{"id":2337099,"date":"2024-09-05T08:55:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T12:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wake-up-with-the-washington-examiner-pennsylvania-problems-secret-gop-hopes-and-johnsons-headache-returns-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-05T09:00:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T13:00:44","slug":"wake-up-with-the-washington-examiner-pennsylvania-problems-secret-gop-hopes-and-johnsons-headache-returns-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wake-up-with-the-washington-examiner-pennsylvania-problems-secret-gop-hopes-and-johnsons-headache-returns-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Pennsylvania problems, secret GOP hopes, and Johnson\u2019s headache returns &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwake-up-with-the-washington-examiner-pennsylvania-problems-secret-gop-hopes-and-johnsons-headache-returns-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2337099&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This excerpt is \u2062an article from the \u2063Washington Examiner discussing various aspects of the upcoming \u200d2024\u200c presidential election, focusing on\u200d the significance of Pennsylvania as a swing state, internal GOP dynamics regarding Donald Trump, and challenges faced by House\u200d Speaker Mike Johnson in Congress. \u2064Here\u2019s a summary of the key points:<\/p>\n<p>1. **Focus on Pennsylvania**: The\u200c article emphasizes the critical\u200d role Pennsylvania plays in the 2024 \u2062election, particularly for \u200bVice\u2064 President\u2062 Kamala Harris and former President \u2064Donald Trump.\u200b Harris\u2063 needs to \u2062win the state to secure a path \u2062to victory, while Trump aims to reaffirm his \u200d2016 win.<\/p>\n<p>2. **Historical Context**: The author notes that the campaign is unusually rushed, with both \u2063candidates working on truncated timelines due to the late decisions surrounding the election. There\u2019s\u200c a history of delayed ballot counting in Pennsylvania from the 2020 election, which\u200c created\u2063 suspicions around the electoral process.<\/p>\n<p>3. \u2063**Election Integrity Issues**: The challenges surrounding \u2064mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania are highlighted,\u2064 particularly a recent court ruling \u200dthat\u2062 allows the counting \u2062of ballots \u200bthat\u200b lack \u200baccurate handwritten dates. This could\u200b lead to\u2064 similar delays seen in the previous election cycle.<\/p>\n<p>4. **GOP\u2064 Sentiment and\u2063 Internal Conflict**: The article discusses a growing sentiment \u2062among some Republicans \u200cthat \u200ca significant defeat in the upcoming election might be necessary for the party to reassess its direction post-Trump. This quote from \u200da\u2064 GOP aide illustrates the \u2063internal struggles: &#8220;Our \u2064party has\u2064 been hijacked by\u2063 Trump and MAGA since 2016.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>5. **House \u200dSpeaker\u2019s Challenges**: Speaker Mike Johnson is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-georgia-case-prosecutor-warns-of-lawyers-potential-conflict-of-interest\/\" title=\"Prosecutor in Trump Georgia case cautions about lawyers&#039; possible conflict of interest.\">facing potential conflicts<\/a> with hard-line members\u200c of \u2063his party concerning budget negotiations, with the looming \u200dthreat of a government shutdown. The \u200barticle suggests \u200che is\u2064 trying to appease \u2062different factions within the GOP \u200cto avoid \u200da repeat of previous spending crises.<\/p>\n<p>6. **Broader Implications for the GOP**: The article concludes by \u2063hinting \u200bat the potential consequences a \u200cdefeat might hold\u2063 for the GOP&#8217;s future, especially in terms \u200cof moving beyond Trump\u2019s influence.<\/p>\n<p>the article presents a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-says-america-doomed-without-a-red-wave-in-2024\/\" title=\"Elon Musk Warns of America&#039;s Peril Without a &#039;Red Wave&#039; in the 2024 Elections\">high-stakes political landscape<\/a>\u2062 where Pennsylvania&#8217;s electoral outcome and internal GOP dynamics could significantly impact the party&#8217;s future and the 2024 presidential\u200c election results.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Pennsylvania problems, secret GOP hopes, and Johnson&rsquo;s headache returns<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1746414\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Counting on the Keystone State<\/h2>\n<p>Vice President <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Kamala Harris<\/a> <\/strong>and former President <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> <\/strong>are working on truncated timelines and with a miniscule map. The abbreviated contest that only came together under 45 days ago is a historical outlier. Most campaigns develop over months, sometimes years, as the Democratic and Republican principals do a slow dance around each other before clashing in a series of showdowns on debate stages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>That obviously hasn&rsquo;t been the case in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"2024\">2024<\/a>. Trump and Harris are set to get together in the same room at least once next week during a debate on Sept. 10.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But that small map isn&rsquo;t a new phenomenon. In an age of hyperpolarization and our tendency to self-sort into communities and regions with people who think, feel, and vote in similar patterns to us, there are few truly persuadable voters or states that are up for grabs every four years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That handful of swing states is more important than ever in a race like this one. That&rsquo;s why the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>has been digging through the rules, regulations, and challenges to explain everything you need to know about those seven states this year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This morning, Congressional Reporter <strong>Cami Mondeaux <\/strong>broke down the crown jewel in the swing-state treasure chest. Harris has no realistic path to victory without capturing Pennsylvania. Trump is desperate to prove his victory there in 2016 by roughly 44,000 votes wasn&rsquo;t a fluke after President <strong>Joe Biden <\/strong>tugged it back into the Democratic corner in 2020.