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Trump vs. DeSantis: How the two GOP heavyweights match up

Two years out from the next presidential election, the leading contenders on the Republican side are already clear.

At this early stage, it’s a two-horse race between former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump launched his 2024 campaign at Mar-A-Lago on Tuesday. He is aiming to avenge his 2020 defeat and become the first president since Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms.

DeSantis won a resounding victory in his re-election battle on Election Day, crushing his Democratic opponent Charlie Crist by about 20 points. The result sent a powerful signal about his likely electability in 2024.

There is one obvious difference between the two. DeSantis has not yet said he will seek the presidency.

If he does, he would plainly be Trump’s most serious rival.

How do Trump and DeSantis match up in key areas?

Popularity

Speculation about a possible Trump-DeSantis contest has been building for months. 

Polls before the midterms almost always showed the former president leading — often by a wide margin — among Republican voters.

There were exceptions to that pattern but they were so rare as to be noteworthy, as when DeSantis edged ahead of Trump in a poll of likely New Hampshire Republican Primary voters back in June.

The midterms have changed everything — at least for the moment.

DeSantis has been catapulted past Trump in several polls after Trump suffered a poor outcome in the midterms. 

A number of the former president’s high-profile endorsees lost. Several party figures, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie,  have suggested Trump is harming the party’s brand.

The popularity shift from Trump to DeSantis was especially stark in several polls commissioned in early primary states by the conservative Club for Growth.

A poll in Iowa put DeSantis 11 points clear of Trump, a marked turnaround from a similar poll in August when the Florida governor had been behind by 15 points.

In the most recent poll in New Hampshire, DeSantis led by around 15 points, despite the two candidates having been tied in August.

National polls point in a similar direction.

An Economist/YouGov poll this week indicated that 46 percent of Republican voters would prefer DeSantis to be the nominee, compared to 39 percent who would favor Trump.

The Economist poll also exposed Trump’s Achilles’ Heel: the sheer number of people who dislike him.

When respondents in the poll were asked whether they had favorable or unfavorable views of various politicians, both Trump and DeSantis hit exactly the same number of Americans with a favorable view: 41 percent. But whereas 37 percent had an unfavorable view of DeSantis, the number viewing Trump unfavorably was much higher, at 52 percent.

The same pattern held among Republican and conservative voters. Among self-identified conservatives, Trump’s unfavorable number was almost twice as high as DeSantis’s — 25 percent to 14 percent.

It is, of course, possible that DeSantis is at a high-water mark — and Trump at a low ebb — right now.

But based on polling alone, Trump is no longer the favorite.

Fundraising

When it comes to the money race, only one thing seems clear — both Trump and DeSantis will have all the cash they need to be competitive.

Trump’s current total war-chest is estimated at around $100 million. DeSantis is coming off one of the most lavishly funded gubernatorial campaigns in history and has around $90 million to draw on.

Both men have raised money primarily through political action committees (PACs) rather than their actual campaigns. 

OpenSecrets, a website that tracks money in politics, noted in mid-September that DeSantis had by then raised $31.4 million directly through his campaign but an additional $146 million in his state-level PAC, Friends of Ron DeSantis.

Trump’s main fundraising vehicle so far has been the Save America PAC.  

Trump, having declared his candidacy, is now subject to somewhat tighter limits, including a contribution cap for donors giving directly to his campaign.

In theory, campaign-related activities need to be funded from the campaign account rather than being underwritten by the PAC — but in practice that distinction can be too fuzzy for the liking of many ethical watchdogs.

There’s one other aspect to the money battle — the recent ostentatious show of coldness by some big GOP donors toward Trump.

A report in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post on Wednesday noted that three prominent New York billionaires — cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder, metal-industry magnate Andy Sabin, and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman had all come out against Trump, often in emphatic terms.

As a practical matter, though, Trump’s massive popularity with his base likely means he can be assured of a continuing gush of small-dollar donations, reducing any dependence upon mega-donors.

Policy

Virtually no-one expects a Trump-DeSantis primary, if it happens, to be contested on the finer points of policy.

Such a race would be very different from the standard template of intraparty fights where a hardliner runs against a moderate. Both Trump and DeSantis are aligned with the populist, culture-war-loving right rather than the old and diminished GOP establishment.

Trump has never been tied to consistency, having been pro-choice on the abortion question before he entered politics and, even while president, doing a 180 on crucial issues like North Korea. 

