Trump news – live: Trump shares furious Memorial Day post on Truth Social as Cheney rebukes fellow Republicans

Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a furious Truth Social message that briefly noted the reason for the holiday before descending into one of his usual rants.

In all caps, the ex-president ranted: “Happy memorial day to all, but especially to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country they love, and to those in line of a very different, but equally dangerous fire, stopping the threats of the terrorists, misfits and lunatic thugs who are working feverishly from within to overturn and destroy our once great country, which has never been in greater peril than it is right now. We must stop the communists, marxists and fascist ‘pigs’ at every turn and, make america great again!”

It comes after Mr Trump slammed Disney and his main rival in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming that he’s responsible for the entertainment giant becoming “woke”.

Earlier in the weekend, he railed against members of the Texas state legislature who voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton on charges of corruption. The impeachment effort was led by Republicans, whom Mr Trump branded “RINOS” (Republicans in name only).

Key Points

North Dakota governor running for GOP presidential nomination, aide says

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Two-term North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former computer software entrepreneur, is running for the Republican presidential nomination, a political aide familiar with the plans told The Associated Press on Friday, putting him in an already crowded field dominated by ex-President Donald Trump,

The aide said Burgum plans to launch his campaign with a June 7 event in Fargo, the largest city in North Dakota. The aide was speaking on the condition of anonymity because the event had not been publicised yet.

Aide: North Dakota Gov. Burgum running for GOP presidential nomination

Don Jr says his father has the ‘charisma of a mortician’

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump Jr called his father a “mortician” in an apparent slip of tongue while attempting to ridicule Ron DeSantis’s glitch-ridden 2024 presidential campaign on Twitter.

Former president Donald Trump’s eldest son was mocking Mr DeSantis for his troubled campaign launch on Twitter Spaces, which was marred by technical glitches.

Shweta Sharma has the story.

Donald Trump Jr says his father has the ‘charisma of a mortician’

DeSantis says he would consider pardoning Trump

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he would “aggressively” use presidential pardons to free people who’ve been charged or convicted of crimes – including former President Donald Trump.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Ron DeSantis says he will consider pardon for Trump if elected

Trump blames DeSantis for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has criticised Ron DeSantis for not taking on Disney sooner, suggesting his main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination could have prevented the entertainment giant from becoming – in his words – “woke” and “disgusting”.

Mr Trump lashed out at both Disney and Mr DeSantis on Sunday as the Florida governor remains locked in a feud with one of America’s best-loved brands, after it opposed his so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Shweta Sharma reports.

Trump says DeSantis to blame for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’

Trump’s welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign for the White House last week, the notoriously prickly former President Donald Trump welcomed his new competitor with open arms.

There were no accusations of disloyalty or nasty nicknames from the GOP front-runner like the barrage he unleashed when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, considered his leading rival, joined the race two days later with a bungled Twitter announcement.

Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him

DeSantis tells Trump: ‘You’ve changed’

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has slammed his 2024 Republican Rival Donald Trump, claiming he “is a different guy” than when he first ran for president.

The former president is leading all other Republican candidates for the party’s presidential nomination, with Mr DeSantis running in second place, according to polls.

Read more...

DeSantis accuses Trump of ‘moving left’ as he tells ex-president: ‘You’ve changed’

DeSantis signed bill shielding SpaceX and other companies from liability

Tuesday 30 May 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis signed a bill that shields SpaceX and other aerospace companies from legal liabilities, the day after Elon Musk hosted the launch of his 2024 campaign bid.

The new Florida law would shield the billionaire’s space flight company, and others such as Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, if crew members or passengers are killed or injured during missions.

Graeme Massie has the story.

DeSantis signs law shielding SpaceX and other companies from liability

Trump spokesperson appears to mock Buttigieg’s military service

Monday 29 May 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In a Twitter spat between spokespeople for the top two candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, the military service of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared to be used as a cudgel against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump spokeswoman appears to mock Pete Buttigieg’s military service

All 20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

Monday 29 May 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump has continued to face a cloud of lawsuits and investigations, which could frustrate his hopes to win back the presidency in 2024.

On 30 March, one of those investigations took a major step forward when a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges over the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 presidential election.

On 4 April 2023, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court to a slew of criminal charges – making him the first current or former US president to ever be charged with a crime.

