Former Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse revealed on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, adding that he is &#8220;gonna die.&#8221;
Sasse, a 53-year-old husband and father of three, <a href="https://x.com/BenSasse/status/2003483746540965891">announced</a> the tragic news in a lengthy social media post, saying that the diagnosis is a &#8220;death sentence.&#8221;
&#8220;Friends- This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die,&#8221; Sasse wrote. &#8220;Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.&#8221;
Sasse, who represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate for eight years, resigned from his seat in 2022 and, shortly after, was appointed the president of the University of Florida. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-gop-senator-ben-sasse-announces-he-is-stepping-down-as-university-of-florida-president">stepped down</a> from leading the University of Florida in July of 2024 after revealing that his wife was dealing with a serious medical condition and had suffered an aneurysm and a series of strokes. During his time as president of Florida, Sasse took a strong stance against anti-Israel protesters in the wake of Hamas&#8217; terrorist attack on Israel and said the university would &#8220;draw a hard line at unlawful action.&#8221;
Sasse was a staunch pro-life advocate in the U.S. Senate and constantly pushed the U.S. government to remain tough on China. He has also been a strong critic of President Donald Trump since Trump first stepped into the political spotlight in 2016.
The former Republican senator said on Tuesday, &#8220;I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad.&#8221; Sasse added that he is relying on his Christian faith to get him through his recent cancer diagnosis.
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&#8220;There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in). Nope — often we lazily say &#8216;hope&#8217; when what we mean is &#8216;optimism.&#8217; To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more. Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived. We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape.&#8221;

Ben Sasse

Former Senator Ben Sasse Reveals Stage-Four Cancer Diagnosis: ‘I’ve Got Less Time Than I’d Prefer’

Cancer

Health

U.S. Senate

Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as the president of the University of Florida because his wife was diagnosed with a serious medical condition that will require him to be home more often.
Sasse, who has been at the school since November 2022, said that his wife Melissa suffered an aneurysm and series of strokes in 2007 and that doctors had been preparing the family for the worst.
&#8220;We’ve battled some nasty seizures the last couple years, but she’s always remained a warrior,&#8221; he said. &#8220;In recent months, Melissa has been diagnosed with epilepsy and has been struggling with a new batch of memory issues. It’s been hard, but we’ve faced it together.&#8221;
He said that his role as a husband and a father takes priority over his professional career and that his wife &#8220;deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights.&#8221;
&#8220;After extensive prayer and lots of family tears, I today asked UF Chair Mori Hosseini and our Board of Trustees to initiate a search for a new president of the university,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I need to step back for a time and focus more on the needs of my family while we rebuild more stable household systems.&#8221;
Mori Hosseini, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement: “The Board of Trustees thanks Dr. Sasse for his service to the University of Florida. Under his leadership, UF has continued to advance on the national and international stage, benefiting our students, faculty, alumni, community and state. He has left a lasting impact on the university and all of those associated with it. We wish Ben all the best as he steps back to focus on his family.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dear Gator Nation and cherished friends,
This isn’t an easy note to write but wanted to give you an update on our family. As many of you know, my wife Melissa suffered an aneurysm and series of strokes in 2007. Back then, the docs prepared us for the worst, but – in God’s…
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenSasse/status/1814093534078878056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2024</a></blockquote>

Former GOP Senator Ben Sasse Announces He Is Stepping Down As University Of Florida President

Education

U.S.

