Latest news with #conservative
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
How a Trump rally turned this former cop into a conservative Youtube star
Brandon Tatum's journey to become one of the most popular conservative influencers was a unique one that began at an Arizona Trump rally during the 2016 election. Known as "The Officer Tatum" on social media, Tatum has millions of followers and subscribers across all platforms where he shares his opinions and reactions to political issues, the media, and hot cultural issues. Tatum spoke with Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview about how he got there. Tatum's journey began as a college football player at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. However, he wasn't selected in the NFL draft, so he set his career sights elsewhere with his college degree, and explored various career opportunities in Tucson. As Tatum was searching, he needed to find something to be able to provide for his family. He applied to join the police department and got a response. Tatum did a ride-along with Officer Sean Payne, who inspired him to pursue a career in law enforcement. "He's since retired, but you know he changed my life… doing that ride along with him inspired me to be a police officer. And I always say this when I speak about it is for the first time in my life, I saw a hero in Sean Payne and I said, you know, I want to be a hero like him," Tatum said. Tatum said he wanted to serve his community and described his career as a police officer as "incredible." "I was a SWAT operator. I was a field training officer, which is, I trained new officers," he said. "I was crisis intervention trained, which means I negotiated and helped people in crisis, people who are trying to commit suicide, you name it." "I was there to help," he added. It was a full-circle moment for Tatum, who previously didn't have a good experience with the police growing up. "I didn't really like police officers from the community I grew up in," he said. "I actually got arrested when I was eight years old for smoking marijuana in a vacant house. So my first experiences with police officers were of me going to jail and not necessarily experiencing police officers that were in the community to help." And then, Tatum had a political awakening. "When I first saw those taxes come out of my paycheck, I realized that I needed to start voting and being politically active," Tatum said. He realized his views aligned more with the Republican Party. "Growing up being Black in America, by default, most of us are Democrat, so it really opened my eyes to saying, you know what, I think I align with the Republican Party more. I'm a conservative, I love God. I mean, all the things that I think most people would identify, associated with conservatism or Republicans," Tatum shared. The 2016 election changed Tatum's life in a big way. A video Tatum posted describing his experience at a Tucson Trump rally went viral overnight. He then made an appearance on "Fox & Friends" to describe posting the video and his support for the future president. "I think Donald Trump is a good candidate and I think that he has the tangibles, and he has the ability to make this country great again," Tatum told "Fox & Friends" in March 2016. Following that appearance, he realized the importance of making his voice heard. "I have a voice. I need to really speak out about these things that I see that are absolutely ridiculous," Tatum said. Since then, Tatum has been vocal online about various issues over the last decade, including Colin Kaepernick's NFL protests and the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nate Schatzline exits race for Texas Senate after new candidate announces her run
Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline is withdrawing his days-old candidacy for a state Senate seat after a conservative activist with ties to Patriot Mobile announced Friday that she intends to run. Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican, announced on June 27 that he is no longer running for Senate District 9. His exit comes as Republican Leigh Wambsganss enters the race. The Senate seat is open after Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills resigned to become the Texas comptroller starting July 1. On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Nov. 4 will be the date for a special election in Senate District 9. The filing period ends Sept. 3. Wambsganss is a political activist in North Texas who has served on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee for more than a decade, according to her campaign announcement. She is the chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, according to her LinkedIn. The Christian conservative cell phone company's political action arm has worked to elect conservative candidates in North Texas school board races. 'I am announcing my campaign for Texas Senate, District 9, because this district deserves a proven conservative fighter,' Wambsganss said in a statement. 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values. I am not a career politician—I'm a battle-tested conservative who gets results.' Wambsganss has the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Schatzline announced his bid for the North Texas Senate seat on June 24. Instead, he will run for reelection in 2026 in House District 93. In a statement, Schatzline said the pivot came after 'prayerful consideration, conversations with my family, and an assessment of where I can be most effective.' He threw his support behind Wambsganss in a social media post. 'I am officially announcing my re-election campaign for Texas House District 93!' Schatzline said. 'My #1 goal was for SD9 to be represented by a true conservative, & with Leigh Wambsganss, that's exactly what you'll get. She has my full support. Can't wait to fight for Faith, Family, & Freedom alongside you in Austin!' Schatzline's Friday reelection announcement included an endorsement from Gov. Greg Abbott. House District 93 in Tarrant County covers Blue Mound and Haslet, and includes parts of Fort Worth and Saginaw. Senate District 9 spans part of Tarrant County, including Hurst, Keller, North Richland Hills, White Settlement, Haltom City, Saginaw, Watuga, most of Southlake, and portions of portions of Fort Worth, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook and Arlington. Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat from Fort Worth who works at Lockheed Martin, is also running for the open North Texas Senate seat.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The contest coincides with the state's November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to elect representation for local offices and vote on numerous ballot measures, including 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The candidate filing deadline for the Senate District 9 special election is Sept. 3, with early voting to start Oct. 20. Earlier Friday, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy to fill the vacant seat. Shortly after her announcement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president of the Senate, endorsed Wambsganss, saying she would be a 'great addition to our conservative Texas Senate.' In a statement announcing her bid, Wambsganss said she was 'not a career politician' but a 'battle-tested conservative who gets results.' 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values,' she said. Wambsganss is a former congressional staffer and a longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee. She has also spearheaded the Patriot Mobile Action, a PAC that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to school boards across North Texas in 2022. Soon after Wambsganss's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, withdrew his own bid for the seat and endorsed her. A Democratic candidate, veteran and union president Taylor Rehmet, is also running for the seat. The North Texas district leans solidly Republican and covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County's northern suburbs. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried the district with 58% of the vote. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Hancock's term, which runs until January 2027. The seat is up for reelection in 2026. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The contest coincides with the state's November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to elect representation for local offices and vote on numerous ballot measures, including 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The candidate filing deadline for the Senate District 9 special election is Sept. 3, with early voting to start Oct. 20. Earlier Friday, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy to fill the vacant seat. Shortly after her announcement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president of the Senate, endorsed Wambsganss, saying she would be a 'great addition to our conservative Texas Senate.' In a statement announcing her bid, Wambsganss said she was 'not a career politician' but a 'battle-tested conservative who gets results.' 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values,' she said. Wambsganss is a former congressional staffer and a longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee. She has also spearheaded the Patriot Mobile Action, a PAC that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to school boards across North Texas in 2022. Soon after Wambsganss's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, withdrew his own bid for the seat and endorsed her. A Democratic candidate, veteran and union president Taylor Rehmet, is also running for the seat. The North Texas district leans solidly Republican and covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County's northern suburbs. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried the district with 58% of the vote. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Hancock's term, which runs until January 2027. The seat is up for reelection in 2026. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Money announces reelection bid for Texas House District 2
State Rep. Brent Money – a conservative Republican representing Texas House District 2 – officially announced his campaign for re-election Wednesday, highlighting what he called a strong record of fulfilling promises and advancing conservative priorities during his first term. Money said his focus in his first term has remained on defending traditional values, lowering taxes and empowering parents in education – themes he plans to continue if given a second term. 'This legislative session was monumental for Texans,' Money said in a prepared statement. 'When I make a promise, I will follow through. I said I'd work relentlessly to protect the sanctity of life and the innocence of children and I did. I said I'd fight to lower taxes and I did. I said I'd open the door for parents to direct their child's education regardless of their income and we passed the most consequential education freedom bill this country has ever seen.' Throughout his time in office, Money said he supported legislation aimed at curbing abortion, advancing school choice and securing elections. He added that he played a key role in restoring Senate Bill 2753 – originally altered into a study – back to a version designed to streamline the election process. Money also said he backed legislation requiring renewable energy companies to clean up decommissioned equipment and advocated for expanded opportunities for local egg sellers as prices rose. 'The work is nowhere near done,' Money said. 'Texans are still being crushed under unfathomably high property taxes. The left is still coming for our family values. We can't back down now. I am committed to ensuring that Texas remains a beacon of freedom and opportunity.' Money represents House District 2, which includes Hunt, Hopkins and Van Zandt counties. He easily won the 2024 general election race for the seat over Democrat Kristen Washington – outdistancing Washington by a 71,149 (80.58%) to 17,150 (19.42%) victory.
