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It makes it difficult to openly start campaigning as [Trump] at least contemplates running again, said Saul Anuzis, former chair of the Republican Party of Michigan, cautioning its still early in the election cycle. It keeps activists on the sidelines.

DeSantis, who has the benefit of claiming hes just running for reelection, continues to gain accolades for opening up Florida during the coronavirus pandemic sooner than most large states. His frequent appearances on Fox News put him in the national spotlight almost nightly. Last weekend, DeSantis beat Trump 74-71 in the annual Western Conservative Summits straw poll in Denver results that surprised even organizers of the summit. Last year, Trump won the same straw poll with nearly 95 percent support.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives to speak at a press conference. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The governors backers say he is aware of the dangers of appearing to rise too quickly. One Republican consultant close to the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about DeSantis and Trump, said the governor is very wary of eliciting the former presidents rage.

He will take measures so that Trump wont get mad at him, but believe me, the more successful you are, with Trump, sometimes makes it worse, the consultant said. Its a weird spot to be in for sure.

Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign-style rally on July 3 in Sarasota, Fla., one of a series of public events aimed at boosting the former presidents standing ahead of a possible 2024 presidential run. A Trump official planning the Florida rally told POLITICO that DeSantis team was contacted about the rally, but the governors office did not return a request seeking comment about whether or not he will be attending.

Trump remains the leader of the Republican Party, commanding loyalty from members and remaining active in congressional and statewide races as he weighs a 2024 comeback. But at 42, DeSantis represents a young, fresh face who presses similar conservative policies but with arguably more discipline than the former president. DeSantis has even started getting help from well-known Trumpworld figures, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who joined the governor on a west coast fundraising swing that included stops in Las Vegas and Southern California.

But the biggest question remains whether DeSantis will outshine the former president, and if that will in turn provoke Trump. The former president in April both took credit for DeSantis political ascension and seemed to tamp down the governors 2024 dreams when he told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo that hes considering DeSantis as his 2024 running mate.

Hes a friend of mine. I endorsed Ron, and after I endorsed him, he took off like a rocket ship, Trump said. A lot of people like that you know, Im just saying what I read and what you read they love that ticket certainly, Ron would be considered. Hes a great guy.

Meadows told the Washington Examiner in an interview published earlier this week that he doesnt expect DeSantis to challenge Trump if the former president officially entered the race.

That being said, Gov. DeSantis wont even hes asked over and over and over again every time Im in his presence hes been asked, Are you running in 2024? said Meadows, who now works for the Washington-based Conservative Partnership Institute, a group DeSantis met with on Wednesday afternoon, according to a schedule released by his office.

Others within Trumps orbit also downplay DeSantis national ambitions, saying that he is focused on his 2022 reelection as governor.

Ron DeSantis is not focusing on the ups and downs of 2024, he is focused on making the state of Florida successful, said David Bossie, head of Citizens United and a former Trump deputy campaign manager. That means solely focusing on his re-election in 2022. He is not getting sidetracked by the chattering class.

Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, one of the GOP-led Legislature's biggest Trump backers, said the former presidents influence over the early 2024 jockeying has set up a clandestine presidential campaign process.

The reality is, right now, everyone has to run these kinds of secret, or indirect, presidential campaigns, Sabatini said. Of those trying it, I do think DeSantis has done the best job.

Photo by Pool/Getty Images

Many in Florida politics point to the irony of the situation. Trump is largely responsible for lifting DeSantis profile and helping him secure the governorship three years ago. Trumps 2018 primary endorsement helped DeSantis beat former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, himself a former congressman who was supported by Floridas entire Republican political establishment and a heavy favorite at the outset of the race. As governor, DeSantis has consistently pushed legislation that appeals to the conservative base and Trump, including a measure aimed at reigning in Big Tech and a bill that restricts some voting access in the state.

The two men, however, couldnt be more different. Trump, a billionaire, has been a staple of reality television and tabloids for years and promotes himself has one of the worlds most successful businessmen while DeSantis is a civil servant whose only source of income is his $134,000 annual taxpayer funded salary.

Others, however, see Trumps position possibly weakening as much of the nation moves beyond his presidency.

Donald Trump was not as strong in his position as he was last year, which is getting a lot of attention and a lot of news organizations covering us, said Jeff Hunt, vice president of Public Policy at Colorado Christian University who also helped organize last weeks Western Conservative Summit in Denver which featured the straw poll DeSantis won. Its very clear Trump has strong control among grassroots conservatives, but what people are looking for is Trump presidency policies but with a fresh face, and Ron has done a good job doing things like going toe-to-toe with the media, and grassroots conservative appreciate that.

