White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday highlighted President Donald Trump’s willingness to cross the political aisle as the government shutdown drags on. Five minutes before the briefing, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that after a conversation with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, he decided to hold off on deploying the National Guard to the city, citing Lurie’s request to tackle crime in the city without federal aid. Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan asked Leavitt if this was “what the President hopes for in every city?”  “The President is willing to work with anyone across the aisle, across the country to do the right thing and clean up American cities,” Leavitt said. “He is genuinely interested in this effort to make our streets safer, our cities safe and clean again.”  Olohan also asked Leavitt about the “No Kings” protesters who threatened government officials, including Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. “I would think myself, the President, and everyone else at the White House would hope anyone making violent threats against public officials will be arrested and prosecuted,” Leavitt said. Leavitt also warned of mounting consequences of the government shutdown, which just hit its 23rd day with no end in sight. The press secretary said that half a million federal employees would miss their next paycheck tomorrow and noted that $4 billion in capital was withheld from small businesses while waning of lapses in SNAP funding and strain on air traffic controllers. “If the Democrats continue to keep the government closed, we fear there will be significant delays and disruption for airlines this holiday season,” Leavitt said before reading quotes from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark boasting the shutdown gave Democrats “leverage.”   But neither crime nor the shutdown dominated the question and answer portion of Thursday’s briefing. That honor went to President Trump’s White House renovations. “Is it a big story?” Leavitt asked sarcastically after the first question on the ballroom. The reporter responded, “It seems that way.”  Leavitt confirmed the president would release an exact figure detailing how much of his own funding he was giving to the White House. It’s estimated that the ballroom will cost $300 million dollars. President Trump has stated that it will be funded privately and the full list of donors has been released.  Of the 30 questions reporters asked, 11 were about the ballroom.  Leavitt stated that Trump has been incredibly transparent and showed reporters models in the Oval Office, noting how she had already given remarks to the press exclusively about the ballroom.  By the end of the press conference there had been so many inquiries about the ballroom that Fox News’s Aisha Hashmi started her line of questioning with, “Thanks Karoline. Two questions not on the ballroom.”

The Democrat's rhetoric was unchallenged

'Alabama's conservative and cultural values are under attack'

'Dave’s final appearance with the band came only weeks ago'

'Democrats nationally nervous'

'The man ain't playing'

'The federal government understands and respects the importance'

This is his first television drama since 'The Sopranos'

Abigail Spanberger wants to be the next governor of Virginia but bristles at being asked about the Democrat team that she is campaigning with. She complained on Katie Couric’s online show, “The fact that I have to spend even a moment’s time talking about somebody else’s text message from years ago rather than what I want to do as governor, is something that I am deeply unhappy about.” >>> Sign up for our Virginia email newsletter She was referring to Democrat attorney general candidate Jay Jones, whose recently leaked 2022 text messages show him fantasizing about shooting a Republican politician and his children being killed. Good governors know that they have to be ready to drop the agenda and discuss critical current events, for example, when a hurricane hits, or, as former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore found out, a horrific terrorist attack occurs in your state. Or when someone running alongside you for the state’s top law enforcer fantasizes about committing political violence. You can’t go on a news show and complain that it distracted from your agenda—that’s the job. A campaign agenda is handy tool to help voters get an idea of the kinds of things you will try to do during your term. Spanberger’s agenda includes her “Growing Virginia Plan” that will, according to her campaign, expand workforce development (government subsidies), increase business investment (government subsidies), and enhance trade opportunities (government subsidies). But a campaign agenda doesn’t address how well you will handle the big issues that can often take a governor by surprise. Part of the job of being a governor is being able to handle the unexpected, because when you’re governor, there’s a lot of it. Campaigns aren’t just about your agenda. They can also be about finding out who displays the temperament to be “gubernatorial.” When a critical situation arises that needs addressing, do you handle it, or do you complain that it distracts from your agenda and pretty much avoid doing anything of substance about it? If you watched the recent gubernatorial debate, you already know the answer. The post Spanberger Doesn’t Want to Address Distractions. But That’s Part of the Job. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A Republican congressman from Ohio is seeking to win the next battle over America’s energy supply before it starts.  In legislation introduced this week, Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, is seeking to codify Trump administration efforts at providing Americans with abundant energy by defining the terms “affordable,” “reliable,” and “clean” as they relate to energy in federal law. In short, his Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy Security Act aims to keep safe and affordable energy sources, such as natural gas and nuclear power, available for American citizens and businesses alike. “With my legislation, Congress can advance President Trump’s ‘all-of-the-above‘ energy agenda, powering the rollout of [artificial intelligence] and the next generation of American innovation. This bill delivers on Republicans’ promise to put American energy first and restore regulatory sanity to Washington,” the Ohio congressman told The Daily Signal. BaldersonEnergyBill_031_xmlDownload Balderson’s bill also requires the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide a report to Congress and the public about their policies and regulations “relating to affordable energy, reliable energy, and clean energy.” Those agencies would also provide reports to Congress and the public about the incorporation of the bill’s definitions of affordable, reliable, or clean energy into their work. Such an effort would prevent a future presidential administration less sympathetic to Americans’ energy concerns from imposing arbitrary and burdensome restrictions on the energy supply. The legislation comes after President Donald Trump has sought to undo some of the predecessor Biden administration’s energy policies, including by declaring a national energy emergency. Trump has promised to “bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again—right to the top—and export American energy all over the world.” That declaration prompted fierce pushback, with some Senate Democrats seeking to overrule it with legislation of their own. That effort ultimately failed, as did California’s attempted freeze on the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars by 2035, which the Senate ultimately voted to block. The president has also sought to stop the harmful effects of wind turbines on ocean animals by canceling federal funding supportive of offshore wind turbines. “The American people saw firsthand under the last administration how regulations could be weaponized to target certain groups and industries,” said Balderson, who chairs the House Energy Action Team and is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “President Biden’s entire energy platform was focused on shutting down American oil and gas while propping up the so-called green energy sector with taxpayer-funded subsidies after taxpayer-funded subsidies to support unrealistic pipe dreams,” he added. In order to become law, Balderson’s bill would likely need to garner some bipartisan support in the Senate to clear the 60-vote threshold posed by a potential filibuster. The post Ohio Lawmaker Offers Bill to Codify Trump’s Energy Policies appeared first on The Daily Signal.