Connect with us

Published

on

Republicans are warning not to write off former President Trump’s 2024 White House bid, arguing that he’s still the presumptive front-runner despite signs that some in the GOP are ready to move on.

Strategists and officials began sounding the death knell for Trump’s political career after last year’s midterm elections, as the former president’s mounting legal problems and continued fallout from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol raised questions about whether he was too damaged to continue on as the GOP’s de facto leader.

But Republican operatives say it’s too soon to discount the former president, even as his potential 2024 rivals — most notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — attract an increasing share of the public’s attention.  

“When you’re in Florida at these grassroots meetings, yeah, you hear ‘Ron DeSantis, Ron DeSantis, Ron DeSantis,’” said Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist. “But outside of Florida, it’s still Donald Trump.” 

“I think that a lot of people have been too quick to write off Donald Trump, from the media to donors to commentators,” he added. “You have to remember, this is a former U.S. president who has a good handle on what needs to be done in Washington, and he’s extremely popular with the base.”

Trump has also received an apparent reprieve from allegations that he mishandled government documents after classified material was found in President Biden’s Delaware residence and an office in Washington, D.C. While both matters are under investigation by special counsels, and observers are quick to emphasize the differences in the two cases, Republicans say the latest revelations help Trump.

“It takes a lot of pressure off of him, because Republican voters start to remember that whatever the Democrats accuse Trump of, the Democrats are doing themselves,” one former Trump campaign aide said. “For Republican primary voters, that’s a big thing.”

Other Republicans are quick to argue that Trump has unparalleled political resilience. The former president has faced near-constant scrutiny since launching his first presidential campaign in 2015, so counting him out now would be premature, they say.

“Shrugging off Mr. Trump’s 2024 candidacy or writing his political obituary is a fool’s errand — he endures persecution and eludes prosecution like no other public figure,” Kellyanne Conway, a former top adviser to Trump, wrote in an essay published by The New York Times last week. “That could change, of course, though that cat has nine lives.”

Of course, that’s not to say that Trump isn’t facing significant challenges as he looks to reclaim the White House following his 2020 loss to President Biden; Conway herself noted that “it would also be foolish to assume that Mr. Trump’s path to another presidency would be smooth and secure.”

A string of losses by Trump’s endorsed candidates in last year’s midterm elections prompted many Republicans to question his influence and political instincts. He’s also facing a slew of legal issues ranging from the special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.

Several Republicans also described his budding 2024 presidential campaign as anemic and uninspired, 

“If you’re running for president, you do your announcement, you go to Iowa and have a rally. You go to New Hampshire,” one veteran Republican strategist said. “It just doesn’t seem like he has that planned out. He hasn’t done that yet.”

There are signs that that may be about to change. Trump is set to make the first public appearance of his 2024 campaign next week in South Carolina, where he’s expected to unveil his leadership team in the state. He will be joined there by two of the state’s most prominent Republicans, Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Gov. Henry McMaster.

Trump is also moving to reclaim control of his social media accounts two years after he was booted off of Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

On Tuesday, his campaign sent a letter to Facebook’s parent company Meta, arguing that Trump’s ban from the site “has dramatically destroyed and inhibited the public discourse” and asked that his account be reinstated.

Trump’s once-powerful Twitter account was returned to his control in November after Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought the company, though Trump has yet to resume using it.

And for all the chatter about DeSantis, the hard-charging Florida governor who’s emerged as a top pick for the 2024 Republican presidential nod, there are still signs that Trump remains the favorite. 

A Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday showed the former president running ahead of DeSantis by a 17-point margin in a hypothetical primary field that also includes former Vice President Mike Pence, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. ‘Rust’ shooting: Prosecutors to announce Thursday whether charges will be filed The Hill’s Morning Report — Biden, Trump, DeSantis lean into policy as good politics

Some other early polls don’t bode as well for Trump. One survey from USA Today and Suffolk University released last month found DeSantis leading Trump by 23 points in a hypothetical one-on-one primary match-up. 

Of course, DeSantis hasn’t made a final decision on a 2024 presidential bid, and a potential campaign announcement is still likely months away. Yet there are still signs that Trump is taking the budding rivalry seriously. In a Monday interview on the conservative podcast “The Water Cooler,” Trump suggested he has no intention of going easy on DeSantis if the two find themselves going head to head in a GOP primary.

“You know, now I hear he might want to run against me,” Trump said. “So we’ll handle that the way I handle things.”

Continue Reading

Environment

Porsche’s EV sales took a hit last year, but the electric Macan sparks hope

Published

on

By

Porsche's EV sales took a hit last year, but the electric Macan sparks hope

Although sales of Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan, fell nearly 50% in 2024, things could be looking up for the sports car maker. After its “launch literally electrified us,” the electric Porsche Macan may spark a comeback this year.

