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☆ Former US VP Mike Pence plans 2024 campaign launch next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pence will launch his campaign with a video and a speech in the early nominating state of Iowa, the sources said. On June 1, Pence's polling average in the Republican field was less than 4%, compared to Trump's 53%, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. Pence has continued to embrace many of Trump's policies, while portraying himself as an even-keeled and consensus-oriented alternative. The success of his campaign will hinge on whether he can attract enough backers of Trump's policies who are turned off by the former president's rhetoric and behavior to build a viable coalition. Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Kanishka Singh and Tim Reid; editing by Tim Ahmann and Ross ColvinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Pence, Donald Trump's, Pence, Trump, Steve Holland, Kanishka Singh, Tim Reid, Tim Ahmann, Ross Colvin Organizations: Republican, Trump, U.S, Capitol, Christian, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Indiana, U.S

☆ Factbox: Who are the candidates running in the 2024 US presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here is a list of 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Only 1% of Republicans said he would be their preferred 2024 nominee in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted May 9-15. ASA HUTCHINSONThe former Arkansas governor launched his bid for the White House in April with a call for Trump to step aside to deal with his indictment. Biden allies say he is running because he feels he is the only Democratic candidate who can defeat Trump. MARIANNE WILLIAMSONThe best-selling author and self-help guru has launched her second, longshot bid for the White House.

Persons: Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, TIM SCOTT, Scott, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, CHRIS CHRISTIE, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, DOUG BURGUM Burgum, JOE BIDEN Biden, MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, ROBERT KENNEDY JR, Kennedy, Robert F, Ross Colvin, Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell Organizations: New, Democratic, Republican, REPUBLICAN, Republican Party, Twitter, Trump, Walt Disney Co, Ukraine, TIM, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, United Nations, Biden, U.S . Capitol, Republican White House, Christian, New Jersey, ASA, White House, Microsoft Corp, DEMOCRATIC, White, Democrat, YouTube, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, New York, Florida, South Carolina, Pence, Iowa, Arkansas, U.S

loadingWhile major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have made efforts to prohibit and remove deepfakes, their effectiveness at policing such content varies. In total, about 500,000 video and voice deepfakes will be shared on social media sites globally in 2023, DeepMedia estimates. Jon Smith, Republican chair for Michigan's 5th Congressional district, is holding several educational meetings so his allies can learn to use AI for social media and ad generation. Political consultancies are also seeking to harness AI, further muddying the line between real and unreal. Democratic polling and strategy group Honan Strategy Group is meanwhile trying to develop an AI survey bot.

☆ 2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

May 24 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday he is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, joining former President Donald Trump in a growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden. Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. Several of his key staff, though, have recently joined the DeSantis camp, suggesting that Youngkin is not going to run in 2024. She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, JOE BIDEN Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, SCOTT, Scott, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Christie, CHRIS SUNUNU The, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, ROBERT KENNEDY JR, Kennedy, Robert F, MIKE POMPEO Trump's, GLENN YOUNGKIN, MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, Ross Colvin, Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski, Mark Potter Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Biden, Trump, Republican Party, New, Walt Disney Co, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, United Nations, ASA, White House, U.S . Capitol, Republican White House, YouTube, Central Intelligence Agency, White, Democrat, Thomson Locations: Florida, U.S, New York, Ukraine, South Carolina, Arkansas, Pence, New Jersey, CHRIS SUNUNU The New Hampshire, England, Kansas, Virginia

But he'll stay home on Election Day should Trump win his party's nomination to take on Joe Biden in 2024. In Pennsylvania and Michigan, the size of the Ukrainian-American community outstrips Trump's margin of victory in 2016, according to the analysis. During a CNN town hall last week, Trump refused to say if he wanted Ukraine to win its war with Russia, when questioned about the conflict. Neither politician responded to requests for comments about the Ukraine war, nor did the Republican National Committee. Democratic U.S. Representative Susan Wild, who won Stawnyczyj's district by less than 5,000 votes in 2022, said that courting the Ukrainian-American vote would be crucial.

A main focus of Trump's attacks has been Social Security - the federal pension system - and Medicare. I will always protect Social Security and Medicare for our great seniors." Today, party leaders and many Republican voters oppose reforming Social Security and Medicare because so many Americans rely on the programs. They are reliant on Social Security and Medicare and they worry about this stuff," Feehery said. INSULTS KEEP COMINGThere is so far no clear polling on how Trump's attacks on entitlement spending have impacted DeSantis.

