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Battle to replace Mitch McConnell gets nasty over contender funding lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump

Battle to replace Mitch McConnell gets nasty over contender funding lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump

New York Post5 days ago
WASHINGTON – President Trump is hoping to replace former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell — who has repeatedly broken ranks with the White House this year — with a steady ally, but sources tell The Post that a front-runner's repeat donations to lawmakers who voted to impeach the president are stoking concern among Trump's inner circle.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) donated seven times through his leadership PAC to help four House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 for allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — despite Trump urging his supporters to throw them out of office.
Barr, 51, slammed Trump as 'irresponsible' but personally voted not to impeach the 45th president.
Now, the congressman is locked in a three-way race against former state attorney general Daniel Cameron, 39, and garbage removal entrepreneur Nate Morris, 44, for the Senate seat that McConnell has held since 1985.
5 President Trump called on Republicans to 'get rid of' 10 House members who voted to impeach him in 2021.
REUTERS
About a month after leaving the White House in 2021, the former and future president read aloud the names of the 10 House Republicans who had just joined Democrats in voting to impeach him for claiming the 2020 election was stolen and told followers to 'get rid of them all.'
Barr had already donated $2,500 that February to then-Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) – who seven months later called Trump 'a cancer' and dropped his re-election bid – and continued to back three others who had joined then-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) in voting to impeach.
Through his PAC, Barr offered $2,000 to then-Rep John Katko (R-NY) on June 15, 2021, $10,000 to Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in four installments from June 2021 through August 2022 and $3,000 to then-Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) in July 2022.
Only Valadao remains a House member.
5 Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), currently running for Senate, donated to four of the 10 pro-impeachment Republicans.
ZUMAPRESS.com
5 Barr made the contributions to Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, John Katko, David Valadao and Anthony Gonzalesz.
REUTERS
'Andy Barr didn't just blame President Trump for the violence on [Jan. 6, 2021], he actively funded the Republicans who voted to impeach him — after the president had already made clear that he was going to target them in primaries,' said a longtime Trump adviser.
'I can't imagine a bigger slap in the face to the president than that.'
'Everyone in Trump's circle views Barr as just another one of McConnell's mentees, meaning you know he's not going to be there for Trump when things get tough and it really matters,' a source close to the White House added.
Loyalty has been a significant factor in staffing decisions for Trump's second administration and Barr's critics hope it will decide the president's Senate endorsement.
Trump carried the Bluegrass State by 30.53 percentage points Nov. 5 — making him a likely kingmaker in the 2026 primary.
Barr allies argue that he has been a supporter of the president and merely wanted to foster a big-tent GOP to block the Biden-era Democratic agenda and that his PAC has made hundreds of donations.
Barr spokesman Alex Bellizzi pointed to the seven-term congressman's record of collaboration with Trump and noted a $5,000 donation by Morris to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on May 20, 2021.
5 Garbage industry businessman Nate Morris entered the Kentucky Senate race last week.
AP
5 Former Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron is also running to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell.
AP
Haley emerged as Trump's most enduring 2024 primary challenger, but had said on April 12, 2021 — shortly before Morris' donation — that 'I would not run if President Trump ran.'
Haley later changed her mind and launched her candidacy in February 2023, three months after Trump did so.
Bellizzi also argued that Barr is the most electable Republican — noting that Cameron managed to lose the commonwealth governor's race by more than five points to Democrat Andy Beshear in 2023.
'Daniel Cameron lost with President Trump's endorsement in a state the president won by 30 points,' Barr's spokesman said. 'Nate Morris supported Nikki Haley over President Trump after she said the GOP needed to move on from Trump forever. He signed the CEO Diversity Pledge and his ESG company lost $200 million in his final year as CEO by a company trading for pennies on the dollar on the stock exchange.'
A Morris ally said the chronology of his donation and Haley's stance on Trump was not accurately reflected in the statement — and argued that the funds were given so that Morris' wife could attend a Haley event to get a letter autographed for a dying relative.
Morris launched his Senate campaign on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast last week, pledging to 'take out the trash' in Washington before releasing an ad showing him on the back of a dump truck to drive home the message.
It's unclear when Trump will issue an endorsement and the decision may ultimately be driven by an assessment of candidate viability to avoid a surprise Democratic triumph.
Barr served as Trump's Kentucky campaign chairman last year and shook his hand in the Oval Office in May.
Although the Senate contest is higher-stakes, the president endorsed Barr for re-election to the House and called him 'fantastic' in 2022.
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Trump administration moves to terminate a form of humanitarian relief for Nicaraguans and Hondurans in the US
Trump administration moves to terminate a form of humanitarian relief for Nicaraguans and Hondurans in the US

