by Staff Reporter | Feb 12, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Tesla CEO and former Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk is urging the federal government to ban mail-in voting.
Musk and other top Republican leaders have signaled support for greater federal intervention in state and local elections.
“Voter ID and in-person voting is the only way to save democracy,” said Musk. “Critical to avoid fraud.”
Although X influencers said Musk’s comments were “breaking news,” the SpaceX CTO has advocated for in-person voting, along with ID requirements, for years.
“We should require government ID and in-person voting (unless valid medical/military/etc excuse), like other countries do or like if you want to buy beer,” said Musk in a comment over two years ago.
In the summer of 2024, Musk also advocated against electronic and drop box ballots. Musk said additional voting methods beyond in-person voting created additional variables that made it much more difficult to detect fraud.
“When combined with mail-in ballots, the system is designed to make it impossible to prove fraud,” said Musk. “Mail-in and drop box ballots should not be allowed, as cameras on the in-person voting stations would at least prevent large-scale fraud by counting how many people showed up vs ballots cast.”
Last week, Musk backed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, legislation to amend a gap in citizenship proof existing in the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.
Proof of citizenship would include a REAL ID-compliant ID, a passport, military ID with proof of U.S. birth, government-issued photo ID card with proof of U.S. birth, or a government-issued photo ID along with a certified birth certificate, an extract from a U.S. hospital record of birth, a final adoption decree, a consular report of birth abroad, a naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship, or an American Indian card.
“It must be done or democracy is dead,” said Musk.
Rep. Andy Biggs, candidate for Arizona governor, said the bill wasn’t controversial as the media portrayed it.
“It’s not controversial to require proof of citizenship and a photo ID to vote — countries around the world require both!” said Biggs.
Reps. Eli Crane and Paul Gosar also support the legislation. The pair signed onto a letter urging the Senate to act on the legislation.
Although Musk departed DOGE over certain policy agreements earlier last year, he does agree with President Donald Trump on mail-in voting.
“No mail-in ballots (except for illness, disability, military, or travel),” posted Trump to Truth Social.
Trump had made his criticism of mail-in ballots during public conversations urging the passage of the SAVE Act, though the legislation doesn’t ban mail-in voting. Instead, the legislation would require mail voters to submit an application to receive their ballot.
The president has also issued another call to action not included in the SAVE Act: federalizing elections.
Last Monday the president said in an interview that the federal government should take over elections from the states. He proposed the takeover during the debut of former FBI director Dan Bongino’s newly resurrected podcast. Bongino will also return to his role as a Fox News contributor.
“We should take over the voting in at least many places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” said Trump. “We have states that are so crooked and they’re counting votes.”
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by Staff Reporter | Feb 8, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
New polling reflects a continued high level of support for President Donald Trump’s mass deportations.
Earlier this week, the White House shared two sets of polling data that declare opinions of deportation remain positive.
Republicans, independents, and swing voters who responded all shared majority positive opinions on mass deportations in one poll from Cygnal: Republicans, 97%; independents, 59%; and swing voters, 64%. Only 25% of Democrat respondents expressed support for mass deportations, and 67% said they opposed.
This polling data came from just over 1,000 voters likely to vote in this year’s midterm general election.
A significant majority of all respondents also aligned when it came to interpretations of immigration law and enforcement.
73% of all respondents agreed that entering the country without permission constitutes breaking the law. 61% overall supported deportations for illegal aliens. 64% determined that illegal aliens were a very to somewhat severe problem: 33% of Democrats, 60% of independents, and 97% of Republicans.
A slimmer majority amounting to 58% of respondents rejected the Democrat-led proposal to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Less than that, 54% overall, supported ICE enforcing federal immigration laws.
The Democrats’ fight within Congress to defund ICE mustered a partial shutdown this week.
The shutdown arose beyond Democrats’ general disagreement with mass deportations. Democratic leaders oppose Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approaches to carrying out immigration enforcement. Two American activists in two separate incidents died last month after their protests against ICE turned into interference with law enforcement operations.
Both individuals, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot by ICE agents after refusing law enforcement orders.
Anti-ICE activists have also taken to protesting across Arizona. The Phoenix ICE office has been vandalized repeatedly, sometimes with death threats, and been subjected to protests that have devolved into rioting as activists resisted law enforcement orders.
