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Steve Scalise’s sloppy steaks

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Steve Scalise’s sloppy steaks

Allies of Ohio congressman Jim Jordan are trying to sabotage House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s bid to become House speaker by claiming the Louisiana representative has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at a D.C. steak restaurant, according to reports.

Eric Cortellessa, a politics reporter for Time, said supporters of Jordan have been sharing Federal Election Commission [FEC] documents around Washington D.C. showing that Scalise has spent more than $500,000 through his congressional campaign account at Capital Grille since 2011.

“They are saying it reveals Scalise to be a creature of the ‘Washington swamp’ and establishment—another sign that Republicans are not ready to corral around a single candidate. Some are preparing for a lengthy and bitter fight,” Cortellessa posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The claim that Scalise has spent vast sums of money at the steak restaurant emerged after the Louisiana congressman beat Jordan to become the Republican nomination to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker following his historic ousting in a 113-99 secret ballot at the GOP Conference.

Due to the GOP’s narrow 221-212 majority in the House of Representatives, Scalise will eventually need the support of almost all Republican lawmakers in the lower chamber to achieve the 217 votes needed in a full House ballot to get elected speaker. There is virtually no chance he will get any votes from the Democrats.

Scalise’s office has been contacted for comment via email.

There are currently around a dozen House Republicans who have said they will still be supporting Jordan for the House speaker role, or who have not yet been convinced to back Scalise.

The continuing support for Jordan, who has been endorsed for House speaker by former president Donald Trump, sets up another potential drawn out voting process before any Republican can be elected to the role.

In January, McCarthy needed 15 rounds of voting before he was finally elected, as a number of hardline and MAGA Republicans, including Florida’s Matt Gaetz, refused to vote for him. The California Republican only got enough votes after six Republicans withheld their ballot, therefore lowering the threshold to 216.

One of the concessions McCarthy made to appease some members of his party and to back his reelection bid was changing Congress rules so that just one member could introduce a motion to vacate and force a vote on removing the speaker. McCarthy was eventually ousted in a 216-210 House vote in an October 3 vote after Gaetz introduced such a motion.

Bill Palmer, who writes the left-wing political blog Palmer Report, described how infighting in the GOP looks set to continue for the foreseeable future amid claims of factions attempting to smear Scalise over his steak spending.

“This is the kind of scandal that—if it gets any traction—won’t just hurt Scalise’s bid for Speaker, it could also hurt him with his own constituents and even potentially with campaign finance regulators,” Palmer wrote.

“Of course this new Scalise scandal might not go anywhere, given that the Republican House has too many overlapping and cascading scandals for them all to fit into the news headlines. But the mere fact that certain House Republicans are trying to make this a scandal, and trying to take Scalise’s legs out, simply in the hope of allowing someone else to become Speaker, shows what a chaotic clown show this is,” Palmer added.

In a statement after he won the GOP nomination, Scalise thanked Republicans for their support, adding: “Obviously we still have work to do. We’re going to have to go upstairs on the House Floor and resolve this, and get the House opened again.”

Correction 10/12/23, 11:21 a.m. ET: Corrects to House Majority Leader

What Steve Scalise has said about Donald Trump

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What Steve Scalise has said about Donald Trump

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has won the Republican nomination for the House speaker role despite not getting the backing of former President Donald Trump.

The Louisiana representative beat Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan in a 113-99 secret ballot at the GOP conference on Wednesday to be next in line to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker following McCarthy’s historic ousting.

The ballot suggests that Scalise is still way off from the 217 House votes he will need in order to get elected as the next House speaker.

There are around a dozen House Republicans who said they will support Jordan for the House speaker role or who have not yet been convinced to back Scalise, setting up another potentially chaotic path to choose a new House speaker following the 15 rounds of voting McCarthy needed in January to clinch the role.

Though Scalise is a loyal Trump supporter, the former president instead backed Jordan for the position, writing in a Truth Social post the Ohio lawmaker “will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”

Below, Newsweek has compiled some of the comments Scalise has made regarding Trump in recent years.

January 6

In a January 12, 2021, opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal about the Capitol riot six days earlier, Scalise said that Trump “should have denounced the attack unequivocally as it was taking place” but stopped short of blaming the former president for the violence.

