Trump Will Pay a Political Price of Conspiracy Theories
For most of the past 10 years, Donald Trump's hold on his party's base has been unbreakable. Many of his supporters view him in quasi-religious terms. Which makes l'affaireJeffrey Epstein such a consequential moment. It's the first time there's been a break in the MAGA ranks. The fallout from it may linger.
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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Governor Comer? The most popular man at Kentucky's biggest political rally is open to it
FANCY FARM, Ky. — The "Comer for Congress" signs were hard to miss along KY-80. Dozens of them lined the eight-mile stretch between Mayfield and Fancy Farm over the weekend ahead of West Kentucky's famed political rally. The region is home territory for U.S. Rep. James Comer, a Tompkinsville native and powerful Republican congressional representative who's running for reelection next year. But even after his opponent spoke on stage at the Aug. 2 Fancy Farm rally, most speakers looked past next year's race when Comer's name entered the conversation. "My friends, aren't we ready to send a Republican back to the governor's mansion?" Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell asked the crowd. "Speaking of, I thank God every day for James Comer. But doesn't Governor Comer sound even better?" The Comer contingent in the crowd roared in approval. And the representative was open with reporters afterward. He has a 2026 race to consider, and he'd be walking away from a high-profile role as chair of the House Oversight Committee. But a run to replace term-limited incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in 2027 is something he's "very interested" in exploring. "I'm getting a lot of encouragement from people all over Kentucky, so it's something that we're looking very seriously at," he said, noting he has another run for Congress to tackle first. "... Just about every state legislator that's here today, even the ones as far east as Bell County, have said, 'We want you to run. We're all in for you.'" Beshear has repeatedly shut down speculation he'll enter the race for retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat in 2026, saying he isn't going anywhere while his second term is underway (with an exception for speaking engagements in other states, as he weighs a potential presidential run in 2028). Meanwhile, the Democrats' bench to replace him appears thin. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman has not said what she plans to do when Beshear's second term ends, and Beshear special advisor Rocky Adkins' name is also frequently brought up as a potential contender. Coleman had never held political office before joining Beshear's ticket and was trounced by longtime incumbent Republican state Rep. Kim King in her lone run for state office before then — a campaign for Central Kentucky's House District 55 in 2014. Adkins, a former state representative, ran against Beshear in the 2019 primary, finishing second in the race with about 32% of the vote. He has remained close to the governor in the years since he took office, often appearing with him in the aftermath of natural disasters that have hit Kentucky. Comer expressed skepticism that Adkins would be the nominee, citing previous stances — in 2019 he voted in favor of a bill to outlaw abortions immediately if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned, for instance — that may not be in line with Democrats in party strongholds such as Louisville and Lexington. "Unless something happens, Jackie Coleman's the overwhelming favorite to be the Democratic nominee," Comer predicted. Through a spokesperson, Coleman declined to comment on his remarks. Coleman described herself as a "pro-life compassionate Democrat" during her 2014 campaign, though a representative in 2019 said she "does not believe politicians should impose their views on others" and believes in protecting reproductive rights. She called for the state to reopen abortion access in an op-ed last year. At a Democrat dinner the night before Fancy Farm, Coleman touched on her absence at the political rally, saying she would not be at the event 'partly because there are so many obvious jokes, but not much worth laughing about at this moment.' '… Although I do hear of some races, like in 2027, that might bring me back to the Fancy Farm stage,' she said. With Democrats a rare sight over the weekend at Fancy Farm — Comer's opponent, John "Drew" Williams, was the only one to take the stage — Comer was the talk of the small West Kentucky town. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell praised his work in the nation's capital, where he's served in the House of Representatives since late 2016 after four years as Kentucky's agriculture commissioner, calling him a "great congressman." U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, one of three Republicans running for McConnell's seat who spoke at the event, said the region will "have no better friend this side of Jamie Comer when it comes to supporting West Kentucky in the United States Senate," if Barr is elected to the chamber next year. As chair of the House Oversight Committee, Comer has led probes into former President Joe Biden and his family members, though critics have argued he's spent more time building his own profile than helping constituents in Kentucky and has chased conspiracy theories over legitimate investigations. He jokingly gave Williams an "endorsement from Joe Biden, signed by the autopen" during his Fancy Farm speech, a nod to the committee's ongoing inquiry into the former president's mental state during his time in office. Comer acknowledged that role has given him a leg up in name recognition, which would help in a year when the presidential race isn't on the ballot. "The governor's race is in an odd election year, and what happens is Louisville and Lexington and that triangle area, they have a big turnout, and the rural areas don't turn out because they don't have a connection to that candidate," Comer told reporters. "I believe I'm pretty well-known in rural America. "Rural America's conservative. Rural Kentucky's conservative. They watch a lot of conservative media outlets. I'm on Fox News and Newsmax a lot. ... There's a craving in this state for a conservative Republican governor, and that's why I think people are reaching out to me." State Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, said his fellow Western Kentucky native is the "odds-on favorite" to win the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2027, "even though he hasn't announced yet." "I'm going to 100% support Jamie Comer in whatever he decides to do, but especially in the governor's race," Meredith told The Courier Journal. "I don't think there is anybody that's more qualified for the position, and I don't think there's anybody who can have more electoral success at it on our side of the aisle. ... He loves Kentucky, he loves Western Kentucky, and we would love to have a governor like him." Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said Comer is "getting it done in Washington, D.C." But will he trade that seat for a chance to call the governor's mansion home? "It's going to be another year before that decision," Comer said. "... But I am humbled that we're getting so much support from people all over the state." More: On stage with Senate candidates, McConnell — and his legacy — looms large at Fancy Farm Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@ This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: James Comer weighs leaving powerful House seat to run for KY governor
