Why Mike Cox says he's running for governor in ‘decisive' election
Calling next year's election, 'decisive,' he joined U.S. Rep. John James and state Sen. Aric Nesbitt, who are also running for the Republican nomination.
Cox told News 8 that the state's education system has not improved despite increased funding and that's something he would focus on if elected, along with making sure jobs come back to the state.
'It's tragic to me that now our kids have fallen behind the whole country, literally, our fourth graders in reading. There's only two states behind us New Mexico and Alaska. We're back up to the second highest unemployment in America,' Cox said. 'And I know I have the skills, I know how to build a team, I know how to build a campaign and think this is a moment, not so much for me but for Michigan. 2026 is going to be decisive because it's really, do we get up off the ground and fight or do we accept more decline?'
Fully a year before the filing deadline, the field has already grown with a number of notable candidates. Democrats Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson have announced their campaigns. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says he is running as an independent.
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Buzz Feed
12 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
18 Trump Supporters Share Thoughts On Epstein Files
Tension surrounding the Trump administration's handling of information about Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes has been bubbling over the past couple of weeks — and it looks like it's not settling anytime soon. Between US Attorney General Pam Bondi claiming the Epstein files were sitting on her desk awaiting review (and then suddenly backtracking), the House GOP blocking an amendment that would force the Justice Department to release additional information about Epstein, and most recently, The Wall Street Journal reporting that Bondi told Trump back in May that his name appeared "multiple times" in the Epstein files, Donald Trump has, once again, found himself in hot water. But does Trump's potential connection to Jeffrey Epstein and his sex trafficking crimes have Trump supporters second-guessing their vote? Recently, Redditor u/Effective-Cream492 asked Reddit community members to share what their MAGA family members think about the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, and I'm disappointed but not entirely shocked: "I heard one of my MAGA uncles claim that Obama is actually the one in the files, and Trump is trying to preserve the dignity of the presidency by not releasing them. He said that Obama should be thanking Trump! Not sure why my uncle didn't say Clinton instead, but it's not my conspiracy." —TogarSucks "They're suddenly very quiet for people who used to scream about 'the list.'" "My dad doesn't care. He still think that it's Democrats trying to make Trump look bad." "'I don't love how they're handling the files, but overall, I stand by my vote.' Cue the eye roll." —grippysockgang "I have three MAGA family members who've touched on the subject. The first one didn't want to talk about it, the second one was like, 'Man, I don't know, we'll see,' and the third was like, 'Just put Vance in." So, out of a very narrow sample pool, I'd say they know how it all looks, even if they won't admit it." "They don't think it's a big deal. Like, they genuinely don't care." "They've been rather quiet lately." "'We were tricked, but so were you about Harris.' I'm not going to spend any time with Aunt Sherri anytime soon." —DarrenEdwards "My uncle won't call me back. Every time I call them, they refuse to answer. I told him I just want to talk about the Epstein case, but won't. That says it all." "Most of them are desperately trying to bury their heads in the sand. A few are in agreement that the list should come out, and that proven pedos should be buried under the prison, party be damned. But there are a few that don't know what's even going on since it's not an election year and they've already pulled the ladder up behind themselves." "My family believes Trump. They think all the Epstein stuff is a Democratic hoax. I try to provide facts and evidence, but any source I provide to them is either 'fake news' or 'out to get Trump.' It's exhausting." "They don't care. Trust me, Trump supporters don't care about anything — including each other." —indefilade "Some have come to their senses. Others are trying to make sense of it, but can't make the leap. I'm waiting to engage with others so that I can corner them into 'panic mode' and catch them saying some dumb shit they have to live with. I honestly spend way too much mental bandwidth having fictitious debates that never materialize. It's not healthy, but I need to find some way to productively contribute to slowing the collapse of our culture." "A person I know says that Trump is still better than a Democratic president. He doesn't really care about Trump scandals, including this one. I choose not to talk about this at all because they're clearly delusional." "I was told to leave Trump alone and 'let him have his four years' because 'they didn't pick on Biden this bad.' I'm fucking over these people." —nimrod823 "They're doing what they always do: turning their attention toward Obama/Clinton/Biden at the behest of the current administration and its allies in the media. They're taking the bait because it's a great opportunity for them to distract themselves from the actual controversy that may implicate their beloved president in heinous crimes." "My MAGA parents are suddenly acting like they don't watch the news; my MAGA husband suddenly doesn't care about politics and thinks that ALL the news channels reporting anything bad about Trump are compromised; my MAGA in-laws haven't said a word online, though we aren't speaking anyway, so I don't know. I thought this would be a wake-up call, but I guess it needs to get worse for some people to actually wake up." Lastly: "My dad believes that Trump is covering up for other people, not himself. He believes that Trump could be on the list, but that he never actually did anything. Like, Trump may have known what was going on, but never agreed with it or participated. And, according to my dad, if he never agreed, then it's fine." —cantyoukeepasecret If you have Trump-supporting family members, what do they think about how the Trump administration is handling the Epstein case? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your response using the form below.