“I reject the notion that Wednesday’s actions were a mostly peaceful protest or that antifa infiltrators led the mob into the Capitol. I also reject the notion that the mob’s actions accurately represent the motivations of the millions of Americans who voted for President Trump or the Republican Party,” Scalise added. “We have to be rational and honest while holding ourselves and others accountable.”

Scalise was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn Trump’s election loss just hours after the Capitol riot.

Trump’s Criminal Charges

In August 2023, as Trump was due to be charged under Special Counsel Jack Smith‘s federal investigation into the events leading up to the January 6 attack, Scalise posted on X: “Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Biden’s DOJ is cutting sweetheart deals for Hunter to cover for the Biden Family’s influence peddling schemes while at the same time trying to persecute his leading political opponent. It’s an outrageous abuse of power.”

Scalise also hit out at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in August after her office indicted Trump and 18 others under her RICO election interference probe.

“Willis is actually raising money off of the idea of going after Trump. It’s on her website. She literally put up on her website—a few days ago—a headline that, among other things, bragged that she was going after the former president and using that to raise money which undermines all the credibility,” Scalise said in August on The Mark Levin Show. “People see through this, but they’re disgusted by it, Mark.”

Scalise also suggested that the federal charges against Trump are “retribution” from the Biden administration and an attempt to hinder Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

“They hate Donald Trump for a lot of reasons and they sure don’t want him to come back and they’re doing everything to stop him. And it’s, frankly, galvanizing people more towards Trump right now,” the congressman said.

In June, Scalise also downplayed the evidence in the Department of Justice‘s federal indictment against Trump as part of the classified documents case during a press conference.

“There was a box that was shown with all these documents spewn out…It wasn’t anything classified; it was newspaper clippings and some personal items presented to try to give the impression that there’s all these classified documents just laying around on the floor,” Scalise told reporters.

“Yet you contrast that with Joe Biden‘s garage where there were classified documents going back to when he was a United States senator.”

2020 Election

In an October 2021 interview, Scalise repeatedly refused to say whether Biden had fairly beaten Trump at the last election, despite there being no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

“I’ve been very clear from the beginning,” he told Fox News. “If you look at a number of states, they didn’t follow their state-passed laws that govern the election for president. That is what the United States Constitution says. They don’t say the states determine what the rules are. They say the state legislatures determine the rules.”

Trump’s 2024 Campaign

Scalise has not officially endorsed Trump in his latest White House bid, telling ABC News’ This Week in April that he has not made a decision yet in the GOP primary. Trump is the current frontrunner in the race for the Republican nomination according to multiple polls.

“You’re going to know what my announcement is going to be in time. I’ve been focusing on our house agenda, and we’ve been moving a really strong agenda for the American people. That’s what families want,” Scalise said.

Donald Trump’s Republican support is slipping

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Donald Trump’s Republican support is slipping

Donald Trump has lost some support from Republican voters but is still the overwhelming favorite to clinch the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, according to a poll.

An I&I/TIPP poll, taken September 27-29 among 584 registered Republicans and independents who lean Republican, found that the former president has an overwhelming lead in the GOP primary race at 54 percent, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis second on 13 percent and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in third place on seven percent.

Compared to the previous survey released last month, Trump dropped six points (from 60 percent), with DeSantis seeing a slight two-point increase in support between the two polls.

Despite the drop in support in the latest poll, a majority (56 percent) of Republicans still believes Trump has the best chance to beat President Joe Biden at the 2024 presidential election.

In his analysis of the poll results, Terry Jones, editor of Issues & Insights, suggested that the only way Trump wouldn’t win the 2024 GOP nomination is if he is jailed in any of the criminal investigations he is involved in. Trump has pleaded not guilty to a total of 91 charges across the four separate federal and state cases.

“Trump is still way ahead, and seems safe from challengers. At least for now,” Jones wrote.

“Let him be imprisoned for any of the alleged crimes that he’s charged with, and there might well be a different story. Still, Trump is far and away the best hope the GOP has.”

The poll also suggests that a hypothetical 2024 matchup between Biden and Trump is currently a dead heat, with both potential candidates getting 42 percent in an expanded I&I/TIPP poll of 1,262 registered voters.

Elsewhere, Biden’s poll numbers among likely Democratic voters also fell between the September and October surveys, with the president dipping from 38 percent to 34 percent. Many of the Democrats polled back people who are not declared candidates like former First Lady Michelle Obama or Vice President Kamala Harris.

