Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship – Final Day

Leftists Demanded Police Body Cams. Now They Regret It.

Matt Walsh

Michigan

Ohio

Opinion

Police

video

Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has waited over three months to call a special election for a vacant state legislature seat, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without representation, but ensuring her party&#8217;s slim control over the legislature.
Whitmer&#8217;s delay is being blasted by Michigan Republicans as a political trick to keep the GOP from gaining a seat in the state senate. The district&#8217;s previous state senator, Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, was elected to the U.S. House in November. With the vacancy, Democrats maintain a one seat majority in the body, 19-18.
&#8220;It&#8217;s all politics,&#8221; Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt said in an interview with The Daily Wire. He argued that Whitmer is delaying the special election because Republicans have a shot at winning the seat.  The 35th state Senate District is a competitive electoral region that encompasses Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw.
&#8220;Right now, there are 270,000 people who have gone without a senator for going on four months now,&#8221; said Nesbitt, who is running for Michigan governor in 2026. &#8220;And who knows how much longer Whitmer is going to deprive them of representation.&#8221;
Whitmer, who has been the target of criticism after she was photographed hiding from cameras in the White House, has addressed the delay, but she hasn&#8217;t given any specifics on when she will officially schedule the election. The governor told <a href="https://radio.wcmu.org/local-regional-news/2025-04-08/whitmer-confirms-35th-district-special-election-will-happen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WCMU</a> last week, &#8220;At some point there will be one, but I don&#8217;t have an announcement to make yet.&#8221;
“I haven&#8217;t made a determination yet,” she added. “There are a number of times in the year that we could call it for, and I just haven&#8217;t made a decision yet, but I&#8217;ll let you know as soon as, as soon as I do.”
The governor&#8217;s office did not respond to The Daily Wire when asked if Whitmer was planning on announcing a special election date soon. Michigan <a href="https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-168-641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> leaves the scheduling of special elections to fill vacancies completely up to the governor, and there is no deadline for how soon a special election must be called.
Republicans suspect that Whitmer&#8217;s political calculations are likely the reason for the delayed special election. Whitmer is in the final year and a half of her second term, a stretch that could prove pivotal for the Democrat&#8217;s legacy and future political aspirations. Keeping Democrats ahead of Republicans by one seat for as long as possible could be a preferable option for the governor instead of risking a GOP pickup in a special election.
&#8220;You gotta remember, a year and a half ago — November of 2023 — Whitmer <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/11/22/whitmer-calls-for-special-election-to-fill-vacant-house-seats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> a special election for two state House Democrat seats within two weeks after the November municipal elections, when the House got tied 54-54,&#8221; Nesbitt added.
Republicans are confident that they can pull off a win in the 35th District, relying on the momentum gained by President Donald Trump in 2024, who won Saginaw, Bay, and Midland Counties. Michigan Republicans also took control of the state House in the 2024 election.
Republican state Rep. Bill Schuette, who represents all of Midland County, told The Daily Wire that Whitmer&#8217;s delay &#8220;is a disservice to the people of the entire region,&#8221; adding that holding a special election as soon as possible shouldn&#8217;t be a partisan issue.
&#8220;It&#8217;s about representation,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard from small businesses and people in our community as well who are seeing our budget being debated, and they say, &#8216;Hey, we only have half of a voice when our state&#8217;s multi-billion-dollar budget is being debated,&#8221; Schuette added. &#8220;That&#8217;s not fair.&#8221;
Whitmer has been blasted for focusing on her recent book tour and potential 2028 presidential aspirations while still serving as governor. The governor was the subject of ridicule last week when she visited Trump in the Oval Office but hid her face behind a folder as members of the media attempted to snap photos of her.
&#8220;Her most recent comment about the special election is she hasn&#8217;t had time to make a decision yet. Well, you know what she has had time to do? Go on trips to the United Kingdom and Ireland and Spain,&#8221; Schuette said. &#8220;We all saw her hiding her face in the Oval Office. How about doing your job here at home, calling a special election and giving people their voice?&#8221;

Gretchen Whitmer

‘All Politics’: Michigan’s Whitmer Delays Pivotal Special Election As Dems Hold Slim Majority

'All Politics': Michigan's Whitmer Delays Calling Important Special Election As Dems Barely Hang Ont

