Analysis: Trump Widens Lead in New Hampshire Primary Polls After DeSantis Withdraws from GOP Presidential Race

Trump AF1

As Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew from the presidential race on Jan. 21, leaving a two-way race between former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for the Republican nomination, new polling out shows a significant jump in favor of Trump in the New Hampshire primary scheduled for Jan. 23.

In the latest Boston Globe-Suffolk poll taken Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, Trump’s support in New Hampshire rose to 57 percent and Haley at 38 percent. And an Insider Advantage poll taken Jan. 21 showed Trump up to 62 percent to Haley’s 35 percent.

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Commentary: Only Trump Can Save America

I believed that Republican voters were ready for a new post-Trump chapter of the America First movement. I now believe I was wrong. Those of us who backed Ron DeSantis – or the other Republican candidates – should read the room. Former President Trump winnowed the field effortlessly and then crushed the remaining three candidates in Iowa. He leads in the polls everywhere else. It is time to coalesce and unite behind the clear preference of the GOP grassroots, Donald John Trump.

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Commentary: Lawfare Against Trump Is Running Out of Gas

We should dispense with the tired narrative that four conscientious state and federal prosecutors — independently and without contact with the Biden White House or the radical Democrats in Congress — all came to the same disinterested conclusions that Donald Trump should be indicted for various crimes and put on trial during the campaign season of 2024.

The prosecutors began accelerating their indictments only once Trump started to lead incumbent Joe Biden by sizable margins in head-to-head polls. Moreover, had Trump not run for the presidency, or had he been of the same party as most of the four prosecutors, he would have never been indicted by any of them.

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Iowa’s Republican Caucusgoers Set to Make Their Pick for 2024 Presidential Nominee

The Hawkeye state has held a caucus every four years since the 1970s and is one of only nine states that still implement the practice, according to WQUAD8, a local ACB News affiliate. Eligible voters who are registered with the party and over the age of 18 will meet at 7 p.m. Central Time on Jan. 15 in schools, churches and event centers across the state after weeks of aggressive campaigning by Republican candidates.

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Top-Ranked Political Advisor Ward Baker Delivers Four-Part Master Class on 2024 Election Cycle

Ward Baker

Political consultant Ward Baker joined Wednesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio to discuss his insights to the state of the 2024 election cycle across the 50 states.

With the Iowa caucuses less than two weeks away and Super Tuesday a scant nine weeks after that on March 5, Baker takes listeners inside the campaigns as he shares the polling, players and places that matter most in 2024.

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Stephen K. Bannon and John Fredericks Call for Ronna Romney McDaniel to Resign as RNC Chair

Ronna McDaniel

WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon made an appearance on The John Fredericks Show Tuesday morning, where he joined Fredericks in calling on former President Donald Trump to demand the immediate resignation of Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel.

Bannon criticized the current state of the RNC, citing a substantial list of failures, including financial issues, lack of focus, and questionable priorities such as organizing debates that foment anti-Trump sentiment.

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Ballot Battles, Impeachment Inquiry, Indictments Disrupt Election Cycle

The Republican primary’s Iowa caucuses are scheduled for January 15, the first chance for voters to determine who they want to represent their party in November’s presidential election.

Iowa’s January caucuses are a regular tradition for a presidential primary season that – this time around – has been unusually enshrouded in indictments, impeachment inquiries and lawsuits heading into election year.

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Unmasking DeWine: Ohio Journalist Jack Windsor Dissects Shocking Veto and Its Potential Ripple Effect on 2024 Senate Race

Ohio journalist and entrepreneur Jack Windsor joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss the connections and divides behind the shocking decision by Governor Mike DeWine to veto measure that would prohibit genital mutilation of children and transgender males competing in girls’ sports. Windsor unveils the deep ties between the Buckeye State governor and the “medical industrial complex,” and how this particular veto – perhaps unbeknownst to DeWine – could influence the 2024 elections in Ohio. The Ohio Press Network journalist then breaks down the hotly contested republican nomination race for U.S. Senate to see who will face long time incumbent Sherrod Brown. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 12:33 p.m., broadcasting live from our studios in downtown Nashville on Monday, January 1st, 2024. We are broadcasting live. We’re the only talk station talk show in Nashville broadcasting live today. Another hard worker is our very good friend formerly with The Ohio Star now with the Ohio Press Network and the host of his own program in Columbus Ohio, our good friend, Mr. Jack Windsor. Jack, thanks for joining us. Jack Windsor: Michael, it’s great to be with you. Happy New Year. And thanks for allowing…

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DeSantis Super PAC Loses Top Strategist Jeff Roe: ‘I Cannot in Good Conscience Stay Affiliated’

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign strategist Jeff Roe departed the governor’s super PAC following multiple other departures from the organization.

