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☆ Mitch McConnell could've tried to block a bill to protect same-sex marriage. He stayed silent about it instead.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Mitch McConnell never publicly offered his position on a bill to protect same-sex marriage. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina on amendments to the bill, told Insider. "You know, the leader has to look at his conference," Tillis told Insider, referencing his own time as the Speaker of the North Carolina House. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a conservative opponent of the bill, told Insider that "of course" he wished McConnell had taken a vocal position on the bill. As Sinema stood up to embrace the Iowa Republican, McConnell rose from his seat and voted no.

Senate Republicans who weighed in on Trump's remarks on Truth Social from Saturday focused more on the importance of upholding the Constitution. “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Trump wrote. Romney added that he doesn't think Trump's comments will affect his chances of winning the GOP nomination in 2024. Sen. Mike Rounds, meanwhile, tied Trump's remarks to his 2024 ambitions. Some GOP senators, including Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, said the electorate should determine if Trump's remarks were disqualifying.

☆ Polls open in Georgia Senate runoff election between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Polls opened at 7 a.m. in Georgia for in-person voting Tuesday in the fierce Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Turnout in the early vote had already crushed some runoff records for the nation's most competitive electoral battleground. Earlier in the campaign, Walker had acknowledged fathering multiple other children who were not previously known to be related to him. That voting period was extended after the Warnock campaign won a state lawsuit to allow early voting on the weekend after Thanksgiving. With a narrower window to vote early, voters in Georgia have reportedly been stuck in hourslong waits at polling sites.

☆ Sen. Mike Braun filing to run for governor of Indiana kicks off the GOP's first open Senate seat race of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Warren Rojas | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Sen. Mike Braun has filed to run for governor of Indiana in 2024. "I'd say here in 10 days to a couple of weeks," Braun told congressional reporters of his current timetable. "I'm very confident Indiana will stay in Republican hands," Daines told Insider between votes at the US Capitol. And fortunately for the Hoosier State, we have a lot of talented people who might run for that seat," Young told Insider at the US Capitol. The Banks and Spartz campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment about prospective Senate runs in 2024.

☆ If DeSantis doesn't get his 2024 decision timing right, he risks peaking too soon like Scott Walker or wasting his big moment like Chris Christie
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

But as he faces a decision over whether to run for president in 2024, DeSantis shares far more similarities with two other ex-GOP frontrunners: Former Govs. Like DeSantis, Walker and Christie once seemed like inevitable frontrunners for the White House. Walker seized the moment, while Christie let his moment pass. "That's a huge difference in my opinion in terms of that moment," DuHaime said. "There was a moment for Christie in 2012 and there is a moment for Ron DeSantis in 2024.

☆ The Twitter Blue relaunch is on hold until the platform can sort out impersonation issues with 'high confidence,' Elon Musk says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk says Twitter Blue's relaunch is on hold until it can deal with impersonation issues. "Holding off relaunch of Blue Verified until there is high confidence of stopping impersonation," Musk tweeted late on Monday. Musk's announcement comes after the social media platform halted its relaunch of Twitter Blue — which gives users a blue tick if they pay $8 a month — due to widespread impersonation issues. The billionaire's latest update also supersedes his earlier announcement that Twitter Blue would return on November 29. Twitter suspended its verification relaunch on November 11, and started focusing on solving impersonation issues, per Platformer's Zoe Schiffer, who cited an internal note.

☆ Top Florida lawmakers want to change state law so DeSantis can run for president in 2024 without resigning as governor
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republicans in Florida want to change the law so DeSantis can run for president and keep his job. The comments came as the new GOP legislature and leaders were sworn in Tuesday. Ron DeSantis could run for president without resigning from his current job. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo echoed Renner's comments, saying it would be an "honor" to have someone from Florida running for president. Under current Florida law, if DeSantis were to run for president then he would have to resign his post as governor — even if he eventually lost the presidency.

☆ Police chief in Pennsylvania 'shocked' he wasn't stiffed by Donald Trump on a bill for rally security
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Wilkes-Barre Township Police Chief Will Clark had low expectations when billed Donald Trump's political action committee. Clark's own department in Pennsylvania still has an unpaid bill for extra security at a "Make America Great Again Rally," back in 2018. Along with the Trump campaign, Clark also tried sending the bill to the Republican National Committee and Lou Barletta, the Trump-endorsed former Pennsylvania congressman who failed to oust Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in that race. To date, there's only one other known instance of late — also unexplained — where the Trump campaign paid some of the money it owed a municipal government. In this case, it was the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, for a 2020 campaign event that then-Vice President Mike Pence headlined.

