Latest news with #Trump-loyal
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greene rips ‘screeching' Levin, Fox News
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) ripped Fox News, conservative pundit Mark Levin and others on the right she says are rooting for the U.S. to escalate the conflict in the Middle East. 'Mark Levin, obviously, he was a Never Trumper from the beginning. He hated Donald Trump. He was totally against him and tried to stop him from becoming president, but yet now somehow Mark Levin is the voice of MAGA? I don't think so,' Greene said during an appearance on former Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) show on One America News Network. 'We're MAGA. We're the voice of MAGA, and the people totally agree with us. So, you know, it doesn't matter what Mark Levin actually has to say,' she added in remarks first highlighted by Mediaite. The Georgia Republican continued, saying Levin's 'screeching' is 'unbearable' and adding, 'I think Fox News needs to reel him in, although I won't expect much out of them.' Greene is one of several Trump-loyal figures who has repeatedly attacked 'neo-cons' who argue the U.S. should play a bigger role in helping Israel fight its ongoing war with Iran. The Republican cited pundit Tucker Carlson, former White House aide Steve Bannon and others she says are more accurately representing the views of the president's followers on potential foreign wars. Levin hosts a Sunday evening program on Fox and is known for his fiery monologues, which often feature him raising his voice and admonishing Democrats, the media and others who oppose Trump. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Greene rips ‘screeching' Levin, Fox News
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) ripped Fox News, conservative pundit Mark Levin and others on the right she says are rooting for the U.S. to escalate the conflict in the Middle East. 'Mark Levin, obviously, he was a NeverTrumper from the beginning. He hated Donald Trump. He was totally against him and tried to stop him from becoming president, but yet now somehow Mark Levin is the voice of MAGA? I don't think so,' Greene said during an appearance on former Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) show on One America News Network. 'We're MAGA, we're the voice of MAGA, and the people totally agree with us. So, you know, it doesn't matter what Mark Levin actually has to say,' she added in remarks first highlighted by Mediaite. The Georgia Republican continued, saying Levin's 'screeching' is 'unbearable' and adding 'I think Fox News needs to reel him in, although I won't expect much out of them.' Greene is one of several Trump-loyal figures who has repeatedly attacked so-called 'neo-cons' who argue the U.S. should play a bigger role in helping Israel fight its ongoing war with Iran. The Republican cited pundit Tucker Carlson, former White House aide Steve Bannon and others she says are more accurately representing the views of the president's followers on potential foreign wars. Levin hosts a Sunday evening program on Fox, and is known for his fiery monologues, which often feature him raising his voice and admonishing Democrats, the media and others who oppose Trump.
The Star
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Trump uses trade to counter discords
IT was the kind of week that would make even a seasoned diplomat's head spin: China trade talks, India-Pakistan truce, a ceasefire with the Houthis and Iran nuclear negotiations. Not to mention a Gaza hostage release, new trade framework with the United Kingdom and the tantalising prospect of ending Russia's war in Ukraine. For President Donald Trump's boosters, these are proof that his hard-charging America First foreign and trade policies are yielding results better and faster than his predecessors could only imagine. At the same time, crucial elements remain unresolved on Iran as well as Ukraine, with Russia so far balking at a ceasefire, while India has disputed some US claims about its role in mediation efforts. Along with other norms, Trump's White House has jettisoned the diplomatic tradition of quietly building consensus among allies or between adversaries, opting instead to negotiate in public and in real time. Taken together, the latest moves reveal a White House eager to show it has momentum to pivot from a volatile first 100 days – marked by global market turmoil over tariffs – toward elusive resolutions to conflicts that Trump had promised to easily solve if he were granted a second term. 'There's a common thread, which is a desire for a telegenic deal, almost irrespective of what the terms of the deal are,' said Kori Schake, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who served in the George W Bush administration. 'They're not plotting through a 12-stage process toward peace in Gaza,' for instance, Schake said. 'They're just throwing a hat in the air and shooting at it, and seeing how people respond to it.' On Monday, Trump touted the results of Treasury secretary Scott Bessent's trade talks with China in Switzerland over the weekend as a 'total reset'. He didn't, however, highlight that the de-escalation on tariffs ended up meeting nearly all of Beijing's core demands and still leaves the world's top economies at odds over a trade war he started. A State Department spokesperson said Trump had brought the world closer to peace than ever before in conflicts that have lasted generations. James Hewitt, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said voters had 'entrusted him to deliver on advancing American interests.' 