After two years of rope-a-dope…. Trump exits the corner for the championship rounds in the trade fight: First the body blow, China boxed-in with trade confrontation and consequences of retreat from agreement (Mnuchin and Lighthizer);… Then whammo, the roundhouse XO placing telecom under national security review (Navarro and Pillsbury); then upper-cut, Wilburine places Hauwei and affiliates on Commerce Dept. trade blacklist…
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Attempted Coup: "We’re going to put people in jail that were part of this"
UPDATE: COMEY TURNS ON BRENNAN: Fired FBI Chief Claims Brennan Pushed Junk Dossier in IC Report (VIDEO)
May 15, 2019
It wasn't me .. it was this rat behind me. I swear it was all his idea.
UPDATE: (VIDEO) "Brennan needs five lawyers. Comey needs five lawyers"
May 14, 2019
Joe diGenova: This is very serious business. For the first time I believe some of these guys are going to prison… Let me tell you something, Horowitz has already concluded that the final three FISAs were completely illegal. He’s now on the brink of finding that the first FISA was completely illegal. Durham has already used a grand jury in Connecticut. They’ve already gotten documents. He’s already talked to the intel people.
Laura Ingraham: How long has this been going on?
Joe diGenova: Durham’s been working for a couple months. The bottom line is this. This is now – big time! This is where Brennan needs five lawyers. Comey needs five lawyers.
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Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) warned that America “came very close” to suffering its “first successful coup,” describing Robert Mueller’s operation — marketed as an “investigation” by authorities — as an attempt to usurp a duly elected president. We are not having it, and we’re going to put people in jail that were part of this. That’s got to happen.”
Barr Assigns U.S. Attorney in Connecticut to Review Origins of Russia Inquiry
John H. Durham, the United States attorney in Connecticut, has a history of serving as a special prosecutor investigating potential wrongdoing among national security officials, including the F.B.I.’s ties to a crime boss in Boston and accusations of C.I.A. abuses of detainees.
His inquiry is the third known investigation focused on the opening of an F.B.I. counterintelligence investigation during the 2016 presidential campaign into possible ties between Russia’s election interference and Trump associates.
The department’s inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, is separately examining investigators’ use of wiretap applications and informants and whether any political bias against Mr. Trump influenced investigative decisions. And John W. Huber, the United States attorney in Utah, has been reviewing aspects of the Russia investigation. His findings have not been announced.
Additionally on Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has said he, too, intends to review aspects of law enforcement’s work in the coming months. And Republicans conducted their own inquiries when they controlled the House, including publicizing details of the F.B.I.’s wiretap us
by Adam Goldman, Charlie Savage and Michael S. Schmidt
About Tariffs: The big story is President Trump refusing to back down from China.
- Trump's Cold War with China
May 16, 2019
ANALYSIS:
When an article begins with, “Just about everyone understands…” or “There can be little doubt…” you know that the author has a weak case. Investors Business Daily’s post, dated May 10th begins just like that:
“Just about everyone else understands that the Trump trade war will be bad for US investors, consumers, retailers and manufacturers. The trade war will hit consumer spending and could freeze business investment in the US. It will damage American business prospects in the world's second largest economy. It will hurt global growth and pressure global financial markets. The longer this takes to sink in, the greater the damage to the U.S. economy.”
While Donald Trump’s critics see the trade war through the prism of a hundred dollar price increase for washers and dryers or impact on the cost of footwear, Trump sees the rise of China as a major economic and geopolitical threat.
Trump understands what most economists and Investors Business Daily are missing. In this new world economy, the United States does not have a competitive advantage by virtue of high productivity based on superior organization and advanced technology. Nowadays, if you know what you want and have the money, practically anything can be bought. Project financing is available to anyone anywhere in the world, provided by multilateral lenders and a syndication of investors worldwide. The technologies are available to anyone willing to pay for them, and information is available to anyone with a computer or an iPhone.
In this environment, America is in mortal disadvantage with China. If Chinese enterprises employing modern technologies do not have to comply with the U.S. environmental and safety regulations and pay their workers in a day what their American counterparts make in an hour, this country cannot possibly succeed. American industries are under a military-style assault by China that includes, but is not limited to, manipulating currency, dumping, stealing technologies and know-how, and counterfeiting American products.