2024 Election

Elections

Politics

Former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers is running for Senate again in Michigan, jumping into the race on Monday to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
Rogers said in his announcement video that Michigan &#8220;for too long&#8221; has &#8220;been represented by two-faced politicians who say they&#8217;re moderates but vote as radicals when they get elected.&#8221; Michigan has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1994, and last November, Rogers became the latest candidate in a long line of Michigan Republicans who failed to win back a Senate seat for the GOP when he lost to Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin by more than 19,000 votes.
&#8220;As your next senator, I won&#8217;t just represent Michigan, I&#8217;ll fight for it,&#8221; Rogers said. &#8220;I&#8217;ll stand with President Trump, and we will deliver on the mandate given to him by the American people.&#8221;
&#8220;For me, it will always be America and Michigan first, rewarding hard work and investing in the skilled trades, cutting wasteful spending, lowering the costs of gas, groceries, and prescription drugs,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Alongside President Trump, I&#8217;ll fight to bring good, high-paying manufacturing jobs back to Michigan, and I guarantee we&#8217;ll protect Social Security for our seniors.&#8221;
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President Trump needs strong allies in the Senate to help him deliver on the mandate given by the American people. 
That means bringing manufacturing jobs back to Michigan, protecting seniors’ social security, lowering the costs of gas, groceries &amp; prescription drugs, and… <a href="https://t.co/MBNn5gcZ4t">pic.twitter.com/MBNn5gcZ4t</a>
&mdash; Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeRogersForMI/status/1911736873946317227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, threw his support behind Rogers shortly after the Michigan Republican announced his run for Senate.
&#8220;Mike will always put Michigan first, fight for the needs of working families, and stand up to communist China,&#8221; Scott <a href="https://x.com/votetimscott/status/1911738722401255471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X. &#8220;Michigan is a battleground state, and with @MikeRogersForMI as our candidate, I know we will add this seat to President Trump&#8217;s Senate Majority in 2026.&#8221;
Rogers is the first high-profile Republican to jump into the 2026 Senate race. Tudor Dixon, the GOP&#8217;s 2022 gubernatorial nominee, is considering a Senate bid, but she has yet to make a decision. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced her run for the seat earlier this month. Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is also considering a run. Former presidential candidate and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who recently moved to Michigan, ruled out a Senate run last month.
Rogers was endorsed by then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2024 election and appeared with him multiple times during campaign rallies in the Great Lakes State. Trump won Michigan over former Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 80,000 votes on his way to the White House, but Trump&#8217;s strong showing in the swing state didn&#8217;t trickle down the ballot enough to pull Rogers across the finish line.
Before he spent time in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2015, Rogers served in the U.S. Army and worked as a special agent for the FBI. He was also interviewed to potentially become the FBI director after Trump fired James Comey in 2017.

Mike Rogers

Former Michigan GOP Congressman Launches 2nd Senate Bid After Coming Up Short In 2024

2026 Midterms

Democrats

Republicans

Senate

Rep. John James (R-MI) jumped into the 2026 race for Michigan governor on Monday, seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited.
James, 43, won his seat in Congress in 2022 after coming up short in two consecutive Senate races — losing to former Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) in 2018 and current Sen. Gary Peters (D) in 2020. In a statement announcing his candidacy, the U.S. Army veteran said that under Whitmer and Democrats&#8217; leadership, Michigan &#8220;has been dominated by radical, out-of-touch policies that have hurt our families, our communities, and our economy.&#8221;
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Faith and Family. God and Country. Service Before Self.
Michigan First. <a href="https://t.co/drYWqGSi3C">pic.twitter.com/drYWqGSi3C</a>
&mdash; John James (@JohnJamesMI) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnJamesMI/status/1909345196741193898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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James joins Michigan Republican Senate Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/first-republican-throws-hat-in-the-ring-for-2026-michigan-governors-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aric Nesbitt</a> in the Republican primary for governor. Nesbitt, who announced his run in January, also focused on bringing manufacturing jobs back to Michigan in his announcement statement. Dixon has also stated that she&#8217;s considering running for governor or jumping into the Senate race for Sen. Peters&#8217; seat.
On the Democratic side, Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-dem-secretary-of-state-launches-bid-for-governor-hours-after-accidental-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jocelyn Benson</a> is running, along with Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. Longtime Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detroit-dem-mayor-announces-run-for-michigan-governor-as-independent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a run for governor in December but said he is running as an independent.
Aside from losing to President Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2024 elections, Democrats have had a string of successes in statewide elections in recent years. Whitmer comfortably won re-election by 10 points in 2022 over Republican nominee Tudor Dixon. In the 2024 election, as Trump took the Great Lakes State by more than 80,000 votes, Democrat Elissa Slotkin defeated Republican Mike Rogers to keep retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow&#8217;s seat in the Democrats&#8217; hands.
James tied himself to President Trump in his announcement, writing that the two &#8220;have been in each other&#8217;s corner through thick and thin for eight years—no reason that will end now.&#8221; In the 2018 Michigan Republican Senate primary, James was endorsed by Trump just days before the primary election. He was endorsed by Trump again in 2020, and the two campaigned together.
&#8220;He&#8217;s doing his part to Make America Great Again, and I&#8217;ll do mine to bring prosperity and sanity back to Michigan,&#8221; James said.

