Mississippi

Mississippi Republicans embrace Donald Trump: no matter what

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2024

Mississippi Republicans embrace Donald Trump: no matter what

Shuwaski Young
| Special to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

How Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius dominated third straight SEC team vs Ole Miss

Published

3 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

How Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius dominated third straight SEC team vs Ole Miss

OXFORD — Tomas Valincius struck out top Ole Miss baseball batter Tristan Bissetta looking on his last pitch of the game.

There was no emotion from the Mississippi State starting pitcher as he walked back to the dugout after Bissetta was the fourth straight Ole Miss batter to strike out.

It was another instance of Valincius, the left-handed Virginia transfer, showing a trait that’s made him such a dominant pitcher for the No. 4 Bulldogs. The longer Valincius pitches, the better he gets.

The sophomore pitched another five shutout innings as MSU (23-4, 5-2 SEC) took down No. 18 Ole Miss, 6-1, at Swayze Field on March 28 to win the series.

“It’s all mental,” Valincius said. “Just going out there and just kind of trusting yourself and all the work you put in throughout the week. And even when you don’t have your stuff, it’s still a war between every battle in every inning. It’s kind of like finding a way to do what you can do with what you got.”

The win clinched the Bulldogs’ ninth series against the Rebels (19-9, 3-5) in the last 10 meetings. Another win March 29 (3 p.m., SEC Network) would make Brian O’Connor the third straight first-year MSU coach to sweep Ole Miss.

Valincius (6-0) hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 SEC innings and his season ERA dropped to 0.91.

Against the Rebels, one game after striking out a career-high 14 batters against Vanderbilt, Valincius recorded nine strikeouts with three hits, two walks and one hit by pitch in 90 pitches.

“He buckled down when runners were in scoring position,” O’Connor said. “He’s always best in his middle innings. You see him just rise his game up.”

Why Tomas Valincius could’ve done even better against Ole Miss

While the Ole Miss game was Valincius’ third SEC start without allowing an earned run, it was his shortest outing of the three. The other two against Arkansas and Vanderbilt both lasted seven innings.

Valincius stranded six Ole Miss batters on base in his five innings.

“Early on, I didn’t really feel like I had anything going,” Valincius said. “I was kind of just finding a way to win. That was kind of my whole approach throughout the whole game. I couldn’t really figure out the slider and fastball command. It wasn’t working a lot. I just found a way to win.”

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

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Mississippi

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

Published

15 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) — Multiple people were killed in a crash between a train and a van on Friday afternoon in Mississippi.

Stone County Sheriff Todd Stewart said the crash happened around 1 p.m. on Pump Branch Road. First responders had to cut through the woods to get to the wreckage.

There were six people in the van at the time of the crash, Stewart said. Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry confirmed five of them died in the crash.

Multiple people are dead after a crash between a train and a van in Mississippi. (WLOX)

The sixth person was airlifted to New Orleans.

The five victims were identified as 26-year-old Ryan C. Peterson, who was a corrections officer with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, 23-year-old Demarcus Perkins, 45-year-old Kristina Carver, and Carver’s two daughters, 22-year-old Emley Chamblee and 20-year-old Sarabeth Chamblee.

Nearby resident Pam Olson has been sounding the alarm on the Pump Branch Road railroad crossing for some time. She was tending to her garden with her husband when the sound of screeching brakes made them jolt.

“We heard it,” explained Olson. “My husband and I were in the yard working on our flowerbeds. I told my husband a train hit another vehicle. My husband ran up there and said, ‘Pam, it’s bad.’”

A recent report from the Stone County Enterprise outlines another wreck in the same spot, which resulted in the driver of a pickup truck being airlifted. Stewart also pointed out a fatal train accident in Stone County happened at the location in 2023, claiming the life of a Wiggins woman.

“This’d be the second incident in the last four to five weeks involving fatalities and the third incident in the last year, all involving fatalities,” explained Stewart. “To date, we’ve lost seven folks within the last year.”

The crossing does not have crossing arms or lights. Stone County District 1 Supervisor Jimmy Springs said he previously reached out to Mississippi Department of Transportation railroad engineers and was told crossing arms are on the way for two crossings, including the one at Pump Branch Road. However, it could take a year for them to be installed.

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CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The CLASH Endurance triathlon officially started along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.

“I placed first, so I’m pretty stoked about that,” Reilly said.

Winning a triathlon means beating competitors from across the country and around the world in swimming, biking and running.

“Definitely a lot of hours goes into the sport, but the actual race was tough. It was like full gas, swim, bike, and run, so over an hour. And I’m excited to be able to be done and take home the win,” Reilly said.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.(WLOX)

Athletes praise Gulf Coast hospitality

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.

“I have had such a great time down here in the south. It’s, like, the nicest people I’ve ever met. The culture is amazing. The music’s great. The food’s great. Honestly, nothing but positive for me. It’s awesome,” said Annette Zavala of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

“I really like this course. It was really cool to see them swim in the marina. The course was very accessible to view, which I really appreciated,” said Sophia Najera of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the... — It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.(WLOX)

More than 28 countries and all 50 states are represented, bringing a boost to the coastal economy.

“All of the athletes who are visiting coastal Mississippi, they’re staying in the hotels, they’re visiting the restaurants, they’re shopping, and they’re not just staying for a night or two. Some of them are staying and playing,” said Blair Lahaye, CLASH Endurance vice president of communications.

Athletes say it’s the support from the crowd and each other that pushes them across the finish line.

“You might have the worst mindset out there, but just hearing someone believe in you, like, that’s sometimes all you need to move forward,” Zavala said.

“I could not have gone through half the races I did, half the trainings I did, without the support of my teammates. We’re really excited to come race tomorrow, and we were super glad to get to be able to cheer on our teammates today,” Najera said.