Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel said on Monday that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, also a Democrat, violated campaign law when she announced her 2026 gubernatorial bid in a government building in January. According to Nessel&#8217;s office, however, the state law does not provide any mechanism for punishing Benson, who oversees elections and campaign finance, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/19/michigan-dana-nessel-finds-secretary-of-state-jocelyn-benson-violated-campaign-finance-law-governor/83726371007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On January 22, days after she accidentally posted her campaign announcement on social media, Benson officially launched her 2026 bid for Michigan governor inside the Richard H. Austin Building, which houses the Department of State in Lansing. As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-dem-secretary-of-state-launches-bid-for-governor-hours-after-accidental-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time, Benson was criticized for likely violating Michigan law, which <a href="https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-169-257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibits</a> “a person acting for a public body” from using “funds, personnel, office space, computer hardware or software, property, stationery, postage, vehicles, equipment, supplies, or other public resources to make a contribution or expenditure or provide volunteer personal services.”
Nessel&#8217;s office wrote on Monday that Benson &#8220;invited members of the press inside the Austin Building&#8221; and then &#8220;conducted a press conference, professionally dressed, during the day, in the lobby of the building that houses her office.&#8221;
&#8220;She gave no indication that would lead a reasonable person viewing the press conference to believe that she was there on her &#8216;personal time.&#8217; Instead, the circumstances would lead a reasonable person to believe that Secretary Benson was acting as Secretary of State with the authority of the Department of State, which is a &#8216;public body,&#8217; to invite members of the press inside her office building,&#8221; the attorney general added.
Those who break the law are guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $1,000. Despite finding that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate broke the campaign law, the Michigan Department of Attorney General said it cannot impose a fine or civil penalty on Benson because the law excludes the secretary of state, according to <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/19/attorney-general-jocelyn-benson-broke-campaign-finance-law-governor-campaign/83726457007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Detroit Free Press</a>. The attorney general&#8217;s office said that the &#8220;unequal treatment&#8221; in the law &#8220;is something the Legislature may want to consider addressing.&#8221;
Nessel&#8217;s office did not respond to a Daily Wire request to comment.
Michigan Republican state Rep. Jay DeBoyer told The Daily Wire that he disagrees with the attorney general&#8217;s conclusion that the office cannot pursue a punishment for Benson. The law gives the Secretary of State&#8217;s office the obligation to refer the attorney general&#8217;s findings back to the AG for a punishment, according to DeBoyer.
&#8220;If the secretary of state chooses not to refer this, that is an absolute dereliction of duty,&#8221; DeBoyer said.
&#8220;The opinion that was put out by the attorney general&#8217;s office, although finding that there was a violation, seemed to hedge in the direction of &#8216;There&#8217;s nothing we can do about it,'&#8221; he added. &#8220;There actually is, but it requires the secretary of state&#8217;s office to operate in an ethical manner and do what they should do, which is refer this to the attorney general&#8217;s office.&#8221;
Aric Nesbitt, the Michigan Republican Senate minority leader also running for governor, blasted Nessel&#8217;s office, telling The Daily Wire that the attorney general is protecting &#8220;her Democrat ally.&#8221;
&#8220;While AG Nessel, the top law enforcement official in the state, targets Trump with ridiculous lawsuits, she shields her Democrat ally from accountability,&#8221; Nesbitt said. &#8220;This double standard reeks of partisan bias, undermining election integrity. Michiganders deserve an attorney general who enforces the law, not one who holds herself and her allies above it.&#8221;
Benson&#8217;s campaign communications director, Alyssa Bradley, said on Monday, &#8220;We understand the Attorney General is issuing a new interpretation of the law.&#8221;
&#8220;We look forward to continuing the conversation with Michiganders about Jocelyn Benson&#8217;s vision to make our state the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, and call home by lowering housing costs, making our schools among the best in the nation, and standing up for our rights and freedoms,&#8221; Bradley added.
Benson defended her decision to announce her bid inside her office building in January, saying she didn&#8217;t want people to stand outside in the <a href="https://world-weather.info/forecast/usa/lansing/january-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frigid</a> Michigan winter weather. She also argued that other candidates could use the space for campaign announcements, a carve-out in the campaign law that would put Benson in the clear. Nessel&#8217;s office rejected that argument, writing that her &#8220;belief was misplaced.&#8221;

