Veterans who served with Tim Walz slam vice presidential nominee as 'habitual liar,' 'deserter'

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/veterans-who-served-with-tim-walz-slam-vice-presidential-nominee-as-habitual-liar-deserter.jpg?id=53581842&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,38,0,69 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/veterans-who-served-with-tim-walz-slam-vice-presidential-nominee-as-habitual-liar-deserter.jpg%3Fid%3D53581842%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C38%2C0%2C69%22%7D" expand=1]

Four retired military leaders who knew and served with Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz torched the Minnesota governor for misrepresenting his military service.

During a Monday segment on "The Megyn Kelly Show," the former National Guardsmen — Tom Behrends, Paul Herr, Tom Schilling, and Rodney Tow — called Walz a "habitual liar," "deserter," and "cowardly."

'GTMO would be a good place for him to end up.'

Walz has been accused of stolen valor for claiming he "carried" weapons "in war," despite never being deployed to a combat zone. He has also been introduced as a former "command sergeant major" even though he never met the requirements to retire at that rank.

Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris have claimed that the accusations against Walz are incorrect.

Last week on Kelly's show, Congressman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) defended Walz and called the accusations "absolute lies."

"He did not get out of the National Guard because he didn't want to deploy," Smith stated. "To claim that is an absolute lie, 100%."

"If you are a veteran and you are saying publicly that Tim Walz decided to get out because he didn't want to go to Iraq, then you are saying something that you cannot possibly know to be true," he added.

The four veterans on Kelly's show refuted Smith's statements, explaining that Walz would have likely known about deployment plans months before the announcement was officially shared with the entire unit since he was in a leadership position.

"He's a habitual liar," Herr told Kelly. "He lies about everything. He lies about stuff that doesn't make sense."

"It's just one habitual lie after another, and they keep piling up," he added.

Later on in the interview, Herr stated, "He is an exact result and why we have stolen valor. People make decisions that are cowardly, and they come back, and they try to lead vicariously by robbing other people's — all the other soldiers and all the benefits that we did and all the sacrifices, they want a piece of that."

"Fear is a reaction; bravery is a decision," Herr remarked.

Behrends called Walz a “deserter.”

"He left his post. He left his duty station, and he walked off into the sunset. I say 'slithered' a lot of times. That he slithered out of the Armory, but he walked into the sunset. Never turned around, never had any intention of ever coming back to the military. He was gone," Behrends said. "He took his uniform, and he literally turned it inside out and went off into whatever other realm he did, which was vote against anything that went on in Iraq."

"GTMO would be a good place for him to end up," he added, referring to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump clarifies abortion stance after stating 6-week ban is 'too short'

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53579991&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,15,0,92 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg%3Fid%3D53579991%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C15%2C0%2C92%22%7D" expand=1]

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump clarified his stance on abortion Friday after stating previously that he believes a six-week ban is "too short."

Trump told Fox News late last week that he plans to vote against Florida's Amendment 4, called the "Right to Abortion Initiative."

'The Democrats are radical.'

If passed in the upcoming November election, the amendment would add language to the Florida Constitution's Declaration of Rights that states, "No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider."

In 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) passed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans abortions at six weeks. The amendment seeks to overturn those restrictions.

During an NBC News interview on Thursday, Trump stated that he believes "the six week is too short."

"It has to be more time. And I've told them that I want more weeks," Trump said.

When asked whether he plans to vote in favor of Amendment 4, he responded, "I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. Look, just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years, 52 years. I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path."

His campaign released a statement following the interview, attempting to clarify Trump's position amid pushback from pro-life supporters.

Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short."

On Friday, he addressed his previous remarks, telling Fox News that he plans to vote "no" on Florida's amendment because of Democrats' "radicalization" regarding supporting abortion up to nine months. However, he reiterated that six weeks is "just too short a period."

"The Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the nine month," Trump said. "And, you know, some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it where you could actually execute the baby after birth and all of that stuff is unacceptable."