Here’s what you need to know about all the major investigations and lawsuits against Donald Trump.

Donald Trump under arrest: All the other major lawsuits he is also facing

Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

Monday 29 May 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney spoke about the political test she faced in the immediate aftermath of January 6 during her address to graduates of Colorado College this weekend.

Ms Cheney, once a member of Republican leadership and now a pariah in her own party, spoke to graduates on Sunday. She graduated from the school with a degree in political science in 1988.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Liz Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

Ken Paxton: Historic impeachment deepens GOP divisions

Monday 29 May 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The historic impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton plunged Republicans on Sunday into a fight over whether to banish one of their own in America’s biggest red state after years of scandal and criminal accusations that will now be at the center of a trial in the state Senate.

Paxton said he has “full confidence” as he awaits judgement from the Senate, where his conservative allies include his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, who has not said whether she will recuse herself from the proceedings to determine whether her husband will be permanently removed from office.

For now, Texas’ three-term attorney general is immediately suspended after the state House of Representatives on Saturday impeached Paxton on 20 articles that included bribery and abuse of public trust.

Fight still ahead for Texas' Ken Paxton after historic impeachment deepens GOP divisions

Could DeSantis beat Trump?

Monday 29 May 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

He’s a ubiquitous presence in conservative media with a reputation as an anti-woke warrior who has used a compliant state legislature to make Florida a mecca for Trump-era Republicanism.

But if Ron DeSantis wants to be president, he has to defeat Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and prominent Florida politicians aren’t so sure either of those things will ever happen.

Can Ron DeSantis beat Donald Trump? These Florida political veterans aren’t so sure

Why is DeSantis at war with Disney?

Monday 29 May 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports on how a year-long feud between the governor and Disney has boiled over into legal battles that could shape the company’s future in the state.

DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse

Trump hits back at DeSantis comments on Fox & Friends

Monday 29 May 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning and when asked about his chances in Iowa made a specific point of hitting out at Donald Trump, his main rival.

The governor said:

I mean, you know, they had mentioned there may be some differences with me and Donald Trump. And I think that those differences redound to my benefit in a place like Iowa. I mean, for example, you know, he’s taken the side of Disney in our fight down here in Florida. I’m standing for parents, I’m standing for children. And I think a multibillion-dollar company that sexualizes children is not consistent with the values of Florida or the values of a place like Iowa.

Within moments, the former president responded in a post on Truth Social:

Ron DeSanctimonious just stated, without correction on Fox & Friends, that I was “backing” Disney. Wrong! Fox should have read my posted TRUTH on Disney, but that’s not the game they play. Also, in the polls, I am beating Biden by a lot, “Rob” isn’t! Also, WAY UP ON RON. Check out the DeSanctus speech at the Trump Rally I gave to get him elected. Not easy! p.s. I got 1.2 Million more votes in Florida than Ron, a little reported fact!

Mr Trump then reposted a post from yesterday in which he blamed Mr DeSantis for Disney becoming a “Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self”:

Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the “market” will do irreparable damage. This all happened during the Governorship of “Rob” DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do – Still is!

Watch: Biden laughs when asked about presidents pardoning Trump

Monday 29 May 2023 20:19 , Oliver O'Connell

What do the polls say about DeSantis?

Monday 29 May 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Much of Mr DeSantis’s case for being president has focused on electability, with his pitch being that he is the only Republican candidate who can beat President Joe Biden. Similarly, Mr DeSantis has sold himself as a conservative warrior who has passed legislation restricting abortion access and curtailing how sexual orientation and gender identity are taught in schools.

At the same time, his donors argue that his relative youth – at age 44, he is the youngest male governor in the country – as well as his focus on the environment, could help him appeal to moderate voters.

DeSantis for President? This is what the polls say

Key takeaways from Ron DeSantis’ campaign rollout

Monday 29 May 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

After a 30-minute delay caused by technological glitches with Twitter’s “Spaces” audio conversation system, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ much-hyped announcement of his 2024 presidential campaign kicked off with a billionaire praising another billionaire.

The first billionaire, venture capitalist and DeSantis booster David Sacks, opened the conversation with fulsome praise for Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX impresario who bought Twitter last year with the aim of allowing unfettered conversations by all sorts of right-wing characters who’d been banned for violating the site’s rules under its prior management.