Jocelyn Benson

Michigan Dem AG Finds Dem Secretary Of State Violated Campaign Law, But Won’t Punish Her

2026 Midterms

Attorney General

Elections

Michigan

Politics

A 19-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday and charged with planning a mass shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan, &#8220;on behalf of ISIS.&#8221;
According to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/michigan-man-arrested-and-charged-attempting-attack-military-base-behalf-isis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOJ</a>, Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said told two undercover law enforcement agents that he formulated a plan to attack the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive &amp; Armaments Command (TACOM) facility in Warren. The suspect was arrested after the two undercover agents indicated that they were ready to carry out Said&#8217;s plan and scheduled the attack for May 13. Said was detained after launching his drone near the base.
The suspect is accused of providing &#8220;material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target.&#8221; TACOM is part of the Detroit Arsenal, which is <a href="https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/u-s-army-garrison-detroit-arsenal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">home</a> to 144 active-duty Army soldiers and 8,000 Department of Defense civilian employees or contractors.
Said of Melvindale, Michigan, joined the Michigan Army National Guard in September 2022 and trained at Fort Moore in Georgia, according to the criminal complaint. After being sent to the Michigan Army National Guard Taylor Armory, he was discharged in December of 2024, but the complaint did not say why, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-national-guardsman-allegedly-plotted-isis-inspired-attack/story?id=121797139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He began planning the mass shooting at the TACOM facility in November of 2024, according to the complaint.
“The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counterintelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command.
Said faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device, according to the DOJ. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday in the Eastern District of Michigan and faces 20 years in prison for each count if he is convicted.
“ISIS is a brutal terrorist organization which seeks to kill Americans. Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organization prepare or carry out acts of violence is not only a reprehensible crime – it is a threat to our entire nation and way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our office will not tolerate such crimes or threats, and we will use the full weight of the law against anyone who engages in terrorism.”

Abrams Tank

Former Army National Guardsman Charged With Planning Mass Shooting At U.S. Base ‘On Behalf Of ISIS’

Department of Justice

ISIS

Terrorism

U.S. Army

Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped all charges against seven University of Michigan students on Monday, a twist that shocked defense attorneys after Nessel had pushed for felony charges against the anti-Israel protesters.
The seven students faced misdemeanor charges of trespassing and felony charges of resisting and obstructing police stemming from an anti-Israel protest on Michigan&#8217;s campus last year, The Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/05/05/michigan-attorney-general-dana-nessel-drops-all-charges-university-michigan-diag-protesters/83452242007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The courtroom, which was packed with people supporting the anti-Israel students, erupted in cheers and chants of &#8220;Free Palestine&#8221; when it was announced that the charges had been dropped.
Last September, Nessel pushed for the felony charges against the students, which could have put them behind bars for up to two years if they had been convicted. The attorney general alleged that the protesters used &#8220;physical force to counter&#8221; police officers who were attempting to clear them out of the area.
Nessel, who is Jewish, was pressured to recuse herself from the case last month as critics alleged that she was biased against Muslims. Nessel said that a letter from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor defending her amid the accusations influenced her decision to drop the charges. The Democratic attorney general claimed that the letter — which said that Nessel &#8220;has a strong history of uplifting those in both the Muslim and Arab American communities&#8221; — was inappropriate.
&#8220;We have learned that a public statement in support of my office from a local nonprofit has been directly communicated to the court,&#8221; Nessel said. &#8220;The impropriety of this action has led us to the difficult decision to drop these charges.&#8221;
The defendants, Oliver Kozler, Samantha Lewis, Henry MacKeen-Shapiro, Michael Mueller, Asad Siddiqui, Avi Tachna-Fram, and Rhiannon Willow, were also surprised by the decision and will now walk away from the charges in this case. Lewis, who said she faces charges in a separate case over another protest, mocked the attorney general, saying that &#8220;the possibility of recusal was going to be so embarrassing for Nessel that she just couldn&#8217;t bear it.&#8221;
&#8220;And so while all of us, and that includes all of you, refused to cower, she did. And that just goes to show that the bullies and badges and the top pig are just cowards,&#8221; Lewis told a group of her supporters.
The University of Michigan called in police to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-break-palestinian-camp-university-michigan-rcna153229" target="_blank" rel="noopener">break up</a> an anti-Israel encampment on its campus last May as university leadership faced calls to push back on antisemitism at the school. Michigan was one of the numerous universities where anti-Israel students set up camp in the spring of 2024, disrupting campus life and forcing schools to ask law enforcement for help in dispersing the protesters.