China has become a manufacturing plant for American corporations and profits from the manufactured goods sold on the American market have built the economy rival to the U.S. The burgeoning wealth allowed China to build modern military capabilities, construct the islands in the South China Sea, threaten Taiwan, and initiate expansion in Africa and Latin America.
It is not Russia, with a tiny GDP of about 10% of the U.S. and the population of 150 million, that challenges American interests. China, with its massive economy and military strength, has been acting as a geopolitical adversary during the last few decades. Although vastly outmatched by the U.S. in resources, technology and, above all, military capacity, Chinese have often imposed their own preferences by a nonchalance of psychological pressure against the material advantage of the feeble American administrations.
The emergence of Donald Trump inaugurated a new era in America-Chinese relations. Trump is reversing the strategic trend and turning it against China, threatening to regress China’s history for generations. Hence, it is not a trade war -- it’s a cold war. In this cold war, Trump has the upper hand and sees no reason to compromise anything. The United States remains the world-dominant economic power that is enjoying a booming economy.
International trade, although very important, is not a key building block of the U.S. economic expansion. For China, on the other hand, international trade is existential.
The imposition of tariffs compounded with a lower corporate tax rate in the U.S. forces American companies to move manufacturing out of China. Most of them are expected to come back to the U.S., although some will relocate to Vietnam or other low labor cost environments. In any event, China is losing, while America is gaining. The longer the negotiations go on, the more companies make a move, and once gone they are not going back. That is exactly Trump’s ultimate objective -- to weaken China by depriving it of revenue.
Trump has trapped China in Zugzwang position -- the situation in a chess game where a player has to make a move, although any possible move will only worsen his position. If China does not accept Trump’s demands, the high tariffs would go into effect. Since China’s economy has a limited domestic consumption, losing American market will have a devastating impact ... If China does accept Trump’s demands, it would have to pay for American technologies that it currently enjoys via forced transfer or outright theft and, also cease utilizing all the other shenanigans that ensure China competitive advantage.
Cato the Elder, the Roman senator, is reputed to finish every speech with a call “Carthago delenda est” -- “Carthage must be destroyed.” Donald Trump could paraphrase it as “China must be destroyed.” Trump sees it not just as a case of national dignity and self-respect, but an imperative for our economic survival.
By Alexander G. Markovsky
Alexander G. Markovsky is a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research, a conservative think tank that examines national security, energy, risk-analysis and other public policy issues.
UPDATE:
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More than 300,000 factories in China could shut down if trade war goes full blast
Already stressed, China’s economy is heading for big trouble as U.S. sanctions go into effect on Chinese imports. The tariffs, says China expert Steven Mosher, will be a “serious shock” to China’s economy, and if they remain in place for more than a couple of months, will have lasting impacts on China’s economy.
China now has 60 million apartments sitting empty, due to the government overbuilding, and now with the trade war it won’t just be apartments. “They’re going to have a few hundred thousand factories sitting empty in China where the manufacturers have gone overseas.”
UPDATE: China’s Huawei, and 70 Affiliates, Placed on U.S. Trade Blacklist …
"The overall strategy here is brilliant"
President Trump Declares National Emergency For Information and Communication Technology…
Lions and Killers and Strategists, oh my.
UPDATE: President Trump Remains Tough On China Despite Tariff Retaliation.
Monday, May 13, 2019 - Read: One America News Network
Beijing announced it will raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. imports. The announcement comes just days after President Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10-percent to 25-percent after officials from both countries failed to reach a deal.
President Trump dismissed concerns the U.S. consumer would pay for the tariffs on Chinese goods, adding, the tariffs could be completely avoided if companies buy or manufacture in the U.S. He continued on his tough stance against China, saying the country has taken advantage of the U.S. for years.
His comments echo his campaign pledge of holding China accountable for its trade abuses:
“And I like the President (Xi Jinping) a lot; he’s a friend of mine, but I’m representing the USA, and he’s representing China. And we’re not going to be taken advantage of anymore. We’re not going to be paying China $500 billion a year.”
