Republicans

Florida Politics reports: “I do think they’re gonna use Guantánamo Bay for (an) illegal alien processing site and then they’ll repatriate from their own country from there. What better state to take advantage of that than the state of Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis told podcaster Dave Rubin Tuesday. DeSantis was on Rubin’s show as part of a media blitz Tuesday …

New York City’s NBC affiliate reports: Federal law enforcement officials from multiple agencies and their local partners swept into New York City early Tuesday to conduct ICE raids in line with policy changes enacted by Trump. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was in New York City Tuesday for the round-up. “We are doing this right – doing exactly what …

The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is keeping the door open to conditioning California disaster aid on the state enacting voter identification laws, days after President Trump said he wanted to link the two priorities. The comments from Johnson came during a press conference at Trump National Doral in Miami on Monday. Asked if linking voter ID to California …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis is fueling the civil war between his executive office and the legislative branch, and he may be benefiting from friendly air cover as he makes less-than-friendly points about Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez. The Governor spoke to Mark Levin and Sean Hannity about his gripes with the GOP supermajority that …

The Deseret News reports: Utah Sen. Mike Lee renewed his call to abolish the Transportation Security Administration, suggesting that instead airlines should conduct their own security screenings, eliminating the need for the federal government to get involved. Lee, a Republican, also complained about TSA pat-downs, asking in a post on X, “Tired of being groped every time you travel?” “Abolish …

Fox News reports: Attorneys general in 19 states are warning Costco “to end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies to reflect President Donald Trump’s recent executive order booting DEI out of federal agencies and warning private sectors to do the same. “Racial discrimination is both immoral and illegal. Race-based employment hiring violates state …

“Dr. Fauci, I think we’re going to find out was funding gain-of-function research on a Chinese lab and that the virus may have gotten out from the lab. “And Dr. Fauci saw that and he said, ‘Oh my God, I could get blamed for all this. So I’m going to have to establish complete control so nobody has questions and …

ABC News reports: Buckley Carlson, a former Capitol Hill aide and the son of conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, is set to join Vice President JD Vance’s press office, sources tell ABC News. The younger Carlson is set to serve as Vance’s deputy press secretary, sources said. Buckley Carlson has worked as an aide on Capitol Hill since 2019, including …

Politico reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis wanted Florida to be the state that led the nation in enacting the MAGA agenda. But it seems the normally compliant Florida Legislature has other ideas. It’s a staggering turn of events for a governor used to getting his own way — and a test of his national staying power as he stares down the …

The Washington Post reports: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have been directed by Trump officials to aggressively ramp up the number of people they arrest, from a few hundred per day to at least 1,200 to 1,500, because the president has been disappointed with the results of his mass deportation campaign so far. The quotas were outlined Saturday in …

Jacksonville’s Fox affiliate reports: The Vice Chair of the Clay Soil and Water Conservation Board, and son of Clay County School Board Member Beth Clark, was arrested Sunday, January 19th in a child sex sting operation conducted by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. According to the arrest report, Harrison “Ted” Clark is accused of traveling to meet a child for …

Playbook reports: The House GOP will descend upon Miami later today for a policy retreat which will have seismic implications for Trump’s second term. Republican representatives are this morning boarding flights to Florida for a 48-hour retreat at — where else? — the Trump National Doral Miami. The guest of honor will be Trump himself, who is due to address …

Florida Politics reports: Consistent with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request for legislation aligning with what President Donald Trump seeks from state efforts to fight illegal immigration, Spring Hill Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia filed legislation on Sunday that satisfies a robust range of crackdown targets. Senate Bill 2A offers a version of the “rebuttable presumption” DeSantis wanted, one that assumes detained illegal …

The Texas Tribune reports: Republicans are filing bills which aim to claw back vaccine requirements. There is even a House joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Texas Constitution that would preserve Texans’ right to refuse a vaccination. The proposal is among more than 20 bills endorsed by Texans For Vaccine Choice that have been filed, most of them before …

The New York Post reports: A Republican congresswoman is calling for the new commander in chief to be carved into the historic Mount Rushmore alongside fellow presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt. Florida Freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna echoed calls from conservatives and claims she will be introducing legislation to set it in stone. The patriotic …

Axios reports: Vice President Vance said in an interview aired Sunday that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has “not been a good partner in common sense immigration enforcement” after the assembly condemned several of President Trump’s executive orders. A number of Christian organizations rebuked Trump’s immigration executive orders in the days after his inauguration, noting how they violate core …

“He had the legal authority to do it. But I fear that you will get more violence. Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an okay thing to do. “Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most …

The Hill reports: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) is urging DHS to spare some migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean from being deported under the new administration’s immigration guidelines. She asked the acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman to continue “protecting” Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans who do not have criminal records and were permitted to enter and work in …

USA Today reports: In Arizona, a proposed bill aims to rename State Route 260 as the “Donald J. Trump Highway” as a tribute to his presidency. The bill, introduced by State Sen. Wendy Rogers, R- Flagstaff, cites Trump’s achievements for the designation, including winning the 2024 presidential election popular vote and “becoming the first Republican nominee for president to do …

Politico reports: Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday extended an invitation for President Donald Trump to address a joint session of Congress on March 4, the first in Trump’s second presidency. In a letter to the president, Johnson invited Trump to “share your America First vision for our legislative future,” thanking him for his “strong leadership and bold action” in the …