Republicans

The Hill reports: Former Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt (R) announced Friday that he will run for Congress in a bid to replace outgoing Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.).  The three-term attorney general is now gunning for the House after narrowly losing a 2022 gubernatorial bid to Gov. Laura Kelly (D). Schmidt embraced far-right positions on vaccines, transgender rights and critical …

The Washington Post reports: Former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met privately Sunday morning in Miami, according to people familiar with the matter, breaking a years-long chill between the presumptive Republican nominee and his onetime chief primary rival. Allies brokered the meeting in hopes of a potential détente between the two men, and Trump’s advisers hope DeSantis …

Maria Bartiromo: “Look, with all due respect, people are sick and tired of congressional investigations that go nowhere. People are sick and tired of letters being written and sent to the people who we know are bad in the first place. They want you to do something about it. You’re an elected official. What can you do to right these …

“I think the court’s gonna find that presidential immunity exists for President Trump like every other president, but you got to be within the scope of being president. I think they’ll send it back to the lower courts to find out exactly what actions fall within presidential immunity and what are considered personal. “I think that’s the way this will …

The Daily Beast reports: At first glance, Caleb Oriet’s social media accounts seem typical of a young member of the fringe, online right, featuring likes and reposts of far-right influencers and white nationalists expressing incendiary and bigoted views about racial and religious minorities. But Oriet isn’t just a denizen of the far-right fringes of social media. He’s also a staffer …

NBC News reports: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not say whether he is supportive of a 15-week federal ban on abortions, with exceptions, but told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “I don’t think we’ll get 60 votes in the Senate for any kind of national legislation.” McConnell made clear that he believes it’s an issue that should be decided in …

Axios reports: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is on a long list of VP contenders, but Trump’s rising interest in the North Dakota governor has been clear in recent weeks — and reveals his latest thinking about how he thinks his running mate could help him with undecided voters. Trump and his wife, Melania, hosted Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, …

ABC News reports: The Utah Republican Party on Saturday selected Trent Staggs as its nominee to replace Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate, hours after the local official received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. While the endorsement carried Staggs through convention with more than two-thirds of delegate votes, that support may not translate to success at the ballot box. The …

The Washington Post reports: When conservative lawyer and media personality Christina Bobb became one of the latest members of Donald Trump’s inner circle to be charged in connection with the effort to reverse the 2020 presidential election results, it became immediately clear she would not have to give up her day job: senior counsel to the Republican National Committee’s election …

The Hill reports: A group of Democratic governors mocked Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) on social media after a passage from her upcoming book entered the spotlight over a story about killing her family dog. The Democrats responded to the news by posting photos of their favorite pets on social media and encouraging others to follow suit. The Democratic National Committee …

Raw Story reports: Republicans’ newest cash-grab effort involves a Donald Trump running mate hopeful and her tale of shooting dead the family dog. The National Republican Congressional Committee Friday sent out an email alert hawking signed copies of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s forthcoming memoir, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America …

Mediaite reports: A Trump fan told CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan to “R-E-A-D the Constitution” when he told her God isn’t mentioned in the Constitution” — which it is not. O’Sullivan specializes in reporting on the fringes of the conservative and pro-Trump movement, and frequently finds himself on the receiving end of some stunning quotes. On Sunday’s The Whole Story with …

NBC News reports: Former Rep. Peter Meijer, who lost his House seat after voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump, has dropped out of a crowded Republican Senate primary in Michigan. “I got into this race because I believed I had the strongest chance of winning in November to work to right this ship and reverse trendlines that have only gotten …

Orlando’s ABC affiliate reports: U.S. Rep. Bill Posey announced Friday night that he is retiring after 16 years in Congress. The 76-year-old has held the seat for Florida’s 8th congressional district since 2008. Posey told Channel 9 that he is leaving Congress because of “circumstances beyond my control.” He has endorsed former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos — a fellow …

The New Times Times reports: The Republican Party sent a letter to the Secret Service on Friday urging the police agency to keep protesters farther away from the venue for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. The three-page letter, signed by Todd R. Steggerda, counsel to the Republican National Committee, objected to the placement of an area where …

The New York Times reports: Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota on Friday defended a story included in her forthcoming biography in which she describes killing a family dog on their farm, to her daughter’s distress — a grisly anecdote that instantly drew criticism from a number of political opponents. Ms. Noem, a Republican who is widely seen as a …

Los Angeles Magazine reports: Zack Scrivner, the Kern County Supervisor, is under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting his pre-teen daughter, as stated by Sheriff Donny Youngblood during a press conference on Thursday. Scrivner, a Republican, is currently the Supervisor of Kern County and a long-time friend of former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Sheriff Youngblood recounted the incident where …

The Guardian reports: “Cricket was a wirehair pointer, about 14 months old,” the South Dakota governor writes in a new book, adding that the dog, a female, had an “aggressive personality” and needed to be trained to be used for hunting pheasant. By taking Cricket on a pheasant hunt with older dogs, Noem says, she hoped to calm the young …

NBC News reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Thursday that he planned to sign a bill state legislators sent to his desk this week that would allow school staff members to carry concealed handguns on school grounds. “What’s important to me is that we give districts tools and the option to use a tool that will keep their children safe …

The Meidas Touch reports: The Log Cabin Republicans of Los Angeles posted a meme to their Instagram Story earlier this month welcoming the death of President Joe Biden. The group posted the Kombucha Girl meme which emphasizes an initial reaction of disgust vs. a later reaction of appreciation. The meme depicts a reaction of disgust to “Biden 2024,” but finds …