CHRIS CHRISTIE

The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle will be held Aug. 23, and candidates participating must pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to launch his second campaign for the Republican nomination for president next week in New Hampshire.

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

Businessperson Karrin Taylor Robson says she won't run for the Arizona Senate seat now held by independent Kyrsten Sinema.

The Supreme Court has ruled for a onetime top aide to ex-New York Gov_ Andrew Cuomo and for others who were convicted of corruption related to an economic development project known as the “Buffalo Billion.”.

A second wave of Republican candidates is preparing to enter the presidential race later this spring following a monthslong lull as the GOP field finally takes shape.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says former President Donald Trump's policy and character failures would only grow if he returns to the White House.

The U.S. Supreme Court says New Jersey can withdraw from a commission the state created decades ago with New York to combat the mob’s influence at their joint port.

It's been more than seven years since the 2016 presidential campaign, and Republicans are still trying to figure out how to run against Donald Trump.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is mulling another presidential run, says Republicans need a candidate who can execute a quick takedown of Donald Trump.

From almost the moment he first rode down the escalator in Trump Tower, a question has loomed over the Republican Party: Is this the moment to break from Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is betting he can win his way back to the White House by reviving the outsider appeal that fueled his success in 2016.

A growing number of Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, are criticizing Donald Trump for dining with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.

The Supreme Court seems ready to side with a onetime top aide to ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others convicted of corruption related to an upstate economic development project dubbed the Buffalo Billion.

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis have been on a collision course from the start.

It was supposed to be a red wave that former President Donald Trump could triumphantly ride to the GOP nomination as he prepares to launch another White House run.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is supporting Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp as he makes his closing argument Tuesday for a second term over Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams.

President Joe Biden has surveyed the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida, promising to marshal the power of the federal government to help rebuild.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has whipsawed his way through the national conversation this month, first by putting migrants on planes or buses to Democratic strongholds and then shifting to a more traditional role of crisis manager as one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. barreled into his state.

Liz Cheney is openly considering a presidential run.

In battleground Wisconsin, Donald Trump’s pick for governor defeated the favorite of the Republican establishment.

For much of the year, small cracks in Donald Trump’s political support have been growing.

Former television news anchor Kari Lake has won the Republican primary for Arizona governor.

Vote counting continues in the close race to determine the Republican nominee for governor in Arizona, with former television news anchor Kari Lake narrowly leading lawyer Karrin Taylor Robson.

When the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a right to abortion, it sparked legal changes and court challenges in states nationwide.

Former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence, are campaigning Friday in Arizona for rival candidates for governor.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has already helped block one of former President Donald Trump’s allies from winning the Republican nomination for governor in a crucial battleground state.

Drivers looking to cross from New Jersey into New York over the George Washington Bridge will now go through an electronic tolling system.

As Donald Trump considers another White House run, polls show he's the most popular figure in the Republican Party.

Stunning new revelations about former President Donald Trump's fight to overturn the 2020 election have exposed growing political vulnerabilities just as he eyes another presidential bid.

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a New York state law that had restricted who could obtain a permit to carry a gun in public.

Former President Donald Trump is lashing out at the the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection as he continues to tease his plans for a third presidential run.

Members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection are holding their first prime-time hearing to share what they have uncovered about then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Former President Donald Trump’s crusade for vengeance suffered two devastating blows when Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger won their primaries despite rejecting Trump’s entreaties to reverse his 2020 election loss.

Former Vice President Mike Pence will campaign with Georgia’s incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp the day before this month’s GOP primary in his most significant political break with former President Donald Trump to date.

Former President Donald Trump’s persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the nomination process.

A former Trump administration official running for Congress in New Hampshire voted twice during the 2016 primary election season.

Piecing together the activities of President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, is no easy task.

The surprising advantage Democrats gained during the torturous process of rewriting the nation’s congressional maps may be short lived.

A shadow primary has begun to take shape among no fewer than three fierce Republican critics of former President Donald Trump to determine who's best positioned to occupy the anti-Trump lane in the next presidential contest.

Leading Republicans spent much of the first three days at a conservative political gathering avoiding Donald Trump’s chief grievances or ignoring him altogether.