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, regardless of how hard Trump and Harris hit the ground in the Keystone State, they likely won&rsquo;t know how they performed until well after Election Day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania&rsquo;s rules about when officials can begin counting early ballots caused massive delays in 2020. That pause was part of what sparked Trump&rsquo;s insistence the election was shot through with fraud.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When the polls closed in Pennsylvania on Election Day in 2020, the initial count of in-person ballots appeared to show Trump ahead,&rdquo; Cami wrote this morning. &ldquo;But as the state began to tally mail-in ballots over the coming days, that lead began to disappear. By that Saturday, the state was called in favor of Biden, pushing him past the 270-electoral vote threshold and securing the presidency.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Republicans blocked a bill earlier this year that would have allowed officials to start counting ballots before 7 a.m. on Election Day, so there will almost certainly be a 2020-style delay in November again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That delay will likely be exacerbated by a decision the Commonwealth Court handed down last week, Cami wrote.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The court determined it was &ldquo;unconstitutional to enforce a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-fails-to-resolve-key-election-disputes-ahead-of-2024-voting-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Pennsylvania fails to resolve key election disputes ahead of 2024 voting- Washington Examiner\">state law requiring accurate<\/a>, handwritten dates on mail-in ballots in order to be tallied. The ruling will allow the state to count &lsquo;undated or incorrectly dated&rsquo; ballots that were submitted before the deadline.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Election integrity fights in Pennsylvania weren&rsquo;t as explosive as battles in Arizona and Georgia, but with essentially no path to victory without the 19 Electoral College votes this year, the Keystone State could be in for more attention than it was bargaining for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Click <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3143523\/battleground-ballots-pennsylvania-counting-challenges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>  to get caught up on everything about Pennsylvania.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GOP winners and losers<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign event on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Most Republicans aren&rsquo;t saying it out loud, but there is a growing sentiment that a blowout defeat for the party in November is the best thing that could happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We&rsquo;ve been seeing more and more former Republicans abandon the party in the time of Trump. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3134258\/high-profile-democrats-republicans-2024-endorsements-crossed-party-lines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>number of defections<\/a> in recent weeks grew again yesterday when former Wyoming Rep. <strong>Liz Cheney<\/strong> confirmed she is voting for Harris in November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The country&rsquo;s top Republicans are still standing behind Trump publicly, even if they have previously expressed doubts and frustrations about his leadership.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There is little reason for Senate Minority Leader <strong>Mitch McConnell <\/strong>(R-KY) to pick a fresh fight with Trump if there is a chance senators are going to have to start negotiating with him again. But Senate Reporter <strong>Samantha-Jo Roth <\/strong>has talked to some Republicans who are waiting patiently for a big loss that could break the Trump fever in the party.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our party has been hijacked by Trump and MAGA since 2016, so I think there&rsquo;s a feeling among some of us that we&rsquo;d like to move on,&rdquo; an aide to a Republican senator told Samantha-Jo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If Trump loses this election and impacts downballot races, we&rsquo;re going to have to take a good, hard look at ourselves in the mirror,&rdquo; the aide added.<\/p>\n<p>The former president&rsquo;s record isn&rsquo;t spotless. Besides his upset victory in 2016 over former Secretary of State <strong>Hillary Clinton<\/strong>, his tenure as the leader of the party in and out of office has been marred by several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-in-actual-disarray-how-senate-democrats-fumbled-confirmation-of-a-top-biden-nominee\/\" title=\"Dems in Actual Disarray: How Senate Democrats Fumbled Confirmation of a Top Biden Nominee\">high-profile defeats<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Most recently, Republicans failed to make good on a promised &ldquo;red wave&rdquo; in 2022. They won back control of the House, but slim margins and vicious infighting, paired with a Democrat-controlled Senate, have prevented them from doing much with their majority.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, those losses haven&rsquo;t been damaging enough for the party to make an about-face. A decisive defeat appears to be the only way the handful of voters who want the GOP to recover something of its pre-Trump identity will have any room to lead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the only way that the Republican Party will wake up again is to recognize Trump is not a winning formula,&rdquo; former GOP Rep. <strong>Adam Kinzinger<\/strong> told Samantha-Jo at the Democratic National Convention last month.<\/p>\n<p><em>Click <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3143646\/trump-skeptical-republicans-quietly-hope-2024-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>  to read more about the secret GOP hopes Trump doesn&rsquo;t succeed in November.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">House headache<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Speaker of the House Mike Johnson during a news conference on May 7, 2024. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>House Speaker <strong>Mike Johnson&rsquo;s <\/strong>(R-LA) headaches are starting before lawmakers even return to Washington.