Christopher Gregory/Getty ImagesDonald McGahn, Trump campaign counsel: I was at the top. Trump's 2016 campaign aides said they paid about 50 people, including part-time actors, to appear as supporters for his 2016 campaign announcement. Corey Lewandowski, Trump campaign managerCorey Lewandowski: I called my wife just as we were getting onto the plane. Stuff that would be from Mars on any other campaign was perfectly normal for the Trump campaign. Mark J. Terrill/AP photo Show less Trump at the Republican National Convention while Cruz speaks on July 20, 2016.

Sen. Linsey Graham, a Trump ally, told reporters he voted "for change." "I welcome the contest," McConnell told reporters after Scott announced his bid. "I voted for change," he told reporters. Earlier this month during an interview with Fox News host Martha McCallum, Scott denied rumors spread by Trump that Scott "hates" McConnell. So we acquainted our members with the tools they have," McConnell told reporters at the US Capitol, adding, "I think that'll be used more often.

☆ Police chief 'shocked' he wasn't stiffed by Donald Trump on a bill for rally security
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Wilkes-Barre Township Police Chief Will Clark had low expectations when billed Donald Trump's political action committee. Along with the Trump campaign, Clark also tried sending the bill to the Republican National Committee and Lou Barletta, the Trump-endorsed former Pennsylvania congressman who failed to oust Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in that race. The Trump campaign said in 2020 that public safety billing inquiries should go to the Secret Service. To date, there's only one other known instance of late — also unexplained — where the Trump campaign paid some of the money it owed a municipal government. In this case, it was the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, for a 2020 campaign event that then-Vice President Mike Pence headlined.

☆ Rick Scott launches his Trump-backed challenge of Mitch McConnell to become Senate GOP leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sen. Rick Scott is challenging Mitch McConnell to become the top Senate Republican. Scott's challenge comes as former President Donald Trump and some Senate Republicans blame McConnell for a lackluster midterm election. As Politico broke the news of Scott's challenge, McConnell's allies lashed out. As the leader of Senate Republicans' campaign arm, Scott played a key role in shaping his party's strategy. Unlike McConnell, Scott did not want the GOP to aggressively intervene in contested primaries, which led to Trump-backed challengers like Dr. Mehmet Oz and Don Bolduc emerging in key races in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, respectively.

☆ As Trump prepares 2024 announcement, Mike Pompeo is running ads in key presidential primary states
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Pompeo has launched digital ads through his PAC in early voting presidential primary states. Pompeo has said a Trump presidential bid alone would not keep him out of the race. Pompeo has said a Trump 2024 presidential bid would not alone keep him from entering the race. He said he'd vote for Trump with "no hesitation" if Trump were to win the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. To date, none have formally announced 2024 presidential bids.

☆ GOP campaign veterans call Rick Scott one of the worst reelection chairs in modern history after 2022 midterms flop: 'Leave the national political arena to the grown ups'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Senate reelection chair Rick Scott is taking heat for not delivering during the midterm elections. "It will take years to undo Rick Scott's mistakes," a former NRSC aide said of the 2022 cycle. The former NRSC staffer who billed Scott as a historic failure said the freshman lawmaker courted disaster by going rogue this spring. "That stuff takes care of itself — if you win," the second former NRSC staffer told Insider. "It will take years to undo Rick Scott's mistakes," the second former NRSC staffer said.

☆ GOP Rep. Mo Brooks says it would be a 'bad mistake' to nominate Trump as the party's 2024 presidential nominee, calling his onetime ally 'incompetent' and 'crude'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Mo Brooks said ex-President Donald Trump should not be the GOP presidential nominee in 2024. In an interview with AL.com, Brooks was highly critical of his onetime political ally. "I challenge anybody to make the argument that you can trust the word of Donald Trump," he said. "It would be a bad mistake for the Republicans to have Donald Trump as their nominee in 2024. "I did not fight for Donald Trump after the 2020 election," Brooks said.

☆ Trump threatens to reveal things 'that won't be very flattering' about Ron DeSantis if he challenges him for the GOP nomination in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump and DeSantis could end up in a competitive primary for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Now, Trump says he might reveal unflattering information about DeSantis if that happens. "I think he would be making a mistake, I think the base would not like it — I don't think it would be good for the party." If he runs, he runs," Trump went on to say. Casey DeSantis, the Florida governor's wife, is "really running his campaign," Trump also said, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

☆ Federal affidavit debunks wild far-right conspiracy theories about the attack on Paul Pelosi amplified by Elon Musk, Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A federal affidavit debunks far-right conspiracy theories about the attack on Paul Pelosi. Paul Pelosi was hospitalized with a skull fracture but is expected to fully recover. The attacker entered the bedroom and said he wanted to talk to "Nancy," according to the affidavit. The affidavit, however, explains that Paul Pelosi had said in the call the man who identified himself as David was waiting for Nancy Pelosi, and he didn't know him. Jenkins also said the attacker was looking for Nancy Pelosi and that reports that a third person was at the home were untrue.

