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☆ Arizona is a top presidential battleground. But the Senate and House races there are taking place in their own universe.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Sahil_Hs.Jpg | Sahil Kapur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

In the House, two Republican congressmen are aiming to fend off a pair of Democratic former state legislators. Seven-term GOP Rep. David Schweikert is seeking to hang on against Amish Shah, a doctor, in the blue-trending Phoenix suburbs after winning by less than 1 point in 2022. And in the Tucson area, freshman Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani is facing a rematch against Kirsten Engel after previously winning by under 2 points. Arizona’s two highly competitive House racesBoth of these House races are rated as “toss-ups” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report With Amy Walter. “All four have distinct personalities,” said a Democratic operative working on House races, who spoke candidly on the condition of anonymity.

Persons: Mesa Mayor John Giles, Kamala Harris, Kari Lake, Donald Trump acolyte, Ruben Gallego, “, Donald Trump, ” Giles, hasn’t, David Schweikert, Shah, Juan Ciscomani, Kirsten Engel, Amy Walter, ”, Lake, “ Arizonans, Ciscomani, Blake Masters, Gallego, ” “, Trump, Lake’s, Don, Bacon, Dan Conston, Harris, Sen, John McCain, “ I’ve, I’m, ” Roberta Voss, Eli Crane, Crane, Jonathan Nez, Kevin McCarthy midsession, McCarthy, Marson Organizations: Mesa Mayor, Republican, Democratic, Senate, GOP, Trump, Nebraska Rep, Congressional, Fund, NBC News, Social Security, Navajo Nation, ” Arizona Republican, American Locations: Arizona, Phoenix, Tucson, Omaha, Navajo, ” Arizona

An army of political propaganda accounts powered by artificial intelligence posed as real people on X to argue in favor of Republican candidates and causes, according to a research report out of Clemson University. The network identified by the Clemson researchers included at least 686 identified X accounts that have posted more than 130,000 times since January. Many of the accounts were removed from X after NBC News emailed the platform for comment. In Arizona’s Republican congressional primary, the accounts supported Blake Masters over Abraham Hamadeh. A search on X for that hashtag shows only one other tweet, from 2018, has used it.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Pepe, Darren Linvill, They’re, Frank LaRose, Bernie Moreno, Blake Masters, Abraham Hamadeh, didn’t, —, Sen, Sherrod Brown, ” OpenAI, Kai, Cheng Yang, ”, Yang, ChatGPT, Elon Musk, Musk, ” Linvill, Larry Norden, “ There’s, ” Norden, “, Norden, Clemson’s, Eric Hartford, Hartford Organizations: Republican, Clemson University, Clemson, NBC, NBC News, Democratic, Clemson’s Media, “, Ohio Republican Senate, Trump, GOP, Hamadeh, Northeastern University, Ohio Republican, Center for Justice, United, Social Locations: American, Montana , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, ”, China, Taiwan, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, United States, U.S

☆ Trump’s ground game relies on untraditional strategies to draw out battleground voters
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Steve Contorno | Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

And it’s a playbook that former President Donald Trump’s campaign has tossed aside. It’s a gamble, Trump’s campaign internally acknowledges, but one that they insist is built on data they have collected over nearly a decade and tested for the past six months. Days later, the Michigan state party chairman also plugged 10xVotes when he rolled into Traverse City, Michigan, alongside Trump running mate JD Vance. But rather than courting those voters, Trump’s campaign is in search of new ones. Trump’s campaign has also tried to seize on discord within the Democratic coalition.

