Politics

The Messenger reports: Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is predicting Republicans will move to expel Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after George Santos got the boot from Congress. “With Santos gone, you’re hearing it here first: the next GOP member to leave Congress” will be Kevin McCarthy, Swalwell posted to X. “No way he stays. A guy who kidney punches his colleagues …

The Associated Press reports: A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s government, The Associated Press has learned. Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a criminal complaint and more details about the case are expected …

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor continues to flesh out the seemingly unlikely scenario of a Bahamian attack on the United States, saying it wouldn’t take long to make residents of the island archipelago regret it. “If people were firing rockets from the Bahamas into like Fort Lauderdale, we would never allow that. I mean, we would flatten them. Within like …

“He’s so naïve. I mean, I just lost all confidence in this guy. How about focusing on protecting our soldiers, men and women in Syria and Iraq? Strategic defeat would be inflaming the Palestinians? They’re already inflamed. They’re taught from the time they’re born to hate the Jews and to kill them. They’re taught math: If you have 10 Jews …

NBC News reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would replace Obamacare with a “better plan” — part of an interview in which he criticized former President Donald Trump for failing to deliver on numerous policy promises during his term in the White House, including frequent pledges to replace the health care law. “Obamacare …

“Our willingness to self-mutilate on these things really impairs our ability to get the job done. Let’s do the math here, Charlie. We have a four vote majority, right? Now we’ve kicked out George Santos, we have a three vote majority. “Congressman Bill Johnson of Ohio has taken a college university presidency. That knocks us down to two and I …

Politico reports: The chief super PAC supporting Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, Never Back Down, has fired its interim chief executive officer after less than two weeks. It was the latest in a series of shake-ups as tumult has continued to disrupt the super PAC for weeks. Never Back Down fired Kristin Davison on Friday for unspecified “management and personnel …

Politico reports: Tensions between Ron DeSantis’ struggling presidential campaign and his allied super PAC are boiling over, with the campaign losing confidence in Never Back Down’s leadership and ability to orchestrate a TV advertising campaign, according to two people close to the Florida governor. The criticism comes amid mounting questions about the strength of DeSantis’ campaign, and that of Never …

“Where do you even start with this, right? It’s 2023, I guess 2022 when the book came out. And we’re still talking about people this way? Based on who they are and who they love? America, most of America, at least, has moved on from this kind of thing. “And what’s obnoxious is the idea that you can be coming …

The Messenger reports: Donald Trump’s presidential campaign managers Friday accused an Oklahoma Republican of misusing the former president’s image and tricking donors in an online fundraising scheme that uses a photo of the Trump family without authorization. “Your appeal goes so far as to mislead those who received the solicitation into thinking their donation would help President Trump and his …

Axios reports: Democrats are looking to the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) on Friday as a chance to not only flip a highly competitive House seat, but get a political boost ahead of 2024. Santos’ removal spurs a special election to fill his seat that could happen in a matter of months, with the nominees chosen by county party …

The Dallas News reports: In a blow to Gov. Greg Abbott, a federal appeals court ordered Texas on Friday to remove the border buoys the state installed near Eagle Pass to block migrants. Abbott had turned to the conservative New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which temporarily blocked a lower court’s order three months ago finding that Texas had …

The New York Times reports: The main super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign has been rocked by another significant departure, as Adam Laxalt, a friend and former roommate of the Florida governor, has stepped down as chairman of the group. Mr. Laxalt, who unsuccessfully ran to become a Republican senator in Nevada in 2022, lived with Mr. DeSantis when …

“One of the members came forward yesterday at the end of the talk, and then today came forward and put out the email for those who might not have understood where he was coming from, and explained that not only he, but his mother were ripped off by this campaign. And so when you start ripping off other members, if …

“If we have a Democrat that is put forward without a conviction, we need to step forward and have a consistent voting record here. I think that’s critically important because Americans are sick and tired of the double standard. “I felt that it was inappropriate to deny those constituents in his congressional district their right to representation. Elections have consequences, …

NBC News reports: In a letter sent to colleagues, which was obtained by NBC News, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, said he learned earlier this year that Santos’ campaign “had charged my personal credit card — and the personal card of my Mother — for contribution amounts that exceeded FEC limits. Neither my Mother nor I approved these charges or were …

CBS News reports: Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who blazed a trail as the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, died Friday, the Supreme Court said. She was 93 years old. O’Connor died of complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness, the court said in a statement. She withdrew from public life in 2018 …

Axios reports: Mark Cuban tells Axios that he never plans to run for any elective office, cooling off speculation that began after he struck a deal earlier this week to sell his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks. Cuban had previously told NBC News that he had “no plans” to run for president in 2024, but hadn’t issued a blanket …

“I’ll tell you why I’m here. I’m here to tell the truth about the Biden-Harris record, and also compare and contrast Ron DeSantis’ record and the Republican Party’s record as a point of contrast that’s as different as daylight and darkness. “You want to bring us back to a pre-1960s world. America in reverse. You want to roll back hard-earned …

Syracuse’s ABC affiliate reports: Syracuse-area Congressman Brandon Williams is defending himself after an altercation with a former campaign manager at a holiday party was caught on camera. The video, obtained by NewsChannel 9, shows Congressman Williams verbally berating Michael Gordon, who managed Williams’ 2022 campaign for Congress. With his finger pointed in Gordon’s face, Williams can be heard shouting: “You …