Tag: Republican Candidates

DeSantis Says He’ll Be at First GOP Presidential Primary Debate Regardless of Trump’s Plans

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he will participate in the first Republican presidential primary debate next month, regardless of whether former President Donald Trump also takes the stage. “I’ll be there regardless,” Mr. DeSantis said during an interview on Fox News on Thursday night. “I hope everybody who’s eligible comes. I think it’s an important…


DeSantis Defends Controversial Anti-Trump Ad Some Conservatives Complain is Anti-LGBT

After taking criticism for a campaign ad attacking Donald Trump’s performance on LGBT issues, Ron DeSantis defended the video, saying it was “fair game.” He responded to backlash about the ad in an interview on July 5 with Tomi Lahren on her show “Tomi Lahren is Fearless,” a production of the conservative news organization Outkick, owned…


Trump Raises $35 Million in Second Quarter, Reinforcing Frontrunner Status

The campaign of former President Donald Trump announced on July 5 that he raised more than $35 million for his White House bid in the second fundraising quarter, nearly double what he raised in the first quarter of the year. The amount is the most recent indication that Mr. Trump is the dominant frontrunner in…


DeSantis’s Presidential Campaign Raises $150 Million—One of the Biggest GOP Totals in Years

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign for president on July 6 announced strong fundraising results, raising $20 million in its first six weeks. His independent Super PAC meanwhile raised $130 million since launching in early March. Mr. DeSantis’s campaign said in a written statement that his fundraising “is the largest first-quarter filing from any non-incumbent Republican candidate…


Pence Confident About Primary Debates: ‘I’ve Debated Donald Trump 1,000 Times’

Former Vice President Mike Pence told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday that he was confident about debating the GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, and was committed to the Republican National Committee loyalty pledge. “People ask me all the time: ‘How do you envision debating Donald Trump?’ And I tell them ‘I’ve debated Donald…


Florida GOP Requiring 2024 Candidates Sign Loyalty Pledge to Qualify in State’s Key Presidential Primary Contest

The Florida Republican Party is imposing a new requirement in order for 2024 presidential candidates to make the Florida Republican primary ballot; they have to pledge to support the eventual 2024 Republican Party nominee. During their meeting in mid-May, the Florida Republican Party Executive Committee made several changes to their primary procedures (pdf), including the…


Struggling Campaigns Scrambling to Qualify for First GOP Presidential Debate—$1 at a Time

After nearly six months of grueling state primaries, the GOP’s 2024 presidential candidate will be formally confirmed as the party’s nominee during the July 15–18, 2024, Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But while there are 376 days of campaigning between now—July 6, 2023—and then, another far more pressing timeline is posing an existential challenge…


IN-DEPTH: Struggling Campaigns Scrambling to Qualify for First GOP Presidential Debate—$1 at a Time

After nearly six months of grueling state primaries, the GOP’s 2024 presidential candidate will be formally confirmed as the party’s nominee during the July 15–18, 2024, Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But while there are 376 days of campaigning between now—July 6, 2023—and then, another far more pressing timeline is posing an existential challenge…


Trump ‘In a Much More Dominant Position’ Than in 2016 Race: Former GOP Presidential Campaign Strategist

Former President Donald Trump is in a stronger position so far in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race than he was in the 2016 presidential primary cycle, according to former Republican campaign strategist Matthew Dowd. Mr. Dowd, who served as the chief strategist on George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, evaluated the current Republican presidential…


Iowans Hospitable, Skeptical As Pence Stumps Economic Record

URBANDALE, Iowa—Urbandale, population 46,000, is a slice of Americana nestled against the west side of Des Moines, the capital of Iowa. Despite being part of a metropolitan area of 700,000, Urbandale retains a small-town atmosphere. The city has suburbanized without becoming bougie, lending it a charm reminiscent of earlier days. That America-then feel combined with…