'President Trump is a man of action, not bureaucracy,' Hewitt said. Proponents of the president's style see it as a willingness to try new approaches to solve challenges like the Russian invasion of Ukraine or the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Trump since January 'has really broken the mold of the foreign policy establishment in dealing with some very difficult global challenges that other leaders, especially President Biden and his administration, were unable to deal with,' said Fred Fleitz, who served on the White House National Security Council in Trump's first administration and is now vice-chairman of the Centre for American Security at the Trump-loyal America First Policy Institute. Unorthodox style Trump's unorthodox style was apparent even before he took office, sending his main negotiator, real estate investor Steve Witkoff, to engage in talks for a temporary Gaza ceasefire. Witkoff has since become the point person for negotiating the war in Ukraine and Iran's nuclear programme, taking over high stakes issues that would traditionally fall to the secretary of State and the White House national security adviser. As for his efforts to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, 'at this point there's still more potential than delivery,' said Dennis Ross, who served as the White House's Middle East envoy under former US President Bill Clinton and is now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For Trump, 'business and transactions come first and doing what he defines as being in America's interest comes first'. Some dynamics of the Middle East developments are connected, with Trump's upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar accelerating them, according to Vali Nasr, a former adviser to the US State Department and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. For instance, he said, the Houthi deal, which Saudi Arabia aided, was seen by both Tehran and Washington as necessary to move forward their nuclear talks. Taken by surprise As well, the Houthi ceasefire was 'important to Qatar-US negotiations on Gaza and as necessary calm for Trump to visit to the region'. Even longtime ally Israel was taken by surprise. A negotiation to end the Houthis targeting of ships in the waters near Yemen covered only American vessels, although Israel is the main target. And Hamas's release of a US hostage, Edan Alexander, on Monday was greeted with relief and frustration in Israel, as it seemed to place the fate of someone with American citizenship above that of other Israelis. Trump is also more comfortable than most of his predecessors openly weaving together geopolitics and business, lining up tariff threats or big-ticket investments alongside ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Comprehensive leverage 'We're using the comprehensive leverage of the United States to get better deals, better outcomes for the United States,' said Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. That was the framework the Trump administration used for the India-Pakistan conflict. The president was clear he would use trade and tariffs to help quell a flareup between the two countries. 'If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade,' Trump said on Monday at the White House, recalling his administration's outreach to both sides. 'And all of a sudden they said, 'I think we're going to stop.' And they have. And they did it for a lot of reasons, but trade is a big one. 'People have never really used trade the way I used it, that I can tell you,' Trump said. — Bloomberg Eric Martin writes for Bloomberg. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump looms over New Jersey campaign as GOP looks to build on 2024 gains
The New Jersey governor's race could be President Donald Trump's first chance, since returning to the White House, to sway a major GOP primary — and allegiance to Trump has become a top issue in the race. The top two contenders, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and radio host Bill Spadea, met with Trump at the president's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club in late March, and both want his endorsement. But it's not clear if Trump will pick a favorite before the June 10 primary. 'It's will he or won't he? And as everyone knows, President Trump can be unpredictable at times,' said Jeanette Hoffman, a New Jersey GOP strategist who is not involved in the governor's race. 'By and large, the issue in the primary is who's the most Trump-loyal candidate in the race,' Hoffman added. That comes against the backdrop of Trump's gains in 2024 in New Jersey, where he improved his margin by 10 percentage points compared to 2020 — second-most of any state in the country. While the president still lost New Jersey by 6 points, it was the closest presidential result there in more than three decades, signaling both the new demographic coalition Trump has built for the GOP and the prospect that the 2025 governor's race could be competitive. Spadea and Ciattarelli told NBC News that they have not spoken to Trump since they met with him in late March, but they have taken their cases to the airwaves. Spadea launched his first TV ad this week, playing audio of Trump's appearance on his radio show from last May, when Trump told Spadea, 'You've had my back from the beginning' and criticized Ciattarelli for not asking Trump to campaign with him during his unsuccessful run for governor in 2021, which ended in a narrow defeat. The ad also uses artificial intelligence to portray Ciattarelli's voice reciting his 2015 criticisms that Trump was a 'charlatan' and unfit to be president. Ciattarelli's campaign launched its own attack ad in March featuring footage of Spadea saying on his radio show in 2021 that Trump 'failed' and that he did not want Trump to run again. Both candidates have dismissed the attacks. 