CNN

time13 minutes ago

  • CNN

Trump administration moves to terminate a form of humanitarian relief for Nicaraguans and Hondurans in the US

The Department of Homeland Security has moved to terminate a form of humanitarian relief for migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras residing in the United States, according to an announcement from the department and draft notices published in the Federal Register. The Trump administration has stripped protections from multiple nationalities in the US who were protected from deportation and allowed to temporarily live in the country, arguing that conditions at home no longer justified those protections. The termination of the relief, known as Temporary Protected Status, has prompted legal challenges nationwide — and has been blocked by federal judges in some instances. The latest move would affect approximately 72,000 migrants from Honduras and 4,000 from Nicaragua, according to government estimates. Honduras was initially designated for TPS in 1999 based on an environmental disaster, according to a draft notice in the Federal Register. Nicaragua was similarly designated for TPS in 1999 because of an environmental disaster. 'Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that — temporary,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. 'It is clear that the Government of Honduras has taken all of the necessary steps to overcome the impacts of Hurricane Mitch, almost 27 years ago.' TPS applies to people who would face extreme hardship if forced to return to homelands devastated by armed conflict or natural disasters, therefore the protections are limited to people already in the United States. Past Republican and Democratic administrations have designated the protections, though some Republicans have argued the relief shouldn't have been extended multiple times.

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as Trump amps up tariff threats with deadline looming
Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as Trump amps up tariff threats with deadline looming

Yahoo

time16 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as Trump amps up tariff threats with deadline looming