Former President Donald Trump stepped up his election-year effort to dominate the Republican Party with a Saturday rally in Arizona.

With more bad weather looming, Virginia officials are seeking to reassure the public they are prepared as they reacted to harsh criticism of their response to a storm earlier this week that left hundreds of motorists stranded on Interstate 95.

Former Vice President Mike Pence visited early-voting New Hampshire, where he delivered a speech railing against President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy, schmoozed with local activists, dropped by holiday parties, shopped at a local bakery and raised money for state Republicans.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been on a PR blitz promoting his new book.

An elite but often-underwater beach town at the Jersey Shore is looking for its own solutions to back bay flooding, deciding it can’t wait for state and federal officials to agree on a fix.

Republican state Sen.-elect Ed Durr says he will have a learning curve in his new post but plans to try thwart Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy once he gets to Trenton next year.

New Jersey’s longtime state Senate president, Democrat Steve Sweeney lost reelection, falling to a Republican newcomer who spent little money and underscoring Democratic woes in the Biden era.

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has won reelection over Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe has brought out the biggest names in Democratic politics as he’s tried to maintain his edge in Virginia’s hotly contested gubernatorial race.

New Jersey's decidedly liberal shift under first-term Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is facing a test as he seeks reelection against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

Surveying storm damage, President Joe Biden has declared climate change has reached “code red” and now has become “everybody's crisis.”.

Less than a week after Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast, President Joe Biden walked the streets of a hardhit Louisiana neighborhood on Friday and told residents “I know you’re hurting."

Less than a week after Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast, President Joe Biden walked the streets of a hardhit Louisiana neighborhood on Friday and told local residents, “I know you’re hurting, I know you’re hurting.”.

The fall book season will be packed with new works by such high-profile authors as Jonathan Franzen, Sally Rooney and Colson Whitehead.

A year removed from the Supreme Court’s tossing of her conviction in New Jersey's ‘Bridgegate’ case, Bridget Kelly is seeking to resurrect her political career.

Nearly 150 speakers (including 20 more biggies revealed today) across more than 50 sessions. Four days of virtual programs. Two jampacked days of in-person programs. Everything streamed. Everything on demand. Are you as excited as we are?

The tragedy in Surfside, Florida, is exposing voters to a different side of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for a reelection bid next year that could propel him into a presidential campaign.

The next book by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is addressed to his fellow Republicans.

Christie has joined the board of directors of the New York Mets. His son Andrew has worked for the team since 2018 and is the Mets' coordinator of international scouting. Chris Christie has joined the board of directors of the New York Mets. Jeanne Melino also joined the Mets board under new owner Steve Cohen, and New York said Friday she will be hired by the team as senior vice president of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation. The Mets' board also includes chairman emeritus Fred Wilpon and vice chairman Andrew Cohen, who is not related to Steve.

Laura Biggs, a 56-year-old who has already recovered from the virus, is wary of taking the vaccine. “The way I feel about it is: I don’t need the vaccine at this point," she said. She said partisan differences were obvious among her friends and family in all aspects of the pandemic, including vaccine acceptance. I don’t think it is the way God intended for us to be,” said Holloway. “The people who voted for Trump and don’t want to take the vaccine are committed in their opposition.

Laura Biggs, a 56-year-old who has already recovered from the virus, is wary of taking the vaccine. “The way I feel about it is: I don’t need the vaccine at this point," she said. She said partisan differences were obvious among her friends and family in all aspects of the pandemic, including vaccine acceptance. I don’t think it is the way God intended for us to be,” said Holloway. “The people who voted for Trump and don’t want to take the vaccine are committed in their opposition.

President Donald Trump speaks during a rally protesting the electoral college certification of Joe Biden as President, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Yet Trump will try to go on offense in his last 10 days, with no plans of resigning. Instead, Trump is planning to lash out against the companies that have now denied him his Twitter and Facebook bullhorns. Cut off from the social media channels that have been the lifeblood of his presidency, Trump will nonetheless try to go on offense in his last 10 days, with no plans of resigning. Instead, Trump is planning to lash out against the companies that have now denied him his Twitter and Facebook bullhorns.