The poll also shows that no single major demographic or political group gives Biden more than 50 percent support, with Jones suggesting that the president “could be in a precarious position, especially from an aggressive intra-party challenger among the Democrats, or from a third-party challenge that siphons votes from Biden.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the only candidate who represented anything close to a serious challenge to Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary, recently confirmed he would be dropping out of the primary to run for president as an independent.

However, it doesn’t seem likely that any other potential major challenger, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, will try to stop Biden being the party’s nominee next year.

“It’s still most likely to come down to Biden and Trump, barring Biden’s impeachment or Trump’s imprisonment,” Jones said. “Even after October’s dip in support for Biden and Trump, the numbers for the current challengers to win just aren’t there.”

Jada Pinkett Smith labeled "toxic" over Will Smith revelations

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Jada Pinkett Smith labeled "toxic" over Will Smith revelations

From the infamous Oscars slap to rumors of an open relationship, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith‘s marriage has always set tongues wagging.

However, in a snippet from her upcoming primetime special with NBC News, Pinkett Smith confessed that she and her 55-year-old husband have actually been separated since 2016—a revelation that stunned the internet.

The clip aired on Today on October 11, with Hota Kotb sitting down with Pinkett Smith to discuss her upcoming memoir Worthy, released on October 17.

“There are so many surprising things in the book,” Kotb said to Pinkett Smith. “But the thing that surprised me the most, that I actually had to reread it, because I said ‘is this true?’ was that in 2016, you and Will decided that you were going to live completely separate lives.”

“Right,” the 52-year-old actress nodded.

“It was not a divorce on paper,” Kotb continued, “but it was a divorce. From the year 2016, which is seven years ago now, y’all have been apart.”

“Yes,” Pinkett Smith confirmed.

Although rumors of a split have circled on and off for a number of years, the Smiths have always publicly maintained they’re a couple and are not legally divorced.

Social media users were shocked by the confession, with the separation news dividing people online.

Many viewers took to X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, to accuse Pinkett Smith of gaslighting and emasculating her husband.

“#JadaSmith is the most toxic woman on the planet!” said Maveen. “She has been using & sponging off of #WillSmith’s success.”

“Jada smith is out embarrassing Will smith every 30 working days,” wrote @_Rayling. “She must have something on him cos how does he stay silent and ‘supportive.'”

“I bet Will Smith also found out today that he and Jada Smith have been separated for 7 years like the rest of us,” joked @king_bangy.

“If they’re separated why don’t they just divorce!” asked Meh.

“Jada smith is officially the worst wife in the world,” commented Zaphkiel, while @otee44 branded her an “Emotional Manipulator.”

However, other users came out in support of The Nutty Professor star, with petra calling the backlash “pure misogyny.”

“The damn internet stopped talking about the literal war and is going on about jada smith,” said Kaylee.

“It’s always sad to hear about a separation,” wrote Sanjanna. “Relationships can be complex, and it’s important for individuals to prioritize their well-being and happiness.

“I hope both Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith find the support they need during this time.”

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith first met in 1994, when Pinkett Smith auditioned for a role on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. At the time, Smith was married to actress and producer Sheree Zampino, mother of his eldest son Trey Smith, 30.

Pinkett Smith didn’t land the role, with the part going to Nia Long. However, the pair reconnected at a party held by actress Tisha Campbell in 1995. They wed in Maryland in 1997, with their first child Jaden Smith coming along in July 1998. The pair also share Willow Smith, born in October 2000.

Over the years, their marriage has been blighted by rumors of affairs and a supposed open relationship, although the couple always denied the allegations.

Newsweek has reached out to Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith for comment via email.

Will Smith slap takes on new meaning after Jada’s Chris Rock comment

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Will Smith slap takes on new meaning after Jada’s Chris Rock comment

Dubbed “the slap heard around the world,” viewers were stunned on March 28, 2022, when Will Smith jumped out of his seat and smacked host Chris Rock across the face during the Oscars ceremony.

The on-stage attack was in response to a joke the 58-year-old comedian made about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock compared the actress’s shaved head to G.I. Jane, the 1997 film for which Demi Moore famously sheared her long locks.

The incident was a bad look for both Rock and Smith, with the latter’s public image taking a hit as a result. However, Pinkett Smith’s interview with People magazine has fans wondering if there’s more to the story.

In the interview, published on October 11, the actress talked about the infamous slap, as well as her 26-year marriage to the Fresh Prince star, whom she wed in 1997 and secretly separated from in 2016 (although the pair are still legally married).

