governor

Trump turns red state Republicans against their own governor

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt — a Republican who also serves as chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) — is losing the support of his fellow Oklahoma Republicans as they side with President Donald Trump in the president’s public feud with him. At issue: Stitt is fighting Trump over the president’s refusal to allow specific Democratic governors (Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado) to attend the NGA’s annual White House meeting.

Atty. Gen. Gentner Drummond said he agreed with Trump in calling Stitt a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) for arguing that all America’s governors should be invited to the annual event, as is tradition for the NGA. Drummond is running in the upcoming GOP primary to replace Stitt as governor.

“Governor Stitt misrepresented the President’s invitation to the governors and has often taken baffling positions that are out of step with Oklahoma republicans,” Drummond said.

Chip Keating, Oklahoma’s former Secretary of Public Safety, said that Stitt and Keating’s other opponents in the gubernatorial race “were never known as ‘Trump guys’ before they announced for governor. These office-hoppers are only loyal to their next election, not to the Oklahomans who elected them and overwhelmingly voted for President Trump all three times.”

Trump and Stitt began feuding over the NGA event when the White House allegedly withheld invitations to Democratic governors. Stitt responded by withdrawing the NGA from business breakfast and a follow up black tie dinner. On Wednesday Stitt publicly stated that all 55 governors and territory leaders were invited, characterizing the earlier dispute as a “misunderstanding.”

Trump replied by going on his Truth Social platform to claim that there had been no misunderstanding, but rather that Stitt “incorrectly stated” Trump’s position. He later described Stitt as a “very mediocre” governor who “called for help” during the 2022 gubernatorial election.

“I Endorsed him, and he won – Sorry, my cherished Oklahoma, to have done that to you!” Trump said.

Stitt initially was a very vocal supporter of Trump, but has recently split with the president on his National Guard deployments and immigration policies. He has also feuded with Ryan Walters, the former Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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'Double-burned by Trump': Stefanik suspends campaign for governor and retires from House

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a “staunch” Trump ally, late Friday afternoon suspended her campaign for governor after failing to secure President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The New York Republican also announced she will not seek re-election to Congress.

“I did not come to this decision lightly for our family,” Stefanik said in her statement, while insisting that she would have “overwhelmingly won this primary.” Instead, she decided that “it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”

Earlier this year, Congresswoman Stefanik saw her nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations withdrawn. She also battled with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, at times very publicly.

“At war with Johnson and double-burned by Trump, what’s the incentive to finish her term?” asked New York Times congressional correspondent Annie Karni.

“WOW,” exclaimed Inside Elections’ Jacob Rubashkin, “a roller coaster of a few years for Stefanik, who seemed on a rocket ship to GOP leadership, then to a UN ambassadorship, then to the gubernatorial nomination, and now with none and headed for the exits.”

Cook Political Report’s Matthew Klein noted that “Stefanik’s path was borderline nonexistent. She was simply way too conservative and Trump-aligned to win in New York state.”

“Quite the rise and fall story,” observed former anchor turned podcaster Chuck Todd. “Sliding doors alternative histories galore with her career.”

“She went from moderate to full MAGA for nothing,” noted HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery.

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'The absolute worst of us': Trump blasted for 'deranged' remark on governor's weight

President Donald Trump deviated from his speech pardoning two turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving to attack one prominent Democratic governor presumed to run for the presidency in 2028.

During his remarks at the White House on Tuesday, Trump spent a portion of his speech talking about 26 year-old Bethany MaGee, who was set on fire while riding a train in Chicago, Illinois and is currently being treated for her injuries in a local hospital. Trump launched into an attack on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), suggested their policies were to blame for the attack.

"The mayor is incompetent, and the governor is a big, fat slob," Trump said. "He ought to invite us in and say, 'please make Chicago safe.' We're going to lose a great city if we don't do it quickly."

The president's remarks were quickly met with ridicule and disdain on social media. Former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), who previously represented a Chicago-area district in Congress and officially switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat this year, called Trump "the absolute worst of us."

"This Thanksgiving, as you sit around the table with family & friends, be the opposite of Trump," Walsh wrote. "Pledge this Thanksgiving to be the exact opposite of Trump."

"Ah yes, the eloquence of a man sporting 3 diapers, 2 cankles, and 1 pair of dangerously stretched spanks," quipped Jason DeSanto, who is a lecturer at the Chicago-based Northwestern University School of Law.

Trump's comments garnered outrage even outside of Chicago. Google policy specialist Lauren Leavell called the president "a rot to American society," and lamented that Americans have "come to normalize this behavior." Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann wrote: "The porky president has anosognosia," which is a condition in which a person's brain is incapable of recognizing their own health conditions.

"There is no off switch for this buffoon," writer Sean Colarossi tweeted. "Not even a light-hearted turkey pardoning event is safe from his deranged rantings and petty attacks."

