Michigan goes to the polls, Haley goes all in for GOP, while Ronna just goes. It’s 252 days until Election 2024, and we are Resolute.

Michigan Primaries Underway

Michigan voters are heading to the polls today for both the GOP and Democratic primaries. With Donald Trump expected to win in a walk over Nikki Haley, the race to watch is on the Democratic side. Muslim leaders in the state, and people like Beto O’Rourke from out of state, are urging Democrat voters to vote “uncommitted” today to protest Joe Biden giving military aid to Israel reluctance to insist on a cease-fire in Gaza.

(Which could explain why Biden, between ice cream licks Monday, expressed enthusiasm a cease-fire deal could be reached within a week. Something both Hamas and Israel seem to poo-poo.)

How big will the “uncommitted” vote be? How many people will leave their homes or go to their mail-in drop boxes to send Biden a message? We’ll know after the polls close at 8 p.m.

How significant is the Muslim displeasure with Biden? (To say nothing of auto worker worries?) An Emerson College poll out Monday shows Donald Trump with a 2% lead over Biden in a state Biden “won” in 2020 by nearly 3%.

Nikki Nixes No Labels Run

Nikki Haley has shot down rumors she will run on the No Labels ticket if she is unable to overtake former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary race. “I am a Republican. I am not running as any other party or independent,” she told Fox Business. She repeated her disinterest in a third-party run to AP, “I have not had one conversation with No Labels. They have sent signals to me that they want to talk. I have told them I am not interested in talking,” 

We believe her, but let’s pause to giggle at a politician actually saying “I am not interested in talking.”

Meanwhile, more bad news for the former governor. The Koch-backed “Americans for Prosperity” is pulling further financial support for Haley’s campaign in the wake of her home state loss to Trump in South Carolina.

Ronna Out After Super Tuesday

Embattled RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel officially announced Monday that she is stepping down. after weeks of speculation. “I have decided to step aside at our spring training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a chair of their choosing.” McDaniel, in addition to overseeing election losses the last three cycles, has lost favor with the man who originally pegged her for the job, former president and current front-runner Donald Trump.

Trump is backing North Carolina GOP chair Kevin Whatley to head the RNC, with daughter-in-law Lara Trump his pick for co-chair.

Jeb Bush Defends Trump Against NYC Judgment

Jeb Bush is actually defending Donald Trump. What can you say? That’s 2024 for you.

The former Florida Gov. who was upset by Trump (in more ways than one) in the 2016 primary, and was largely silent the past seven years, has come out and defended Trump. Or at least defended him against the absurd (and arguably unconstitutional) $355 million fraud judgment in New York.

While still ripping Trump in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Bush said,

But equality before the law is precious, and these rulings represent a crisis not only for the soundness of our courts, but for the business environment that has allowed the U.S. to prosper.  If these rulings stand, the damage could cascade through the economy, creating fear of arbitrary enforcement against entrepreneurs who seek public office or raise their voices as citizens in a way that politicians dislike.

On Monday, Trump and his sons appealed that judgment.

Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Vendetta … I mean, Letitia … James continues her unusual punishment of daily posting the running total of Trump’s judgment and interest.

+$114,553.04 = $464,805,336.70 https://t.co/gugrACDTpC

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) February 25, 2024

Taunting isn’t allowed in football. Who knew it was okay in legal cases?

Bad News for Fani

Meanwhile another prosecutor after Trump’s hide, Fani Willis, got bad news Monday. Judge Scott McAfee ruled that lover Nathan Wade’s former partner and divorce lawyer must share what he knows about the couple’s relationship. McAfee met for hours Monday with Terrence Bradley, who had said his knowledge of Wade-n-Willis was covered by attorney-client privilege. In the end, the judge ruled Bradley will have to testify about his knowledge of the relationship timeline. Willis and Wade insist the relationship started after she appointed Wade to investigate Trump. Cell data evidence and an old friend of Fani suggest otherwise.  

That testimony is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

Huh? Hunter Biden Ties His Sobriety to Effort to “Save Democracy”

An old issue of the humor magazine National Lampoon had the cover “Buy this magazine or the dog gets it.”

Couldn’t help but think of that cover when reading the latest from famous painter Hunter Biden. The First Son sees his staying sober as key to “saving democracy” from Donald Trump. 

“Most importantly, you have to believe that you’re worth the work, or you’ll never be able to get sober. But I often do think of the profound consequences of failure here,” he told Axios. “I have something much bigger than even myself at stake. We are in the middle of a fight for the future of democracy.”  Although we understand his need for motivation and inspiration to stay straight, this does sounds a bit like, “Vote for Joe or I will freebase again.” 

According to Axios, Joe Biden is privately expressing worry that the attacks on the Biden family … translation, the investigation into their own actions … is having a toll and could even cause Hunter to relapse. And Hunter is worried what the political fallout of that would be.

Note to the President: Hunter staying sober is key to you winning in 2024? No, it’s you staying upright. Still, it’s a nice PR ploy to paint Hunter as a victim, and you as just a concerned father. At least, MSNBC is buying it, declaring without critique “he sees his sobriety as related to the fate of the country.” (Love the sympathetic MSNBC host in the backround swooning, “Right, right.”)

MSNBC segment on Hunter Biden says "he sees his sobriety as related to the fate of the country." pic.twitter.com/vPevXaMoG8

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 26, 2024

That said, we do sincerely hope for his sake that Hunter is able to stay clean.

So to Hunter we say, “Stay resolute.” We’re praying for you.

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and co-author of the counter-terrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.