Why did Porsche’s EV sales drop in 2024?

Porsche delivered over 310,700 vehicles globally last year, or about 9,500 less than in 2023. Sales in China led the downfall, plunging 28% from the prior year amid a wave of low-cost domestic EVs entering the market.

In total, Porsche delivered 20,836 Taycan EVs to customers last year, down 49% from 2023. The lower total comes after launching the upgraded 2025 Taycan last year. Porsche also said, “The ramp-up of electric mobility is generally proceeding more slowly than planned” as part of the reason.

In its largest sales market, North America, Porsche delivered over 86,500 vehicles in 2024. Although that’s up a mere 1% from 2023, Porsche’s EV sales also took a hit.

Porsche sold 4,747 Taycan models in the US last year, 37% fewer than in 2023. The 2025 model began arriving at US dealerships last Summer, which helped push sales up nearly 75% in the fourth quarter to 2,358.

Porsche's-EV-sales-2024
2025 Porsche Taycan (Source: Porsche)

Meanwhile, Porsche’s second EV, the electric Macan, could have an even bigger impact. After delivering the first models at the end of September, Porsche delivered 18,278 electric Macans by the end of 2024.’

“This launch literally electrified us. I am therefore particularly pleased that more than 18,000 examples of the all-electric variant have already been delivered,” Porsche AG board member for sales and marketing, Detlev von Platen, said.

Porsche's-EV-sales-2024
Porsche Macan Electric (Source: Porsche)

Porsche sold 2,771 electric Macan SUVs in the US last year. On a call with reporters (via Automotive News), the company’s North American CEO, Timo Resch, said, “A lot of the consumers that come into the Macan Electric are [new to the] brand.”

Electrek’s Take

I’m not here to say the electric Macan will be Porsche’s savior, but the strong sales start is promising. Porsche has already backtracked on plans for 80% of deliveries to be electric by 2030.

According to recent reports, the electric Cayenne, due out in 2026, could be delayed depending on market demand. The upcoming 718 Cayman and Boxster EVs could also face delays as Porsche plans to keep gas and hybrid models alive longer than expected.

Looking ahead, Porsche also plans to introduce an ultra-luxury electric SUV to sit above the Cayenne, codenamed “K1” internally. It’s expected to compete with Range Rover and Ferrari’s first electric SUVs.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Politics

US government says funds from 2016 hack should return to Bitfinex

Published

on

By

US government says funds from 2016 hack should return to Bitfinex

Due to a prior reimbursement plan from Bitfinex, many victims of the 2016 hack do not legally qualify as victims eligible for reimbursement.

Continue Reading

Environment

Elon Musk complains Tesla is not getting subsidies for electric truck chargers while calling for end of EV subsidies

Published

on

By

Elon Musk complains Tesla is not getting subsidies for electric truck chargers while calling for end of EV subsidies

Elon Musk complains that Tesla is not getting subsidies for its electric truck chargers while calling for the end of electric vehicle subsidies in the US.

Earlier this week, the Biden administration released the last round of funding for electric vehicle charging stations before the President leaves office.

Tesla has been trying to secure part of that funding for its TESSERACT project, which was first announced in 2023 to create a corridor of 9 charging stations for electric trucks between California and Texas.

However, it wasn’t included in any round of funding, including the latest one announced this week, which should be the latest now that Trump is getting into office and campaigned on ending electric vehicle subsidies.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk contributed more than $240 million to get Trump elected and supported his goal of removing subsidies for electric vehicles.

That’s why it’s surprising to see Musk comment on the news in disappointment. He wrote on X: “Hear we go again (sigh)”.

While this specific project wasn’t funded, 49 other projects shared over $600 million in funding that will deploy more than 11,500 EV charging ports across 27 states, four federally recognized tribes, and the District of Columbia.

Also, while Tesla didn’t get any funding in this round, Tesla has received millions in funding for its charging stations in the previous round.

Electrek’s Take

I think that’s fair. If you are actively lobbying for the end of EV subsidies in the US, a market that is far behind the rest of the world in EV adoption, why should the administration that is investing in correcting that give you the subsidies you are trying to end?

It makes no sense. That’s why I also support California in signaling that if the Federal government removes its EV subsidies, it will replace them at the state level, but Tesla will be left out.

It’s especially fair considering Elon has made it clear that the reason he wants to kill EV subsidies, which Tesla was the biggest beneficiary of, is that he believes it will put more pressure on the competition than Tesla and potentially kill them while only Tesla will remain.

He basically wants to pull the ladder that Tesla used to get where it is now to prevent others from using it.

“Subsidies for me, not for thee” – Elon’s new motto.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending