Republicans

The Washington Post reports: Mace was so angry at Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that she discussed with aides the prospect of confronting the rioters so she could get punched and become the face of anti-Trump Republicans, according to former staffers familiar with the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of …

Axios reports: The former chief of staff to Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Friday filed to run as a Republican primary challenger against his onetime boss. Daniel Hanlon filed to challenge Mace in the state’s June congressional primary on Friday, according to a Federal Election Commission filing. Hanlon worked as a senior staffer for Mace from when she first entered …

“You know, it’s interesting, the decision that came out of the Supreme Court. They talked about the fact that Biden could take down concertina wire, razor wire. Texas will put it back up. I think there’ll be other legal challenges. “But I’m proud of the fact that this state and 25 other governors are standing and declaring and protecting our …

The Messenger reports: Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Thursday said she will deliver razor wire to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott if federal agents interfere with his plans for the U.S.-Mexico border as a conflict between the Lone Star state and the federal government over the handling of immigration has heated up. “I’ll drive in more razor wire …

CNN reports: House Speaker Mike Johnson is warning in a new letter that the emerging border deal is “dead on arrival” in his chamber if it resembles anything close to what has been reported. While the Senate deal has not been released and negotiators warn that the leaks of the package have not been accurate, Johnson’s warning on Friday underscores …

The Huffington Post reports: Joe Kent, a right-wing Republican who is vying for a rematch against Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), received $8,600 in campaign donations from an accused Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol rioter facing felony and misdemeanor charges. The Department of Justice announced earlier this month that it was charging Salisbury, Maryland, resident Carlos Ayala with civil disorder, …

NBC News reports: Tempers flared Thursday as Republicans battled among themselves over whether to accept or reject a deal for tougher immigration laws, with some pushing back on colleagues who want to bow to former President Donald Trump’s wishes and kill it. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., urged his colleagues not to make it all about politics at the behest of …

Via email from the Nikki Haley campaign: The Nikki Haley for President campaign announced a $2.6 million fundraising haul since New Hampshire polls closed on Tuesday, January 23. That includes $1.2 million raised from small-dollar and digital donations after Trump’s unhinged pledge to “permanently bar” any individual who contributed to Haley’s campaign. “Donald Trump’s threats highlight the stark choice in …

Axios reports: U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert defended her mountains-to-plains shift in congressional districts, even as Republican rivals used the contest’s first debate Thursday night to suggest she is a carpetbagger and hypocrite. She addressed it at the start, announcing she just moved to the area and signed a lease for a home in nearby Windsor. “I am here to earn …

“We certainly stand with Texas on the right to defend themselves, but Biden’s gonna be in a tough situation, so in other words, he’s going to try to federalize these troops. “In other words, put them on federal orders, and so now their allegiance technically goes to the president of the United States instead of the governor. “And of course …

The Daily Beast reports: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been adamant that his move to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was rooted in policy disagreements and wasn’t a personal vendetta related to the congressional ethics investigation against him. In private, he told a different story. According to private correspondence reviewed by The Daily Beast, Gaetz indicated to a friend …

The New York Times reports: One of Donald J. Trump’s key allies inside the Republican National Committee withdrew a planned resolution to try to force the party’s official body to say that the G.O.P. presidential nominating contest is effectively over, even though only two states have voted and Nikki Haley has vowed to continue her campaign. David Bossie, an R.N.C. …

The Birmingham News reports: Alabama Death Row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith on Thursday night became the first prisoner to die using a new untested method of execution in the United States—suffocation by nitrogen gas. The 58-year-old was executed at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. In announcing the execution had been carried out, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey stated: “I …

“Who cares what the RNC says? We’ll let millions of Republican voters across the country decide who should be our party’s nominee, not a bunch of Washington insiders. If Ronna McDaniel wants to be helpful she can organize a debate in South Carolina, unless she’s also worried that Trump can’t handle being on the stage for 90 minutes with Nikki …

NBC New reports: The University of North Florida, in Jacksonville, will close its Office of Diversity and Inclusion — and, with it, its interfaith, intercultural, women’s and LGBTQ centers — to comply with the new law, President Moaz Limayem said in a letter. Cassandra Edwards, a spokesperson for the university system, said in an email Thursday that Florida “will remain …

The Des Moines Register reports: Iowa Republican lawmakers have again proposed removing protections against discrimination for transgender people from the Iowa Civil Rights Act — and this time a key committee chair says he’s open to the conversation. Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, has scheduled a subcommittee hearing on House File 2082, which would remove gender identity protections from the civil …

The Des Moines Register reports: The Iowa Secretary of State’s office has filed a bill that would prevent Iowans from challenging Donald Trump’s place on the 2024 general election ballot on 14th Amendment grounds. The bill filed by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, would limit the grounds for any challenges to a presidential candidate in the general …

Bloomberg News reports: Texas Governor Greg Abbott vowed to add more razor wire along the border with Mexico to crack down on illegal immigration, saying the state has the constitutional right to defend itself and accusing President Joe Biden of not doing enough to enforce the law. “We are adding more razor wire as we speak right now to make …

The New York Daily News reports: Ousted Republican Rep. George Santos said Tuesday he misses being in Congress — but not so much that he feels compelled to vote in the special election for his replacement. “Sure. I miss it. Of course I do. I worked really hard to get there,” Santos told reporters as he walked out of a …

The Dispatch reports: The Republican National Committee (RNC) is reviewing a draft resolution that, if approved, would declare Donald Trump the party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee even as Nikki Haley continues to wage a vigorous campaign against the former president and frontrunner. The draft resolution, obtained by The Dispatch Thursday morning, was proposed by David Bossie [photo], an RNC committeeman …