Cut off from the social media channels that have been the lifeblood of his presidency, Trump will nonetheless try to go on offense in his last 10 days, with no plans of resigning. Instead, Trump is planning to lash out against the companies that have now denied him his Twitter and Facebook bullhorns. Trump has not taken any responsibility for his role in inciting Wednesday's violence amid a rebellion from members of his own party and ongoing efforts to remove him from office. Concerns continued to bubble through the weekend about how Trump, who thrives on chaos and attention, might respond. While his legacy will surely forever be stained by Wednesday’s violence, aides nonetheless are pushing Trump to spend his final days trumpeting his policy achievements.

NEW YORK – The Republican Party is facing a defining moment. But what comes next for the Republican Party is anything but clear. Trump’s hold over his adopted party has been all but absolute in his time in office. If he does, the Republican Party could continue to shape itself in his image. “I believe he will have as much hold over the party as he wants to,” said Alice Stewart, a Republican strategist who advised Cruz's 2016 campaign.

FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

After Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities, the wealthy real estate executive and father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared, hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Kushner later pleaded guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations in a case tailor-made for tabloid headlines. Christie did not respond to a request for comment on Trump's decision to pardon a man he'd sent to prison. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. But Charles Kushner told The New York Times in 2018 that he wasn't interested in clemency, saying he “would prefer not to have a pardon” because it would garner publicity.

President-elect Joe Bidens first wave of Cabinet picks and choices for his White House staff have prized staying power over star power, with a premium placed on government experience and proficiency as he looks to rebuild a depleted and demoralized federal bureaucracy. President-elect Joe Biden has prized staying power over star power when making his first wave of Cabinet picks and choices for White House staff, with a premium placed on government experience and proficiency as he looks to rebuild a depleted and demoralized federal bureaucracy. “Collectively, this team has secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory — made possible through decades of experience working with our partners,” Biden said Tuesday as he unveiled his national security team. His choice for national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, was the deputy to that post under President Barack Obama. ___EDITOR'S NOTE — Jonathan Lemire has covered the White House and national politics for The Associated Press since 2013.

The picks include former Secretary of State John Kerry to take the lead on combating climate change. “America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is,” Kerry said. At 43, he will be one of the youngest national security advisers in history. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration and has close ties with Biden. Blinken recently participated in a national security briefing with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and weighed in publicly just last week on notable foreign policy issues in Egypt and Ethiopia.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016. President Trump and his allies are harking back to his own transition four years ago to make a false argument that his own presidency was denied a fair chance for a clean launch. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany laid out the case from the White House podium last week. That's a far cry from the description issued by McEnany as pressure mounts for Trump to concede and for his administration to begin cooperating with Biden's transition team. But Trump's team largely ignored advice from Obama staffers, leaving briefing books unopened and ignoring special iPads loaded with materials.

Blinken is the leading contender to become President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, according to multiple people familiar with the Biden team's planning. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration and has close ties with Biden. Biden is likely to name his Cabinet picks in tranches, with groups of nominees focused on a specific top area, like the economy, national security or public health, being announced at once. Jake Sullivan, a longtime adviser to Biden and Hillary Clinton, is also in the mix for a top job, including White House national security adviser. Biden's secretary of state would inherit a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department.

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)WASHINGTON – Key Republican lawmakers, including 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, on Friday slammed President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that Democrats are trying to “steal” the election. But some GOP leaders struck a more neutral tone — and others urged the White House to fight. But Trump “is wrong to say the election was rigged, corrupt and stolen,″ Romney said on Twitter. Before Trump's speech in the White House briefing room, several Republicans challenged his attempts to halt vote-counting in Pennsylvania and other battleground states. "It is critical that we give election officials time to complete their jobs, and that we ensure all lawfully cast ballots are allowed and counted,'' she said in a statement.

Trump did not back up his claims with any details or evidence, and state and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud. Counting votes is often “long” and “frustrating,” Romney said. Most in the GOP take pains to avoid directly criticizing Trump, even when they find his conduct unhelpful or offensive to their values and goals. But one of Trump’s top congressional supporters said he supports efforts to question the vote counting process and is donating money to shore up legal challenges. Chris Christie, a Trump ally who is an analyst for ABC News, said there was no basis for Trump's argument.