Trump also noted that he plans to cover the cost of in-vitro fertilization treatments. He told Fox News that his campaign will release additional details on the plan in the upcoming weeks.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Gov. Polis rejects claims Harris flip-flopped on border stance, says she always supported ‘building barriers and walls’

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53579830&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=121,56,77,162 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg%3Fid%3D53579830%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D121%2C56%2C77%2C162%22%7D" expand=1]

Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis talked out of both sides of his mouth on Sunday, claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris has always supported “building barriers and walls” but also claimed former President Donald Trump’s wall was a “huge waste of taxpayer money.”

Polis appeared for an interview on ABC’s “This Week” on behalf of Harris’ campaign, during which he stated that the Democratic presidential nominee never flip-flopped on her border stance.

'The most cost-effective way possible to stop the illegal flow of people, of guns, of drugs across that southern border.'

“Look, this is another issue that as it gets to the public discourse is very misleading. Democrats in general, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, have always been supportive of building barriers and walls for certain parts of the border as part of a comprehensive border security strategy,” Polis claimed.

“But wait a minute,” ABC journalist Jonathan Karl replied. “She called the border wall a ‘medieval vanity project,’ ‘a stupid use of money’ and said that she would block funding for it. So she wasn’t talking about supporting the wall.”

Polis did an about-face, calling Trump’s border wall a “huge waste of taxpayer money” while claiming that Harris would also use barriers to curb illegal crossings.

“That’s true, the border wall that Donald Trump has proposed is a huge boondoggle and waste of taxpayer money. He effectively talked about a wall across the entire border rather than using barriers of different kinds effectively in a cost-effective manner, including imagery from satellites, including on-the-ground intel to secure and lock down the border,” Polis continued.

“What Kamala Harris is for is securing the most cost-effective way possible to stop the illegal flow of people, of guns, of drugs across that southern border. And of course, Donald Trump’s border wall would not work, would waste taxpayer money,” he stated. “And of course, barriers and walls are a part of the overall comprehensive strategy that Kamala Harris will deliver on to secure the southern border.”

When asked why Harris has recently flip-flopped on many of her policies, Polis defended her, stating that it was a “sign of a good leader that they learn and evolve overtime.”

“Whether it’s a move to the middle, the left, the right, it’s really about what works,” Polis told ABC.

In 2017, as a Senator for California, Harris called the wall a “stupid use of money” and promised to block its construction. During her 2020 presidential run, she stated that she was “not going to vote for a wall under any circumstances,” calling it Trump’s “medieval vanity project.”

Trump supporters recently blasted Harris for releasing a campaign video last month that featured images of Trump’s border wall.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump calls 6-week abortion ban 'too short'

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53575239&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,53,0,54 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg%3Fid%3D53575239%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C53%2C0%2C54%22%7D" expand=1]

During an NBC News interview on Thursday, Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump was asked about his position on Florida's Amendment 4, called the "Right to Abortion Initiative."

The state's legislature passed the Heartbeat Protection Act in 2023, which banned abortions at six weeks. That ban went into effect in May.

'He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short.'

A vote in support of Amendment 4 on the upcoming November ballot would add language to the Florida Constitution's Declaration of Rights that states, "No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider."

On Thursday, an NBC News reporter asked Trump, "In Florida, the state that you are a resident of, there's an abortion-related amendment on the ballot to overturn the six-week ban in Florida. How are you going to vote on that?"

Trump responded, "Well, I think the six week is too short. It has to be more time. And I've told them that I want more weeks."

"So, you'll vote in favor of the amendment?" the reporter asked.

"I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. Look, just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years, 52 years. I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path."

Trump has previously referred to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' six-week abortion ban as a "terrible mistake."

After Trump's most recent comments, his campaign released a statement attempting to clarify his position in the wake of pushback from pro-life voters.

In a Thursday press release, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote, "President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short."

Trump also recently stated that he would support in-vitro fertilization and having the costs associated with the fertility treatment covered by insurance.

"Under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment," he declared. "We're going to be mandating that the insurance company pay."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

GOP senators press Biden-Harris’ DOL over exaggerated job numbers revised down by 800,000

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/gop-senators-press-biden-harris-dol-over-exaggerated-job-numbers-revised-down-by-800000.jpg?id=53557436&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0,0,0,1 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/gop-senators-press-biden-harris-dol-over-exaggerated-job-numbers-revised-down-by-800000.jpg%3Fid%3D53557436%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26coordinates%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C1%22%7D" expand=1]

A group of Republican senators recently penned a letter to the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Labor demanding answers regarding the exaggerated job growth number that had to be revised down by more than 800,000.

