A group of 21 GOP governors joined a letter on Wednesday to congressional leaders in an effort to stop President Joe Biden from initiating a COVID vaccine mandate for military personnel.
The <a href="https://www.rga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Joint-Letter-to-Congress-on-the-Military-Vaccine-Mandate-11.30.2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> &#8212; sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Republican minority leaders in the House and Senate &#8212; called for immediate action concerning the military&#8217;s vaccine requirement.
&#8220;The Biden vaccine mandate on our military creates a national security risk that severely impacts our defense capabilities abroad and our state readiness here at home,&#8221; the Republican governors wrote.
&#8220;We face a two-front problem due to the Biden vaccine mandate: current servicemembers are leaving our ranks, and new recruits are not signing up to join. Implementation of the mandate has placed our nation’s military readiness at risk,&#8221; they added.
The letter cited concerns regarding National Guard recruiting efforts that had missed their mark as a major factor for the request. The Army National Guard missed its recruiting target by 10% and announced that 7,500 members left service in an October report cited in the letter.
Deputy Chief of the Army National Guard Strength Maintenance Division Anson Smith was also cited in the letter over the Guard reportedly preparing to discharge around 14,000 soldiers in the next two years for refusing the COVID vaccine.
The governors expressed further concern over a November report revealing that the Armed Forces discharged 8,000 active duty members since the start of the president&#8217;s COVID vaccine mandate.
&#8220;As Congressional leaders, it is your duty to provide for the national defense, and therefore, we call upon you to protect the men and women in uniform—who protect us—from an unnecessary vaccine mandate,&#8221; they concluded.
The letter was signed by the governors of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) celebrated the letter, adding her support to the effort.
&#8220;I’ve been leading the effort in the Senate to stop the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate,&#8221; she tweeted. &#8220;I will not stop fighting for our servicemembers.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovBillLee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovBillLee</a>. I’ve been leading the effort in the Senate to stop the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. 
I will not stop fighting for our servicemembers. <a href="https://t.co/ANZuqgBj7J">https://t.co/ANZuqgBj7J</a>
&mdash; Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1598048731177357321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also expressed his support, adding plans to include an end to the military COVID vaccine mandate as part of supporting the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
As a veteran &amp; member of <a href="https://twitter.com/SASCGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SASCGOP</a>, I fully support our military &amp; have fought hard for big nat&#39;l security wins in the NDAA. But, before this bill moves forward, we must stand with our military members &amp; reverse the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a>&#39;s COVID vax mandate. U.S. readiness depends on it. <a href="https://t.co/DoRgn5cJZh">pic.twitter.com/DoRgn5cJZh</a>
&mdash; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1598066096044900353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) also pushed the end of the vaccine mandate ahead of the military&#8217;s next spending bill.
&#8220;The COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent transmission or infection of the virus. The DoD forcing out tens-of-thousands of service members will continue to undermine our military readiness and hamper future recruiting efforts for years to come,&#8221; he said in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-conservatives-draw-red-lines-must-pass-defense-spending-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> with other House Republicans. &#8220;Our brave men and women in uniform should not have to choose between following their sincerely held religious beliefs and serving their country.&#8221;

military vaccine

21 Republican Governors Join Letter Opposing Military COVID Vaccine Mandate

COVID-19 Vaccine

Health

Military

Politics

Republicans

Vaccine Mandate

A top House Republican put the blame on Democrats for delegitimizing Congressional investigations.
Congressman James Comer (R-KY) said in an interview with Punchbowl News Wednesday that Democrats are to blame for Congressional investigations losing their credibility. Specifically, Comer called out Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and the late Rep. Elijah Cummings for mishandling investigations and abusing subpoena power. Comer, the ranking member on the committee, is set to become the next chairman when Republicans take the House next year.
“ I don’t believe congressional investigations have a whole lot of credibility right now,&#8221; Comer told <a href="https://punchbowl.news/newsletter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punchbowl News</a>. &#8220;I blame Adam Schiff for that. But it’s also both parties to blame for investigations in the past. But I really want to change that.”
Schiff, who currently serves on the House Intelligence Committee and the January 6th Committee, is infamous for his handling of the Russia collusion investigation and the first impeachment of former President Trump. Schiff repeatedly issued public claims that he had evidence that Trump colluded with Russia to overturn the 2016 election, but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adam-schiff-has-transcripts-from-key-witnesses-of-russia-investigation-but-wont-release-them-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never released</a> key materials from the investigation. Earlier <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adam-schiff-insists-he-has-evidence-trump-was-involved-in-plot-to-overturn-election-but-wont-reveal-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this year</a>, Schiff made similar claims that Trump was personally involved in the effort to overturn the 2020 election, but did not reveal the evidence because he did not &#8220;want to get ahead of [the J6 Committee] hearing.&#8221;
Comer also promised not to “abuse the subpoena ability” while he is chair of the Oversight Committee. Specifically, he promised not to indiscriminately send “subpoenas to everyone in a presidential administration like Elijah Cummings did.” Cummings served as Chair of the Oversight Committee from January 2019 until his death in October of that year. “So when you get a specific subpoena from Oversight when I’m chairman, then it’s going to mean something,” Comer said. “We’re going to be very selective in who gets subpoenas.”
Comer also dismissed criticism that his committee would take focus off Republican legislative priorities and messaging. &#8220;Well, the Oversight Committee right now is 8% of our Republican Conference,&#8221; he told the outlet. &#8220;We’re in charge of investigations: waste, fraud and abuse. That’s our job.&#8221;
Investigations the Republican-led committee will undertake include the origins of the COVID pandemic; fraud and abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program and pandemic-related unemployment insurance; the crisis at the southern border; and the botched American withdrawal from Afghanistan. “One of the things Republicans campaigned on was holding this administration accountable,&#8221; Comer added. &#8220;I’m doing my role. My committee’s 8% of the conference. The other 92% is going to be trying to reduce inflation, securing the border, getting crime under control, trying to change the energy policy.”
Comer also said that the Oversight Committee would open an investigation into Hunter Biden and the Biden family&#8217;s business dealings. “[I am] pretty confident that a majority of Americans have no idea the extent to Hunter Biden’s criminal activity,” said Comer, adding that he believes “Joe Biden was directly involved in that.” Comer previously outlined his plans at a news conference <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-an-investigation-of-joe-biden-house-gop-leaders-vow-corruption-probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last week</a>.
“We need to be very specific on what the immediate family members [of the president] can do with respect to lobbying,” Comer added. He also expressed hope for bipartisan support. “That should be something that’s not partisan with the Democrats, because they’ve criticized the previous president’s son-in-law on some of that stuff.”

