House Speaker Mike Johnson joined former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence for a news conference Friday, Breitbart reported. The pair spoke about illegal immigration and election integrity as Johnson faces a challenge from fellow Republicans.
During the news conference, Johnson pointed out that one of his duties included helping other candidates get elected. He said when Congress is not in session, he's "required to go around, fly around the country and be with all of our candidates and incumbents."
However, it was likely more than just his sense of obligation that brought him into Trump's orbit on Friday. Johnson has his own job to worry about as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) threatens to have him ousted, The Hill reported.
This move would be the second time the GOP replaced the position after a motion to vacate allowed them to force out former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Perhaps Johnson was hoping to remind Republicans of what was at stake by joining forces with Trump.
The issues that face the nation are getting worse, thanks to President Joe Biden. While Greene is attempting to pick a fight with Johnson, the Republican Party needs a united front to oppose him.
Thankfully, Trump and Johnson were able to do that on immigration and election integrity. "We probably have fifteen million people, and they come from places you don’t want to know about, and they’re going to be big problems, and it’s getting worse," Trump said.
"It’s migrant crime. It’s a new category of crime, migrant crime. And, I’m just demanding, I just demand, as a citizen, I demand, the border has to be closed," Trump continued. "Our country cannot take it; no country could take it. It’s not sustainable by any country," he added.
Johnson agreed with Trump and pointed out that Biden has created a "catastrophe" with illegal immigration. He noted that they "documented 64 specific executive actions" that Biden and his administration did from day one that allowed for open borders.
Both agreed that the problem of illegal immigration has led to election integrity issues. "Everywhere we go, one of the first questions people ask about is this issue of election integrity. The border’s the number one issue in America," Johnson said.
"There’s never been a political issue that scored so high in the polls as a matter of concern," the Louisiana Republican continued. Johnson pointed out that there is a "common sense" solution the GOP is working toward.
"What we’re going to do is, the House Republicans are introducing a bill that will require proof of citizenship to vote. It seems like common sense; I’m sure all of us would agree. We only want U.S. citizens to vote in U.S. elections," Johnson continued.
"But, there are some Democrats who don’t want to do that. We believe that one of their designs, one of the reasons for this open border, which everybody asks all around the country, ‘Why would they do this? Why would they allow all of this chaos? Why the violence?’ Because they want to turn these people into voters," Johnson said.
America faces an onslaught of illegal immigrants and all of the issues that come with it. This turmoil within the Republican Party over Johnson is inexcusable going into an important national election against Democrats intent on destroying the country through open borders.
The city of Green Bay has allegedly been violating state law by allowing new voters to cast ballots the same day they register, JustTheNews reported. The Public Interest Fund, a conservative legal group, lodged a formal complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission Monday.
The complaint was filed against Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys, who is required by law to verify new registrations prior to allowing someone to vote. "Same-day voter registration allows people to cast votes with verification of their eligibility after an election," Lauren Bowman Bis, communications director for PILF, told the news outlet.
"This post-verification system makes same-day registration vulnerable to being used to cast fraudulent votes. Elections work best when voter registration eligibility is determined before an election," Bis said.
Last week, Wisconsin held its primary election in the state. Both parties have chosen their candidates already, but this could present a problem heading into the presidential election in November.
The situation has continued since the 2020 primary election. Jeffreys has only disqualified "two registrants and referred one individual to the District Attorney" since then despite having 270 postcards b0unced back as undeliverable, the complaint noted.
Christian Adams, PILF president, pointed out that "the problem with same-day registration, of course, is you don't know, in fact, if they're eligible to vote" while casting a ballot. "Well, that's what Wisconsin law does, is they require a verification mailing, and if the mailing bounces, the DA is supposed to investigate and possibly prosecute," Adams said.
The problem extends throughout the state, but the complaint specifically targets the clerk in Green Bay. "The city of Green Bay is ignoring Wisconsin law by not investigating whether registrants are using improper addresses on Election Day," Adams said Monday in a statement.
"Election Day registration must have safeguards that ensure eligibility to vote. In Wisconsin, that only happens after their vote has already been counted, if it happens at all," Adams explained.
