RNC chair on GOP’s mission going forward: ‘Make sure…Trump voters become Republican voters’
EXCLUSIVE – Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Mike Whatley says his job going forward in the 2025 elections and 2026 midterms is straight forward. “It’s really critical for us to make sure that the Trump voters become Republican voters,” Whatley said in an exclusive national digital interview with Fox News on the sidelines of the RNCs’ winter meeting, which is being held in the nation’s capital. Republicans enjoyed major victories November’s elections, with President-elect Trump defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to win back the White House, the GOP flipping control of the Senate from the Democrats, and holding on to their razor-thin majority in the House. Whatley, who was interviewed on Thursday on the eve of the formal vote by the RNC for the chair to continue in his position steering the national party committee, said the GOP needs “to cement those gains” made in the 2024 elections. RNC CHAIR REVEALS WHAT ROLE TRUMP WILL PLAY ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL GOING FORWARD “We’re going to go right back to the building blocks that we had during this election cycle, which is to get out the vote and protect the ballot,” Whatley emphasized. The RNC chair pointed to “the lessons that we learned” in the 2024 cycle “about going after low propensity voters, about making sure that we’re reaching out to every voter and bringing in new communities,” which he said helped Republicans make “historic gains among African American voters, among Asian American voters, among Hispanic voters, young voters and women voters.” Speaking a couple of days before the president-elect’s inauguration, Whatley emphasized that once Trump’s in the White House, “we’re going to go right back to the RNC. We’re going to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We’ve got a couple of governor’s races…that we’re going to be working on in ‘25.” HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR MAKES 2026 PREDICTION But Whatley said “everything is focused on ‘26,” when the party will be defending its majorities in the House and Senate, “because that is going to determine, from an agenda perspective, whether we have two years to work with or four. And America needs us to have a four-year agenda.” “What we’re going to be doing is making sure that we are registering voters,” Whatley said. “We’re going to be…communicating with the folks that we need to turn out.” Pointing to the 2024 presidential election, he said “it’s the same fundamentals.” But he noted that “it’s not just seven battleground states” and that the 2026 contests are “definitely going to be a very intense midterm election cycle.” While Democrats would disagree, Whatley described today’s GOP as “a common sense party…this is a party that’s going to fight for every American family and for every American community.” SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR SPELLS OUT HIS 2026 MISSION Referring to former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has nominated to serve in his second administration’s cabinet, Whatley touted “the fact that we have two former Democratic presidential candidates who are going to be serving in the president’s cabinet. That shows you that this is a commonsense agenda, a commonsense team, that we’re going to be moving forward with.” Last March, as Trump clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, he named Whatley to succeed Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair. Whatley, a longtime Trump ally and a major supporter of Trump’s election integrity efforts, had served as RNC general counsel and chair of the North Carolina Republican Party. In December, Trump asked Whatley to continue during the 2026 cycle as RNC chair. “I think we will be able to talk when we need to talk,” Whatley said when asked if his lines of communication with Trump will be limited now that the president-elect is returning to the White House. “We’re going to support the president and his agenda. That does not change. What changes is his ability from the White House to actually implement the agenda that he’s been campaigning on.” VANCE HOSTS TOP-DOLLAR FUNDRAISER AHEAD OF TRUMP INAUGURATION Trump is term-limited and won’t be able to seek election again in 2028. Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance will likely be considered the front-runner for the 2028 GOP nomination. Whatley reiterated what he told Fox News Digital in December, that the RNC will stay neutral in the next race for the GOP nomination and that the party’s “got an amazing bench.” “You think about the talent on the Republican side of the aisle right now, our governors, our senators, our members of Congress, people that are going to be serving in this administration. I love the fact that the Republican Party is going to be set up to have a fantastic candidate going into ’28,” he highlighted. Unlike the DNC, which in the 2024 cycle upended the traditional presidential nominating calendar, the RNC made no major changes to their primary lineup, and kept the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary as their first two contests. Asked about the 2028 calendar, Whatley reiterated to Fox News that “I have not had any conversations with anybody who wants to change the calendar, so we will wait and see what that looks like as we’re going forward. We’re at the RNC meetings this week and having a number of conversations with folks, but that is not a huge push.” “I don’t think that changing the calendar really helped the Democrats at all,” Whatley argued. “And I think that us, making sure that we are working our system the way that we always have, is going to be critical.”
