RFK Jr. Uses Surprise Country Hit Song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ to Blast GOP Presidential Candidates in This Week’s Debate

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hasn’t declared a winner in this week’s GOP presidential debate, but he does know who the loser is: The American people.

The Kennedy family scion and Democrat challenger to President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party presidential nomination blasted the eight Republican candidates who took the stage in Milwaukee as out of touch with the average American.

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Despite Trump’s Absence, Plenty of Fireworks at First Republican Presidential Debate of the 2024 Season

For those who thought a Trump-less GOP presidential primary debate was doomed to be a snooze fest, the two-hour political bar brawl disabused them of that notion.

The first Republican National Committee debate Wednesday night in Milwaukee proved to be a tinder box for the slate of candidates trailing former President Donald Trump by as much as 40 percentage points or more.

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GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Rallies in Milwaukee Night Before First Republican Primary Debate

With just 24 hours to go before the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 campaign, Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy spent Tuesday evening as he has spent almost every waking hour since launching his bid for the White House in February: Campaigning.

Ramaswamy held a high-energy rally at downtown Milwaukee’s beer garden, just feet away from the Fiserv Forum, home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and site of Wednesday evening’s debate.

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Conservative Firebrand Kari Lake Plans to Serve as a Surrogate for Trump at Wednesday’s GOP Presidential Candidates’ Debate

Arizona Republican Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will be in attendance at Wednesday’s first Republican presidential candidates’ debate in Milwaukee, and she plans to speak up for an absent former President Donald Trump.

Lake, a close Trump ally, tells The Star News Network that she will do everything in her power to return the former president to the White House.

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New Des Moines Register/NBC News Poll Shows Trump Well Ahead In Iowa, but Trump Pollster Says Lead Is Likely Bigger

A new poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers shows former President Donald Trump with a significant lead over his closest competitor in the crowded field of GOP presidential nominee combatants.

But Trump’s pollster says the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll appears to undercut wider support of the former president in the Hawkeye State by significant sampling of independents and former Democratic Party caucusgoers.

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Trump Up 39 Points in New Hampshire: Poll

Former President Donald Trump holds a commanding lead in the battle for a pivotal primary state that could help him stave off the multitude of Republicans seeking to claim the party nomination.

Trump took 49.7% support among New Hampshire likely GOP primary voters in the latest Trafalgar poll. Florida  Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed second place with 10.7% while tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy came in a close third with 10.4%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took 9.1%, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott took 7.8%, while former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley took 3.1%.

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DeSantis’ Travel, Security Cost Florida Taxpayers $8 Million over Past Year amid Presidential Bid

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ travel and security costs have cost state taxpayers over $8 million to Florida taxpayers over the past year as he tours the United States for his campaign to win the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

Over the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which in Florida is from July 1 to June 30 of the following, DeSantis’ travel and security expenses cost $8,073,607, according to data from the state Department of Law Enforcement cited by The Miami Herald in an article Wednesday.

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Commentary: Keeping Trump Off the Ballot in 2024 Will Hurt the GOP

Now there are four separate trials against former President Donald Trump, the latest in Fulton County, Ga., arising from Trump challenging the results of the 2020 election, coming atop trials in New York City over supposed federal campaign finance violations, Miami, Fla. over his receipt of classified documents while he was president and retention when he left office and Washington, D.C. again over his challenge of the 2020 election.

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New College of Florida Trustees Move to Abolish Gender Studies Program

The New College of Florida (NCF) board of trustees voted Thursday to direct the administration of the institution to abolish its gender studies program, according to Chris Rufo, a member of the board.

In January, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed six new conservative members to the NCF board of trustees in an effort to overhaul the ideological education system. Since being appointed, the board has voted to eliminate the college’s diversity, equity and inclusion office (DEI) and ban the use of diversity statements.

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Poll: Arizona GOP Has Significant ‘Trump-Only’ Contingent

Arizona Republicans are split on their support for former President Donald Trump, with some saying they only support the president and not the party.

Half of Arizona Republicans consider themselves supporters of the Republican Party, while 25% say their loyalty lies with Trump, according to the latest Arizona Public Opinion Pulse. The July AZPOP asked GOP voters to describe themselves as supporters of the Republican Party, Trump, or both. 

