News
Three Republican Candidates, Three Very Different Styles
Nikki Haley paces around the stage as she answers audience questions. Ron DeSantis brings his wife and kids to almost every campaign stop. And Donald Trump calls them both insulting names at his rallies.
Hundreds of events over the course of the year reveal distinct campaigning styles among the top three Republican presidential candidates. With few major differences in their policy positions, the candidates have focused largely on their personal brands.
Here is what it feels like to be on the road with Mr. Trump, Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis.
The Walk-On
Nearly every campaign speech begins in the same way: Candidates are introduced by a host, surrogate or announcer, and then they take the stage.
After being introduced, both Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis jump into their speeches within about 30 seconds. Mr. Trump takes much longer.
Haley
Washington
June 24, 2023 DeSantis
Des Moines
May 30, 2023
Trump
Bedminster, N.J.
June 13, 2023
Mr. Trump mills about on stage, allowing the audience, who has often waited hours to see him, to cheer as Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” plays. Almost three minutes pass before he starts speaking.
“Trump is a superstar in the eyes of the people in the room,” said Rachel Paine Caufield, a political science professor at Drake University in Des Moines.
Ms. Haley’s and Mr. DeSantis’ events tend to have more curious onlookers rather than hard core fans, voters who want a sense of who each candidate is and what it feels like to be in the room with them. Before she starts her speech, Ms. Haley will sometimes ask who in the room is seeing her for the first time, which usually draws more than a few hands.
Same Issues,
Different Speaking Styles
The three candidates largely target the same issues in their speeches: inflation and government debt, crime, illegal immigration and strengthening law enforcement and the military.
Where they differ is how they speak about these issues, especially the economy and inflation.
DeSantis Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Aug. 6, 2023
Haley
Meredith, N.H. Nov. 29, 2023
Trump
Anaheim, Calif.
Sept. 29, 2023
Here they are speaking about immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border.
DeSantis
Concord, N.H.
Dec. 15, 2023 Haley
Indian Land, S.C.
Aug. 29, 2023
Trump
Palm Beach, Fla.
Nov. 15, 2022
Mr. DeSantis tends to use long words and policy jargon — “Bidenomics,” “balanced budget amendment,” “fees on remittances.” Ms. Caufield said that his lexicon aims to convey intelligence and strength. Ruth Sherman, a political communications consultant, noted that Mr. DeSantis uses volume as a tool for expression, often speaking louder to make a point.
By contrast, Ms. Haley aims to convey empathy when she speaks — “you feel it,” “when you get up in the morning” — and often bookends her main points with personal anecdotes. Both Ms. Caufield and Ms. Sherman observed that Ms. Haley uses her voice expressively and employs expansive hand gestures to add energy and power.
Mr. Trump uses vague and exaggerated language — “country killer,” “millions and millions,” “very bad and sinister” — to paint issues with a broad brush. He will meander through stories and explanations until he gets to his point, which can end in a catchphrase that he repeats several times.
Talking About Each Other
Mr. Trump has not been shy about attacking Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley.
On DeSantis
Erie, Pa. July 29, 2023
On DeSantis and Haley
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Nov. 18, 2023
For much of last year, Mr. Trump focused his jabs at Mr. DeSantis, repeatedly calling him “DeSanctimonious” or “DeSanctis” in his speeches. But after the second Republican debate, when Ms. Haley began to rise in the polls, he started calling her “Birdbrain.” He accuses them both of disloyalty, arguing they “betrayed” him by running for president.
Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis have both tried to present themselves as softer alternatives to Mr. Trump, and they have tread much more lightly when talking about him. Early in their campaigns, they referred to him and his policies critically but often without saying his name. More recently, as voting draws closer, they have explicitly stated that Mr. Trump was the right president at the time but is not fit for the job in 2024.
Haley on Trump
Pickens, S.C. July 1, 2023
DeSantis on Trump
Miami
Nov. 8, 2023
Connecting with the Audience
Even when using a teleprompter, Mr. Trump speaks to his audience casually. He goes off-script to work the crowd, asking them direct questions, taking live polls and calling out specific people he seems to recognize in the front row.
As Ms. Caufield said, “He’s a showman, first and foremost.”
“Please sit down.”
Palm Beach, Fla. Nov. 5, 2022
“Are we having fun?”
Erie, Pa.
July 29, 2023 Live audience poll
Windham, N.H.
Aug. 8, 2023
Front-Row Joes
Derry, N.H.
