Wednesday, January 24, 2024

1/24 WAKE-UP CALL: Trump Triumphs In NH Primary


Former President Donald Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire Republican primary, winning over crucial Granite State voters.

The New Hampshire primary has long wielded the power to make or break presidential candidates. On Tuesday, all eyes were on the GOP race as Haley tried to build momentum against Trump with a coalition that included moderate and independent voters. On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden also beat his challengers via a write-in campaign, defeating Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and author Marianne Williamson.

Despite Nikki Haley vowing to press on Tuesday night, Joe Biden's reelection campaign said Donald Trump’s double-digit victory in New Hampshire makes his Republican nomination a virtual certainty as they looked ahead to an election rematch against Trump.

➤BIDEN SAYS IT'S THE TRUMP PARTY: “Tonight’s results confirm Donald Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination, and the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. Biden has seemingly been running against Trump for months, but the statement Tuesday went the farthest in disregarding his Republican opponents.

➤JOE FOE GETS 21 PERCENT: Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips vowed to press on after garnering about 21 percent of the vote in Tuesdsay's Democratic primary in New Hampshire.  Phillips and self-help guru Marianne Williamson were the only Democrats to appear by name on the Granite State ballot due to the Democratic National Committee's decision to skip over New Hampshire and make South Carolina first. As soon as polls closed at 8 p.m., CNN and The Associated Press almost immediately called the race for President Joe Biden, as his supporters mounted a write-in campaign in the state.

'Joe Biden is a good man. He is a fine man. Yes, he is everybody,' Phillips said, when one supporter yelled that wasn't the case. 'He's our president. But I've gotta tell you, everyone, he cannot win. The polls are saying he cannot win, his approval numbers are saying he can't win.'  Additionally, Phillips pointed out, 'an unknown congressman from Minnesota' was just able to capture 21 percent. 'So I'm here, to say are you ready to keep this baby going?' he asked the cheering crowd gathered at Manchester's Millyard Museum. 

➤BIDEN HECKLED: President Joe Biden pushed through repeated heckling Tuesday from pro-Palestinian protesters in his first major campaign rally of 2024, providing a stark reminder of friction on the left that could threaten his reelection bid. Biden, appearing with Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses at a joint campaign rally in Manassas, Va., called on Democrats to help him restore abortion rights "with your voice, with your power, with your vote," as he blamed former President Donald Trump for dismantling the protections previously guaranteed by Roe v. Wade. But his message was cut off by about a dozen interruptions from protesters in the crowd who voiced their opposition to Biden's backing of Israel in its war in Gaza. 

One person chanted, "Genocide Joe!" A woman shouted, "Ceasefire now!" Another yelled, "Israel kills two mothers every hour!" Several demonstrators were escorted out by security. "This is going to go on for a while," Biden told the crowd at one point. "They've got this planned."


➤IMMIGRATION TOPS VOTER'S CONCERNS: New Hampshire and Iowa are two very different places, but Republican primary and caucus voters in both states were similarly aligned in handing former President Donald Trump two victories in the leadoff nominating contests, exit polls show. As in Iowa, a plurality of New Hampshire GOPers (42%) considered immigration the most important issue in the 2024 race — and Trump won that group by a margin of more than three-to-one over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (73% to 22%), according to the Fox News Voter analysis. The former president also bested Haley by double digits (53% to 40%) among the 31% of Granite State voters who said the economy and jobs were the most important issues. As predicted, Haley won big among Republican New Hampshire primary voters who considered themselves independent and Democratic-leaning.


➤TOP BIDEN  AIDES TO LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP ROLES: President Joe Biden's re-election campaign is undergoing senior leadership changes, with Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and Mike Donilon transitioning from their White House roles to key positions in the campaign. As the campaign shifts towards a general election focus, Donilon will play a central role in messaging and paid media strategy, while O'Malley Dillon will be responsible for organizing and executing the campaign's path to securing 270 electoral votes. These changes are happening under the leadership of campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. O'Malley Dillon's new role was originally planned for the future but was accelerated due to the reduced GOP field. Despite the changes, the president maintains confidence in Chavez Rodriguez.