Dana Nessel

Michigan Dem AG Takes Shocking Turn, Drops Charges Against UM Anti-Israel Protesters

anti-Israel

antisemitism

Courts

Protesters

Protestors

U.S.

University of Michigan

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had nowhere to hide when President Donald Trump called her to the podium to address National Guardsmen in Michigan on Tuesday.
Whitmer met Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in southeast Michigan, where the president stopped during his 100 days celebration to announce that the base, which was at risk of shutting down, would receive a new fighter squadron. During his remarks, Trump thanked the governor for her work &#8220;trying to save&#8221; the base, and then asked her to speak.
Whitmer approached the podium and said she &#8220;hadn&#8217;t planned to speak&#8221; at the event.
&#8220;I am really damn happy we&#8217;re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It&#8217;s crucial for the Michigan economy, it&#8217;s crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security, and our future.&#8221;
&#8220;So thank you,&#8221; Whitmer said, looking back at Trump. &#8220;I am so grateful that this announcement was made today, and I appreciate all the work.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Whitmer: I had not planned to speak but… https://t.co/35mCWzkywY
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1917320346950328502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Whitmer&#8217;s appearance at the Trump event followed her trip to the Oval Office earlier this month, where she was photographed while appearing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-mocked-for-trying-to-hide-her-face-from-cameras-in-oval-office?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Gretchen+Whitmer+Mocked+For+Trying+To+Hide+Her+Face+From+Cameras+In+Oval+Office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hide her face</a> with a binder. She later said she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-responds-to-folder-gate-after-shes-caught-hiding-from-white-house-camera" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regretted</a> putting her folder in front of her face and laughed about the embarrassing photo, adding, &#8220;We all have our moments.&#8221;
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Gretchen Whitmer temporarily shielded herself from the cameras when she was in Trump’s Oval Office, per this photo from NYT’s <a href="https://twitter.com/erjlee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erjlee</a><a href="https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q">https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/hnLnvuQvlX">pic.twitter.com/hnLnvuQvlX</a>
&mdash; bryan metzger (@metzgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1911078950865903648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Michigan governor, who has been a fierce critic of Trump and Republicans, received some kind words from the president, who said that &#8220;the reason she came&#8221; to the White House was to try to save Selfridge.
&#8220;She was very effective, along with some of the other politicians and some of the military people who love this place,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;So I want to also thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it to our attention very strongly. And you know, I&#8217;m not supposed to do that. She&#8217;s a Democrat. They&#8217;d say, &#8216;Don&#8217;t do that, don&#8217;t have her here.&#8217; No, she&#8217;s going to be here. She&#8217;s done a very good job, frankly.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> addresses Selfridge Air National Guard Base: &quot;For decades, they&#39;ve been trying to save this facility&#8230; I want to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/GovWhitmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovWhitmer</a> for bringing it also to our attention very strongly&#8230; She was very much involved with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TcQ3HxXN8E">pic.twitter.com/TcQ3HxXN8E</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917318771754041825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Whitmer, a potential 2028 presidential contender, was criticized by some on the Left for embracing Trump when he arrived at the base. She took to social media to explain her actions and appearance at the Trump event, writing, &#8220;Bipartisanship isn&#8217;t about sacrificing our values.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll work with anyone who&#8217;s serious about getting things done. But I&#8217;ll never compromise on what I believe. In Michigan, we know how to get things done—and that means working together,&#8221; Whitmer <a href="https://x.com/GovWhitmer/status/1917250428464415062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll work with anyone to move our state forward. But let me be clear: I will never back down from protecting our fundamental rights, defending our democracy, or fighting for every Michigander&#8217;s future,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Bipartisanship isn&#8217;t about sacrificing our values. It&#8217;s about standing strong and finding common ground to get things done. It&#8217;s about putting people first, every single time.&#8221;

