Pete Hegseth to campaign with Thomas Massie rival in Kentucky as Trump lays into Republican critic – US politics live | US news
All eyes on Kentucky as Massie and Gallrein head to the primary
Tomorrow is election day in Kentucky’s fourth congressional district, and the race for Republican representative is between the two parties. Incumbent Thomas Massie – a constant problem for Trump – and Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein.
Massie is hosting a pulled pork and chicken dinner for his supporters tonight at Veteran’s Memorial Park to talk about what he hopes to accomplish at the convention. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to appear on the field in Kentucky at 1 p.m. to support Gallrein. Hegseth and Gallrein will appear together at an event organized by America’s Early Worksa conservative grassroots advocacy organization.
Reps. Lauren Boebart and Warren Davidson stood by Massie during a meeting. Campaign event on SundayWhile Trump continues to berate her on Truth Social.
“Third Class Congressman Thomas Massie, a Weak and Pathetic RINO from the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky,” said Trump. “He should be dismissed immediately!”
Trump and Gallrein’s chances seem better. on saturday, Bill Cassidy, the Republican senator from Louisiana who voted to convict Trump in the 2021 impeachment trial over the January insurrection, has been eliminated from the primaries.
important events
A senior Taiwanese diplomat said on Monday that Taiwan would “welcome” the opportunity after its leader raised the possibility with US President Donald Trump.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he needed to talk to the man “who runs Taiwan” (an apparent reference to President Lai Ching-te) about arms sales.
A meeting between Lai and Trump would lead to a major rupture in US diplomatic policy and risk a rift with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
Trump made this statement to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington after the summit in Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping pressured him not to support Taiwan.
In response to the question of whether he would continue arms sales to Taiwan, Trump said, “I’ll make a decision. I’ll see.”
“I need to talk to the person (you know who it is) who is currently ruling Taiwan.”
Dozens of state anti-vaccine bills backed by Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) supporters failed after public health groups won over Republican state lawmakers, marking a series of defeats for supporters of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The failures show a limit to the political power of MAHA coalition groups, which have set out to pass laws against mandatory vaccinations in at least 10 states this year; The group hopes to capitalize on rising anti-vaccine sentiment and their role in helping elect President Donald Trump.
Pro-vaccine groups and medical associations, including American Vaccination Families, the American Academy of Pediatrics and others, have lobbied government agencies against bills aimed at ending policies such as requiring vaccinations in schools, according to Reuters interviews with seven organizations.
Vaccine advocates used poll data and personal appeals to convince lawmakers in Republican-controlled states like West Virginia, Louisiana and Florida that their voters support vaccination and that MAHA-backed bills pose a threat to public health.
According to Fortune magazine, Trump may have to wait for interest rate cuts until the Iran war is over
President Donald Trump acknowledged in an interview with Fortune magazine published Monday that he may have to wait until the war with Iran is over to cut further interest rates.
“You can’t really look at the numbers until the war is over,” he said.
Trump said Iran is eager to sign a ceasefire agreement with the United States. “But they make a deal and then they send you a document that has nothing to do with the deal you made.” he told Fortune.
The president also said the U.S. government “should have asked for more” than shares in Intel.
The Trump administration took a 10% stake in Intel last year and announced it would invest about $10 billion in the chip maker to build or expand factories in the United States.
Eight months after the deal, the government’s position in Intel had grown to over $50 billion.
Redistricting debate shifts to South Carolina as Republicans look to make a clean sweep of House seats
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics.
South Carolina’s effort to reshape congressional districts will make its debut at the State House on Monday.
Lawmakers will begin a long and potentially bitter debate over whether to accept President Donald Trump’s call for a U.S. House map that could provide a clean sweep for Republicans, the AP reported.
Debates are already underway in Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana as Republicans seek to capitalize on a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts.
The decision cleared the way for Republicans to redraw districts with large black populations that elect Democrats. In South Carolina, that means targeting the seat long held by Rep. Jim Clyburn, the only Democrat among the state’s seven representatives in the House of Representatives.
Clyburn said he has no intention of retiring, even if his district changes. He told reporters in Washington last week that he has addresses in Columbia, Charleston and Santee, adding:
I live in three counties. I will decide which one to enter.
“This is not about Jim Clyburn’s district,” he added. “This isn’t about voting. This is about turning back the clock to Jim Crow 2.0.”
Early voting for South Carolina’s June 9 statewide primary is scheduled to begin May 26. In addition to redrawing congressional districts, legislation pending in the state House would move House primaries to August. If approved in the House, the bill must go to the Senate.
In other developments:
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A U.S. Senate official on Saturday removed security funding that could have been used for Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom from a major spending package.Democratic lawmakers said that jeopardized Republican efforts to devote taxpayer money to the controversial project.
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Republican senator Bill Cassidy lost his primary on SaturdayVoters in Louisiana chose to advance the two challengers to a runoff after Trump’s extraordinary intervention to oust the incumbent.
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Two days away from the next big test of Trump’s firm grip on his party, the president faced off against his nemesis Thomas Massie on Sunday. The Kentucky congresswoman fighting for her political life in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
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Workers renovating one of Washington, D.C.’s most historically symbolic landmarks at Trump’s behest may be risking their safety as they race to finish the job on time A union that inspects the site for the 250th anniversary celebrations of the USA warned.
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FBI director Kash Patel faces new scrutiny after reports that he participated in a snorkeling expedition around the USS Arizona During a trip to Hawaii last summer.