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As president, Donald Trump is delivering exactly the tough stance he called for as a private citizen two decades ago, using tariffs as his chosen weapon. Because, of course, unlike diplomatic statements at the U.N., tariffs actually get the Chinese regime's attention.
We were told by everyone in the establishment, left and right. If we open up to China, if we give them the Olympics, if we only scold them gently behind closed doors -- because they hate losing face -- .if we do all that, China will behave.
What idiots! China never had good intentions. Since the late 1980s, its stated aim has been world domination, technologically and militarily. Their path to that was economic domination, achieved by hacking and stealing the West's technology and exploiting its own workers and the environment. The establishment idiots were too naive -- or too corrupted by Chinese cash -- to see it.
There was one lone voice, though, two decades ago, who said the following about China:
"Our biggest long-term challenge will be China....The Clinton administration, like the Bush administration, follows a policy of "constructive engagement" with China. When China disappoints expectations and ignores lofty lectures, we issue a few condemnations, hammer out some meaningless resolution at the UN (if we can get it by China's UN delegation), and call upon them to comport themselves like citizens of the community of nations. Then we get back down to business as if nothing happened. How's this policy working? It isn't."
Guess who said this? Well, that was Donald Trump. And in a 2010 interview with Larry King, he said,
"If you look at what China is doing to our country, it's disgraceful ... They're making all of our product. We're not manufacturing anything. They're making all our products, and they're selling it to us. And then they're loaning us the money ... They take the money, then they loan it back to us. We should be fighting China."
And snooty establishment called Trump an ignoramus. He was right about China. The entire establishment got it wrong.
Learn More @ Standing up to China
Analysis: All Eyes On Iran
UPDATE:
May 14, 2018
SAUDI ARABIA OIL PIPELINE ATTACKED BY DRONES...
May 13, 2019
BREAKING: U.S. Military Assessment Says Iran Behind Ship Bombings In Persian Gulf, Report Says
.
UPDATE: Iran commander calls U.S. military in Gulf a target...
May 12, 2019: Speaking to CNBC in an interview to be broadcast on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. deployments came in response to intelligence about potential Iranian attacks and aimed both to deter them and to be able to respond if necessary.
"We've seen this reporting," Pompeo said. "It's real. It appears to be something that is current, that is things we're worried about today."
"In the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest - whether that be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or any place in the Middle East - we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way," he said, adding that "our aim is not war."
click on image
UPDATE: Report: 'Extremely Rare' Iran Meeting Held at CIA HQ
Saturday May 11, 2019 - National security adviser John Bolton called a highly unusual meeting at CIA headquarters last week with the Trump administration's top intelligence, diplomatic and military advisers to talk about Iran, NBC News reported.
The extraordinary gathering included CIA Director Gina Haspel, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, the news outlet reported, citing multiple unnamed sources.
According to NBC News, national security meetings are typically held in the White House Situation Room, and it’s “extremely rare” for such high-level officials to gather at CIA headquarters.
UPDATE: US ready to respond if Iran’s proxies attack the American Al Tanf garrison -
May 11, 2019 - US-Iranian tensions this week were ramped up by intelligence of a plot for Iran’s Iraqi proxies to attack the American Al Tanf garrison in E. Syria, which commands the strategic Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border intersection. This intelligence, which reached the head of US CENTCOM, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, galvanized Washington into action.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hurried over to Baghdad on Tuesday, May 7 with a warning that US punishment would reach Iranian soil and its Revolutionary Guards bases, if US forces came to harm.
Ranged against Iran’s preparations, the Americans have deployed: B-52 bombers to the Al-Udaid Air Base in Qatar; F-35A stealth aircraft to Al-Dhafra base in the UAE; and ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln with strike group take up position in the Red Sea.
UPDATE: Eyeing Iran, U.S. Sending More Patriot Missiles To Middle East
May 10, 2019 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has approved a new deployment of Patriot missiles to the Middle East, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday, in the latest U.S. response to what Washington sees as a growing threat from Iran. The decision comes after the Trump administration expedited the deployment of a carrier strike group and sent bombers to the Middle East following troubling indications of possible preparations for an attack by Iran.