John James

‘Bring Prosperity And Sanity Back’: GOP Congressman Enters Michigan Governor’s Race

Donald Trump

School board members in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, were left in shock after an activist was accused of threatening one of the trustees during a <a href="https://www.gpschools.org/boe-meetings">public school board meeting</a>.
On March 31, local activist Ian Seaman made reference to Luigi Mangione, who allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in December.
“It’s one thing to say we don’t want rainbow flags in our schools and to have the people that you pay $60,000 a year in journalism salary to, to repeat the talking points. It’s another thing to pay $60,000 a year, which is a teacher’s salary, to a Republican action committee, or anything like that. Fortunate for you, I’m no Luigi,” Seaman reportedly told Trustee Sean Cotton, whose family<a href="https://www.crainsdetroit.com/health-care/25-billion-deal-done-cotton-family-plans-next-steps-new-ventures" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> founded</a> Meridian Health. “But to some disgruntled teen with his or her father’s pistol or rifle, any of the other things you prefer in schools other than rainbow flags, you might be a Brian Thompson.”
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A deranged Pro-LGBTQ student at <a href="https://twitter.com/GPSchools?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GPSchools</a> in Michigan appeared to threaten the life of a school trustee during a board meeting:
“Fortunate for you, I’m no Luigi&#8211; But to some disgruntled teen with his or her father’s pistol or rifle, any of the other things you prefer in school… <a href="https://t.co/5J0ctJgPwi">pic.twitter.com/5J0ctJgPwi</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1907885015314178082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Seaman claimed to be upset over school policy on hanging gay pride flags in classrooms,” Michigan Capitol Confidential <a href="https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/trustee-vows-to-stay-on-after-apparent-threat-at-grosse-pointe-school-board-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Cotton told the outlet he thought Seaman had been radicalized by people whose &#8220;months of reckless demagoguery that used me as a boogeyman contributed directly to his actions and the threat he made against my life.&#8221;
“You don’t always have your life threatened right here, and that guy Ian Seaman, he absolutely just did threaten my life,” Cotton told the people at the meeting. “From my exercising representative government and democracy and the First Amendment, that’s pretty disconcerting. Seeing sociopaths like this guy, who referenced the United CEO who was murdered, and seeing how much happiness you see online to that murder, is pretty disconcerting where our society has gone. And seeing one of these people come up here and publicly speak, it’s pretty concerning.”
“It’s unacceptable to make thinly veiled threats to anybody regardless of status. That’s unacceptable. I’m sorry that happened to you, Trustee Cotton,” board member Clint Derringer reacted.
“I’m really taken aback by what just happened at that microphone regarding a person and a public servant,” Dr. Andrea Turtle declared. “And I would hope that all of you, regardless of your opinions, realize we are people first. And that was completely scary, and I’m shocked that it’s not being addressed differently, quite frankly, at this board, and that we’ve overlooked that, because it’s really hard for me to focus on anything but that, because that could be any one of us.”
“While he did not explicitly mention my background in healthcare, it is clear he had done his homework, and I believe he likely knew of my former role,” Cotton told Michigan Capitol Confidential. “He ranted about my ownership of our community’s local newspaper, my political donations, and was clearly very angry and agitated about my participation in the democratic process.”
“While the incident was unsettling, it will not deter me from continuing to serve the Grosse Pointe community,” Cotton continued. “I sought this role to help preserve and strengthen our public schools, championing academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and long-term stability. That mission remains as important to me today as ever.”
“I believe deeply in democracy and in the importance of representative government,” Cotton asserted. “These are the bedrock principles of our nation. To serve in an elected role is both an honor and a responsibility. Threats and intimidation cannot be allowed to silence public servants or any citizen who chooses to participate in civic life.”
Seaman claimed his comments weren’t a threat. “I explicitly said I would never do that,” Seaman told Michigan Capitol Confidential. “I am not (Mangione). But if we keep not listening to people and what they need, we are in an environment where someone could do something drastic. That should be a scary thought for everyone.”
“What you saw Monday at the school board meeting was appalling but sadly predictable,” Matthew J. Wilk, president of Get Kids Back to School Inc, stated. &#8220;Progressive political organizations have been pushing that a reversion to a traditional view of sex, one that has been understood on this planet for thousands of years, is somehow ‘violence’ against those with gender dysphoria. It isn’t.”
Regarding Seaman’s rhetoric, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s Press Secretary, Daniel Wimmer, commented, “Whether a threat was effectuated would require some degree of investigation that I am unable to conduct, via email as the press secretary for the department. If you or anyone else believe a crime has been committed, we would encourage you to contact local law enforcement or your nearest Michigan State Police post.”

Brian Thompson

Activist Accused Of Threatening School Board Member, References Luigi Mangione

Crime

Luigi Mangione

School Board

U.S.

