Related: Bryan Cranston says ‘Make America Great Again’ is racist slogan
Donald Trump has attacked US transport secretary Pete Buttigieg in his latest Truth Social diatribe, calling him “weak and totally ineffective”, deriding the pronunciation of his surname and accusing him and his party of “disinformation” and “gross incompetence” over the Ohio train derailment.
Mr Buttigieg arrived in East Palestine, Ohio, a day after Mr Trump last week to inspect the costly chemical cleanup after the freight train crash of 3 February and has been outspoken about harmful industrial deregulation under the Trump administration and its possible role in the disaster.
Meanwhile, veteran media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has admitted during a sworn deposition that top personalities at Fox News promoted a baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from Mr Trump, according to a recent filing in a voting machine company’s billion-dollar lawsuit against the network.
The chair of the right-wing media empire said that hosts including Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro “endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election,” claims that former president and his allies continue to amplify as he seeks re-election in 2024.
“I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it in hindsight,” Mr Murdoch said, according to the court documents.
Ron DeSantis admits his Disney World wedding is ‘ironic’
Florida Republican governor Ron DeSantis has admitted that his wedding taking place at Disney World is “kind of ironic” as he’s now engaged in a battle with the company.
The governor married his wife Casey DeSantis at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2009, according to Insider.
“In looking forward to what we ended up doing as governor and some of the face-offs that we had with some major institutions in Florida, it’s kind of ironic,” Mr DeSantis told SiriusXM Patriot radio in an interview set to be broadcast on Monday, a transcript obtained by Insider revealed.
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What’s happening at CPAC this year?
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is returning to the DC area as the 2024 primary contest begins to heat up with the announcements of Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, the first official contenders.
From Wednesday through Saturday, some of the nation’s most prominent Republicans will address audiences of young activists, party officials and veteran operatives as they make their respective cases for their own personal brands of conservatism.
Just as notable as those attending the event, however, is the list of those who declined invitations: Florida governor Ron DeSantis, thought to be one of the strongest potential 2024 GOP primary candidates, will not be attending while former US vice president Mike Pence, also thought to be readying a 2024 bid, has spurned the gathering.
John Bowden has this look at the most notable conservatives who will be there.
Trump launches attack on ‘weak and totally ineffective’ Pete Buttigieg over Ohio train derailment
In his latest Truth Social diatribe, the former commander-in-chief issues some rare praise for The Washington Post (he used to deride the legendary newspaper as “the Amazon Washington Post”) as a means of attacking US transport secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom his loathsome eldest son Don Jr recently suggested had been a “diversity hire” by the Biden administration because he is gay.
Of the beleaguered Mr Buttigieg, who arrived in East Palestine, Ohio, a day after Mr Trump last week to inspect the costly chemical cleanup after the freight train derailment of 3 February, he writes, somewhat confusingly:
“Wow, is The Washington Post becoming legit. They just reported that the weak and totally ineffective Secretary of Transportation, Pete “BUTTedgeedge,” LIED when he said that the Trump Administrations great and effective reduction in regulations, a giant job producer, had NOTHING to do with the East Palestine Train Derailment. It was just more Dem DISINFORMATION in order to deflect from their gross incompetence. Really good investigative journalism by The Washington Post. Keep it going!”
Ron DeSantis takes control of Disney World’s governing structure after ‘Don’t Say Gay’ feud
Ron DeSantis has taken over the governing structure for Disney World following a political battle between the corporate giant and Florida’s Republican governor and conservative state lawmakers over a controversial measure that opponents have derided as the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
At an event on 27 February, the governor signed a bill that amounts to a state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governing body around Disney World properties in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista spanning 39 square miles and land across Orange and Osceola counties.
The district, implemented in 1967, allows Disney to effectively control its own land use and zoning rules and operate its own public services, including water, sanitation, emergency services and infrastructure maintenance.
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Fox News refuses to air advert revealing how stars rejected Trump election fraud claims: ‘They lied to you’
Fox News reportedly rejected a television advert from a progressive advocacy group and political action committee that highlighted recently uncovered reactions from the network’s top stars and executives to Donald Trump’s bogus election fraud claims and conspiracy theories surrounding a voting machine company that is suing the network for defamation.
The ad from MoveOn addresses viewers directly while quoting from text messages and emails uncovered in the lawsuit, which revealed how network personalities and Rupert Murdoch shared their behind-the-scenes irritation with false claims while the network continued to amplify them.
“Texts show they lied to you about the 2020 election for profit,” the ad says.
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Rupert Murdoch admits Fox News stars ‘endorsed’ bogus election fraud claims
Rupert Murdoch admitted during a sworn deposition that top personalities at Fox News promoted a baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump, according to a recent filing in a voting machine company’s billion-dollar lawsuit against the network.
The chair of the right-wing media empire said that hosts including Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro “endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election,” claims that former president and his allies continue to amplify as he seeks re-election to office in 2024.
“I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it in hindsight,” Mr Murdoch said, according to court documents.
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DeSantis moves toward GOP presidential bid on his own terms
Republican presidential contenders typically fight for prime speaking slots at the Conservative Political Action Conference. But as conservative activists gather in suburban Washington this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be courting donors more than a thousand miles away in Texas and California.
The apparent CPAC snub is nothing new for DeSantis, who has emerged in the early phase of the 2024 presidential election as a leading contender for the GOP nomination even as he ignores many conventions of modern politics.
Read more in The Independent:
How a Trump-appointed judge could revoke access to a commonly used abortion drug
Right-wing legal groups are mounting a major legal challenge against the FDA that could have enormous consequences for abortion access.
An imminent decision from US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk that would block access to mifepristone, even temporarily, could significantly disrupt access to medication abortion nationwide.
Alex Woodward reports for The Independent:
More than three-quarters of voters in George Santos’ district say he should resign
More than three-quarters of voters in New York’s 3rd District want their member of Congress, George Santos, to resign, according to a new poll.
The survey found that 78 per cent of registered voters – including 89 per cent of Democrats, 72 per cent of independents and 71 per cent of Republicans – all want Mr Santos to resign.
The embattled GOP congressman has found a new home in the House among the chamber’s right wing, and has shown no signs of stepping aside amid looming criminal investigations into his conduct and scathing criticism from his colleagues.
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Rupert Murdoch admits Fox News stars ‘endorsed’ bogus election fraud claims
Rupert Murdoch admitted during a sworn deposition that top personalities at Fox News promoted a baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump, according to a recent filing in a voting machine company’s billion-dollar lawsuit against the network.
The chair of the right-wing media empire said that hosts including Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro “endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election,” claims that former president and his allies continue to amplify as he seeks re-election to office in 2024.
It’s a stunning admission for the right-wing media boss who faces a massive lawsuit brought by voting machine companies whose products were accused of being part of a nefarious plot to steal the election.
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Source: independent.co.uk