States turn their attention to regulating AI and deepfakes as 2024 kicks off
Through most of 2023, just a handful of states enacted laws to tackle the challenges that artificial intelligence and deepfakes posed to political campaigns. But now that the 2024 election cycle is in full force, state lawmakers across the country have snapped into action to try to deal with the thorny, quickly changing issue.
In just the first three weeks of 2024, lawmakers from both major parties have introduced legislation in at least 13 states to combat the kind of mis- and dis-information AI and deepfakes can create in elections.
The issue was back in the spotlight today after the emergence of a fake robocall featuring a voice impersonating Biden telling Democratic voters in New Hampshire not to cast their ballots in tomorrow's primary.
DeSantis has an open invitation to appear with Trump
DeSantis has an open invitation to appear with Trump on the campaign trail when he’s ready to do so after high-level contact between the two camps yesterday — but no direct contact between the two former rivals — a Trump campaign official said.
The campaign official said that the offer was extended through high-level staff channels yesterday but that as of tonight the official knew of no contact between Trump and DeSantis.
The official did not expect DeSantis to appear with Trump tonight, tomorrow or imminently — but made clear that the door is open, as evidenced by Trump’s quick embrace of Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum after they endorsed him. All three are appearing with Trump tonight in Laconia.
With just 24 hours till the New Hampshire GOP primary, NBC News’ Ali Vitali catches up with one voter about whom he’ll vote for, instead — now that DeSantis has exited the race.
Another South Carolina Republican endorses Trump
Rep. Jeff Duncan became the latest South Carolina Republican to endorse Trump over Haley, the state's former governor.
"I know that President Trump can fix the problems our nation faces and position America for sustainable success," Duncan wrote on X.
Rep. Nancy Mace, another South Carolina Republican, endorsed Trump earlier in the day.
Before today's endorsement, Duncan had stayed out of the GOP presidential primaries. Duncan told NBC News on Dec. 5: “I haven’t endorsed in the race because Tim Scott, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo was running. Nikki Haley was my governor. I’ve got too many friends in the race. Ron DeSantis and I were very close, so I’m staying out of it.”
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously decided not to run for president, and former Vice President Mike Pence ended his White House bid in October. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also ended his presidential campaign, as did DeSantis.
Haley's sole endorsement from South Carolina's congressional delegation is from Rep. Ralph Norman.
Phillips defends removal of DEI language from campaign website
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., defended the recent removal of language related to diversity, equity and inclusion on his presidential campaign website during a Bloomberg TV roundtable today.
The section of his website is now called "Equity and Restorative Justice." Phillips said that while he believes in the individual values of diversity, equity and inclusion, "those words together ... are now slogans that are being litigated and dividing up the country."
Pressed about whether the change was related to the $1 million donation billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman, a prominent critic of DEI initiatives, made to a political action committee supporting his bid, Phillips replied, "Nobody buys me."
House Republicans worry they have no achievements to run on in 2024
When Congress began the new year, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., made a startling confession in a television interview: House Republicans have done nothing they can run on.
“We have nothing. In my opinion, we have nothing to go out there and campaign on,” Biggs said on the conservative network Newsmax. “It’s embarrassing.”
Anchor Chris Salcedo responded with a bemused chuckle. “I know,” he said. “The Republican Party in the Congress majority has zero accomplishments.”
The exchange captured a dynamic that looms over Republican lawmakers heading into the 2024 election: They’ve passed little substantive legislation since they won the majority in 2022 and have struggled to do the basics of governing with a Democratic-led Senate. Their first year was instead marked by fractiousness and chaos, complicating the party’s pitch to voters this fall.
The challenge is accentuated by Trump’s making “retribution” against his enemies, rather than shared policy goals, the centerpiece of his comeback bid as he continues to spread fabricated claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Haley says her goal for N.H. is 'to be stronger than we were in Iowa'
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Haley is looking to temper expectations heading into tomorrow's New Hampshire primary, saying she only wants to be "stronger" than she was in Iowa, where she finished third.
“Our goal is to be stronger than we were in Iowa and then keep going to my sweet state of South Carolina,” she told NBC News.
“Let’s keep in mind, we don’t do coronations in this country,” Haley added. “Because 70% of Americans don’t want a Trump-Biden rematch.”
Haley brushed off the many endorsements Trump has received, including those from her home state of South Carolina.
“It is the political elite. I always fight back to hold the political elites accountable,” she said. “And I’ve always fought for the people. I don’t want their endorsements. I want the endorsements of the hardworking people of New Hampshire and South Carolina.”
Asked how she can win the nomination if she doesn't win a state outright, Haley responded: “Because it’s not just about three states. Then you go on to Super Tuesday. This is a process … Why should we assume, ‘Oh this time, we have to have Biden and Trump?’ That’s not fair to the American people. More people deserve to be able to vote and I’m gonna give them that option.”
Haley was also asked if those who are in jail following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol are “hostages,” as Trump has called them.
“Well, if they’ve been convicted and they’ve done something guilty, no, they’re prisoners that are paying a price,” she said. “If they are sitting in jail and they’re not getting a hearing, that’s something different. … As far as I know, if you committed a crime, you have to be held accountable. If you didn’t and you were just protesting that day and using your freedom of speech, you shouldn’t be.”
In Haley’s stump speech, she says “chaos follows Trump, fairly or unfairly.” Asked what the fair chaos was, Haley pointed to his social media activity.
“He feeds off of chaos,” she said. “He creates it by going on temper tantrums or creating rants or saying things he shouldn’t say, that we don’t want dictators to hear. He creates that chaos.”
As for the unfair chaos, “when you see these political cases” like in New York, Haley said, “that’s wrong. But either way America is tired of the chaos. We don’t want it anymore.”
GOP's House and Senate campaign chiefs call Trump 'the presumptive nominee'
In separate posts on X, the GOP’s House and Senate campaign chairs both said Trump is their “presumptive nominee” for president and called on the party to embrace him.
NRCC Chair Richard Hudson:
NRSC Chair Steve Daines:
Haley backers gravitate to her youth versus Biden and Trump
EXETER, N.H. — Attendees at Haley's boisterous rally here yesterday included members of both parties and independent voters, and many of them noted one big draw to Haley — her relative youth.
“We need somebody different. Younger, with fresh ideas. I think a woman could maybe do that,” Diane Pineo, 66, a registered Republican, told NBC News.
Brad Copithorne, 59, is a volunteer for Haley’s campaign who traveled to New Hampshire from North Carolina. “I’m a big supporter," Copithorne said. "I think, you know, the age thing is very important.”
“Haley has so much energy," he added. "She’s doing six or seven events a day. … It’s just incredible.”
Another voter compared Haley to a young, energizing politician who came through the Granite State in 2008.
“I think she’s been inspirational to be honest with you,” Tony Rivera, 56, told NBC News, adding: “The last candidate that I had, that I saw that I was inspired like this was [former President Barack] Obama.”
This N.H. city has picked the GOP winner for 70 years
ROCHESTER, N.H. — This small city of roughly 33,000 in southeastern New Hampshire is one of a handful of cities and towns that has mirrored the GOP statewide primary results going back to 1952.
And “the campaigns know that Rochester is a bellwether,” said Mayor Paul Callaghan, a Republican.
Trump held a rally here Sunday evening, while Haley also campaigned here in the final days of the race. And in many ways, the city illustrates how the GOP has changed in the last decade: Voters here twice supported former President Barack Obama before they flipped to support Trump in the 2016 and 2020 general elections.