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With Congress&rsquo;s summer recess wrapping up on Monday, members are going to have to hit the ground running on Tuesday if they want to avoid a government shutdown that could come as soon as Sept. 30. This isn&rsquo;t Johnson&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2931444\/how-johnson-picked-up-wins-losses-last-minute-spending-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>first spending fight<\/a>, and he is preemptively trying to appease the hard-line members of his caucus who made the last one such a struggle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Despite his offers of appeasement, including the proof-of-citizenship requirement for the voting bill known as the SAVE Act in his spending plan, this isn&rsquo;t going to be a one-day battle he can fight with assurance of support from his troops, our Congress team wrote this morning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Reps.<strong> Matt Rosendale<\/strong> (R-MT) and <strong>Thomas Massie<\/strong> (R-KY) plan to vote against the measure when it comes up for a vote on the House floor, according to their offices, while lawmakers, including Rep. <strong>Marjorie Taylor Greene<\/strong> (R-GA), who pressed for the SAVE Act&rsquo;s inclusion, are so far noncommittal on their vote,&rdquo; they wrote.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Massie and Greene once tried to boot Johnson from the speaker&rsquo;s office after he cut deals with Democrats.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A government shutdown would be detrimental for Republicans in November, but the House&rsquo;s fiscal hawks are prepared to play hardball with Johnson. And they have Trump&rsquo;s backing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Trump has joined with hard-liners and has<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3139150\/trump-escalates-call-shutdown-fight-save-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> explicitly encouraged<\/a> Republicans to shut the government down if their demands are not met,&rdquo; our Congress team wrote.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would shut down the government in a heartbeat if they don&rsquo;t get it,&rdquo; Trump said last week on the <em>Monica Crowley Podcast<\/em>. &ldquo;If they don&rsquo;t get these bills, they should close it down, and Republicans should not approve it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>Click <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3143608\/johnson-opposition-save-act-shutdown-gop-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>  to read more about the latest looming shutdown fight.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New from us<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3142809\/with-harris-ahead-house-senate-more-important\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>With Harris ahead, House and Senate are more important than ever<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3143117\/harris-trump-campaign-battleground-travel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Harris and Trump battleground travel map charts pathway to the White House<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3143849\/jury-selection-hunter-biden-criminal-tax-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Jury selection begins in Hunter Biden criminal tax trial<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3142086\/progressive-leader-harris-communist-attacks-trump-label\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Progressive leader defends Harris against &lsquo;communist&rsquo; attacks as Trump doubles down on label<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3143618\/hr-mcmaster-not-serve-second-trump-presidency-outside-advisor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>McMaster would not serve in second Trump presidency but open to advise from &lsquo;outside&rsquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3143924\/larry-hogan-gop-culture-fear-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Larry Hogan denounces GOP &lsquo;culture of fear&rsquo; over Trump<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3141923\/gop-treasurers-new-front-war-esg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>GOP treasurers open new front in war over ESG: &lsquo;Activist&rsquo; proxy adviser<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3142678\/donald-trump-losing-polling-ground-immigration-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Why Trump is losing ground on immigration to Harris<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3142538\/anti-israel-group-soros-biden-white-house-visits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Anti-Israel group funded by Soros gains influence with 60 Biden White House visits<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In case you missed it<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3143862\/nebraska-walz-family-confirms-viral-pro-trump-photo-picture-real\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz can&rsquo;t count on his Nebraska family for support this year<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3143320\/gop-states-lawsuit-biden-student-loan-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Republicans are trying to stop another Biden student loan forgiveness plan<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3143804\/kamala-harris-accepts-rules-abc-trump-debate-including-muted-mics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Harris agreed to debate rules that weaken her position<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For your radar<\/h2>\n<p>Biden will travel to Westby, Wisconsin, to deliver remarks about his Investing in America agenda at 4 p.m.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Harris will travel to Pittsburgh at 11:45 a.m. She doesn&rsquo;t have an event scheduled today, but she will stay in Pennsylvania while she prepares for next week&rsquo;s debate, which will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) will hold a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 6 p.m.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump will address the New York Economic Club at noon.