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'It's all a big show': Illinois governor exposes Trump official behind 'staged' raids

During a Tuesday press conference, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) took direct aim at President Donald Trump after he reiterated his plan to send the National Guard to his state.

Pritzker held his press conference directly after Trump concluded his own remarks to reporters in the Oval Office. In one exchange, Trump promised that he was going to send troops to Chicago, Illinois, though he refrained from saying exactly when he would order the deployment. Pritzker — who is considered a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – particularly took issue with Trump requesting that he "beg" the administration for federal assistance.

"I also have experience asking the president for assistance, just to have the rug pulled out from underneath me," Pritzker said. "I refuse to play a reality game show with Donald Trump again. What I want are the federal dollars that have been promised to Illinois and Chicago for violence prevention programs that have proven to work."

"That is money that Illinois taxpayers send to the federal government," he continued. "And it's an insult to any and every citizen to suggest that any governor should have to beg the president of any political party for resources owed their people."

The two-term Illinois governor went on to say that Trump's plan to conduct immigration raids in Chicago will likely resemble the administration's efforts in Los Angeles, California, in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents largely focused on detaining day laborers with no criminal record despite a promise to only target violent offenders. He added that White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller likely chose September as the month the administration would zero in on Chicago due to planned events celebrating Mexican Independence Day (which takes place on September 16). And he specifically identified the Trump administration official spearheading the effort in Chicago.

"None of this is about fighting crime or making Chicago safer. None of it," he said. "For Trump, it's about testing his power and producing a political drama to cover up for his corruption. If you need any proof of this — that it's all a big show — well, look at who they're putting in charge: Gregory Bovino, a guy who desperately wants to be a reality TV star."

"He led the cruel adventures of ICE in Los Angeles, and he's been sent here to do the very same thing" Pritzker said. "Go look at his social media. He terrorizes innocent people, and then posts on TikTok edits of himself. Apparently, this is a Trump administration norm, because the last time we saw staged major ICE raids in Chicago, they sent Dr. Phil here to embed with the agents so he could get views and likes for his social media."

Watch the video of Pritzker's comments below, or by clicking this link.

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'Just wait and see': Former GOP gov says Republicans' political headache is just beginning

A former Republican governor believes the GOP committed multiple grave errors in passing President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that will come back to haunt them in next year's midterm elections.

During a Thursday segment on MSNBC, former Ohio Governor John Kasich lamented that he hated to "rain on this parade" after having been a Republican member of Congress, arguing that Democrats now have plenty of ammunition with which to use on Republicans over the next year and a half. He observed that even before the bill was passed, Democrats succeeded in convincing broad majorities of Americans to oppose the legislation.

"What you're going to see from the Democrats, in my opinion, is you're going to see vivid examples of the people that are going to be affected. They're now talking about foster children who are disabled, who are going to lose their health insurance. That's what you're going to see as we approach this midterm," Kasich said. "And the question is, can the Republicans somehow get on the top of this?"

"This issue is going to be about healthcare, and the Democrats will use this in a very personal way. They will be very specific," he continued. "They're not going to talk about lots of numbers. They're going to give examples of people and families that are going to be affected here."

The two-term Ohio governor also acknowledged that Trump's massive budget bill would significantly increase the federal deficit by trillions of dollars — mostly due to its 10-year extension of tax cuts that are skewed in favor of the richest Americans. He warned his party that their ceding of the moral high ground on debt and deficits may prove costly next year.

"The Committee for a Responsible Budget, which is made up of a lot of retired Republicans and Democrats who are really involved in fiscal matters, have blasted this bill because of the enormous increase to the national debt," he said. "... If the national debt doesn't get addressed soon, we are all going to pay a significant, significant price, And you're going to see more and more focus on the consequences of what happens when you keep bringing up bills and you can't pay those bills. Just wait and see."

Watch the clip of Kasich's remarks below, or by clicking this link.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

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Former red state gov says Trump's 'ludicrous' bill puts rural Americans 'in harm's way'

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate is expected to vote Monday night on President Donald Trump's signature domestic policy legislation, and one former high-ranking Republican is now urging his fellow conservatives to take a stand against it.

During a Monday segment on MSNBC's "The Weeknight," former Montana Governor Marc Racicot (R) — who led the Big Sky State between 1993 and 2001 — slammed the bill as uniquely harmful for Americans in rural states like his. After hosts Michael Steele, Symone Sanders-Townsend and Alicia Melendez played a clip of Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) defending the bill as good for the country, Racicot blasted his fellow Republicans as being in thrall of an "autocrat" and being more afraid of angering Trump than hurting their own constituents.

"That's patent nonsense. It's absolutely ludicrous," Racicot said. "In the state of Montana ... we have 56 counties. We're spread over 150,000 square miles, and 50 out of our 56 counties do not have the kind of facilities that allow for people to be treated without Medicare and without Medicaid."

