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☆ Fact Check-Florida Governor DeSantis did not say he would 'examine the legality of any extradition request' for Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not say that he would “examine the legality of any extradition request” made for former U.S. President Donald Trump, as suggested in a fabricated quote circulating online. Examples of the fabricated statement shared on social media can be seen (here) and (here). At the 22.52s timestamp DeSantis said: “And in terms of, we are not involved in this and won’t be involved in this. In a March 20 press briefing, DeSantis said that he had “no interest in getting involved” in a potential extradition of Trump to face charges in New York. The fabricated statement that he would “examine the legality of any extradition request” was first cast as hypothetical, but some have shared it as though it was made by the governor.

☆ 'No daily drama' -DeSantis on how he differs from Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Politics'No daily drama' -DeSantis on how he differs from TrumpPostedFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis stepped up his criticism of former President Donald Trump this week in an interview with Fox News's Piers Morgan.

☆ Ron DeSantis says that if he runs for president in 2024, he gives the GOP a shot to beat Joe Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Without announcing a 2024 run, he told Piers Morgan he'd give the GOP an edge over Joe Biden. I think the country wants a change," DeSantis told Morgan. "You can't win with just Republicans," DeSantis told Morgan. Once a supporter of DeSantis, Trump has dragged the governor with insulting nicknames such as "Ron DeSanctimonious." Representatives for DeSantis, Trump, and the White House did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent after business hours.

Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. "I think this will strengthen the resolve of his supporters," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist who represented Trump in many media appearances during the 2020 presidential campaign. "It’s not good for Trump, the question is how bad for Trump it is," said Sabato. Trump has defied predictions of his demise numerous times since he launched his bid for the White House in 2015. Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 Republican field, with the support of 44% of Republicans in a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday, ahead of DeSantis' 30% support.

☆ Americans see Trump investigation as political, but also believable -Reuters/Ipsos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Shannon StapletonWASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - About half of Americans believe a New York investigation into whether Donald Trump paid hush money to a porn star is politically motivated, but a large majority find the allegations believable, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found. Some 62% of respondents, including a third of Republicans, said it was also believable that Trump falsified business records and committed fraud. About nine in 10 respondents said they had heard about the Manhattan prosecutors' case against Trump, one of several probes dogging Trump. Some 54% of respondents - including 85% of Democrats and 21% of Republicans - said the accusation that Trump solicited election fraud was believable. The Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 1,003 adults nationwide, including 415 self-described Democrats and 383 Republicans.

☆ DeSantis jumps into Trump indictment fray
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsDeSantis jumps into Trump indictment frayPostedFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen as one of the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, broke his silence on the expected indictment of former President Donald Trump for hush money payments to a porn star, hitting out at a New York prosecutor but also taking a veiled swipe at Trump. This report produced by Chris Dignam.

☆ Disney executives are being directed to identify thousands of layoff candidates and propose other budget cuts by April
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bob Iger is on a push for profitability at Disney and announced plans to cut 7,000 positions. Managers must identify candidates for layoffs by April, according to a source close to Disney. Disney bean counters have been looking carefully across the company in an attempt to find redundancies and eliminate executives where they can. Earlier this month, Disney announced that top human resources executive Paul Richardson would exit. In February Iger announced a restructure of Disney into three divisions: Entertainment, ESPN, and Parks, Experiences and Products.

☆ Fact Check-Altered photo of DeSantis campaign official Christina Pushaw circulates online
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A digitally altered photo of Christina Pushaw, rapid response director for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ re-election campaign, has circulated online with added coloring to her knees. Examples of users sharing the altered photo can be seen (here) and (here). An unaltered photo was tweeted on March 14 (here) by Rob Smith, a political analyst who contributes to Fox News (here). In the photo, Markowicz is seen (third from the left) wearing a pink dress and holding her book, while Pushaw (fifth from the left) is wearing a blue dress. The photo of Christina Pushaw has been altered to make her knees appear red.

Politico reported that a grand jury was preparing to indict Trump, the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination. DeSantis has not declared a presidential run but is widely expected to do so and is by far Trump's most formidable Republican challenger. At a press conference DeSantis criticized Bragg but did not dismiss the case against Trump outright. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, I just, I can't speak to that," he said. Other than Pence and DeSantis, most major declared and prospective Republican presidential candidates have remained silent on the issue.

