McConnell is warmly embraced by Kentucky Republicans amid questions about his health

MAYFIELD, Ky. — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell received a rousing welcome from the party faithful Saturday at a high-profile home-state political gathering amid renewed scrutiny of his health after the 81-year-old lawmaker froze up midsentence during a recent Capitol Hill news conference. “This is my 28th Fancy Farm, and I want to assure you it’s not my last,” McConnell...

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‘We have to take it seriously’: Dems brace for a ’24 Biden-Trump rematch

When Barack Obama sat down with Joe Biden this summer and conveyed his concerns about the strength of Donald Trump going into 2024, the warning was not the first to come from within the president's own party. Nor would it be the last. The message from one of the Democratic Party’s top voices came with a promise to do everything he can to help Biden stay in the White House....

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House committee chair on China warns of 'relentless' spying campaign

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), one of the Chinese Communist Party’s fiercest critics on Capitol Hill, warned Saturday that the U.S. does not fully grasp the extent of China’s espionage within American borders. “The CCP has continued its relentless espionage campaign against America,” Gallagher said Saturday afternoon on Fox News. “We are slowly waking up to it. But we’re just...

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'No wonder Trump is kicking his ass': Newsom camp hits DeSantis on debate proposal

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s camp on Saturday blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed rules for a long-touted debate, arguing that they are an attempt to hide his weaknesses as a candidate. “What a joke,” Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click said in a statement. “Desantis’ counterproposal is littered with crutches to hide his insecurity and ineptitude — swapping opening...

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Feds alert judge to Trump’s ‘If you go after me, I’m coming after you!’ post

Prosecutors on Friday night called a judge’s attention to a social media post from Donald Trump — issued hours earlier — in which they say the former president appeared to declare that he’s “coming after” those he sees as responsible for the series of formidable legal challenges he is facing. Attorneys from special counsel Jack Smith’s team said the post from Trump “specifically...

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Push for Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to take on Rick Scott is growing

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — There’s a growing chorus of Democratic-aligned groups calling for former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to challenge Republican incumbent Sen. Rick Scott, including organizations eager to see a second Hispanic woman in the Senate. POLITICO previously reported that Senate Democratic leaders have urged Mucarsel-Powell, a Miami Democrat who served one term in...

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Senate's endangered Dems take a pass on talking Trump

The Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats are steering clear of the week’s biggest news: the third indictment of former President Donald Trump. POLITICO asked seven incumbents expected to face competitive reelections in 2024 to weigh in on the charges but heard nothing in response. Of Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.),...

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