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Biden thanks troops for ‘strength’ and ‘integrity’ in unprecedented times at farewell address to military
President Biden on Thursday thanked service members for their “strength” and “integrity” while giving his farewell address in Virginia. “There’s never been a time in history when we’ve asked our military to do so many different things so many places, all at the same time,” the president said at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia. “And I want to be clear: You have done all these missions with strength and, maybe even importantly, integrity.” Biden’s address to troops came the morning after his farewell address to the nation in which he said it was his “great honor” to serve as the 46th president. It also comes four days before President-elect Trump succeeds him. WHILE TRUMP, BIDEN CLAIM CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE, SOME REPUBLICANS CALL IT A BAD DEAL “You all represent what America is: character, honesty, integrity, commitment,” Biden told the troops. “You are simply the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.” The president said the troops “rose to the occasion” when he asked for the war in Afghanistan to end, “evacuating Americans, allies and our Afghan partners, accomplishing the largest airlift in military history and ending a war. The same courage is defined by American service in Afghanistan for over 20 years.” He said he believes “history will reflect that was the right thing to do, but I know, I know, it was hard after decades of losing your brothers and sisters, including [during the] withdrawal. The pain was still real. And it was for me as well. Every day I still carry, every single day.” Biden has been criticized for his handling of the messy Afghanistan withdrawal, when 13 U.S. service members were killed. He added that six months after American troops withdrew from Afghanistan, “when Russia began its largest war in Europe since World War II, I asked you to help defend Ukraine. You didn’t hesitate. You kept Ukraine in the fight, trained Ukrainian soldiers and pilots, troops, bolstered NATO’s eastern flank. And, above all, you showed the world America stands up for freedom, stands with our friends.” BIDEN THANKS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THE GREAT HONOR TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT DURING FAREWELL ADDRESS He also touted the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, which was announced Wednesday and first mentioned in his farewell address to the nation. “The road to that deal was not easy,” he admitted, saying he “laid down the elements of that deal eight months ago.” President-elect Trump has also taken credit for the cease-fire. “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.” Biden also thanked military families who “sacrifice so much” in his speech. “Most Americans never see the sacrifices that you make every single day,” he continued. “Don’t ever see all those holidays and birthdays with an empty seat at the dinner table because mom or dad was deployed. Never see all the moves you had to make to new states, to new schools, to new jobs.” He added near the end of his speech, “You’re truly the finest fighting force in the history of the world,” adding that the American military has the best training, weapons, ships and planes. “But that alone is not what makes us strong,” he said. “It’s our values. American values. Our commitment to honor, to integrity, to unity, to protecting and defending. Not a person or a party or a place, but an idea.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Before Biden’s speech, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked Biden for his service in their own remarks, which were part of the commander in chief farewell tribute to the president.
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Top Trump ally Byron Donalds turns up volume on likely 2026 run for Florida governor
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., appears to be getting more vocal about running for Florida governor in 2026 in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds, a leading friend, ally and supporter of President-elect Trump in the House of Representatives, in recent days has been telling potential donors and Florida political players that he intends to run for governor, Republican sources confirm to Fox News. Some of those conversations occurred last weekend in Orlando at the Florida GOP’s annual meeting. “He’s serious,” a source with knowledge told Fox News. WHAT BYRON DONALDS SAID ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY Another signal came a week ago when Donalds hired prominent Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio’s research firm. Fabrizio was a top pollster in Trump’s 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns. WHY TRUMP IS PRAISING ONE-TIME PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RIVAL DESANTIS The conservative former state lawmaker who has represented parts of southwest Florida’s 19th District in Congress for four years has been eyeing a potential gubernatorial bid for months. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t really rule anything out,” Donalds said in a Fox News Digital interview last spring when asked about a possible run for governor. Donalds, who was a top surrogate on the campaign trail last year for Trump, was interviewed a few days after Trump, at a closed-door fundraiser in New York City, suggested that if Donalds ran for Florida governor in 2026, he’d have “many friends in the race.” “It’s really cool that people back home in Florida consider me to be able to be the state’s next governor. It’s really an honor. It’s honestly surreal thinking about it because I’m 45 and my journey through politics has been a really fruitful one,” Donalds said at the time. “It’s really humbling and an honor, but I just focus on doing the job I have.” CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION AND INAUGURATION Another prominent Florida Republican who’s believed to be considering a run is state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the former president of the state Senate. And former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who was Trump’s first choice for attorney general in his second administration before dropping out amid controversy, has also said he’s thinking of running. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody was also thought to be mulling a run to succeed DeSantis, her ally in Tallahassee, but the governor on Thursday named Moody to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, who is likely to be one of the president-elect’s first Cabinet picks to be confirmed by the Senate. And Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, who was also believed to be interested in a potential gubernatorial campaign, is considered the front-runner in this month’s special congressional election to fill Gaetz’s seat. “With Moody going to the Senate, should he choose to run for governor, Donalds would be the clear favorite over Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who is the Tallahassee establishment’s choice,” Fabrizio said. “We’ll see if the Tallahassee establishment smartens up after betting and losing badly in 2010 against [former two-term governor and current Sen.] Rick Scott and in 2018 against Ron DeSantis.” With Florida, which was once a top general election battleground state, now firmly red, the slowly emerging gubernatorial battle may be determined by whom Trump, the GOP’s kingmaker in his adopted home state of Florida and across the country, may eventually back. But not to be discounted is any possible endorsement by DeSantis in the race to succeed the governor.
DOJ releases final violent crime numbers for Biden administration
The Department of Justice (DOJ) this week released the final nationwide crime statistics under the Biden administration as the president prepares to leave office. Following an uptick in violent crime in 2021 during the pandemic, it began to trend down significantly in 2023, “including double-digit drops in homicide rates across many major cities,” according to the DOJ. In 2024, violent crime continued to go down, according to preliminary DOJ data from 85 major cities. That included a 17.5% decrease in murder rates. There was also a 7.1% decrease in rape, 3.6% decrease in aggravated assault and 7.8% decline in robbery over the first three quarters of the year. Between 2021 and 2022, violent crime decreased by 1.7%, which became a 3% decrease between 2022 and 2023, and through the second quarter of 2023 to 2024 it went down by 10.3%. In the same time spans, the murder rate went down by 6.1% starting from 2021 to 2022, by 11.6% in 2023 and finally by 22.7% in 2024. HOMICIDES ARE PLUNGING IN BIDEN’S LAST YEAR COMPARED TO TRUMP’S: REPORT “Since launching the Violent Crime Reduction Strategy in 2021, the Department has made historic progress against the most significant drivers of violent crime,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. She added, “This report details the Department’s many successes in implementing its violent crime strategy and serves as a testament to the work of law enforcement officers around the country who have done so much to keep our communities safe.” Shortly after taking office in 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Monaco would be implementing a Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. “Recognizing that every jurisdiction — large, small, rural, urban — faces unique challenges that cannot be addressed by a one-size-fits-all policy — the strategy was data-driven and deployed federal resources, including cutting-edge tools, in the most effective way: to act as a force multiplier for state and local law enforcement on the front lines of the fight against violent crime,” the report said. Of the 85 cities included in the statistics, violent crime went up in 23 and down in 62, and murder rates went up in 19 and down in 64, the report said. CNN PANEL CLASHES OVER WHETHER CRIME IS DOWN AFTER NEW FBI REPORT: ‘SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT USED TO BE’ The report said that while there is “no single cause” for the decline or increase in violent crime, “the work of law enforcement across the country — a partnership between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies — has no doubt played a leading role.” The DOJ said its strategy was to “focus on the most significant drivers of violent crime — including gun violence and repeat offenders.” It also prioritized building trust in communities and investing in community-based prevention and intervention programs. “Since the start of this administration, this Department has been laser-focused on targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime — with gun violence at the top of that list,” Monaco said. “Our strategy is data-driven and focuses on doing what we do best: acting as a force multiplier with our state and local law enforcement partners — who are on the front lines of the fight against violent crime — and deploying technology and other cutting-edge tools to go after the individuals most responsible for crime in our communities.” She added, “We are seeing returns on our efforts. After a peak during the pandemic, violent crime is on a downward trajectory — including double-digit drops in homicide rates across many major cities.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This is President Biden’s last week in office. President-elect Trump will assume office on Monday.