I think they are looking for that next step and that next generation, he added.

Meridith McGraw contributed to this story.

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DeSantis very wary of upsetting Trump - POLITICO

A number of supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory are claiming that Donald Trump can be seen in the reflection of a window in a photo posted on the POTUS Instagram page showing President Joe Biden inside the Oval Office.

Influential advocates of the radical movement with large followings on messaging service Telegram shared the Instagram picture showing Biden on the phone to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer while urging people to look at the figure whose back can be seen in the window reflection.

"Did you see who's in the reflection?," QAnon Telegram account We The Pepe, which has more than 75,000 followers, wrote. "Go see for yourself."

MelQ, another major QAnon figure on Telegram with 140,000 followers, told people to look at the reflection after sharing a similar post from another account with more than 88,000 subscribers on the app.

The posts were met with hundreds of replies agreeing that the person seen is somehow Trump, a savior-like figure for QAnon supporters who they believe will be reinstated as president. Others said the photo is probably an edited image from Trump's time in the White House.

"Proof that patriots are running the show. Doctored up an old photo of Trump, inserted Biden, left the reflection of Trump in the window to tie to Q post," Telegram user MySearchfor Truth wrote.

Another user said: "Did they just photoshop mumbles Biden into a picture that was taken while DJT was in office. Asking for my fren [friend] that questions everything."

Telegram user Barbara Limandri added: "That ain't Biden's head/shoulders. That's DJT...rightful POTUS!!"

As is usually the case with many of their claims, the popular QAnon advocates pointed to old posts from their mysterious leader known as "Q" to justify their latest conspiracy.

The QAnon conspiracy emerged as people began decoding cryptic messages that emerged on controversial messageboard site 4chan in October 2017. The posts claimed to be from a government official with access to top security clearance. The first post suggested that Hillary Clinton would soon be arrested, a prediction that never came to fruition.

Over the next few years, thousands of the cryptic messages were posted on 4chan, before moving to similar messageboard sites 8chan and 8kun, which were deciphered by QAnon supporters to form the basis of movement's beliefs, including that there exists a secret cabal of satanic pedophiles that leading Democrat figures are part of.

However, the frequency of these messages drastically slowed down after Trump lost the election in November, with there being no new post from "Q" since December 8. The final message on 8kun is merely a YouTube link to a pro-Trump video containing Twisted Sister's song "We're Not Gonna Take It."

It is also alleged that the mysterious figure who has been writing the posts on 8kun was not a high-ranking government official, but Ron Watkins, the site's former administrator, which he has frequently denied.

The lack of new posts hasn't deterred QAnon, whose followers now merely decipher the catalogue of thousands of existing messages as a form of confirmation bias to justify their beliefs and suggest any world event was actually long predicted by Q.

In this case, Trump appearing in a reflection of an Oval Office was foretold by Q posts from March 2019 which state: "Find the Reflection inside the castle" and "reflections are important."

Read more from the original source:
QAnon Followers Think They See Donald Trump in White House Window Reflection - Newsweek

Don Peay is no stranger to controversy and negotiating his way around differences of opinion.

As founder of the powerful Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife lobbying organization, hes gone the rounds with bureaucrats and politicians for most of the past 30 years, fighting for wildlife habitat, conservation and the rights of hunters and fishermen.

Other groups hes started or been affiliated with, such as the nonprofit Big Game Forever and Hunt Expo, have definitely called for sharp elbows.

And then theres his more recent affiliation with a certain politician.

Peay was Donald Trumps Utah campaign manager when he was elected in 2016, and an avowed supporter throughout the Trump presidency. He became an adjunct part of the administration when he was named to the national Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council by Trumps Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.

But of course all that came to a crashing halt once the Bidens were in and the Trumps were out.

So whats he doing to decompress from Trump life?

Taking care of veterans, as it turns out.

Peay and his wife, Susan, were the main organizers of an event called Bonfire that took place earlier this week at a venue in Hobble Creek Canyon. Hundreds of people turned out to support a charity called Best Defense and honor dozens of veterans, including a number of Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, who were special guests at the affair.

The Best Defense Foundation was started in 2018 by retired NFL linebacker Donnie Edwards, who spent 13 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. Edwards and Peay brought in other former NFL players, including the legendary Bo Jackson and Utahns Jim McMahon and Haloti Ngata, all of whom spoke at the event. Country music singer Craig Morgan, himself an Army vet, performed for the crowd and 97-year-old World War II veteran Jack Foy, who fought alongside Patton, rounded out the speakers.