Donald Trump

Trump Makes Whitmer Show Her Face At Michigan Event

Executive

Gretchen Whitmer

National Guard

President Donald Trump rallied in Michigan on Tuesday night in celebration of his 100 days in office, pointing to actions he has taken, from securing the border to cracking down on woke ideology.
Speaking to thousands at Macomb Community College in Warren, Trump touted the accomplishments of his administration, promising that he was &#8220;just getting started.&#8221; His speech came after he addressed service members at Selfridge Air National Guard Base alongside Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve accomplished more in three months than most administrations accomplish in four years or even eight years—and we&#8217;re just getting started, believe me,&#8221; Trump said, urging Congress to pass a &#8220;big, beautiful bill&#8221; that would deliver the largest tax cuts in American history, and ban taxes on tips and overtime.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We&#8217;ve accomplished more in 3 months than most administrations accomplish in 4 years or even 8 years—and we&#8217;re just getting started, believe me.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/HYoYm74yDI">pic.twitter.com/HYoYm74yDI</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917353832566382716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump also touted his actions to secure the border, pointing to the low number of illegal crossings, a dramatic reversal from the record high number of illegal aliens that crossed in under previous President Joe Biden. He said that while Democrats promised &#8220;mass migration&#8221; and &#8220;mass invasion,&#8221; he was delivering &#8220;mass deportation.&#8221;
Trump also pointed to his actions to eliminate DEI from the federal government and the pressure his administration was putting on schools to drop gender and racial ideologies.
&#8220;I ended all of the lawless so-called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion bulls*** all across the entire federal government and private sector,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I made it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female!&#8221;
He touted actions he took to keep men out of women&#8217;s sports and push to end transgender medical procedures on children.
&#8220;I also proudly banned the use of puberty blockers &#8230; all these mutilations of our minor youth, I banned it all,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I signed executive orders to abolish Critical Race Theory and transgender insanity from our schools and from our military.&#8221;
Other highlights of his speech included comments in support of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who he described as a &#8220;tough cookie&#8221; in the face of &#8220;fake news attacks,&#8221; and promises that trillions of dollars were being invested by major companies into the American economy.
&#8220;Trillions of dollars are now pouring into the United States because of common sense,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Apple, great company, was building everything in China. Now they just announced that they’re spending $500 billion to invest in America, not in China.”
Trump&#8217;s speech addressed the rash of district court judges attempting to block many of his actions, asking the Supreme Court to reign in the lower court judges.
“We cannot allow a handful of communist, radical Left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the President of the United States,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Judges are trying to take away the power given to the president to keep our country safe.&#8221;
Trump praised the people of Michigan, a state that was critical to both his 2016 and 2024 victories, near the close of his speech.
&#8220;We stand on the shoulders of red-blooded Michigan Patriots — what great people, I love you, Michigan — who laid the railroads, worked the factories, tilled the field, forged the steel, fought the battles, and won the victories that built the Motor City and made this state into the pride of the American Midwest,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Michigan is the state that gave us the assembly line, Motown, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, and put the world behind the wheel of an automobile — and under our leadership, we are making it greater every single day.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

‘Just Getting Started’: Trump Vows More Action In ‘100 Days Of Greatness’ Rally

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Pete Hegseth

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

Leftists Demanded Police Body Cams. Now They Regret It.

Matt Walsh

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;

‘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

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;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
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

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

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

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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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

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