"This complaint seeks to require the law to be followed so that any bad actor knows there will be consequences for abusing the Election Day voter registration process," he said. So far, there has been no response from the city clerk's office.
Wisconsin is a swing state that former President Donald Trump lost by a little over 20,000 votes in 2020, Fox News reported at the time. His legal team filed a lawsuit that contended that there were illegal absentee votes and others that were cast without proper verification.
The state's Supreme Court reviewed the challenge but rejected it on an administrative error in filing it too late. "Regrettably, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in their 4-3 decision, refused to address the merits of our claim," Trump attorney Jim Troupis said.
"This ‘Cert Petition’ asks them to address our claims, which, if allowed, would change the outcome of the election in Wisconsin. Three members of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, agreed with many of the President’s claims in written dissents from that court’s December 14 order," Troupis added.
The 2020 presidential election ushered in several unprecedented procedures, including widespread early and mail-in balloting. The narrative has always been that it was still a fair election despite these abnormalities and fresh opportunities for fraud.
However, Trump once again seems to be proven correct that something strange has been happening in the swing state. If this doesn't get corrected soon, there could be a repeat of the last presidential election where people mistrust the system.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council has voted to ban Gov. Kristi Noem from its South Dakota territory, the Washington Examiner reported. This is the third tribal nation to do so, cutting off a combined 10% of the state from its GOP governor.
The vote on Tuesday comes a week after the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe made a similar decision. In February, the Oglala Sioux Tribe banished Noem from its territory.
The move stems from outrage over remarks Noem made about tribes sheltering Mexican drug cartels. "Governor Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems," Janet Alkire, SRST chairwoman, said in a news release.
"Rather than make uninformed and unsubstantiated claims, Noem should work with tribal leaders to increase funding and resources for tribal law enforcement and education," Alkire said. However, as the governor's spokeswoman, Amelia Joy, pointed out, barring Noem "does nothing to solve the problem."
During two speeches last month, Noem accused tribal leaders of benefiting from cartel activity, Fox News reported. "We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there, and that’s why they attack me every day," Noem said.
"But I’m going to fight for the people who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, ’Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared,'" the governor added.
While many agree that there is a drug and alcohol abuse problem among the tribes, Noem has yet to provide any proof that it has anything to do with tribal leaders cooperating with drug smuggling operations. Ian Fury, another of Noem's spokespeople, said that the "drug cartel presence on Native American reservations" has been chronicled in the news but ultimately failed to provide any further evidence.
This rhetoric has led to tension between Noem and tribal leaders. "How dare the Governor allege that Sioux Tribal Councils do not care about their communities or their children, and, worse, that they are involved in nefarious activities?" said Frank Star Comes Out, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
For her part, Noem has reportedly reached out to tribal leaders in February and last week to speak about problems on the reservation. It's unclear whether there was any response, however.
Some believe Noem is provoking the tribes as they comprise Democratic pockets in a heavily Republican state. Michael Card, University of South Dakota political science professor emeritus, also believes she may be trying to emulate former President Donald Trump's success with the border issue.
Noem could parlay this into a spot as his vice president on the 2024 ticket. "She’s trying to out-Trump Trump by saying something crazy about Native Americans because she knows we’ve had a long history of fighting with the state..." Democratic state Sen. Shawn Bordeaux charged.
Indeed, the conflict between Native Americans and the settlers was at its height in North Dakota in the 1800s. Bordeaux, who is a former Rosebud Sioux tribal council member, believes this fact might turn this into national news that would catch Trump's attention.
Native American tribes were displaced from the land hundreds of years ago. Like so many other programs that were created to help people, the reservation model seems to do more harm than good for everyone involved, and that's the real heart of the issue.
Regardless of Noem's motives, the fact that the governor was barred from a portion of her state further strains relations between the parties. If either side was hoping for unity, this issue proves there is still a long way to go.
Former President Donald Trump was granted an appeal Tuesday that could lift the gag order imposed in his hush-money case, Breitbart reported. The order prevented Trump from speaking about New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan or his family's ties to Democrats.
This is a win against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the partisan who brought the case against Trump in what some believe is an attempt to derail his 2024 campaign. The Appellate Division First Department will now review the issue.
