Free Republic

CNN senior political data reporter Harry Enten said Friday on “News Central” that President-elect Donald Trump had a mandate because his victory was the biggest party gain since 1992. Host Kate Bolduan said, “During his victory speech President-Elect Trump said voters gave him an unprecedented mandate. We decided to look into the numbers.” Enten said, “I think the improvement that Donald Trump had, Holy Toledo. Trump gained ground in 49 states and the district of Columbia compared to 2020. I went back through the record books and when was the last time a party gained in so many different places?...

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, came out on Friday against President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees, saying she doesn't think it’s the “correct” or “most effective” move. The Democratic governor, who is up for reelection next year, said she appreciates “the intention to keep people safe” but doesn’t think the administration’s vaccinate-or-test requirements serve as a “solution for Kansas.” “It is too late to impose a federal standard now that we have already developed systems and strategies that are tailored for our specific needs,” she said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Wednesday said he should have issued a statewide mask mandate earlier, noting that doing so would have made a “dramatic difference” in the fight against the coronavirus. During an interview on public radio, the governor was asked about missteps he may have taken in the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

President Obama's solicitor general, defending the national health care law on Wednesday, told a federal appeals court that Americans who didn't like the individual mandate could always avoid it by choosing to earn less money.