Because the only compensation any of the headliners required or received was airfare, an estimated $150,000 was raised in the one-night event. Plans are already underway for a similar fundraiser in 2022.

Peays affection for the military traces back to his father, Edward, who was a colonel in the Utah National Guard.

If I have one regret its that I didnt pursue going to one of the military academies, said Peay, 61, who grew up during Vietnam and did not serve in the military. This is our familys way of giving back to veterans who actually did.

I take great strength from being around these warriors, he continued. This is some payback to people who at a moments notice will jump into a firefight that they know can cost them their life. This puts our lives into perspective. If we think weve had a hard day, these guys have had hard days, day after day after day. Whatever we have to deal with is nothing compared to what theyve been through.

Which brings us back to Peays experience being on the front lines with Donald Trump, through good times and bad.

Actively supporting such a polarizing politician took a toll and left a mark, he freely confesses.

It got very personal at times. Our children were attacked, a family member was fired supposedly because of my affiliation. But thats a small price to pay for standing for what you believe.

If he had it to do it all over again, Id fight even harder.

I loved Trumps policies, including dollar-seventy-five gas, he said. But we know his tone and his getting down in the weeds and fighting over stupid stuff in the internet hurt him.

But that was then and this is now, and hes taking a hiatus from even thinking about all of that. This fall he has plans to take some of the veterans who were honored this week on hunting trips, and really get away from it all.

I find real peace dealing with veterans, he said. I feel like Im on vacation. Its a nice break from the trench warfare of politics.

Does that mean hes retiring?

Ill always be involved in issues related to wildlife, he said. But the rest of it? Yeah, you could say Im officially retired for a while.

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From Trump to vets: Its a nice break from trench warfare of politics - Deseret News

28 June 2021, 16:00 WAT

New Informate one hour wey don pass

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Karim Benzema score two goals against Portugal for dia last group match

France dey unbeaten inside dia last seven meetings wit Switzerland.

France vs Switzerland games don end for four draws and three wins in favour of Les Bleus [The Blues].

So wetin be di match prediction for Monday night Euro 2020 last-16 game between dis two sides?

France coach don warn im players make dem no "under-estimate" Switzerland

Didier Deschamps - wey dey hope to become di first man to win both di World Cup and European Championship as player and coach - say im team must "dey at dia best".

"We no go under-estimate dem and dis na knockout game so we gatz do everything we fit to make sure say we go smiles at di end of di match."

But Le Blues dey even struggle wit injury palava for im team ahead of dia Monday Euro 2020 last-16 match.

National Arena Bucharest go host France vs Switzerland round of 16 game by 20:00hrs.

Deschamps two left-backs - Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne - bin wunjure for dia final group game against Portugal.

For Monday game, French media feel say him go use new formation.

Tori be say Deschamps dey consider di 3-5-2 formation.

Dat go mean say im go include Benjamin Pavard and midfielder Adrien Rabiot for im line up and use dem as wing backs.

"Dem bin good team and dem get good attacking potential wit Seferovic, Embolo and Shaqiri."

Na so Deschamps wey be, 52 years tok.

France dey struggle wit di fitness of Digne and Hernandez, and dem don already rule out Ousmane Dembele.

Dis na sake of knee injury for di rest of di tournament, while Marcus Thuram and Thomas Lemar dey also nurse injuries.

Juventus player Rabiot dey also carry one small injury too.

But even wit dia many-many injuries, France na still big favourites to progress past a side wey neva reach di last eight of a major tournament in 67 years.

Di winner go face either Spain or Croatia for di quarter-final.

Key Swiss names wey dey in form

Switzerland reach di quarter-finals as one of di best third-place finishers for di group stages.

Swiss key players bin shine well-well for dia win against Turkey.

Liverpool Xherdan Shaqiri bin score two goals and find good positions to register seven shots.

Arsenal Granit Xhaka bin win possession eight times - a high for im side.

While midfielder Steven Zuber become just di third player for European Championship history to register three assists in one game.

Zuber don join Denmark legend Michael Laudrup and ex-Portugal playmaker Rui Costa.

Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic say:

"In di past couple of years we don play well against great sides.

"We need to play to our strengths. Against a side like France, if we both give 100%, e no go dey enough.

"Dem go gatz give 80% and we need to make di most of am."

Lawro prediction - Pogba go ginger France to win

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Di likes of Thomas Lemar and Lucas Digne a major doubts for France

Di Swiss good but dem struggle against Italy for di group stage and I dey expect a similar tin here.