The letter, obtained by the New York Post, was led by Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and signed by Republican Senators Ted Budd from North Carolina, Rick Scott from Florida, Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma, and Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee.

'Created a false impression for the public.'

Last week, the Biden-Harris administration came under fire after its Bureau of Labor Statistics released its preliminary annual benchmark review, revealing that it had overstated job growth by 818,000, Blaze News previously reported.

According to the report, most of those revisions were in the professional and business services sector, as well as leisure and hospitality, retail trade, and manufacturing. The nearly -30% correction marked the largest overestimation since 2009. Final figures will not be reported until February 2025, well after the November presidential election.

The gross miscalculation prompted the Republican senators to question whether the initial estimate was politically motivated.

Marshall told the Post, “Using taxpayer dollars to mislead the public for political gain is an outrageous betrayal of trust and one of the reasons Americans have lost all faith in this administration.”

“Manipulating the numbers to spin a false narrative while people are struggling to afford gas and groceries is not only dishonest — it’s insulting,” he added.

In the letter to DOL acting director Julie Su, the senators wrote, “These misleading numbers created a false impression for the public and cast doubt on the validity of the Bureau’s accuracy and legitimacy.”

“As we approach the presidential election in approximately 70 days, the state of the economy is one of the major issues on [Americans’] minds. There should be no confusion when it comes to evaluating the health of our economy,” the letter stated.

The senators requested more detailed information regarding the revisions, including how many jobs were added as a result of the end of the COVID-19 shutdowns, how many positions were part-time and full-time, and how many government jobs were added.

The DOL has until September 9 to respond to the senators' inquiry.

Former President Donald Trump (R) called the overestimated jobs report a “massive scandal.”

“The Harris-Biden Administration has been caught fraudulently manipulating Job Statistics to hide the true extent of the Economic Ruin they have inflicted upon America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “New Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the Administration PADDED THE NUMBERS with an extra 818,000 Jobs that DO NOT EXIST, AND NEVER DID.”

He warned that if Vice President Kamala Harris (D) were elected president in the upcoming election, millions of jobs would “vanish overnight.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Texas removes 1 million ineligible voters from voter rolls — finds 30% of noncitizens previously cast ballots

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/texas-removes-1-million-ineligible-voters-from-voter-rolls-finds-30-of-noncitizens-previously-cast-ballots.jpg?id=53556878&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,44,0,63 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/texas-removes-1-million-ineligible-voters-from-voter-rolls-finds-30-of-noncitizens-previously-cast-ballots.jpg%3Fid%3D53556878%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C44%2C0%2C63%22%7D" expand=1]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced Monday that since he signed Senate Bill 1 into law in 2021, the state has removed more than 1 million ineligible voters from its voter rolls.

SB 1 aimed to "uphold the integrity of elections in Texas" by establishing uniform voting hours across the state and banning drive-through voting and unsolicited applications for mail-in ballots.

'Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated.'

Texas removed from its rolls people who are noncitizens, deceased, or those who had moved out of the state and were no longer residents, according to a press release from Abbott's office.

More than 6,500 of those removed from the voter rolls are noncitizens. Abbott's office claimed that 1,930 of those individuals — approximately 30% — had voted in previous elections.

"The Secretary of State's office is in the process of sending all 1,930 records to the Attorney General's Office for investigation and potential legal action," the press release read.

Over 6,000 of those removed from Texas' voter rolls had felony convictions, 457,000 were deceased, and 463,000 were on the suspense list.

The release noted that the removal process is still ongoing.

"Election integrity is essential to our democracy," Abbott declared.

"I have signed the strongest election laws in the nation to protect the right to vote and to crack down on illegal voting," Abbott stated. "These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years, including noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state."

He continued, "The Secretary of State and county voter registrars have an ongoing legal requirement to review the voter rolls, remove ineligible voters, and refer any potential illegal voting to the Attorney General's Office and local authorities for investigation and prosecution. Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans' sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting."