US stocks fell on Monday as President Trump made a fresh tariff threat and confirmed that country-specific duties will kick in on Aug. 1, ramping up trade uncertainty as the end to his tariff pause looms. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) slipped 0.7%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) also backed off 0.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped 0.7% as Tesla (TSLA) stock sank amid worries about CEO Elon Musk's plan to launch a political party. Stocks are pulling back after a strong jobs report helped boost the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to all-time closing highs on Thursday, before the early trading shutdown for the long Independence Day weekend. With equities at record levels, investors are wary that any sharp turn in trade negotiations could trigger volatility. Trump said late Sunday that any country aligning itself with the "Anti-American policies of BRICS" will face an additional 10% tariff. "There will be no exceptions to this policy," he said in a post to social media. The warning came after BRICS — a group of countries including key US trading partners China and India — criticized Trump's tariff policy at its summit at the weekend. It ramped up already-high trade tensions as nations race to clinch tariff deals ahead of Trump's self-imposed deadline of July 9, when his "pause" on steep April tariffs would go back into effect. Global markets have been bracing for that potential shock, with the US only having reached deals with the UK and Vietnam, as well as a framework toward an agreement with China. On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trump confirmed that while letters will be sent out this week informing countries of their tariff rates, those duties would not go into effect until Aug. 1. Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs. Bessent hinted at several possible deals in the coming days, suggesting the focus this week is clarity with 18 major trading partners before setting duties for the 100-plus other countries that the administration has in its sights for trade taxation. Earnings are coming back into the conversation this week, with Thursday's report from Delta (DAL) serving as the unofficial kickoff to the second quarter season. Wall Street analysts predict a significant drop in oil prices by the end of the year as increased supply is expected to flood the market. However, as of Monday, West Texas Intermediate crude (CL=F) was trading above $67 per barrel, and Brent crude (BZ=F), the international benchmark, was above $69 per barrel. The session rise occurred despite the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies announcing output increases over the weekend. "All in all, the supply picture definitely looks to be elevating; however, the stronger demand is remaining above expectations as well, hence the choppy trade," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president at BOK Financial, in a note on Monday. OPEC cited lower global oil inventories as a reason to boost output in August by 548,000 barrels per day. This marks the cartel's fourth consecutive monthly increase and was larger than anticipated. "Saturday's announcement to accelerate supply hikes suggests that the strategic shift to normalizing spare capacity and market share, supporting internal cohesion, and disciplining US shale supply is continuing," Goldman Sachs analysts Daan Struyven and his team noted on Sunday. Struyven and his team anticipate OPEC will increase production yet again in September, and maintained their price forecast with Brent averaging $59 in the fourth quarter of 2025 and $56 in 2026. Tesla (TSLA) stock slid on Monday, falling 7% as CEO Elon Musk and President Trump's feud erupted again and as investors grew concerned over the loss of electric vehicle tax credits from Trump's budget bill. Reuters reported that short sellers of the stock were set to make $1.4 billion after the stock slump, according to data analytics firm Ortex. Over the weekend, Musk wrote on X that he was forming a new political party, the America Party. Trump responded on social media by saying the Tesla CEO had gone "completely 'off the rails.'" Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports: Read more here. Citi lifted its price target for Nvidia stock (NVDA) on Monday, citing the expanding AI market, though shares of the AI chipmaker fell 0.5% in early trading. Yahoo Finance's Francisco Velasquez reports: Read more here. Stocks opened lower amid renewed trade uncertainty after President Trump extended a tariff pause but issued new threats toward countries aligning with "Anti-American policies." The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell below the flat line. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) retreated 0.3% from its record high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped 0.5%, and Tesla (TSLA) shares sank as CEO Elon Musk announced a new political party. Comments from Trump sparked trade uncertainty over the weekend when he appeared to extend a July 9 tariff pause deadline to Aug. 1. He also said late Sunday that any country aligning itself with the "Anti-American policies of BRICS" will face an additional 10% tariff. CoreWeave (CRWV) announced Monday it will buy crypto miner Core Scientific (CORZ) in an all-stock deal valued at about $9 billion. Shares of the Nvidia-backed (NVDA) company fell 4.6% just ahead of the opening bell, while Core Scientific stock dropped nearly 18%. Reuters reports: Read more here. Amazon stock (AMZN) edged 0.3% higher in premarket trading on Monday ahead of the kickoff of its Prime Day sales event. Online spending is expected to surge to $23.8 billion across US retailers during Amazon's four-day event, according to an Adobe Analytics forecast. Amazon extended the sales period to four days from two days. Reuters reported that sales from July 8 to 11 are projected to rise 28.4% compared with the same period last year. Online sales hit $14.2 billion during the two-day Amazon shopping event last year. "This is equivalent to two Black Fridays," Adobe noted in the report. Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT), which are holding competing sales events, saw their shares drop marginally premarket. Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports: Read more here. Earnings: No notable earnings releases. Economic data: No notable economic releases. Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed over the weekend and early this morning: Trump warns of extra 10% tariff for 'anti-American' BRICS Markets await clarity as Trump tariff deadline looms Tesla stock sinks as Musk's 'America Party' worries investors US consumers to cut summer spending on tariff worries: Poll Trump is already making the next Fed chair's job harder Amazon Prime Day set to lift US online sales to $23.8B: Adobe Trump slams Musk's plan for rival political party How China's Xiaomi succeeded where Apple failed Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Wolfspeed: (WOLF) Shares in semiconductor company Wolfspeed surged over 20% before the bell on Monday, after it filed an unexpected Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month. While bankruptcy usually signals financial distress, investors reacted positively to the filing. Tesla (TSLA) stock took a hit on Monday, falling 6% in premarket trading after CEO Elon Musk's plans to launch a new US political party were announced. Metals had a rough start to the week, with copper (HG=F) and other industrial metals extending losses after President Trump injected fresh uncertainty into his trade agenda with a warning to impose a 10% tariff on any country that supports what he called BRICS "anti-American" policies. Trump posted on Truth Social saying: Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trump's threat caused metals fall on Monday. Bloomberg News reports Read more here. Tesla (TSLA) shares are getting run over right out of the gate post-holiday weekend. The stock is down 7% premarket as president Trump and Elon Musk return to public battle. The general vibe from those I have chatted with is that Musk creating his own political party is the last thing Tesla shareholders want to see. Where is the board of directors here to get this guy under control? However, lost in the sauce today is that the new tax and spending bill signed into law by Trump ends the EV tax credit on Sept. 30. That's further bad news for Tesla, argues William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer. "The elimination of the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) fines requires a reset in expectations," Dorsheimer wrote. "While the $7,500 tax credit is likely to affect demand, the combination of a demand headwind and over $2 billion in profit from regulatory credits at risk may be too much for investors to bear. Unlike the EV tax credit, we expect the reduction in regulatory credit revenue to result in a direct hit to profitability, prompting yet another across-the-board reset to Street models." Tesla is our "stock of the day" on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid this morning. Tune in around 9:40 am ET here to get some fire analysis! Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Wall Street analysts predict a significant drop in oil prices by the end of the year as increased supply is expected to flood the market. However, as of Monday, West Texas Intermediate crude (CL=F) was trading above $67 per barrel, and Brent crude (BZ=F), the international benchmark, was above $69 per barrel. The session rise occurred despite the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies announcing output increases over the weekend. "All in all, the supply picture definitely looks to be elevating; however, the stronger demand is remaining above expectations as well, hence the choppy trade," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president at BOK Financial, in a note on Monday. OPEC cited lower global oil inventories as a reason to boost output in August by 548,000 barrels per day. This marks the cartel's fourth consecutive monthly increase and was larger than anticipated. "Saturday's announcement to accelerate supply hikes suggests that the strategic shift to normalizing spare capacity and market share, supporting internal cohesion, and disciplining US shale supply is continuing," Goldman Sachs analysts Daan Struyven and his team noted on Sunday. Struyven and his team anticipate OPEC will increase production yet again in September, and maintained their price forecast with Brent averaging $59 in the fourth quarter of 2025 and $56 in 2026. Tesla (TSLA) stock slid on Monday, falling 7% as CEO Elon Musk and President Trump's feud erupted again and as investors grew concerned over the loss of electric vehicle tax credits from Trump's budget bill. Reuters reported that short sellers of the stock were set to make $1.4 billion after the stock slump, according to data analytics firm Ortex. Over the weekend, Musk wrote on X that he was forming a new political party, the America Party. Trump responded on social media by saying the Tesla CEO had gone "completely 'off the rails.'" Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports: Read more here. Citi lifted its price target for Nvidia stock (NVDA) on Monday, citing the expanding AI market, though shares of the AI chipmaker fell 0.5% in early trading. Yahoo Finance's Francisco Velasquez reports: Read more here. Stocks opened lower amid renewed trade uncertainty after President Trump extended a tariff pause but issued new threats toward countries aligning with "Anti-American policies." The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell below the flat line. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) retreated 0.3% from its record high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped 0.5%, and Tesla (TSLA) shares sank as CEO Elon Musk announced a new political party. Comments from Trump sparked trade uncertainty over the weekend when he appeared to extend a July 9 tariff pause deadline to Aug. 1. He also said late Sunday that any country aligning itself with the "Anti-American policies of BRICS" will face an additional 10% tariff. CoreWeave (CRWV) announced Monday it will buy crypto miner Core Scientific (CORZ) in an all-stock deal valued at about $9 billion. Shares of the Nvidia-backed (NVDA) company fell 4.6% just ahead of the opening bell, while Core Scientific stock dropped nearly 18%. Reuters reports: Read more here. Amazon stock (AMZN) edged 0.3% higher in premarket trading on Monday ahead of the kickoff of its Prime Day sales event. Online spending is expected to surge to $23.8 billion across US retailers during Amazon's four-day event, according to an Adobe Analytics forecast. Amazon extended the sales period to four days from two days. Reuters reported that sales from July 8 to 11 are projected to rise 28.4% compared with the same period last year. Online sales hit $14.2 billion during the two-day Amazon shopping event last year. "This is equivalent to two Black Fridays," Adobe noted in the report. Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT), which are holding competing sales events, saw their shares drop marginally premarket. Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports: Read more here. Earnings: No notable earnings releases. Economic data: No notable economic releases. Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed over the weekend and early this morning: Trump warns of extra 10% tariff for 'anti-American' BRICS Markets await clarity as Trump tariff deadline looms Tesla stock sinks as Musk's 'America Party' worries investors US consumers to cut summer spending on tariff worries: Poll Trump is already making the next Fed chair's job harder Amazon Prime Day set to lift US online sales to $23.8B: Adobe Trump slams Musk's plan for rival political party How China's Xiaomi succeeded where Apple failed Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Wolfspeed: (WOLF) Shares in semiconductor company Wolfspeed surged over 20% before the bell on Monday, after it filed an unexpected Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month. While bankruptcy usually signals financial distress, investors reacted positively to the filing. Tesla (TSLA) stock took a hit on Monday, falling 6% in premarket trading after CEO Elon Musk's plans to launch a new US political party were announced. Metals had a rough start to the week, with copper (HG=F) and other industrial metals extending losses after President Trump injected fresh uncertainty into his trade agenda with a warning to impose a 10% tariff on any country that supports what he called BRICS "anti-American" policies. Trump posted on Truth Social saying: Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trump's threat caused metals fall on Monday. Bloomberg News reports Read more here. Tesla (TSLA) shares are getting run over right out of the gate post-holiday weekend. The stock is down 7% premarket as president Trump and Elon Musk return to public battle. The general vibe from those I have chatted with is that Musk creating his own political party is the last thing Tesla shareholders want to see. Where is the board of directors here to get this guy under control? However, lost in the sauce today is that the new tax and spending bill signed into law by Trump ends the EV tax credit on Sept. 30. That's further bad news for Tesla, argues William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer. "The elimination of the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) fines requires a reset in expectations," Dorsheimer wrote. "While the $7,500 tax credit is likely to affect demand, the combination of a demand headwind and over $2 billion in profit from regulatory credits at risk may be too much for investors to bear. Unlike the EV tax credit, we expect the reduction in regulatory credit revenue to result in a direct hit to profitability, prompting yet another across-the-board reset to Street models." Tesla is our "stock of the day" on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid this morning. Tune in around 9:40 am ET here to get some fire analysis! Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Trump Says Football Team Shouldn't Have Dropped Controversial Name
Trump Says Football Team Shouldn't Have Dropped Controversial Name

