The Republican National Committee (RNC) named former President Donald Trump the presumptive GOP nominee for president on Wednesday. The RNC put out a statement calling Trump the winner of the primary shortly after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday morning. Haley bowed out after a string of Super Tuesday losses that saw Trump make big gains in the delegate count ahead of the Republican convention. “Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump on his huge primary victory! I’d also like to congratulate Nikki Haley for running a hard-fought campaign and becoming the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary contest‚” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “President Trump once delivered a booming economy‚ secure border‚ energy independence‚ and America’s strength on the world stage‚ the exact opposite of the chaos created by Joe Biden‚” she added. “Republican voters have spoken loud and clear with historically large margins and we are more united than ever to beat Biden and Democrats up and down the ballot in November.” McDaniel has headed the RNC since 2017 and enjoyed support from Trump in that position until recently. Under pressure from the former president‚ the chairwoman announced last week that she plans to step down this month. She is expected to leave her post on Friday‚ March 8. McDaniel elicited anger from other members of her party when‚ in January‚ she urged Republicans to “unite” around Trump while other contenders were still vying for the GOP nomination. Trump’s sweep of Super Tuesday states broke in Vermont‚ where Haley won the contest by roughly 4 points. It was Haley’s second primary victory of the cycle after she won in Washington‚ D.C.‚ over the weekend. Haley declined to speak after her lone Super Tuesday victory. Instead‚ her campaign released a statement touting Haley’s victory as a woman and warning of a “large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.” Haley appeared on Wednesday morning to officially suspend her campaign. She did not endorse Trump. Trump put out a statement on his social media platform‚ Truth Social‚ claiming victory over Haley on Super Tuesday and inviting her supporters to back him. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Nikki Haley got TROUNCED last night‚ in record setting fashion‚ despite the fact that Democrats‚ for reasons unknown‚ are allowed to vote in Vermont‚ and various other Republican Primaries‚” Trump said. “I’d like to thank my family‚ friends‚ and the Great Republican Party for helping me to produce‚ by far‚ the most successful Super Tuesday in HISTORY‚ and would further like to invite all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation. BIDEN IS THE ENEMY‚ HE IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he wrote.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced on Wednesday that she was suspending her campaign for president after getting defeated by former President Donald Trump in the Super Tuesday primary states. Haley — whose only victories in the Republican Party presidential primary were in Vermont and Washington‚ D.C. — did not endorse Trump during her remarks. She said in an interview on Sunday that she was no longer bound to honor her pledge to support Trump if he won the party’s nomination. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did endorse Trump once he decided to exit the race. “In all likelihood‚ Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee when our party convention meets in July‚” she said. “I congratulate him and wish him well. I wish anyone well who would be America’s president. Our country is too precious to let our differences divide us. I have always been a conservative Republican and always supported the Republican nominee. But on this question‚ as she did on so many others‚ Margaret Thatcher provided some good advice‚ when she said‚ ‘never just follow the crowd‚ always make up your own mind.'” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him‚” she continued. “And I hope he does that. At its best‚ politics is about bringing people into your cause‚ not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing.” Haley also warned in her speech about the dangers of the exploding national debt‚ the need for term limits in Congress‚ and the “moral imperative” the U.S. has to support its allies across the world. WATCH: Full Nikki Haley speech: "The time has now come to suspend my campaign."https://t.co/kFd1vt3b6Q pic.twitter.com/umthGh62EZ — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 6‚ 2024

A restaurant booth made famous in the finale of “The Sopranos” just sold on eBay for $82‚600. The series finale of the iconic mob drama starring James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano aired in 2007. In the last scene‚ Tony sits down in the diner booth with his family and orders onion rings before dropping a quarter in the jukebox‚ and Journey’s 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin'” starts to play. The camera cuts to customers entering the restaurant‚ which fans speculate could have been people arriving to kill Tony. Then‚ the screen fades to black. The finale was filmed at the real-life eatery Holsten’s in Bloomfield‚ New Jersey. Ever since the show aired‚ the booth has been a popular spot for fans. A report from The Washington Post said that‚ on busy days‚ customers would wait up to an hour to sit in the booth.  The spot became even more popular following Gandolfini’s death from an apparent heart attack in June 2013. Holsen’s co-owner Christopher Carley told the outlet he closed the booth for two weeks as customers came and left flowers‚ cards‚ and drawings as a tribute. The restaurant owner said he gave all the items to Gandolfini’s son‚ Michael. Carley initially posted his intention to sell the booth on Facebook.  “The time has come. All good things sometimes need an upgrade. The famous Sopranos booth is getting a much needed face-lift‚” a February 28 post from the official Holsten’s account said. “Obviously‚ we aren’t going to change the nostalgia of our beloved shoppe…we aren’t crazy!  Just polishing up the place!” “Please understand that we don’t want to do this. But the integrity of the booths are now compromised. They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old. Obviously‚ we do not want to do this‚ however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first‚” the post continued.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our patrons as well.  Thank you and we hope you understand!” Carley told the Post he hoped the booth would fetch at least $50‚000. The outlet reported that on Sunday‚ the owner closed the booth and put a basket of onion rings on the table so fans could take photos one last time.

As Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine continue to dominate political discourse and presidential agendas this election year‚ DailyWire+ announced on Wednesday the launch of “What We Saw: An Empire of Terror‚” the latest iteration of its popular anthology docuseries hosted by renowned storyteller Bill Whittle. Now in its third season‚ the show’s newest episodes investigate the class-based genocide perpetrated by communist Soviets in the early 20th century under the reigns of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin‚ unveiling a chilly reality of fear and violence. The first episode of “What We Saw: An Empire of Terror” is now streaming on DailyWire+‚ with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays. WATCH ‘WHAT WE SAW: AN EMPIRE OF TERROR’ ON DAILYWIRE+ Russia’s relationship with the United States has long been a complicated one‚ and though the countries have been allies at times‚ relations are again strained following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. To comprehend Putin’s motivations in the modern global landscape‚ Whittle guides viewers through Lenin and Stalin’s regimes‚ exploring the historical context that shaped the current Russian president’s behaviors. “Putin wanted to join the KGB from the time he was a small child‚ but why? I can’t tell you what goes on in Putin’s head‚ no one can. I thought the next best thing was to show you the horror of what was in front of his eyes growing up‚” Whittle says in episode 8. Whittle’s core message of common sense and decency has earned him a devoted following among those who value reasoned thought‚ civil dialogue‚ and vigorous laughter. His powers of vivid storytelling‚ relentless logic‚ and self-deprecating humor join forces to apply time-tested principles in memorable ways. “What We Saw” is an exclusive DailyWire+ anthology series that presents pivotal historical events as a creative cinematic adventure. Subscribe now to watch the full Apollo 11 and Cold War seasons and catch new episodes of An Empire of Terror weekly on dailywireplus.com.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk‚ one of the wealthiest men in the world‚ said on Wednesday that he would not donate to either President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump after meeting with Trump earlier this week. Musk‚ who owns Tesla‚ SpaceX‚ and social media platform X‚ has harshly criticized the Biden administration in recent months‚ especially over the president’s handling of the illegal immigration crisis affecting cities across the nation. According to The New York Times‚ which cited three sources familiar with the matter‚ Trump met with Musk on Sunday in Palm Beach‚ Florida‚ as the former president’s campaign seeks to shore up support and financing for what promises to be a brutal general election campaign. While the Times report didn’t detail what Trump and Musk discussed in their meeting‚ the billionaire took to X on Wednesday morning to clarify where he stands on his involvement in the run-up to the 2024 election. “Just to be super clear‚ I am not donating money to either candidate for US President‚” Musk wrote. Musk‚ who was on two of Trump’s advisory councils shortly after the former president entered the White House in 2017‚ has also been critical of the Republican leader over Trump’s policies on climate change and said he voted for Biden over Trump in 2020. Musk stepped down from his positions on Trump’s Manufacturing Jobs Initiative and the Strategic and Policy Forum later in 2017 after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord. “[I] Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world‚” Musk said at the time. More recently‚ however‚ Musk has focused his criticisms on Biden for the administration’s immigration policies and the lax security at the U.S. southern border. Last month‚ Musk commented on Biden’s plan to prioritize giving citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants‚ saying it was a way “to create a permanent majority – a one-party state.” “That is why they are encouraging so much illegal immigration‚” Musk added. “Simple‚ yet effective.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Those comments came on top of statements Musk made in January when he said it’s clear the Biden administration “is actively facilitating illegal immigration.” Musk has said he supports increasing legal immigration but is “against a massive number of unvetted people flooding into America‚ which any rational person should be.” The Tesla owner‚ who was born in South Africa and became a U.S. citizen in 2002‚ said in 2022 that he had voted “overwhelmingly” for Democrats in the past but was switching to vote Republican in the 2022 midterm elections. He has not made any endorsements for the 2024 election. The X owner reinstated Trump’s account on the platform last November after Trump was suspended indefinitely over his comments surrounding the January 6‚ 2021‚ Capitol riot. Musk’s decision to allow Trump back on X‚ then Twitter‚ followed a poll he posted‚ asking users if the former president should be reinstated. The poll received more than 15 million votes‚ with 51% saying Trump should be allowed back on the platform. “The people have spoken‚” Musk wrote. “Trump will be reinstated.”