This week’s partial shutdown was much shorter-lived than the longest one in America’s history that occurred last year, lasting over 40 days from October to November. President Donald Trump signed a spending package lifting the shutdown on Tuesday.
The second poll shared by the Trump administration came from Harvard University Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) and Harris. That polling reflected that 73% of Americans believe criminal illegal aliens should be deported. 2,000 registered voters served as respondents. Most of the voters said that price increases, inflation, and affordability along with immigration were their top two concerns.
Overall, the Harvard-Harris polling found that Trump’s approval rating on key issues (the economy, immigration, foreign affairs, administering the government, handling inflation, reducing the cost of government, returning America to its values, tariffs and trade policy, and fighting crime in America’s cities) ranged from 39% to 47%. The president’s highest rating level was 51% for response to anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis.
Overall, 38% of voters said the country was on the right track: 74% of Republicans, 15% of Democrats, and 24% of independent voters. Likely voters, not weighted in the median total, were at 43%. Congressional approval was worse: 32% overall.
35% of overall voters said their financial situation was improving, and 40% said it was declining.
Other polls have found dramatically different sentiments among the American people. Another three-day poll conducted by Ipsos determined that 62% of Americans believe current ICE enforcement activities go too far.
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by Warren Petersen | Jan 30, 2026 | Opinion
By AZ Republican Lawmakers |
In the first week of the State Legislature’s session this year, Republicans delivered a major win on our longstanding promise to provide historic relief to millions of hard-working taxpayers in the form of a $1.1 billion tax cuts package. Our action follows years of escalating costs brought about by the failed policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, where Americans struggled to pay bills, put food on the table, and save for their children’s future. The plan would have aligned Arizona’s tax code with the federal reforms championed by President Donald J. Trump and congressional Republicans just this last year, targeting relief where it is needed most and reasserting the Grand Canyon State as one of the most affordable and competitive in the country.
Unfortunately, without much thought, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed our package within hours of its passage through both chambers of the Arizona Legislature, denying real, practical relief to the taxpayers she took an oath to serve.
The governor’s veto was cruel and callous toward the people she claims to represent. It also came just weeks after she essentially claimed credit for the recently enacted federal tax cuts that were predominately due to Republicans’ foresight and execution. Her previous words rang hollow with one stroke of her pen, just as tax season is getting under way for Arizonans looking for real leadership from their state leaders.
Governor Hobbs’ veto was not so surprising; she has shot down a historic number of commonsense bills throughout her three-plus years in office. We had hoped, however, in the spirit of bipartisanship, doing the right thing, and putting taxpayers first, that the governor would sign this legislation. Unfortunately, the governor resorted to her partisan roots and adhered to the demands of the radical liberal extremists who control her every move in office.
The historic relief package sent to Governor Hobbs’ desk this month would have provided incredible results for Arizona families and job creators and again positioned our state as a national leader on this front. Our bill would have increased the child tax credit, created a new deduction for childcare expenses, and provided meaningful help for working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and job leaders across the state. Most importantly, the legislation would have given clarity to taxpayers looking to plan ahead and expecting consistency between their federal and state forms and returns.
All these efforts went for not, though, when Governor Hobbs immediately rejected this package.
The governor’s negative action on our bill shows yet again that there are inherent differences between our two parties on the all-important issue of taxes and spending. Republicans believe that Arizonans should keep more of what they earn, and that government should spend within its means—instead of inflating its budgets on the backs of hard-working citizens. Democrats, on the other hand, believe that they are entitled to more of your money to fund socialist projects and programs—like many of the ones in California, New York, and Illinois. There’s a reason why so many Americans are fleeing the aforementioned states (and others) and migrating to Arizona and other Republican-led bastions of freedom: it’s because our states are taking action to cut taxes for families and businesses alike.
In short, Republicans believe that government exists—and works—for the people who elect us at the ballot box. It’s your money, and it’s your government. We are the stewards of your hard-earned dollars, which means it is our job to ensure that government lives within its constitutional jurisdictions and sets up future generations of Americans for success and prosperity. These principles were at the heart of the Arizona tax relief package.