In 2017, Trump derided North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as “rocket man” and threatened to “totally destroy” the country. The following year Trump would joke that he and Kim “fell in love” after exchanging letters.

DeSantis, for his part, is best known on a national level for the flights of migrants he organized to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and for his support for legislation restricting the teaching of sexuality in schools. The latter controversy also led to a feud with the Walt Disney Company.

After winning re-election, DeSantis boasted in his victory speech that Florida was “where woke goes to die” — the kind of phrase Trump might rue he did not coin first.

Conservative writer Jim Geraghty argued this week in the Washington Post that DeSantis has “the policy goals of a traditional conservative Republican, not the cobbled-together agenda that typified the Trump years.”

But on the issues that most animate the Republican primary electorate — vehement opposition to President Biden and the Democrats, immigration, crime and the economy — there is precious little basis for differentiating Trump and DeSantis.

Their primary, if it happens, will likely come down to who can fire up the base more effectively — and who can persuade the GOP they can win in 2024.

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McConnell congratulates Pelosi on 'historic tenure' and 'path-breaking career'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday congratulated Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) on “concluding her historic tenure” as the House Democrats’ leader and her “consequential and path-breaking career.”  

“The Speaker and I have disagreed frequently and forcefully over the years, but I have seen firsthand the depth and intensity of her commitment to public service,” he said in a statement released Thursday evening.  

“There is no question that the impact of Speaker Pelosi’s consequential and path-breaking career will long endure,” he said.  

McConnell and Pelosi led their respective chambers in the 116th Congress, which spanned from 2019 to 2020 and saw a shutdown of the federal government due to a dispute between then-President Trump and Democratic leaders over building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  

They worked together in March of 2020 to pass the $2 trillion CARES Act, which provided unemployment benefits, support to small businesses, tax relief and state and local aid at the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.  

McConnell issued his statement hours after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) skipped attending Pelosi’s speech on the House floor announcing her intention to step down as leader of the House Democratic caucus.  

Pelosi will step down from her leadership post but remain in Congress for the time being as a mentor to the incoming House minority leader, who is expected to be Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). 

House Democrats will vote on Nov. 30 for a new leadership team.  

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Five takeaways as the Pelosi era ends

Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s momentous decision to step down from Democratic leadership marks a watershed moment in Washington politics, sending tremors across a Congress where she’s guided her party for the last two decades.

The development carries broad implications for the workings of Capitol Hill, promising to pave the way for a younger generation of Democratic leaders, who will take over with Republicans controlling the House, while altering the image of the party after 20 years with Pelosi at the helm.

Here are five takeaways as the Pelosi era is set to end.

A woman in charge 

Pelosi is an historic figure, becoming the most powerful elected woman in U.S. history when she assumed the Speakership in 2007, then repeated the feat again in 2019 after a long stint in the minority. It’s a distinction she still holds.

From that unique perspective, she championed bill after bill to advance women’s causes — including efforts this year to codify Roe vs. Wade following the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate abortion rights. And Pelosi’s speech on Thursday from the House floor — where she introduced herself as not only Speaker, but “a wife, a mother, a grandmother” — was thick with references to the progress women have made since she was first elected 35 years ago — and the long strides that remain. 

“When I came to the Congress in 1987, there were 12 Democratic women. Now there are over 90,” she said. “And we want more.”

Pelosi’s legislative legacy is well known: She muscled through proposals as consequential as ObamaCare, the sweeping Wall Street reforms that followed the Great Recession and the massive climate package signed by President Biden this year. 

More than that, she carved a well-earned reputation for counting votes and convincing reluctant lawmakers to support controversial legislation, even when it damaged them politically. 

The combination made her among the most effective Speakers in U.S. history — and inspired women to follow her into politics.  

“She’s broken glass ceilings and been a true role model for generations of women—including myself,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).  

A unifying speech 

Pelosi comes from a family steeped in the traditions of the Democratic Party — her father was a member of the House through much of the 1940s — and she can be fiercely partisan in her confrontations with Republicans on countless issues of politics and policy. But her speech on Thursday avoided the type of partisan fire breathing that’s become routine on Capitol Hill. 

Instead, Pelosi sought to meet the moment with a message of unity and high ideals, invoking legendary Republican figures like Daniel Webster and Abraham Lincoln to make the case that fighting for the country’s founding principles is a shared business. 

“We owe to the American people our very best, to deliver on their faith,” she said. “To forever reach for the more perfect union — the glorious horizon that our founders promised.”