Chris Christie, arrives for a news conference at the White House in Washington, with President Donald Trump. Christie said Thursday, Oct. 15, that he was wrong not to wear a mask at the White House, where he and President Donald Trump both came down with the coronavirus. Chris Christie said Thursday that he was wrong not to wear a mask at the White House, after he and President Donald Trump both came down with the coronavirus. Christie, in a statement, said he has recovered from COVID-19 after a weeklong stay in a hospital's intensive care unit. “I believed that when I entered the White House grounds, that I had entered a safe zone, due to the testing that and I and many others underwent every day," Christie said.

Chris Christie said Saturday he has been discharged from a New Jersey hospital where he spent a week, following his announcement that he had contracted the coronavirus. “I am happy to let you know that this morning I was released from Morristown Medical Center," Christie said in a Saturday morning post on Twitter. “I want to thank the extraordinary doctors & nurses who cared for me for the last week. Christie was part of a string of virus cases connected to President Donald Trump’s inner circle. In 2013, during Christie’s first term as New Jersey governor, he underwent lap-band surgery and lost a significant amount of weight.

White House director of communications Alyssa Farah waves after speaking with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Washington. “Yeah, I’m not going to give you a detailed readout with timestamps every time the president’s tested," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters last weekend. And the White House refusal to answer makes it hard not to wonder what they're hiding, given other details they've shared. Senior White House staff and those who are in direct contact with the president are tested for the virus daily. What about Sept. 27, when he visited his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, held a late afternoon news conference in the White House briefing room, and held an evening reception for Gold Star families on the White House state floor?

WASHINGTON – His press secretary once described President Donald Trump as the “most tested man in America” when it came to COVID-19. And variations on that message were the White House ready response any time critics questioned the president's lax approach to following guidelines for avoiding the novel coronavirus. Trump demonstrated in dramatic fashion that relying on testing alone isn’t enough to create a safe bubble. Mask wearing and social distancing are other key ingredients for preventing the spread of COVID-19, and both have often been in short supply at the White House. There were also several indoor receptions, where Barrett, her family, senators and others gathered in the close quarters inside the White House.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was also in the room, but not pictured, according to the White House. (Tia Dufour/The White House via AP)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s long-hidden tax returns leaked out. And even the first lady was captured on tape expressing disdain for having to decorate the White House for Christmas. Pence attended a Sept. 26 White House event where Trump announced his Supreme Court pick. Still, Zelizer said it would be premature to count Trump out, with a full month to go until Election Day.

What we know, and what we don’t know:WHAT WE KNOWTrump made clear he is eager to put his three-night stay at Walter Reed behind him, and to play down a pandemic that has killed more than 209,000 Americans. WHAT WE DON’T KNOWWe don’t know how sick Trump got. With treatment still evolving in the pandemic, Trump’s doctors concede they themselves don’t know everything about the interplay of the medications he is taking. The White House also is withholding details on what steps it is taking to stop the spread of the outbreak underway in Trump’s circle. Trump on Sunday insisted on a drive outside Walter Reed to wave to supporters, heightening risk of infection for those guarding and driving him.

Trump's reelection team, battered on all sides, now enters the final month of the campaign grappling with deficits in the polls, a shortage of cash and a candidate who is at least temporarily sidelined. Both heads of Trump’s political apparatus — campaign manager Bill Stepien and Republican National Committee head Ronna McDaniel — tested positive for COVID-19 this week. We have a month to go,” senior campaign adviser Jason Miller said Sunday on NBC's “Meet the Press." “He’s losing, and the debate was a disaster, and the campaign is imploding,” said Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, a vocal Trump critic. Still, Zelizer said it would be premature to count Trump out, with a full month to go until Election Day.