Persons: Paul Hudson, “ Harris Walz ”, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, JD Vance, “, ”, Dennis Lennox, Mary, Kamala Harris –, don’t, James Blair, Blair, ” Blair, Donald Trump, Anna Moneymaker, Gerald Ford, Nikki Haley, Hillary Scholten, ” Hudson, Trump’s, Charlie Kirk, Harris, Musk, –, Republicans Kari Lake, Blake Masters, Sen, Rebecca Noble, flummoxed, Joe Biden, Susie Wiles, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Virgin Mary, Michael, Lennox, you’re, ” Lennox, Michael Whatley, Lara Trump, Elijah Nouvelage, Jim Pillen, wouldn’t, ” Danielle Butterfield, ’, CNN’s Ali Main, Kristen Holmes, David Wright, Jeff Zeleny Organizations: CNN, Republican, Grand Rapids, Trump, Republicans, Republican Party, Veteran Affairs, Grand, White House, Van, South Carolina Gov, America PAC, Musk, Federal, Commission, Getty, Trump Force, Sunshine State, Miami Gardens, Cuban, Democratic, Florida, Biden, GOP, Michigan, Republican National Committee, RNC, University of North, Republican Gov, Nebraska’s, White, Democrat, USA Locations: doorsteps, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Grand, Traverse City , Michigan, Detroit, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Congress, Kent, Arizona, Mesa , Arizona, AFP, Arizona , Wisconsin, Wolverine, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Black, Miami, Israel, Puerto, Dade County, New York, Pennsylvania, Cheboygan County , Michigan, Republican County, North Carolina, University of North Carolina, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, Nevada, Nebraska, Omaha, Wisconsin , Michigan

☆ Peter Thiel predicts the 2024 election won't be close: 'One side is simply going to collapse'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewPeter Thiel, the right-wing tech billionaire who's known for his contrarian views, is making another unusual prediction: The 2024 election won't be close. But he also argued that the last two presidential elections may have been historical aberrations in terms of how close they were. You know, most presidential elections aren't," Theil said. He went on to claim that if the election is indeed close, Harris and Democrats will "cheat" via ballot harvesting and election rule changes. When pressed on how he would change US elections, Thiel said he'd prefer to see just one day of voting, "practically no" absentee ballots, and stronger voter ID laws.

Persons: —, Peter Thiel, who's, Thiel, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, it's, Theil, — JD Vance, Blake Masters, Vance, that's, I've, Harris, he'd Organizations: Service, Business, Trump voters, Trump Locations: Ohio, Arizona

☆ Opinion | Nate Silver on How Kamala Harris Changed the Odds
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Ezra Klein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +81 min

You know, Hillary Clinton, who was, I think, kind of a terrible candidate, won the popular vote by two points. So I don’t think they gave her a very good hand to play. It doesn’t matter who you are, it matters that you’re right and you’re able to prove it or bet on it in some way. What wasn’t in the Harris model that should have been?” “Yeah, maybe you really can meme your way to victory. And there’s something in it that I don’t think she can explain how she does it, but it makes her a fascinating leader.