The 52-year-old recalled a phone call with Rock, whom both Pinkett Smith and her husband have worked with over the years. The conversation took place one summer, when the couple was surrounded by divorce rumors.

“He called me and basically he was like, ‘I’d love to take you out,'” the Nutty Professor star said.

“And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.'”

Rock “profusely apologized” for his mistake at the time, but fans suggested that the Academy Awards’ slap was about more than just the G.I. Jane joke.

“Oh now The slap situation is beginning to make sense,” said X user LOLO.

“Spent years wondering what actually caused that slap. Now I know, damn,” wrote @papiitiino.

“So Chris rock actually deserved that slap,” said Collins.

“I knew that slap had a back story,” said Dandora Date, while Damon Gonzalez commented: “Things are clearer now.”

Smith and Rock have worked on projects together in the past, beginning with the comedian’s 1995 cameo in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Previously known for his rap career, the sitcom made Smith a household name. Rock appeared in the season six episode “Get a Job” in a dual role as actor Maurice Perry and his sister Jasmine.

The pair then appeared together in the 1999 Spike Jonze mockumentary Torrance Rises, while Pinkett Smith co-starred with Rock in the animated film Madagascar (2005) and its sequels Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012).

The GI Jane joke wasn’t the first time Rock has mentioned Pinkett Smith in an Oscars monologue. While hosting the 2016 ceremony, Rock poked fun at the actress’s decision to skip the event, implying she was irrelevant.

“Jada said she’s not coming, protest. I was like, ‘Isn’t she on a TV show?'” he said. “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”

At the 2022 Academy Awards, Rock told the crowd: “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?”

However, Pinkett Smith—who struggles with alopecia—seemed unamused. In response to the jibe, Smith jumped on stage and slapped Rock live on TV, stunning the stand-up star and the audience.

“Oh wow,” he said. “Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me.”

“Keep my wife’s name out your f****** mouth!” Smith screamed after returning to his seat, to which Rock responded: “Wow, dude, it was a G.I. Jane joke.”

The 55-year-old issued an apology for the attack on social media, but that didn’t stop his marriage from becoming gossip fodder, or prevent his movie Emancipation from flopping both critically and at the box office.

In her upcoming memoir Worthy, released on October 17, Pinkett Smith confessed that she and Smith have been living separate lives for almost seven years. The former couple share children Jaden Smith, 25, and Willow Smith, 22.

Newsweek has reached out to Chris Rock, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith for comment via email.

Jon Stewart sketch on Israel and Hamas resurfaces: "Nothing has changed"

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Jon Stewart sketch on Israel and Hamas resurfaces: "Nothing has changed"

A Jon Stewart sketch from 2014 about fighting in Gaza has resurfaced on social media in the wake of the current Israel-Hamas conflict, with users amazed by how nothing has changed.

Originally appearing on The Daily Show nine years ago, Stewart’s monologue about Operation Protective Edge—a military operation launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip in 2014 amid rising tensions with Hamas—is interrupted by his correspondents, who pop up from behind him and begin shouting pro-Israel sentiments into his ear.

“We’ll start tonight in the Middle East,” Stewart tells the audience, but as soon as he mentions “Israel,” his co-stars jump in.

“What, Israel isn’t supposed to defend itself?” yells Jason Jones.

“Oh yeah if Mexico bombs Texas we would exercise restraint?” shouts Jessica Williams.

“What other country is held to the same standard as Israel?” asks Jordan Klepper, before dubbing Stewart—who is Jewish—a “self-hating Jew.”

The group, which also includes Michael Che, try to speak at once—becoming unintelligible—while a stunned Stewart looks back at the camera.

“That was, that was weird,” he tells the audience, once his co-stars have dived out of sight. “Anyway, what I was, what I was saying was last Thursday saw the start of a new ground offensive launched by Israel.”

Again, as soon as the 60-year-old mentions Israel, his co-stars jump up behind him and begin yelling incoherently, ending with Klepper hilariously screaming “Tradition” in Stewart’s face.

This time, the host struggles to contain his laughter, but tries to continue his monologue.

“Holy f***,” he says. “Look, obviously there are many strong opinions on this issue, but just merely mentioning Israel or questioning in any way the humanity or effectiveness of Israel’s policies is not the same thing as being pro-Hamas.”