Despite this setback, Arizona legislative Republicans will not cease our efforts to lower taxes and keep our state affordable for all. Over the past two decades, we have authored and passed many pieces of legislation to cut taxes and reduce the cost of living, including a historic flat income tax, tax rebates, and relief for renters and small businesses—among many other cost-saving actions. We will not stand by and admit defeat when a Democrat governor places her special interest friends above hard-working taxpayers. Rather, we will redouble our efforts to put more money into the pockets of the proud men and women we humbly serve.
Contributors to this op-ed include: Senate President Warren Petersen, Senate Finance Committee Chairman J.D. Mesnard, Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh, and Senate Appropriations Chairman David Farnsworth.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Jan 21, 2026 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
At a time when Arizonans are still struggling to recover from years of Biden-era inflation, Republican lawmakers acted swiftly to deliver on their Affordable Arizona agenda. On just the fourth day of the legislative session, they passed SB1106, a tax conformity package that delivered the full benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) to Arizona taxpayers, families, and businesses. The legislation provided $1.1 billion in tax relief and, just as importantly, immediate certainty for millions of Arizonans heading into tax season.
The very next day, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed it.
That veto leaves taxpayers facing a potential $1.1 billion tax hike and widespread chaos as filing season begins. This isn’t simply the typical tax policy fight between Democrat and Republican ideologies. But a full display of Katie Hobbs’ failure to lead.
From the outset, she has mishandled this critical issue of federal tax conformity with conflicting messages, unauthorized executive actions, and zero coordination with the Legislature or even apparently her own agencies. The result has been a self-inflicted mess, and Arizona taxpayers will be the ones to suffer the price.
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Staff Reporter | Jan 20, 2026 | Economy, News
By Staff Reporter |
The Republican faction of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC) reported inflation as “hold[ing] steady” in its monthly update released last week.
JEC Republicans reported in a press release accompanying the update that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) “remained relatively steady” at just under 2.7 percent year over year in December.
The coalition stated that November’s end CPI (2.74 percent) represented “the biggest [inflation] drop” since March 2025.
Food and energy prices went up by half a percent to almost three percent from 2024 to 2025, respectively; the latter by far outpacing the former.
Food price inflation hit 3.07 percent, up .56 percent year over year. Energy price inflation hit 2.30 percent, up by 2.82 percent year over year.
These price increases were felt differently based on region. Those in the Northeast were hit hardest by inflation (3.3 percent), then the West (2.9 percent), and then the Midwest (2.7 percent). The South felt it the least of all the regions, with inflation hitting 2.2 percent.
Income year over year overall saw increases: an increase in 1.07 percent for all employees and a .57 percent increase in weekly earnings. There was a “virtually unchanged” decline in hourly earnings of .01 percent.
President Donald Trump broke down this latest report as part of his address on the state of the economy in Detroit last Tuesday.
Trump said the U.S. has experienced “the greatest year in history” in terms of its finances.
“Under our administration, growth is exploding, productivity is soaring, investment is booming, incomes are rising, inflation is defeated. America is respected again like never before,” said Trump. “There’s never been numbers like this.”
Trump said the stagflation (low growth, high inflation) that took place under his predecessor, Joe Biden, was “a disaster” for the country. Trump claimed the current economy has “the highest growth” it’s ever had.
“The Trump economic boom has officially begun,” said Trump.
The president said he would work with Venezuela on oil, and aims to reduce gas prices beyond its current six-year low.
Trump called Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell “a real stiff.” He expressed a desire to have a high-performing market matched with lower interest rates, not higher — he said the former arrangement was the norm years ago.
“Our growth potential is unlimited and could be much higher if we went back to sanity,” said Trump. “We announce good numbers and we see the stock market drop. And I say ‘What the hell is going on?’”
Trump said he secured commitments for over $18 trillion in new investments into the country, compared to Biden’s under $1 trillion secured in four years.
A White House press release following Trump’s remarks maintained that the latest inflation report came in below economists’ expectations. Their statement compared Trump’s core inflation (2.4 percent) as “much lower” than former President Joe Biden’s 3.3 percent annual rate.
Their summary also emphasized that wages are “rising” on track to four percent: an estimated $1,100 real wage gain among private sector workers, and $1,300 real annual earnings gain among goods-producing workers.
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