Persons: Nate Silver, ”, ESPN’s Nate Silver, Silver, He’s, “ Savage, ” “, he’s, Ezra, Harris, we’ve, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s, There’s, Hillary Clinton, she’s, She’s, Gavin Newsom, It’s, Biden, I’m, you’re, Joe Biden, Democratic Party Harris, Liz, —, “, Donald Trump, that’s, George W, Bush, Donald Trump wasn’t, it’s, Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, ’, Chick, don’t, George Floyd, ‘ COVID, COVID, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Michael Moritz, Elon, Mark Cuban, Thiel, Max Chafkin, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, Ted Cruz, Sam Bankman, Tom Brady, SBF, Carrick Flynn, Oregon’s, I’m Carrick Flynn, Tara MacAulay, vouched, Bill Clinton, Tyler Cowen, they’ve, Jane, JD Vance, Peter Thiel’s, Vance, Trump, Steve Bannon, Don Trump, Jr, Tucker Carlson, Tim Walz, Josh Shapiro, Tell, you’ve, Shapiro, Walz, I’ve, Iglesias, Obama, Susan Collins, Joe Manchin —, Jon Tester, ” “ Sherrod Brown, I’d, Dana White, Hulk Hogan, Joe Biden’s, — let’s, Mike Donilon, Kennedy, ” “ Tim Alberta, Georgia —, Brian Kemp, Blake Masters, Rick Scott, ” “ Trump, Doug Burgum, Black, didn’t, — Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Michael Jordan, everyone’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, Nancy Pelosi, Joe ’, we’re, I’ll, John Coates, Richard Rhodes, Natasha Schüll, Natasha Organizations: Oracle, Trump, Democratic Party, Facebook, Twitter, The New York Times, ’ Harvard University, Democratic White House, Republican White House, Democratic, Silver, George, Vegas, Poker, extroversion, Elon, Sequoia Capital, McLaren, Paypal, Republican, New, PAC, Alameda, Las, Ohio Senate, underperform, White, UFC, RNC, Biden, Biden ., National Association of Black Journalists, Deutsche Bank, Manhattan Project, Design Locations: Nate, Russian, Russia, ’, Elon, Florida, predestiny, Bahamas, Sam, Africa, New York, Oregon, Las Vegas, Petersburg, United States, Ohio, Trump, Minnesota, ” “ Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Gaza, Chicago, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada , Arizona, Biden . Georgia, Carolina, Arizona, Ukraine, LA, It’s, Vegas

The top contenders to be Kamala Harris’ running mate got to this point, in part, by battling Donald Trump. Now, one of them is likely to become the vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket aiming to thwart his comeback bid. Pete Buttigieg rose from obscurity to play a central role in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. Andy Beshear, who is also in the mix for Harris’ running mate position. One way or another, Trump played a big role creating the cast of characters that could complete the Democratic ticket he’s facing this year.

Persons: Kamala Harris ’, Donald Trump ., Harris ’, MAGA, Trump, don’t, Harris, “ Trumpism, ”, Jesse Ferguson, Hillary Clinton’s, isn’t, Kamala Harris, ” Trump, Karoline Leavitt, Josh Shapiro, Trump’s, Dan Gleiter, Shapiro, Sen, Doug Mastriano, Mastriano, Mark Kelly, Kelly, Joe Biden, Republican Blake Masters, Tim Walz, belittling Trump, Pete Buttigieg, Anthony Lanzilote, Biden, JB Pritzker, belittled Trump, Bruce Rauner, Andy Beshear, Beshear, Roe, Wade Organizations: Democratic, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Navy, Republican, Minnesota Gov, Bloomberg, New, Biden —, Illinois Gov, GOP Locations: Pennsylvania, Washington, Arizona, South Bend , Indiana, Iowa, Trump and Illinois, Kentucky

☆ 'Not a person who gets overly excited': Sen. Mark Kelly auditions to be Kamala Harris's VP
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It's Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. Kelly is the one and only member of the United States Senate who has made it onto Vice President Kamala Harris's shortlist of potential running mates. "Mark Kelly, potential VP pick, plans to be in Arizona next week," reads a POLITICO headline from the last few days. "He's just not a person who gets overly excited in one direction or the other. Advertisement"This isn't about me," Kelly said as the doors closed on him, repeating his stock response to the questions about his sudden vice presidential candidacy.

Persons: who's, Sen, Joe Manchin, Joe Biden's, George Santos, It's Sen, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Kelly, Kamala Harris's, Mark Kelly, Harris, he's, Tesla, JD Vance, Donald Trump's, hasn't, I've, Brian Schatz, He's, I'm, Kelly's, Kent Nishimura, what's, Blake Masters —, Vance, Gabby Giffords, Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's, Allison Bailey /, Tim Walz, Andy Beshear, Bryan Metzger, didn't, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, US Senate, Capitol, Business, United States Senate, Arizona, Capitol Hill, Hawaii, Arizona's, Electoral, Merchant Marine Academy grad, Democratic, Getty, Minnesota Gov, Republicans, Kentucky, Labor Locations: Arizona, Capitol Hill, Virginia, Minnesota

