Republicans

The Hill reports: A new NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released just one day before the Iowa caucus found that 43 percent of Haley backers in the state said they would vote for Biden if Trump is the GOP nominee while 23 percent say they would vote for the former president. Nineteen percent said they would vote for Independent candidate …

“This campaign is built for the long-haul. We intend to compete for every single available delegate in New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and then into March. That begins on Monday’s Iowa Caucus, and the next day we will kick our campaign into overdrive in both South Carolina and New Hampshire. We hope Donald Trump is ready for a long, scrappy …

The Des Moines Register reports: Nikki Haley has overtaken Ron DeSantis in Iowa just days before a high-stakes Republican caucus that could help determine whether either candidate has a viable shot at upending Donald Trump, the race’s far-and-away front-runner. The Iowa Poll shows 48% of likely Republican caucusgoers pick Trump as their first choice for president — a slight dip …

The Texas Tribune reports: For more than three months, Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi has vigorously attacked critics of Defend Texas Liberty, and rebuffed calls to distance the state party from the powerful group over its ties to white supremacists. As he did so, Rinaldi was also working as an attorney for one of the group’s two billionaire …

The Hill reports: Climate protestors interrupted GOP Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during his event in Iowa Friday night, screaming in his face and calling the biotech entrepreneur “a liar.” Ramaswamy, who has called climate change “a hoax” in the past, was targeted by climate activists during his West Des Moines, Iowa event. Some protestors held yellow signs that said “Vivek: …

Sen. Josh Hawley writes for First Things: America as a Christian nation—that’s a heretical notion by today’s lights. We are a secular country, the experts have insisted—demanded—for decades. But that was never true. The Founders read Roman historians, yes. Some were influenced by Enlightenment philosophies. But the Bible has been the main source of our national ideals. From the age …

The Associated Press reports: A Wisconsin judge ruled Friday that the state’s top elections official is legally holding her position and that the commission that appoints her is under no obligation to name a new leader, handing yet another defeat to Republicans who have tried to oust her. Meagan Wolfe has been the subject of conspiracy theories and targeted by …

“There are two groups that are impacted when it’s gonna be this cold. Young voters, 18 to 29-year-olds, are less likely to vote in inclement weather. Their turnout is always suspect. And in a Republican event, the average age of a caucus voter, frankly, is deceased. Now, the other group that is affected by it are those over age 70 …

“The American people have a choice to make. In this circumstance, they have a rare, historically unusual chance to choose between two presidents. They have a chance to choose between order and lawlessness. They have an opportunity to choose between putting America first or America last. Choose order over chaos. And so, whether you agree with him on every point …

“When DeSantis signed the book law, I supported the theme because there was abuse going on in Florida. There were far-left progressive people trying to impose an agenda on children, there’s no doubt about it. And the state has an obligation to protect children. But the wording of the law was far too nebulous in Tallahassee. So, that law needs …

The Messenger reports: The last time Dr. Ben Carson was stumping in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucus for himself, he was the target of a dirty trick by a rival campaign that informed voters he had dropped out. Eight years later, Carson recalled the incident in a video message Friday night to Donald Trump supporters. “Be on the lookout for dirty …

The far-right Washington Free Beacon writes: President Joe Biden told Pennsylvanians on Friday that he works for the government in the Senate, a comment likely to fuel concerns about the gaffe-prone president’s mental fitness. “My name’s Joe Biden. I work for the government in the Senate,” said the 81-year-old president as he met employees at a coffee shop in the …

The New York Times reports: Speaker Mike Johnson said on Friday that he stood by the spending deal he negotiated with Democrats to avert a government shutdown, spurning demands from ultraconservatives who have pressured him to jettison the agreement. The announcement, after days of public silence about what he would do, all but guaranteed that Mr. Johnson will have to …

The Messenger reports: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Friday said she will fight pairing supplemental aid for Ukraine and border security together even if she has to file a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., because it is a “failing” strategy. “We don’t have to trade $60 billion for Ukraine for our own country’s border security,” Greene …

The Daily Beast reports: Donald Trump Jr. and ex-White House trade adviser Peter Navarro appear on a list of potential defendants in a court filing Wednesday related to the sprawling bankruptcy case of a right-wing Chinese businessman accused of bilking anti-communist dissidents. The court-appointed trustee overseeing the estate of Guo Wengui—also known as Ho Wan Kwok, Miles Guo, and Miles …

The Des Moines Register reports: Travel is not advised in the Des Moines Metro area or areas to the east, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. “As expected, road conditions are going downhill fast this morning with heavy snow and strong winds decreasing visibility and causing drifting on some Iowa roads,” the Iowa DOT wrote on social media. The …

CBS News reports: The leading super PAC supporting former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s run for president is attempting in a new advertisement to portray one of her main 2024 rivals as a “suck up” to former President Donald Trump. The ad, shared exclusively with CBS News, from the pro-Haley political committee known as Stand For America Fund utilizes audio …

The Daily Mail reports: Records indicate that Keri Blair arrived in the same car – a gray Infiniti SUV – and used the same debit card in her name each time she stole from the retail giant. According to authorities, Target has video footage of Blair allegedly stealing the items. Reports say the value of the goods stolen on each …

Jacksonville’s ABC affiliate reports: A Northeast Florida lawmaker wants to legally define the words “man” and “woman” based on biological sex at birth. Jacksonville Rep. Dean Black filed the proposed What Is A Woman Act this week, which would also impose new requirements related to transgender individuals on state agencies and insurance companies. House Bill 1233 requires state agencies to …

Florida Politics reports: Ron DeSantis told Iowans Thursday that conservative media is every bit as duplicitous and mendacious as the mainstream press, in the latest sign that the final days of his Iowa campaign are driving rhetorical reconsideration. “It used to be, ‘Oh, Republicans, you know, don’t like the liberal media, the NBC, CNN, all that stuff or whatever, but …