➤HOUTHIS SAY U.S.-U.K. AIRSTRIKES WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED OR UNANSWERED: Houthi leaders are defiant in response to a new wave of attacks targeting five governorates, including the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. The Houthi army spokesperson, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, stated that the attacks would not go unanswered, emphasizing retaliation. Following the attacks, reports of "uncrewed aerial system activity" south of al-Mukha, Yemen, were received by UK Maritime Trade Operations, prompting ongoing investigations.

➤U-S STRIKES: The U.S. launched retaliatory strikes on Iran-backed militias Tuesday in Iraq after a base hosting American troops was attacked by ballistic missiles late last week, wounding four American service members. The strikes are significant as they targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps assets, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The IRGC plays a key role in Iran’s foreign policy, including equipping and training militant groups in the Middle East. Tuesday's U.S. airstrikes hit three facilities used by the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. They targeted headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack drones.

➤DEADLY DAY FOR ISRAELI MILITARY:  The Israeli military suffered its deadliest day since the Gaza war began. Twenty-four soldiers were killed yesterday, including 21 who were preparing two buildings for demolition when Gaza militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at one of the buildings and a nearby tank, igniting the explosives, military officials said. The troops were in Gaza around 600 yards from an Israeli town. The operation raised questions about whether Israel’s government was proceeding with plans to create a buffer zone inside the strip, though Israeli officials haven’t publicly offered details of such a zone. The U.S. and the West have warned against diminishing the enclave’s territory. Tens of thousands of Israelis have been displaced from their homes along the Gazan border since Oct. 7, when Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 240 others hostage.

🎥AND THE OSCAR NOMINEES ARE... Meanwhile, in Hollywood: It’s the most wonderful – or dreadful – day of the year for many. Christopher Nolan's atomic bomb biopic "Oppenheimer" cemented itself as an awards-season powerhouse Tuesday morning, scoring 13 nominations for the 96th Academy Awards. The fantastical dark comedy "Poor Things" received 11 nods, while Martin Scorsese's Western crime epic "Killers of the Flower Moon" garnered 10. Meanwhile, big names such as Willem Dafoe ("Poor Things") and Julianne Moore ("May December") awoke to the unhappy news that they were snubbed for Oscar nominations. The team behind "Saltburn" kept their champagne corked, too. This year's Oscars ceremony will air live on March 10 at 7 p.m. EST on ABC.

⚾ADRIAN BELTRE, TODD HELTON, JOE MAUER INTO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class will feature Joe Mauer, Todd Helton, and Adrian Beltre, all elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Beltre and Mauer made it in their first year of eligibility, with Beltre receiving 95.1% support and Mauer receiving 76.1%. Helton, in his sixth attempt, garnered 79.7% support. The induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, on July 21 will also include manager Jim Leyland, voted in by the Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players Committee in December.

⚾SOURCES: FREE AGENT MATT MOOR, ANGELS AGREE TO 1-YEAR DEAL: The Los Angeles Angels continued their offseason-long pursuit of bullpen help Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $9 million deal to bring back veteran left-hander Matt Moore. The Moore agreement comes on the same day the Angels announced a three-year, $33 million deal with Robert Stephenson. He and Moore likely will serve as setup men for incumbent closer Carlos Estevez.

🏈RAIDERS NAME FORMER CHARGERS EXECUTIVE TOM TELESCO NEW GM: The Las Vegas Raiders hired former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco as their new GM, it was announced on Tuesday. This comes less than six weeks after the Raiders beat the Chargers 63-21 at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 14 and Telesco and coach Brandon Staley paid for the historic loss with their jobs the next day.

🏈BRIAN JOHNSON OUT AS EAGLES OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, SOURCES CONFIRM: Brian Johnson is out as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator becoming the latest assistant ousted from Nick Sirianni's coaching staff. The team had not officially announced Johnson's status, but multiple outlets reported Tuesday morning that Johnson will not return to the Eagles after only one season as their offensive coordinator.

📺NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND AVERAGES RECORD 40 MILLION VIEWERS, UP 7%: The NFL divisional round playoff games last weekend set a record with an average of 40 million viewers on television and digital platforms, the highest since 1988. This marks a 7% increase from the previous year and a 5% jump from two years ago. The Sunday night game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills on CBS achieved a record 50.39 million viewers, making it the most-watched program on any network since the previous year's Super Bowl. Other games, including the Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens, Packers-San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions-Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also saw significant viewership, with several setting records for their respective networks.

➤WENESDAY'S WEATHER MAP: 





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