Meanwhile, on Monday, a Texas federal judge placed a temporary two-week stay on the Biden-Harris administration's "Keeping Families Together" program, a mass amnesty process for illegal immigrant spouses and stepchildren of American citizens, following a lawsuit filed by 16 Republican-led states, including Texas.

According to the White House, there are approximately 550,000 illegal immigrants in the U.S. who could qualify for the program, which would entitle them to "parole in place" while awaiting adjustment of their immigration status. However, the states' complaint suggests that it could extend mass amnesty to roughly 1.3 million illegal aliens, many of whom have been residing in the country unlawfully for decades.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, "Biden's new parole workaround unilaterally grants the opportunity for citizenship to unvetted aliens whose first act on American soil was to break our laws. This violates the Constitution and actively worsens the illegal immigration disaster that is hurting Texas and our country."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Arizona Governor Hobbs ‘unlawfully’ changed election rules: Lawsuit

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53553135&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,26,0,105 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg%3Fid%3D53553135%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C26%2C0%2C105%22%7D" expand=1]

The Republican Party of Arizona filed a lawsuit against Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) on Thursday, claiming that two of her executive orders “unlawfully” and “unilaterally” altered the state’s existing election laws.

Arizona GOP chair Gina Swoboda sued Hobbs over Executive Order 23, Authorizing the Use of State Facilities as Voting Locations, and Executive Order 25, Facilitating Voter Registration.

'Blatant overreach of her authority.'

Hobbs issued the orders in November 2023. Executive Order 23 designated the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections and the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry, as well as other state-run agencies, as ballot drop-off locations. Executive Order 25 designated those state departments as “Voter Registration Assistance Agencies” that are to “distribute voter registration forms, assist applicants in completing voter registration forms, and accept completed voter registration forms.”

According to the lawsuit, Hobbs “exceeded, and is therefore unlawfully exercising, her authority as Governor, in issuing EO 23 and EO 25.” It argued that both executive actions are “unconstitutional and void.”

“Petitioners seek to enjoin Governor Hobbs from enforcing EO 23 and EO 25 on the grounds they exceed the powers granted her by the Arizona Constitution and Arizona statutes, violate the separation of powers regarding the Legislature’s authority to enact election laws; and usurp the powers lawfully granted to the Secretary of State regarding the designation of Voter Registration Agencies and county recorders regarding ballot drop-off locations,” the complaint read. “EO 23 and EO 25 are contrary to law because, in issuing these executive orders, the Governor usurped the authority of the Legislature by unilaterally changed duly-enacted election laws.”

It noted that the orders fail to address other “important issues,” including “where to store completed ballots until they can be sent to the appropriate election officials or keeping a chain-of-custody log for these completed ballots.”

The lawsuit, which was filed directly with the Arizona Supreme Court, requests that the court declare the two executive actions unconstitutional, prevent Hobbs from enforcing the orders, and “issue a writ of quo warranto to prohibit Governor Hobbs from unlawfully exercising authority she lacks to change election laws.”

In a video posted to X, Swoboda explained, “The governor’s office does not have the authority, under the constitution or under any statutory authority, to designate voter registration agencies and definitely not to designate ballot drop-off locations or voting locations.”

She called the governor’s actions a “blatant overreach of her authority,” the Arizona Capitol Times reported.

Liliana Soto, a Hobbs press aide, told the news outlet that the lawsuit was “frivolous” and claimed the governor was using her “lawful authority” to protect voting rights.

Hobbs’ general counsel, Bo Dul, argued that the executive orders “further the important goals of increasing Arizonans’ access to voter registration.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump promises death penalty for illegal alien sex traffickers — victims’ families endorse former president

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53511677&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=86,155,0,0 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg%3Fid%3D53511677%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D86%2C155%2C0%2C0%22%7D" expand=1]

On Thursday, former President Donald Trump visited Cochise County, Arizona, to tour the southern border and hold a press conference, during which he vowed to impose the death penalty for illegal aliens convicted of sex trafficking.

"We will impose tough new sentences on illegal alien criminals, including 10-year mandatory minimum sentences for anyone guilty of human smuggling; a guaranteed life sentence for any one guilty of child trafficking; and a death penalty for anyone guilty of child or woman sex trafficking," Trump declared. "We'll also impose the death penalty on major drug dealers and traffickers."