Vice President JD Vance praised American manufacturers on Friday, arguing that &#8220;making things, building things,&#8221; and &#8220;working with our hands is America&#8217;s heritage.&#8221;
The vice president spoke at Vantage Plastics, a manufacturer in Standish, Michigan, where he joked to those gathered that he was happy to be out of the Washington, D.C. bubble and referenced his days growing up in Middletown, Ohio.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t hold it against me, I&#8217;m from that state, [located] just one state south,&#8221; he joked. &#8220;We know in the industrial Midwest that companies like Vantage make Great Lakes states the powerhouse of American industry and that makes it the powerhouse of world industry.&#8221;
&#8220;America&#8217;s success depends on the success of companies like Vantage Plastics,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;I don&#8217;t mean that in some abstract poetic-sounding sense, but literally, if we do not protect our nation&#8217;s manufacturers, we lose a fundamental part of who we are as a people. Making things, building things, working with our hands is America&#8217;s heritage, and that heritage is alive and well in this facility.&#8221;
He also touted the accomplishments of President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration so far, hitting at former President Joe Biden&#8217;s handling of the economy and pointing out that the Trump administration created 10,000 manufacturing jobs in its first month alone.
&#8220;If you invest in America, in American jobs, in American workers, and in American businesses, you&#8217;re going to be rewarded,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to cut your taxes. We&#8217;re going to slash regulation, and we&#8217;re going to reduce the cost of energy to build things right here in this country that all of us love.&#8221;
&#8220;But if you try to undercut us and build outside of our borders, then President Trump&#8217;s administration has got nothing for you,&#8221; the vice president added.
Vance also referenced the crowd of protestors outside the event, some of whom were holding signs that read &#8220;Traitor Vance&#8221; or &#8220;go home couch-bum,&#8221; according to the Washington Examiner&#8217;s Christian Datoc.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure all of us saw there are a few protesters outside,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I can&#8217;t be the only person wondering, it&#8217;s a little after noon on a Friday. Don&#8217;t you all have jobs?&#8221;
<div dir="auto" lang="en" data-testid="tweetText">&#8220;That&#8217;s one of the reasons we have got to rebuild American manufacturing,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We want those people to get off the streets and back to work.&#8221;</div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JD VANCE CRUSHES PROTESTORS
JD Vance : &#8220;I&#8217;m sure all of us saw there are a few protesters outside. 
I can&#8217;t be the only person wondering it&#8217;s a little after noon on a Friday. Don&#8217;t you all have jobs?&#8230; 
That&#8217;s one of the reasons we have got to rebuild American manufacturing&#8230;… <a href="https://t.co/jo99dJpnhp">pic.twitter.com/jo99dJpnhp</a>
— Michigan News Source (@MINewsSource) <a href="https://twitter.com/MINewsSource/status/1900595116118532413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-VANCE

Vance Praises U.S. Manufacturers: ‘Working With Our Hands Is America’s Heritage’

Economy

JD Vance

White House

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is reportedly backing out of a potential run for the U.S. Senate to set himself in a better position to compete for the White House in 2028.
Buttigieg bought a house in the Traverse City, Michigan, area in 2020 and went to live there after four years serving in former President Joe Biden’s cabinet.
The former transportation chief considered a run for Michigan’s open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. Buttigieg met with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer about a potential bid. Democrats are anxious to keep control of the seat in 2026.
Buttigieg decided to pass on a Senate run as he eyes a renewed attempt at the Oval Office, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/13/pete-buttigieg-michigan-senate-run-00227583" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>. Running back-to-back campaigns in 2026 and 2028 would be difficult and could hurt his chances at the White House.
“The hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win,” David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist who has mentored Buttigieg, told POLITICO. “Pete was an A-list recruit and would have been a formidable candidate for the Senate had he chosen to run. But had he won in ’26, it would almost certainly have taken him out of the conversation for ’28.
“This certainly keeps that option open. Beyond that, I have a sense that he wanted to spend more time with his family, and with people in communities like his, where the conversations and concerns are so different than the ones you hear in the echo chamber of Washington,” Axelrod said.
Before being Transportation secretary, Buttigieg’s most notable role was as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, the fifth most populous city in the state with just over 100,000 residents. He ran for president in 2020, losing to Biden in the Democratic primary.
As Transportation Secretary, Buttigieg had a mixed rating from voters. In a Rasmussen <a href="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/biden_administration/democrats_like_buttigieg_others_not_so_much" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> released in April 2024, 41% of likely voters reported having a favorable impression of Buttigieg, while 40% reported an unfavorable impression, a marked decline in popularity from the year prior.
Most of his support came from Democrats, 63% of whom reported a favorable opinion. Thirty-eight percent of unaffiliated voters and just 18% of Republicans reported a favorable view of Buttigieg as Transportation secretary.

Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg To Pass On Senate Run As He Eyes White House In 2028: Report

Presidency

Elissa Slotkin, the first-term Democratic senator from Michigan, will deliver her party&#8217;s response to President Donald Trump&#8217;s joint address to Congress next Tuesday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1895166585460994139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> Slotkin as &#8220;a rising star&#8221; in the Democratic Party, announcing on Thursday that the Michigan senator &#8220;will layout [sic] the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face and chart a path forward.&#8221; Slotkin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-elissa-slotkin-wins-michigan-senate-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">narrowly won</a> the 2024 Senate election in Michigan, a state that went for Trump over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. The Democrat served six years in the House before running for former Sen. Debbie Stabenow&#8217;s seat last year.
&#8220;I&#8217;m looking forward to speaking directly to the American people next week. The public expects leaders to level with them on what’s actually happening in our country,&#8221; Slotkin <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1895169202656550959" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that improves people’s lives in the country we all love, I look forward to laying that out. Tune in.&#8221;
The Democrats&#8217; selection of Slotkin for the response puts forward a new voice for a party that is desperately seeking ways to resonate with Americans after Republicans won the White House, Senate, and House in 2024. Slotkin has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-elissa-slotkin-tells-her-party-identity-politics-needs-to-end" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> for Democrats to move away from &#8220;identity politics&#8221; and &#8220;focus on the things that keep people up at night,&#8221; which she said are &#8220;their pocketbooks and their kids.&#8221;
“I personally think that identity politics needs to go the way of the dodo,” she said two weeks after her election victory in November.
“We gotta stay away … we don’t need to obsess about identity politics,” she added. “And by the way, this last election demonstrated very clearly that they don’t stand up.”
Slotkin, however, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-elissa-slotkin-removing-dei-woke-crap-from-military-is-politicizing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Trump&#8217;s plans to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in military recruitment and fire generals who pushed DEI policies. During her first weeks in the Senate, Slotkin has joined Democrats in raging against the Trump administration&#8217;s cuts to federal spending and argued that billionaires, such as Trump&#8217;s senior adviser Elon Musk, are &#8220;leading around this administration by the nose.&#8221;

Elissa Slotkin

‘A Rising Star’: Dems Tap First-Term Senator For Response To Trump’s Joint Address To Congress

