Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Before yesterday, the only Republican presidential candidate to receive senators’ endorsements was Donald Trump. That’s now changed: Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota threw his support behind Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.
* On a related note, Scott hasn’t officially launched his national candidacy yet, but he’s scheduled to make the announcement next week, and he’s already made a $6 million ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire, with spots hitting local airwaves on Wednesday.
* In what passes for pseudo-moderation in contemporary GOP politics, former Ambassador Nikki Haley said in Iowa yesterday, in response to a question about Jan. 6, “I don’t know enough about each individual [rioter] but that’s my rule: If you break the law, you pay the price.” The comments come a week after Donald Trump reiterated his intention to pardon many of the rioters.
* Speaking of the former president, the pro-Trump MAGA Inc. launched a new ad this week slamming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as “Ron DeSalesTax,” for having endorsed a steep national sales tax during his tenure as a far-right congressman.
* In related news, the Trump campaign released a list this week of GOP candidates who “flopped” after receiving the Florida governor’s endorsement. The key flaw in the statement: Trump endorsed many of the same failed candidates. * In the 2020 race, North Carolina was one of the nation’s most competitive contests, and the Democratic ticket came up just a little short, losing by roughly 1.3%. Looking ahead to 2024, President Joe Biden’s re-election team is taking steps to compete in the state. * And while it’s not yet clear what will become of Republican Rep. George Santos’ career, the field of candidates running for his seat continues to grow: Zak Malamed, co-founder of the Democratic donor network Next 50, became the fourth Democrat to kick off a campaign in New York’s 3rd congressional district.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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