If there was a partisan jab at the Republicans on Thursday, it was not what Pelosi said but what she left out. In referencing the presidents she’s “enjoyed working with,” Pelosi mentioned George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden — but not Donald Trump. 

It was a glaring omission, though it didn’t appear to bother the handful of GOP lawmakers who were in the chamber to hear the speech.

“I thought it was very positive,” said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who was among those Republicans on hand. “I was happy to be there.” 

Changing of the guard 

Pelosi’s decision paves the way for a “new generation” of liberals to rise in the Democratic ranks, breaking the leadership logjam that the “big three” — Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn — have formed over their two-decade tenure.

“For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic Caucus that I so deeply respect,” Pelosi said in her remarks.

Minutes after the Speaker’s decision, Hoyer — who has served as Pelosi’s No. 2 for years — announced that he would also step back from Democratic leadership next year, setting the scene for a seismic shakeup at the top echelons of the caucus that will usher in a new slate of liberal leaders. Clyburn has said he intends to remain in leadership, but has not indicated which position.

The announcements were music to the ears of younger, restive lawmakers whose ambitions have been frustrated for years by the leadership bottleneck at the very top. 

But that changing of the guard, while officially put into motion on Thursday, has been the talk of Washington for months. Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) are viewed as the heir apparents to the “big three.”

None of them, however, announced bids on Thursday, opting to make their longtime leader the focus of the day.

“We’re all just trying to process what we heard and honor the legacy of Speaker Pelosi, what she’s meant to that chamber, what she’s meant to the California delegation and what she’s meant to me personally,” Aguilar told reporters. “Those are the things I’m reflecting on right now.”

But while Pelosi and Hoyer are both on their way to becoming rank-and-file members, they’re viewing the move differently.

“I feel balanced about it all,” the Speaker told reporters in the Capitol. “I’m not sad at all.”

Hoyer, on the other hand, asked how it feels to step out of the leadership, responded, “Not good.”

A divided Congress and country

Party polarization has worsened dramatically over the course of Pelosi’s years on Capitol Hill. And the House chamber during Pelosi’s speech was a glaring portrait of the stark partisan divisions that plague both the Congress and the country. 

On one side were Pelosi’s Democratic allies, who filled virtually every chair and cheered her numerous times during the 16-minute address. On the other were just a handful of Republicans — and hundreds of empty seats.

The Republicans who were on hand — including Minority Whip Steve Scalise (La.) — were glowing in their characterization of the outgoing Speaker, even as they emphasized their policy differences.

“It has been historic,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.). “She’s been strong for her conference all this time. There’s a rivalry with opposite teams and all that stuff, but you know, at the end of the day, we all try to remember and reflect on how you get along with people.”

Still, the empty GOP seats were a ready reminder of the tensions that linger between the parties, particularly following last year’s attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was among the absent Republicans. And some Democrats said they weren’t surprised by the GOP no-shows. 

“I have unfortunately come to expect an utter lack of regard for civility, collegiality, institutional respect, and frankly even respect for the American public,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said of the Republicans. 

“The American public sent them a message, whether they want to accept it or not, last Tuesday. Which was: We want less of that. We want less divisiveness, less anger, less of this craziness and a lot more civility and respect,” he continued. “And it’s as if they heard nothing.”

Warning about democracy 

The final chapter of Pelosi’s tenure as Democratic leader will be marked by her dogged defense of American democracy — even when it put her in direct conflict with her political foes.

As Speaker, Pelosi led two impeachments of former President Trump, established a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and ensured that the House would reconvene after the rampage to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election — in the very chamber rioters had infiltrated.

In her remarks on Thursday, Pelosi took pains not to attack Republicans, but argued clearly for the importance of safeguarding America’s founding principles if the country is to survive. 

“American Democracy is majestic – but it is fragile,” the Speaker said. “Many of us here have witnessed its fragility firsthand – tragically, in this Chamber. And so, Democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm.”

Pelosi’s decision to step down came just a day after the formal midterm results had turned the House to Republican control. But it was Democrats who had overperformed at the polls, preventing the considerable gains that GOP leaders had expected. 

In warning about the fragility of democracy, Pelosi made the case that voters recognized it, too.

“Last week, the American people spoke,” she said. “And their voices were raised in defense of liberty, of the rule of law and of Democracy itself.”