Trump also promised to impose the death penalty for those who kill federal or local law enforcement officials.

Trump, joined by law enforcement agents and families of the victims of recent violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants, kicked off his speech by slamming the Democratic Party for forcing President Joe Biden (D) out of the race and replacing him with his vice president, Kamala Harris. He warned that Harris would be a "Marxist president."

'I really hope everybody can hear my pain.'

Trump discussed the Biden-Harris administration's failed border policies and manufactured illegal immigration crisis. During his press conference, he pointed to sections of the border wall stacked up and lying on the ground, never installed.

"All of this wall was built at great expense," Trump said. "It just had to be stood up."

"It's sad to see it sitting here," he added.

He stated that Harris "unleashed a deadly plague of migrant crime" by keeping the border open.

"Since comrade Harris took over the border, there has been a 43% nationwide increase in violent crime and a 60% increase in rape," Trump claimed.

He introduced the mother of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was reportedly raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant in Maryland. According to authorities, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, a 23-year-old El Salvadorian national who was charged with Morin's murder, entered the U.S. illegally after murdering a woman in El Salvador. He was also accused of attacking a 9-year-old girl and her mother in Los Angeles last year.

Morin's mother, Patty, described the devastation of receiving the phone call from a detective that her daughter's body had been recovered.

"The reason why I came here today and I accepted the invitation is because I really want our words to be heard, and I really want you to take to heart what we're saying. We're not here for a political stand, although we are. We're here because we're losing our moms, our daughters, our children to criminals, and that shouldn't happen," Patty Morin stated.

"We're going to end up being a third-world country if it continues this way. And I hope, truly, I hope that you would just take my words to heart because it's devastating to lose a child. But even more devastating when you see the pictures or you see the body and you really understand what's happened to that person," she added.

The mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was reportedly raped and murdered by two illegal aliens in Texas, also spoke at the news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Alexis Nungaray thanked Trump for inviting her to speak about the tragic murder of her daughter.

"She was left with no clothing from the waist down, was thrown in a bayou, left, was strangled to death. We believe, yes, she was assaulted," Alexis Nungaray stated. "But it's still very, very early and still very, very raw, and it is still very, very surreal. They had no reason to do anything that they did to Jocelyn. There was over 300 detention beds that they should have been at because they were detained, and they were released when they shouldn't have been released. One had an ankle monitor, didn't stop anything."

"I just really, really, really want everybody to please take into consideration how important border control is because we're losing very innocent people to heinous crimes that shouldn't be happening in the first place," she remarked. "So, please, please, I really hope everybody can hear my pain. Please, please, he [Trump] needs to be in office."

Trump vowed to secure the border and initiate the "largest deportation effort in American history."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

RFK Jr. withdraws from Arizona ballot amid rumors he’ll end presidential bid to ‘join forces’ with Trump

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/rfk-jr-withdraws-from-arizona-ballot-amid-rumors-hell-end-presidential-bid-to-join-forces-with-trump.jpg?id=53511365&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,35,62,141 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/rfk-jr-withdraws-from-arizona-ballot-amid-rumors-hell-end-presidential-bid-to-join-forces-with-trump.jpg%3Fid%3D53511365%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C35%2C62%2C141%22%7D" expand=1]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) withdrew from the Arizona ballot on Thursday, a day before both he and former President Donald Trump are slated to speak at two separate events in the state.

A spokesperson for the Arizona secretary of state confirmed RFK Jr.’s withdrawal to the Associated Press. Despite submitting more than enough signatures last week to appear on the Arizona ballot, RFK Jr.’s vice presidential nominee, Nicole Shanahan, and all of the campaign’s electors submitted notarized letters late Thursday withdrawing from the race in the state.

Earlier this week, RFK Jr. announced that he plans “to address the nation” on Friday without providing any further details. He is slated to speak at 2 p.m. ET in Phoenix “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” his campaign reported.

Earlier this week, Shanahan stated that the campaign is weighing staying in the race to “establish ourselves” as a third-party alternative or withdrawing from the race to “join forces” with Trump, Blaze News previously reported. She noted that it was “not an easy decision.”