Conley was evasive when asked whether Trump’s blood oxygen level had dropped below 90%: “We don’t have any recordings here on that.” The level currently stands at 98%, Trump’s medical team said. WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: TRUMP’S MEDICAL CONDITIONTrump's medical team continued to dodge many questions Sunday, such as the specific timing of the president’s dip in oxygen and the impact of the disease on his lungs. WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: WHEN TRUMP FELL ILLConley declined to say when Trump had last been tested before Thursday’s test confirmed COVID-19. WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: HOW TRUMP WAS INFECTEDThere's no way to know for sure if the Rose Garden event was where Trump — who typically shuns a mask and has kept holding big public gatherings during the pandemic — was exposed. The administration says a White House medical team is tracing contacts.

Still, the doctors said Trump’s health is improving and that he could be discharged as early as Monday. In a short video released by the White House on Sunday, Trump insisted he understood the gravity of the moment. It was the second straight day of obfuscation from a White House already suffering from a credibility crisis. He was evasive about the timing of Trump oxygen drops. At the time of the briefing, Trump’s blood oxygen level was 98% — within normal rage, Trump’s medical team said.

President Donald Trump has been hospitalized with the virus and Biden was potentially exposed during Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Cleveland. ___6 p.m.President Donald Trump has told his longtime friend and sometimes lawyer Rudy Giuliani that he’s “going to beat” the coronavirus. ___5:30 p.m.With President Donald Trump in the hospital, his campaign is launching an effort it’s calling “Operation MAGA” to maintain momentum. ___1 p.m.White House doctors said President Donald Trump began exhibiting “clinical indications” of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, earlier than previously known. One by one, President Donald Trump and a series of GOP lawmakers have fallen ill with the virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans.

Chris Christie tested positive for COVID-19, he tweeted Saturday morning — the latest in a string of virus cases connected to President Donald Trump’s inner circle. Christie said that he will be receiving medical attention and “will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.”He did not say whether he had symptoms. Christie had tweeted Friday morning that he had last tested negative ahead of Tuesday’s debate and was not having any symptoms then. Christie is the latest person who has been in close contact with the president recently to test positive for the virus. In addition to Trump and first lady Melania Trump, multiple people who have traveled with Trump or attended events with the president have contracted the virus over the last several days.

Chris Christie speaks during a news conference in Newark, N.J. Christie tweeted on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Chris Christie tweeted Saturday that he's checked himself into a hospital, hours after he announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Christie, who has publicly struggled with his weight, is the latest in a string of virus cases connected to President Donald Trump's inner circle. Christie had tweeted Friday morning that he had last tested negative ahead of Tuesday’s debate and was not having any symptoms then. He once called himself “the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen.”Text messages were left seeking comment from Christie early Saturday evening.

Then, just as quickly, they receded into memory with the revelation Friday that Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta called it “a bit unsettling.”Meanwhile, the White House Correspondents Association said three journalists there tested positive for COVID on Friday. All had covered White House events last weekend. Then, at 12:54 a.m. Eastern, the president tweeted that both of them were positive. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was asked pointedly why he was not wearing a mask when he briefed reporters Friday afternoon.

Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins stands at back right. – The University of Notre Dame’s president announced Friday he tested positive for the coronavirus less than a week after he attended a White House event without wearing a mask. Trump also announced early Friday that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, tested positive for the virus. Notre Dame’s football team suspended practice and postponed its scheduled Sept. 26 game at Wake Forest after 18 players tested positive for COVID-19. Jenkins Joined Notre Dame's faculty in 1990 and has been the school's president since 2005.

President Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)

___10:20 p.m.President Donald Trump has sidestepped a question from moderator Chris Wallace about whether he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. The first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden has gotten off to an contentious start, breaking down after just a few moments with Trump interrupting Biden on several occasions and Biden calling the president a clown and a liar. Biden made the comment during Tuesday night’s debate after President Donald Trump accused him of supporting abolishing private insurance. ___2:15 p.m.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have released more of their personal tax returns ahead of the first presidential debate. ___12:30 p.m.President Donald Trump spent Tuesday morning in informal preparations for the first debate with Joe Biden.

(Scott Olson/Pool via AP)NEW YORK After a night in which television struggled to keep up with the Democrats' virtual convention, networks were rewarded with the most traditional of political events a powerful speech. This will not be like any convention we have seen before, ever, CNNs Anderson Cooper said at the opening of his networks coverage. Segments spent on broadcast networks previewing speeches by Obama and Sanders seemed like time-wasters when there were other things to show. Wallace's colleague, Dana Perino, stumbled into an unfortunate word choice in an effort to convey enthusiasm for Obama's address. Four years ago, when Hillary Clinton was nominated, 25 million people tuned in to the first night.

