News Digest

News 1/5/24

By: Copeland Jacobs, Staff Writer

LaPierre resigns before NY trial

The Associated Press reports National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre has resigned. LaPierre rose to the position in 1991 and departed with days to go until a civil trial in New York. 

State Attorney General Letitia James accuses LaPierre and other NRA executives of illegally spending organization money on personal expenses and no-show contracts, with the eventual goal of banning them from leading the NRA. 

Massachusetts challenge

Per AP, five Massachusetts voters from both parties have challenged Republican primary candidate Donald Trump’s ballot eligibility. 

Similar challenges have been filed in other states, also citing the Constitution’s 14^th Amendment regarding the illegibility of insurrectionists and treasonous individuals from holding office. 

The Massachusetts Republican Party replied via social media that the popular vote is “the ultimate arbiter of suitability for office.”

Iowa Caucuses 

Donald Trump still leads the Republican primary polling, as per ABC News. Their 538 polling department examined the primary voters to see who would benefit from other candidates dropping out as the field winnows in preparation for selecting a presidential candidate. 

In brief, if anti-Trump candidate Chris Christie were to drop out, his followers would switch to Nikki Haley. Ron DeSantis supporters in Iowa list Trump as their second choice, while 538 stated a Trump departure from the primary race would most likely benefit DeSantis and divide his voters equally between DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy dropping out would boost Trump’s numbers, and Asa Hutchinson’s numbers are too small for 538 to add to their calculations. 

Haley’s Civil War remarks

Per CBS, Haley admitted she should’ve included slavery as the cause of the Civil War. Her comments following a question about what caused the Civil War drew criticism from rival Republican Chris Christie. However, he added Haley was neither prejudiced nor stupid but was attempting to avoid offense.