UPDATE: Trump says John Kerry ‘should be prosecuted’ for Iran contacts
In September, Kerry acknowledged meeting with Zarif “three or four times” since leaving office, admitting to discussing the scrapped nuclear deal, among other issues.
“What I have done is tried to elicit from him what Iran might be willing to do in order to change the dynamic in the Middle East for the better,” Kerry said on Hugh Hewitt's radio show.
On Thursday, Trump indicated he believes the contact between Kerry and Tehran to be ongoing, accusing Kerry of having “many meetings and many phone calls and he’s telling them what to do -- that is a total violation of the Logan Act.”
Read More @ Kerry + Iran
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ANALYSIS: Behind apparent military escalation, US and Iran buy 2-3 months’ grace for reassessment
May 9, 2019



While the US and Iran seem to be on the knife edge of an armed clash, both have taken time-out to reassess their next steps. Iran has given the West 60 days to ease Trump administration sanctions, while the US after slapping sanctions on Iran’s metal experts has allowed 90 days for them to take effect.
It is therefore unlikely that, in the short term, the heightened tension will explode into direct hostilities between the US and Iran, although their proxies and allies are another matter –
like, for instance, the 36-hour Palestinian rocket blitz against Israel on May 4 and 5, which claimed four Israeli lives. That event, too, was cut short. Neither Tehran, while ranged face to face against America, nor Cairo, which is deep in the Libyan conflict, have the time, will or funds to spend on a major clash of arms in the Gaza Strip.
Amid the buildup of US military strength in the Gulf – the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier crossed into the Red Sea on Thursday, May 9 – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent no more than four hours on talks in Baghdad on the safety of US troops in Iraq with President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Abdil Abdul-Mahdi on Wednesday.
Both are in touch with the Iranian Al Qods chief Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Pompeo asked them to convey to Tehran the message that if US forces or its allies in the region came to harm, the Trump administration would respond with direct military action on Iranian soil.
Because the dialogue he initiated with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is in crisis, President Trump felt obliged to show he is not shy of using military muscle in pursuit of his sanctions against Iran. Kim has broken off diplomacy with Washington after complaining in vain to Chinese and Russian leaders that Trump and Pompeo were too tough. Kim watches every US move on Iran’s nuclear program like a hawk, just as the ayatollahs keep track of Washington’s handling of North Korea.
Read More @
President Trump is right. This is a witch hunt.
William Barr is the latest target of Democratic misinformation
"Sadly, the Democrats are not about to abandon their disinformation tactics — even now that the Mueller report has been released to the public, discrediting the falsehoods they’ve been spinning for more than two years. In fact, the criticism of Barr and President Trump has only intensified, suggesting that the witch hunt is far from over."
Why Americans hate the swamp
The White House • May 8, 2019
Today is an example of why Congress' approval rating is 20 percent.
It doesn't take a polling expert to tell you that a majority of Americans want Washington to work on solving problems that make their lives better, not on advancing their own Beltway careers through noisy, never-ending spectacles of partisan theater.
Americans know the drill by now: Careerist politicians yell. They hold hearings. They call on witnesses. They make themselves look busy. And then they do nothing of actual substance to help the very people who elected them in the first place.
No ordinary citizen thinks for a second that Congressional Democrats are making a principled stand for a Constitution they readily ignored through eight years of Obama Administration executive overreach. Voters see how the political establishment treats the Constitution as a tool of convenience—useful to praise at times, then easily ignored when it gets in the way. Everyone knows today’s performance is about one thing only: power.
Congressional Democrats don't even pretend to care about governing anymore. Not fixing our broken immigration system. Not rebuilding infrastructure. Not jobs. Not trade. Not manufacturing. Not anything the American people want and need Washington to help fix.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement today in response to House Democrats’ ongoing refusal to accept the conclusions of the Mueller Report—and, by extension, their refusal to accept the legitimacy of the 2016 election. It reads in part:
The American people see through Chairman Nadler’s desperate ploy to distract from the President’s historically successful agenda and our booming economy. Neither the White House nor Attorney General Barr will comply with Chairman Nadler’s unlawful and reckless demands . . . The American people deserve a Congress that is focused on solving real problems like the crisis at the border, high prescription drug prices, our country’s crumbling infrastructure, and so much more.