“I cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down (NBD) given the statements in the Washington Post today. They are not true and an unwanted distraction at a critical time for Governor DeSantis. I am resigning my position effective immediately,” Roe posted late Saturday evening on X, formerly Twitter.

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Trump Vows to Secure, Revitalize Violence-Weary Cities as He Stumps in New Hampshire

With the nation’s first primary state as a backdrop, former President Donald Trump took aim Saturday at Democrats’ urban strongholds, vowing to both secure and revitalize blue cities weary from years of violence and economic decay.

“We’re going to rebuild our cities into beacons of hope, safety, and beauty. It will be the greatest investment ever made,” Trump told a large, enthusiastic crowd in Durham, N.H. 

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Trump Expands Lead in Georgia as Poll Shows Biden Struggles with Young People

Former President Donald Trump has expanded his lead over President Joe Biden in Georgia, according to a new CNN-SRSS poll, which suggests the current president is struggling with voters in key demographics.

The poll showed Trump winning with 49 percent of the vote, while just 44 percent of voters said they would vote for Biden. The polling was conducted between November 30 and December 7, and pollsters reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percent.

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Analysis: The Clock Is Ticking for Vivek Ramaswamy’s Campaign to Make a Move

Vivek Ramaswamy is currently polling fourth among Republican presidential candidates and, with the Iowa caucus fast approaching, will need to rapidly make up ground for a strong early showing. Yet in early primary contests where candidates are spending big on political advertising, his campaign is so far keeping its powder dry.

The businessman has spent significantly less on political advertisements than his chief political rivals, and has only reserved just over $100,000 on future ad buys, a figure dwarfed by the campaigns of Trump, DeSantis and Haley. While his campaign has instead opted for local engagement in the key early nominating states, Republican operatives in Iowa and New Hampshire warn that time is running out for a major push.

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Poll Shows Trump with Enormous Lead Over Biden in Crucial Battleground State

Former President Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden by a whopping 10 points in Michigan, a state Biden won in 2020, according to a Monday poll.

Trump leads Biden by 10 points among registered voters in Michigan and by 5 points in Georgia, according to a CNN/SSRS poll. Majorities of registered voters in both the swing states hold negative views of Biden’s job performance, policies and mental acuity ahead of a potential 2024 rematch with Trump.

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Longshot GOP Candidate Doug Burgum Suspends Presidential Campaign

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced Monday that he is suspending his 2024 presidential campaign.

Burgum jumped in the growing GOP primary field in early June and has spent his campaign largely focused on the economy, energy and national security. The governor criticized the Republican National Committee’s (RNC’s) upped debate requirements, which left Burgum off the last debate stage, during his announcement, accusing them of “nationalizing the primary system,” according to a press release.

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Professor Raises Concerns over the Effect AI Could Have on 2024 Elections

A University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy professor is waving a red flag on the impact that artificial intelligence could have on next year’s elections.  

Ethan Bueno de Mesquita has written a white paper which he said provides an overview of the potential impact of generative AI on the electoral process. The paper offers specific recommendations for voters, journalists, civil society, tech leaders and other stakeholders to help manage the risks and capitalize on the promise of AI for electoral democracy in the hope of fostering a more productive public discussion of these issues.  

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Analysis: New Polling Finds Trump’s Lead Jumps to 5 Points in a Four-Way Race as Calls for Biden to Step Aside Rise

Former President Donald Trump continues to press his advantage against incumbent President Joe Biden in the latest HarrisX-Messenger poll, 51 percent to 49 percent, a lead that jumps to five points when Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Cornell West are included in the mix, with Trump garnering 41 percent, Biden 36 percent, Kennedy 11 percent and West 2 percent.