The order prevented Trump from speaking out against witnesses in his trial as well as "members of the court’s staff and the District Attorney’s staff, or … the family members of any counsel or staff member, if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with … counsel’s or staff’s work." Bragg was not included in the gag order.
Trump's legal team argued he should have the right to speak about his trial in the public sphere. Bragg's attorney, Steven Wu, disagreed, citing Trump's "uncontested history" of calling witnesses "horse face," "losers," and “deranged psychopaths.
Trump was put under a gag order after he spoke against Merchan and his daughter, Loren Merchan, over her business relationship with some of Trump's prominent political enemies, the New York Post reported. Some of them used Trump's New York case to fundraise.
Loren Merchan is the president of the consulting firm Authentic Campaigns, which helps Democratic groups and clients like Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) with their political messaging. Trump's attorneys previously urged Judge Merchan to recuse himself on those grounds, which he declined to do.
"Authentic Campaigns, and thus the judge’s daughter, is actively making money from this sham attack against President Trump, rendering Judge Merchan conflicted out," Steven Cheung, Trump's spokesman, said. Indeed, Loren Merchan has been successful at her job.
She has helped the Senate Majority PAC fundraising organization rake in money. Moreover, Schiff, who was instrumental in impeaching Trump the first time, raised $20 million from the New York case against the former president.
"It is a somber moment, and unprecedented for a former president to be indicted, but his alleged offenses are also unprecedented," Schiff's fundraising email said. "Trump will respond as he always does — playing the victim and blaming others for having the temerity to investigate him in the first place."
Despite the seriousness of the issues surrounding the judge, the court denied Trump's request to delay the trial pending the outcome of the gag order review, Fox News reported. Justice Cynthia Kern said the trial will start as scheduled on April 15.
Trump's attorneys have argued that he has the right to rebut witnesses, including Stormy Daniels, the former porn star he allegedly paid off, and Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen. "The First Amendment harms arising from this gag order right now are irreparable," his attorney said.
The trial centers on 34 counts of falsifying business records Bragg slapped on Trump. The charges stem from him allegedly paying off Daniels to keep quiet about their affair ahead of the 2016 election.
The entire case has questionable merit as it is considering it mainly deals with a campaign finance issue. However, the timing of the prosecution as Trump runs for a second term as president is highly suspect.
The fact that he's being prosecuted at this time while being told to keep mum about it is unfair. Even if it doesn't rise to the threshold of election interference, it's difficult to trust the partisans who are after Trump to give him a fair shake.
West Virginia will ban four additional financial institutions from consideration for state-funded contracts over their involvement in woke initiatives, the Washington Examiner reported. Riley Moore, the state's treasurer, announced the move Monday.
The Mountain State is adding to its list of banned financial institutions with Citibank, HSBC Holdings, Northern Trust, and TD Bank. Previously, heavy hitters such as Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock were blocked.
State officials are fighting back against several initiatives, including energy policies that target fossil fuels like coal. West Virginia is the second-largest producer of coal in the nation, and even the state's GOP Gov. Jim Justice, has made a living removing it from the ground.
Besides the attack on fossil fuels, these same institutions also embrace the combined environmental, social, and governance agenda. These woke initiatives are a thinly veiled attempt at social engineering through corporations, but West Virginia is pushing back.
So far, the original companies that were banned have lost out on $18 billion in revenue. "That’s certainly, I think, a tremendous loss for them," Moore told the Examiner.
"We really kicked off this coalition effort around this, so they are going to be other states looking at what we have done. And I would not be surprised in the future if you did see some of these institutions end up on other lists," the treasurer added.
Moore touted "quite a bit of a success story" after he persuaded Fifth Third Bank and BMO to nix the woke agenda. Those firms were on a 45-day probation period pending proof that they would not meddle in the fossil fuels industry through boycotts, and they conceded.
"At the end of the day, this is how we win. Trying to get banks to act like banks, keeping the free market free," Moore said.
While leftists seek to incentivize companies to move towards social engineering, Republicans have increasingly embraced a tough approach to combating ESG. West Virginia isn't the only state to formalize such a strategy.