Mr Sacks then turned to introduce Mr DeSantis, who he said first drew his attention when the Florida governor began attacking public health measures recommended by medical professionals at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And with that, Mr DeSantis began making his pitch to voters — or at least the voters who are on Twitter and cared enough to listen.

Here are some key takeaways.

Key takeaways from Ron DeSantis’ campaign rollout

New Hampshire Republican switches from DeSantis to Trump

Monday 29 May 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A New Hampshire state representative switched her loyalties from Ron DeSantis to Donald Trump following the Florida governor’s glitch-filled presidential campaign launch announcement.

Rep Sandra Panek was included in a list of more than 50 Granite State lawmakers backing the Florida governor for president earlier this month.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

New Hampshire Republican switches from DeSantis to Trump

DeSantis raises $8.2m for his campaign within 24 hours of launch

Monday 29 May 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’s campaign team said they raised $8.2m within 24 hours of the Florida governor announcing his 2024 bid for presidency.

A donor making calls in the room first disclosed that the campaign raised $8.2m, and the figure was confirmed by Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for Mr DeSantis, reported the New York Times.

Sravasti Dasgupta reports.

Ron DeSantis raises $8.2m for his campaign within 24 hours of launch fiasco

Biden invokes late son Beau’s memory as he pays tribute to fallen US soldiers

Monday 29 May 2023 18:31 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Monday said his grief for his late son Beau Biden gives him insight into pain felt by parents and family of deceased US service members, as he commemorated the nation’s honoured dead the day before the eighth anniversary of his son’s death from brain cancer.

Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery just feet from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where unidentified servicemen from the Korean War and both the First and Second World War are guarded by US Army sentries, Mr Biden urged Americans to “never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy” by “those who died so our nation might live”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden invokes late son Beau’s memory as he pays tribute to fallen US soldiers

Memes mock dire Ron DeSantis 2024 launch on Twitter Spaces

Monday 29 May 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’ attempt to launch his 2024 presidential campaign via Twitter Spaces did not go as planned as the platform faced a plethora of technological issues, prompting a flood of memes and mockery.

Ariana Baio reports.

Memes mock disastrous DeSantis 2024 launch as #DeSaster trends

DeSantis tells Trump: ‘You’ve changed’

Monday 29 May 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has slammed his 2024 Republican Rival Donald Trump, claiming he “is a different guy” than when he first ran for president.

The former president is leading all other Republican candidates for the party’s presidential nomination, with Mr DeSantis running in second place, according to polls.

Graeme Massie reports.

DeSantis accuses Trump of ‘moving left’ as he tells ex-president: ‘You’ve changed’

Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

Monday 29 May 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney spoke about the political test she faced in the immediate aftermath of January 6 during her address to graduates of Colorado College this weekend.

Ms Cheney, once a member of Republican leadership and now a pariah in her own party, spoke to graduates on Sunday. She graduated from the school with a degree in political science in 1988.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Liz Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

Government tries to claw back money so Jan 6 rioters don’t profit from online appeals

Monday 29 May 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

An Associated Press review of court records shows that prosecutors in the more than 1,000 of the January 6, 2021, criminal cases are increasingly asking judges to impose fines on top of prison sentences to offset donations from supporters of the Capitol rioters.

Government tries to claw back money so Jan. 6 rioters don't profit from online appeals

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

Monday 29 May 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Race has emerged as a central issue — and a delicate one — in the 2024 presidential contest as the GOP’s primary field so far features four candidates of color, making it among the most racially diverse ever.

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt'

Monday 29 May 2023 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Vocal Maga supporter Kimberly Guilfoyle on Saturday claimed that Ron DeSantis would “get hurt and damaged badly” by the Florida governor’s 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump, the father of her boyfriend.

Ms Guilfoyle, who was previously married to California governor and Democrat Gavin Newsom, made the comments on Newsmax TV’s America Right Now.

Sheila Flynn reports.

Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged’

Trump hits back at DeSantis comments on Fox & Friends

Monday 29 May 2023 15:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning and when asked about his chances in Iowa made a specific point of hitting out at Donald Trump, his main rival.