Adam Schiff

‘I Blame Adam Schiff’: Top Republican Says Democrats Tanked Credibility Of Congressional Investigations, Promises Change

Top Republican James Comer Says Democrats Tanked Credibility Of Congressional Investigations, Promises Change

Biden Administration

Congress

House Republicans

Hunter Biden

The Supreme Court paved the way on Tuesday for House Democrats to obtain former President Donald Trump&#8217;s taxes, denying a request from Trump&#8217;s legal team that he be permitted to withhold them from a congressional committee.
The request was presented to Chief Justice John Roberts and did not contain any dissents. Roberts had earlier this month blocked the Ways and Means Committee from obtaining Trump&#8217;s taxes while the Supreme Court considered the request.
&#8220;The application for stay of the mandate presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the court is denied. The order heretofore entered by The Chief Justice is vacated,&#8221; the brief order reads.
The case has been making its way through the courts since 2019, when the Treasury Department refused to turn over Trump&#8217;s taxes, arguing there was no valid purpose for the committee to obtain them. According to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-allows-release-trumps-tax-records-house-democrats-rcna56644">NBC News</a>, Ways and Means Chair Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) had argued that the committee was interested in the former president&#8217;s taxes in order to decide whether tax law as it pertains to presidents should be changed. U.S. law allows the committee to obtain the taxes of any person.
The committee now has a tight window to receive the tax information from the Treasury Department, as it&#8217;s unlikely that House Republicans — who will be taking control in January — will allow the inquiry to continue.
In a statement, Neal said the committee&#8217;s ability to pursue Trump&#8217;s taxes had been &#8220;affirmed&#8221; by the nation&#8217;s highest court.
&#8220;Since the Magna Carta, the principle of oversight has been upheld, and today is no different. This rises above politics, and the Committee will now conduct the oversight that we&#8217;ve sought for the last three and a half years,&#8221; he said.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump  Makes An Announcement At His Florida Home

Supreme Court Clears Way For House Dems To Obtain Trump’s Taxes

Supreme Court Clears Way For House Dems To Obtain Trump's Taxes

Courts

Donald Trump

Taxes

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) laid out the roadmap this weekend for Republicans to dominate politically in the coming years following Republicans&#8217; blowout wins earlier this month in the midterm elections.
DeSantis made the remarks during a 25-minute speech on Saturday at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The governor, who numerous recent polls have shown is the top candidate to be the Republican Party&#8217;s presidential nominee in 2024, began by highlighting the success of Republicans in the state of Florida during the midterms.
&#8220;We added four new Republican congressmen to the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Florida,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We secured super majorities in the Florida legislature, the most Republicans we&#8217;ve ever had in Florida history. We helped elect 26 new conservative school board members all across the state of Florida. And we even won the state House seat that includes Miami Beach, not typically viewed as a Republican stronghold.&#8221;
&#8220;And because of the support of so many of you to our campaign, we delivered the greatest gubernatorial victory in the history of the state of Florida,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We dominated with independent voters, we secured record margins with Hispanic voters, we swept the suburbs all across the state of Florida. Our margins with rural voters were gravity defying, we won by double digits, Miami Dade County. We won for the first time in almost 40 years, Palm Beach County.&#8221;
DeSantis said that the election results showed that the state should be the &#8220;blueprint for success&#8221; for the party moving forward.
&#8220;And I think some of the things that we do that work are we&#8217;re all about exercising leadership, and delivering results for the people that we represent,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I did not take any polls when I became governor all the way through this entire term. The job of a leader is not to stick your finger in the wind and try to contort yourself to wherever public opinion may be trending on one given moment. No, the job of a leader is to set out a vision, to execute that vision, to show people that it&#8217;s the right vision and to deliver concrete results. And when you do that, the people respond.&#8221;
DeSantis then highlighted numerous policy initiatives that he took on during his first term as governor, including several on the cultural battlefield, like fighting against woke indoctrination and fighting to protect women&#8217;s sports.
&#8220;What we&#8217;ve shown in Florida is you can stand up for truth, you can stand on principle, you can fight the woke elite, and you can win,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I think this is important because the survival of the American experiment requires a revival of the enduring American principles that make this country unique. And Florida&#8217;s formula is everything we do is rooted in those founding principles of our country, we douse it with a very heavy dose of common sense, which is in very short supply nowadays. And we buttress that, with having the courage to lead on issues where you know, you may get incoming fire, but that&#8217;s the price of leadership nowadays.&#8221;
&#8220;Anything you do that&#8217;s meaningful, you are going to have people that are going to shoot at you, they&#8217;re going to take potshots at you, they&#8217;re going to criticize you, they&#8217;re going to smear you, you got to be willing to stand strong, you got to be willing to take those hits, and keep on going,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But guess what, when you stand up for what&#8217;s right, when you show people you&#8217;re willing to fight for them, they will walk over broken glass barefoot to come vote for you. And that&#8217;s exactly what they did for me on November 8 in record numbers. But what we&#8217;ve shown is people respond to strong leadership.&#8221;
DeSantis noted that the last couple of years under President Joe Biden&#8217;s (D) leadership have been difficult and that Florida has shown that &#8220;in times like these, there is no substitute for victory.&#8221;
&#8220;We in Florida are the light, freedom will reign supreme with Florida leading the way,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I can tell you this, we&#8217;ve got a lot more to do and I have only begun to fight.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="LIVE: DeSantis, Nikki Haley Address Republican Jewish Coalition Meeting in Las Vegas" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J223nglXql8?start=5592&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Top GOP Leaders Attend Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Meeting In Las Vegas