“So you’re against murdered children?” asks Williams, as the group leaps back out from under Stewart’s desk.

“Free Gaza,” yells Jones.

“Zionist pig,” declares Klepper.

After they’ve disappeared once again, Stewart tells the audience: “You know what? F*** it,” while screwing up his notes and tossing them over his shoulder. “Why don’t we just talk about something lighter like… Ukraine?”

Since news of the Israel-Hamas conflict broke on October 7, The Daily Show clip has begun making the rounds on social media, with users surprised by the nine-year-old sketch’s relevance to the current situation.

“If you’d like to see how absolutely nothing has changed in the conversation around Israel & Palestine despite decades of violence, here’s Jon Stewart doing a bit that could literally air today without a single change,” said X user Cooper.

Erin Overbey agreed, writing: “This old @TheDailyShow sketch by Jon Stewart about the difficulties of critiquing gov’t policies when it comes to atrocities & conflict btw Israel-Palestine is once again, sadly, very timely.”

“Spot F****** on,” commented Abier, while AirlineGuy said: “Jon Stewart captures the divisiveness of the Israel Palestinian conflict perfectly.”

In July 2014, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge after nearly two years of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Tensions had increased following the disappearance and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas militants in June 2014, leading to violence in Gaza and at its border. There were almost two months of fighting before a cease-fire was reached in August 2014.

Stewart has yet to publicly comment on the current Israel-Hamas conflict, although a number of other celebrities have spoken out in support of Israel, with stars such as Gigi Hadid also sharing support for Palestinians.

Newsweek has reached out to Jon Stewart for comment via email.

Donald Trump gets great news in two key swing states

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Donald Trump gets great news in two key swing states

A pair of new polls in two key 2024 presidential election swing states have delivered encouraging news for former President Donald Trump.

A rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden seems likely in 2024, with the ex-president continuing to hold a massive polling lead over his GOP presidential primary rivals despite facing an avalanche of legal troubles this year, including 91 felony criminal counts and a civil court finding him liable for business fraud.

Surveys released by Emerson College Polling on Wednesday and Thursday show Trump leading Biden in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, both of which are expected to be critical in deciding the next election. The polls show the ex-president leading Biden by a substantial nine points in Pennsylvania while maintaining a slim lead of 2 points in Wisconsin.

However, both polls suggest that the outcome is far from certain more than one year before the election takes place. A full 19 percent of respondents in each state indicated that they would either prefer “someone else” or are undecided about their 2024 vote.

The Pennsylvania poll also indicates that Trump is winning voters under 30 by a margin of 45 to 39 percent, a result that is at odds with the preferences of Gen Z and young Millennial voters found in the overwhelming majority of surveys.

Emerson’s Wisconsin poll indicates that Biden is winning voters under 30 in that state by a margin of 48 to 36 percent.

“In a state Biden won in 2020 by less than a percentage point, and Trump won in 2016 by nearly the same margin, [the Wisconsin] poll suggests a similar trajectory for 2024,” Spencer Kimball, Executive Director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Trump and Biden campaigns via email on Thursday.

The polls were both conducted via landline telephones and online between October 1 and October 4. The Pennsylvania poll drew from a sample of 430 voters, while 532 voters were surveyed in Wisconsin.

Emerson’s credibility margin for the polls—a measure similar to a margin of error—was 4.7 percent for Pennsylvania and 4.2 percent for Wisconsin.

Biden secured narrow victories over Trump in both states in the 2020 election, winning a combined 30 Electoral College votes. Only 29 votes will be up for grabs in 2024, with Pennsylvania having gone from 20 to 19 Electoral College votes due to the reapportionment process that took place following the 2020 Census.

Meanwhile, several key states won by Trump in 2020, such as Florida and Texas, gained Electoral College votes after the 2020 Census. If the 2024 results were to mirror those that occurred in 2020, Biden would still win, but having lost three Electoral College votes. Trump would gain three votes.

Most recent polling has suggested that the still-hypothetical rematch between Biden and Trump is essentially deadlocked nationally and in most purple states that were critical to the 2020 results.

However, an outlier Washington Post/ABC News released last month did show Trump with a 10-point lead over Biden nationally. The poll also found that Trump was leading by 20 points among voters under 35, a result that pollster Larry Sabato called “absurd.”