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Jan. 6 panel forms subcommittee on criminal referrals, unresolved subpoenas

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol has established a subcommittee to craft possible criminal referrals and examine “all outstanding issues” facing the panel as it races a deadline to complete its work. 

Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said the panel formed the subcommittee about a month ago, grouping a number of the committee’s lawyers to examine how to move forward on unresolved subpoenas — a group that includes fellow lawmakers and former President Trump — investigative loose ends and any recommendations to the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

“We need to have a decision as to what we do with the members who did not recognize the subpoenas. It’s cleaning up every unfinished piece of work for the committee. And that part of it just fit better in some subcommittee. Let them come back and report, and we’ll make a decision,” Thompson said.

The unfinished business facing the committee is substantial, as it strives to publish its final report in early December before the panel itself sunsets at the start of the next Congress.

It must determine how to deal with the remaining flouted subpoenas, one for Trump as well as those handed to five GOP lawmakers, including likely next Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is leading the subcommittee, serving alongside Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

“We’re looking at potential referrals or criminal offenses and for civil offenses and for general lawlessness where it might not otherwise be obvious,” Raskin said.

“We’re looking at criminal and civil referrals for people who have broken the law and may have escaped scrutiny,” he added, declining to answer questions seeking greater specificity.

The committee said Monday it would be forced to consider “next steps” after Trump failed to show up for a deposition the panel scheduled for that day. Trump’s absence followed a Saturday suit in Florida challenging the committee’s subpoena. 

“Even though the former President initially suggested that he would testify before the committee, he has since filed a lawsuit asking the courts to protect him from giving testimony. His attorneys have made no attempt to negotiate an appearance of any sort, and his lawsuit parades out many of the same arguments that courts have rejected repeatedly over the last year,” Thompson and Vice Chair Cheney said in a statement.

GOP Reps. McCarthy, Scott Perry (Penn.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), and Mo Brooks (Ala.) have also all failed to respond to subpoenas issued in May.

The panel has yet to suggest a contempt of Congress referral for any of the six men, a move that would send a formal referral to DOJ if approved by the full House.

But broader criminal referrals for those involved in the insurrection, which could span those both inside out outside of the Trump White House, would come as the Justice Department’s investigation into Jan. 6, has, at least publicly, taken a back seat to its investigation into the mishandling of White House documents at Mar-a-Lago. 

The Justice Department has interviewed a number of former White House staff in connection with its Jan. 6 investigation, but any recommendations from the panel will put renewed pressure on a DOJ that has remained quiet about any progress. 

“We will give them the benefit of the work of the committee staff,” Thompson said.

“And they can determine from that work, how much is useful and that which is not.”

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Senate moves closer to passing same-sex marriage bill

The Senate on Thursday voted to begin debate on a bill to codify same-sex marriage protections that the Supreme Court granted in 2015.

Senators in a procedural vote advanced the legislation, known as the Respect for Marriage Act, in a 53-23 vote.

The process to move closer to a final vote, however, proved arduous for advocates of the bill as Democratic leaders struggled to strike a time agreement with some Senate Republicans over their inability to have their amendments considered for inclusion. 

Headlining that group was Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who argued that an amendment aimed at protecting religious liberty — which was tacked on to win GOP support — pays nothing more than “lip service” to that idea. The Utah Republican’s amendment would have allowed for broader conscientious objections not just tethered to religious institutions and entities. 

“[The bill] labels people of good faith as bigots and subjects them to endless harassing litigation and discrimination and threats by that same government that was founded to protect their religious liberty,” Lee said on the Senate floor. “We need to protect religious freedom. This bill doesn’t do that. It places it in grave jeopardy.” 

Many Senate Republicans were absent for the vote altogether.

The group of five senators driving the bus on the legislation — Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — rolled out a deal earlier this week that included the amendment in question that would protect nonprofit religious organizations from carrying out services for a same-sex marriage.

The addendum also includes language related to religious liberty and conscience protections under the Constitution and federal law, and continues to prohibit polygamous marriage.

“While some may want to delay this process, make no mistake, there’s no stopping this bill from final passage,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) said on the Senate floor earlier on Thursday. “The question of passage is not about if but when.”

The upper chamber on Wednesday voted 62-37 on a vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed, putting the proposal on a glide path to become law. 

Cloture and the final vote on the bill is expected to take place the week after Thanksgiving. A subsequent vote will be necessary in the House due to the amendment’s inclusion, leading to President Biden’s signature. 