The Texas State Board of Education pulled $8.5 billion in investments from BlackRock over its commitment to ESG. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson is similarly pressuring BlackRock with a cease-and-desist order.
Last month, Watson accused a money manager at the firm of making "fraudulent statements, omissions, and other misrepresentations" about its involvement in ESG, Fox Business News reported. "Investment companies will not push their political agenda on Mississippians, especially through fraudulent and deceptive means," Watson said in a statement.
"All citizens should have the opportunity to make informed and educated decisions when investing their hard-earned money. If not, our office will hold these bad actors accountable," he added.
Like all leftist initiatives, ESG sounds like a positive move. After all, who doesn't want companies to proactively seek to make the world a cleaner, fairer place?
In practice, it's just another sinister plot to manipulate minds and funnel all of society into living in accordance with one narrow worldview. Therefore, it's a necessary and good move for states to do all they can to push back against it.
An outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump was hospitalized after being attacked repeatedly with a sledgehammer on Friday in Middletown, New Jersey.
Rocky Granata, 64, who drives an RV around town with prominent pro-Trump and Make America Great Again signs covering it, was attacked by Michael Gonzalez, 36 at Crown Tire in the Port Monmouth section of the city.
Gonzalez allegedly struck Granata in the head with a sledgehammer five times at the tire center. Granata's car was seen parked there after the assault happened.
Gonzalez, who lives in Philadelphia, was detained at the scene by witnesses until the police arrived.
He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. He is currently in custody in the Monmouth County Jail awaiting a hearing.
Police are adamant that the attack was not politically motivated, but was an ongoing dispute between the two men.
At least two of Granata's adult children posted on Facebook about Gonzalez trying to "kill" their father. One of the posts also indicated that the reason was an ongoing dispute unrelated to politics.
Other Facebook posts indicated that Granata was released from the hospital after being treated for his wounds and was selling eclipse glasses Monday in the parking lot of a local Walmart.
Gonzalez also allegedly pushed a woman at the tire store, causing her to fall down. She was also treated at a local hospital and released.
Granata told a local news outlet that Gonzalez was his girlfriend's son. Granata and his girlfriend had been dating for five years.
"When I met him he had a heroin problem and he was a thief," Granata said. "His father just died of heroin and his other friends died. He's been in and out of different situations."
Granata also said that his MAGA hat probably saved his life.
"If I didn't have this hat on my head I'm sure that sledgehammer would have gone right through my head," Granata said.
Trump has not commented on the incident so far.
Though a Georgia judge recently ruled that the embattled Fulton County district attorney could continue to lead the prosecution of former President Donald Trump on election interference charges, it appears that a large segment of the population would prefer a different outcome.
As Newsweek reports, a petition in support of Fani Willis' disqualification from the case has amassed over 43,000 signatures, and it could well be that her professional fate is far from settled.
The outlet noted that, as of Friday, a petition initiated by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is a mere 7,000 shy of its stated goal of 50,000.
The ACLJ is a noted Christian-based, conservative legal advocacy group, and its leaders are committed to the cause of facilitating Willis' removal from the Trump case amid concerns over her conduct with regard to a personal relationship she had with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
The organization has also leveled accusations about what it believes are the political motivations behind the prosecution and has continued to take steps designed to secure what it believes is justice for Trump and his co-defendants.
Though Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee recently ruled that Willis could remain on the case, provided Wade stepped down, the ACLJ remains dissatisfied with the result.
“Now the case is being appealed, and we're taking action. Our senior legal team –including our own former GA prosecutor – is filing a critical amicus brief urging the Georgia Court of Appeals to hear this vital case and disqualify DA Willis,” the group explained in the aforementioned petition.
It was late last month that Trump and eight of his co-defendants in the election interference case formally appealed McAfee's order leaving Willis in place, as Fox News notes.
Attorneys contended that the decision regarding Wade and Willis stopped short of providing sufficient relief and that the disqualification of the district attorney was the appropriate remedy.
Trump attorney Steve Sadow explained, “While the trial court factually found D.A. Willis' out-of-court statements were improper, and Defendants proved an apparent conflict of interest, the trial court erred as a matter of law by not requiring dismissal and D.A. Willis' disqualification.”