Steve Bannon rips Steve Scalise as "watered-down" McCarthy

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Steve Bannon rips Steve Scalise as "watered-down" McCarthy

Steve Bannon, former adviser to ex-President Donald Trump, has declared GOP House speaker nominee Steve Scalise to be a “watered-down version” of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

House Republicans selected Scalise, the current House majority leader, as their nominee for speaker in a 113-99 vote on Wednesday, just more than one week after McCarthy was ousted from the role following an unprecedented successful motion to vacate the speakership.

A number of MAGA Republicans, however, have rejected Scalise, responding to the defeat of Trump-backed Representative Jim Jordan with outrage. Regardless, Jordan ended his bid for speaker following the vote and has since endorsed Scalise.

During an episode of his War Room podcast on Thursday, Bannon predicted that Scalise would not be able to muster the required 217 votes to become the next speaker, referring to the Louisiana Republican as a member of the supposed “D.C. cartel” who is “owned by lobbyists.”

“Steve Scalise is just a watered-down version, a not quite as slick version of Kevin McCarthy,” Bannon said. “Completely owned by the lobbyists. It’s just D.C. cartel with a less slick front porch. It cannot happen. It would be a disastrous speakership.”

Bannon went on to assert that the race for speaker remains “completely open” because “Scalise is not going to get there,” pointing out that a significant number of Republicans have already declared that they will not vote for him.

“We cannot have anybody that represents the D.C. insider cartel, and that’s Steve Scalise,” Bannon said. “He just keeps a lower profile.”

Newsweek reached out for comment to Scalise’s office via email on Thursday.

The GOP’s slim House majority means that only five Republican members would need to break ranks for any speaker candidate to fail, assuming that all Democratic members vote against the nominee.

At least 10 House Republicans had already vowed to not support Scalise’s speakership as of Thursday afternoon, including MAGA loyalists like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Chip Roy. Congressman Matt Gaetz, who filed the motion to remove McCarthy, has said he will back Scalise.

McCarthy became speaker in January following a prolonged and contentious series of hearings that included a record 15 votes. Given the current divide among Republicans, the attempt to confirm Scalise as speaker could be similarly chaotic.

Scalise was nominated in a secret ballot. GOP consultant John Feehery told The Washington Post on Wednesday that Jordan’s failure to secure the nomination for speaker may indicate that Trump’s sway among Republicans is less powerful than some believe.

“Having outsiders meddle in insider elections never goes well,” Feehery said. “And Trump is the ultimate outsider, and, frankly, most members don’t like him very much.”

Trump rebuked by Israeli official after Netanyahu remarks: "Shameful"

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Trump rebuked by Israeli official after Netanyahu remarks: "Shameful"

Former President Donald Trump‘s recent remarks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been denounced as “shameful” by Israel’s top communications official.

During a speech Wednesday night in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump blasted the Israeli government for not being “ready” for Saturday’s surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, while seemingly praising Lebanese Islamist militant group Hezbollah for being “very smart” after it launched a missile attack on Israel. Additionally, he referred to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as a “jerk.”

The ex-president also said he would “never forget” that Netanyahu “let us down” by trying “to take credit for” the January 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

On Thursday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi denounced Trump’s remarks, reportedly calling out the former president for spreading what he characterized as anti-Israel “propaganda,” while also suggesting that Israel “obviously” cannot rely on Trump as an ally.

“[It is] shameful that a man like that, a former US president, abets propaganda and disseminates things that wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens,” Karhi told Israel’s Channel 13, according to The Times of Israel. “We don’t have to bother with him and the nonsense he spouts.”

Newsweek reached out for comment to Trump’s office via email on Thursday.

Saturday’s attack by Hamas was the deadliest Palestinian militant assault on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest airstrikes on Gaza in history.

As of Thursday, at least 1,200 people had been killed in Israel, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing the Israeli military. Over 1,400 people had been killed in Gaza, according to authorities there, AP said.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates has also denounced Trump’s remarks concerning Hezbollah, saying in a statement that the comment was “dangerous and unhinged” and questioned “why any American would ever praise an Iran-backed terrorist organization as ‘smart.'”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running against Trump in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, had a similar response to the ex-president’s remarks, asking why he “would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as ‘very smart.'”

Wednesday was not the first time that the former president has lashed out at Netanyahu. Although the two men appeared to enjoy a close friendship during Trump’s presidency, their relationship has deteriorated significantly since Trump exited the White House.