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New Poll Shows Trump Continuing to Dominate GOP Presidential Rivals, Ramaswamy Overtaking DeSantis

A new survey by private polling firm Cygnal finds former President Donald Trump still dominating the GOP presidential primary field, and political outsider Vivek Ramaswamy overtaking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place.

Trump leads with 53 percent support, followed by Ramaswamy (11.4%), who has moved ahead of DeSantis (10.4%), according to the poll. The Florida governor has plummeted from 29 percent support in March.

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DeSantis Suspends Florida State Attorney for Abuse of Prosecutorial Discretion

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended a prosecutor on Wednesday for not doing enough to prosecute crimes in her district.

In an executive order issued Wednesday, DeSantis suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell of the 9th Judicial Circuit, which covers Orange and Osceola counties, and replaced her with Andrew Bain, who served as a judge in Orange County.

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As Indictments Pile Up, Trump Running Even or Better with Biden in New Polls

Despite facing three criminal indictments, former President Donald Trump is crushing his GOP presidential nominee competitors and running neck and neck with President Joe Biden, according to the latest polls.

In battleground Arizona, a new Emerson College poll finds Trump leading Biden by 2 percentage points in a hypothetical rematch of the 2020 presidential election.

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Florida Board of Governors to Vote on Use of Classical Learning Test for College Admissions

The Florida Board of Governors is expected to vote at the end of August on whether to offer the Classical Learning Test (CLT) along with the SAT and ACT for public college admissions, a move that would make the Sunshine State the first in the nation to offer a test based specifically on the foundations of Western civilization and a “back to basics” education model.

A committee of the board of governors already met in June and approved the CLT as an option for the 12 schools in the State University System, the Tampa Bay Times reported at the time. After a two-week public comment period, the full board of governors will take its final vote August 30.

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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Set to Hold ‘Fair-Side Chats’ with GOP Presidential Candidates; Trump Has His Own Plans

It’s State Fair time in the Hawkeye State, and with a little more than five months before Iowa’s first-in-the- nation primary that means one thing: Presidential candidates galore.

While Thrill Ville still thrills and food on a stick remains cuisine du jour, the Iowa State Fair — as it does every four years — is a showplace for presidential aspirants.

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DeSantis on NBC News: ‘Of Course’ Trump Lost The 2020 Election

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis admitted that “of course” former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden in an interview with NBC News that aired Monday.

The outlet’s Dasha Burns probed the Florida governor during the interview on whether he believes Trump’s argument that the 2020 election was stolen from him. While DeSantis conceded that he “doesn’t think it was the perfect election,” citing mail-in balloting, ballot harvesting and censorship from Big Tech companies, he said that “Joe Biden’s the president.”

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Governors Newsom and DeSantis Agree to Debate on Fox News’ Sean Hannity

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have agreed to participate in a debate hosted by Sean Hannity on Fox News, pitting two younger, Generation X governors seen as standard bearers of their respective parties against each other for 90 minutes. 

First discussed between Newsom and Hannity when Newsom was interviewed by Hannity in June, the proposal was made into an official request by Newsom’s office last week, according to Politico, with suggested dates for November 8 or 10.

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DeSantis-Appointed Board Governing Disney World Abolishes Racial Hiring Practices, Diversity Initiatives

The board appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to govern Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will abolish all in-house diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to an announcement on Tuesday.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, was reconstituted by the Florida state legislature in February, which replaced the district’s existing board with DeSantis’ appointees. The board will abolish “all DEI programs” and DEI-based contractor requirements, according to a press release on its website.

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DeSantis Unveils ‘Declaration of Economic Independence’ Plan to Revamp Economy in New Hampshire

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his economic plan to revamp the U.S. economy at a presidential campaign event in Rochester, New Hampshire, on Monday.

He launched his “Declaration of Economic Independence” platform at a manufacturing facility with local business owners and workers suffering from 40-year high inflation, higher costs and regulatory burdens resulting from what he says are Biden administration policies.

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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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Wisconsin Lawmakers Introduce ‘Tiny Tot Tax Cut’

Taking a page from a Florida plan to bring tax relief to families, two Badger State Republican legislators are pushing a bill that would create a sales tax exemption on baby-related products.

State Representative David Steffen (R-Howard) and State Senator Jesse James (R-Altoona) recently introduced the “Tiny Tot Tax Cut” to help fight inflation where it can hurt families the most.