☆ Blake Masters, a close ally of JD Vance and Peter Thiel, just lost another election
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Blake Masters lost to Abe Hamadeh in the GOP primary for Arizona's 8th congressional district. He was backed early on by Sen. JD Vance — and got a last-minute dual endorsement from Trump. It's the second election Masters has lost in two years. He was Arizona's GOP Senate nominee in 2022. The former venture capitalist, an ideological ally of Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and tech billionaire Peter Thiel, was defeated by Abe Hamadeh in a crowded GOP primary in Arizona's 8th congressional district.

Persons: Blake Masters, Abe Hamadeh, Sen, JD Vance —, Masters, —, JD Vance, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump, Vance, who'd Organizations: GOP, Trump, Service, Business Locations: Ohio, Arizona's

☆ Why JD Vance is being dogged by couch memes — and struggling in general
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewNearly two weeks after former President Donald Trump selected JD Vance to be his running mate, it's safe to say the Ohio senator is struggling. His polling is the worst of any non-incumbent vice presidential nominee in decades. Related storiesThat lack of familiarity is a key reason that the memes about Vance having sex with a couch have taken off. By Thursday, social media was awash with memes riffing on the notion that Trump's vice presidential nominee had once fornicated with a couch. In Vance's case, the meme seems to be an ironic stand-in for other issues that voters may have with the Ohio senator, even if they know he probably didn't have sex with a couch.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, JD Vance, they've, he's, Vance, MAGA, Joe Biden, they're, Blake Masters —, it's, — JD Vance, @JDVance, Kamala Harris —, Tucker Carlson, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, Associated Press, Democratic, CNN, Ohio, Senate, GOP Locations: Ohio, Arizona, New York

☆ What we know about Usha Vance's politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewUsha Vance's classmates at Yale Law School didn't know much about her politics. Less obvious, however, is Usha Vance's political orientation and relationship to the newfound national spotlight. In 2022, two colleagues at the firm described Usha Vance as liberal or moderate to The Times. When JD Vance was himself running for Senate, Usha Vance appeared in his very first campaign ad, sitting in front of a bookshelf and talking about their three children. AdvertisementWhile Usha Vance's political orientations and interest in life as a national figure remain foggy, her devotion to her husband has seemed strong since her days at Yale Law School.

Persons: —, Usha Vance's, Yale Law School didn't, Marvin Lim, Usha, Elliot Forhan, Usha Chilukuri, JD Vance, Lim, Usha Vance, Vikram Rao, Gabriel Winant, Vance's spokespeople, Vance, SCOTUS Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts, Munger, Olson, Blake Masters, Vance hasn't Organizations: Service, Yale Law School, Democrat, Business, New York Times, Times, Yale, Cambridge, The Times, Tolles, GOP, American, Newsmax, Fox & Friends, JD, Republican, Convention Locations: Georgia, Ohio, San Diego, Arizona

☆ A photo of a bloodied Trump raising his fist after being shot has already become the defining image of his reelection bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A photograph of President Donald Trump raising his fist in defiance after he was shot at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday has already become the most iconic image of his reelection among Republicans. Donald Trump Jr. posted the image on X with the caption, "He'll never stop fighting to Save America." Related storiesFlorida Senator Marco Rubio shared both of their posts, before sharing the photo again with the caption, "God protected President Trump." Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy echoed his sentiments, sharing the photo with a similar caption: "Grateful to President Trump for his sacrifice. "We learned one very important thing tonight — President Donald Trump is willing to die for this country.