Senators are nearing the finish line of the months-long process, which included a decision by Schumer and Baldwin to delay a planned vote before the pre-election recess due to the lack of GOP support for the measure without provisions concerning religious freedom. 

The effort to codify Obergefell v. Hodges into law came in response to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas’s concurring opinion in the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade last summer where he said that justices “should reconsider” the 2015 ruling.

“A single line from a single concurring opinion does not make the case for legislation that seriously threatens religious liberty,” Lee added.

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Biden honors Pelosi's career: 'Most consequential' speaker 'in our history'

President Biden on Thursday honored the career of outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying that his fellow Democrat and ally is a person of dignity.

“She might be stepping down from her leadership role in the House Democratic Caucus, but she will never waiver in protecting our sacred democracy,” the president said in a statement.

“As a nation, we owe her a deep debt of gratitude for her service, her patriotism, and above all, her absolute dignity.”

Pelosi took to the House floor Thursday afternoon to announce she will step down next year from her spot at the top of the party after leading Democrats for the last two decades, but she will remain in Congress.

Biden spoke personally with Pelosi earlier on Thursday morning over the phone and “congratulated her on her historic tenure as Speaker of the House,” according to the White House.

Her departure from leadership came shortly after late midterm results had officially flipped House control to the Republicans.

“There are countless examples of how she embodies the obligation of elected officials to uphold their oath to God and country to ensure our democracy delivers and remains a beacon to the world. In everything she does, she reflects a dignity in her actions and a dignity she sees in the lives of the people of this nation,” Biden said in his statement.

Biden argued that Pelosi “is the most consequential Speaker of the House of Representatives in our history” and said that he watched her “in action” during his career from senator to vice president to president.

“With Nancy, you see a father’s daughter who learned by his side how to win and govern. With her leading the way, you never worry about whether a bill will pass. If she says she has the votes, she has the votes. Every time,” he said.

The president reportedly told Pelosi on a phone call last week, following the House Democrats better-than-expected performance in the midterm elections, “I hope you stick.”

Pelosi, 82, and Biden, soon to be 80, have been longtime admirers and colleagues of one another and have bonded throughout past decades in office over their similarities, from their policies to their Catholic faith. 

Pelosi, in her remarks on the House floor, mentioned working with Biden, as well as former Presidents Obama and George W. Bush. She notably did not mention former President Trump who earlier this week launched another White House bid.

In his statement, Biden said that Pelosi worked with him to pass critical parts of his agenda thus far, citing the American Rescue Plan, the infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act, gun control legislation and the Democrats’ sweeping climate and tax bill.

He also noted that Pelosi worked with Obama on an economic rescue package during the Great Recession, passed the Affordable Care Act and ended “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military’s policy barring openly LGBT people from serving.

Recently, Biden leant his support to Pelosi after her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked last month at the couple’s San Francisco home. He ripped Republicans who made jokes about it and criticized those who didn’t offer a full condemnation of it.

Days later, Biden gave a speech on democracy, during which he focused on Paul Pelosi’s attack at the start of his remarks.

On Thursday, Biden said that Pelosi is a fierce defender of democracy, citing the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“History will also note her fierceness and resolve to protect our democracy from the violent, deadly insurrection of January 6th. It’s a threat of political violence and intimidation that continues and she and her family know all too well, but that will never stop her from serving our nation,” he said.

The president said that he and first lady Jill Biden consider the Pelosi family among their dearest friends.

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Hoyer to step out of leadership role, clearing way for Jeffries

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Thursday that he will remain in Congress next year but won’t seek a leadership position, joining Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who had announced the same decision moments before. 

The surprise development clears the way for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), the current chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, to jump several rungs up the leadership ladder to replace Pelosi in the next Congress, when Republicans will take control of the lower chamber. 

In a letter to fellow Democrats, Hoyer said he’s proud of his work in leadership, but “now is the time for a new generation of leaders.” He quickly endorsed Jeffries, who faces no other challenger.

“I look forward to serving as a resource to him, to the rest of our Democratic leadership team, and to our entire Caucus in whatever capacity I can best be of assistance as we move forward together to address the nation’s challenges,” Hoyer wrote. 

Hoyer, a 42-year veteran of Capitol Hill, said he intends to return to the powerful Appropriations Committee — a post he had held before joining leadership — to work on issues including education, health care and efforts to boost domestic manufacturing. 

