Nikki Haley

Wednesday January 17, 2024

The GOP primary unfolds like a prehistoric drama, with Trump dominating as Trumposaurus Rex, and rivals like Haley and DeSantis navigating electability, competency, and the Jan. 6 attack as the circus moves to New Hampshire.

January 17, 2024

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday January 17, 2024

Trump’s Dominance and the GOP Primary Circus

May 11, 2023

As the Iowa Caucus unfolded, the Republican primary race resembled a prehistoric spectacle with all four main candidates playing the roles of dinosaurs, each representing a different facet of conservative beliefs. However, looming over them all was the seemingly unbeatable Trumposaurus Rex – the defeated, impeached, indicted, and generally disgraced former President Donald Trump.

The challengers to Trump were portrayed as Trump sycophants, each with their own distinct dinosaur identities. Nikki Haley, dubbed Hayleydonasaurus, and Ron DeSantis, known as Desantodonasaurus, were like two dinosaur upper bodies sharing the same set of legs, attempting to punch each other out in a series of debates that always lacked the presence of the polls leader, Donald Trump.

Vivek Ramaswamy, the biggest Trump sycophant of them all, fittingly earned the title of Ramawamysychophantic Trumposaurus Rex, finishing in last place and promptly suspending his campaign before throwing his support behind Trump.

News: Iowa caucus results: The GOP presidential field narrows as Ramaswamy and Hutchinson drop out

May 26, 2023

Former President Donald Trump has undeniably dominated the Republican primary race for months, with his rivals hesitant to criticize him directly, fearing a backlash from base Republican voters. The primary contenders, including Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, have largely relied on indirect attacks to navigate the tricky terrain of the GOP base.

The issue of electability emerged as a focal point in the candidates’ strategies, with DeSantis openly expressing doubts about Trump’s ability to win and emphasizing the need for a candidate who can appeal to a broader voter base. Haley also joined the electability argument, citing polls that showed her performing better against Biden than either Trump or DeSantis.

Competency became a battleground, with Haley questioning Trump’s ability to lead in a second term, criticizing his chaotic approach, and challenging his economic policies. DeSantis accused Trump of contributing to rising inflation and criticized him for failing to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

In a departure from the Trump narrative, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie labeled Trump as unfit for the presidency, citing concerns about using the Department of Justice against political enemies. Meanwhile, political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy staunchly defended Trump, hailing him as the “best president of the 21st century.”

January 8, 2021

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol revealed divisions among the candidates, with Haley and DeSantis offering nuanced perspectives. While Trump downplayed the violence, Haley broke with him, calling it a terrible day and blaming him for not preventing or stopping it. DeSantis labeled it a riot and accused Democrats and the media of smearing Trump supporters.

The question of whether Trump should be pardoned in the face of criminal charges became a litmus test for the candidates. While Haley and DeSantis expressed willingness to pardon Trump if convicted, Christie stood firm against it, emphasizing the importance of accepting responsibility.

The issue of Trump being disqualified from primary ballots in states like Colorado and Maine led to a united front among the Republican candidates, defending his right to run for president.

As the GOP circus moves from Iowa to New Hampshire, Trump’s commanding win provides him with unprecedented momentum. Anti-Trump Republicans in New Hampshire see it as a chance to slow him down, but the gap between Trump and his rivals, especially Nikki Haley, remains significant.

The GOP primary race continues to be dominated by Trumposaurus Rex, with the other candidates playing various dinosaur roles in a political spectacle that mirrors a prehistoric drama. The next stop in New Hampshire promises further twists and turns in this intriguing political saga. (AI)

 

Wednesday March 22, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 22, 2023

Fingerprints and a mugshot: What happens if Trump is arrested

December 21, 2022

Donald Trump is hunkering down in Florida ahead of his widely anticipated arrest this week on charges stemming from an investigation into a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

He would be the first US president to face criminal charges.

In 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006.

Mr Trump’s team got wind of this, and his lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet.

