Infighting Is Funny

Politico reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis wanted Florida to be the state that led the nation in enacting the MAGA agenda. But it seems the normally compliant Florida Legislature has other ideas. It’s a staggering turn of events for a governor used to getting his own way — and a test of his national staying power as he stares down the …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump’s key aides and allies are furious with Elon Musk for publicly trashing his $500 billion artificial intelligence mega-deal. A White House official said Musk “very much” got over his skis when the tech tycoon launched a daylong screed against the AI project. One Trump ally said Musk abused his closeness to the president. Another Republican …

“I have no desire whatsoever to watch or listen to Donald Trump. Donald Trump has, time and again, convinced me that he is the most dishonest elected official that I have ever — excuse me — that the public has ever had to interact with. “And the paradox with Donald Trump is he seems to make dishonest statements just for …

Politico reports: Senators should reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the government’s health agencies because he’s an anti-vax conspiracy theorist, former heroin addict, supporter of marijuana and psychedelic drug legalization, and backer of abortion rights, a conservative group is arguing. Advancing American Freedom, the advocacy group founded by Mike Pence, is throwing everything at the wall in a …

“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE. He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.” …

Politico reports: Vivek Ramaswamy is out at Donald Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur who was tapped by the president-elect to co-lead his cost-cutting efforts with Elon Musk, is leaving the initiative to run for governor of Ohio. Ramaswamy’s exit clears the path for Musk, the top donor and confidant to Trump, to run the show at …

The New Republic reports: Republicans may not know it yet, but they’re in the process of handing Steve Bannon a powerful weapon to wield in his war with Elon Musk over visas granted to high-skilled immigrants. The weapon in question, it turns out, is buried in the Laken Riley Act, the controversial bill that would mandate the detention of undocumented …

Axios reports: Former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) conspicuous silence is starting to spook Tulsi Gabbard’s team. Voting against Gabbard would resume hostilities between McConnell and Trump. It could have implications for big policy questions down the line, from funding Ukraine to raising tariffs. Two key GOP swing votes sit on the Intel committee: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Me.), a …

Salon reports: Trump tapped Gabbard to serve as the Director of National Intelligence in his second term. In a new report from the Wall Street Journal, however, several insiders claimed Gabbard demonstrated little understanding of what the DNI actually does. She flubbed at least one interview with Republican senators ahead of her confirmation hearing. While meeting with Sen. James Lankford, …

Axios reports: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has ousted Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, multiple GOP sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Axios. Turner, who was tapped to lead Republicans on the panel by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2022, has at times broken with party leadership in a way …

Politico reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom, is calling for senators to vote against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s nomination for Health and Human Services secretary over his past support for abortion access. The letter from the conservative advocacy group Advancing American Freedom criticized Kennedy as being “pro-abortion,” specifically over his past support for abortions later in …

Axios reports: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has been removed from the House Rules Committee after being the lone vote against Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) reelection. Massie’s departure from the influential panel could make it easier for Johnson to get legislation to the House floor. He has been replaced with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), a low-key member of the right-wing House …

“I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day. He will not have a blue pass to the White House, he will not have full access to the White House, he will be like any other person. He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy …

The Roys Report reports: Jeremiah Johnson, who wrongly prophesied that Donald Trump would win in 2020, is being sued for defamation by his brother and sister-in-law, Josiah and Jennifer Johnson. Josiah, who publicly accused Jeremiah last year of manipulating people with false prophecies, told The Roys Report (TRR) he hopes a jury trial will also expose other charismatic Christian leaders …

Today in our ever-expanding infighting is funny file: A pro-Trump commentator who goes by the name “Cat Turd” threatened to sue Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Wednesday after Massie called him one of “the most nenarded paid influencers” on social media. The cat feces-named social media influencer threatened to file “a slam dunk defamation lawsuit” against Massie after the two …

Florida Politics reports: Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said he doesn’t live in Florida’s 1st Congressional District because of partisan gerrymandering. But that insinuation upset Joel Rudman, a former state lawmaker who faces Patronis in a Special Election to represent the district in Congress. Patronis made the remark at a debate for candidates running in the Special Election to succeed …

The Telegraph reports: Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as the leader of Reform UK, claiming he “doesn’t have what it takes”. The tech multi-billionaire met with Mr Farage last month at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, in Florida, and there had been speculation he could donate as much as $100 million (£78 million) to the insurgent …

“I think for them to undermine this on the opening day is almost suicidally stupid. And I can’t explain it except that over the years and Karl watched all this and lived with it in the Bush White House over the years has been a group in the party who have grown more and more hostile, more and more self-righteous. …

The New Republic reports: House Speaker Mike Johnson lost the first floor vote Friday to retain the gavel. A handful of aimless Republican votes for other candidates (who weren’t running for the House’s most prized position) made it mathematically impossible for Johnson to win. Johnson had faced near-impossible margins from the jump: With a full House floor and a unified …

Politico reports: Mike Johnson came up short in his bid to remain speaker on the first ballot. Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Keith Self (R-Texas) voted against Johnson in the alphabetical roll call vote. Johnson can only afford to lose one GOP vote and still reclaim the gavel, meaning he needs to flip at least two of …