Trump responded to the endorsement rumors by stating that he would be “open” to considering RFK Jr. for a position in his presidential cabinet.

Donald Trump Jr. told Glenn Beck on Wednesday that RFK Jr. “could be a really great asset” and added that he would be “open and welcome to the idea” of him taking a position in his father’s administration.

“I love the idea of giving him some sort of role in some sort of major three-letter entity or whatever it may be and let him blow it up,” he said. “I think that’s what we need.”

Several hours later and less than 15 miles away from RFK Jr.’s Friday event, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally hosted by Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action in Glendale. The Trump campaign teased Thursday evening that a “special guest” would join the rally, further fueling rumors that RFK Jr. would speak at the event.

The former president plans to discuss his vision for lowering the cost of living and inflation, securing the southern border, and improving safety. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Trump will be joined by Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Kari Lake, Republican nominee for U.S. Congress Abe Hamadeh, Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Congressmen Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, among others.

Trump told Fox News Thursday evening that he has “no idea” whether RFK Jr. plans to endorse him for president.

“It’s possible we will be meeting tomorrow and we’ll be discussing it,” he added.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Tim Walz dances around controversy during DNC speech, mentions IVF; wife references 'command sergeant major' rank

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/tim-walz-dances-around-controversy-during-dnc-speech-mentions-ivf-wife-references-command-sergeant-major-rank.jpg?id=53505129&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0,75,0,32 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//www.theblaze.com/media-library/tim-walz-dances-around-controversy-during-dnc-speech-mentions-ivf-wife-references-command-sergeant-major-rank.jpg%3Fid%3D53505129%26width%3D1245%26height%3D700%26coordinates%3D0%2C75%2C0%2C32%22%7D" expand=1]

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) formally accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.

The evening's theme was "a fight for our freedoms," and Walz gave a speech thanking Vice President Kamala Harris (D) for inviting him to be a part of the campaign and President Joe Biden (D) for his leadership.

"It's the honor of my life to accept your nomination for the vice president of the United States," Walz said.

Walz went on to talk about growing up in a small town, serving in the military, teaching, and running for Congress.

"Then I came back to serve as governor, and we got right to work making a difference in our neighbors' lives," Walz stated. "We cut taxes for the middle class. We passed paid family and medical leave. We invested in fighting crime and affordable housing. We cut the costs of prescription drugs and helped people escape the kind of medical debt that nearly sank my family. And we made sure that every kid in our state gets breakfast and lunch every day."

"So while other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours," he continued. "We also protected reproductive freedom because in Minnesota we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make."

"And even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business," Walz declared before reaffirming his support for in vitro fertilization.

"This is a big part of what this election is about: freedom," Walz remarked.

Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) kicked off the convention's third day by declaring it was about "freedom" and proceeded to introduce the nonprofit organization Reproductive Freedom for All, calling the group "some of the greatest heroes … warriors … champions for fighting for reproductive freedom." The current president and former presidents of Planned Parenthood also spoke on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, outside the convention, Planned Parenthood set up a "mobile health clinic" offering free medication abortions, vasectomies, and emergency contraceptives.

Leading up to Walz's speech, the DNC shared video montages featuring his former students, those who served with him in the military, and his wife praising the vice presidential nominee.

Walz has recently come under fire for several misleading comments he made, including repeated claims that he and his wife underwent in vitro fertilization treatments to have their two children, Blaze News previously reported. Walz's wife, Gwen, corrected the record of her husband, stating that they had used intrauterine insemination.

A Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson defended the Democratic vice presidential nominee, stating, "Governor Walz talks how normal people talk. He was using commonly understood shorthand for fertility treatments."

Walz referenced "IVF and fertility treatments" during his DNC speech but stopped short of claiming he and his wife had used IVF, stating only that the issue was "personal" for his family.

Walz has also been accused of stolen valor for referring to weapons he "carried in war," despite never deploying to a combat zone.

In Walz's introduction video on Wednesday night, Gwen Walz mentioned that her husband rose "to command sergeant major" but failed to note that he retired at a lower rank because he failed to fulfill the requirements associated with command sergeant major.

Former President Bill Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also spoke on the convention's third day.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!