France neva find their groove yet, or not for long spells of games anyway.

But dem top a difficult group and people like Paul Pogba shine wella for dem.

Im passing and his link-up play wit Kylian Mbappe dey very impressive too.

Switzerland get outside chance

Simon Gleave, wey be head of sports analysis, for Nielsen Gracenote say:

France begin di tournament as third favourites according to di Gracenote World Football Ranking.

And dem remain for that position as di tournament enta di knockout stage.

Before di knockout phase begin, France chance of winning Euro 2020 bin move up a little to 11.8%.

Switzerland dey ranked 15th in di world for di Gracenote World Football Ranking.

Dem dey similar level to Denmark before di Danes play Wales.

Di Swiss team chance of winning Euro 2020 don change from 2.5% pre-tournament to 2.7% now.

Wit France ranked third for di world by Gracenote, dem be strong favourites to progress to a quarter-final place.

France chance dey estimated at 66% wit Switzerland holding a 34% chance of pulling off a surprise.

France vs Switzerland Match facts

Head-to-head

Dis go be di fifth meeting between France and Switzerland for a major competition (Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016).

But di first for di knockout rounds. France dey unbeaten in such matches (W2 D2), dia most recent game finishg goalless at Euro 2016.

France

France don only lose one of dia last 17 matches for Euros and World Cups combined (W12 D4) - di Euro 2016 final against Portugal.

France neva lose a competitive match in over two years, dia last defeat come against Turkey for European Championship qualifier for June 2019.

Dem don win 14 times and draw five times since.

Tori be say France last unbeaten run for competitive matches na from 1994 to 1999, a 27-game run, dat time dia current manager Didier Deschamps play for 21 of them.

Antoine Griezmann don play for each of France last 51 matches, wey start on 31 August 2017 against di Netherlands.

Griezmann na di only player to make more than 50 appearances for a European country since dat date.

Switzerland

Switzerland don reach di knockout stages for each of their last four major tournament appearances (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020).

Dem chop elimination for their first match afta di group stages in each of those previous three instances.

With im double against Turkey last time out, Shaqiri don become Switzerland all-time top scorer for major tournaments (Euros & World Cup) wit seven goals.

Im overtake Josef Hugi wey get six. Shaqiri na Switzerland joint-top scorer for European Championship matches wit three goals, and im dey tied wit Hakan Yakin.

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France vs Switzerland prediction - Euro 2020 Round of 16: National Arena match facts - BBC News

In the purely arithmetic sense, the soccer rivalry between England and Germany nearly is even. One side has won 13 games. The other has won 15. That does not feel at all lopsided, and yet still there is this revealing quote from legendary English striker Gary Lineker:

Football is a simple game, he said following one of the most consequential of those England defeats. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans win.

They played at the 2010 World Cup. Germany won. They played in the semifinals of the 1996 European Championship. Germany won. They played in the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup (below), the game that inspired Linekers quote. So you know the result.

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They will meet each other once again Tuesday in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020. This might seem like the worst of all possible scenarios for England, to meet their nemesis so early in a major championship, and yet it is among the more appealing one that confronted them as the final two games of Group F played out last Thursday.

Because the winner of Englands Group D was slated to face the runner-up from Group F in the first knockout game, the Three Lions could have been matched against reigning world champion France or reigning Euro champion Portugal. Only Hungary, ranked 40th in the world, would have been a more appealing opponent, but the Hungariansconceded a tying goal to Germany and were eliminated at the group stage.

So its England vs. Germany, probably the marquee game of the Euros round of 16.

There are so, so many reasons to watch:

Through the three games of group play, 21-year-old England forward Jadon Sancho has played a grand total of six minutes. One of Americas brighter soccer voices, David Mosse of Fox Sports and the State of the Union podcast, suggests that never would be the case for such a gifted player if he worked his day job in the Premier League.

They dont appreciate what they have there, Mosse said on last weeks podcast. Because they view everything through these Premier League goggles, and the fact that hes over there in Germany doing what hes doing to me, hes always been undervalued in that (England) setup.

In Mosses view, theres no way England coach Southgate (below left) would be keeping Sancho down if he played for, say, Manchester United rather than Borussia Dortmund.