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail again ahead of sentencing
Sean "Diddy" Combs has been denied bail ahead of his sentencing on prostitution-related charges. Judge Arun Subramanian said the hip-hop mogul had failed to show sufficient evidence he is not a flight risk and also cited admissions of previous violence made during his trial. Combs, 55, has been in prison since his arrest in September last year. During a two-month trial, jurors heard allegations that he had coerced former girlfriends, including singer and model Cassie Ventura, into having drug-fuelled sex marathons with male sex workers, while he watched and filmed them. In July, he was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution - but cleared of more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking, which carried potential life sentences. The rapper's legal team hailed this a "victory" and immediately applied for bail ahead of sentencing, citing his acquittal on the top charges. After this was denied, they submitted another application last week. Judge Subramanian has now rejected the request again. In denying the motion for bail, the judge found Combs had failed to show sufficient evidence to counter arguments he is a flight risk, writing in a court filing: "Increasing the amount of the bond or devising additional conditions doesn't change the calculus given the circumstances and heavy burden of proof that Combs bears." Read more: He also found that an argument by the music star's legal team that the squalor and danger of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where he is being held, did not warrant release. "The public outcry concerning these conditions has come from all corners," the judge wrote. "But as Combs acknowledges, MDC staff has been able to keep him safe and attend to his needs, even during an incident of threatened violence from an inmate." As well as Combs's bail application, his legal team has also filed a motion calling for him to be acquitted or given a new trial on the prostitution-related charges only. The judge has not yet responded to this application. How long could Diddy be jailed for? Combs is due to be sentenced on 3 October and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Discussions on sentencing guidelines which followed the jury's verdict suggest it is unlikely he will be jailed for this long, with an estimate of around two to five years, taking into account time already served. However, it is ultimately up to Judge Arun Subramanian to decide the rapper's punishment. On Friday, Donald Trump was asked during an interview about a potential pardon for Combs following speculation about the issue. The president said it was unlikely, adding that the rapper was "very hostile" during his presidential campaign. Combs, who co-founded Bad Boy Records and launched the career of the late Notorious BIG, was for decades a huge figure in pop culture - a Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and business entrepreneur, who presided over an empire ranging from fashion to reality TV. As well as the criminal conviction, he is also facing several civil lawsuits.
Axios
27 minutes ago
- Axios
Democrats go nuclear in redistricting arms race
Top Democrats are speaking — and acting — in increasingly existential terms over the audacious Trump-backed push to redraw Texas' congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms. Why it matters: The proposed Texas map is designed to net the GOP up to five House seats — potentially enough to decide the majority for President Trump's Republicans in his final two years in office. For many Democrats, this moment is an inflection point in the party's Trump-era identity crisis — one that could determine whether "fighters" or "folders" carry the torch into 2028. "This is a war. We are at war. And that's why the gloves are off, and I say bring it on," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared at a press conference Monday, accusing Texas Republicans of a "legal insurrection." Zoom in: More than 50 Democratic lawmakers fled Texas on Sunday — fanning out to deep-blue Illinois, New York and Massachusetts — to prevent the GOP-controlled legislature from voting on the new map. Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened them with daily $500 fines, felony bribery charges if the fines are paid for by donations, and the possibility of removal from office. The Texas state House issued civil arrest warrants for the Democrats who fled the state, though the warrants are only enforceable inside Texas. Zoom out: Outside Texas, key Democratic governors have launched an aggressive counteroffensive to try to neutralize the GOP's redistricting push. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is eyeing a November special election that would sideline the state's independent redistricting commission and ask voters to approve a new, legislature-drawn map favoring Democrats. In New York, Hochul said Democrats have "no choice" but to pursue a constitutional amendment to authorize new maps — though it wouldn't appear on the ballot until 2027 at the earliest. In Illinois, where the congressional map is already heavily gerrymandered, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has vowed to protect fleeing Texas Democrats and left the door open to further revisions of the state's map. Between the lines: Newsom, who's made no secret of his presidential ambitions, has openly accused Trump of "rigging" the midterms and suggested California could redraw its map to eliminate all nine GOP-held seats. His push for a referendum in just three months will be a legal and political high-wire act that — if successful — could become the defining achievement of his career. "If this works and Dems win the House in 2026 by <5 seats, 'I saved us from a second MAGA Republican trifecta' is a hell of a platform for Newsom to run [for president] on in 2028," tweeted Democratic pollster Adam Carlson. The intrigue: Hochul, who is running for re-election in 2026, has emerged as an unlikely face of the Democratic resistance. She called Monday for disbanding New York's independent redistricting commission and embracing partisan hardball, telling reporters that she's "tired of fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back." "I cannot ignore that the playing field has changed dramatically, and shame on us if we ignore that fact and cling tight to the vestiges of the past," Hochul said. The bottom line: Both sides are keenly aware that a Democratic victory in 2026 would grind Trump's agenda to a halt and potentially lead to his third impeachment.