‘There Is No Substitute For Victory’: Ron DeSantis Lays Out The Roadmap For Republicans To Dominate

Ron DeSantis Lays Out The Roadmap For Republicans To Dominate

Elections

Florida

Republican Party

Ron DeSantis

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> have introduced legislation aimed at protecting children from sexualized drag queen events.
Tennessee&#8217;s Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson last Wednesday introduced <a href="https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0003.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate Bill 3</a>, which would make it an offense for &#8220;adult cabaret performers&#8221; to hold shows on public property or at any location where it could be viewed by minors.
The bill defines these performances as “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, and male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest.&#8221; 
Effectively, the bill seeks to keep sexual performances away from kids. 
Any performer violating the potential law would face a class A misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of about a year in prison and a $2,500 fine. Repeat offenders would face a class E felony, punishable by up to six years behind bars and a $3,000 fine.
“This bill is about protecting children,&#8221; Sen. Johnson told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It is dangerous to expose children to inappropriate sexually suggestive drag shows. Early exposure to sexually explicit content can have harmful effects on children’s developing brains. I am trying to prevent that with this bill.”
The measure seems to be, in part, a reaction to footage of sexualized, so-called &#8220;family friendly&#8221; drag queen events across the nation. In one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dallas-gay-bars-drag-show-for-kids-obscene-sign-draws-angry-protests" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/news/dallas-gay-bars-drag-show-for-kids-obscene-sign-draws-angry-protests&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1668705842025000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2s6bfHW5xKo8SBdWKn3guq">example</a>, a Dallas gay bar hosted a &#8220;Drag the Kids to Pride” event over the summer where drag queens were taking dollar bills from children, as you might see a stripper do. A sign at the show also read, “It’s not gonna lick itself!”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-makes-move-against-florida-bar-that-held-sexually-explicit-drag-shows-with-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-makes-move-against-florida-bar-that-held-sexually-explicit-drag-shows-with-kids&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1668705842025000&amp;usg=AOvVaw15KM4klPWak-48aMUz7WHl">Video</a> out of a bar in Florida over the summer showed sexualized drag queens entertaining young children, too. In one instance, a young girl is seen walking hand-in-hand with a drag queen with exposed breasts and a thong with dollar bills hanging out.
And <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1582819545441390592" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1582819545441390592&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1668705842025000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0m51SHlP7aMTFX8ZA5dV2I">footage</a> from an outdoor pride event in Columbia, South Carolina, shows a drag queen performing with a young girl in his arms on stage, showing the girl how to take dollar bill tips from a rowdy crowd.
Critics claim the bill potentially infringes on the First Amendment rights of drag queens and view the legislation as targeting the LGBT community. 
Human Rights Campaign legal director Sarah Warbelow <a href="https://www.advocate.com/law/2022/11/09/bills-introduced-tenn-ban-drag-shows-gender-affirming-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Advocate that SB3 amounts to intimidation of LGBTQ+ people and “perpetuates false, offensive narratives.&#8221;
&#8220;A drag performance at a bar for adults is very different from a drag story hour at a library; the first is theatrical entertainment and creative validation, while the second is about diversity and inclusion,&#8221; Warbelow said, seemingly suggesting kids are already effectively banned from sexualized drag show performances.
&#8220;This proposal as written should not impact drag story hours and similar events because they are not &#8216;prurient&#8217; performances, but it is evident that the legislation aims to mislead the public and intimidate LGBTQ+ people by perpetuating false, offensive narratives,&#8221; the director added.
Notably, Tennessee Republicans have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-tennessee-introduces-legislation-to-ban-trans-treatments-for-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> Senate Bill 1, the Protecting Children from Gender Mutilation Act, which would prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and performing gender-related surgeries on minors for the purpose of medical transition.
SB3 is set to be debated during the next legislative session, which begins on January 10, and is likely to pass since Republicans hold super-majorities in both legislative chambers.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-tennessee-introduces-legislation-to-ban-trans-treatments-for-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee Introduces Legislation To Ban Trans Treatments For Minors</a>