Donald J. Trump is President largely because Americans couldn’t stand another minute of Washington’s do-nothing, business-as-usual, insider political circus. Today, in the halls of the United States Congress, the swamp proved that it hasn’t listened to a single word of it.
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Remember the gun running to Mexico disaster known as Operation Fast and Furious?
TRUMP’S POPULARITY SURGES - DEMOCRATS GET EVEN CRAZIER
Gallup reports President Trump’s approval rating is higher than Barack Obama’s was at this same point in his first term. This is a result of the conclusion and release of the Mueller Report and Americans realizing they’ve been lied to for 2 years. With that cloud gone, people are noticing just how well the economy is doing – much better than Democrats insisted it could ever do again.
Tiger Woods was awarded the highest civilian honor the country can bestow- the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Liberals are outraged that Woods would accept this honor from Trump in spite of their constant cries that the President is a racist. Woods has known Trump for decades, he knows the man, but liberals don’t care about the truth, they care about their narrative.
Joe Biden has a huge lead in the Democratic primary – 32 points over Bernie Sanders. It’s that “new candidate smell” and the massive name recognition advantage he has over his competitors. But Biden’s biggest problem has always been his own mouth, and over the weekend he inserted his foot into it again, referring to “the hood” and black women who learned to code in Detroit. If he were a Republican he’d be crucified, but he’s not, so it was ignored.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg either doesn’t understand was is meant by “make America great again” or is hoping his supporters don’t. Like many other Democrats, Buttigieg says American was never all the great and that President Trump wants to “turn back the clock” on history. That’s as silly as it is stupid,
Michael Cohen, one of Donald Trump’s former personal attorneys, began his 3-year sentence in federal prison yesterday. Before surrendering, Cohen made a final statement to the press. He claimed he has more stories to tell. But part of his deal with prosecutors was that he tell them everything, so his statement seemed more directed toward book publishers than anyone else. Cohen will have 3 years to think about it.
Derek Hunter is a columnist and contributing editor for The Daily Caller
Israel Attacked: Ongoing Palestinian barrage reaches 690 rockets in two days.
UPDATE:
CEASEFIRE REACHED AFTER 700 ROCKETS FIRED AT ISRAEL...
BIBI CRITICIZED FOR TRUCE...
'IT'S NOT OVER'...
READY FOR GROUND INVASION...
IRAN BEHIND ESCALATION?
'WE'RE CLOSE TO OPEN WAR'...

USA WARNS IRAN
TEHRAN PLANNING ATTACK?
The last 48 hours in Israel:
690 rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians
240 Iron Dome Aerial Defense System interceptions
210,000 children had school cancelled
4 Israeli civilians killed
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced after the security cabinet meeting that he had ordered the IDF to expand its counter-terror operations in Gaza and further build up infantry, artillery and armored forces in the Gaza sector.


A car bursts into flames after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod
The Israeli man who was killed earlier today when an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip hit his car has been identified as 67-year-old Moshe Feder.
Trump tells Gazans rockets will bring nothing but ‘more misery’
US President Donald Trump reiterates that the US supports Israel 100% and warns Gazans that the rockets will only bring them more misery.
“Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens."
“To the Gazan people — these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace – it can happen!”
MORE @ ISRAEL ATTACKED
21st Century space race is on — and Florida should lead
By Congressman Michael Waltz (R-FL.CD6)
The average American interacts with satellites 36 times a day. Every time you check the weather, search for a spot to grab your morning coffee or send a text message, you're getting hands-on with the space industry.
Space doesn't just impact our personal lives though – it affects our national security too. Our banking, stock market and modern global logistics systems – not to mention the military – are all dependent on space assets.