University of Florida

Former U.S. Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-sasse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Sasse</a> (R-NE), now the president of the University of Florida, slammed pro-Hamas demonstrators this week who have created chaos on college campuses across the U.S. and the weak leadership at the universities that has allowed the behavior to happen.
Sasse&#8217;s remarks come after the school released a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-of-florida-slams-leftist-protesters-while-announcing-arrests-not-a-daycare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> early in the week revealing that numerous arrests were made on campus because the school would not tolerate disorderly conduct that was in violation of the school&#8217;s policies.
&#8220;Higher education has for years faced a slow-burning crisis of public trust,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-adults-are-still-in-charge-at-the-university-of-florida-israel-protests-tents-sasse-eca6389b?mod=opinion_lead_pos7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in an op-ed at The Wall Street Journal. &#8220;Mob rule at some of America’s most prestigious universities in recent weeks has thrown gasoline on the fire. Pro-Hamas agitators have fought police, barricaded themselves in university buildings, shut down classes, forced commencement cancellations, and physically impeded Jewish students from attending lectures.&#8221;
Sasse said that parents were right to be angered over the &#8220;asinine entitlement of these activists and the embarrassing timidity of many college administrators.&#8221;
He said that at the University of Florida, the message that the school sends to parents and the future employers of college students is that &#8220;the adults are still in charge.&#8221;
&#8220;To cherish the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly, we draw a hard line at unlawful action,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Speech isn’t violence. Silence isn’t violence. Violence is violence. Just as we have an obligation to protect speech, we have an obligation to keep our students safe. Throwing fists, storming buildings, vandalizing property, spitting on cops and hijacking a university aren’t speech.&#8221;
He said that school&#8217;s making empty threats to quell bad behavior is not effective and only serves to embolden those who are violating policies.
&#8220;Appeasing mobs emboldens agitators elsewhere,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Moving classes online is a retreat that penalizes students and rewards protesters. Participating in live-streamed struggle sessions doesn’t promote honest, good-faith discussion. Universities need to be strong defenders of the entire community, including students in the library on the eve of an exam, and stewards of our fundamental educational mission.&#8221;
He said that the school made the rules clear to the protesters who were on campus, and many of them decided that the consequences were worth it and have since been arrested and thrown off campus.
&#8220;We said it. We meant it. We enforced it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We wish we didn’t have to, but the students weighed the costs, made their decisions, and will own the consequences as adults. We’re a university, not a daycare. We don’t coddle emotions, we wrestle with ideas.&#8221;
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He said that schools needed to &#8220;recommit themselves to real education&#8221; instead of focusing on identity politics and other woke nonsense.
He continued:
<blockquote> Rather than engage a wide range of ideas with curiosity and intellectual humility, many academic disciplines have capitulated to a dogmatic view of identity politics. Students are taught to divide the world into immutable categories of oppressors and oppressed, and to make sweeping judgements accordingly. With little regard for historical complexity, personal agency or individual dignity, much of what passes for sophisticated thought is quasireligious fanaticism.
The results are now on full display. Students steeped in this dogma chant violent slogans like “by any means necessary.” Any? Paraglider memes have replaced Che Guevara T-shirts. But which paragliders—the savages who raped teenage girls at a concert? “From the river to the sea.” Which river? Which sea?
Young men and women with little grasp of geography or history—even recent events like the Palestinians’ rejection of President Clinton’s offer of a two-state solution—wade into geopolitics with bumper-sticker slogans they don’t understand. For a lonely subset of the anxious generation, these protest camps can become a place to find a rare taste of community. This is their stage to role-play revolution. Posting about your “allergen-free” tent on the quad is a lot easier than doing real work to uplift the downtrodden.</blockquote>
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis set the tone in the state regarding what behavior would not be tolerated on college campuses in the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attack.
Just a couple of weeks after the attack, DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-orders-florida-colleges-to-shut-down-pro-palestinian-student-groups-that-expressed-support-for-hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> the state to crack down on collegiate student groups that showed support for Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood terrorist attack.
The governor directed Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, to send notices to the University of Florida and the University of South Florida notifying them that they must deactivate their chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) because they allegedly broke Florida laws about terrorism.
“During a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel – among those killed were babies, women, and elderly,” Rodrigues said in a letter to the presidents of Florida’s public universities. “To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks.”
In response to the Palestinian Islamic terrorist attack, “National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP) released a ‘toolkit’ which refers to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as ‘the resistance’ and unequivocally states: ‘Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement,’” the letter said.
The letter noted that under Florida law, it is a felony to “knowingly provide material support . . . to a designated foreign terrorist organization. . .” Hamas is designated by the Untied States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“Here, National SJP has affirmatively identified it is part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood—a terrorist led attack,” the letter continued, later adding: “Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated.”
The letter concluded by saying that Florida will continue to monitor events on college campuses and will be “using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups.”