“I also look forward to continuing my focus on voting rights, civil rights, and human rights which I have made priorities throughout my public life,” he wrote.

Hoyer has been the No. 2 House Democrat, just behind Pelosi, since 2003. He was long thought to be the heir apparent to the top spot whenever Pelosi decided to bow out. 

As the years stretched on under Pelosi’s reign, however, the composition of the caucus shifted, from one featuring a considerable number of moderates to a more liberal-heavy group — a shift thought to have disadvantaged the centrist Hoyer.  

In addition, the long tenure of Pelosi, Hoyer and Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), the Democratic whip, had frustrated the ambitions of younger lawmakers eager to join the leadership ranks. With Pelosi stepping down, the other two instantly became more vulnerable to internal challenges. 

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who heads the Congressional Black Caucus, said Thursday that the group was likely to vote unanimously for Jeffries, who is a member, over any potential challenger, including Hoyer. 

Instead, Hoyer will step down and join the rank and file in the next Congress. 

“I look forward to working with all of you in the coming days and months to pursue the policies that will build a stronger, fairer, and more just America ‘For the People,’” he wrote. 

Further paving the way for Jeffries, Clyburn also announced that he won’t seek to remain in the top tier of leadership next year. He, too, endorsed Jeffries, as well as the two other up-and-coming Democrats — Reps. Katherine Clark (Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (Calif.) — who are expected to seek the No. 2 and No. 3 three spots, respectively.

“Speaker Pelosi has left an indelible mark on Congress and the country, and I look forward to her continued service and doing whatever I can to assist our new generation of Democratic Leaders which I hope to be Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar,” Clyburn said in a statement. 

Mychael Schnell contributed. Updated at 2:17 p.m.

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Judge strikes down higher education portions of DeSantis's ‘Stop WOKE Act’

A federal judge on Thursday struck down provisions of Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act” that prohibited public college employees from promoting eight concepts related to race during instruction.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, who previously blocked other portions of the law in a separate case, quoted the opening sentence of George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” as he issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law’s higher education provisions and pushed back on the state’s arguments.

“‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,’ and the powers in charge of Florida’s public university system have declared the State has unfettered authority to muzzle its professors in the name of ‘freedom,’” Walker wrote.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and state GOP lawmakers championed the legislation as fighting back against a “woke” agenda pushed by liberals and banning the instilling of critical race theory.

An undergraduate student, student organization and professor at the University of South Florida filed the suit in September and were supported by a variety of legal advocacy organizations.

Walker ruled the First Amendment protects professors’ in-class speech and the provisions were impermissibly vague, describing the law as “positively dystopian” as he compared it to the Ministry of Truth, the propaganda agency in Orwell’s novel.

“Our professors are critical to a healthy democracy, and the State of Florida’s decision to choose which viewpoints are worthy of illumination and which must remain in the shadows has implications for us all,” Walker ruled.

“If our ‘priests of democracy’ are not allowed to shed light on challenging ideas, then democracy will die in darkness,” he added. “But the First Amendment does not permit the State of Florida to muzzle its university professors, impose its own orthodoxy of viewpoints and cast us all into the dark.”

The American Civil Liberties Union, the Legal Defense Fund and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, all of whom were involved in challenges to the law, celebrated Thursday’s ruling.

The Hill has reached out to DeSantis’s office for comment. The State University System of Florida declined to comment.

Walker previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking some of the law’s other provisions, which prevented companies from requiring employees to attend any activity or training that violates the eight concepts.

— Updated at 1:28 p.m.

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End of an era: Pelosi steps down as House Democratic leader

The Nancy Pelosi era has come to an end.

After leading the Democrats for the last two decades, the House Speaker announced Thursday that she will step down next year from her spot at the top of the party, closing a momentous run for the most powerful woman in U.S. history while clearing the way for a younger generation of up-and-coming lawmakers to climb into the leadership ranks.

The announcement, which came shortly after late midterm results had officially flipped House control to the Republicans, sent shockwaves across Capitol Hill, as lawmakers in both parties grappled with the thought of a Democratic House without Pelosi at the helm. 

Yet the departure is only partial: Pelosi will cede her formal leadership seat, but remain in Congress indefinitely, where she’s aiming to assume a mentorship role and grease the transition for whichever new leader fills the mantle. Such a role would be unprecedented in modern memory — most leaders who step down quickly leave Congress — but Pelosi is not one to do things by the book. 