Chuck Schumer

Congress

If you have a job or any kind of normal human interests whatsoever, you probably haven&#8217;t heard of something called the “50501 Movement&#8221; to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk. But it&#8217;s a real thing that just happened in this country. This is one of several protests — along with the recent &#8220;day without an immigrant&#8221; protest — that have apparently occurred, and that pretty much no one has noticed. This is the state of the anemic anti-Trump resistance this time around.
The idea of the “50501 Movement&#8221; in particular was apparently to have 50 protests in 50 states in 1 day. And so they mashed all of those numbers together, and told everyone to show up to their local state capitol on Wednesday. This is something that started as an idea on Reddit, in some kind of semi-viral post. And it&#8217;s turned out exactly how you&#8217;d expect a Reddit-created movement to go. Every aspect of this movement has been a colossal failure. In fact it was such a failure — in so many entertaining ways — that it&#8217;s worth talking about what happened at some length.
First of all, the turnout was abysmal. I skimmed about a dozen news articles on this protest — from the AP to ABC to various local news outlets — and not a single one of them mentions the total number of state capitals that were involved in these protests. And that obviously suggests that they didn&#8217;t get anywhere near all 50 of them. Instead, it looks like a handful of protesters — less than 1,000 people in many cases — showed up to a handful of state capitals and they held signs that contradicted themselves in many cases.
Here for example was the scene in Salem, Oregon. You&#8217;ll notice that they have signs that say &#8220;Deport Elon,&#8221; alongside signs that say &#8220;Education not Deportation&#8221; and &#8220;No Human is Illegal.&#8221; Watch:
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You have to wonder what would happen if one of these protesters with a &#8220;No Deportations&#8221; sign happened to bump into someone with a &#8220;Deport Elon&#8221; sign. It&#8217;s like the beginning of a Netflix rom-com. They&#8217;d look at the signs, then look into each others&#8217; eyes. And then they&#8217;d say something that no one could understand because they&#8217;re both wearing N-95 masks and a ventilator. If Emilia Pérez can get 13 Oscar nominations, that idea&#8217;s worth at least 14.
In any event, this is one of those little inconsistencies that you always notice, very quickly, whenever you pay attention to Leftists for five seconds. They support gun confiscation, unless you want to use your gun to shoot a health insurance CEO. They say the legal system is corrupt and we should defund the police, and then they celebrate as prosecutors attempt to destroy pro-lifers, Donald Trump, January 6 protesters and so on. And now they say they oppose deportations, unless we&#8217;re talking about one of their political enemies, like Elon Musk— even though Elon Musk is a U.S. citizen.
But as entertaining as all of this is, there was one moment that really stood out from these 50501 protests. And it occurred on the lawn outside the Michigan state capitol. Here&#8217;s what happened, according to the outlet called <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/02/06/michigan-legislator-says-she-underwent-sterilization-to-avoid-pregnancy-during-trump-presidency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan Advance</a>: 
<blockquote>Michigan state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky said Wednesday that she underwent surgery earlier this year to become voluntarily sterile out of fear for the future of reproductive health care access with President Donald Trump back in office.</blockquote>
Yes, a Democrat state lawmaker sterilized herself because, in her estimation, Trump might end her &#8220;reproductive health care access.&#8221; 
Here&#8217;s how the representative <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/02/06/michigan-legislator-says-she-underwent-sterilization-to-avoid-pregnancy-during-trump-presidency/">explained her decision</a> on Wednesday: 
<blockquote>Just under two weeks ago, I underwent surgery to ensure that I would never have to navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America. I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate.  &#8230;If you know people who are questioning how serious this is, I’m going to repeat myself: A sitting government official opted for voluntary sterilization because she was uncertain she would be able to access contraception in the future.</blockquote>
Now, before we even get into the specifics here, we need to talk about that last line. I&#8217;m not usually one for nit-picking how politicians deliver their speeches, but this crosses a line. She starts talking about herself in the third-person, as a way to lend some gravitas to what she&#8217;s trying to communicate. She says, &#8220;A sitting government official opted for voluntary sterilization because of Donald Trump! That&#8217;s how serious things are!&#8221; But the government official that she&#8217;s talking about is herself. So, this just doesn&#8217;t work, as a rhetorical device. It just makes her look crazy. If things were really this serious, then other people would be sterilizing themselves too, and she could use them as examples. But she has to use herself as an example, because no one else — even in a state like Michigan — is quite as insane as she is.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1532-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
But the bigger issue, of course, is that Pohutsky&#8217;s decision to spay herself like a house cat makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. First of all, believe it or not, it&#8217;s possible to avoid getting pregnant without sterilizing yourself. Even if Project 2025 outlaws contraception and abortion, that would still be true. So, this is like if you decided you really hate jogging so you cut your own legs off to avoid it. It’s overkill, to say the least. But at a Reddit protest, this kind of thing apparently gets applause, so presumably that&#8217;s why she did it.
But the other problem here is that, even by Pohutsky&#8217;s own logic, she has no reason to sterilize herself. That&#8217;s because abortion is legal in Michigan. And it&#8217;s legal in Michigan because Leftists like her have spent their entire political careers making sure that mothers can kill their children pretty much any time they want, for any reason. Pohutsky has put out several videos on social media talking about how abortion is readily available in Michigan thanks to her efforts. Here&#8217;s one of them:
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So voters &#8220;protected&#8221; the right to an abortion, but they still have their work &#8220;cut out&#8221; for them. At the time it wasn&#8217;t clear what she meant by that. But I guess now we know. It means women have to get sterilized. That&#8217;s the final stage of Laurie Pohutsky&#8217;s abortion advocacy. It&#8217;s not really about giving women the &#8220;right to choose.&#8221; It&#8217;s about making sure that women don&#8217;t have children, period.
On social media, Pohutsky has been desperately defending her decision. For example, <a href="https://x.com/lpohutsky19/status/1887616171974725755" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she wrote</a>: &#8220;The fact that so many conservative men take personal offense to a decision that I made with my husband about my health care and future just proves the point that we shouldn’t assume that right is secure.&#8221;
Just to be clear, nobody is offended by the fact that you sterilized yourself, Laurie. We just think it&#8217;s very dumb. This is like if you started banging your own head against a brick wall, and we watched and said, “this behavior seems a bit strange,&#8221; and then you shouted, “Ha! You snowflakes are triggered, aren&#8217;t you?!” As you continue to bash your skull into dust.
I will say though, assuming what she&#8217;s saying is actually true, there probably does need to be an investigation of whatever doctor performed this procedure. If I go to my doctor tomorrow and say I need to get sterilized because Democrats are going to force me to have kids, then it&#8217;s pretty clear I&#8217;m not sane enough to consent to any kind of surgery.
At the same time, I don&#8217;t really need to say much more about this particular politician. Every post she makes is getting completely roasted on social media. Her stunt has backfired on her. And it&#8217;s not the first time that this kind of thing has happened to Laurie Pohutsky, by the way. 
Take a look at this footage from a couple of years ago. It shows her making some remarks in the statehouse about the importance of repealing an old abortion ban in Michigan. As you watch this clip, pay close attention to the big law book she has on the desk next to her. Watch:
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Did you catch it? Pohutsky has the law book opened to the page where the abortion ban is. Then the page flips a bunch of times when she starts speaking, so that she loses her place. It&#8217;s no longer on the page with the abortion law. And then at the end of the clip, in her big moment of rhetorical flourish, Pohutsky grabs the book — which is now open to the wrong page. It&#8217;s turned to some completely different law. And she seems to notice this, and hesitates, before she decides she doesn&#8217;t care. She just rips the random page out of the law book and performatively tears it up. It was a simple stunt that this woman somehow managed to screw up. 
Now I’m wondering if she actually did sterilize herself, or did she go in wanting to be sterilized but instead she accidentally got a root canal instead or something.
Laurie Pohutsky is a self-described radical feminist — one of many — who has spent the last few years engaging in dumb performances instead of actually accomplishing anything. And now, as Trump&#8217;s second administration gets underway, these people look more pitiful than they have ever looked — which is saying something, because they&#8217;ve always looked pitiful.
You may remember a few years ago we were promised a massive backlash against Republicans with women rising up across the nation because of Roe. We were told that fighting for the unborn would doom the party to irrelevance. But that didn’t happen. And still hasn’t happened. Instead, Trump has turned around and defended “women’s rights” more than Joe Biden ever did, or Kamala Harris ever would have. Because of radical feminists like Laurie Pohutsky, Democrats have thrown all of their political capital behind the deranged proposition that men can transform into women — and that men should be able to invade women&#8217;s private spaces, as well as women&#8217;s sports. 
Democrats&#8217; commitment to this insanity led to this moment at the White House this week, which we talked about the other day:
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Contrast that footage — of Trump signing an executive order preserving women&#8217;s sports, as he&#8217;s flanked by smiling young women — with the footage from the so-called  &#8220;50501 Movement.&#8221; Contrast the footage of Trump with the bitter, vengeful feminists who are now maiming themselves for no reason that they can explain. Less than three years after the Dobbs decision, Republicans are more appealing to most women than the so-called &#8220;feminist movement,&#8221; and it&#8217;s not even close. This is a victory that a lot of people — including conservatives — thought was impossible not too long ago. They made the case that we should compromise on abortion and gender ideology, out of political expediency. But as lunatics like Laurie Pohutsky embarrass themselves, and Leftists hold protests that no one attends, it&#8217;s hard not to notice that no one&#8217;s making that argument anymore.