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University of Florida President Ben Sasse Blasts ‘Asinine Entitlement’ Of Pro-Hamas Protesters

Florida

Hamas

Israel

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Governor Jim Pillen appointed the state&#8217;s former Republican Governor Pete Ricketts as the Cornhusker State&#8217;s next senator on Thursday, replacing Ben Sasse, who officially resigned early this week.
Ricketts served two terms as the state&#8217;s top official from 2015 until last week when his successor moved into the governor&#8217;s mansion.
Governor Pillen personally chose Ricketts to fill the vacated Senate seat, saying he took the process to replace Sasse &#8220;incredibly seriously&#8221; because the appointee needs to &#8220;represent the people&#8221; of Nebraska, NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/nebraska-gov-pillen-appoints-former-gov-pete-ricketts-ben-sasses-senat-rcna65482" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Pillen said the next senator must reflect &#8220;values and ideology important to Nebraskans,” believe in &#8220;less government and fiscal accountability,&#8221; and be a &#8220;person of incredible faith, God-fearing like almost all Nebraskans.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s clear the person for the job was Sen.-designate Pete Ricketts,&#8221; he said.
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/us/politics/pete-ricketts-nebraska-senator.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>, Ricketts said during a news conference after Pillen appointed him that the Senate has to &#8220;hold Washington, D.C., accountable for the waste and the fraud,&#8221; adding that government needs to run more like a business &#8220;just like we&#8217;ve done here in Nebraska.&#8221;
&#8220;For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values?&#8221; Ricketts said in a news release, NBC reported. &#8220;In Congress, we&#8217;re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it&#8217;s a fight we have to win.&#8221;
Ricketts comes from a family heavily invested in Nebraska politics. His father, Joe Ricketts, the founder and former chief executive of the financial services company TD Ameritrade, donated to Republican candidates nationwide.
Ricketts spent approximately $1.3 million in the Republican primary for governor last year, helping Pillen defeat a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump. His appointment comes days after former U.S. Sen. Sasse officially resigned from his seat, having accepting a position to become president of the University of Florida, where he will reportedly earn a salary of $1 million.
The Republican politician delivered his farewell address from the Senate floor last week, saying that he never planned on spending a lifetime in Washington after eight years of public service.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not what our founders envisioned for the people they would send to the federal city,&#8221; Sasse <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-senator-ben-sasse-officially-leaves-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;They envisioned, rather, congressmen, senators, and presidents who thought of D.C. as a temporary stay.&#8221;
&#8220;Washington is a place to do a good bit of neighbor-loving work, but then to go back home to the more permanent work of life and flesh and blood whole communities,&#8221; he added.
Ricketts will fill the seat until 2024, when a special election is held for the remainder of Sasse&#8217;s term, which would have ended in 2026.

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Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts Fills Empty Senate Seat Vacated By Ben Sasse

Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts Appointed State's Next Senator, Replacing Ben Sasse