Zeisloft – Texas Drag Queen Show Controversy

Tennessee GOP Moves To Protect Children From Sexualized Drag Queen Events

Drag Queen story hour

Drag Queens

Social Issues

Tennessee

Two GOP senators are calling for an audit of Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott&#8217;s National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) after weak results in the 2022 midterms.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) argued that an independent review of the committee should be held to determine how money was spent and investigate the lack of results in gaining a majority in the Senate.
Chris Hartline, an NRSC spokesperson, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/16/rick-scott-nrsc-00067439" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Politico that the call for an audit was unnecessary, as the committee provides regular filings with the Federal Election Commission.
“We get audited every month. It’s called an FEC report,” Hartline said, adding that “every member of the caucus was kept in the loop on NRSC strategy and spending all cycle.”
The NRSC raised $234.6 million for the cycle leading up to October 19, with the committee spending $235.3 million since the start of 2021, according to the report.
The calls for an audit also come as Scott vies to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Scott announced his intention to challenge McConnell for the leadership position on Tuesday.
&#8220;The status quo is broken and big change is needed. It&#8217;s time for new leadership in the Senate that unites Republicans to advance a bold conservative agenda,&#8221; Scott tweeted. &#8220;That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m running to be the Senate Republican Leader.&#8221;
&#8220;I’m writing to you today because I believe it’s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute than we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against,&#8221; Scott said in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rick-scott-announces-plan-unseat-mitch-mcconnell-top-republican-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to his party&#8217;s fellow Republican senators. &#8220;I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The status quo is broken and big change is needed. It&#39;s time for new leadership in the Senate that unites Republicans to advance a bold conservative agenda.
That&#39;s why I&#39;m running to be the Senate Republican Leader.<a href="https://t.co/B0rdMuR64Z">https://t.co/B0rdMuR64Z</a>
&mdash; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1592614847698833409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is among those supporting Scott&#8217;s effort.
&#8220;I’ll be nominating @SenRickScott for Senate Republican leader. We need a different, more collaborative governing model for our conference that is focused on fiscal sanity &amp; bringing function to the Senate,&#8221; Johnson tweeted on Tuesday. &#8220;I hope elections are delayed so Rick has a chance to lay out his vision.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’ll be nominating <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenRickScott</a> for Senate Republican leader. We need a different, more collaborative governing model for our conference that is focused on fiscal sanity &amp; bringing function to the Senate. 
I hope elections are delayed so Rick has a chance to lay out his vision. <a href="https://t.co/TSyHD7qaUl">pic.twitter.com/TSyHD7qaUl</a>
&mdash; Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1592666690109984768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During a Fox Business interview on Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said it was a bad idea to hold leadership elections this week.
“I think it is insane, it would be nuts for us to have leadership elections now and simply re-election the exact same leadership,&#8221; Cruz <a href="https://twitter.com/RichSementa/status/1592644774515048448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Concerns have also been expressed about House Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-wins-gop-nomination-for-house-speaker-over-conservative-protests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nominated</a> as the party&#8217;s leader by his colleagues on Tuesday in a secret ballot, though he was opposed by 31 lawmakers. He would need to receive at least 218 votes in January to move forward as the next speaker of the House.
The Daily Wire reached out to Sens. Scott, Blackburn, Tillis, and the NRSC for comment but did not receive responses by publication.

Rick Scott

GOP Senators Call For Audit Of NRSC After Midterm Majority Fail

2022 Midterms

Marsha Blackburn

Thom Tillis

U.S.

House Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> won the GOP nomination to be the next speaker of the House on Tuesday, though a concerted effort by House conservatives to block McCarthy may force him to appeal to Democrats or bow out of the contest.
Texas Republican Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chip-roy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chip Roy</a> nominated Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, to challenge McCarthy as head of the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican</a> caucus. McCarthy <a href="https://twitter.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1592597453450383360">won</a> the contest in a 188-31 vote. McCarthy will need to secure at least 218 votes in January to become the next speaker of the House.
Biggs and Roy orchestrated the challenge as conservatives in the House tried to unseat McCarthy over the direction of the caucus and the results of the 2022 midterm election. The election results in which Republicans appear set to eke out a slim majority of about 220 seats disappointed and frustrated many Republicans. McCarthy has argued that Republicans need unity to solidify their likely small majority.
“It’s going to be a tight majority so everyone is going to have to work together,” McCarthy <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-11-15/mccarthy-taking-first-step-to-house-speaker-but-grind-ahead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> late Monday after a meeting with House Republicans. “We’ll be successful as a team and we’ll be defeated as an individual if we don’t all work together.”
Despite losing, a Biggs&#8217; spokesman told The Daily Wire that the vote accomplished what the congressman and other House conservatives wanted. &#8220;We have leverage. Today showed McCarthy does not have enough GOP votes to win speaker still. Not even close,&#8221; Biggs spokesman Matthew Tragesser said.
Biggs first announced that he would challenge McCarthy for the top spot on Monday during an appearance on <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/andy-biggs-kevin-mccarthy-house/2022/11/14/id/1096384/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsmax</a>.
“I think the country wants a different direction from the House of Representatives,” Biggs said. “And it’s a new world, and, yes, I’m going to be nominated [Tuesday] for the position of speaker of the House.”
McCarthy aims to become the next speaker of the House with the expected Republican majority. Biggs&#8217; longshot challenge may spoil that, however, if his supporters refuse to back McCarthy. McCarthy has pledged not to seek additional votes from Democrats.
“Kevin has raised a lot of money and done a lot of things, but this is not just about Kevin,” Biggs continued. “I think it&#8217;s about institutional direction and trajectory.”
Roy <a href="https://twitter.com/chiproytx/status/1592228964759650306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on social media Monday: “Americans are demanding transformative change but Congress is too broken to provide that change. Our Speaker, whoever that is … must a) reject the status quo, lead on issues that matter to Americans, &amp; empower House members to fight for those issues.  4) No member currently has 218 &amp; there’ll be an alternative presented. This is bigger than any individual &#8211; it’s about the country.”
Allies of McCarthy have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-kevin-mccarthy-made-failed-bid-to-recruit-texas-dem-as-gop-tries-to-grab-slim-house-majority" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> been trying to recruit at least one moderate Democrat, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, to switch parties. Cuellar&#8217;s switch would strengthen Republicans&#8217; likely slim hold on the House. McCarthy has denied that those requests to Cuellar came at McCarthy&#8217;s behest.
“Anyone suggesting this is simply exercising in fan fiction,” McCarthy spokesman Mark Bednar said. “Leader McCarthy is going to be elected speaker by the current and newly-elected members of the House Republican Conference. Our efforts are exclusively focused on bringing our conference together and saving the country.”