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Centrist Party ‘No Labels’ Says They Will Not Support Down Ballot Candidates if Granted Access in Tennessee, But May Back a Presidential ‘Unity’ Ticket

A described “radical centrist” party that is seeking ballot access in Tennessee will not run candidates lower than the presidential level if granted that access. 

“We are pleased to potentially have No Labels on the ballot in Tennessee for the 2024 presidential election,” Ryan Clancy, chief strategist at No Labels, told The Tennessee Star. “We will not offer our ballot line to candidates for any office other than the presidency. We’re just creating an opening for an independent Unity presidential ticket if that’s what the people of America — and Tennessee — want and need.”

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Centrist ‘No Labels’ Party Attempting to Get on 2024 Tennessee Ballot

According to multiple reports, the centrist No Labels Party is attempting to gain access to ballots across Tennessee for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.

Veteran political operator Ryan Clancy is the chief strategist of the group, and it boasts support from high-profile figures like former Republican Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan, former Democrat Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory, and former Democrat Senator Joe Liebermann of Connecticut.

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Common Themes on Energy Policy Emerge Among Republican Presidential Candidates

by Kevin Killough   In the past few years, America has seen high inflation rates and a faltering economy that some observers say will go into a recession. The latest conflict in the Middle East could likely pose a significant disruption in global energy supplies. Where the GOP contenders stand on energy policies will likely weigh heavily on voters’ decisions in 2024. Just The News highlights the key points the top Republican candidates have made with regard to energy policy during their campaigns. Donald Trump When former President Donald Trump, the current leader in the 2024 presidential race, sat down with Association of Mature American Citizens’ (AMAC) Rebecca Weber and Just The News’ John Solomon, he said that at the end of his term in 2020, America was energy independent. “We didn’t need anybody’s energy. We didn’t have to give them arms or armies. We didn’t have to guard anybody. We didn’t have to keep the Gulf open. We were totally set,” Trump said. In another six months, Trump said, the U.S. would have been energy dominant, meaning it would be the largest producer and exporter of oil and gas in the world. Trump told Weber and Solomon that unleashing American oil is key to the country’s economic…

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RFK Jr. Announces Presidential Run as Independent

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had been vying for the Democratic nomination for president, announced in Philadelphia on Monday he will now run as an independent. Kennedy first launched his presidential bid in April, and has been critical of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC’s) rules for aiding President Joe Biden, and not hosting primary debates.

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Commentary: Democrats Are Finally Changing Their Tune on Biden’s Border Disaster

“Close the border.” That was the demand Sunday evening. It came not from former President Donald Trump, or any of his Republican allies, but from Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief advisor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

“The federal government needs to do its job,” she said in a TV interview when asked about New York City’s right-to-shelter policy. “We need the federal government, the Congress members, the Senate, and the president to do its job: Close the borders.”

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Commentary: RFK Jr. as Independent Would Propel Trump to Deliver Crushing Blow

by Roger Kimball   So it looks as if Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is just about to turn up the volume. It was bad enough for the Democratic establishment when he announced he was going to run for President on the Democratic ticket. Didn’t he know that The Committee already had its heir and a couple of spares, none of whom was named Kennedy? “Look at your poll numbers, Bro. Even against a senile and visibly failing puppet you are trailing by 50 or 60 points. Give it up now before you embarrass yourself further!” No such luck. It seems that Kennedy is in for the duration. A couple of days ago rumors started circulating that he would soon announce that he was going to run as an independent. Several sources put the magic day as October 9. As I have said elsewhere, I think Kennedy and Vivek Ramaswamy are — or at least were — the most interesting things to happen in the early stage of this campaign. Both are ferociously articulate. Both have lots of ideas. And neither is named “Trump,” the kiss of death among uniparty factota, Republican as well as Democratic. According to my astrolabe, the glitter has dissipated somewhat…

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EXCLUSIVE: GOP Presidential Candidate Doug Burgum Blasts Fox Business Debate Moderators: Why Did They Threaten to Shut off My Microphone When All I’m Trying to Do ‘Is Answer the Questions That the Other Candidates Weren’t?’

