Republicans

Today in our ever-expanding infighting is funny file: A pro-Trump commentator who goes by the name “Cat Turd” threatened to sue Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Wednesday after Massie called him one of “the most nenarded paid influencers” on social media. The cat feces-named social media influencer threatened to file “a slam dunk defamation lawsuit” against Massie after the two …

The Hill reports: Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation Wednesday requiring educators to reveal a student’s gender identity to their families and allow parents to opt their kids out of lessons that touch on sexuality and gender. House Bill 8, known to its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill because of its similarities to a 2022 Florida law, …

Mediaite reports: The RNC jumped to brand Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) a “scumbag” after falsely alleging he “didn’t mention the wildfires” in Los Angeles once during his primetime interview on MSNBC – except he did, for almost six minutes, during the opening segment of his interview. As wildfires continue to destroy neighborhoods in Southern California, Schiff appeared on The ReidOut …

Florida Politics reports: Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said he doesn’t live in Florida’s 1st Congressional District because of partisan gerrymandering. But that insinuation upset Joel Rudman, a former state lawmaker who faces Patronis in a Special Election to represent the district in Congress. Patronis made the remark at a debate for candidates running in the Special Election to succeed …

The Guardian reports: Robert F Kennedy Jr has been accused of committing voter fraud in November’s presidential election by casting his ballot from a New York address that a court had previously ruled was not his place of residence. The complaint, filed by Accountable.US, a left-leaning watchdog group, could complicate Kennedy’s confirmation as Donald Trump’s nominee to be health and …

NOTUS reports: Sen. Kevin Cramer seemed enthusiastic about the idea, though he sounded skeptical it would actually happen. Still, he even suggested adding multiple provinces to the union instead of combining them into just one state. “It’s gorgeous all the time,” he told reporters of Canada. “It is one of the most spectacular places on Earth.” “And I wouldn’t mind …

NBC News reports: A former FBI informant who fabricated a story about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter accepting bribes that became central to Republicans’ impeachment effort was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison. Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty last month in Los Angeles federal court to tax evasion and lying to the FBI about the phony bribery scheme …

The Associated Press reports: Disgraced former congressman George Santos, facing a federal prison sentence, has won a few months’ freedom to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines — including from work on his new podcast. U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert set the new court date for April 25, which is about three months …

Dakota News Now reports: A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted and taught in public schools will make an appearance in the 2025 legislative session. First-term lawmakers usually don’t carry much legislation, if at all, but Senator John Carley out of Piedmont said it’s important to recognize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments in U.S. …

The Hill reports: Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) will introduce a bill that would authorize the president to purchase the Panama Canal and put it under U.S. control, an acquisition that President-elect Trump has been pushing over the last several weeks. Johnson plans to introduce the Panama Canal Repurchase Act on Thursday. The bill would authorize the president, in coordination with …

Raw Story reports: CNN’s Breanna Keilar wouldn’t let up when freshman Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) touted Donald Trump’s new age of “Manifest Destiny” but failed to directly answer questions about how it would help the U.S. economy. Gill pivoted to the southern border, before stating, “I think that the people of Panama, I think that the people of Greenland, I …

Florida Politics reports: Sen. Rick Scott says he backs potential moves to bring Greenland and the Panama Canal under American control that have been floated recently by Donald Trump. “Well, it would be pretty exciting. If you think about it, we’ve got a President that’s going to focus on our national security,” Scott told Fox Business host Stuart Varney. “It …

Courthouse News reports: Louisiana officials asked the Fifth Circuit Tuesday to overturn a lower court finding that the state’s congressional map illegally dilutes the Black vote and must be redrawn. In 2022, the Louisiana Legislature drew a new congressional map that included only one majority Black district. A group of Black Louisiana voters and civil rights organizations sued, arguing the …

Florida Playbook reports: Time is running short for Gov. Ron Desantis’ first big decision of 2025 — picking Marco Rubio’s replacement in the Senate. Asked on Tuesday if he’s made up his mind, the governor said he still has not decided who he will appoint to replace Rubio. But all signs point to him leaning toward Florida Attorney General Ashley …

ABC News reports: Disgraced former Congressman George Santos made $400,000 selling personalized videos on Cameo, federal prosecutors said in a court hearing Tuesday. The disclosure came as they opposed Santos’ efforts to delay his sentencing on Feb. 7. Prosecutors argued against a delay, saying “the numerous victims of Santos’s criminal schemes, and the community writ large have a strong collective …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Matt Gaetz, the former U.S. representative turned conservative cable host, may not be done with politics. Weeks after the release of a congressional report on sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz, the former U.S. representative told the Tampa Bay Times he’s “starting to think about running for governor” in 2026. Chief among Gaetz’s stated policy concerns? …

Atlanta’s Fox affiliate reports: The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has unanimously voted to expel former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from any future involvement with the party. “Geoff Duncan is hereby expelled from the Georgia Republican Party,” the resolution states, adding that he is “banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all …

First, there’s this from yesterday: Former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger has mocked Republican lawmakers who changed their tune on the January 6 Capitol attack by reposting statements they made four years ago. Kinzinger hit out at Republicans who have backpedaled on their criticism of Trump and the violent events of that day in 2021. Among the senators Kinzinger roasted was …

Florida Politics reports: At least 15 civilian review boards across Florida, which review investigations of potential law enforcement misconduct after they’re completed, have dissolved or temporarily ceased operations after a new law targeting the panels took effect. The law assures that only law enforcement agencies will investigate reports of misconduct by law enforcement officers. Backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the …

“The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy and today, members of both parties in the House and Senate along with the vice president certified the election of our new president and vice president without controversy or objection. “I welcome the return of order and civility to these historic proceedings and offer my most sincere congratulations and …