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The GOP presidential primary is continuing to take shape, with candidates jumping in (or out) and the ad wars heating up.
Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he is not running for president after all. And Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has “tapped the brakes” on a potential presidential run, per the New York Times.
But Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is sounding more like a candidate, hitting the campaign trail after launching an exploratory committee. NBC News’ Ali Vitali and Jillian Frankel caught up with Scott in Goose Creek, S.C., late last week, where he promised to sign “the most conservative pro-life legislation” that Congress can pass.
Meanwhile, the ad wars are continuing to heat up. The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc launched one ad on Friday and another on Monday knocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Social Security and Medicare. And a pro-DeSantis super PAC is fighting back.
Never Back Down has launched two TV ads, per AdImpact — one responding to the pro-Trump group’s attacks on entitlements, accusing Trump of “stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook.” The other ad is a minute-long positive spot touting DeSantis’ leadership in Florida.
In other campaign news…
Waiting game: President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday that he will announce his 2024 plans “relatively soon.”
Money, money, money: Trump’s financial disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission shows he has not made much money from his social media platform, Truth Social.
Florida man: The Florida legislature is continuing to burnish DeSantis with conservative policies. Last week, DeSantis quietly signed a six-week abortion ban, but NBC News’ Natasha Korecki reports that the ban could pose a political problem for DeSantis in the primary and the general election. The legislature is also moving forward on another DeSantis priority: lowering the threshold for the death penalty, per the Tampa Bay Times.
GOP at the NRA: GOP politicians flocked to the National Rifle Association’s annual conference over the weekend. Trump told attendees recent mass shootings are “not a gun problem,” while former Vice President Mike Pence faced some boos as he took the stage, but drew cheers when he said, “We don’t need gun control. We need crime control,” NBC News’ Jonathan Allen reports.
Making an appeal: Trump is appealing a recent judgment in the hopes of blocking former Vice President Mike Pence from testifying in the investigation into Trump’s conduct surrounding the 2020 election.
Swing state edge?: New Republican polling obtained by McClatchy shows DeSantis leading Biden (but within the margin of error) in Pennsylvania and Arizona, two states where Trump trails Biden in the same polling.
Tennessee volunteers: Three Tennessee Republican members of Congress backed Trump’s presidential campaign in recent days — Sen. Bill Hagerty, Rep. Diana Harshbarger and Rep. John Rose — giving Trump about 46 congressional endorsements so far.