesn't even know how to answer this in any meaningful way."

Mockler's comments came at a time when the Trump administration is facing significant criticism for its fraud initiative. Trump has pardoned several people who were convicted of fraud, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud in 2022, and former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who pleaded guilty to stealing campaign donations to pay for personal expenses.

John Cornyn roasted for bizarre Dairy Queen campaign stop: 'So normal!'

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is continuing to campaign in the primary runoff after President Donald Trump dealt a crushing blow by endorsing his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — but his latest stunt is meeting a wave of ridicule.

"Stopped by @DairyQueen in Sealy, Texas, otherwise known as the 'Texas stop sign,' to sample some of their delicious fare," said Cornyn in a post to X on his official government account. "I highly recommend the Blizzard. (I had that after I ate this child-size cone)" He posted a picture of himself posing with an employee inside the restaurant.

The stilted way Cornyn talked about Dairy Queen — which, despite its unique franchising system in Texas, is a national chain known to virtually everyone and not remotely unique to the town of Sealy — earned immediate and widespread mockery.

"You highly recommend the blizzard? Okay, but like, what [expletive] kind?" asked The Political HQ account.

"Is Cornyn saying this is the first time he’s been to Dairy Queen?" wrote Tarrant County GOP precinct chair Joshua Medeiros.

""And here I am eating this normal person food just like you normal people at the State Fair! Haha, see? I'm so normal and just like you!" wrote Tony Kinnett of The Daily Signal, accompanied by an infamous picture of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry suggestively wolfing down a corn dog at the Iowa State Fair.

"I’m convinced. Must try this 'Dairy Queen' and sample their new product," wrote former Keller mayor and GOP legislative candidate Armin Mizani.

"'To sample some of their delicious fare' ...is @JohnCornyn a space alien? 'I highly recommend the Blizzard' ...has #JohnCornyn never been to a DQ before? 'after I ate this child-size cone' ...is John Cornyn just asking to be mocked? #TXSen #txlege @KenPaxtonTX #KenPaxton," wrote political strategist Mathew Helman.

"Hiya folks. It's me, your senator, doing a regular human iced cream!" wrote NBC Sports NFL writer Patrick Daugherty.

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