Kevin McCarthy

Kevin McCarthy Wins GOP Nomination For House Speaker Over Conservative Protests

Andy Biggs

Chip Roy

U.S. House of Representatives

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrats</a> heavily benefited from the campaign contributions of disgraced cryptocurrency billionaire and FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, while other affiliates of the company likewise helped <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> ahead of the company’s failure last week.
FTX filed for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/30-year-old-billionaire-loses-entire-fortune-overnight-as-his-bahamas-based-cryptocurrency-empire-implodes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bankruptcy</a> on Friday after users discovered that firms controlled by Bankman-Fried were allegedly fraudulently intertwined, causing him to lose his fortune overnight. The young multibillionaire contributed nearly $39 million during the recent midterm elections, with 99.6% of funds benefiting Democratic candidates, according to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/top_donors/2022?disp=D&amp;type=V&amp;superonly=N" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Open Secrets, which listed him as the nation’s sixth-largest individual midterm donor.
The 30 year old <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/donor_detail/2022?id=U0000004705&amp;type=I&amp;super_only=N&amp;name=Bankman-Fried%2C+Sam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> $27 million to Protect Our Future PAC, a left-leaning group which in turn <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/protect-our-future-pac/C00801514/independent-expenditures/2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> heavily on behalf of Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives. A contribution of over $10 million from Protect Our Future PAC benefited Carrick Flynn, who lost his Democratic primary in Oregon. Other beneficiaries included Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH), Rep. Robert Garcia (D-NC), and Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), all of whom won re-election.
Bankman-Fried also contributed $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC, which supports Democratic candidates for the Senate, and $6 million to the House Majority PAC. During the 2020 election cycle, he was the second-largest donor to the Biden campaign.
Bankman-Fried directly supported a number of individual candidates as well. Two such candidates, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL) donated their respective $5,000 and $2,900 contributions to charity after FTX filed for bankruptcy, according to a <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/186918/gop-lawmaker-donates-ftx-execs-campaign-contribution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Block.
FTX Co-CEO Ryan Salame donated heavily to right-leaning organizations, according to more <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/donor_detail/2022?id=U0000004758&amp;type=I&amp;super_only=N&amp;name=Salame%2C+Ryan+D.+%26+Susan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Open Secrets. He contributed $12 million to American Dream Federal Action, a right-leaning group which <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/C00809020/independent-expenditures/2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> on behalf of candidates such as victorious Republican Senate nominees Ted Budd and Katie Britt, of North Carolina and Alabama, respectively.
Salame also contributed $2 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund and $2.5 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which are the Republican equivalents of the House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC. The latter group, which is directed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), came under criticism following the midterms for arguably deprioritizing important swing-state races critical to Republicans.
Bankman-Fried, a self-proclaimed “effective altruist,” had been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billionaire-ftx-founder-who-lost-entire-fortune-gave-massive-sum-to-democrats-before-empire-collapsed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preparing</a> to spend as much as $1 billion during the 2024 election cycle to keep the Democratic Party in control of the White House. His parents, Stanford Law School professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-ukraine-and-a-30-year-old-crypto-billionaire-how-the-implosion-of-ftx-connects-to-the-global-elite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">well-connected</a> within Democratic circles. The former has aided Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) with drafting financial regulations, while the latter leads Mind the Gap, a left-wing organization which raises funds for the Democrats among wealthy Silicon Valley donors.
Earlier this year, Bankman-Fried launched an initiative alongside Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation to fundraise for the embattled nation, which has received billions in humanitarian and military <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-sending-5-5-billion-more-in-aid-to-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid</a> from the Biden administration, marking “the first instance of a cryptocurrency exchange providing a conduit for crypto donations to a public financial institution,” according to a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ukraines-ministry-of-digital-transformation-ftx-and-everstake-launch-crypto-fundraising-site-aid-for-ukraine-301501959.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from a Ukrainian-based cryptocurrency firm. FTX converted the donations into fiat currencies and transmitted the funds to the National Bank of Ukraine.

Collage Maker-15-Nov-2022-10.05-AM

Here Are The Democrats And Republicans Who Received Campaign Cash Linked To Bankrupt Crypto Empire FTX

Democrats Benefited Heavily From Crypto Empire FTX, But Republicans Did Too

Business

Cryptocurrency

Democrats

Economics

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) urged Senate Republicans to proceed with their leadership elections despite reported unrest within the party.
Appearing on CBS&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/cotton-says-he-backs-mcconnell-for-gop-senate-leader/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Face the Nation</a>&#8221; on Sunday, Cotton pointed out that no senator has stepped up to challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for leadership, so the caucus should move forward with the elections and focus on the upcoming runoff in the Georgia Senate race. Cotton&#8217;s comments come as multiple Republican senators upset with McConnell&#8217;s performance are calling for new leadership and a delayed vote.
&#8220;Well, I don&#8217;t see why we would delay the election, since all five or six of our leadership elections are uncontested,&#8221; said Cotton. &#8220;You know, the great wrestling champion Ric Flair used to say, &#8216;To be the man, you got to beat the man.&#8217; And so far, no one&#8217;s had the nerve to step forward and challenge Senator McConnell. So, I support Senator McConnell. I support the other slate of candidates for our leadership elections. I think it&#8217;s better that we move forward with these elections, so we can focus again on the Georgia runoff.&#8221;
A number of Republicans are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-push-for-change-in-congressional-leadership-after-lackluster-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing to delay</a> the leadership elections. Some senators also expressed concern over the conference&#8217;s agenda and whether the party is working in the best interests of Americans.
“We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to why and what we can do to improve our chances in 2024,” Senators Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and Rick Scott wrote in a letter to the Senate GOP. “Holding leadership elections without hearing from the candidates as to how they will perform their leadership duties and before we know whether we will be in the majority or even who all our members are violates the most basic principles of a democratic process. It is certainly not the way leadership elections should be conducted in the world’s greatest deliberative body.”
&#8220;The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed,&#8221; Florida Senator Marco Rubio <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1591112183945269251">tweeted</a> Friday. &#8220;First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities &amp; values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like #Florida.&#8221; 
&#8220;Exactly right,&#8221; Missouri GOP Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1591113869925441536" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Hawley</a> replied to Rubio. &#8220;I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate &#8211; are they saying that doesn’t matter? Don’t disenfranchise @HerschelWalker.&#8221;

Tom Cotton

Tom Cotton Urges GOP To Push Ahead With Leadership Elections, Despite Party Unrest