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Iowa GOP’s Lincoln Dinner After Parties Are Like Live-Action Polls

Forget all those stodgy, static polls. The Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Dinner after parties are where the action is. 

Following 130 minutes of speeches from the 13 GOP presidential candidates who turned out Friday for Iowa’s largest political cattle call of the summer, the contestants greeted voters in reserved suites at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. 

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Iowa Lincoln Dinner Turns Up the Heat on Republican Presidential Race, as Trump, DeSantis, Ramaswamy Dominate

Iowa nice converged with Hawkeye heat Friday evening, as the Republican Party of Iowa hosted the largest cattle call to date of the GOP presidential combatants on one of the hottest days of the year.

The party’s sold-out Lincoln Dinner fundraiser drew more than 1,000 people and all but one of the contestants vying for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

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GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to Join Elon Musk and Investor David Sacks on X.com

Heading into Iowa for a big weekend after rising in the polls, Ohio businessman and GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy will join Elon Musk and investor David Sacks live Friday afternoon on x.com.

The conversation on the social network platform formerly known as Twitter is set for 4:30 p.m. Central Time, hours before Ramaswamy joins much of the rest of the packed field of Republican presidential candidates at the Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Dinner fundraiser in Des Moines.

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Riding High in Iowa, Tim Scott Set to Host Town Hall with Governor Kim Reynolds in Suburban Des Moines

Republican presidential hopeful Tim Scott returns to Iowa this week riding high in a new Hawkeye State poll and looking to capitalize on two key campaign events.

The South Carolina U.S. senator will host a town hall with Governor Kim Reynolds Thursday evening in Ankeny before speaking at the Iowa GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser on Friday.

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As Ramaswamy Rises in the Polls, Political Knives Come Out

Political outsider Vivek Ramaswamy is heading back to Iowa this week with a lot of momentum and a big target on his back in the Republican Party presidential nomination chase. 

The Ohio biotech engineer is set to join the cattle call of candidates at Friday’s “pinnacle” event of the Hawkeye State’s long, hot summer of presidential politics — the Republican Party of Iowa’s sold-out Lincoln Dinner fundraiser in Des Moines. 

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Florida Teachers Unions Suffer Financial Blow Thanks to New Paycheck Laws

Several teachers unions are seeing a decrease in their revenue due to a Florida law that prohibits automatic paycheck deductions, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida teachers unions of both public schools and universities filed a revised lawsuit and injunction against the state’s dues-deduction ban that went into effect July 1, arguing that the law has caused the organizations to suffer major revenue loss, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In June, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker declined the unions’ May injunction, arguing that granting one would “offer no redress for plaintiffs’ injuries.”

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Big Week in the GOP Presidential Nomination Chase in the Kickoff Caucus State

With apologies to Cedar Rapids-based Janda Motor Services’ old TV commercial, make no mistake: this week is a big one for GOP presidential contenders in the Hawkeye State.

Almost all of the candidates seeking the GOP nomination — the long shots and the lions — are scheduled to attend the Republican Party of Iowa’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner Fundraiser on Friday evening in Des Moines. 

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Florida’s DeSantis Asks State Investment Manager to Consider Legal Action Against Bud Light Parent

Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking the state’s investment manager to consider legal action against Bud Light parent company AB InBev over recent controversial marketing tactics.

CNN obtained a letter Thursday that states DeSantis suggests that AB InBev “breached legal duties owed to its shareholders” when it decided to associate with “radical social ideologies.” 

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Early Debt Repayment Could Save Florida Taxpayers Nearly $34 Million in Interest

Florida taxpayers are set to save millions of dollars after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that some of the Sunshine State’s debt had been paid down early.

A total of $400 million in state debt has been paid back through the Debt Reduction Program, designed to accelerate the payment of bonds before they mature and saving Florida taxpayers almost $34 million in interest.

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GOP Presidential Hopeful Doug Burgum Rises in New Granite State Poll, Celebrates Donation Count

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum sees his presidential prospects rising following the release of a new Granite State poll.

The GOP presidential hopeful, who is barely showing up in national polls, garnered 6 percent support in the University of New Hampshire’s latest poll of likely Granite State primary voters. That’s good for a fourth-place showing.

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