☆ Pelosi likely has the largest security detail of any lawmaker in Congress. Here's what we know about her and her husband Paul's protection.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Details about congressional security practices remain closely guarded after the January 6 attack. Keeping information about congressional security practices under wraps is apparently part of the Capitol Police's job, as critical details remain closely guarded. Similar media reports say that full-time congressional security details are limited to the speaker, House and Senate majority and minority leaders, and House and Senate whips. Last month she told The New York Times that she'd spent more than $120,000 on private security over the past year. Financial records filed by the Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund PAC show that the fundraising committee paid nearly $4,000 to private security firm Safehouse Security Solutions this spring.

☆ Attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband prompts Republicans, including many who defied the 2020 election results after Capitol rioters hunted her on Jan. 6, to denounce political violence
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked during an early Friday break-in, police said. Several GOP lawmakers, including some who spread lies about the 2020 election, have since condemned the attack. Sen. Ted CruzThe Texas senator acknowledged his and Nancy Pelosi's "political differences," while calling the attack on her husband "horrific." —Congresswoman Kat Cammack (@RepKatCammack) October 28, 2022Rep. Chuck FleischmannThe Tennessee Republican wrote that any politically motivated violence "must be strongly condemned." Rep. Rodney DavisThe Illinois Republican wrote that the Pelosi attack strikes at the heart of every lawmaker, decrying it as "an attack on all of Congress."

☆ Lindsey Graham says there are 'gonna be people jumping off bridges in San Francisco by the thousands' if Jim Jordan becomes chair of the House Judiciary Committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

During a speech at a Republican Party dinner in Lima, Graham riled up a crowd of the party faithful. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is set to chair the House Judiciary Committee if the GOP retakes the chamber. Graham speaks at a Republican dinner in Lima, Ohio as Jordan looks on. Attendees listen as Republican Senate candidate JD Vance speaks at the Republican dinner in Lima, Ohio. Republican Senate candidate JD Vance speaks at a Republican dinner in Lima, Ohio.

☆ Insider asked 38 Republicans whether they're concerned about growing anti-Semitic sentiments in their party. Their responses included silence, deflection, and rehashing old statements.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Insider reached out to House Republican leaders, GOP senators auditioning for the 2024 presidential race, the Republican National Committee, retired GOP lawmakers, seasoned Republican strategists and former Donald Trump administration officials about this disturbing phenomenon. The non-respondents included RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, former Vice President Mike Pence, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Rick Scott, House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik, Florida Gov. Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, lashed out at West, Trump and House Republican "idiots" cheering on their reprehensible behavior. "You can say that his particular words in this particular case are not antisemitic," Rosen said Tuesday during Commentary's daily podcast. Nor have they convinced House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan to quit hailing West and Trump as personal heroes.

☆ Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler worried she would 'get booed off the stage' at a rally if Trump didn't retweet a statement announcing her objection to the 2020 election results, texts show
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New texts shed light on former Sen. Kelly Loeffler's thinking during the Georgia runoffs and Jan 6. She told aides to make sure Trump retweeted a statement announcing her objection to the 2020 results. But after the violence, an aide warned her to back off from objecting due to "reputational risk." "I believe you can't afford to not be on it," wrote Loeffler aide Wes Coopersmith in a January 2 text. But the senator appeared concerned that word wouldn't get out before a rally with Trump that evening, according to the texts.

☆ Ted Cruz reimbursed himself $555,000 after successfully challenging a political spending law at the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ted Cruz's campaign paid him $555,000 to cover old personal loans to his Senate committee. Ethics advocates and some Supreme Court justices warned that the decision could lead to corruption. And the one-time presidential candidate and two-term senator has the US Supreme Court to thank for it. That allowed Cruz to initiate a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, which eventually made its way up to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan echoed that same argument in her dissenting opinion.

☆ Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan takes aim at Biden and 'performative' DeSantis amid speculation he's eyeing a 2024 run
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Larry Hogan of Maryland criticized President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a recent speech in New Hampshire, amid growing speculation that he'll seek the White House in 2024. The Florida governor is up for reelection in November and hasn't said he's seeking the White House, but polling shows he's been edging onto Trump as a GOP favorite. Neither the White House nor the Florida governor's office responded to a request for comment before this story's publication. Should Hogan run for president he would join what is becoming a crowded field of GOP potential contenders.

☆ Trump asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to 'imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter' in conversation about abortion: book
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A new book from Maggie Haberman details Trump's first meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May. He reportedly brought up abortion, saying "imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter." The graphic statement suggests a private sympathy with abortion rights, despite his record. "Imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter and she got pregnant?" As president, Trump often sought to satisfy his evangelical base, most of whom are strongly opposed to abortion rights.

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