Congress

Nebraska

Politics

Republican Party

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) officially resigned from the Senate on Sunday after reports broke last year that the congressman would pursue higher education opportunities.
Sasse, who has served as senator for Nebraska since 2015, resigned after accepting a position to become president of the University of Florida, where he will <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/3804549-sasse-officially-leaves-senate/">reportedly</a> earn a salary of $1 million.
The Republican politician delivered his farewell address from the Senate floor last week, saying that he never planned on spending a lifetime in Washington after eight years of public service.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not what our founders envisioned for the people they would send to the federal city,&#8221; Sasse <a href="https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1CC36A1D-A7C7-4FB8-A33C-390DECF8A0A1">said</a>. &#8220;They envisioned, rather, congressmen, senators, and presidents who thought of D.C. as a temporary stay.&#8221;
&#8220;Washington is a place to do a good bit of neighbor-loving work, but then to go back home to the more permanent work of life and flesh and blood whole communities,&#8221; he added.
Sasse voted with six other Republican senators to convict former President Donald Trump after the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Trump called the Nebraska senator &#8220;Little Ben Sasse&#8221; at a May rally in the congressman&#8217;s home state, adding Sasse became a &#8220;grandstanding, little-respected senator.&#8221;
During his farewell speech, Sasse acknowledged that his relationship with Nebraskans had some &#8220;marked ups and downs&#8221; over the last eight years, making him &#8220;the most censured public official in the history of Nebraska.&#8221;
&#8220;Many times, it felt like a noogie and a slap and a head butt and a hug all at once,&#8221; he said.
Shortly after news broke of Sasse&#8217;s forthcoming retirement, the senator revealed that he would become the next president at the University of Florida.
The university said in a statement that it had spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school&#8217;s 15-member presidential search committee &#8220;unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist.&#8221;
Former Nebraska Republican Governor Pete Ricketts announced last month he intends to seek his successor&#8217;s appointment to become the state&#8217;s next U.S. senator to replace Sasse.
&#8220;For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values?&#8221; Ricketts said in a statement via The Hill. &#8220;In Congress, we&#8217;re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it&#8217;s a fight we have to win. We must cut taxes, strengthen public safety and our national security, and protect our most sacred freedoms.&#8221;
&#8220;Over the last eight years, we&#8217;ve shown the world the real impact conservative leadership can have,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to continue delivering results for our state, fighting to reduce taxes, grow our economy, defend our liberties, and run government more like a business. I&#8217;ll never stop working to get the job done, and that&#8217;s why I&#8217;m asking for Governor-elect [Jim] Pillen&#8217;s consideration.&#8221;
Sasse, who won a second term in 2020, would have had to run for re-election again in 2026.

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Republican Senator Ben Sasse Officially Leaves U.S. Senate

Senator Ben Sasse Officially Retires From U.S. Senate 

President Trump

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Governor Pete Ricketts announced he is seeking to fill the seat left by outgoing Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-sasse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Sasse</a> (R-NE).
In an announcement Tuesday, Ricketts said he would seek the office after Sasse left to become the next president of the University of Florida. Ricketts was term-limited as governor and will be replaced by Governor-elect Jim Pillen. Pillen, who will be sworn in on January 5, previously stated he is accepting applications for individuals to fill the seat until a special election is held in 2024.
“For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values?&#8221; Ricketts said in a statement, via <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3763647-nebraska-governor-running-for-sasses-senate-seat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>. &#8220;In Congress, we’re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it’s a fight we have to win. We must cut taxes, strengthen public safety and our national security, and protect our most sacred freedoms.”
“Over the last eight years, we’ve shown the world the real impact conservative leadership can have,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to continue delivering results for our state, fighting to reduce taxes, grow our economy, defend our liberties, and run government more like a business. I’ll never stop working to get the job done, and that’s why I’m asking for Governor-elect Pillen’s consideration.&#8221;
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Pillen announced on Monday that he was accepting applications to fill Sasse&#8217;s seat. Applications must be submitted by December 23, <a href="https://www.wowt.com/2022/12/05/pillen-taking-applications-sen-sasse-seat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WOWT</a> reported. A special election to fill the remainder of Sasse&#8217;s term will be held in 2024.
In a letter to Ricketts on Monday, Sasse, who was just re-elected in 2020, confirmed that his resignation will take effect on January 8. &#8220;It has been a great honor to serve the people of Nebraska in the U.S. Senate these last eight years,&#8221; Sasse wrote. &#8220;I am confident that Governor-Elect Pillen will appoint someone who will serve Nebraskans well in Washington.&#8221;
Sasse originally announced his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-gop-senator-ben-sasse-to-be-next-president-of-the-university-of-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resignation</a> from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> in October, in order to become the next president of the University of Florida.
“The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,” Sasse said in a statement at the time. “The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work and so it’s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.”
Sasse said that he has been courted by top universities over the last couple of years, but that he and his wife had resisted attempts to lure him out of the Senate.
Sasse said this time was different though because he views the University of Florida as “the most interesting university in America right now.”
“Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we’ve resisted being named a finalist,” Sasse said. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.”
The University of Florida said in a statement that they spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school’s 15-member presidential search committee “unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to become the University of Florida’s 13th president.”
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

Outgoing Nebraska Governor Ricketts Looking To Fill Ben Sasse’s Senate Seat

Outgoing Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts Looking To Fill Ben Sasse's Senate Seat