Actress Dakota Johnson said the bad reviews for her superhero film “Madame Web” are not too surprising. She also mentioned she’s not planning to try the genre again. “Unfortunately‚ I’m not surprised that this has gone down the way it has‚” the 34-year-old actress told Bustle in an interview published Tuesday.  At another point in the conversation‚ she said‚ “But it was definitely an experience for me to make that movie. I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.”  Johnson also mentioned that the film changed from what it was initially pitched as. “But sometimes in this industry‚ you sign on to something‚ and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it‚ it becomes a completely different thing‚ and you’re like‚ ‘Wait‚ what?’ But it was a real learning experience‚ and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds‚ but I can’t say that I don’t understand.” “Madame Web‚” a Marvel film released by Sony Pictures about an NYC paramedic who starts exhibiting signs of clairvoyance‚ was a box office disappointment. It earned just $26.2 million over its six-day opening from Valentine’s Day to Presidents Day‚ according to Forbes. That made it the lowest opening for any Spider-Man Universe film‚ including the universally reviled vampire-themed “Morbius” (2022)‚ which made $39 million during its opening. “Madame Web” currently has a 12% critic rating and a 57% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Johnson further reflected on the state of the entertainment industry during the interview and predicted what the headlines would be about her thoughts on “Madame Web” being a failure. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Films are made by a filmmaker and a team of artists around them‚” she said. “You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart‚ and executives have started to believe that they’re not. Audiences will always be able to sniff out bullsh**. Even if films start to be made with AI‚ humans aren’t going to f***ing want to see those.” As for what outlets might report on‚ the actress said‚ “Like‚ ‘Dakota Johnson Breaks Her Silence On Madame Web’s F***ing Box Office Failure.’ It’s like‚ ‘No‚ I’m not breaking any silence. I’m just talking.”

James Caan’s son‚ Scott Caan‚ said his father warned him about the “goofy” ways of Hollywood and told him to “stay away from it” when he was younger. Speaking to Fox News Digital‚ the 47-year-old actor said that before he even dreamed about having an acting career‚ the late Hollywood legend tried to steer him away from show business. “Not until I was a late teen‚ like 18 or 19 years old‚” Scott said of his dad’s advice. “I was always an athlete‚ and my old man told me that this business was goofy and [to] stay away from it.” “I would do anything to not go to school‚ so I had all these different creative ideas‚” he added. “Anything to not finish high school and go to college. I sort of got lucky and met a director and ended up on a set somehow.” Now Scott said he looks back at his Academy Award-winning father’s career advice and remembers him saying things like‚ “Don’t take it too seriously‚ but then he also took it very seriously.” James Caan warned son Scott Caan about Hollywood: A ‘goofy’ business https://t.co/KNbR7Cvba0 — Fox News (@FoxNews) March 6‚ 2024 “He always just said‚ ‘Look‚ work’s not your life‚’ and I think it’s a good lesson‚” Caan’s son said. “You gotta be passionate about what you do and love what you do‚ but‚ at the same time‚ it can’t be the most important thing. You’ll die in it.” Despite his father’s warning‚ Scott ended up in Hollywood appearing in numerous movies and TV shows like “Ocean’s Eleven‚” “Gone In 60 Seconds‚” and “Hawaii Five-O.” He is currently getting ready for the second season of Fox’s “Alert: Missing Persons Unit‚” in which he plays Jason Grant. “Each episode features a heart-pounding‚ life-or-death search for a missing person headed by detectives Jason Grant and Nikki Batista‚” a summary of the show reads. “Jason and Nikki‚ once married‚ have a very personal connection to these cases as their own young son went missing and was never found.” “The emotional toll of their son’s disappearance blew up their marriage‚ but even though they’ve moved on‚ their bond remains‚” it added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP James Caan became a legend on the big screen after landing his breakout role as Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather” in 1972. The role earned him an Academy Award and sparked a long career in Hollywood.  Caan died in 2022 from a heart attack and coronary artery disease at the age of 82‚ as previously reported.  