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump Says Football Team Shouldn't Have Dropped Controversial Name

Donald Trump has thrown his support behind the Washington Commanders reverting back to their problematic name the Redskins. Talking to reporters in New Jersey on Sunday, the president was asked whether the team should change its name back to the Redskins. 'Well, you want me to make a controversial statement? I would,' he replied. 'I wouldn't have changed the name. It just doesn't have the same... it doesn't have the same ring to me.' Advertisement However Trump made clear he was fine with the politically correct new name if the team were successful. He added, 'But, you know, winning can make everything sound good. So if they win, all of a sudden the Commanders sounds good, but I wouldn't have changed the name.' Washington Commanders players run through a gauntlet to start day two of mini camp in Ashburn, VA on June 11, 2025. (Photo by John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) / The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Im The team was known as the Washington Redskins from 1937, but the divisive name was receiving criticism from Native American groups as far back as the 1960s. However in 2020, in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd, the team came under pressure to change their name logo, first going with Washington Football Team before settling on Commanders. Advertisement Major sponsors including Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo were urged by investors and shareholders to pull their sponsorship unless the team dumped the Redskins name. Washington Commanders safety Will Harris warms up during day two of mini camp in Ashburn, VA on June 11, 2025. (Photo by John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) / The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Im At the time, Carla Fredericks, director of First Peoples Worldwide, said 'Indigenous peoples were sort of left out of the civil rights movement in the late 1960s in many respects, because our conditions were so dire on reservations and our ability to engage publicly was very limited because of that. With social media now, obviously everything is very different.' In April, Trump weighed in on the Redskins name change, saying he had spoken to Indians who had a problem with the rebrand. Advertisement 'The Indians don't know why these names are being taken off,' Trump said. 'I think it's degrading to the Indian population and it's a great population. Washington... the Redskins... perhaps that's a little different, but I can tell you that I spoke to people of Indian heritage that loved that name and they love that team.' He added, 'I think it's a superior name to what they have now and it had heritage behind it, it had something special.'

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