Presidential candidate and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Friday to share his thoughts about Wednesday’s debate and to lay out his vision for the country, without the worry that his microphone was going to be cut off.  TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 7:33 a.m.; broadcasting live from our studios on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, in-studio, the original all-star panelist, Crom Carmichael. On the newsmaker line right now, my friend, Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota, one of the seven candidates who was on the stage Wednesday night at the GOP debate. Governor Burgum, welcome to The Tennessee Star Report. Doug Burgum: Mike, great to be with you. Thanks for having me on. Michael Patrick Leahy: Doug, you and I have known each other for over 40 years. You were a year ahead of me at Stanford Business School. I remember you sort of in the halls talking with the guys that started with Sun Microsystem, and then you went on to be very successful. Went back to your hometown, Fargo, North Dakota, literally bet the farm, started Great Plains Software – very successful. You ended up selling it to…

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Commentary: Will a Three-Way Race in Arizona Deliver the U.S. Senate to Republicans?

Of all the low-hanging senatorial fruit in 2024 — see red states with blue senators in West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio, to name three — if not the ripest for conservative pickup, then at least the juiciest might be the three-way contest that is liable to heat up in the Arizona desert.

There, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat-turned-independent incumbent, if she decides to defend her seat, will face an extreme progressive challenger on the left and, possibly, one of the Trumpiest of Trumpists on the right, Kari Lake, who may find herself in a primary battle with a slightly lesser Trumpist in Blake Masters, who lost the other Senate seat in 2022 to Mark Kelly.

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Sources: State Rep. Gloria Johnson Could Announce U.S. Senate Run Tuesday

State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) will make stops in three major cities across the state Tuesday, and could announce her anticipated long shot U.S. Senate bid against Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), according to sources who spoke with The Tennessee Star. 

Johnson is expected to make announcements at 9 a.m. ET in Knoxville, noon CT in Nashville and 6:30 p.m. CT in Memphis.

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Upcoming Supreme Court Elections in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan Could Tip Majorities on the Bench Just in Time for the 2024 Elections

Three swing states will hold elections to their supreme courts over the next 18 months, potentially altering court compositions amid key cultural and political flashpoints such as abortion, guns and redistricting.

Between 2023 and 2024, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan will hold elections for several seats on their supreme courts, which have the final word on matters of state law regarding abortion and gerrymandering, among others. These seats are likely to be highly contested as partisan groups seek to bring litigation to change the law on these issues, political strategists and academics told the DCNF.

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DeSantis’ Never Back Down PAC Suspends Door-Knocking in Four States to Focus on Early Primary States

The pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC is reportedly suspending its voter canvassing in four states to focus resources in early-voting states.

The PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign is pausing its door-knocking activities in Nevada, California, Texas and North Carolina, according to The Epoch Times on Saturday.

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Commentary: Uniparty’s Plan to ‘Save Our Democracy’ Unfolds

The fish are plentiful today. There’s Hunter Biden and his various lies: about the sources of his prodigious income, his payment (that is, non-payment) of taxes, drugs, guns, child support, laptops and prostitutes. There’s Joe Biden and his lies, the sources of his prodigious income, and—the latest—his use of pseudonymous email accounts when writing to Hunter and Hunter’s business partners to discuss the weather—or was it the whether and how to siphon 20 million of the crispest into virtually untraceable bank accounts?

There’s the seemingly endless series of indictments directed at Donald Trump. The latest new there, if I am up to date, is that he told people to watch election returns on One America News Network. Clearly part of a RICO conspiracy. Someone whose math is sharper than mine calculated that President Trump is potentially on the hook for 450 years in the slammer for . . . well, his torts are mostly in the eye of the beholder.

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Bernie Moreno Commentary: The Biden Administration’s Cynical Ploy to Stop Trump Will Not Work

This week, the Biden Department of (in)Justice has, once again, displayed that they will stop at nothing to try to ruin the life and reputation of Donald Trump. It’s a disgrace. It’s a spectacle that belies its purpose: the Left’s palpable fear of facing Trump in the 2024 general election.

