Free Republic

Donald Trump’s defenders would love for people to believe that the former president entered into totally normal, by-the-book, run-of-the-mill legal agreements with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to purchase their silence, and that he did so in a way that was agreeable and beneficial to all parties. But that’s not what happened. Trump risks indictment because, allegedly at his behest, an illegal scheme was undertaken to deceive the public at a critical moment before the 2016 election. That was the purpose of the “hush money” payments—not to enrich the women or settle a personal matter,...

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) advocated for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the lead 2024 presidential candidate, arguing he has earned the right to be “at the head of the class.” Cramer argued the Republican Party is “in desperate need of some new leadership” and that former President Donald Trump may struggle to achieve the GOP nomination depending on “who else is in the race,” he said during his appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. “Gov. DeSantis … has certainly earned the right to be at the head of the class … not just through his political rhetoric, but through...

“How much of yourself had to be quieted while you were in the White House?” Hoda Kotb asked Michelle Obama on a book tour stop in Philadelphia. “So much of it,” the former first lady answers. “It was no accident that our children had to show up right in the world. They carried a burden of making sure they weren’t messy,” Mrs. Obama shares in an exclusive audio clip shared with ESSENCE of her new Audible podcast, which launched Tuesday. “It wouldn’t have been laughed off,” she continues. “It wouldn’t have been [dismissed as] just ‘oh it’s youthful’ whatever. It...

Information suggesting that Chinese spy balloons traveled over the continental United States during the Trump administration was "discovered after" former President Donald Trump left office, a senior administration official told Fox News. A defense official on Saturday said Chinese spy balloons briefly traveled over the United States at least three times during the Trump administration. ...on Sunday, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital that "U.S. intelligence, not the Biden administration" assesses that "PRC (People's Republic of China) government surveillance balloons transited the continental U.S. briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know...

Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that former President Donald Trump could not beat President Joe Biden in 2024. Partial transcript as follows: KARL: But you’re thinking about it? SUNUNU: Yeah, the message is new leadership. Look, well, yes. I’m definitely thinking about it, and having those conversations. But at the end of the day, you’re going to have a lot of Republicans that get in that race. They’re all really good people. They’re really good candidates. You have Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo and Governor DeSantis and a lot of folks that are going to...

More than a quarter of Republican voters say they’d back former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election even if he runs as a third-party candidate — possibly threatening to split the GOP electorate as the party seeks to win back the White House. As the 2024 primary field begins to take shape, a majority of Republican voters are seeking to move past Trump and elevate another candidate as their party’s nominee. However, nearly 30% of “Always Trumpers” may be standing in their way, according to a new poll from the Bulwark. “A large majority of GOP voters is ready...

President Biden would easily beat former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 election matchup — but would lose if he faced off against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to a recent poll. In a rematch of the 2020 presidential contest, the 80-year-old Biden would prevail over his 76-year-old predecessor by eight percentage points in the popular vote — 49% to 41% — but would fall to the Sunshine State’s Republican governor by 45% to 42% in a head-to-head contest, the WPA Intelligence survey released Jan. 13 found.

GOP backing for former President Donald Trump’s third consecutive White House bid has fallen apart over the past several months, with most Republican voters saying they’d prefer another candidate to carry on his policies in 2024, according to a poll released Tuesday. ​ While 31% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents want Trump, 76, to run again in two years, 61% say they would rather have another GOP standard-bearer, the USA Today/Suffolk University survey found. ​ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 44, is their preferred choice. DeSantis, who cruised to re-election Nov. ​8, leads Trump by 23 percentage points — 56% to...