Persons: Donald Trump, Evan Vucci, Donald Trump Jr, He'll, Eric Trump, Marco Rubio, Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Candace Owens, Donald J Trump, Blake Masters, Shakeel Jahangir, Willing, Benny Johnson, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Organizations: Republicans, Associated Press, Trump, Secret Service, Business, Save, America, Republican, Conservative, Venture, Christians Union, America Christian, Democratic Locations: Pennsylvania, Florida, United States

☆ Trump and his potential VP are at odds over this nasty GOP House primary
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh are in the midst of a nasty primary for a House seat in Arizona. Sen. JD Vance, a potential Trump VP pick, has endorsed Masters. AdvertisementAs Donald Trump prepares to announce his vice presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention next week, the former president seems to have found a potential favorite: Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. "It looks good," Trump said of Vance's signature beard on Fox News radio on Wednesday morning. According to various media reports, Vance, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and Gov.

Persons: Blake Masters, Abe Hamadeh, Sen, JD Vance, Masters, Trump, Hamadeh, Vance, —, Donald Trump, Ohio, Abraham Lincoln, Marco Rubio, Doug Burgum Organizations: Trump VP, Service, Republican National Convention, Fox News, Business Locations: Arizona, Marco Rubio of Florida, North Dakota

☆ Mary Katharine Ham on How Online Conservatism Changed - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Jane Coaston | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I’ve been on Twitter (now X) since June 2008, meaning that I’ve spent 16 years on the platform. And while many of the most “online” candidates lose in real-life elections (Blake Masters in the 2022 Arizona Senate race, for one), why they garner so much support in the first place is worth contemplating. What is it about the purity spiral of the online right — partisans playing to the most intense parts of the online base, continually trying to prove their conservative bona fides — that thrives despite real-world losses? Mary Katharine Ham is a commentator for Fox News who has been very online and immersed in social media politics just as long as I have. So I spoke with her about the online right — its real-world wins and losses and what the point of being an online conservative influencer is in the first place, especially for women.

Persons: I’ve, “, Blake Masters, Mary Katharine Ham Organizations: Twitter, Arizona Senate, Fox News

☆ The Arizona primary where the MAGA movement is devouring itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

"He is running a very bigoted race," Hamadeh told me of Masters, "and MAGA and the America First movement is bigger than that." An anti-Hamadeh yard sign, paid for by the Masters campaign, beside one of Hamadeh's own signs in the 8th district. "This guy, he lost against Mark Kelly because he's a weirdo," Hamadeh told me. "I think that warrants some investigative journalism," Hamadeh told me. "I can't vote for you," one woman, apparently not a prospective constituent, told Hamadeh as she shook hands with him after the event, "but I'll give you a donation."

Persons: Abe Hamadeh, Hamadeh, I've, He's, Donald Trump, Kari Lake, MAGA, Blake Masters, Peter Thiel protégé, who's, It's, Bryan Metzger, Ben Toma, Debbie Lesko, Sen, Anthony Kern, There's, Trent Franks, Israel, there's, Lesko, —, Abraham, Abe, Ron Paul, Prophet Muhammad, Jesus, fashioning, he's, Trent, They're, MAGA bromides, JD Vance, Ohio, Masters, Vance, Ted Kacynski, Blake, Mark Kelly, Kari, Brandon Bell, Trump, Clarence Thomas, Thiel, Hamadeh's, Arizona Republic —, Rebecca Noble, Toma Organizations: Service, Republican, GOP, Arizona, Capitol, Trump, Masters, Supreme, Daily, University of, Maricopa County Attorney's, US Army Reserve, Republican Party, Senate, Sun City, Justice, Republicans, Sun City West, Stanford University, FBI, Thiel Capital, Fox News, Arizona Republic, Sun, Arizona House Locations: Phoenix, Arab American, Arizona, America, Tucson, North Phoenix, Washington, There's, Maricopa County, Mecca, Chicago, Skokie, United States, Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Vatican, Thailand, Japan, Sun City, crazies, Scottsdale, it's

☆ Peter Thiel says, 'If you hold a gun to my head I'll vote for Trump' though he isn't backing campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Ari Levy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Then-president-elect Donald Trump shakes the hand of Peter Thiel during a meeting with technology executives at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. "If you hold a gun to my head, I'll vote for Trump," Thiel said in an interview on stage at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Thiel donated $1.25 million to Trump's campaign in 2016 at a time when the vast majority of tech money was going to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. However, Thiel later soured on Trump and said last year that he wouldn't be funding any politician in the 2024 presidential campaign. That's after he spent $32 million on Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections with mixed results.