“This legal error requires the Court's immediate review,” he added.
The ACLJ is not the only conservative organization taking aim at Willis, however, with Newsweek noting last month that the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) asked the State Bar of Georgia to initiate an investigation into Willis for allegedly admitting to the retention of campaign funds for personal use.
The AAF also requested a similar probe and/or disciplinary action against Wade over his entanglement with Willis, arguing that he committed perjury during a hearing on the D.A.'s potential disqualification.
Whether Willis will ultimately be disqualified from the Trump case and what, if any, professional sanctions she and Wade may receive, however, only time will tell.
Former President Trump demanded Justice Juan Merchan recuse himself from his hush money case over ties he and his daughter have to Democrats, The Hill reported. Merchan has already denied such a request over the summer.
With only two weeks to go before the start of his trial, Trump is once again calling out the judge's possible conflict. Merchan's daughter works for a digital marketing firm that has done projects for Democrats.
The original motion to recuse included Merchan's daughter's work history as well. It also pointed to the judge's $35 donation to President Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election, among other leftist causes.
Merchan claims that the New York State ethics advisory panel cleared him to continue serving on the trial. Meanwhile, the office of anti-Trump Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said "no changed circumstances" have arisen that would require a second look at the issue.
In the 37-page motion, Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove argued that Merchan's "political agenda" clouded his ability to oversee the case fairly. "Personal political views may not be a basis for recusal," they conceded.
"But profiting from the promotion of a political agenda that is hostile to President Trump, and has included fundraising solicitations based on this case, must be. Accordingly, President Trump respectfully requests that the Court recuse itself," the lawyers said.
The attorneys rightly pointed to the "enormous power" Merchan holds in his position to "incarcerate and incapacitate" Trump during the 2024 election cycle. This gives the judge the ability to take out the "chief political rival" of Merchan's daughter's clients.
The attorneys also pointed to the way digital marketing clients used Trump's legal troubles to their advantage, further underscoring the problematic nature of Merchan's involvement. Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff was fundraising for his Senate bid off of them.
"The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has indicted Donald Trump for criminal offenses — the first-ever indictment of a former American president," fundraising materials for Schiff said. The same went for Democratic groups House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC.
Beyond just the problems with Merchan, there were holes in the case against Trump from the start. The former president is accused of concealing payments made to a former porn star in 2016 to keep her from disclosing their affair.
At most, Trump may have broken campaign finance laws that don't reach the level of the criminal charges that were pinned on him. Even left-leaning Vox Ian Millhiser realized it when the indictment was announced last April.
"It concerns not Trump’s efforts to overthrow the duly elected government of the United States, but his alleged effort to cover up a possible extramarital affair with a porn star. And there's a very real risk that this indictment will end in an even bigger anticlimax," Millhiser wrote.
"It is unclear that the felony statute that Trump is accused of violating actually applies to him," he added. This is exactly what the jury, which will be chosen in the next two weeks, will be faced with.
These Democrats in New York are anti-Trump zealots and aren't even bothering to hide it. However, evidence that Merchan's daughter has gotten paid by Trump's opposition makes a convincing argument in favor of the judge's recusal, even on the basis of appearances.
Former President Barack Obama has made some power moves that rival President Joe Biden's influence, Stephen Flurry of the Philadelphia Trumpet reported. Rumors suggest that Obama is intentionally more powerful than Biden.
Flurry, who is the news outlet's executive editor, contends that Obama may still be running the show. In a piece titled "The Biden-Obama Power Struggle Isn’t Real," Flurry shares how Obama seems to be making presidential moves despite his status which hints at some sort of arrangement.
The author contends that there is no "power struggle" as the media like to portray because Obama clearly has the upper hand over his former vice president. Obama is also out there making presidential moves that speak to a higher status than just a former commander-in-chief.
Obama recently met the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for something the former president called a "courtesy visit." However, this is not only unprecedented but also a move Democrats explicitly complained about when it involved a Republican administration.
"Some news analysts believe that Biden’s insecurity indicates there is some sort of rivalry or power struggle between the former president and vice president. But this belief gives Biden too much credit," Flurry wrote.