☆ Drag queens say they tweak their performances if they notice a kid in the crowd. Republicans have cast the performances as dangerous for children.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Florida drag queen said performers adjust shows when there are children and families in the crowd. Republicans have targeted drag events for kids, introducing bills to restrict and prohibit attendance. Family-friendly drag events — such as Drag Queen Story Hour, which was established as a nonprofit in 2015 and has since become a national event — are under fire from Republican lawmakers. Bills prohibiting minors from attending drag queen events, banning drag performances in public, and classifying drag performances as adult-oriented businesses have been filed across the United States in recent months. Another drag queen, Venus Envy, told Insider that while they don't solely participate in family-friendly performances, they are accustomed to "tailoring my shows to my audiences."

A grand jury was expected to indict Trump late on Monday or on Wednesday, Politico reported, for arranging payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the White House again in 2024, had predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday. But on Monday, the grand jury still appeared to be collecting evidence before deciding whether charges were warranted. New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters police were monitoring social media and keeping an eye out for "inappropriate actions" in the city. Trump faces two civil trials involving former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump defamed her by denying he raped her.

☆ Donald Trump could be charged any day - what happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Trump has denied the affair, and his lawyer has accused Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, of extortion. Were he charged, Trump would become the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution. While serving as president, Trump reimbursed Cohen for the Daniels payments, and federal prosecutors who charged Cohen said in court papers that the payments were falsely recorded as for legal services. Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told CNBC on Friday that Trump would surrender if charged. If Trump refused to come in voluntarily, prosecutors could seek to have him extradited from Florida, where he currently resides.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoWASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said on Saturday, a position that puts them at odds with the top two contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Foreign policy has emerged as the main ideological fissure within the Republican Party as the 2024 nominating contest heats up. Both Pence and Sununu have defended Ukraine before, but their Saturday comments were particularly pointed and come as the Republican foreign policy feud intensifies. In a Washington Post opinion column, Sununu, the New Hampshire governor, went after Trump and DeSantis directly. Pence is running well behind Trump and DeSantis, vying for a distant third with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, another Ukraine supporter.

☆ Djokovic to miss Miami Open over vaccine status, tournament director says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 17 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic will miss next week's Miami Open after the Serbian was denied an exemption that would have allowed him to enter the U.S. despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19, tournament director James Blake said on Friday. "We tried to get Novak Djokovic to be allowed to get an exemption, but that wasn't able to happen," Blake told Tennis Channel. "Obviously, we're one of the premier tournaments in the world, we'd like to have the best players that can play. Djokovic, 35, is also missing the ongoing Masters event in Indian Wells, California due to inability to secure the exemption. He has not played at Indian Wells or the Miami Open - which together comprise the "Sunshine Double" - since 2019.

Trump did not say he had been formally notified of forthcoming charges and provided no evidence of leaks from the district attorney's office. A Trump spokesperson said in a statement to reporters that, “There has been no notification," beyond leaks to the media. Bragg's office earlier this month invited Trump to testify before the grand jury probing the payment, which legal experts said was a sign that an indictment was close. Cohen, who served time in prison after pleading guilty, testified before the grand jury this week. Grand jury proceedings are not public.

☆ Over KFC on 'Trump Force One,' Trump says that Ron DeSantis would be working at 'a law firm or maybe a Pizza Hut' without his initial support
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

After a campaign pit stop in Davenport, Iowa, Donald Trump took another dig at Ron DeSantis. Trump found a new way to diss the Florida Governor aboard his Boeing 757, "Trump Force One." Trump joked that DeSantis would be working at Pizza Hut without his initial backing, per Bloomberg. Schwartz, Schwartz, Schwartz, and Schwartz. "Remember, this Ron DeSanctimonious would be right now working probably at a law firm or maybe a Pizza Hut," Trump told reporters, according to the report.

☆ Disney executives are being directed to identify thousands of layoff candidates by April as CEO Bob Iger targets $5.5 billion in spending cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bob Iger is on a push for profitability at Disney and announced plans to cut 7,000 positions. Layoffs will impact about 4,000 employees, with the rest of the cuts coming from open roles. Disney bean counters have been looking carefully across the company in an attempt to find redundancies and eliminate executives where they can. Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy told investors on the earnings call that the company has targeted cost savings of $5.5 billion. In February Iger announced a restructure of Disney into three divisions: Entertainment, ESPN, and Parks, Experiences and Products.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hasn’t announced a presidential bid yet, but that hasn’t stopped him from receiving his first congressional endorsement. The endorsement comes weeks after Roy, among others, attended a Florida donor confab held for DeSantis. The focus of that event was how to replicate DeSantis’ Florida wins nationwide—but the clear subtext was the looming presidential race and the expectation that DeSantis could parlay his consistently high polling position into an official presidential run. (DeSantis himself was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus when he served in the House.) South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, another HFC member, threw his support behind former South Carolina Gov.