Face The Nation

Mitch McConnell

U.S. Senate

Far-left late-night host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigans-largest-newspaper-rebuts-stephen-colbert-over-false-attack-on-gop-gov-candidate-tudor-dixon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Colbert</a> mocked Republicans as &#8220;fascists&#8221; and Ku Klux Klan members a day after predictions of a red wave <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-red-wave-stops-at-florida-as-initial-midterm-tallies-leave-house-senate-majorities-in-question/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed to materialize</a> in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Colbert, who in May <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/may/18/stephen-colbert-future-republicans-primaries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the GOP was “choosing its direction for 2022: original recipe nutballs or extra crispy cuckoo cojones,” was giddy when Democrats performed better than expected. Although Republicans are still expected to take a narrow House majority, control of the Senate is still in question.
“As a performer, there are three things you don’t want to follow: animals, children, or a fascist takeover of your country,” Colbert taunted. “These results is (sic) a crisp nut-punch to Republican optimism leading up to this election.”
Colbert continued, citing headlines he&#8217;d apparently seen on the internet.
“&#8217;The vaunted red wave never hit the shore in mid-term elections,’&#8221; he said. &#8220;‘That’s not a red wave,’ and ‘The red wave was more like a pink splash.’”
“Yes, a pink splash,” Colbert said. “It was a salmon drizzle, a rosy wash. It&#8217;s like what happens when you accidentally wash your Klan robes with your MAGA hat. It&#8217;s just a little pink wash.”
Colbert has demonstrated his contempt for conservatives many times in the past. In March, in the face of soaring gas prices devastating American consumers, Colbert <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/stephen-colberts-elitism-on-soaring-gas-prices-hell-ill-pay-15-a-gallon-because-i-drive-a-tesla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked</a> struggling average Joes and said it was part of the price of backing Ukraine in its war with Russia.
&#8220;Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4 a gallon,&#8221; he said. &#8220;OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important. I’m willing to pay $4/gallon. Hell, I’ll pay $15 a gallon because I drive a Tesla.”
Back in May 2019, the cold open for his show opened by mocking farmers, intimating that if their finances were hurt by President Trump’s tariffs targeting China, they would lose their wives to convicts, start stripping for a living, become alcoholics, and turn to growing marijuana.
The show began by playing a clip from a CNN report that claimed President Trump’s “trade war [is] having a major impact on American farmers after talks with China have halted. Some farmers seem to be losing hope.” That was followed by a clip of a farmer who said he had voted for Trump in 2016 but would not do so again.
The show then aired a cartoon titled, “The Farmer in the Dell,” based on the famous children’s song, but this time with new lyrics, accompanied by the visuals in the cartoon:
<blockquote>
Tariffs posed by Trump 
Put the farmers in a dump 
Oh no, the derry-o, the farmer’s in a slump. 
The farmer lost his wife. 
She wants a better life. 
She ran off with an ex-convict who rides a b****in’ bike. 
The farmer needs a job. 
He’s stripping while he sobs. 
Hi-ho the stripper pole, they’re laughing at his knob. 
The farmer drinks a lot, 
His liver starts to rot. 
Chuggitiy-chug the winey-o 
Time to start growing pot.
</blockquote>

Screen Shot 2022-07-18 at 6.30.15 PM

‘Wash Your Klan Robes With Your MAGA Hat’: Stephen Colbert Mocks Republicans After Election Results

Stephen Colbert Mocks Republicans After Election Results  

Stephen Colbert

&#8220;The View&#8221; host <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/sunny-hostin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunny Hostin</a> disputed the claim on Tuesday that she had compared white Republican women to &#8220;roaches&#8221; if they voted for GOP candidates.
Hostin and her cohosts on the ABC midday talk show spent much of Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast discussing the midterm elections — which were already underway all across the country — and Hostin tried to walk back <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/do-they-want-to-live-in-a-handmaids-tale-sunny-hostin-screams-at-white-women-compares-them-to-roaches-voting-for-raid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">her comments</a> from a few days earlier.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After a commercial break, weak Alyssa buckles to racist Sunny and claims she &quot;misquoted&quot; her. FACT CHECK FALSE: Sunny did call white women roaches, and she is a racist. She then goes on to say that the rhetoric still needs to be brought down. <a href="https://t.co/nYQNvjNOiA">pic.twitter.com/nYQNvjNOiA</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1590021412131115014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republican cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin began the segment with a warning, saying that she was concerned about the tone of the language many on the far left were using to talk about their political opposition — and Hostin quickly interrupted.
&#8220;This won&#8217;t be a popular opinion at the table, but I worry that some of the far left has become so negative in how they talk about the other party —&#8221; Griffin began.&#8221;
&#8220;Who are these far left people?&#8221; Hostin interrupted.
&#8220;Sunny —&#8221; Griffin tried to continue but Hostin continued talking over her.
&#8220;You can both-sides this,&#8221; she pushed back. &#8220;Because the far left — the far left — did not storm the Capitol.&#8221;
&#8220;Last week you called — last week you called white Republican women cockroaches,&#8221; Griffin said.
&#8220;Actually I didn&#8217;t,&#8221; Hostin pointed an accusatory finger at Griffin. &#8220;I used a —&#8221;
&#8220;You said they were acting like cockroaches —&#8221; Griffin continued.
&#8220;That was a metaphor,&#8221; Joy Behar protested.
The women began talking over each other to such a degree that Whoopi Goldberg scolded all of them, demanding that they &#8220;tone it down&#8221; so that people could understand what they were saying.
Hostin then repeated the analogy, saying that white suburban women voting Republican was &#8220;like roaches voting for Raid.&#8221;
Griffin again stuck on the tone of Hostin&#8217;s analogy, ignoring the larger point that, if the rest of the analogy held true, Hostin was essentially claiming that Republican Party was exterminating women.
Hostin continued to lecture Griffin, claiming that she had borrowed the analogy from actor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/boycott-john-leguizamo-insta-rants-after-james-franco-lands-role-of-fidel-castro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Leguizamo</a> and saying that when she had used the same phrasing to talk about Latinos voting Republican, no one had said anything to her about it.
Griffin picked the conversation back up after a commercial break, repeating her concern that people on both sides were taking the personal attacks too far.

American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala – Arrivals

Sunny Hostin Denies She Compared White Women To ‘Roaches’ For Voting GOP

Sunny Hostin Denies She Compared White Women 'Roaches' For Voting GOP

Media

Sunny Hostin

The View

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) predicted that the GOP would pick up at least two seats in the U.S. Senate during this week&#8217;s midterm elections.
Scott, who made the remarks during an interview on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press,&#8221; said he believes that the Republican Party is going to have a &#8220;great night.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to get 52-plus. We&#8217;re going to win Pennsylvania. We&#8217;re going to win Wisconsin.&#8221; Scott said.
&#8220;We have great candidates. People are showing up to vote. There&#8217;s no energy on the Democrat side,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;This election is about the Biden agenda. People don&#8217;t like high inflation, high crime, open borders, fentanyl. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re talking about. So Mehmet Oz is going to win, Ted Budd&#8217;s going to win, Herschel Walker&#8217;s going to win, Adam Laxalt is going to win. I think we have a really good shot in Arizona, I think we have a shot – a real good shot in New Hampshire. I think we have a shot in Washington and Colorado. We maybe even have a shot — depends on the voters — in Connecticut. Think about it: half of the Democrats&#8217; seats, we are in the hunt to win. So we&#8217;re going to get 52-plus.&#8221;
Scott later added that the issues are on the Republicans&#8217; side and that the NRSC &#8220;explained exactly who the Democrats were, we did the first day I started in this job, and we&#8217;ve done it all along.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) says Republicans &quot;explained exactly who the Democrats were.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottforFlorida?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottforFlorida</a>: &quot;We have great candidates, the issues are on our side, and we&#39;ve defined, we did our job at the NRSC, we explained exactly who the Democrats were.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YVmp2QJgxN">pic.twitter.com/YVmp2QJgxN</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1589273007087812608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCIPT:
<blockquote>CHUCK TODD: And now I want to bring in Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida, he&#8217;s in charge of getting Republicans elected to the Senate. He chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and he joins me now. Senator Scott, welcome back to Meet the Press, sir.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Well, congratulations on 75 years.
CHUCK TODD: I appreciate that, 3,600 episodes and then some. Let me start with this –
SEN. RICK SCOTT: That&#8217;s right.
CHUCK TODD: You have not been shy about saying you believe Republicans are going to get 52 seats. Can you get 52 Senate seats without Pennsylvania?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Oh, I think we&#8217;re going to have a great night.
CHUCK TODD: Yeah. Can you do it without Pennsylvania?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: We&#8217;re going to get 52-plus. We&#8217;re going to win Pennsylvania.
CHUCK TODD: I understand you believe you are.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: We&#8217;re going to win Wisconsin.
CHUCK TODD: Do you believe you&#8217;re going to get to 52? Can you get it without it?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Oh, absolutely. I mean, look, here&#8217;s where we are right now. We&#8217;re going to win – we’re going to Wisconsin, Ron Johnson&#8217;s run a great race. First off, just stop and think about it. We have great candidates. People are showing up to vote. There&#8217;s no energy on the Democrat side. This election is about the Biden agenda. People don&#8217;t like high inflation, high crime, open borders, fentanyl. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re talking about. So Mehmet Oz is going to win, Ted Budd&#8217;s going to win, Herschel Walker&#8217;s going to win, Adam Laxalt is going to win. I think we have a really good shot in Arizona, I think we have a shot – a real good shot in New Hampshire. I think we have a shot in Washington and Colorado. We maybe even have a shot — depends on the voters — in Connecticut. Think about it: half of the Democrats&#8217; seats, we are in the hunt to win. So we&#8217;re going to get 52-plus.
CHUCK TODD: Let me ask you – Yeah. Let me ask you about Arizona and New Hampshire. You didn&#8217;t put them in your win category yet. You put them in the “you think you have a shot there.” Coincidentally or not, those are the two seats that Senator McConnell&#8217;s super PAC chose to pull out of, and not invest in. In hindsight, was that a mistake?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Well, we&#8217;ve invested. We&#8217;ve invested all along. I&#8217;ve always believed Blake Masters has every reason to believe he can win. He&#8217;s run a great race. We&#8217;ve defined Kelly as somebody that has voted against the border in Arizona three times, he&#8217;s always voted with Schumer and Biden. And then we&#8217;ve got Hassan who has a very difficult time up there because she&#8217;s voted basically 100% with the Democrats. And so I think – I think Don Bolduc&#8217;s got a really good chance of winning. Actually, if I was predicting now, I believe we&#8217;re going to win both Arizona, I believe we&#8217;re going to win New Hampshire.
CHUCK TODD: If you come up short in the Senate and Arizona and New Hampshire are the reason, whose fault is that?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Well, I don&#8217;t believe we&#8217;re going to come up short. I believe we&#8217;ve got great candidates. I think the issues are on our side. We did our job at NRSC, we explained exactly who the Democrats were, we did the first day I started in this job, and we&#8217;ve done it all along. So I don&#8217;t think we have that risk, I think we&#8217;re going to win.
CHUCK TODD: All right. Let&#8217;s assume you&#8217;ve got the majority. I&#8217;m going to take you at your word. You&#8217;re going to get the House, you&#8217;re going to get the Senate. What&#8217;s the first bill a Republican Congress sends to the president&#8217;s desk that you actually think he would sign?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I think the issue is we&#8217;ve got to deal with inflation, so we&#8217;ve got to figure out how to spend our money wisely so we don&#8217;t continue this inflation. I think we&#8217;ve got to do whatever we can to get this crime rate down. So I think we have to look at that. We&#8217;ve got to secure the border. I think we&#8217;ve got to get rid of the 87 IRS agents – 87,000 new IRS agents. So I think we have to address the issues that people are worried about right now, and they&#8217;re worried about those issues, the fentanyl. So I think that&#8217;s what we need to focus on. So we&#8217;ve got to make sure our military is focused on being lethal, not woke. So I think those are the things that we have to focus on.