This is not illegal. However, when Mr Trump reimbursed Mr Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour – a criminal offence – in New York.

Prosecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Ms Daniels was motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her. Covering up a crime by falsifying records would be a felony, which is a more serious charge.

September 24, 2022

Even advocates for prosecution acknowledge that either way, this is by no means a clear-cut case. There is little precedent for such a prosecution, and past attempts to charge politicians with crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have ended in failure.

“It’s going to be tough,” says Catherine Christian, a former financial prosecutor for the New York City district attorney.

The decision on whether to file charges rests with New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He set up the grand jury to investigate whether there was enough evidence to pursue a prosecution, and he is the only one who knows if – or when – an indictment will be announced.

Last week, Mr Trump’s lawyers said that the former president was offered a chance to appear before the grand jury, which is considered a sign that the investigation is close to finishing.

The lawyers have downplayed suggestions that they or Mr Trump have any advance notice of an impending indictment, saying his comments about it being Tuesday were based on media reports.

However, there are other signs that the grand jury is wrapping up.

January 6, 2022

Both Michael Cohen and his former legal adviser Robert Costello have given testimony in recent days.

Mr Costello was put forward by Mr Trump’s defence team on Monday in an attempt to discredit Cohen’s testimony.

If Mr Bragg decides to move ahead with charges, he will first inform Mr Trump and his lawyers, setting off negotiations over how and when the former president will appear in New York City for his formal arrest and first hearing in court.

As part of those negotiations with prosecutors, the court may also agree to grant him a private entrance to the court, instead of the more typical “perp walk” in front of the assembled media.

Once inside, however, Mr Trump will be fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken like all defendants in criminal cases. He will also be read his “Miranda” rights, reminding him of his constitutionally-protected right to a lawyer and to decline to talk to police.

October 12, 2016

Defendants charged with a felony are typically handcuffed temporarily, although Mr Trump’s lawyers will try to avoid that for their client. Throughout the booking process, he will be accompanied by Secret Service agents.

Mr Trump would then wait in a holding area or cell until his appearance before a judge. The arraignment – the moment where a defendant enters their plea before a judge – is open to the public.

Once the case is booked and a judge is selected, other details will fall into place, such as the timing of the trial and possible travel restrictions and bail requirements for the defendant.

A conviction on a misdemeanour would result in a fine. If Mr Trump were convicted on the felony charge, he would face a maximum sentence of four years in prison, although some legal experts predict a fine is more probable, and that any time behind bars is highly unlikely. (BBC) 

 

Friday August 28, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday August 28, 2020

As Young Black Athletes Call for Racial Awakening, Some N.F.L. Retirees Declare Fealty to ‘Winner’ Trump

On one of the most consequential nights in recent sports history — when a player-led boycott forced the N.B.A. to postpone playoff games — the Republican National Convention offered pro-Trump testimonials from a retired Notre Dame coach and a former N.F.L. player facing insider-trading charges.

Sketches from the 2020 RNC

“It is a pleasure, a blessing, and an honor for me to explain why I believe that President Trump is a consistent winner,” said Lou Holtz, 83, who coached college and pro teams during a successful four-decade career.

“I am here as a servant to god, a servant to the people of our nation, and a servant to our president,” said the former Minnesota Vikings safety Jack Brewer, 41.

Mr. Trump has plenty of support among athletes, especially white ones, across a range of sports. And he has hobnobbed with many Black sports figures, most from previous generations, like Mike Tyson, Herschel Walker and Jim Brown. Some, like Mr. Walker, have appeared at the Republican National Convention, and delivered a message that the party wants to project — that the president is not racist.

June 3, 2020

But members of the current generation of Black athletes in the N.B.A. and in other sports leagues have not personalized their protest in the same way — their movement is a broader call for social justice — and they certainly do not view themselves as Mr. Trump’s “servant.”

And the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black father who was partially paralyzed after a white officer fired seven shots into his back on Sunday in Kenosha, Wis., has revived the sense of urgency stirred by the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by the police.