Even the numbers bear this out. A poll from Harvard/Harris just last week had President Trump dominating the GOP primary, and beating both Biden and Harris in a head-to-head matchup. Is it any coincidence that this poll proceeded additional bogus legal action from the DOJ?

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Commentary: ‘Vivek on Track to Eclipse DeSantis,’ Donor Memo Admits

An internal memo circulated by the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign, and obtained by RealClearPolitics, outlines his pitch to donors ahead of the first GOP primary debate: The 37-year-old first-time candidate is surging as others stumble, going farther with fewer resources, and will soon “eclipse DeSantis.”

Until recently, those claims could be dismissed as so much bravado from an overeager, unknown biotech investor without any political experience whatsoever.

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Amid Flurry of Indictments, Trump Leads DeSantis by Whopping 37 Percent: Poll

Former President Donald Trump is leading his closest challenger, Ron DeSantis, in the 2024 Republican presidential primary by 37 points, even after indictments in New York and Florida, according to a new poll released on Monday.

Trump was indicted by Manhattan’s Democratic District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, and the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel Jack Smith in March and June, respectively, on state and federal charges. Despite the indictments, Trump is still supported by 54 percent of Republican voters, who say they will back him in the 2024 presidential primary, according to a new poll by Siena College for The New York Times.

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Gulbransen on Gloria Johnson Senate Bid: You Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape, You Don’t Mess with Marsha Blackburn When You’re a Marxist

Official guest host of The Tennessee Star Report and executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition Tennessee Aaron Gulbransen joined Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio Tuesday to discuss the purported U.S. Senate candidacy of the far-left Democrat State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville).

Gulbransen took the opportunity to remind listeners of Johnson’s liberal bona fides and Marsha Blackburn’s ferocity on the campaign trail.

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Commentary: Trump’s Coyness on Debate Participation All Part of His Grand Strategy

Donald Trump

The first Republican primary debate of the 2024 presidential nominating cycle is set for one month from yesterday – on August 23, 2023. On that day, presumably, all major candidates for the GOP presidential nomination will assemble in Wisconsin to present their campaign pitches to the American public.

There isn’t an incumbent president in this year’s extravaganza, so it’s only natural that several hopefuls have expressed interest in a campaign. Deference is usually afforded a party president during his reelection run (as Democrats have announced there will be no debates on their side with senile Joe Biden currently in office), yet this year is different.

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Roger Simon Shares Insider Details from His New Interview of RFKJr: ‘He’s a Complicated and Intelligent Man’

Roger Simon – Epoch Times columnist and creator of the interview series “The Presidential Roller Coaster” – joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy Thursday to share new details about his latest interview with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: Good morning, Nashville. It is 7:06 AM; we are broadcasting live from our studios on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee; it is Thursday, July 20th, 2023. We are delighted – capital “D” – Delighted to welcome to Roger Simon:  And neon, I hope? Michael Patrick Leahy: We are delighted to welcome to our microphones, our very good friend, my former boss at PJTV. We’ve known each other now for 14 years. We were teenagers when we, Roger Simon: Isn’t it more than that? Well it feels like more Michael Patrick Leahy: Yes – feels like more– Also Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, novelist about to have a new book come out, and also, depending on the day, the most read columnist at the Epoch Times. Senior editor there, Mr. Roger Simon. Good morning, Roger. Roger Simon: Good morning, Michael. Michael Patrick Leahy: I’ve been looking forward to this because, you know, you’ve got this thing going on…

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‘The Only Way to Get Rid of Donald Trump Is to Make Him President:’ McCabe

One America News reporter and former national political editor for The Star News Network Neil W. McCabe joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy Wednesday to discuss the state of the 2024 GOP nomination contest, the prosecution of Donald Trump and the realization he says the Establishment elites on both sides of the aisle may well come to as the election cycle plays out.

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Gulbransen: Remember Come Election Day Who the Real ‘Enemy’ Is

Aaron Gulbransen – executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition and Official Guest Host of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – was in-studio Tuesday to deliver this week’s “Aaron’s Analysis.” Today’s edition discussed the rapidly developing 2024 election cycle and the importance of unity against the Marxist Left come Election Day.

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