CHUCK TODD: Well, let me ask you, inflation, you saw that&#8217;s the biggest – that’s the number one issue people are dissatisfied with this economy. What&#8217;s the first bill you guys can pass that you think can impact inflation?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I think the thing we have to work on – on inflation, it&#8217;s all tied to reckless government spending. We&#8217;ve got to get our budget in control, we&#8217;ve got to figure out how we&#8217;re going to balance the budget. So that&#8217;s the first thing we have to do. We have to get –
CHUCK TODD: It doesn&#8217;t really sound like — I don&#8217;t mean to –
SEN. RICK SCOTT: We have to get our spending under control.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I did as governor, I balanced the budget for eight years, we’ve got to keep doing it.
CHUCK TODD: All the experts – Yeah, all the experts say legal immigration&#8217;s the number one thing we need to deal with in Congress in order to deal with inflation. Everything else is on the Fed, but that&#8217;s the number one issue. Are you guys going to deal with that?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Yeah. I hope we deal with first securing the border, figure out how we have legal immigration where people who want to live our dream can come in here. But I think, let&#8217;s go back: We have got to figure out how to spend our money better. We&#8217;ve got to figure out, how do we get to a balanced budget and preserve the programs we care about? That&#8217;s what we have to do. If we don&#8217;t, we&#8217;ll never get inflation under control.
CHUCK TODD: Let me ask you, you&#8217;ve been asked a million different ways about Social Security, you know the Democrats want to bring this issue up. Sunsetting the program every five years for renewal, why do that? Why put Social Security into, sort of, the political arena every five years? Why put seniors through that? Why do you think that&#8217;s a good idea?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I have no interest in changing the Medicare program. I want to make sure we preserve the benefits of Medicare and Social Security, and I don&#8217;t know one Republican that wants to change that. In my plan, I said we have got to start being honest with the public that, “What&#8217;s our plan?” Medicare is going bankrupt, Social Security is going bankrupt. Here&#8217;s what the Democrats did: they just cut $280 billion, every Democrat that&#8217;s running right now in the Senate, okay? And those in the House. They all voted to cut $280 billion out of Medicare, which is going to cut life-saving drugs. They did this. Joe Biden proposed doing this in the Senate, and –
CHUCK TODD: You know, you&#8217;re playing a math game.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: And, on top of that, he didn’t pay his taxes. Say it again?
CHUCK TODD: You are playing a math game there, Senator. Senator, you&#8217;re playing a math game here. You&#8217;re playing a math game. They didn&#8217;t cut anything on Medicare. It&#8217;s cost savings having to do with the prescription drug benefit. Look, I understand that you want to call it something else. But they didn’t cut Medicare.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Chuck, if you cut spending in Medicare, it&#8217;s probably going to impact the ability for somebody to provide things. When you cut out $280 billion –
CHUCK TODD: I will remember that, when you guys argue that a Medicare cut –
SEN. RICK SCOTT: –there&#8217;s a lifesaving drug that your mom will not get. That’s what’s going to happen.
CHUCK TODD: All right. I will remember this when you guys claim a Medicare cut isn’t a cut.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Chuck, it’s $280 billion of spending – $280 billion out of the Medicare reduction is going to cut life-saving drugs. That&#8217;s bad for citizens, it&#8217;s real simple.
CHUCK TODD: All right, I want to ask you something that Marjorie Taylor Greene said at a Trump rally four days ago, take a listen.
[START TAPE]
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: Under Republicans, not another penny will go to Ukraine.
[END TAPE]
CHUCK TODD: Senator, is she right?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I think we have to continue to do everything we can to support Ukraine, who wants to defend their freedom and stop Russia from continuing to expand. I don&#8217;t want to end up in a war with Russia. If we don&#8217;t stop – if we don’t continue to help Ukraine the right way, we can&#8217;t waste our dollars, then they&#8217;re going to be in Poland, or some other country where we will be at war because they&#8217;re part of our NATO alliance. So I want to figure out, how do we make sure that Ukraine can defend their freedom and we stop Russia?
CHUCK TODD: A couple of quick questions about your future. If Republicans gain the Senate majority do you plan to run for leader?
SEN. RICK SCOTT:
I&#8217;m not focused on anything except getting a majority Tuesday night. Everybody wants to ask me about a bunch of things that are going to happen after Tuesday night.
CHUCK TODD: That&#8217;s a non-answer. That&#8217;s a non-answer.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: My whole focus is Tuesday night.
CHUCK TODD: So leave it out there, it’s a possibility?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I&#8217;m going to focus on Tuesday night.
CHUCK TODD: It&#8217;s a possibility. All right.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I&#8217;m focused on what I get done Tuesday night.
CHUCK TODD: Former President Trump has hinted he may announce in eight days. If he&#8217;s an active candidate for president, are you supporting him?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: There&#8217;s going to be a lot of people who will probably announce. We&#8217;ll watch what happens. I&#8217;m focused on getting a majority in the Senate.
CHUCK TODD: And before I let you go, are you going to accept the results of all the Senate elections on Tuesday night?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Absolutely. But what we&#8217;re also going to do is do everything we can to make sure to everybody they&#8217;re free and fair, and if there&#8217;s any shenanigans, we are ready to make sure – we make sure we support our candidates to make sure that these elections are fair and every ballot is counted the right way.
CHUCK TODD: But it sounds like you&#8217;re pretty confident that everything is going to be on the up-and-up, doesn&#8217;t it?
SEN. RICK SCOTT:
We’re going to try – we&#8217;re going to try our best. I’m so disappointed the Democrats don&#8217;t want to have voter ID, you have it for everything else. We shouldn&#8217;t have ballot harvesting, but I&#8217;m going to do everything I can to make sure this election is free and fair, and we&#8217;ve got to keep improving our election laws every year that we can.
CHUCK TODD: Senator Rick Scott, Republican from Florida, head of the NRSC.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: Happy birthday.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-our-year-as-midterms-approach-top-republican-bullish-on-gops-senate-prospects">‘This Is Our Year’: As Midterms Approach, Top Republican Bullish On GOP’s Senate Prospects</a>

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2022 Election

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