MixCollage-07-Feb-2025-03-42-PM-6858

Radical Feminist Lawmaker Maims Herself To Make A Statement That No One Cares About

Abortion

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Elon Musk

President Trump

A Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> state representative says she chose to undergo a &#8220;voluntary sterilization&#8221; to avoid pregnancy after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, 36, told a crowd of anti-Trump protesters at the Michigan State Capitol on Wednesday, “Just under two weeks ago, I underwent surgery to ensure that I would never have to navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America,” The Midwesterner <a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/2025/02/michigan-rep-laurie-pohutsky-opts-for-voluntarily-sterilization-to-avoid-pregnancy-in-donald-trumps-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Pohutsky, who <a href="https://pridesource.com/article/election-qa-19th-district-house-rep-laurie-pohutsky-talks-reelection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identifies</a> as &#8220;bisexual,&#8221; represents part of Wayne County, the largest county in a state where abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy.
“I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate,&#8221; Pohutsky told the crowd of protesters.
&#8220;If you know people who are questioning how serious this is, I’m going to repeat myself: A sitting government official opted for voluntary sterilization because she was uncertain she would be able to access contraception in the future,” she added, according to <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/02/06/michigan-legislator-says-she-underwent-sterilization-to-avoid-pregnancy-during-trump-presidency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan Advance</a>.
Since taking office, Trump has reinstated the Mexico City policy, stopping U.S. foreign aid from funding abortions, and he pardoned 23 pro-life activists who were prosecuted by the Biden administration after protesting at abortion clinics. But it&#8217;s unclear how any actions taken by the Trump administration apply to Pohutsky&#8217;s reproductive concerns, and Pohutsky&#8217;s office has not responded to a Daily Wire request for comment.
Trump said while on the campaign trail that he would leave abortion legislation up to the states, taking a more moderate stance on the issue than many Republicans.
Hundreds of people <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/picture-gallery/media/photo/2025/02/05/hundreds-gather-at-michigan-state-capitol-to-protest-trump-administration/78256286007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gathered</a> at the state capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to voice their frustration over the fast-moving second Trump administration. Protesters carried signs that read, &#8220;Democracy, not Oligarchy,&#8221; &#8220;Hell no, Musk must go,&#8221; and &#8220;Resistance Becomes Duty.&#8221; The Michigan protest was part of the 50501 movement, which sought to stage protests against Trump in all 50 states on Wednesday.
Trump won Michigan in the 2024 election, defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris by <a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/michigan/?r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 80,000 votes</a>. In the election, Michigan Democrats also lost control of the state legislature, where Pohutsky is a member.
During her time in the state legislature, Pohutsky has focused on abortion and LGBTQ issues. In 2022, Michigan became one of the most pro-abortion states in the U.S. when voters enshrined a &#8220;right&#8221; to abortion in the state&#8217;s constitution. Pohutsky also <a href="https://x.com/lpohutsky19/status/1631742691116548101" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsored</a> a repeal of Michigan&#8217;s 1931 law that protected unborn children from abortion, calling the law &#8220;draconian.&#8221;