'A whole lot of people said the things about Donald Trump back in 2015 and '16, including the vice president of the United States, JD Vance,' Ciattarelli said in a phone interview Thursday. He called Spadea's campaign 'one big lie' and accused him of trying to run from his own, more recent, criticisms of Trump. Ciattarelli also declined to say whether he disagreed with any of Trump's actions in his second term. 'I certainly support him 100% on what he doing with the border. We got to secure our nation,' Ciattarelli said. 'And I know it's going — he warned us about some short-term pain for the long-term gain. He's trying to hit the reset button on the trade imbalance. The trade imbalance affects all of us, and that's not an easy task.' Spadea campaign manager Tom Bonfonti accused Ciattarelli of trying to deflect from his past Trump critiques. Spadea himself noted that his relationship with Trump has persisted even when he has disagreed with the president, and said he was 'authentic with him about my history with him' when they spoke in March. 'I've been with him since the escalator,' Spadea told NBC News, referring to when Trump launched his first presidential campaign a decade ago. 'And although I have criticized some policy decisions, both publicly and privately, no question about it ... I have a real relationship with the president in that sense, and I think that's a positive. But I have been with him and I support his agenda 100%.' Spadea and Ciatarelli aren't the only ones appealing to the MAGA base. Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, who has been endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is a self-described 'forever Trumper.' Kranjac's campaign manager, Mike Byrne, said Kranjac has not spoken directly with Trump, but their team has been in touch with some people in Trump's 'orbit.' A fourth candidate, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who has criticized Trump, told NBC News he has not reached out to the White House. He said he would welcome an endorsement from the president but acknowledged he is unlikely to get it. Kellyanne Conway, Trump's former campaign manager and senior adviser who is working with the pro-Ciattarelli super PAC Kitchen Table Conservatives, told reporters last month that she believes the 'odds are' that Trump will endorse in the race and that he could back Ciattarelli. (Conway is not the only Trump alum tied to the race. His 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, is working with Spadea's campaign.) 'I never get ahead of the president,' Conway told NBC News. 'I know he had a very good meeting and exchange with Jack, and is a savvy consumer of polling data.' Ciattarelli has led the field public polling and outpaced his opponents on the airwaves, spending $3.2 million on ads so far, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Bramnick's campaign began launching ads in late February. Kranjac, who is self-funding his campaign, is expected to launch an ad soon, Byrne said. Ciattarelli's latest TV spot, which targets 'Trenton Democrats' on energy costs, is a sign that the former assemblyman may be turning his attention to the general election. But Trump could still shake up the primary if he decides to weigh in. And the jockeying for Trump's endorsement underscores just how quickly he has reshaped the GOP. In the state's last gubernatorial race in 2021, a pro-Trump candidate abruptly ended his campaign after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, clearing Ciattarelli's path to the nomination. He went on to lose by 3 points to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who cannot run again due to term limits. Ciattarelli did not campaign with Trump then. But this year, during a February debate, Ciattarelli joined the other candidates in saying they would welcome Trump to campaign the Garden State. Trump does have a mixed endorsement record in New Jersey, endorsing Christine Serrano Glassner one month before the GOP Senate primary last year, which she went on to lose. One of her opponents had already locked up support from county parties, which are powerful in New Jersey but used to have more sway over candidates' ballot positions than they do now. Spadea said Trump could have a 'tremendous' impact on the primary if he picks a favorite. Spadea said he has asked Trump for his endorsement, and he also invited Trump to campaign in New Jersey immediately following the primary, regardless of who wins. Ciattarelli declined to say if he asked for Trump's support when they met in March, but he said he does want the president's endorsement. Ciattarelli said he thanked Trump for temporary halting wind farms off the Jersey shore and for slamming New York Democrats on congestion pricing. He also said he told Trump 'all about how we can win in November here in New Jersey. And he was very thankful and excited about that prospect.' As for Trump voters who might still be skeptical of him, Ciattarelli said, 'All I know is that Republicans up and down the state of New Jersey want very much for us to have a Republican governor. My job is to make the case that I'm the only one that provides the only opportunity to win in November.' That electability case could carry weight with Trump. One GOP strategist, granted anonymity to speak candidly about Trump's endorsement process, noted that Trump weighs a candidate's viability in a primary and general election when deciding who to back. 