The governor said:

I mean, you know, they had mentioned there may be some differences with me and Donald Trump. And I think that those differences redound to my benefit in a place like Iowa. I mean, for example, you know, he’s taken the side of Disney in our fight down here in Florida. I’m standing for parents, I’m standing for children. And I think a multibillion-dollar company that sexualizes children is not consistent with the values of Florida or the values of a place like Iowa.

Within moments, the former president responded in a post on Truth Social:

Ron DeSanctimonious just stated, without correction on Fox & Friends, that I was “backing” Disney. Wrong! Fox should have read my posted TRUTH on Disney, but that’s not the game they play. Also, in the polls, I am beating Biden by a lot, “Rob” isn’t! Also, WAY UP ON RON. Check out the DeSanctus speech at the Trump Rally I gave to get him elected. Not easy! p.s. I got 1.2 Million more votes in Florida than Ron, a little reported fact!

Mr Trump then reposted a post from yesterday in which he blamed Mr DeSantis for Disney becoming a “Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self”:

Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the “market” will do irreparable damage. This all happened during the Governorship of “Rob” DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do – Still is!

Don Jr shares doctored clip from The Office showing Ron DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit

Monday 29 May 2023 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump Jr has shared a seemingly AI-generated clip of Ron DeSantis edited into the role of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott in The Office in a clip in which the character is mocked for wearing a woman’s suit.

Read more...

Donald Trump Jr shares doctored Office clip showing DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit

Cheney: ‘My fellow Republicans wanted me to lie’

Monday 29 May 2023 15:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Former representative Liz Cheney called on graduates at her alma mater to engage in politics and not to waver from the truth, recalling her experience of being one of the very few Republicans who fought back against former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Ms Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, lambasted her former GOP colleagues during a commencement speech at Colorado College, Politico reports.

“After the 2020 election and the attack of January 6th, my fellow Republicans wanted me to lie. They wanted me to say the 2020 election was stolen, the attack of January 6th wasn’t a big deal, and Donald Trump wasn’t dangerous,” she said. “I had to choose between lying and losing my position in House leadership.”

“No party, no nation, no people can defend and perpetuate a constitutional republic if they accept leaders who have gone to war with the rule of law, with the democratic process, with the peaceful transfer of power, with the Constitution itself,” Ms Cheney added.

She was a member of House Republican leadership until her continued opposition to Mr Trump’s actions and a vote to impeach him led her colleagues to oust her.

Ms Cheney went on to be the ranking Republican on the January 6 committee investigating the Capitol riot, which in part cost her reelection in 2022.

Trump’s calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him

Monday 29 May 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign for the White House last week, the notoriously prickly former President Donald Trump welcomed his new competitor with open arms.

There were no accusations of disloyalty or nasty nicknames from the GOP front-runner like the barrage he unleashed when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered his leading rival, joined the race two days later with a bungled Twitter announcement.

Read more...

Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him

Trump slams Disney and DeSantis: ‘A Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self'

Monday 29 May 2023 14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump slammed both Disney and Ron DeSantis on Truth Social on Sunday.

“Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the ‘market’ will do irreparable damage,” he wrote.

“This all happened during the Governorship of ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do - Still is!”

Texas lawmakers pass bill restricting sexual performance in front of kids

Monday 29 May 2023 13:30 , Shweta Sharma

Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill that will criminalise public performances of sexually explicit shows by performers as well as businesses, a potential law that drag artists fear will prompt a crackdown.

The bill, which was originally designed to restrict minors from attending certain drag shows, was expanded to remove direct specific reference to drag performers just before an end-of-day deadline.

The bill will now go to governor Greg Abbott who is expected to pass it into law.

The bill would ban real or simulated groping, real or simulated arousal and display of a sex toy, if done in a “prurient” manner in front of a minor or on public property. And it includes a definition of sexual conduct that bars wearing accessories or prosthetics that enhance the female or male form in front of a minor or on public property.

Violators could face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting performances deemed illegal could be fined $10,000 for each violation.

It comes after earlier this month Ron DeSantis signed a law that would impose restrictions on drag shows, cracking down on businesses that admit children to adult performances by revoking their food and beverage licences.

Trump fumes at his enemies in bizarre Memorial Day message

Monday 29 May 2023 13:25 , Megan Sheets

Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a furious Truth Social message that briefly recognised the reason for the holiday before descending into one of his usual rants.