☆ Ahead of 2024 bid, DeSantis challenges Trump on abortion limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday he was proud to have signed a six-week abortion ban, after seeming initially reluctant to embrace the recently passed law in Florida that outlaws almost all abortions in the state. At a news conference on Tuesday, DeSantis said he was “proud” to have signed the legislation and fired back at Trump, who suggested in an interview this week that the six-week ban is overly restrictive. “He will not answer whether he would sign it or not,” said DeSantis, who is a leading contender for the Republican nomination. While DeSantis’ abortion stance could help garner him votes among hard-right conservatives, some Republican donors have expressed unease with his position. In an interview with Reuters last week, Republican donor Andy Sabin said he could not support DeSantis after he signed the abortion law.

[1/2] Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport in Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain May 1, 2023. "That was a rigged election," Trump said, adding that anyone who thought otherwise was "stupid." Trump and Collins frequently spoke over each other with Collins challenging a number of the former president's false claims. "It was classic Trump - it was Donald Trump from 2015 right up until now: the Big Lie, the outrageous style, demeaning individuals, mocking them," said Rothenberg, senior editor at the Inside Elections newsletter. New Hampshire is an early nominating state that could prove critical in Trump's bid to win the November 2024 election.

☆ Trump says he will pardon many involved in Jan. 6 attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport in Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Russell CheyneMay 10 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump again refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election and said he would pardon many supporters convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in a contentious CNN town hall on Wednesday. Trump declined to express regret for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol when supporters sought to prevent Congress for ratifying the election result, and he repeated his plan to pardon individuals involved if voters return him to the White House in 2024. I can't say for every single one because a couple of them probably they got out of control," Trump said. Trump and Collins frequently interrupted each other with Collins challenging a number of the former president's false claims about the 2020 election and the attack on Jan. 6 which followed a speech he gave outside the White House that day.

But as Republican presidential hopefuls including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump crisscross the country, they have instead focused on hot-button issues like immigration and transgender participation in youth sports. A broad majority of voters in both parties believe the debt ceiling presents a good opportunity to debate public policy priorities, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March. Still, it is unclear how much Republican primary voters know about the debt limit debate - or even care - campaign aides and strategists said. Of nine attendees interviewed by Reuters at the town hall meeting held by Haley, none mentioned the debt ceiling as one of their top concerns. Others have addressed the debt ceiling in the past, but only in general terms.

☆ North Carolina Republicans reach agreement on 12-week abortion ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The proposal is the latest effort by lawmakers in Republican-dominated state legislatures to limit abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to end a pregnancy last year. "The bill that has been developed is a commonsense, reasonable approach to restricting second and third trimester abortions," state senate leader Phil Berger said at a news conference. The legislation would limit elective abortions to 12 weeks' gestation, with exceptions for rape, incest, life-limiting fetal anomalies and the life of the mother. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said on Tuesday he "strongly opposed" the measure. The move by North Carolina Republicans comes days after a far more restrictive anti-abortion bill was successfully blocked in neighboring South Carolina by a group of five women lawmakers, three of them Republicans.

When Thiel spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention, he had more hope that the party would concentrate on economic issues, his business associate said. Four political sources also told Reuters that Thiel is taking a step back from U.S. politics. In 2012, Thiel backed libertarian lawmaker Ron Paul, and in 2016 he donated some $1.25 million to the campaign efforts of Trump, who is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination. In the 2022 election cycle, however, Thiel emerged as a potential Republican kingmaker, contributing more than $35 million to 16 federal-level Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets. The business associate said he was not aware of any special proviso for former employees.

☆ Factbox: 2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Scott, 57, has launched a presidential exploratory committee but not yet confirmed he plans to run. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast. She launched her latest campaign on March 23, saying she wants to challenge Biden in the Democratic nominating race.

In a roughly 20-minute speech, Haley described the debate around abortion as an issue for each state to decide. I believe in compassion, not anger," said Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and the only female candidate in the Republican presidential race. During the speech, Haley spoke of personal experiences, including her own difficulty conceiving. REPUBLICANS AT ODDS OVER ABORTIONOff the campaign trail, some Republicans are criticizing the party's handling of the issue. U.S. Republican presidential candidate and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley delivers a campaign policy speech on abortion in Arlington, Virginia, U.S. April 25, 2023.

Trump won 76% of the white evangelical vote in 2020, down from 80% in 2016, according to Edison Research exit polls. In a March poll, Trump edged DeSantis among evangelicals in a two-way matchup 51% to 42%, a nine-point improvement for Trump from the month before. The gathering is traditionally an important stop for Republican presidential candidates, although this year DeSantis, who was invited, will not be going. Vander Plaats said evangelicals will consider whether Trump can prevail next year after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. “I don’t think President Trump is a principled man -- I think he was a great president,” Ascol said.