The Hill
12 minutes ago
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House panel approves subpoenas of DOJ for Epstein files
A House Oversight subcommittee on Wednesday approved several subpoenas, including one directing the Department of Justice to turn over materials relating to the Epstein files. The federal law enforcement subcommittee also approved a motion to subpoena several high-profile Democratic officials, including former President Clinton, for their testimony. The panel approved the Epstein motion, offered by Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), in an 8-2 vote, with Republican Reps. Nancy Mace (S.C.), Scott Perry (Pa.), and Brian Jack (Ga.) joining Democrats in favor. 'Today, Oversight Democrats fought for transparency and accountability on the Epstein files and won. House Republicans didn't make it easy, but the motion was finally passed to force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files,' Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement. 'Let's be clear: this is a huge win for the American people. The public deserves to know who was complicit in Epstein's heinous crimes, including people with immense power in our government. Today's vote was just the first step toward accountability, and we will continue pushing for the truth.' An amendment to Lee's motion from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) to include the release of all communications between President Biden or Biden Administration officials and the Department of Justice related to Jeffrey Epstein was adopted by voice vote. And an amendment from Mace to redacting the names of victims and any personally identifiable information of victims, as well as any possible material depicting child abuse, was also adopted by voice vote. The committee also approved by voice vote a motion from Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) to 'expand the full committee's investigation' into the Epstein matter by also issuing subpoenas to a number of high profile former Democratic officials: Former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, former FBI Director and Special Counsel Robert Meuller. Perry's motion also called to subpoena three former GOP officials: Attorney General Bill Barr and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who served under Trump; and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush. The motions for subpoenas come after the full Oversight committee on Tuesday approved a subpoena for Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is in prison for aiding Epstein in child sex trafficking. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) officially issued that subpoena on Wednesday. The flurry of subpoenas come as House GOP leaders moved to send members home for August recess a day early after disputes about the Epstein matter — and an unwillingness to face Democratic votes trying to squeeze Republicans on the Epstein issue in the House Rules Committee — stymied the House. But Democrats are seeing success in getting Republican support for their Epstein-related amendments in the Oversight panel.
The Hill
12 minutes ago
- The Hill
WSJ: DOJ told Trump his name was in Epstein files
Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in files related to the late financier and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new bombshell report in the Wall Street Journal. Bondi and her deputy told the president that Justice Department officials reviewed what she described as a 'truckload' of documents on Epstein and discovered the president's name appeared multiple times, according to the report, which cited senior administration officials. Bondi also told Trump that many other high-profile individuals were named in the files — which alone is not a sign of wrongdoing. One official familiar with the documents told the Journal that the files contain hundreds of names. Trump was told at the meeting that the DOJ did not intend to release any more files on Epstein because the material included child pornography and personal information of Epstein's alleged victims, the Journal reported. DOJ officials also saw the documents as containing unverified hearsay about Trump and others, Bondi told Trump. Officials told the Journal that the information was disclosed during a routine briefing at the White House, and that the Epstein files were not the focus of the meeting. A source confirmed to The Hill's sister network NewsNation that Bondi informed Trump during a May briefing that his name was mentioned in the files. Bondi said publicly in February that Epstein's alleged client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' On July 7, the Department of Justice released a memo concluding there was no 'client list' and said officials did not plan to disclose additional files. The memo set off a torrent of criticism from the president's own base of supporters — who had long called for the release of documents on Epstein — and from Democrats, who seized the opportunity to add to the president's negative coverage. Trump has expressed his frustration at the public's continued focus on the Epstein story and has encouraged his party to move on to other priorities. But the story has divided the Republican party to such an extent that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) canceled votes in the House on Thursday and sent the chamber home a day early to avoid holding a vote on calling for the release of documents. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche referred back to the July memo in response to the Journal's reporting. 'The DOJ and FBI reviewed the Epstein Files and reached the conclusion set out in the July 6 memo. Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts. As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings,' they said in a joint statement. 'The memo released on July 6th is consistent with the thorough review conducted by the FBI and DOJ. The criminal leakers and Fake News media tries tirelessly to undermine President Trump with smears and lies, and this story is no different,' FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. Trump and Epstein had acknowledged running in similar circles but reportedly had a falling out years ago. 'The fact is that The President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about,' White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement responding to the Journal's reporting.
