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Mississippi Republicans embrace Donald Trump: no matter what

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Mississippi Republicans embrace Donald Trump: no matter what


I have never seen a politician that has such loyalty with his base of supporters like Donald J. Trump, particularly among Mississippi Republicans.

The United States of America is the greatest country in the world. Yet, because Trump is now convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case related to hush money paid to an adult film star, according to Donald Trump and some Republicans, [we] Americans are now turning into a “fascist” country. I’m sure that is not true.

One thing is for sure: Mississippi Republicans clearly support and embrace Trump: No Matter What. To that end, I have never seen a politician that has such loyalty with his base of supporters like Donald J. Trump, particularly among Mississippi Republicans. And honestly, it’s very concerning and troubling.

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Once upon a time in America, political leaders supported the rule of law irrespective of political beliefs or alliances — an authentic country first mentality. But, then came Trump — a recently convicted felon, 2024 presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States, and certified Mississippi “good ole boy” favorite.

I must admit: Trump is a smart man with an uncanny skill and ability to shape his own narrative in the media, effortlessly circumventing the legal, moral and political standard(s) of the times.

Republicans’ propensity to liken Trump’s trials and tribulations in comparison to Jesus Christ himself is also entertaining to dissect as a political connoisseur even in today’s political environment. But, as a Christian, it seems to be nothing short of a blasphemous declarative.

Sadly, Gov. Tate Reeves and the entire Missississippi GOP have bought into the Trump savior theme and are now selling Trump’s narrative at market value to all Mississippians who will listen.

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What happened to the Republican Party being the party of law and order? What happened to Christian values in our politics? Is the answer Trump?

OK — it’s 2024 and I’ll give Republicans credit on the assignment of spin effort, but our criminal justice system literally just found Trump guilty on 34 Class E Felonies.

And, once announced, Mississippi Republicans quickly shunned the entire American idea of law and order for the sake of their savior: Trump.

Again, to be clear: Although somewhat complex and complicated, Trump was proven guilty by 12 of his peers.

Yet, representing a stunningly brazen example of complacency and a blatant effort to paint the Trump conviction as a sham trial, Republican leaders like Shad White, Michael Guest, Michael Watson, Reeves and Delbert Hosemann quickly cracked the whip at the entire American judicial system for convicting Trump.

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Seriously, minutes after the Trump verdict announcement, Mississippi Republican leaders wasted no time dismissing the sanctity of our criminal justice system for the Make America Great Again Savior: Trump.

Why is that? Why does Trump have so much loyalty from Bible-thumping Mississippi conservatives?

Maybe the MS-GOP’s loyalty is concreted in something else. I’ll leave those unsaid points to your imagination. Bottom line: Trump was convicted of 34 felonies on May 30, 2024. The case wasn’t rigged, and it wasn’t handled at the prosecutorial direction of President Joe Biden. The legal system spoke, and justice prevailed.

Let’s be clear: The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted the case against Trump, is an independent law enforcement elected official. He is not answerable to the Biden Administration or the New York Attorney General. Bragg is an elected official charged with prosecuting cases in the name of justice for the State of New York in the Manhattan District.

Yet, Trump and Mississippi Republicans believe a miscarriage of justice took place on May 30 when 12 jurors convicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — somehow all at the direction of the Biden Administration.

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I do agree with Trump and Hosemann that Nov. 5 will be the real verdict, but it is sobering to know what our magnolia state leaders actually think in the wake of Trump’s felonious conviction.

In conclusion, Mississippi is a beautiful place stricken by a Republican governmental leadership that is undoubtedly loyal to Trump despite his conviction on 34 felony charges, a city slicker background and proven allegations of promiscuity and lack of character.

I honestly don’t know what Mississippi Republican leaders actually stand for today other than Trump. I sit and wonder what happened to Southern values? I wonder what happened to character standards in politics? I ponder what happened to honest Mississippi beliefs? And, if these are the real beliefs of our leaders being presented then we are in serious trouble.

Eighteen years ago, I started my career working for the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office under Democratic and Republican administrations. As a newly minted political science major from Jackson State University, working at 401 Mississippi Street directly across from the Mississippi State Capitol gave me a deeper, sincere respect for our state government, the rule of law and order, and an earnest pride and commitment to our state and country. Democrats and Republicans taught me these values.

To this day, I am forever grateful for this bipartisan mentorship, especially as I think about the leadership we need in Mississippi now more than ever.

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In the final analysis, Mississippi Republican leaders stand in allegiance to Trump — no matter what. For this reason, I remain deeply concerned about the future of Mississippi and the general welfare of our residents.

 Shuwaski Young is a former Democrat Party candidate in statewide elections.