Persons: Donald Trump, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump's, he's, nominee's, Joe Biden, Thiel, I'm, Hillary Clinton, That's, Republican J.D, Vance, Tim Ryan, Republican Blake Masters, Democratic Sen, Mark Kelly Organizations: Trump Tower, Republican, Trump, Aspen Ideas, Democratic, Facebook, Republican National Convention, Apple, Google, GOP, Democratic Rep, Tech Locations: New York City, Ohio, Arizona

☆ 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley, who served more than 2 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on Congress, now wants to run for Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jacob Chansley, or the "QAnon shaman," became an infamous symbol of the January 6 attack on Congres. Chansley apologized and was recently released from prison after serving more than two years. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Chansley is considering running for a US Congress seat in the 2024 election, representing his home state of Arizona.

Persons: Jacob Chansley, Chansley, —, Debbie Lesko, Lesko, Blake Masters, Abe Hamadeh Organizations: Service, Arizona's, State's, District, The Arizona Republic, Republican Locations: Congres, Arizona, Phoenix

☆ Peter Thiel says he found out Donald Trump cursed and called him a 'scumbag' after he refused to donate to his 2024 campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Peter Thiel told The Atlantic that he won't be donating to any politician for the next presidential campaign. And when Thiel declined, Trump later called him a "fucking scumbag." AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter Peter Thiel told Donald Trump he wouldn't be donating any money to his campaign, the former president called him a "fucking scumbag," The Atlantic reported. Thiel told the magazine that when he declined, Trump "told me that he was very sad, very sad to hear that." AdvertisementAdvertisementTrump called Thiel a "fucking scumbag" and had discouraged Masters from running for Senate again, according to The Atlantic's profile.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Donald Trump, Thiel, Trump, —, Blake Masters, JD Vance, he'd, Vance, couldn't Organizations: Service, PayPal, Venture, Senate, Atlantic, FBI Locations: Arizona, Ohio

☆ Peter Thiel says the Trump administration 'couldn't get the most basic pieces of the government to work'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Peter Thiel says he's done giving money for GOP candidates for the 2024 cycle. Thiel told the Atlantic that he hopes his comments will "lock me out of the cycle for 2024." Thiel has given tens of millions to GOP candidates in recent years. Thiel told the Atlantic that he has no intention of giving money to Republican politicians in advance of next year's elections after playing a major role during the midterms. But by talking to you, it makes it hard for me to change my mind," Thiel told the Atlantic.

Persons: Peter Thiel, he's, Thiel, —, Donald Trump, Blake Masters, Democratic Sen, Mark Kelly, Vance, doesn't, Trump, Barton Gellman Organizations: GOP, Service, Democratic, Trump, Mr, FBI Locations: Arizona and Ohio

☆ Blake Masters is running for a Phoenix-area House seat — but he lives over 100 miles away in Tucson
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But he lives in Tucson, more than 120 miles away from Lesko's Phoenix-area House district. Abe Hamadeh, the 2022 GOP nominee for attorney general, is already running for the seat. In 2022, Masters, Lake and Hamadeh ran as a unified ticket. In 2022, Masters benefited from millions in outside spending from tech billionaire Peter Thiel. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs of the end of September, Masters' Senate campaign owed more than $820,000 in debt, most of which was owed to Masters himself.