One of the Texas politicians most closely tied to Colony Ridge‚ a controversial development that’s become a magnet for illegal immigrants‚ lost his reelection bid on Tuesday night to a Republican primary election challenger. State Representative Ernest Bailes‚ a Republican who represents a district northeast of Houston that encompasses Colony Ridge‚ was ousted in a primary election after months of public criticism for his involvement with the controversial development. Colony Ridge‚ which has grown to be roughly the size of Washington‚ D.C. largely due to an influx of immigrants‚ became a national scandal in the wake of a Daily Wire investigation. In the final weeks of the campaign‚ Bailes ran ads saying the attempt to connect him to Colony Ridge was a political ploy‚ and that he had actually worked to combat the problems caused by the development. Ultimately‚ it wasn’t enough. Bailes garnered just over 4‚000 votes‚ while primary contender Janis Holt‚ who enjoyed endorsements from former President Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott‚ won with over 5‚100 votes. #HD18 Pro-Bailes on Colony Ridge pic.twitter.com/qaht6rxSJo — Brad Johnson (@bradj_TX) February 29‚ 2024 The incumbent struggled to repair his image after becoming publicly associated with Colony Ridge‚ which uses marketing and financial tactics to appeal to illegal immigrants. Bailes authored a piece of legislation that gave Colony Ridge the power to tax residents and‚ in the words of Attorney General Ken Paxton‚ “act virtually as its own city.” Paxton also specifically charged that the development was “enabling illegal alien settlement across Texas” in a letter blasting Bailes. Bailes received a $1‚800 donation from the developer behind Colony Ridge‚ The Daily Wire reported in September. A Daily Wire investigation also revealed that Colony Ridge hired a concrete company owned by a man who appears to be Bailes’ cousin and who was his largest donor in the 2020 election cycle. Bailes also received $6‚500 from the political action committee associated with the lobbying firm that Colony Ridge employs. The Daily Wire later uncovered that Colony Ridge used the special legal designation established by Bailes to award at least $16 million in taxpayer funds to a paving company with ties to the developer and board leadership‚ with no recorded conflict of interest disclosures. Colony Ridge is now facing multiple federal investigations‚ including a joint suit between the Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over predatory lending practices. Bailes became more vocal about Colony Ridge in the lead-up to the Republican primary‚ dropping not only the campaign ad about the development‚ but also alleging that the developer’s “$50‚000 contribution to Governor Abbott … bought him a sit down lunch in the Governor’s Mansion with Governor Abbott and his Chief of Staff.” “This same $50‚000 bought the Governor’s signature and blessing for the Opportunity Zone designation‚” Bailes went on to accuse‚ specifying that the designation served to make Colony Ridge “eligible for increased federal funding to promote the growth of said development.” The donation came after Bailes declined the developer’s request that he sign a letter supporting the Opportunity Zone designation‚ Bailes claimed. The primary challenger to Bailes has slammed him for his opposition to school choice legislation. Holt is now the GOP nominee in the overwhelmingly Republican district‚ and will be up for election in November.