☆ Factbox: 2024 US presidential election: who's in, who's out and who's still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Here is a list of major declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Political analysts say there is little benefit to him jumping into the race too soon, with the election still 19 months away. In the meantime, he can continue to look presidential, although he still has poor approval ratings in opinion surveys. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. Several of his key staff, though, have recently joined the DeSantis camp, however, suggesting that Youngkin, is not going to run in 2024.

If Scott runs, his campaign will be an experiment that optimism still sells among Republican voters, they said. The question is which side - or bubble - within the Republican Party is holding the most votes." Maidment jokingly knocked the senator for ordering grits, a dish more common in Scott's South Carolina than in northern New England. "The people that are most stressed out about it are the donors," said Chip Felkel, a South Carolina Republican operative. Chris Ager, the chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party and an attendee at the Scott event, said the state's Republicans "welcome him to the debate."

☆ Trump, other 2024 hopefuls seek NRA's blessing amid spate of shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Alexandra Ulmer | Thomson Reuters | U.S. National Affairs Correspondent Who Spent Four Years In Venezuela Covering President Maduro'S Administration | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A number of hopefuls, including Trump's closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are deliberating if and when to jump into the 2024 race to challenge the former president for the nomination. Trump, whom the NRA enthusiastically backed in 2016 before he was even officially declared the Republican presidential candidate, will address gun aficionados in person on Friday. DeSantis, and other White House hopefuls, Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott, will do so by video message. Trump's campaign website says he will "always defend your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms," but does not provide detailed policy proposals. For some fervent NRA members, however, neither Trump nor DeSantis are committed enough to the cause.

"They've done nothing but harass this guy," said Gregg Hough, chair of the Republican party in Belknap County, New Hampshire, predicting the prosecution will boost Trump support "to the moon" if it fails to deliver a convincing conviction. In a statement on Thursday, Trump called the indictment "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," without providing evidence. John Feehery, a Republican strategist, described the Manhattan case as "silly" compared to the other probes hanging over Trump's campaign. At a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on Saturday, Trump likened the criminal investigations against him to a "Stalinist Russia horror show." Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 Republican field, with the support of 44% of Republicans in a March Reuters/Ipsos, ahead of DeSantis' 30% support.

"Please make a contribution – of truly any amount – to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024," said an email sent by a Trump fundraising group called the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee. A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who has denied making any payment, has claimed the charges are evidence of a left-wing plot - an argument made in the fundraising email to supporters on Thursday. Trump's online fundraising has shown signs of weakening over the last year, according to financial disclosures made to the Federal Election Commission. At the end of 2022, Trump and an allied super PAC reported having close to $80 million across several fundraising accounts.

☆ Senior Republicans rally behind Trump after criminal indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said the indictment "weaponized our sacred system of justice" against Trump. Elise Stefanik, another member of the Republican House leadership, called the indictment a "political witch hunt and a dark day for America". Trump called the indictment a "political persecution." Ted Lieu, a House Democrat, called the indictment a "horrible precedent" but necessary if Trump committed crimes. Jamaal Bowman, a fellow House Democrat, said: "It's time we ensure Trump is banned from running for any public office again."

DeSantis' muddled messaging on Ukraine and the multiple legal investigations into Trump mean that this year’s primary race “is a vast sea of uncertainty,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist and former DeSantis pollster. Metals magnate and donor Andy Sabin backed Trump in 2016 and 2020 but is now planning to spend money in the Republican primary on “anybody but Trump." Enthusiastic crowds of Trump supporters were mostly quiet when he mocked DeSantis at two recent rallies. For now, despite the volatility, Trump and DeSantis remain the two leading contenders, said David Tamasi, a Republican donor and lobbyist. "You have two candidates getting 75-80% of the vote," said Tamasi, who previously backed Trump but is not this time.

☆ No Trump bump in New Hampshire as possible criminal charges loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LACONIA, New Hampshire, March 24 (Reuters) - Longtime Donald Trump supporter Doug Lambert agrees with the former president that the potential criminal charges he faces in New York are being cooked up by his enemies on the left. But, Lambert worries about the "messiness" of a Trump presidential candidacy and is leaning towards voting for someone else. In a University of New Hampshire poll in January, likely Republican voters preferred DeSantis over Trump by a 12-point margin, 42% to 30%, with Sununu at 4%. "The more indictments, the more points of leverage a DeSantis or whoever can use to make the case against Trump." Reporting by Nathan Layne in Laconia, New Hampshire Editing by Ross Colvin and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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.

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.

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