Many see the Trump era less as an exceptional moment in American history than as the resurgence of chronic patterns of oppression, discrimination and racial violence.

But the president’s gleeful culture-war attack on the former N.F.L. quarterback Colin Kaepernick — who took a knee during the national anthem four years ago Wednesday to protest racism and police shootings — and his response to the current uprising over systemic racism seems to have steeled the determination of Black athletes across many sports.

June 15, 2019

By late Wednesday, the N.B.A. stoppage had spread to the W.N.B.A., Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball. Games between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were called off just before they were scheduled to start.

“For me, I think no matter what, I wasn’t going to play tonight,” said Mookie Betts, the star Dodgers outfielder, who is Black.

The N.B.A. players are withholding their labor, it is not clear for how long, to promote an as-yet undefined campaign for systemic change that includes, but also transcends, ousting the current president.

“BOYCOTTED, NOT *POSTPONED,” the Lakers star LeBron James, who supports Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic nominee, wrote on his Instagram feed late Wednesday.

Even before the Milwaukee Bucks players announced their boycott of Wednesday’s playoff game, Black athletes and their coaches had been offering yearning expressions of anguish as resonant as anything uttered at either political convention. (New York Times) 

 

Sketches of the RNC2020

Click above for image detail

The 2020 Republican National Convention took place from August 24 to August 27, 2020.

The Republican National Convention (RNC) in 2020 was notable for several key highlights:

  1. Virtual Format: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention was largely virtual, featuring a mix of in-person and remote appearances. This marked a departure from traditional large gatherings.
  2. Nomination of Donald Trump: President Donald Trump was officially nominated for a second term. The event emphasized his administration’s accomplishments, including economic growth and criminal justice reform.
  3. Speeches from High-Profile Republicans: The convention featured speeches from prominent Republican figures, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Their speeches aimed to rally support for Trump and outline the party’s vision.
  4. Personal Stories: The RNC included personal testimonials from ordinary Americans who shared their positive experiences under Trump’s presidency, including small business owners and law enforcement officers.
  5. Focus on Law and Order: Many speakers highlighted themes of law and order in response to civil unrest and protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. This was a significant part of the party’s messaging.
  6. Keynote Address by Tim Scott: Senator Tim Scott delivered a prominent keynote address, emphasizing themes of hope and opportunity and discussing the need for unity in America.
  7. Fireworks Finale: The convention concluded with a dramatic fireworks display at the White House, where Trump delivered a speech emphasizing his vision for America and urging voters to support him.
  8. Appeal to Diverse Audiences: The RNC featured a concerted effort to reach out to diverse communities, showcasing speakers from various backgrounds to present a broader Republican appeal.

Here are some prominent speakers from the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC):

  1. Donald Trump – President of the United States and Republican nominee for re-election.
  2. Mike Pence – Vice President of the United States.
  3. Nikki Haley – Former U.N. Ambassador and Governor of South Carolina.
  4. Tim Scott – U.S. Senator from South Carolina.
  5. Donald Trump Jr. – Son of President Trump and businessman.
  6. Ivanka Trump – Daughter of President Trump and Senior Advisor to the President.
  7. Rudy Giuliani – Former Mayor of New York City and personal attorney to President Trump.
  8. Mike Pompeo – Secretary of State.
  9. Kimberly Guilfoyle – Former Fox News host and Donald Trump Jr.’s partner.
  10. Ben Carson – Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
  11. Chris Christie – Former Governor of New Jersey.
  12. Laura Trump – Daughter-in-law of President Trump and campaign advisor.
  13. Mark and Patricia McCloskey – St. Louis couple who gained national attention for displaying firearms during a protest.
  14. Daniel Cameron – Attorney General of Kentucky.
  15. Kellyanne Conway – Former Counselor to the President.

These speakers focused on various themes, including the Trump administration’s accomplishments, law and order, and a vision for the future of the country.