2024 Election

Republican

Senate

U.S. Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-sasse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Sasse</a> (R-NE) will become the next president at the University of Florida, the senator and the university announced in separate statements Thursday afternoon.
The news came just minutes after a NewsRadio 1110 KFAB’s Ian Swanson, a former staffer for Sasse, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-republican-senator-ben-sasse-to-resign-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke the news</a> that Sasse was going to retire from the U.S. Senate.
&#8220;The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,&#8221; Sasse said in a statement. &#8220;The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work and so it&#8217;s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.&#8221;
Sasse said that he has been courted by top universities over the last couple of years, but that he and his wife had resisted attempts to lure him out of the Senate.
Sasse said this time was different though because he views the University of Florida as &#8220;the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
&#8220;Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we&#8217;ve resisted being named a finalist,” Sasse said. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
The University of Florida said in a statement that they spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school&#8217;s 15-member presidential search committee &#8220;unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to become the University of Florida&#8217;s 13th president.&#8221;
&#8220;Dr. Sasse currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska and is a former college president, highly accomplished scholar and nationally recognized authority on higher education,&#8221; the school said.

Florida Gators

GOP Senator Ben Sasse To Be Next President Of The University Of Florida

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) is reportedly going to resign from his position to pursue a new opportunity outside of elected office.
NewsRadio 1110 KFAB’s Ian Swanson, a former staffer for Sasse, broke the news, saying that Sasse was going to pursue an opportunity in higher education, adding that the resignation was not expected to happen immediately.
&#8220;[Senator Sasse] will imminently announce his intent to resign from the U.S. Senate to pursue another opportunity in higher education,&#8221; Swanson wrote on Twitter. &#8220;While the process could take a bit, the announcements are expected &#8216;imminently.'&#8221;
&#8220;I want to be clear here: this is a process that will take time, so the resignation will not take effect today,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The process will be announced today, and I am told to expect the resignation to actually be made official in December.&#8221;
Aaron Sanderford, a reporter with the Nebraska Examiner, reported that if Sasse does indeed resign that his seat would be filled by gubernatorial appointment.
&#8220;His replacement would serve from now until early 2025,&#8221; Sanderson said. &#8220;That would mean Nebraska could have both Senate seats up in the same presidential election year, 2024.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If Sasse&#39;s staff confirms a resignation, his spot would have to be filled by gubernatorial appointment. His replacement would serve from now until early 2025. That would mean Nebraska could have both Senate seats up in the same presidential election year, 2024.
&mdash; Aaron Sanderford (@asanderford) <a href="https://twitter.com/asanderford/status/1578106930630840320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shortly after the news broke of Sasse&#8217;s forthcoming retirement, the senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-gop-senator-ben-sasse-to-be-next-president-of-the-university-of-florida">revealed</a> that he will become the next president at the University of Florida.
&#8220;The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,&#8221; Sasse said in a statement. &#8220;The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work and so it&#8217;s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.&#8221;
Sasse said that he has been courted by top universities over the last couple of years, but that he and his wife had resisted attempts to lure him out of the Senate.
Sasse said this time was different though because he views the University of Florida as &#8220;the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
&#8220;Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we&#8217;ve resisted being named a finalist,” Sasse said. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
The University of Florida said in a statement that they spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school&#8217;s 15-member presidential search committee &#8220;unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to become the University of Florida&#8217;s 13th president.&#8221;
&#8220;Dr. Sasse currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska and is a former college president, highly accomplished scholar and nationally recognized authority on higher education,&#8221; the school said.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse To Resign, Report Says

Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse tore into President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration Thursday evening for failing to condemn the targeting of Supreme Court justices.
“President Biden has an obligation to forcefully condemn the left’s harassment of the Supreme Court,&#8221; Sasse said in a statement. &#8220;Progressive activists published the home addresses of Supreme Court Justices and the White House dismissed it as ‘a lot of passion.’ That doesn’t cut it.&#8221;
&#8220;Don’t pretend this is an isolated incident,&#8221; he warned. &#8220;Two years ago, Chuck Schumer stood on the Supreme Court steps and spat threats at Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. For months progressive partisans have worked to delegitimize the Court, and now activists are doxxing the Justices’ homes.&#8221;
&#8220;This isn’t how adults act,&#8221; Sasse said. &#8220;This isn’t how American self-government works. President Biden knows this is dangerous and he ought to have the guts to say it.”
On Thursday afternoon, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki if Biden condones the publishing of the Supreme Court justices locations.
&#8220;Is that the sort of thing this president wants?&#8221; he asked.
&#8220;I think the president&#8217;s view is that there is a lot of passion,&#8221; she responded. The White House has not responded to further requests for comment from The Daily Wire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Doocy: &quot;These activists posted a map with the home addresses of the Supreme Court justices. Is that the sort of thing this President wants?&quot;
Psaki: &quot;I think the President&#39;s view is that there is a lot of passion.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/Aey03wwvGI">pic.twitter.com/Aey03wwvGI</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyWireNews/status/1522355464385843202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The senator&#8217;s comments come amid <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-groups-direct-protestors-to-descend-upon-supreme-court-justices-homes">calls from leftist organizations</a> for abortion supporters to demonstrate at the homes of the conservative Supreme Court justices. One of these groups, Ruth Sent Us, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/catholic-vote-calls-on-devout-catholic-biden-to-condemn-threats-to-disrupt-catholic-masses">calling for protestors</a> to “stand at or in a local Catholic Church” on Sunday, Mother’s Day.
Ruth Sent Us additionally announced “walk-by Wednesday,” urging protestors to come to “the homes of the six extremist justices, three in Virginia and three in Maryland” on May 11, and ShutDownDC is advertising a Saturday evening “Candlelight Vigil for Roe v. Wade,” calling for abortion supporters to “join us in a march to Justices Kavanaugh and Roberts’ homes to protest for reproductive freedom!!”
The protestors are reacting to a leaked draft opinion showing that the court is likely preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade. Protests also took place outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-03/downtown-los-angeles-roe-wade-protest">Los Angeles</a> (where protestors violently clashed with police) and in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/nyregion/abortion-protest-new-york-supreme-court.html">New York City</a>.
In a Tuesday editorial, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board expressed concerns that an “abortion fanatic” might “commit an act of violence” in an effort to subvert the court’s expected decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“One question is how fast the Court should now move to publish its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-supreme-court-leak-on-roe-v-wade-samuel-alito-john-roberts-abortion-draft-opinion-11651605792">the board said</a>. “There’s an argument for getting it out fast to make it a fait accompli.”
“Politico said the Alito draft was circulated in February, so the Justices have had ample time to absorb it and respond,” it continued. “We hate to say this, but some abortion fanatic could decide to commit an act of violence to stop a 5-4 ruling. It’s an awful thought, but we live in fanatical times.”

Screen Shot 2022-05-05 at 10.51.21 PM

‘That Doesn’t Cut It’: Ben Sasse Tears Into Biden For Failing To Condemn Doxxing, ‘Harassment Of The Supreme Court’