"He may not always like being dominated by Obama, but he is far too senile to put up any sort of fight," the author added. Flurry believes that with so many "Obama administration alumni," the former president would easily have sway and influence in the Biden White House.
Of course, Obama has been out of office since he finished his second term in 2016. Still, it's clear that he has the same respect and adulation as he always did, even with the current president in the room.
During a White House event in 2022 commemorating the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the crowd was enamored with Obama. He was shaking hands and chatting with several of the attendees while Biden hung around in his orbit, looking lost and forlorn.
Joe Biden was filmed yesterday looking lost after fans ignored him to flock around Barack Obama at the White House.
Mike narrates the video...@iromg pic.twitter.com/kwd196Awt5
— TalkTV (@TalkTV) April 6, 2022
If Obama still has this kind of influence while holding no official position in the administration, it would mean he has Biden right where he wants him. In a Nov. 2020 interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Obama laid out this exact scenario, Deadline reported.
"I used to say if I can make an arrangement where I had a stand-in or front-man or front-woman, and they had an earpiece in and I was just in my basement in my sweats looking through the stuff, and I could sort of deliver the lines while someone was doing all the talking and ceremony, I’d be fine with that because I found the work fascinating," Obama said. The prospect excited the term-limited president.
"Even on my worst days, I found puzzling out these big complicated, difficult issues, especially if you were working with some great people, to be especially professionally, really satisfying," Obama said. While there's no direct evidence this is what's happening, Flurry makes no bones about his opinion on the matter.
"People have to realize that America’s nation-destroying problems are not the mistakes of a senile president. They are the successes of a malevolent shadow president," Flurry concluded.
Whether there's a formal arrangement between Obama and Biden, the current president is certainly following his lead in how he governs. The work of destroying America began under Obama, but Biden is doing a great job continuing that mission.
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii "respectfully declined" Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s invitation to be his vice presidential running mate, Axios reported. Gabbard was also being courted by former President Donald Trump for the same position.
Kennedy asked her to join his 2024 presidential campaign, which is making great headway, but Gabbard refused. "I met with Kennedy several times, and we have become good friends," she said in a statement, according to the New York Post
"He asked if I would be his running mate. After careful consideration, I respectfully declined," Gabbard shared.
“Out of respect for him, I will not share the content of our conversations or my reasoning. I have nothing further to add," Gabbard said.
Originally, Kennedy was seeking to unseat President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate. However, he switched to become an independent in October after becoming frustrated with the Democratic Party.
Gabbard similarly became an independent in 2022 after serving as a Democrat in Congress, a fact which also makes her attractive as Trump's vice presidential pick. Her forthcoming book For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind, explained that it was the "warmongers" who forced her out of the Democratic Party.
Because of this origin story, Gabbard could have been an asset in swaying voters to break away from Biden. She had even mulled her own presidential bid against Biden before deciding not to pursue it.
Although Gabbard turned down Kennedy's offer, a source said there's no love lost between the two. "There were definitely meetings, but it didn’t work out. We talked to a bunch of people," the unnamed source told the Post. “Tulsi’s a rock star no matter what."
Instead, Kennedy recently announced his vice presidential candidate would be attorney and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan. Others under consideration included New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rogers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura.
Although Kennedy is a long shot to win the presidency, his campaign is certainly making Biden sweat. The RealClearPolitics polling average has Kennedy carving out 12.3% for himself, which puts him near the 15% he'd need to be included in the fall debates.
There hasn't been a third-party candidate who has pulled that off since the 1990s. Meanwhile, Trump has 40.7% of the potential vote, while the incumbent Biden has only 35.5%.
A campaign call on March 26 revealed that Democrats are in a panic over Kennedy. "We are doing everything in our power to get President Biden and Vice President Harris reelected. It's critical that we take seriously every possible obstacle to that goal," Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov. Austin Davis said on the call with reporters and Demoratic politicians, according to Fox News.
"And let me be clear, that's exactly what Robert F. Kennedy is in this election. He's a spoiler," Davis added.
Although Gabbard would have been a good choice for Kennedy, it seems he's doing well on his own. That fact is not only a testament to Kennedy's appeal but also an indication that the left is ready to abandon Biden.