"We don't have rural clinics or hospitals that can respond," he continued. "In addition to that, we have we have seven Indian reservations that, again, are placed in in harm's way ... the infrastructure that we put in place as a result of Medicaid serves those families as well. So it's just unbelievable to me that these Republicans would proceed thinking that they're people of conscience, and somehow they're doing something good for the country. I don't think they even know what's in the bill."

The Senate's version of the legislation already cuts Medicaid by roughly $1 trillion over 10 years, meaning many rural hospitals in predominantly red states like Montana are at risk of closing if the current version of the bill is signed into law. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va) has already acknowledged that her constituents could be deeply impacted by the legislation.

Racicot went on to opine that one main reason the bill could be passed is because Republicans in Congress are operating "upon the basis of bigotry and the whining and complaining and grievance and resentment" of their fellow Americans. He added that it was "incredibly unfortunate" that so many members of his party were working "to the great detriment of the people of this country."

"What I'm really fearful of is that when they find out what this does, when they learn what it is — and I wish we could avoid the catastrophe — but I'm fearful we can't avoid this calamity until it happens," Racicot said. "And then it's going to be an ultimate disaster."

Watch the segment below, or by clicking this link.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

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Not MAGA enough: Trump's team may campaign against Republican gov candidate

One Republican gubernatorial hopeful in Mississippi who frequently praises President Donald Trump may still find himself up against the president's political operation in the upcoming GOP primary race.

Mississippi Today reported recently that Republican State Auditor Shad White, who is rumored to be running in the Magnolia State's 2027 gubernatorial race, has found himself at odds with Trumpworld over his office's investigation into former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. The NFL legend and Mississippi native — who is close friends with the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. — was implicated in a corruption scandal in which he was paid more than $1 million in speaking fees for speeches he never gave.

White's office led the investigation into the misappropriated money, which came from Mississippi's welfare fund meant for the state's poorest families. While Favre has repaid the $1.1 million in fees, he reportedly has yet to pay back over $700,000 in interest.

According to Mississippi Today, one unnamed official in Trump's orbit said that the president's political operation does not hold White "in high regard" due to his pursuit of Favre. The source compared White to New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump's real estate operation for fraudulently inflating the value of its properties.

"[White’s] fight with Brett Favre has not set right with us,” the source said.

Despite the coldness Trump's team reportedly feels toward White, the Mississippi state auditor reiterated his support for Trump and his agenda, saying that he's "supported the President for years, his team knows this, and I’m working nonstop to advance the America First agenda here in Mississippi against the establishment swamp that’s dead set on stopping our fight for hardworking Mississippians."

"These unsubstantiated lies you are printing about me won’t deter me or my team from finding waste and fraud and expose any abuse by politicians desperate to protect their power," he told the outlet.

Click here to read Mississippi Today's full report.

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'Challenging situation for Trump': Marjorie Taylor Greene may run for another major office

Despite officially pulling out of Georgia's Republican U.S. Senate primary this week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) may still seek a higher office next year — and some Republicans believe President Donald Trump may feel the need to intervene.

Semafor reported Friday that Greene may throw her hat in the ring in next year's gubernatorial race in the Peach State, as current Republican Governor Brian Kemp is term-limited and will have to leave office at the end of next year. One unnamed Republican strategist told the outlet that this "could create a challenging situation for Trump," given that he was apparently involved in making sure she didn't follow through on her talk of running for Senate.

“All the polling shows I blow out a primary for governor or Senate,” Greene said after abandoning her Senate plans. “I think it’s smart for me to consider that, having so much support in the state of Georgia.”

While Greene's MAGA bonafides are likely sufficient to win a Republican primary, that could also be her undoing in a general election – particularly in a purple state like Georgia, which in 2021 elected two Democratic U.S. senators for the first time in decades. A different Republican operative told Semafor that they "still think [Greene] would have significant liabilities in the general election" in Georgia.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio commissioned the poll showing that Greene would lose a hypothetical 2026 general election matchup against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) by 18 points. And before Greene announced she wasn't running for Senate, Gov. Kemp was reportedly planning to meet with Trump at the White House to discuss who to unite behind in order to make sure Greene wouldn't advance to the general election.

Greene is apparently not worried about whether Trump ultimately endorses her, should she run for governor next year.

“I don’t make my decisions that way,” the far-right Georgia Republican told Semafor. “I didn’t have the president’s endorsement the first time I ran, and I beat eight men in the primary and a neurosurgeon in the runoff.”

Click here to read Semafor's report in full.

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Governor brutally mocks Kristi Noem ahead of upcoming visit with message to 'pet owners'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to fly to the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday for a press conference decrying the state's approach to immigration. Now, the Prairie State's Democratic chief executive is trolling Noem ahead of her visit.

Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson tweeted Tuesday that Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office issued an announcement ahead of Noem's arrival. The statement asked "all pet owners in the region to make sure all of your beloved animals are under watchful protection while the Secretary is in the region."

That statement is almost certainly a reference to Noem's autobiography in which she recalled taking her family dog, Cricket, into a gravel pit and shooting it to death because it wasn't good at hunting prey. After experiencing severe backlash over the passage, she later defended killing Cricket by pointing out that she also killed three horses in that same gravel pit.

Noem's office has stated that her press conference in Springfield, Illinois will "highlight how sanctuary policies in Illinois have unleashed violence on American citizens — including rape, sexual assault, murder, shoplifting, and more — while shielding illegal aliens responsible from facing consequence."

However, Pritzker spokesperson Alex Gough told the Tribune that Illinois is "fully compliant with federal law" regarding immigration, and that one state law House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) criticized was "was bipartisan and signed into law by a Republican [former Governor Bruce Rauner]."

"Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, this public safety law ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well while empowering all members of the public, regardless of immigration status, to feel comfortable calling police officers and emergency services if they are in need of help," Gough said.

Pritzker — who is rumored to run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – has said he plans to "voluntarily appear" before Comer's committee alongside Govs. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.) on June 12. Comer and committee Republicans plan to question the governors about their respective states' approach to enforcing federal immigration law.

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'I’m — we are the federal law': Trump blasted for attack on Dem governor

Just 48 hours after declaring himself “king,” President Donald Trump, in a highly public display, launched a verbal attack on Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills over his stance on transgender girls in sports. He threatened to cut all federal funding — literally defund the entire state — and vowed to end her political career, in what is being called a “terse” exchange.

“The president directly threatened Mills over the state’s refusal to comply with a recent executive order that would bar transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams,” NBC affiliate NewsCenter Maine reports.

Speaking to a bipartisan group of governors at the White House, Trump asked Governor Mills (video below) if her state would not “comply” with his executive order.

“Is Maine here? Is the governor of Maine here? Are you not going to comply with it?”

“I’m complying with state and federal laws,” Mills replied.

“Well, I’m — we are the federal law,” Trump angrily shot back. “Well you’d better do it. You better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t. And by the way, your population, even though it’s somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. So you’d better comply, because otherwise you’re not getting any — any — federal funding.”

“See you in court,” Mills responded.

“Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that,” Trump said. “That should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, ’cause I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”

Governor Mills later released a statement.

“If the President attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of Federal funding, my Administration and the Attorney General will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides. The State of Maine will not be intimidated by the President’s threats.”

Critics are slamming the president.

“An incredibly revealing exchange, but especially a window into Trump’s view when he says ‘We are the federal law.’ As opposed to, you know, actual laws (& constitutional provisions) that authorize and limit what he can do,” noted CNN senior political analyst Ronald Brownstein.

“L’etat c’est moi as Louis XIV might (or not) have said,” Brownstein added, which loosely translates into “I am the state,” or, “I myself am the nation.”

“Not so easy to cosplay as a king when you aren’t hiding behind a phone screen,” Human Rights Campaign national press secretary Brandon Wolf commented.

“The distance between the most benign possible interpretation of Trump’s public statements and clear autocracy has narrowed to the width of a hairline fracture. Yet Republicans continue to insist that what he ACTUALLY meant was something totally cool and not autocratic,” observed veteran Democratic political strategist Tom Bonier.

“THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. Right in the White House, Maine Gov Janet Mills goes toe to toe with Trump. Wow,” remarked veteran journalist turned media critic Jennifer Schulze.

Democratic former Washington governor Jay Inslee applauded the Maine governor: “Governor Janet Mills has brought thousands of heat pumps to Maine and now has brought some righteous heat to Donald Trump. Way to bring the heater Janet!”

Trump has signed at least four executive orders threatening the civil rights of transgender people in America.

Watch the video below or at this link.

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Inclusion on the Ballot: Florida and Georgia's Governors Races Are Key Tests of White Supremacy's Hold in the Deep South

To say that the United States has a tortured racial history is an understatement. Segregationist Jim Crow laws (the U.S. equivalent of South Africa’s apartheid system) were on the books in southern states until they were struck down by the Civil Rights Act of 1964—and Lester Maddox (the segregationist Democrat who served as governor of Georgia from 1967-1971) ended up closing his restaurant in Atlanta rather than comply with the law and serve black customers. But in the 2018 midterms, two Democrats that Maddox would have refused to serve in his restaurant during the 1960s stand to become the first African-American governors in their states: Georgia’s Stacey Abrams and Florida’s Andrew Gillum. And both races have become, in effect, a referendum on inclusion and multiculturalism verses the white nationalism being championed by President Donald Trump and his allies.

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