Persons: Blake Masters, Debbie Lesko's, Kari Lake, —, there's, Masters, doesn't, I'm, Abe Hamadeh, Hamadeh, Lesko, Ben Toma, I've, Sen, Josh Hawley, JD Vance, Peter Thiel, Thiel Organizations: GOP, Service, Twitter, US, Arizona's, Commission, US Senate, Trump, Arizona House, Lake Locations: Tucson, Lesko's Phoenix, He'd, Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona's 8th, West, Scottsdale, Missouri, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ohio

☆ Blake Masters Announces Run for Congress, Skipping New Senate Bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Anjali Huynh | More About Anjali Huynh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Blake Masters, a Republican who lost his U.S. Senate campaign in Arizona last year, announced on Thursday that he would run to represent the state’s Eighth Congressional District — ending speculation that he would pursue a second Senate run in 2024. “I’m running for Congress, to fight for Arizona’s 8th,” Mr. Masters wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. We need to stop inflation, Build the Wall, avoid WW3, and secure Arizona’s water future. We need to fight for our families.”Representative Debbie Lesko, a Republican, has represented the district, in the Phoenix suburbs, since 2018. Also this month, Kari Lake, a former news anchor who ran for governor in Arizona last year, declared that she would run for the seat held by Senator Kyrsten Sinema.

Persons: Blake Masters, “, ” Mr, Masters, “ Biden, Trump, Debbie Lesko, Lesko, Kari Lake, Kyrsten Sinema Organizations: Republican, U.S, Senate, Eighth Congressional, Arizona’s Locations: Arizona, Phoenix

☆ Peter Thiel was an FBI informant. Here's how you could become one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Billionaire megadonor and Trump supporter Peter Thiel became an FBI informant in 2021, Insider reported. What does an FBI informant do? The main responsibility of an FBI informant is, as the name suggests, to provide information and intelligence to the bureau. According to an internal FBI guide, the FBI can recruit lawyers, reporters, clergy members, prison officials, and even minors and individuals who live overseas. They "will be either an 'FBI source' or a 'former FBI source' and, in turn, his or her conduct or misconduct will reflect upon the FBI."

Persons: megadonor, Trump, Peter Thiel, —, J.D, Vance, Blake Masters, Charles Johnson, Johnson, Thiel, Johnathan Buma, They'll, it's Organizations: FBI, Service, Intercept, intel, CHS Locations: Arizona, Silicon, Los Angeles

☆ Exclusive: Tech billionaire Peter Thiel was an FBI informant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Another source close to Thiel told Insider that while they could not confirm that Thiel was a CHS, Thiel did speak to Buma occasionally. "[They] will be either an 'FBI source' or a 'former FBI source' and, in turn, his or her conduct or misconduct will reflect upon the FBI." Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesAs a CHS, Thiel was assigned a code name and an internal serial number to track his reporting. Thiel, Johnson said, was directed by the FBI not to report on his interactions with Donald Trump or other US political figures. Johnson told Insider that he brokered an introduction between Thiel and the FBI special agent who would become his handler.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Trump, Thiel, Johnathan Buma, Charles Johnson, Johnson, MAGA, Donald Trump, Drew Angerer, Scott Horton, Buma, Sen, J.D, Vance of, Blake Masters, —, Vance, Joe Biden's, Vance of Ohio, Anna Moneymaker, Masters, Mithril's, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz's, Ginger Gaetz, Bill Barr, Rudy Giuliani, Alex Wong, Jeffrey Epstein, Enrique Tarrio, Tarrio, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Buma, CHS, Trump, Trump Tower, Republican National Convention, Joe Biden's Department, Getty Masters, Mar, Masters, Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency, US Army, NSO Group, Forbes, Mithril, Clearview's, Committee, Capitol, Founders Fund, Boys Locations: Los Angeles, Germany, United States, New Zealand, Malta, Silicon, Vance of Ohio, Arizona, Palantir, American, Russian, Atlantic City, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Kari Lake, previously a fire-breathing, hard-charging, far-right candidate for Arizona governor, may attempt to pivot to normie for her Senate bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kari Lake on Tuesday launched her bid for the Republican Senate nomination in Arizona. But during her kickoff, Lake didn't focus on grievances and instead framed election integrity as a bipartisan issue. (The move likely dooms the prospects of Blake Masters, the unsuccessful 2022 Senate nominee who The Wall Street Journal previously reported had been set to jump into the 2024 Senate race.) AdvertisementAdvertisementLake defeated Karrin Taylor Robson in last year's Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary. In last year's gubernatorial election, Lake earned 49.6% of the vote, losing by about 17,000 votes out of nearly 2.6 million ballots cast.

