Republicans

Politico reports: Kristi Noem cast herself as the victim of a liberal- and media-run smear campaign at a Republican donor retreat on Saturday, the latest in a string of defensive appearances as her star power and chances of a vice presidential nomination seem to have dimmed. “Listen, going through hard things, and I’ve been through a few of them — …

The Daily Beast reports: It turns out that SNL was saving its Noem material for young cast member Marcello Hernández, who showed up on “Update” in an adorable dog costume and a seemingly pleasant, excited attitude. “My name is actually Cricket the Seventh,” he quickly explained. “Yeah, the first six were bad dogs, Colin. But you know what they say, …

Here’s a reminder about the scene at Ole Miss: There were hundreds of counter-protesters, in contrast to the few dozen pro-Palestine protesters. The scene evoked memories of the resistance to the civil rights struggle in the US south six decades earlier. The counter-protesters included individuals waving American flags and Trump flags. At one point, they sang the American national anthem, …

The Hill reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he is sending Chick-fil-A to counter protesters against pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Saturday. “I’m so proud of the courageous young men at @UNC that protected our flag and stood up for America against the pro-Hamas protesters on their campus,” Graham said in a post …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Less than 72 hours after the launch of a reporting form to help Utah enforce its transgender bathroom ban, the Utah auditor’s office says it has received nearly 4,000 complaints — and all of them appear to be “bogus.” “We didn’t see anything that looks credible,” Utah Auditor John Dougall said in a phone call, …

CBS News reports: Republican Rep. Troy Nehls has repeatedly claimed to be the recipient of two Bronze Star medals and a Combat Infantryman Badge from his time in the U.S. Army serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. But military documents obtained by CBS News after a months-long investigation and a review of his service record by the U.S. Army at the …

The Associated Press reports: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is releasing a new book called “No Going Back,” but on Friday her office said she would actually be going back to correct some errors — including a false claim that she once met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Republican governor’s new book was part of an overt …

CBS News reports: The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday declined to reconsider a controversial ruling that said frozen embryos are considered children under a state law. Justices in a 7-2 decision without comment rejected a request to revisit the ruling that drew international attention and prompted fertility clinics to cease services earlier this year. Alabama justices in February ruled that …

NBC News reports: A county Republican group in Colorado said that it was cancelling a fundraiser featuring South Dakota governor and potential Republican vice presidential contender Kristi Noem after she reportedly described killing her young dog in her forthcoming book. Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Nancy Pallozzi said in a statement Friday that the group’s fundraising dinner, which was set …

The Hill reports: Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto pushed back on a claim by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) that progressive billionaire George Soros has funded groups involved in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. “You’ve got groups that are funded by George Soros. There are Palestinian rights groups that I believe are involved, funded by George Soros, and they need to …

MTG: “Since George Soros is Jewish and funds the radical left including the Pro-Hamas Protests breaking out on college campuses, thanks to Mike Lawler’s new Antisemitism bill, college kids who speak out against Soros could be convicted of being Antisemitic. Talk about opening Pandora’s box.” Mike Lawler: “And yet in both instances, more than two thirds of Congress voted with …

The Washington Examiner reports: Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) hit back at Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger after the rock star threw a jab at him. At a Thursday night concert, Jagger, 80, made a quip that Landry wanted to return the world to the Stone Age. After his band finished performing their hit song “You Can’t Always Get What You …

The New Hampshire Bulletin reports: The New Hampshire House passed a bill Thursday raising the legal age of marriage to 18, sending the legislation to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk after years of advocacy. Senate Bill 359, which passed 192-174, states that “no person below the age of 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages …

“Fox News called me an idiot. That was literally their headline. They called me an idiot. But what I’ve done is exposed what was already happening in the dark. “And I think I think the beautiful thing about it is, is that Democrats have to come clean. They were controlling Mike Johnson anyways. “He was giving them everything wide open …

The Washington Post reports: As soon as Collin Davis found out his ex-partner was planning to travel to Colorado to have an abortion in late February, the Texas man retained a high-powered antiabortion attorney — who court records show immediately issued a legal threat. Now, Davis has disclosed his former partner’s abortion to a state district court in Texas, asking …

Yahoo News reports: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order Thursday objecting to aspects of an updated set of rules related to Title IX — the federal law which bans sex-based discrimination at any schools that receive federal funding. The new rules, released by the Biden administration in April and set to go into effect in the fall, …

NBC News reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that the FBI was in possession of his phone after he received a message from someone impersonating Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “I get a message, I think, from Schumer,” Graham, R-S.C., said during a panel discussion about artificial intelligence regulations at The Hill and Valley Forum. “It ain’t from Schumer. And …

Playbook reports: This promises to be an interesting book tour. Just as the dog-killing news cycle was cresting, a South Dakota publication, The Dakota Scout, reported on an anecdote in “No Going Back” that on its face is highly improbable: Noem’s claim that she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un when she served in Congress. “I remember when …

“So I led a [speaking in tongues] prayer group down at the capitol. Somebody filmed it. Somebody tweeted it out. It — the nation and the media went berserk. While at the same time they can allow pedophiles, they can allow perverts, they can allow men dressed up as women, and just a perv show in the basement of our …

The Hill reports: Arizona congressional candidate Blake Masters took a swipe at his Republican primary opponent Abe Hamadeh for not being married or having kids, claiming it shows his opponent does not have “skin in the game.” In a campaign video published Tuesday, Masters laid out his policy goals and what his campaign called the “differences” between him and Hamadeh. …