Republicans

The Argus Leader reports: A Sioux Falls man who used his connections in the conservative movement to help his Russian girlfriend gain political access was sentenced Monday to serve seven years in federal prison. Paul Erickson was not charged with any wrongdoing involving his efforts to help Maria Butina make inroads with political contacts. Instead, he was accused of defrauding …

Mississippi Today reports: The Mississippi Legislature, finishing a historic stretch last week where it voted to replace the state flag to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its design, now faces a new challenge as members are testing positive for the coronavirus. On Sunday, House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton confirmed that he has contracted COVID-19, as did at least one …

The Washington Post reports: On Friday, the Anderson County Review, a Kansas newspaper, posted a cartoon to Facebook in response to a new statewide mask order from Gov. Laura Kelly (D). The image showed Kelly [photo] in a face covering emblazoned with the Star of David over a photo of Jews in Nazi Germany, with the caption: “Lockdown Laura says: …

The Hill reports: Congressional Republicans say Trump spends too much time going after critics on Twitter and not enough time articulating his vision for a possible second term. They would prefer more contrasts between their party and Democrats on issues such as taxes and regulation — areas they think could be part of a winning formula in the fall. Instead, …

The Independent reports: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), when confronted with her previous criticisms of then-President Barack Obama’s handling of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, claimed on Sunday that President Donald Trump is “stepping forward” in his response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s now killed 130,000 Americans. During the 2014 midterm elections, Ernst joined a chorus of Republicans who exploited the …

The Associated Press reports: A Kansas newspaper whose publisher is a county Republican Party chairman posted a cartoon on its Facebook page likening the Democratic governor’s order requiring people to wear masks in public to the roundup and murder of millions of Jews during the Holocaust. The cartoon on the Anderson County Review’s Facebook page depicts Gov. Laura Kelly wearing …

Fox News reports: Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh late on Saturday denied an emergency appeal submitted by GOP lawmakers from Illinois that had argued against the governor’s restrictions on meeting in groups larger than 10 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Illinois Republican Party filed a suit in the U.S. District Court in mid-June after Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker permitted religious …

CNN reports: Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana has suspended in-person campaigning for his gubernatorial bid in the state after his wife and running mate attended an event with Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. and a top fundraiser for the Trump campaign who has tested positive for coronavirus, a spokesperson for Gianforte’s campaign told CNN on Saturday. …

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas GOP’s executive committee voted Friday night to proceed with plans to hold the party’s in-person convention in Houston later this month. The State Republican Executive Committee, a 64-member body that serves as the governing board of the state party, voted 40-20 to approve the resolution supporting the in-person gathering. Thursday’s vote comes as the …

The Hill reports: In a video shared to Facebook on Thursday, Ohio state Rep. Candice Keller (R) read the text of former President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in front of the Soldier’s National Monument in Gettysburg. “My husband and I came here yesterday to enjoy the weekend of the Fourth of July, and there is an atmosphere here of, I don’t …

Vanity Fair reports: This week, Jacksonville, Florida—where Trump moved the Republican National Convention so he could hold a 15,000-person rally next month—mandated that people wear masks indoors to slow the explosion of COVID-19 cases. According to a Republican working on the convention, the campaign is now preparing to cancel the event so that Trump doesn’t suffer another Tulsa–like humiliation. “They …

The Associated Press reports: The white St. Louis couple who became internationally famous for standing guard with guns outside their mansion during a protest have pulled a gun before in defense of their property, according to an affidavit in an ongoing case. The McCloskeys and the trustees of Portland Place are involved in a three-year legal dispute over a small …

The Daily Beast reports: Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has been hospitalized with the coronavirus, his team announced Thursday afternoon. News of his diagnosis comes just days after Cain appeared at President Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was attended by scores of maskless supporters. In a statement, Cain’s team said he was informed that he had tested positive …

From the far-right site Newsmax: Newsmax TV contributor Herman Cain was admitted to a hospital Wednesday and is being treated for COVID-19. He is doing well and is not on a ventilator, his staff tells Newsmax. Cain, who also is a regular guest on “Newsmax Now,” joined Newsmax TV as a contributor in April. He also hosts “Herman Cain’s America,” …

Roll Call reports: Republican senators came out swinging today against a bill passed in the House last week that would make the District of Columbia the 51st state.  Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, was joined by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., who noted a Gallup poll that found a majority of Americans believed Washington should not be a …

The Hill reports: Senate Republicans fear President Trump is putting them into a political no-win situation by threatening to veto a popular defense policy bill over bipartisan language to rename military bases named after Confederate generals. GOP lawmakers are trying to wave the president off his veto threat and may end up delaying the bill to avoid a political disaster …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump is set to hold a high-dollar dinner at a private residence in Hillsboro Beach, Fla., next week to raise money for his campaign and the RNC. The invitation does not name the owner of the home hosting the $580,600-per-couple event. Campaign manager Brad Parscale, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and other senior RNC fundraisers are …

The Washington Post reports: The pandemic had just started to wane in some parts of the country when South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) lifted some of the restrictions he had imposed, paving the way in April for Myrtle Beach and its surrounding communities to open their hotels fully by mid-May, just in time for Memorial Day. The Grand Strand, …

Phoenix’s NBC News affiliate reports: Coronavirus cases in Arizona continue to skyrocket, and the state set another new record for daily cases on Wednesday with 4,878 new cases reported. The state also reported a new high of 88 deaths on Wednesday. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), the state has reported a total of 84,092 cases and …

The Texas Tribune reports: Despite Texas’ surge of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday evening that he doesn’t need the advice of the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci. “Fauci said today he’s concerned about states like Texas that ‘skipped over’ certain things. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Patrick told Fox News …