Republicans

The Lever reports: In the months before Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, the state’s legislature blocked a bill banning the sale of the type of assault rifle allegedly used in the attack. Prior to that, at the federal level, nearly all of Pennsylvania’s Republican congressional delegation voted against a bill to reinstate a nationwide assault …

The Associated Press reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday said he’s demanding an investigation into the response of the utility that serves the area as well as answers about its preparations for upcoming storms. “Power companies along the Gulf Coast must be prepared to deal with hurricanes, to state the obvious,” Abbott said at his first news conference about …

“You know, it just everything you all mentioned about the rooftop. I’ve talked to a marine sniper today, SEAL sniper, former CIA operator, and they all said the same thing. How the hell did he get on top of that roof? If you look at the pictures, he didn’t go through the top of the roof. There had to be …

NBC News reports: Speakers at the Republican National Convention have been given specific advice about how to handle their speeches in the wake of Saturday’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump: Change nothing. Trump aides and convention leadership have not told those speaking at the weeklong convention in Milwaukee to alter their original speeches after the shooting at a Trump rally …

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor wants answers from the Joe Biden administration in the wake of Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump. “DC bureaucratic failures almost never result in any accountability; this time needs to be different. Our country is in the peril its in partly because the DC ruling class has consistently evaded responsibility for its failures,” …

“This is a horrific act of political violence that ought to be roundly condemned. Obviously, we can’t go on like this as a society. “You know, our prayers are with President Trump, all the rally attendees, certainly the family of the individual that lost their life and those who were injured. “We have gotten briefings from law enforcement. I spoke …

“Biden’s speech was not the inspiring, unifying speech that’s necessary from the president of the United States in this moment. He can’t even say it was an assassination attempt. That’s not leadership.  “Democrats and liberals in the media have called Trump a fascist. They’ve compared him to Hitler. They’ve tried to lock him up. They tried to remove his Secret …

Politico reports: Congressional Republicans already believed Donald Trump was headed back to the White House. Some of them think the Saturday night rally shooting has made his path even easier. “President Trump survives this attack — he just won the election,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) told POLITICO in a brief interview shortly after the shooting. Other Republicans, who quickly …

“Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. “We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, …

Mediaite reports: Trump campaign leaders called on staff to avoid making any public comments following the failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump and condemned any “dangerous rhetoric” posted on social media. In a staff memo written by campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, Trump campaign staffers were urged to “recognize the political polarization in this heated election. …

The Daily Beast reports: In a series of posts on social media, loyalists including Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert sought to link the sniper’s attack to language used by Biden. Ohio Republican senator J.D. Vance posted on X,“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an …

Axios reports: House Republican leaders said Saturday they will hold a hearing with the U.S. Secret Service and other federal law enforcement officials after former President Trump was shot in the ear at a rally in Pennsylvania. “There are many questions and Americans demand answers,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the Oversight Committee, said in a statement. “I have …

Mediaite reports: Within minutes of a shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally Saturday, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) blamed President Joe Biden and called for him to be prosecuted. Collins has an extensive history of making outlandish and offensive comments, including tweeting that an undocumented migrant who was charged with assaulting an NYPD officer should be thrown from a helicopter, …

The Hill reports: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) sidestepped the rumored frontrunners in former President Trump’s veepstakes, urging Trump to put forward a different candidate: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). “Rubio would be excellent. Tim Scott would be excellent,” McCarthy said in a panel interview on “Real Time with Bill Maher” Friday evening. “If you really want to play the …

“I think everyone is seeing what we saw early on. And [Biden’s allies] knew it, too. Don’t kid yourself. They knew this man had issues early on as well. They covered it up. And that’s why I don’t think it matters at this particular point if he backs out or not and she [Harris] becomes the nominee. She has got …

Axois reports: GOP senators who have held off on endorsing Donald Trump as the party’s presidential nominee are planning to skip the upcoming Republican National Convention, Axios has learned. There are still Trump holdouts in the GOP — and not just Nikki Haley, his rival in the primaries who wasn’t invited to the convention. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Todd …

Via press release from Sen. Tommy Tuberville: Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announced a $550 million federal grant for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project. Senator Tuberville has been working with the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure this grant through the Bridge Investment Program for south Alabama since being sworn into office in 2021. “Since I …

The Washington Examiner reports: Kari Lake is asking the Arizona Supreme Court to declare her governor two years after she lost the election for that office, despite her current run for the state’s open Senate seat. On Thursday, Lake attorneys Kurt Olsen and Jennifer Wright filed a petition for review, arguing the Superior Court and Court of Appeals should have …

Portland’s ABC affiliate reports: At an event in Limerick this afternoon, Sen. Susan Collins said she will write in Nikki Haley for president this November. “I will not be voting for either candidate. I am going to write in Nikki Haley’s name,” said Collins, the senior senator from Maine. Collins, a Republican, had endorsed the former South Carolina governor for …

The Florida Phoenix reports: The latest hard-hitting ad in Matt Gaetz primary race references allegations that the Panhandle Republican may have engaged in sexual misconduct and drugs. Gaetz is running for re-election in his August 20 primary against Republican Aaron Dimmock, but the ad is being run by Florida Patriots PAC, a new super PAC. “Since Matt Gaetz refuses to …