While being interviewed by journalist Barak Ravid for the 2021 book Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East, Trump reportedly attacked the “loyalty” of the prime minister, saying “f*** him” over Netanyahu congratulating President Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential election win.

Last year, Netanyahu blasted Trump for hosting what he said was an “unacceptable” dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and rapper Kanye West, who was facing an avalanche of criticism at the time for making a series of antisemitic remarks that included praise for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Trump also said on Wednesday that there would have been “nobody even thinking about” attacking Israel if he had been declared the victor of the 2020 election, repeating his baseless claim that the contest was “rigged” by massive voter fraud.

In reality, Biden defeated Trump by more than 7 million votes in 2020 and no credible evidence of fraud that would have changed the outcome in even a single state has been produced in the nearly three years since the election ended.

Mike Pence joins 2024 GOP contenders in slamming Trump’s Hezbollah remarks

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Mike Pence joins 2024 GOP contenders in slamming Trump’s Hezbollah remarks

Former Vice President Mike Pence has joined an increasing number of Republicans in denouncing former President Donald Trump for seemingly praising Lebanese Islamist military group Hezbollah as “smart.”

During a speech in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump said that Hezbollah was “very smart” after it launched a rocket attack on Israel. The ex-president also criticized Israel over not being “ready” for the surprise Saturday morning attack launched by Hamas, another Islamist militant group based in Gaza.

Trump went on to lash out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he would “never forget” that the prime minister “let us down” by “trying to take credit” for the U.S. killing Iranian General Qassem Soleimani after initially disapproving of the January 2020 airstrike.

Pence, who is challenging his old boss for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, responded to the remarks during an interview with New Hampshire talk radio station WGIR Thursday morning, asserting that Hezbollah is “evil” and that the ex-president was sending the wrong “message” during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“This is no time for the former president, or any other American leader, to be sending any message other than America stands with Israel,” Pence said. “Look, I know the former president was frustrated with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he’s been critical over the last two years. I’ve known Prime Minister Netanyahu for many years … I consider him a friend.”

“Hezbollah are not smart,” he continued. “They’re evil, OK? But the former president also said that when Russia invaded Ukraine in a similar, unprovoked, unconscionable invasion 1 1/2 years ago, he said that Vladimir Putin was a genius.”

Pence added that it was “clear” Trump was no longer “running on the agenda that we governed on,” arguing that the former president “talking about Hezbollah being smart” showed that he no longer supported “the same muscular foreign policy that we lived out every day.”

Newsweek reached out for comment to Trump’s office via email on Thursday night.

The October 7 attack by Hamas was the deadliest Palestinian militant assault on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest airstrikes on Gaza in history.

As of Thursday, at least 1,200 people had been killed in Israel, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing the Israeli military. Over 1,400 people had been killed in Gaza, according to authorities there, AP said.

Pence’s criticism of Trump’s remarks on Israel echoed denouncements from fellow GOP 2024 candidates including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, ex-Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

In a Wednesday night post on X, formerly Twitter, DeSantis questioned why Trump “would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as ‘very smart.'”

Christie denounced Trump for praising “the murderers” and attacking Israel “over petty personal grievances” in an X post on Thursday, pointing out that Americans were among the casualties while saying it is “time to support Israel and get our people back—not complain about lost elections.”

Hutchinson called on Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel to condemn Trump, while writing on X: “Shame on you, Donald. Your constant compliments to dictators, terrorist groups, and evil-doers are beneath the office you seek and not reflective of the American character.”

Burgum said that it was “not the time” for Trump to criticize Netanyahu while filing papers to run in New Hampshire’s 2024 election, according to Politico, while adding that he believes Hezbollah is “inhumane” and “barbaric” rather than “smart.”

Scott reportedly said that Trump’s remarks were “just wrong” while campaigning in Iowa, telling reporters, “I don’t know where he’s coming from.”

Outside of the GOP field, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement that Trump was “dangerous and unhinged” and asked “why any American would ever praise an Iran-backed terrorist organization as ‘smart.'”

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi also rebuked the ex-president, suggesting that Israel “obviously” cannot rely on Trump as an ally and does not “have to bother with him and the nonsense he spouts.”

The Trump campaign defended the former president’s remarks on Hezbollah in an X post responding to DeSantis, arguing that “smart does not equal good” and claiming that Trump was “clearly pointing out how incompetent Biden and his administration were by telegraphing to the terrorists an area that is susceptible to an attack.”

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