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) will hold an event in Phoenix, Arizona, at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1746414\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1746414\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Issues in Pennsylvania, hidden GOP aspirations, and Johnson&#8217;s recurring challenges<\/p>\n<p>Focusing on Pennsylvania<br \/>\nVice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are operating under tight schedules and a limited geographic focus. The shortened campaign, which only began to take shape less than 45 days ago, is an unusual occurrence. Typically, campaigns unfold over several months or even years as Democratic and Republican candidates gradually engage before facing off in debates. However, this has not been the case for 2024. Trump and Harris are expected to meet at least once next week during a debate on September 10. This limited focus isn&#8217;t new; in today&#8217;s highly polarized environment where people tend to cluster with like-minded individuals, there are very few truly persuadable voters or competitive states every election cycle. The importance of swing states is heightened in this context.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why the Washington Examiner has been investigating the rules and challenges surrounding these seven critical states this year. Congressional Reporter Cami Mondeaux highlighted Pennsylvania as a key battleground state\u2014Harris needs it for any chance of victory while Trump aims to validate his narrow win there in 2016 after Biden flipped it back to Democrats in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their efforts on the ground in Pennsylvania, both candidates may not know their standing until well after Election Day due to state regulations regarding early ballot counting that caused significant delays during the last election cycle\u2014a situation that fueled Trump&#8217;s claims of widespread fraud. As Mondeaux noted today: &#8220;When polls closed on Election Day 2020, initial counts showed Trump leading; however, as mail-in ballots were counted over subsequent days, that lead vanished.&#8221; By Saturday following Election Day that year, Biden was declared the winner.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year Republicans blocked legislation allowing early ballot counting before Election Day at 7 a.m., suggesting another delay similar to what occurred in 2020 is likely come November. This potential delay could be worsened by a recent ruling from Commonwealth Court declaring it unconstitutional to enforce strict date requirements on mail-in ballots submitted before deadlines\u2014allowing &#8216;undated or incorrectly dated&#8217; ballots to be counted.<\/p>\n<p>While election integrity disputes haven&#8217;t reached levels seen in Arizona or Georgia recently, with no viable path forward without its crucial Electoral College votes this year (19 total), Pennsylvania may attract more scrutiny than anticipated.<\/p>\n<p>GOP Winners and Losers<br \/>\nFormer President Donald Trump arrived at a campaign event recently amid growing sentiments among many Republicans that suffering a significant defeat might ultimately benefit the party long-term. More former Republicans have distanced themselves from the party since Trump&#8217;s rise; most notably Liz Cheney announced her support for Harris yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>Top Republican leaders continue publicly backing Trump despite private frustrations about his leadership style while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) avoids confrontation with him out of concern for future negotiations if necessary post-election loss.<\/p>\n<p>Some within GOP circles express hope that an electoral setback could help break Trump&#8217;s hold over party dynamics: \u201cOur party has been hijacked by Trump since 2016,\u201d said one aide who believes losing might prompt serious reflection within their ranks about moving beyond Trump&#8217;s influence.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s record includes notable defeats alongside his surprising win against Hillary Clinton back in &#8217;16; recent failures include falling short of expectations during last year&#8217;s midterms despite regaining House control but struggling due largely infighting coupled with Senate opposition preventing substantial progress being made legislatively thereafter.<\/p>\n<p>A decisive loss appears essential if those wishing for pre-Trump identity restoration within GOP wish any chance at leadership emergence again soonest possible time frame ahead too!<\/p>\n<p>House Headache<br \/>\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faces mounting pressures even before Congress reconvenes following summer recess next week when lawmakers must act quickly if they want avoid government shutdown looming by September\u2019s end! <\/p>\n<p>Johnson attempts appeasement strategies aimed hardliners who previously challenged him amid spending battles but signs indicate he won\u2019t receive unanimous support from all factions inside caucus either way going forward into upcoming votes scheduled soon enough thereafter too!<\/p>\n<p>Reps Matt Rosendale (R-MT) &amp; Thomas Massie (R-KY) already signaling intent vote against measures proposed while others remain noncommittal thus far including Marjorie Taylor Greene herself who had pushed inclusion SAVE Act provisions earlier now uncertain how she\u2019ll proceed ultimately when push comes shove later down line here shortly! <\/p>\n<p>Shutdown would prove detrimental politically speaking come November elections yet fiscal hawks prepared play hardball regardless given backing received directly from none other than former president himself encouraging them pursue aggressive tactics should demands go unmet instead otherwise!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2702,"featured_media":2337100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PA-State-Capitol-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[6203,4133,5836,5894,32076],"class_list":["post-2337099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-gop","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-politics","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PA-State-Capitol-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2702"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2337099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2337100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2337099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2337099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2337099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}