Getty Images https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/e9/69/gareth-southgate-jadon-sancho-england_j2lqcyd4bndk15rkbv2i6n0zb.jpg?t=1414117250&w=500&quality=80

Sancho produced eight goals and 11 assists in Bundesliga games last season, and 37 league goals combined over his three full seasons as a pro. Mosse said his performances there place him just a cut below young European stars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Writing for BBC Sport, Germany legend (and former U.S. national team coach) Jurgen Klinsmann said, Everyone in Germany is surprised Jadon Sancho has not had more game time for England at Euro 2020 but they dont want to see that change on Tuesday.

England has scored just two goals in three games but finished first in its group with two wins and a draw. Reserve striker Marcus Rashford told ESPN that Sancho could be important in the Germany matchup because hes played a lot of football against them more than the rest of us. For a team lacking offensive spark, though, Sancho has a lot more to offer than just inside information.

Indeed, we could say that about any matchup in the Round of 16, even Sweden vs. Ukraine. If youre in it, youve got a shot.

But the point here is how favorable the bracket is for the winning team in England v. Germany.

The quarterfinal matchup for either the English or Germans will be the winner between Sweden (ranked No. 21 in the world) and Ukraine (No. 24). From there, it would be a semifinal game against either Denmark (No. 12) or the Czech Republic (No. 43).

The bracket looked truly enticing for the England-Germany winner when it was set after last Wednesdays games. The upset of the red-hot Netherlands squad by the Czechs on Sunday afternoon made it look like a wide-open door to the final.

Oh, and if the winner happens to be England, the semifinal and final games are slated to be played at Londons Wembley Stadium.

Getty Images https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/70/ee/euro-2021-bracket-rd-16-day-2-of-4_1g4lq3ave3qt1193xn6x6dkzrp.jpg?t=1387814298&w=500&quality=80

After Germany humiliated Brazil by a 7-1 margin at the 2014 World Cup on the Brazilians turf and went on to win the title over Argentina -- the German national team program became the model for the world. After Englands young talent fought into extra time in the World Cup semifinals in 2018, they were seen as an emerging power.

Each has been, in its own way, underwhelming during these Euros.

In a very difficult group, Germany came very close to missing the knockout rounds, only securing its spot when Leon Goretzka scored an 84th-minute goal to tie Hungary and secure a runner-up group finish.

In a possibly underrated group, England held Croatia, Scotland and the Czechs without a goal, but delivered only occasional sparks of offense, including at least three shots that struck the post and the two goals that led to finishing in first place.

But Germany beating England will mean something to a squad searching for an identity as it looks forward to a coaching change. England beating Germany will be celebrated as the first competitive triumph over a major European rival for itsyoung core of players, as well as a tonic for all those past defeats against the Germans in the biggest tournaments.

To find an England win over Germany on one of the biggest stages, one must travel all the way back to 1966, when the English won their only World Cup and did so by beating the Germans in the final. Sancho was 34 years from being born.

Getty Images https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/43/d/kai-havertz-germany-euro-2021_788s06b3g08y1r95446q2307c.jpg?t=1414039346&w=500&quality=80

Even if Sancho doesnt get on the field, there will be plenty of stars to see.

England striker Harry Kane was the winner of the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and is the subject of transfer speculation involving Manchester City possibly paying $138 million to acquire him from Tottenham Hotspur. Young Phil Foden excelled for Manchester City, which won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, and Man City veteran Raheem Sterling has scored both of Englands goals in this tournament.

Germanys Kai Havertz (above), who scored the winning goal in the Champions League final for Chelsea, has struck twice in the Euros. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich is one of the worlds most versatile players. And Goretzkas return from injury could be the spark Germany needs to prevail.

Getty Images https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/c0/71/joachim-low-germany-euro-2021_ojr4k6vdmx4d13swbvy7kj3da.jpg?t=1414166298&w=500&quality=80

The coach who succeeded Klinsmann in charge of the national team after a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, Low (above) led the Germans to a runner-up finish at Euro 2008, to the World Cup semifinals in 2010, to the semifinals at Euro 2012 and then finally to the very top of the world in 2014.

The past few years have not been as glorious. Germany exited the 2018 World Cup by finishing last in its group behind Sweden, Mexico and South Korea. It was so close to take the same route home from this tournament.

Now 61, Low asked in March that Euro 2020 be his final competition in charge, though his contract was scheduled to run through the 2022 World Cup. Hansi Flick of Bayern Munich was hired in May to serve as the next coach once this tournament ends.

It is rare for national-team head coaches to serve as long as Low, but the continuity has worked. This is one last opportunity for him to reward the DFB the national federation for its loyalty.

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Euro 2021: Five reasons why England vs. Germany will be must-watch soccer - Sporting News