Here in Florida, we've seen the impacts of space firsthand. Our Space Coast was the home of the first American suborbital flight. We were also home to the first American to orbit the earth. In 1969 – 50 years ago this summer – our astronauts blasted off from Cape Canaveral and landed on the moon. For 30 years, America was a force to be reckoned with in space. In 2024, we're going back to the moon.
Florida universities like Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, here in Daytona Beach, lead the world in training premier aviation and aerospace talent. This talent which is incredibly in demand considering the Federal Aviation Administration anticipates 44 space launches in 2019 and one a week (56 annually) by 2021.
Unfortunately, the U.S. space program has fallen behind. It drastically stalled under President Obama and where the U.S. lagged, adversaries like Russia and China moved in, making significant investments to militarize their space programs – all with the goal of dominating America in space.
These countries are treating space as a war fighting domain. We must take meaningful action to do the same.
Our state – specifically Volusia and Flagler counties – is positioned to play a critical role in this next space race. Space commerce should be a welcomed economic driver considering recent U.S. Census data shows booming population growth to our north and south and consistent growth in Volusia and Flagler. That's why the first bill I introduced would establish a U.S. Space Command and strengthen my bipartisan efforts to headquarter Space Command in Florida. It's also why I fought hard to win a seat on the House Armed Services and Space Committees with oversight of both military and civilian space programs.
President Trump's leadership has reignited American space competitiveness and I'm proud to support his efforts to establish a U.S. Space Command — and to create a sixth branch of the military known as the Space Force.
I'm also thrilled to see the private sector taking such a groundbreaking role in this exciting new sector of our economy. Its involvement and success in commercial space has energized the STEM community, driving us to a new space renaissance.
While the private sector has galvanized a renewed interest in space, the government must also allow for innovation and keep pace by updating commercial regulations and providing adequate guidance.
This administration understands the stakes. It has acted accordingly, proposing rules for "Streamlined Launch and Reentry Licensing Requirements" through the FAA.
Space is expected to be a $2.7 trillion industry by 2045. As this effort moves through the Congress and the Pentagon, we cannot allow party affiliation to distract us from the serious defense needs that impact all of us. We must understand space isn't a partisan issue — it's a national security issue.
As threats to our networks increase, space development is essential for the United States to remain competitive. This is an opportunity for us to continue to lead. I know we have the intelligence, willpower and drive to make that happen.
Florida also has the opportunity to excel. Gov. Ron DeSantis, Space Florida, the President, our congressional delegation and local officials are all working together with the President and NASA to ensure Florida is a key player in the space race. Our district – specifically Volusia and Flagler counties – is also destined to play a big role in the space race. We have the talent, institutions, expertise and infrastructure to seize the moment.
The 21st-century space race is on and with strong leadership, Florida will lead the way.
President Donald Trump signs Space Policy Directive-4 in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 19, 2019. SPD-4 directs the Pentagon to establish a Space Force.

May The 4th Be With You: Volusia County Turns Red .. Two Years Ago Today
Thursday May 4th 2017: 'Trump Talk Live' producer Vic Baker was preparing for our REC's weekly 7pm radio show. As always he checked the homepage of Volusia County Department of Elections http://www.volusiaelections.org/
What he saw was history: For the first time since the 1870's (maybe ever) Volusia had more registered Republicans than Democrats.
Upon hearing of the county’s shift from Democrat to Republican, Kit Martin, a longtime Daytona Beach resident who was involved in organizing local GOP clubs as early as the 1964 election, had a two-word reaction. “Happy day,” she said.
She recalled the day when she, newly arrived from West Virginia, went to register to vote. She told the elections supervisor’s clerk her party choice. “Are you sure you want to register Republican?” came the response.
“I said, ‘What is your name? I think it is illegal to try to influence my registration,’” Martin responded.
Tony Ledbetter, the Volusia County Republican chairman, said the party remained almost 3,000 voters behind Democrats on Jan. 1. He attributes the closed gap to a backlash to negative mainstream media coverage of Trump.
Ledbetter views Volusia as a harbinger of Florida, which still tilted Democratic by about 330,000 voters out of a total of 13 million, as of Dec. 31, 2016. “We have a campaign push all over Florida, all 67 counties,” he said. “We’re working to make Florida red.”