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Mississippi

Women advocate for paid leave, equal pay – Mississippi Today

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Women advocate for paid leave, equal pay – Mississippi Today


Mothers and advocates with the Black Women’s Roundtable gathered at the Capitol Thursday and called on the Legislature to prioritize women and children this year. 

Speakers asked lawmakers to act on a range of issues from midwifery care to child care, but all their priorities centered around making women more financially secure in the poorest state with the worst maternal health outcomes. 

Advocates brought with them “money bags,” which they said would be placed on the desks of all lawmakers.

“Inside those money bags are coins that represent access to child care, access to health care, higher wages for families and the need to move paid family and medical leave,” said Robin Jackson, director of policy advocacy for the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable. “We are not asking you anymore – we are telling you ‘Secure the bag for Mississippi families.’”

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Shequite Wilson-Johnson, a mother of five and assistant professor at Mississippi Valley State University, spoke about her struggle to birth her children safely and with job security – even when she worked her way up the social ladder. 

Wilson-Johnson was a teenager when she had her first baby. By her second child, she was in college, working up until the day she gave birth. With her third, she was married. With her fourth, she had a master’s degree, and with her fifth, a doctoral degree. But she never got paid time off, and she was laid off twice after giving birth – including with her last child.

“Understand this: No matter how hard I worked, no matter how hard I tried, no matter the education I had, no matter the standard of life, I was still told, ‘You don’t matter,’” Wilson-Johnson said.

There are currently two bills moving through the Legislature that would create the state’s first paid parental leave mandate for state employees. The bills wouldn’t help people like Wilson-Johnson, but they would be a start, and might encourage the private sector to follow suit and “do the right thing,” said Rep. Kevin Felsher, R-Biloxi, and author of the House’s bill. 

But it isn’t just about the money. Studies show that paid maternity leave drastically benefits the health of mothers and babies – including reducing postpartum depression and infant mortality, and increasing bonding and breastfeeding.

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There are a dozen states that mandate paid parental leave across both private and public sectors. But the majority of states offer paid parental leave to state employees. 

Sen. Angela Turner Ford speaks at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Miss., on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, D-West Point, voiced her support for paid leave during the press conference.

“Our state does lag behind, whether it’s welcoming a newborn, caring for an elderly loved one, or managing a personal health crisis,” Turner-Ford said. “… Come back next year if we have not passed this legislation, hold us responsible, make us do more.”

Wilson-Johnson, of Indianola, also struggled to find adequate and affordable child care for her children, even when she worked at a child care center – a common plight for mothers everywhere. 

Two out of five child care workers in America make so little they need public assistance to support their families. In Mississippi, there are so few child care employees willing to work under the industry’s conditions that it’s affecting every other sector of the job market, with moms staying out of work because they can’t find a safe day care in which to place their children. It’s costing Mississippi $8 billion, according to a report from the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance. 

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Bills aimed at allocating funds from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant, or TANF, to create child care vouchers for needy parents died in committee. 

Advocates commended lawmakers for passing 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage in 2023, calling it “a win” – but emphasized the need to do more, and quickly. Mississippi, the state with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, was among the last states to ensure that these mothers could continue their Medicaid coverage for a year after they gave birth – the time during which most maternal deaths occur. 

In fact, between 2018 and 2023, the Mississippi Legislature only passed four bills related to maternal health, according to a study by researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. 

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann told Mississippi Today he recognizes the need for legislative action supporting women, and that’s why he founded the Women, Children and Families Study Group, a Senate committee tasked with reviewing the needs of women and children in the state, in 2022. He said more maternal health bills were passed in the last two years than ever before. 

“This session, I hope to build on that progress by passing bills for paid maternity leave for state employees and enhancing postpartum depression screening to ensure more effective and efficient care,” Hosemann said.

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Watch: Residents escape wrath of tornado in Columbia, Mississippi

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Watch: Residents escape wrath of tornado in Columbia, Mississippi


COLUMBIA, Miss. – A late afternoon tornado struck the town of Columbia, Mississippi, on Wednesday, as residents snapped videos of the twister while it quickly moved through the southern portion of the state. 

Many of the town’s approximately 5,000 residents had a front row seat to the twister and captured the powerful event on their cell phones.

In the videos, debris can be seen being thrown into the air as the tornado touched down in mixed-use areas of Columbia.

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“You’re looking back toward between Broad Street and Church Street around East Avenue,” two-term mayor Justin McKenzie could be heard telling viewers on Facebook and those standing by his side. “Law enforcement now is reporting that there is some kind of debris in the tornado. Boy, that’s not a huge one, but I gather it has dropped down after entering into the town.”

DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER SWEEPS ACROSS SOUTH FROM MONSTER WINTER STORM, SPAWNING TORNADOES

Cody Stevens was one of the many of the local residents who was out and about on what felt like a warm spring day before the storms moved through.

“Just narrowly avoided a tornado right outside Columbia, MS. I’m going go change my underwear now,” Stevens stated after coming face-to-face with the twister.

According to local officials, several businesses and homes were damaged, but fortunately, no significant injuries were reported in the immediate aftermath after the storm.

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The town’s police and emergency management teams conducted a survey of the area, while power crews worked to restore electricity to more than 100 customers in the affected region.

The tornado occurred on what was considered to be an Enhanced Risk day by the Storm Prediction Center across several southern states. 

Communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were placed under a Tornado Watches through the late evening due to the threat of rotating supercells.

HOW ARE TORNADOES RATED? THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE EXPLAINED

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A particularly dangerous Tornado Warning was issued for communities around Thomasville, Alabama, where radar detected significant debris lofted more than 15,000 feet in the air.

Following the storm, scattered power outages were reported and photos from the Coffeeville area, north of Mobile, showed several trees and power lines down.

Authorities will likely need the help of sunlight to continue their assessments to determine the full extent of the damage in Alabama.

Despite the widespread storm threat zone, there were less than a handful of reports of confirmed tornadoes through Wednesday evening, during what has been a down year for tornadic activity across the country as a whole.

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What ‘shocked’ Chris Jans of Mississippi State basketball’s second half collapse vs Florida

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What ‘shocked’ Chris Jans of Mississippi State basketball’s second half collapse vs Florida


STARKVILLE — Chris Jans said vibes were strong in Mississippi State basketball’s locker room at halftime. 

There was a sense of normalcy by all accounts. If anything, the Bulldogs coach said they were disappointed they didn’t lead No. 3 Florida by more than one point.

Immediately after that was one of the worst stretches MSU has played all season. The Gators scored the first 17 points of the second half and computed a 25-4 run over six minutes, 41 seconds, flipping MSU’s one-point lead into a 20-point deficit. Florida (21-3, 8-3 SEC) won 81-68 on Tuesday night despite one starter not playing and another, Alex Condon, exiting the game with an injury 30 seconds in. 

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“I just was shocked that that’s how we were playing,” Jans said. “We just didn’t have the type of urgency and fight that we showed the majority in the first half from where I sat.”

It dropped Mississippi State (17-7, 5-6) to 3-6 in the last nine games. The Bulldogs have also trailed by at least 20 points in consecutive games at Humphrey Coliseum. 

What went wrong for Mississippi State in the second half

Mississippi State missed its first three shots of the second half, but that wasn’t necessarily the issue. It only attempted three shots in the first five minutes of the half because of turnovers. 

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The Bulldogs turned the ball over six times during Florida’s 17-0 run. Three of them were credited to forward KeShawn Murphy.

“Basically, they just came out more hungry than we did,” Murphy said, who scored 18 points with 13 rebounds. “We started out flat, got down on ourselves for some reason, and it shows.”

Jans called a timeout with 16:32 remaining and Florida’s run at 9-0. He then had to call another timeout with one minute, 23 seconds later when Florida quickly scored eight more points.

“I just didn’t expect it,” Jans said. “In the first half, we were frustrated with ourselves offensively. I thought we set the tone and had a good defensive first half. We rebounded the ball very well in the first half, and that was a big goal for us. 

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“And for whatever reason, we were just out of sync in terms of all five guys when we’re going into defense to offense and what we’re trying to run and what we’re trying to do. We just weren’t all where we needed to be every time. It wasn’t one guy. It was just one time it was this guy; one time it was the next guy. It was frustrating for us because we just didn’t feel like we were giving ourselves the best chance to take advantage of what we were trying to do against their defense.”

Mississippi State lost again to a top team

The loss dropped Mississippi State to 0-5 against top 10 teams this season, all of which have come in SEC play.

“I feel like early on in the season, we played our basketball and stuck together,” Murphy said. “Now it’s just like when things get hard, we break into pieces a little bit. We got to stick to what we know and who we’ve been. We got to find our identity and we’re losing that a little bit.”

Mississippi State only has one regular-season game remaining against a top 10 team on Feb. 25 at Alabama. Four of the remaining seven regular-season games are against unranked opponents. 

“I’m certainly concerned,” Jans said. “I’m a little shocked because we had a great practice yesterday. We were coming off a very tough, well-earned road victory. The vibe was really, really good. Shootaround was one of the better ones we’ve had. They were excited. Togetherness was showing.”

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Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.



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