'The president loves to support winners,' the strategist said. Spadea, though, argued that he is the more viable candidate. He cast his primary opponents as Democrats in disguise and said he can appeal to 'disaffected Democrats that feel their party has abandoned them,' especially on a range of social issues. Bramnick is also making an electability case in the primary, noting he has won a state Senate district that supports Democrats at the top of the ticket. Bramnick said he is moderate on abortion, as a self-described 'pro-choice Republican,' but conservative on immigration. 'Look, it's interesting to have positions that you believe are strong Republican, partisan positions. And guess what? You're going to lose,' Bramnick said. 'You have to appeal to not only Republicans, but also independents and moderate Democrats ... Otherwise we're going to be in a minority for another 20 years.' New Jersey Republicans believe they have a real shot at the governor's race, pointing both to Ciattarelli's close loss in 2021 and Trump's 6-point loss in November as proof that the party has momentum. 'I think New Jerseyans are really wearing out,' said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who chaired Trump's campaign in the Garden State and is staying neutral in the governor's race. 'I'm not saying they're becoming deep red, hard Republicans, but they want some voice of common sense.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Trump looms over New Jersey as GOP looks to build on 2024 gains
The New Jersey governor's race could be President Donald Trump's first chance, since returning to the White House, to sway a major GOP primary — and allegiance to Trump has become a top issue in the race. The top two contenders, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and radio host Bill Spadea, met with Trump at the president's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club in late March, and both want his endorsement. But it's not clear if Trump will pick a favorite before the June 10 primary. 'It's will he or won't he? And as everyone knows, President Trump can be unpredictable at times,' said Jeanette Hoffman, a New Jersey GOP strategist who is not involved in the governor's race. 'By and large, the issue in the primary is who's the most Trump-loyal candidate in the race,' Hoffman added. That comes against the backdrop of Trump's gains in 2024 in New Jersey, where he improved his margin by 10 percentage points compared to 2020 — second-most of any state in the country. While the president still lost New Jersey by 6 points, it was the closest presidential result there in more than three decades, signaling both the new demographic coalition Trump has built for the GOP and the prospect that the 2025 governor's race could be competitive. Spadea and Ciattarelli told NBC News that they have not spoken to Trump since they met with him in late March, but they have taken their cases to the airwaves. Spadea launched his first TV ad this week, playing audio of Trump's appearance on his radio show from last May, when Trump told Spadea, 'You've had my back from the beginning' and criticized Ciattarelli for not asking Trump to campaign with him during his unsuccessful run for governor in 2021, which ended in a narrow defeat. The ad also uses artificial intelligence to portray Ciattarelli's voice reciting his 2015 criticisms that Trump was a 'charlatan' and unfit to be president. Ciattarelli's campaign launched its own attack ad in March featuring footage of Spadea saying on his radio show in 2021 that Trump 'failed' and that he did not want Trump to run again. Both candidates have dismissed the attacks. 'A whole lot of people said the things about Donald Trump back in 2015 and '16, including the vice president of the United States, JD Vance,' Ciattarelli said in a phone interview Thursday. He called Spadea's campaign 'one big lie' and accused him of trying to run from his own, more recent, criticisms of Trump. Ciattarelli also declined to say whether he disagreed with any of Trump's actions in his second term. 'I certainly support him 100% on what he doing with the border. We got to secure our nation,' Ciattarelli said. 'And I know it's going — he warned us about some short-term pain for the long-term gain. He's trying to hit the reset button on the trade imbalance. The trade imbalance affects all of us, and that's not an easy task.' Spadea campaign manager Tom Bonfonti accused Ciattarelli of trying to deflect from his past Trump critiques. Spadea himself noted that his relationship with Trump has persisted even when he has disagreed with the president, and said he was 'authentic with him about my history with him' when they spoke in March. 'I've been with him since the escalator,' Spadea told NBC News, referring to when Trump launched his first presidential campaign a decade ago. 'And although I have criticized some policy decisions, both publicly and privately, no question about it ... I have a real relationship with the president in that sense, and I think that's a positive. But I have been with him and I support his agenda 100%.' Trump endorsement looms Spadea and Ciatarelli aren't the only ones appealing to the MAGA base. Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, who has been endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is a self-described 'forever Trumper.' Kranjac's campaign manager, Mike Byrne, said Kranjac has not spoken directly with Trump, but their team has been in touch with some people in Trump's 'orbit.' A fourth candidate, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who has criticized Trump, told NBC News he has not reached out to the White House. He said he would welcome an endorsement from the president but acknowledged he is unlikely to get it. Kellyanne Conway, Trump's former campaign manager and senior adviser who is working with the pro-Ciattarelli super PAC Kitchen Table Conservatives, told reporters last month that she believes the 'odds are' that Trump will endorse in the race and that he could back Ciattarelli. (Conway is not the only Trump alum tied to the race. His 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, is working with Spadea's campaign.) 'I never get ahead of the president,' Conway told NBC News. 'I know he had a very good meeting and exchange with Jack, and is a savvy consumer of polling data.' Ciattarelli has led the field public polling and outpaced his opponents on the airwaves, spending $3.2 million on ads so far, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Bramnick's campaign began launching ads in late February. Kranjac, who is self-funding his campaign, is expected to launch an ad soon, Byrne said. Ciattarelli's latest TV spot, which targets 'Trenton Democrats' on energy costs, is a sign that the former assemblyman may be turning his attention to the general election. But Trump could still shake up the primary if he decides to weigh in. And the jockeying for Trump's endorsement underscores just how quickly he has reshaped the GOP. In the state's last gubernatorial race in 2021, a pro-Trump candidate abruptly ended his campaign after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, clearing Ciattarelli's path to the nomination. He went on to lose by 3 points to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who cannot run again due to term limits. Ciattarelli did not campaign with Trump then. But this year, during a February debate, Ciattarelli joined the other candidates in saying they would welcome Trump to campaign the Garden State. Trump does have a mixed endorsement record in New Jersey, endorsing Christine Serrano Glassner one month before the GOP Senate primary last year, which she went on to lose. One of her opponents had already locked up support from county parties, which are powerful in New Jersey but used to have more sway over candidates' ballot positions than they do now. Spadea said Trump could have a 'tremendous' impact on the primary if he picks a favorite. Spadea said he has asked Trump for his endorsement, and he also invited Trump to campaign in New Jersey immediately following the primary, regardless of who wins. Ciattarelli declined to say if he asked for Trump's support when they met in March, but he said he does want the president's endorsement. Ciattarelli said he thanked Trump for temporary halting wind farms off the Jersey shore and for slamming New York Democrats on congestion pricing. He also said he told Trump 'all about how we can win in November here in New Jersey. And he was very thankful and excited about that prospect.' As for Trump voters who might still be skeptical of him, Ciattarelli said, 'All I know is that Republicans up and down the state of New Jersey want very much for us to have a Republican governor. My job is to make the case that I'm the only one that provides the only opportunity to win in November.' GOP eyes an opportunity That electability case could carry weight with Trump. One GOP strategist, granted anonymity to speak candidly about Trump's endorsement process, noted that Trump weighs a candidate's viability in a primary and general election when deciding who to back. 'The president loves to support winners,' the strategist said. Spadea, though, argued that he is the more viable candidate. He cast his primary opponents as Democrats in disguise and said he can appeal to 'disaffected Democrats that feel their party has abandoned them,' especially on a range of social issues. Bramnick is also making an electability case in the primary, noting he has won a state Senate district that supports Democrats at the top of the ticket. Bramnick said he is moderate on abortion, as a self-described 'pro-choice Republican,' but conservative on immigration. 'Look, it's interesting to have positions that you believe are strong Republican, partisan positions. And guess what? You're going to lose,' Bramnick said. 'You have to appeal to not only Republicans, but also independents and moderate Democrats ... Otherwise we're going to be in a minority for another 20 years.' New Jersey Republicans believe they have a real shot at the governor's race, pointing both to Ciattarelli's close loss in 2021 and Trump's 6-point loss in November as proof that the party has momentum. 'I think New Jerseyans are really wearing out,' said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who chaired Trump's campaign in the Garden State and is staying neutral in the governor's race. 'I'm not saying they're becoming deep red, hard Republicans, but they want some voice of common sense.'