Ben Sasse Calls On Biden To Condemn Doxxing Of Supreme Court Justices 

Abortion

Jen Psaki

Joe Biden

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Supreme Court

On Friday morning, Nebraska GOP Senator Ben Sasse stated of Ukraine that the U.S. should “be arming them to the teeth,” and that the United States should provide “tactical, actionable intelligence,” so they can kill “Russian invaders.”
Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Sasse asserted:
<blockquote>First of all, the intelligence community did a good job of getting intel out faster than they usually do to help deny Putin the pretextual cover for what he was going to do. &#8230; Ukraine isn’t a threat to Russia. Putin is a liar. He lies all the time. But he usually gets away with it. And the U.S. intelligence agencies helped thwart it this time. We need to keep that up and we need to get tactical, actionable intelligence to the Ukrainians on the ground so they can kill the Russian invaders.</blockquote>
“We need to be arming them to the teeth,” Sasse continued, as <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/sasse-russia-ukraine-sanctions/2022/02/25/id/1058496/">Newsmax</a> reported. “So, President Biden should be coming to the Congress right now asking for an emergency supplemental for defense spending. We’re not going to put boots on the ground in Ukraine. We shouldn’t. We don’t need to. They [the Ukrainians] are willing to fight. But we need to arm them.”
“We need to do more sanctions,” Sasse posited. “We need to do them faster. But fundamentally we need to have targeted sanctions to the 16 oligarchs – the mobster cronies who have enabled Putin’s madness.”
Sasse continued with advice for Western Europe, adding that Germany&#8217;s efforts needed to be ramped on energy sanctions.
<blockquote>There should be no Nord Stream 2 ever. But frankly, we need the Brits, who have been great allies in general. We need them to step up and acknowledge that there is a ton of Russian billionaire money bouncing all over London. We ought to perp walk those people out of the country. Their kids ought to be kicked out of their schools that they’re in in London. They should go back and live in Moscow’s hell holes with Putin.</blockquote>
Sasse has been a constant fierce opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin for years. In March 2018, Sasse <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ben-sasse-blisters-putins-sham-reelection-and-hank-berrien/">blasted</a> Putin after his sham reelection. He said:
<blockquote>Vladimir Putin is not a friend. Vladimir Putin is a despot. &#8230; This very day, there are dissidents all over the globe struggling against totalitarian regimes in darkness, and to them, America has always said and America still says we see you, we stand with you. We may make long and deliberate decisions about how we engage in the world and about what particular commitments are prudent to exercise at different times with different allies, but we have always spoke unequivocally about the universal dignity of 7.6 billion people. To those who struggle, we have always said we see you, and we stand with you.
Each and every member of this Senate, all 100 of us, was elected in the kind of free and fair election that Vladimir Putin fears, the kind of election that he would not win. Vladimir Putin is a coward. Vladimir Putin is a despot. Just this month, Vladimir Putin tried to assassinate a political dissident and his daughter on NATO soil in the U.K. &#8230; We also condemn Vladimir Putin&#8217;s sham election. We condemn a Russian despot that aims to make Soviet tyranny great again.</blockquote>

Senate Finance Committee Considers Xavier Becerra For HHS Secretary

Ben Sasse On Ukraine: ‘We Need To Be Arming Them To The Teeth’

Ukraine

Following the verdict in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) did not mince words when stating what he wants to see happen next.
“This verdict shouldn’t be the end,” Sasse said in a brief <a href="https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2021/12/sasse-on-maxwell-verdict-justice-must-be-done">press release</a> after a jury found Maxwell guilty on Wednesday. “The DOJ needs to go after every single scumbag who committed crimes with Maxwell and Epstein.” 
Maxwell was found guilty on five of six counts on Wednesday, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epsteins-former-girlfriend-found-guilty-in-sex-abuse-trial">reported</a>. Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend was convicted of “conspiracy to entice individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in &#8216;illegal sexual activity,&#8217; conspiracy to transport individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in &#8216;illegal sexual activity, transportation of an individual under 17 with intent to engage in &#8216;illegal sexual activity,&#8217; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under 18, and sex trafficking of an individual under 18.”
She will be sentenced at a later date and will face another trial for two perjury charges. 
Sasse, a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, has regularly called on the DOJ to do its job in regard to investigating Epstein. He constantly pressed the DOJ to look into its “<a href="https://www.axios.com/ben-sasse-jeffrey-epstein-sexual-assault-justice-department-a3ae5528-e285-4dd1-bd12-48a8df3c924b.html">sweetheart deal</a>” with Epstein, and in February 2019, the DOJ opened an investigation into its handling of the convicted pedophile. 
In November 2020, Sasse said in a statement, “Letting a well-connected billionaire get away with child rape and international sex trafficking isn’t ‘poor judgment’ – it is a disgusting failure. Americans ought to be enraged. Jeffrey Epstein should be rotting behind bars today, but the Justice Department failed Epstein’s victims at every turn. The DOJ’s crooked deal with Epstein effectively shut down investigations into his child sex trafficking ring and protected his co-conspirators in other states. Justice has not been served. The full report needs to be released to the public. OPR might have finished its report, but we have an obligation to make sure this never happens again.&#8221;
After Epstein was found dead in prison, Sasse <a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=102317&amp;c=SenSasse">wrote</a> to Attorney General William Barr, criticizing the lack of precautions taken. “The Department of Justice failed, and today Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators think they might have just gotten one last sweetheart deal,” wrote Sasse. “Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him. Given Epstein’s previous attempted suicide, he should have been locked in a padded room under unbroken, 24/7, constant surveillance. Obviously, heads must roll.”
After the Maxwell verdict, Sasse didn’t wait long to once again lambaste the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein and Maxwell crime ring. “Justice must be done,” he said. “Epstein and Maxwell’s victims deserve nothing less. The DOJ failed again and again and again when Epstein escaped justice. Maxwell must pay for her heinous crimes.”