Persons: Kari Lake, Trump's, —, Donald Trump, Katie Hobbs, Lake, Trump, Blake Masters, Mario Tama, It's, Doug Ducey, Sen, Jon Kyl, John McCain, Karrin Taylor Robson, Justin Sullivan, John Barrasso of, John Cornyn of, Steve Daines, Mitch McConnell, Kyrsten Sinema —, Ruben Gallego, Gallego, Sinema, she'll, Kyrsten Sinema, Chip Somodevilla, Republican Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who's Organizations: Republican, Service, Democratic, Lake, Trump, Street, Democrat, GOP, Arizona, Regents, Arizona Republican, Washington Republicans, Politico, Capitol, Senate Republican Conference, National Republican Senatorial, Democratic Party, Democratic Rep, Emerson College, Republican Pinal County Sheriff, Republicans, Democrats Locations: Arizona, Mexico, Washington, John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas, Montana, Kentucky, Republican Pinal County

☆ A phone call between Trump and conservative tech billionaire Peter Thiel reportedly turned 'pretty contentious'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tech investor Peter Thiel had a heated phone call in recent months with Donald Trump, Puck reported. Thiel's public support for Trump wavered in recent years, and apparently, Trump noticed. Apparently, Trump was "fuming" because the former president had supported Thiel-backed candidates like J.D. Thiel even left Facebook's board of directors to give his full attention to supporting Republican candidates, including mentees J.D. A year later, however, Peter Thiel took a step back from politics and no longer planned to support candidates in 2024.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Donald Trump, Puck, Thiel, Trump, —, Puck's Theodore Schleifer, Vance, Blake Masters, wouldn't, mentees J.D, Thiel's, Masters, Kari Lake Organizations: Republican National Convention, Trump, Service, Republican, PayPal, Facebook, RNC, Wall Street, Thiel, Kyrsten, Arizona, The New York Times Locations: Arizona

☆ Trump told ex-Arizona GOP Senate nominee Blake Masters that he wouldn't be able to beat conservative favorite Kari Lake in a Senate primary next year, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump told Blake Masters he couldn't defeat Kari Lake in an Arizona Senate primary, per the Times. At the same time, former television journalist Kari Lake — another Trump favorite — won the GOP gubernatorial primary. Both candidates were more reflective of the new and Trumpier Arizona Republican Party, which had been moving away from the center-right ideology of figures like former Gov. The former president reportedly told Masters he didn't think the ex-candidate could defeat Lake in a Senate primary next year, according to The New York Times. According to the Times, Lake is eyeing an October entry into the Republican Senate primary.

Persons: Trump, Blake Masters, Kari Lake, Mark Kelly, Donald Trump, Kari Lake —, —, Doug Ducey, Sen, John McCain, Masters, Democratic Sen, Kelly, Katie Hobbs, Steven Cheung, Insider's Bryan Metzger, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, Hawley, JD Vance, Ohio, Sinema, she'll, Ruben Gallego, energize Trump, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb Organizations: Arizona Senate, . Masters, Service, Senate, Trump, GOP, Arizona Republican Party, Democratic, Masters, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Times, Republican Senate, Arizona Republican, Rep, Pinal County Sheriff, Republican Locations: Arizona, Wall, Silicon, Maricopa County, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Pinal County, Mexico

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