☆ Trump allies attack DeSantis with campaign ethics complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While the super PAC publicized the complaint, the ethics commission told Reuters it had not yet received it. If wrongdoing is found, typical penalties include a fine or public censure, said Lynn Blais, a spokesperson for the ethics commission. Taryn Fensk, DeSantis' communications director, called the complaint the latest "frivolous and politically motivated" attack on the governor. "It's inappropriate to use state ethics complaints for partisan purposes," she said in a statement. Political strategists described the ethics complaint as the latest attempt by Trump to undermine his rival.

Once the party of foreign policy "hawks," Republicans have increasingly cooled on foreign entanglements and military support for allies, particularly after Trump took office in 2016. Republican senators Marco Rubio, who is from DeSantis' home state, and Lindsey Graham, both former presidential candidates, criticized isolationists within their party. "People care about foreign policy, but I think it's kind of mixed on Ukraine funding," said Trudy Caviness, a member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee. By embracing Trump's hands-off brand of foreign policy, DeSantis risks turning off some of the white-collar Republicans that are most eager to move on from the former president. That will give the eventual winner of the Republican nomination significant power to shape the party's foreign policy preferences going forward.

☆ Trump super PAC accuses Ron DeSantis of 'shadow' presidential bid in ethics complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A pro-Trump super PAC on Wednesday said it is filing an ethics complaint against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing him of waging a "shadow presidential campaign" in violation of state ethics and election laws. "Governor DeSantis knows, or should know, that his shadow presidential campaign is illegal under federal election law, Florida ethics laws prohibiting illegal gifts from political committees, and Florida ethics laws prohibiting illegal lobbying payments," it said. The Florida ethics commission did not provide a comment on the letter. Five of the nine members of the Florida ethics commission were appointed by DeSantis, including Chairman Glenton Gilzean, to whom the letter is addressed.

☆ Analysis: Trump, DeSantis offer stark contrast in first Iowa forays
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstDAVENPORT, Iowa, March 14 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis descended upon the same Iowa town in recent days, putting the differences between the potential Republican presidential rivals in stark relief. "I don't think you're going to do so well here," Trump said of DeSantis, "but we're going to find out." Leaving Trump's event, Iowa City voter John Schneider, 69, said he has supported Trump in the past but now will be eyeing DeSantis and other potential contenders as they barnstorm the state in the coming months. Reporting by James Oliphant in Davenport, Iowa Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trump wades into education culture war as he eyes race with DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Trump hasn't been waging the same kind of cultural warfare over education that DeSantis and other Republicans have since the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis was in Iowa on Friday, speaking at a pair of political events that appeared to be laying groundwork for a presidential bid. His education agenda in Florida was a recurring theme in his remarks, and DeSantis credited it as a reason that he convincingly won re-election last year. DeSantis has asked the Florida legislature to expand a ban on teaching gender-identity concepts to eighth grade from third grade currently. Some of Trump’s education ideas include rewarding teachers who teach “patriotic values” and requiring direct election of school principals by parents, although how he would bring that about is unclear.

☆ Further U.S. involvement in Ukraine is not vital national interest, says DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 13 (Reuters) - Becoming "further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia" is not a vital U.S. national interest, said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is eying running for president, in comments released on Monday. Public opinion polls show DeSantis as the strongest threat to former President Donald Trump for their party's nomination for the 2024 presidential contest. "While the U.S. has many vital national interests ... becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them," DeSantis said in his reply. Trump, when asked whether the United States should support regime change in Russia, wrote: “No. We should support regime change in the United States, that's far more important.

☆ Trump looks to play catch-up to DeSantis on education in 2024 race
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The coronavirus pandemic gave rise to a host of hot-button issues surrounding education that have mobilized the Republican base in the years since Trump left the White House. DeSantis was in Iowa on Friday, speaking at a pair of political events that appear to be laying groundwork for a presidential bid. DeSantis has asked the Florida legislature to expand a ban on teaching gender-identity concepts to eighth grade from third grade currently. That could leave an opening for Trump, who made school choice a priority in his administration but lacks the track record on state-level education issues that DeSantis and other governors have. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, another conservative parents' rights group, said DeSantis getting out ahead of Trump on the issue should not hurt the former president.

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