Greetings from the White House!
I often tell sources, friends and family that my job in the White House is to ask the questions our Daily Caller audience wants to know. The questions of those true middle America, conservative readers who want and need to be represented in the briefing room.
I reiterated a version of this unofficial mission statement to President Trump in August before I sat down with him for an interview in the Oval Office. Every question I asked him over the next hour was one tailored for our audience.
To make sure I achieve this goal of representing our audience, I send an email outlining everything I asked, wrote and worked on during the week to our publisher, Neil Patel. It helps me focus and reflect on my work from the week.
In the newsroom, we got the idea to share this with you. A report of sorts for you, our audience, on how we are being Your Rebels In The Swamp.
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Question opportunities were limited this week, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did hold one press briefing.
I was ready in the back of the briefing room, sitting on my booster seat so I could be seen above the rows of hands. As reporters clamored for Leavitt’s attention, I had two ‘America first’ questions prepared.
Here is what I asked:
The shutdown deal reverses the administration’s layoffs and prohibits more till the end of January. Did the president have input on that element of the deal? Is he disappointed at all that it’ll reverse the downsizing of the government?
There have been reports in Israeli media that the US is considering building a temporary military base on the Gaza border, can you confirm if this is the case?
Leavitt’s answers to both were newsworthy.
In response to the question on layoffs, Karoline told me that it was the president’s priority to open the government and the layoffs made during the shutdown doesn’t compare to the “waste, the fraud and the abuse” the admin rooted out in the first half of the year.
You can watch and listen to her answer here:
To my second question, Leavitt told me that the Israeli media reports about the U.S. considering opening a temporary military base in Gaza were not true.
“This is not something the United States is interested in being engaged in. It’s not something we are currently involved in right now, that we will be funding, and the president has been very clear he doesn’t want to see boots on the ground with respect to what’s happening in the Middle East.”
Watch her full answer here:
On the reporting front, the Republican National Committee exclusively shared with me the results of their election integrity efforts from Tuesday.
They tracked and responded to 28 bomb threats and nearly 500 tips while Americans voted Nov. 4, officials told the Daily Caller, the latest example of their efforts to secure election integrity. Prior to Election Day, the party recruited 964 poll workers in New Jersey and successfully placed 463 on Election Day, more than double what had been achieved in previous years, the Caller learned.
(EXCLUSIVE: RNC Responds To 28 Bomb Threats, Nearly 500 Tips Of Suspicious Election Activity)
And there is some trouble around Trump’s closest allies. Last weekend, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte talked the president into suggesting a 50-year mortgage plan. The proposal, which Trump posted on TruthSocial, set off a firestorm among his allies.
A source familiar with the situation told the Daily Caller that the idea was discussed but there has been annoyance in the White House with Pulte. The annoyance stems from the fact that the White House feels he jumped the gun and went forward with something that hadn’t been fully discussed, the source told the Caller.
(Trump Allies Revolt Against Top Admin Official Who Gave President 50-Year Mortgage Idea)
And I’m the most proud of this piece:
(EXCLUSIVE: Trump, DeSantis Could Be Destined For Head-To-Head Rematch In Key GOP Primary)
Yep, you read that right. We could be having a Trump-DeSantis rematch in Florida as the governor’s race begins to pick up pace.
I spoke to sources who are involved in and close to the race for governor who were granted anonymity to discuss the inner workings of the race candidly. The sources said that although the race is calm now as Rep. Byron Donalds barnstorms the state, they see a potential second DeSantis-Trump showdown bubbling under the surface.
Contributing to the feeling that tensions are on the verge of boiling over is that DeSantis has given the impression that he wants to name his own successor, multiple sources said, but has publicly expressed doubts about whether Donalds can be his guy.
But some think that if DeSantis ultimately declines to endorse Donalds, it will be less for personal reasons and more attributable to the governor’s desire to be something of a maverick who charts his own path politically.
Here is the spiciest quote:
“I know DeSantis is still coming to grips with the idea that Byron can be the nominee, because I’m talking to donors, and DeSantis is just point-blank trashing him to donors … just nasty stuff,” a source involved in Florida politics told the Caller.
Lastly, I had the honor of visiting Arlington Cemetery with the president and the vice president Tuesday to celebrate Veterans Day.
President Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and he and his vice president spoke to veterans in the cemetery’s amphitheater.
https://x.com/reaganreese_/status/1988284986605305881/video/1
Though freezing cold and windy, many veterans turned out for the event, waving American flags and cheering for the president.
https://x.com/reaganreese_/status/1988305495057437042/video/1
Towards the end, the president’s staff tried to move us towards the motorcade so we could be ready to go at the conclusion of the event. At the same time, the Army band announced they would be performing God Bless America.
“We have to stay for this!” I told the staffer trying to tap me on the shoulder to move.
And so we did. The press pool, the president, the vice president, members of the cabinet and many of our nation’s heroes were singing “God Bless America” alongside the Army Band.
It was a Veterans Day I will never forget.
As always, I am able to do this work because of you all. I’d appreciate your support to keep doing what I love by subscribing to State of the Day.