Trump 2024 announcement could open door further to challengers
The lukewarm response to former President Trump’s announcement that he will once again seek the White House could provide a key opening for other Republicans still on the fence about whether to challenge him in 2024. While the Tuesday campaign launch drew praise from Trump’s most loyal allies, the otherwise skeptical responses to an unusually restrained performance reflected the former president’s seemingly weakened position in the GOP after a lackluster midterm election performance. That could open the door even wider to a hard-charging Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), riding hig
Read MoreMilley tried to speak with Russian counterpart on Tuesday but was 'unsuccessful'
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley attempted to speak with his Russian counterpart on Tuesday following a missile-caused explosion in Poland but was unable to get through, the top military official revealed Wednesday. Milley said his staff tried to connect him with Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov but they were “unsuccessful in getting me linked up.” He instead spoke several times with his Ukrainian counterpart, with his Polish counterpart and with other chiefs of defense in Europe, Milley told reporters at the Pentagon U.S. officials ar
Read MoreSchumer to nominate Murray as Senate president pro tempore
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced at the Senate Democratic lunch Wednesday that he will nominate Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) next month to serve next year as Senate president pro tempore, a position that is third in line to the presidency. The nomination will need to be approved by the entire Senate Democratic Conference. Schumer also announced that the Senate Democratic caucus will hold its leadership election on Dec. 8. The job of Senate president pro tempore comes with a large, ornate office on the ground floor of the U.S. C
Read MoreWhat we know about the missile that hit Poland
When news broke on Tuesday that a missile had crossed into Poland and killed two people, fingers quickly pointed to Russia. However, initial assessments from Poland and NATO suggest that it was actually a Ukrainian air defense missile that struck four miles from the border in the Polish village of Przewodów. Following a meeting of NATO ambassadors on Wednesday, the alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said investigations pointed to an accident as Ukraine was trying to defend itself from a Russian aerial barrage. “This is not Ukraine
Read MoreMcConnell defeats Scott in last-minute race for Senate GOP leader
Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to elect Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as their leader over National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-Fla.) who announced his desire to replace McConnell at an acrimonious conference meeting Tuesday. A majority of GOP senators voted to elect McConnell leader after a motion backed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other conservatives to delay the leadership election until after the Dec. 6 Georgia runoff failed. Scott’s last-minute challenge to McConnell represented the toughest competitio
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