Laurie Pohutsky

Michigan Lawmaker ‘Opted For Voluntary Sterilization’ To Avoid ‘Pregnancy In Donald Trump’s America’

Social Issues

Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is reportedly considering running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan after Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) announced he would not run for re-election in 2026.
Buttigieg — who moved to Traverse City, Michigan, around two years ago — was being floated as a potential candidate for Michigan governor in 2026, but after Peters&#8217; announcement that he is stepping down, Buttigieg is exploring a Senate run, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/28/pete-buttigieg-considering-u-s-senate-michigan-bid-gretchen-whitmer-says-she-wont-run/77995300007/?taid=67990e88bd13980001f8970e&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing two unnamed sources. Democratic political consultant Adrian Hemond told The Detroit News, &#8220;This race is going to be instantly nationalized because of how close it was last year. Pete already has a national network.&#8221;
Peters made the surprise retirement announcement on Tuesday morning, saying: “I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life.”
The senator&#8217;s decision blows the door wide open for the 2026 Michigan Senate race. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer quieted rumors about her running for Senate on Tuesday morning as many politicos expect her to run for president in 2028. Whitmer is term-limited as governor at the end of her second term in 2026.
Peters&#8217; retirement will come shortly after his Democratic colleague, Sen. Debbi Stabenow, retired earlier this month. The GOP will look to take advantage of the open Senate seat and cement its hold on the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have not won a Senate election in Michigan since 1994.
Michigan voters will also elect their next governor in 2026. Multiple people have expressed interest in the 2026 Senate race, but no one has officially announced a campaign for the open seat.
Buttigieg was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, before running for president in 2020. Former President Joe Biden then tapped Buttigieg for Transportation Secretary. Buttigieg was criticized for his response to multiple transportation disasters, including the East Palestine, Ohio, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-on-response-to-east-palestine-train-derailment-not-about-who-looks-good-or-who-looks-bad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a>, and the Francis Scott Key Bridge <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/6-people-presumed-dead-after-cargo-ship-crash-levels-baltimore-bridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collapse</a> in Baltimore.

Pete Buttigieg Reportedly Considering Run For U.S. Senate

U.S. Senate

A Senate seat will open up in Michigan at the end of 2026 as Democratic Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gary-peters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gary Peters</a>, who has served in the upper chamber of Congress since 2015, said on Tuesday that he won&#8217;t seek re-election.
Peters told <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/28/michigan-democratic-senator-gary-peters-will-not-run-for-reelection-to-us-senate-seat-2026/77985876007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Detroit News</a> that he&#8217;s always viewed his time in Congress as a short-term job with the goal of returning &#8220;to private life.&#8221; The 66-year-old senator also served in the House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015.
“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life,&#8221; Peters said. “And that goes back to 2008 when I first won that House seat. I thought it would be for a matter of a few terms that I would serve, and then I would go back to private life.”
He added that he&#8217;s &#8220;not retiring&#8221; — he&#8217;s &#8220;just not running for re-election in the Senate.&#8221;
&#8220;I hope, God willing, I have a lot more good years ahead,&#8221; Peters said.
Throughout his career, Peters has been <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/gary_peters/412305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">portrayed</a> as a moderate Democrat. However, he <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/gary-c-peters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> with former President Joe Biden more than most Democrats in Congress, going along with Biden&#8217;s agenda 99% of the time.
The Michigan senator will follow in the footsteps of his former Democratic colleague, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired from the Senate when her term ended at the start of 2025. Stabenow, 74, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stabenows-retirement-announcement-fuels-2024-senate-election-rumors-here-are-the-names-being-floated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2023 that she wanted to &#8220;pass the torch&#8221; to a &#8220;new generation of leaders.&#8221; She had served in the Senate since 2001.
Peters narrowly won re-election in 2020, defeating current Republican Rep. John James by less than 2%. His decision to step aside instead of running for re-election in 2026 will blow the Senate race wide open as Republicans look to cement their hold on Congress in the midterm elections. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 majority in the Senate along with its slim majority in the House.
Michigan has proven to be a tough battleground for Republicans, especially in Senate races. While President Donald Trump has won the state twice — once in 2016 and again in 2024 — no Republican has won a Senate seat in Michigan since the 1994 election. The 2024 election for Stabenow&#8217;s former seat was another victory for Democrats as Sen. Elissa Slotkin defeated Republican Mike Rogers by fewer than 20,000 votes.

Gary Peters

Michigan Dem Senator Gary Peters Won’t Run For Re-Election

Michigan Dem Senator Gary Peters Won't Run For Re-Election

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