Oct. 23, 2023
Mr. Trump also uses a “call and response” technique with his audience, appealing to their emotions but rarely taking their questions.
Mr. DeSantis’ primary way of connecting with voters is by using his wife, Casey. She has joined her husband on stage to answer audience questions, introduced him at events, and brought their children up to wave and share relatable stories about parenting.
Greenville, S.C.
June 2, 2023
Ankeny, Iowa July 15, 2023
Decorah, Iowa
Aug. 4, 2023
Garner, Iowa
Aug 26, 2023
Seacoast, N.H.
Oct. 24, 2023 Kissimmee, Fla.
Nov. 4, 2023
Ms. DeSantis has even held solo campaign events, reflecting the central role she has in her husband’s political career.
Voters who Ms. Caufield spoke with during early DeSantis events would say that he was a little awkward and that maybe he had the potential to become a great candidate. Those voters, she said, would often “follow that up by saying, ‘Casey DeSantis is amazing.’”
One of Ms. Haley’s signature moves is to walk back and forth across the stage. Even when she has a podium or a chair available, she frequently chooses to pace around, turning to address different sections of the audience as she speaks.
Salix, Iowa
April 11, 2023
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Aug. 6, 2023
Londonderry, N.H.
Nov. 2, 2023 Newton, Iowa
Nov. 17, 2023
Her campaign events are often set up in the round, with the audience on three or all four sides of her, while Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump are more likely to be at a podium directly in front of their crowds. Ms. Haley’s staging allows people to ask her questions from all over the room, boosting her message that she will not shy away from answering tough questions and giving “hard truth” answers.
As the three candidates make their final pitches to early voters, Mr. Trump will aim to lock down his dominant lead in the polls ahead of Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis.
Sources
The video clips used in this article are from the following sources: Forbes Breaking News; Right Side Broadcasting Network; ABC Action News; Sky News; JET24 FOX 66 YourErie; CNN-News18; Never Back Down; Reuters; The Gazette; NBC News; C-SPAN; Nikki Haley; The National Desk; and Sioux City Journal.
News
Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links
Former president Bill Clinton is scheduled to give deposition Friday to a congressional committee investigating his links to Jeffrey Epstein, one day after Hillary Clinton testified before the committee and called the proceedings “partisan political theatre” and “an insult to the American people”.
During remarks before the House oversight committee, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, insisted on Thursday that she had never met Epstein.
The former Democratic president, however, flew on Epstein’s private jet several times in the early 2000s but said he never visited his island.
Clinton, who engaged in an extramarital affair while president and has been accused of sexual misconduct by three women, also appears in a photo from the recently released files, in a hot tub with Epstein and a woman whose identity is redacted.
Clinton has denied the sexual misconduct claims and was not charged with any crimes. He also has not been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein.
Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times during the early years of Clinton’s presidency, according to White House visitor records cited in news reports. Clinton said he cut ties with him around 2005, before the disgraced financier, who died from suicide in 2019, pleaded guilty to solicitation of a minor in Florida.
The House committee subpoenaed the Clintons in August. They initially refused to testify but agreed after Republicans threatened to hold them in contempt.
The Clintons asked for their depositions to be held publicly, with the former president stating that to do so behind closed doors would amount to a “kangaroo court”.
“Let’s stop the games + do this the right way: in a public hearing,” Clinton said on X earlier this month.
The committee’s chair, James Comer, did not grant their request, and the proceedings will be conducted behind closed doors with video to be released later.
On Thursday, Hillary Clinton’s proceedings were briefly halted after representative Lauren Boebert leaked an image of Clinton testifying.
During the full day deposition, Clinton said she had no information about Epstein and did not recall ever meeting him.
Before the deposition, Comer said it would be a long interview and that one with Bill Clinton would be “even longer”.
News
Read Judge Schiltz’s Order
CASE 0:26-cv-00107-PJS-DLM
Doc. 12-1 Filed 02/26/26
Page 5 of 17
and to file a status update by 11:00 am on January 20. ECF No. 5. Respondents never provided a bond hearing and did not release Petitioner until January 21, ECF Nos. 10, 12, after failing to file an update, ECF No. 9. Further, Respondents released Petitioner subject to conditions despite the Court’s release order not providing for conditions. ECF Nos. 5, 12–13.
Abdi W. v. Trump, et al., Case No. 26-CV-00208 (KMM/SGE)
On January 21, 2026, the Court ordered Respondents, within 3 days, to either (a) complete Petitioner’s inspection and examination and file a notice confirming completion, or (b) release Petitioner immediately in Minnesota and confirm the date, time, and location of release. ECF No. 7. No notice was ever filed. The Court emailed counsel on January 27, 2026, at 10:39 am. No response was provided.
