Seth McLaughlin

Trump campaign claims debate victory — before the debate

Donald Trump's campaign says the former president has already won the first GOP presidential debate -- even though he'll be a no-show.

August 23, 2023

Trump says GOP must ‘get tougher’ in fight over his criminal charges

Former President Donald Trump, addressing the latest indictment against him, said that Republicans risk losing their party if they don't fight harder against political prosecutions against him.

August 17, 2023

Iowa Republicans see an opening for Trump rivals to make a move in the caucus race

Former President Donald Trump is dominating the polls and overshadowing his rivals in Iowa, but there is a lingering sentiment among GOP caucus-goers that it could be time to turn the page.

August 16, 2023

Trump steals DeSantis’ thunder at Iowa State Fair as they compete for voters’ attention

For a few hours, Ron DeSantis was the top political draw at the Iowa State Fair.

August 12, 2023

The Other Guys: Lesser-known GOP White House hopefuls get a turn in the spotlight at Iowa State Fair

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum made the rounds at the iconic Iowa State Fair to tout his small-town roots and promise a "180-degree" turn from President Biden's policies, which he says hurt Americans of every political stripe.

August 12, 2023

DeSantis’ retooled campaign rolls across Iowa with vows to clean up FBI, use deadly force on cartels

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is telling voters he will bring the strong leadership and accountability to the White House that was missing on President Trump's watch and worsened with President Biden in charge.

August 10, 2023

DeSantis moves to stop his backward slide by ousting campaign manager, revamping strategy

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has replaced his presidential campaign manager in the latest effort at a course correction in a run that, despite its missteps, is the most formidable GOP challenge to former President Donald Trump.

August 8, 2023

Trump’s GOP rivals increasingly take shots at him as criminal charges pile up

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has started to say it publicly: former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

August 7, 2023

Asa Hutchinson dumbfounded and frustrated by GOP voters’ blind loyalty to Trump

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has made it his mission to wrestle the Republican Party away from Donald Trump, but he can't escape the former president's shadow.

August 7, 2023

Trump-inspired border visits as important as early voting states for GOP presidential hopefuls

The nation's southern border has joined the early primary states as must-visits for Republican presidential contenders seeking to court the party's voters.

August 6, 2023

Trump’s defense team casts Jan. 6 indictment as an attack on free speech

Former President Donald Trump's lawyers are framing the new indictment as an unprecedented battle over free speech that federal prosecutors cannot win.

August 2, 2023

Pence warns Trump indictment shows it’s time to move on, look to the future

Former Vice President Mike Pence said the latest Trump indictment sends a clear message that "anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States."

August 1, 2023

Trump indicted by grand jury in Jan. 6 case

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted former President Donald Trump on four criminal charges stemming from his efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election and the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, compounding his already severe legal woes as he pursues his third bid for the White House.

August 1, 2023

Pence frozen out by Trump loyalists, Republicans turned off by connection

Former Vice President Mike Pence is a man without a home in the 2024 GOP presidential race, so much so that he is in jeopardy of not being invited to the party's first debate next month in Milwaukee.

July 24, 2023

Begging and buying: GOP presidential hopefuls will do almost anything to qualify for first debate

For longshot 2024 contenders, missing the debate next month could mark the beginning of the end.

July 20, 2023

Vivek Ramaswamy vows to take Trump’s agenda to the next level

Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy says he is a better candidate than former President Donald Trump because the American electorate is hankering for a revolutionary leader that doesn't drive them insane.

July 19, 2023

Republican millennial’s faith-based presidential run mixes Hindu and Judeo-Christian values

Vivek Ramaswamy is running to be the nation's first Hindu president and he's running in a Republican Party steeped in -- and demanding a return to -- Judeo-Christian values.

July 19, 2023

DeSantis blames ‘motivated reasoning’ for reports that his campaign is floundering

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday ventured outside of conservative media circles in the hopes of putting a damper on the storyline his GOP presidential run has failed to live up to the hype.

July 18, 2023

GOP candidates tell skeptical primary voters why to back Ukraine: Russian win would help China

Republican presidential hopefuls have been struggling to explain their support for Ukraine to a GOP electorate decidedly skeptical of America's interests in the war with Russia.

July 17, 2023

Gov. DeSantis woos Christian conservatives with pro-Israel message

Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed Monday that if he is elected president he will "never waver" in his support for Israel, and pledged to take a hard-nosed approach to a "hostile" Iranian regime.

July 17, 2023