FILE - In this June 20, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump arrives on stage to speak at a campaign rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. Trump is privately reassuring Republicans anxious about his deficits to Democrat Joe Biden, noting there are three months until Election Day and reminding them of the late-breaking events that propelled his 2016 comeback. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

And they warned that time is running out: The first state to hold early voting, the vital battleground of North Carolina, begins the process Sept. 4. Trump campaign officials said the focus in August will be on states where more than half of the ballots will be cast before Election Day. The digital countdown clock on the wall may say 90-some days, but we all know the calendar is condensed with early voting, said campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. Still, the Trump campaign has been wavering for weeks. They also downplayed the chances of losing reliably Republican states, though Trump did make a campaign stop in Texas last week.

NEW YORK President Donald Trump is adamant that he wants another four years in office. But he offered few clues about what he would do if he remains in the White House. He similarly stammered through an interview last month when pressed by a friendly TV host to talk about what a second term would look like. Trump is reshaping his campaign, announcing Wednesday that veteran GOP operative Bill Stepien will replace Brad Parscale as campaign manager. When asked for the presidents second-term agenda, the White House pointed to Trumps response to COVID-19 but offered little in the way of specifics.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump shook up his campaign staff amid sinking poll numbers less than four months before the election, replacing campaign manager Brad Parscale with veteran GOP operative Bill Stepien. I am pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the role of Trump Campaign Manager, Trump said Wednesday on Facebook. Chris Christie and serving as Trumps national field director in 2016. Parscales digital advertising firm was among the campaigns most significant vendors, and some in Trumps orbit have alleged that the former campaign manager was profiting off the presidents reelection. Schultz is now at the Democratic National Committee, helping lead the joint battleground strategy among the national party, the Biden campaign and state parties.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump shook up his campaign staff Wednesday, replacing campaign manager Brad Parscale with veteran GOP operative Bill Stepien. Trump and Parscales relationship had been strained since a Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally that drew a dismal crowd, infuriating the president. Parscale, a political novice, ran Trumps digital advertising in 2016 and was credited with helping bring about his surprise victory. Stepien has been in politics for years, working for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and serving as Trumps national field director in 2016.

While Trump avoids wearing a mask in public, McConnell said facial coverings are really important until a vaccine is found. 3 Republican in the House, tweeted a picture of her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, wearing a mask with the hashtag #realmenwearmasks. At the same time, Trump has been criticized by some Republicans for inconsistent leadership during the sweeping national protests against police brutality. Jerry Falwell Jr., a Trump confidant and the president of Liberty University, conceded that the president has not been clear enough about his plans. To be sure, Trumps White House has set records for turnover, but efforts to prepare for life after the administration have been taken up in earnest in some corners of the White House complex.

In this June 11, 2020, photo Lourdes Sherby, center, with Guadalupe Family Services, hands diapers to Louisa Peralta in Camden, N.J. While police elsewhere clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters outraged by the latest death of a black man detained by police, Camden officers marched calmly with residents and activists. What we should be trying to do is de-escalate them, said Thomson, a past president of the Police Executive Research Forum who retired from the Camden job last year. The estimated $3 billion in development attracts suburbanites and employs some Camden residents. Still, Brown, the activist and entrepreneur, laments that too few Camden residents make it onto the new force, which is 54 percent minority.

WASHINGTON First lady Melania Trump delayed her move to Washington after Donald Trump became president to gain leverage in renegotiating her prenuptial agreement, according to a new book. Melania Trump has said that she wanted to wait until the end of the school year to move to Washington. Yet another book about Mrs. Trump with false information and sources, Grisham said in an emailed statement. This book belongs in the fiction genre.The first lady and Barron, who was 11 at the time, settled into the White House in early June 2017 and she seemed visibly happier by mid-2018, the book said. Melania wanted and got options for him.___Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Bridgewater, New Jersey, contributed to this report.