Adriana M.Y.M. v. David Easterwood, et al., Case No. 26-CV-213 (JWB/JFD)
On January 24, 2026, the Court ordered immediate release in Minnesota and ordered Respondents to confirm the time, date, and location of release, or anticipated release, within 48 hours. ECF No. 12. Respondent was not released until January 30, and Respondents never disclosed the time of release, instead describing it as “early this morning.” ECF No. 16.
Estefany J.S. v. Bondi, Case No. 26-CV-216 (JWB/SGE)
On January 13, 2026, at 10:59 am, the Court ordered Respondents to file a letter by 4:00 pm confirming Petitioner’s current location. ECF No. 8. After receiving no response, the Court ordered Respondents, at 5:11 pm, to immediately confirm Petitioner’s location and, by noon on January 14, file a memorandum explaining their failure to comply with the initial order. ECF No. 9. Respondents did not file the memorandum, requiring the Court to issue another order. ECF No. 12. On January 15, the Court ordered immediate release in Minnesota and required Respondents to confirm the time, date, and location of release within 48 hours. ECF No. 18. On January 20, having received no confirmation, the Court ordered Respondents to comply immediately. ECF No. 21. Respondents informed the Court that Petitioner was released in Minnesota on January 17, but did not specify the time. ECF No. 22.
5
News
Chicagoans pay respects to Jesse Jackson as cross-country memorial services begin
James Hickman holds a photo montage of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
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Nam Y. Huh/AP
CHICAGO — A line of mourners streamed through a Chicago auditorium Thursday to pay final respects to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. as cross-country memorial services began in the city the late civil rights leader called home.
The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate will lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where he was born.
Family members wiped away tears as the casket was brought into the stately brick building. Flowers lined the sidewalks where people waiting to enter watched a large screen playing video excerpts of Jackson’s notable speeches. Some raised their fists in solidarity.
The casket with the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
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Nam Y. Huh/AP
Inside, Jackson’s children, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Rev. Al Sharpton were among those who stood by the open casket to shake hands and hug those coming to view the body of Jackson, dressed in a suit and blue shirt and tie.
“The challenge for us is that we’ve got to make sure that all he lived for was not in vain,” Sharpton told reporters. “Dr. King’s dream and Jesse Jackson’s mission now falls on our shoulders. We’ve got to stand up and keep it going.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks as Jesse Jackson Jr. listens after the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
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Nam Y. Huh/AP
Jackson died last week at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.
Remembrances have already poured in from around the globe, and several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina, are flying flags at half-staff in his honor.
But perhaps nowhere has his death been felt as strongly as in the nation’s third-largest city, where Jackson lived for decades and raised his six children, including a son who is a congressman.
Bouquets have been left outside the family’s Tudor-style home on the city’s South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!”
People wait to enter the security checkpoint for the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
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Nam Y. Huh/AP
His causes, both in the United States and abroad, were countless: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.


“We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher, and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago,” the mayor said in a statement.
Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. According to Rainbow PUSH’s agenda, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to deliver remarks; however, the governor’s office said Thursday that his participation wasn’t yet confirmed. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina.
Details on services in Washington have not yet been made public. However, he will not lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.
The two weeks of events will wrap up next week with a large celebration of life gathering at a Chicago megachurch and finally, homegoing services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Family members said the services will be open to all.
“Our family is overwhelmed and overjoyed by the amazing amount of support being offered by common, ordinary people who our father’s life has come into contact with,” his eldest son, Jesse Jackson Jr., said before the services began. “This is a unique opportunity to lay down some of the political rhetoric and to lay down some of the division that deeply divides our country and to reflect upon a man who brought people together.”
The family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives as Yusep Jackson wipes his eyes before public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.
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Nam Y. Huh/AP
The services included prayers from some of the city’s most well-known religious leaders, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Mourners of all ages — from toddlers in strollers to elderly people in wheelchairs — came to pay respects.
Video clips of his appearances at news conferences, the campaign trail and even “Sesame Street” also played inside the auditorium.
Claudette Redic, a retiree who lives in Chicago, said her family has respected Jackson, from backing his presidential ambitions to her son getting a scholarship from a program Jackson championed.
“We have generations of support,” she said. “I’m hoping we continue.”
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