The House chamber during Pelosi’s speech was a study of partisan contrasts. While her Democratic allies packed into their side of the chamber, filling almost every seat, the Republican side of the chamber was virtually empty — a sign of just how polarized Congress has become in recent years.  

Only a handful of GOP lawmakers were on hand for the speech, including Reps. Joe Wilson (S.C.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Doug LaMalfa (Calif.) and Young Kim (Calif.). But a vast majority of Republicans skipped the event, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.). Only one member of the GOP leadership team was on hand: Rep. Steve Scalise (La), the Republican whip, who gave Pelosi a standing ovation at the end.

Burchett and LaMalfa later hugged Pelosi. 

Her announcement ends the perennial speculation game surrounding the future of Capitol Hill’s single most powerful lawmaker, and she kept them guessing to the very last. 

After Democrats had staved off a red wave in this year’s elections, there was plenty of talk that Pelosi could remain in power, if she chose, even despite a previous pledge to step out of leadership at the end of this term.

In the end, Pelosi suggested her decision to exit hinged more on the recent assault on her husband, Paul Pelosi, who was bludgeoned with a hammer last month at the family’s San Francisco home by an intruder whose intended target, police said, was the Speaker. 

By remaining in Congress outside of leadership, Pelosi can remain influential as an adviser, fundraiser and vote-getting whip while taking a foot off the gas of her famously frenetic schedule — a hybrid role that will allow her to spend more time with her recuperating husband. 

On Capitol Hill, the change will be seismic. 

Pelosi has led the House Democrats since 2003, marking the longest leadership run in either party since the legendary tenure of Sam Rayburn, a Texas Democrat, who died in office in 1961. Over those 20 years, she oversaw passage of some of the most significant legislative accomplishments of the last half-century; raised more than $1.2 billion for the party; and shattered the glass ceiling in 2007, when she became the first woman ever to ascend to the House Speakership — a feat she repeated in 2019.

“She’s a tough, effective, focused, disciplined woman. I wasn’t always on the same side as her — and it’s not pleasant being on the other side of her — but she knew how to bring a disparate group of people together to get the job done,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a close Pelosi ally, said Thursday morning as Democrats waited anxiously for the Speaker’s announcement. 

“For women, the doors have been opened wider for all of us because of what she did.” 

Along the way, Pelosi helped steer the congressional response to the Great Recession; guided the passage of ObamaCare; secured trillions of dollars in emergency relief through the COVID-19 pandemic; and made the decision to impeach former President Trump, not once but twice. 

Pelosi also launched the special investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the results of which could reverberate through the legal and political world for many years to come.

“I’m not a House historian, but what I hear from House historians is [she’s] probably the strongest Speaker of the House we have seen in many, many, many years,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), another close Pelosi ally.

“It’s values, her strategic ability, her knowledge of the system, how to negotiate — all of those really melded into one person, which have forged an unbelievable legislative legacy,” she continued. “And that’s wherein lies her strength. … Someone who knows how to get from A to B, with a very diverse caucus.” 

Part of that legacy will be this year’s midterm elections. Heading into the polls last week, Republicans were expecting a rout, one that would lend them a considerable majority to do battle with President Biden through the last two years of his first term. Instead, Democrats were able to cling to dozens of toss-up seats in battleground districts, limiting the Republican gains and making it harder for GOP leaders to govern next year. 

“This really solidifies her legacy as the most accomplished Speaker in U.S. history, by all measures — all measures,” Ashley Etienne, Pelosi’s former communications director, said of Pelosi’s role in the Democrats’ midterm performance. “There’s no question.”

Pelosi’s decision will clear the bottleneck that’s existed at the very top of the Democratic Caucus since 2003, when she and her top deputy, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), assumed the leading spots. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) would join them in 2006 in the No. 3 slot, where he has remained ever since. 

Neither Hoyer nor Clyburn have ruled out bids to remain in power in the next Congress. But a younger group of up-and-coming Democrats is eager to climb the leadership ladder, or just get into the ranks. 

Three current members of leadership — Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Katherine Clark (Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (Calif.) — are expected to launch bids for higher spots at the first opportunity.

Jeffries, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, is widely viewed as the favorite to replace Pelosi. And Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who heads the Black Caucus, predicted Thursday that every member of that group would back Jeffries.  

But Hoyer, after almost 20 years right behind Pelosi, has raised tens of millions of dollars for the party over the years, building his own loyal following along the way.

Updated at 1:02 p.m.

Source: TEST FEED1