A former Republican strategist admitted that a GOP mayoral candidate and former reality TV star might not win his election, but the "AI-generated Gotham-grade dystopiaA former Republican strategist admitted that a GOP mayoral candidate and former reality TV star might not win his election, but the "AI-generated Gotham-grade dystopia
Dark lesson as Republican reality TV star floods voters with 'Gotham-grade dystopia'
A former Republican strategist admitted that a MAGA mayor candidate and former reality TV star might not win his election, but the "AI-generated Gotham-grade dystopia" he's created has "changed the game" for future political ads.
Rick Wilson, co-founder of the anti-Trump organization The Lincoln Project, described in his Substack on Friday how Spencer Pratt's decision to specifically message around crime during his Los Angeles mayoral campaign is something Democrats should pay attention to.
"Pratt’s message, delivered with a comic, postmodern AI flourish, is…and I cannot believe I’m typing this about a Hills alum…quite frankly very well done. It’s not an endorsement; it’s an observation," Wilson wrote.
"For a man who has no business being in a close second place, Pratt is doing something politically that Democrats should learn from once they’re done pretending that campaigns will stay the same, forever," Wilson explained.
Pratt, who announced his candidacy for Los Angeles mayor in 2024 as a political newcomer, has sought to bring attention to homelessness and other city issues. His campaign has garnered significant media attention due to his celebrity status and reality television past, though he faced skepticism from political observers regarding his lack of prior political experience and specific policy proposals.
"What’s the message? Crime makes the city unlivable. Filth makes the city unlivable. Bureaucracy makes the city unlivable. Kids are unsafe. You are unsafe. Decline is a choice. The ads themselves are the campaign. There is no campaign apart from the ads," Wilson added.
U.S. allies are rattled by seeing Trump going wobbly on his position on a critical defense deal for a tense region.
Axios reported on Friday that Trump told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that "he's unsure whether he would greenlight a planned $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan."
Axios noted that Trump's cold feet have "alarmed" one of the key U.S. allies in the region, Japan. Trump talkedto Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard Air Force One after the summit.
Takaichi told reporters after the call that, "We exchanged views on issues surrounding China, including the economy and security...and reaffirmed close communication on Indo-Pacific issues," according to reports.
However, she avoided a question about whether she and Trump spoke about Taiwan, saying only that he "briefed me in detail on the condition that our conversation remain confidential."
According to Axios, Takaichi has "found her hawkish line on Taiwan increasingly out of step with the U.S. posture," adding that South Korea and the government in Taipei have also been worried about Trump's wavering posture on defending the island.
Trump's uncertainty came despite telling reporters he and Xi discussed Taiwan in "great detail." Axios noted that the trip to China started with "a warning from Xi" about potential "conflicts" over Taiwan.
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The campaign of embattled Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) lashed out at Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday for his changes to primary rules, which he contends make it harder for unaffiliated voters to participate.
This comes after Landry already caused a firestorm of controversy by suspending the state's primaries after early voting began — throwing out 45,000 already-cast ballots in the process — to give the legislature time to draw a new congressional map carving up one of the state's two majority-Black districts, following the Supreme Court's decision weakening the Voting Rights Act.
It also comes after Landry was accused of "strong-arming" party insiders against supporting Cassidy's re-election campaign. Cassidy, who has been on President Donald Trump's bad side ever since he voted for impeachment after Jan. 6, is being challenged by Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. Trump has endorsed Letlow's campaign.
"We have a red alert hours before the election," said the campaign in a statement. "We are hearing reports that — because of the Jeff Landry election process mess — voters are being disenfranchised and are not able to vote Cassidy."
"It's not an accident that voters are confused by this intentionally difficult process," said Cassidy campaign manager Kate Larkin. "The Governor closed the primary and continuously meddled in this election to support Julia Letlow. Right now we are hearing from No Party voters who don't understand the Landry-created confusing Declaration of Ballot Choice and are being blocked from voting in the U.S. Senate race."
"It is the media's responsibility to help educate voters since the state government has deliberately failed to relay critical information about the May 16 election," she added.
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Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao reaffirmed controversial remarks he made during an October 2024 Senate debate when questioned by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan during a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.
Houlahan cited Cao's statement, "What we need is alpha male and alpha females who are going to rip out their guts, eat them, and ask for seconds — those are young men and women that are going to win wars."
Cao responded without hesitation, "Absolutely, ma'am, I did say that, and I stand by it."
Cao made the original comments during a televised debate against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine at Norfolk State University while criticizing military diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. A retired Navy captain with special operations experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, Cao was appointed Acting Secretary of the Navy in April after President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed his predecessor, John Phelan.
Cao lost the Virginia Senate race to Kaine by nine points.
면책 조항: 본 사이트에 재게시된 글들은 공개 플랫폼에서 가져온 것으로 정보 제공 목적으로만 제공됩니다. 이는 반드시 MEXC의 견해를 반영하는 것은 아닙니다. 모든 권리는 원저자에게 있습니다. 제3자의 권리를 침해하는 콘텐츠가 있다고 판단될 경우, [email protected]으로 연락하여 삭제 요청을 해주시기 바랍니다. MEXC는 콘텐츠의 정확성, 완전성 또는 시의적절성에 대해 어떠한 보증도 하지 않으며, 제공된 정보에 기반하여 취해진 어떠한 조치에 대해서도 책임을 지지 않습니다. 본 콘텐츠는 금융, 법률 또는 기타 전문적인 조언을 구성하지 않으며, MEXC의 추천이나 보증으로 간주되어서는 안 됩니다.