‘Go After Every Single Scumbag’: Sasse Calls On DOJ To Look For Everyone Who Co-Conspired With Epstein And Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

Senator Been Sasse (R-NE) joined six other Senate Republicans in calling for Attorney General Merrick Garland to return to Capitol Hill and face additional questions about the Justice Department&#8217;s role in addressing tensions between parents and school boards.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republicans-ag-garland-testify-again-statements-misleading">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
Seven <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/senate/republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> are asking <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/justice-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a> to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, stating that previous testimony appeared to be &#8220;deeply misleading&#8221; in describing the department&#8217;s attempts to counter purported school board intimidation.
&#8220;The FBI should be going after mobsters, not soccer moms. Attorney General Garland has told one story but the actions of some in the Department of Justice tell another,&#8221; said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., in an exclusive statement to Fox News. &#8220;He needs to return to the Judiciary Committee and give clear answers to the American people.&#8221; 
</blockquote>
According to the letter, sent to <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-senator-cruz-unloads-on-ag-merrick-garland-grills-him-over-why-he-dodged-key-question/">Garland</a> on Monday, the cosigning Republicans voiced concern that the attorney general&#8217;s October 27th testimony did not align with information provided by a whistleblower. They also questioned, as many had during the hearing, how closely Garland intended the DOJ to follow his <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ag-garland-says-he-wont-rescind-doj-memo-directing-fbi-to-investigate-confrontations-at-school-board-meetings/">October 4th memo</a>, which suggested the FBI could be deployed to manage situations that arose in local school board meetings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senate Judiciary GOP calls upon AG Merrick Garland to testify before them again: “We remain deeply concerned that your October 4 Memorandum is being used by the DOJ and the FBI as a basis to pursue investigations against American parents for First Amendment-protected activities.” <a href="https://t.co/yMrnJ8iuCu">pic.twitter.com/yMrnJ8iuCu</a>
— Jerry Christmas 🎄🎅🏽 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1465491869949956099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Garland, who avoided the use of the term &#8220;domestic terror&#8221; when referring to concerned parents in his own memo — insisted during his testimony that the Justice Department would only be utilized in cases where violence had occurred or had been threatened. But his memo, which was in response to a request from the National School Board Association that did suggest disruptive parents were potentially engaging in acts of domestic terror, suggested that the FBI could be deployed in instances of alleged harassment rather than only in cases of violence.
&#8220;We remain deeply concerned that your October 4 Memorandum is being used by the DOJ and the FBI as a basis to pursue investigations against American parents for First Amendment-protected activities,&#8221; the letter read. Signers included, in addition to Sasse, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Lee, (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
&#8220;You stated that the ‘purpose of this Memorandum is to get our law enforcement to assess the extent of the problem’ and that the Memo ‘comes before investigations.’ When asked why the DOJ was treating parents at school boards as domestic terrorists, you said: ‘[m]y Memo says nothing about domestic terrorism, says nothing about parents committing any such things,&#8221; the letter continued.
The FBI informed Fox News in an earlier statement that Garland&#8217;s memo &#8220;in no way changes the long-standing requirements for opening an investigation, nor does it represent a shift in how the FBI prioritizes threats.&#8221;
&#8220;The Attorney General&#8217;s memorandum simply underscores the FBI’s ongoing efforts to assist state, local, and federal partners to address threats of violence, regardless of the motivation. The FBI has never been in the business of investigating parents who speak out or policing speech at school board meetings, and we are not going to start now,&#8221; the statement concluded.

Merrick Garland Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Committee

Ben Sasse And Others Want AG Garland Back In Hot Seat: ‘The FBI Should Be Going After Mobsters, Not Soccer Moms’

Merrick Garland

National School Boards Association

Parenting

School Board

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