In all caps, the ex-president fumed: “Happy memorial day to all, but especially to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country they love, and to those in line of a very different, but equally dangerous fire, stopping the threats of the terrorists, misfits and lunatic thugs who are working feverishly from within to overturn and destroy our once great country, which has never been in greater peril than it is right now. We must stop the communists, marxists and fascist “pigs” at every turn and, make america great again!”

‘Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution'

Monday 29 May 2023 13:00 , Alex Woodward

The Florida Immigrant Coalition – which launched a website named “floridatraveladvisory.com” – advises people to consult an attorney before travelling or reconsider travel to the state altogether.

“Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution as it can be particularly unsafe for people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers,” according to the advisory. “Every county in Florida poses a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.”

‘We are proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis’: DeSantis

Monday 29 May 2023 12:30 , Shweta Sharma

Ron DeSantis said Florida is “proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis” as Florida National Guard service members were deployed to support border response.

VIDEO: Ron DeSantis comments on Trump, Republican primary debate in August

Monday 29 May 2023 12:00 , Gustaf Kilander

‘DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state'

Monday 29 May 2023 11:30 , Alex Woodward

The DeSantis administration’s migrant relocation programme will get another $12m after the governor orchestrated widely derided flights that sent people seeking asylum in the US to Martha’s Vineyard – hundreds of miles away from where their cases were being considered in El Paso, Texas – in his apparent protest of Democratic immigration policies.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” according to Lydia Medrano, LULAC vice president for the southeast. “Food banks report witnessing individuals seeking one last food donation as they prepare to flee Florida. Families are torn apart as some members choose to stay while others have to leave, foreseeing worsening conditions for immigrants.”

DeSantis expands measure prohibiting classroom instruction on issues related to gender and sexuality

Monday 29 May 2023 11:00 , Alex Woodward

Ron DeSantis recently expanded a measure labelled by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibiting classroom instruction on issues related to gender and sexuality, which critics argue will have a chilling effect on LGBT+ people in schools as part of an effort to erase LGBT+ people from public life.

Another recently signed law targeting immigration voids out-of-state driver’s licenses for people without proof of citizenship and bars municipalities from using state money to issue identification cards for undocumented immigrants, and most companies in the state must verify whether their patients are living in the country legally.

Immigration advocates warn that such measures will devastate the state’s construction, restaurant and agricultural industries that rely on immigrant workers.

Florida hospitals that accept Medicaid will also be required to collect their patients’ immigration statuses, which LULAC warns will place an “unjust ethical burden on providers administering necessary medical care and perpetuates discrimination based on immigration status.”

DeSantis 2024 campaign logo brutally mocked: ‘So he’s admitting he’s a swamp creature?’

Monday 29 May 2023 10:30 , Shweta Sharma

As he launches his presidential campaign, Florida governor Ron DeSantis is being mocked for the choice of logo greeting visitors to his official website as he files the paperwork to officially become a candidate taking on former president Donald Trump.

Before his event hosted on Twitter alongside the platform’s owner Elon Musk, his campaign site consisted of a simple image of an alligator in a swamp.

The logo appears to be intended as a reference to Mr DeSantis’s home state of Florida, but Twitter users were quick to mock the choice of the logo as depicting a swamp creature after Mr Trump spent much of the 2016 campaign pledging to “drain the swamp” in reference to Washington, DC and railing against the “deep state”.

DeSantis 2024 campaign logo mocked: ‘So he’s admitting he’s a swamp creature?’

DeSantis restricts affirming healthcare for transgender minors

Monday 29 May 2023 10:00 , Alex Woodward

On 17 May, Mr DeSantis approved a slate of bills that restrict affirming healthcare for transgender minors, threaten drag shows, forbid people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity, and prevent people from using their chosen pronouns at schools.

The legislation follows administration policy restricting gender-affirming care for trans people in the state over the objections of major health organisations and LGBT+ advocates.

One law creates a new informed consent process that requires trans patients 18 and older to see a physician in person for gender-affirming healthcare, which will likely prohibit many trans adults from using telehealth or relying on other health providers such as nurse practitioners for their care.

That ambiguity has left health providers and legal analysts unclear how to navigate the law, which could prompt providers to stop providing gender-affirming care altogether, for patients of any age, according to LGBT+ advocates.

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