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Former Trump official in crucial battleground Senate race hits back at major endorsement snub
LAS VEGAS – A former Trump official running for Senate in the crucial swing state of Nevada hit back Monday after being snubbed for a major endorsement from his old boss.
Dr. Jeffrey Gunter, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Iceland, had hoped to win former President Trump’s backing in his bid to flip Nevada red, but that honor instead went to his primary opponent, former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown, late Sunday.
Both candidates and their respective supporters close to Trump had battled for weeks behind the scenes to win the former president’s backing.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES MAJOR ENDORSEMENT IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND SENATE RACE
Dermatologist and former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Dr. Jeffrey Gunter, former President Trump, and former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown (State Department | Getty Images | Sam Brown for Nevada)
“Mitch McConnell money wins, the American people lose. Rinse and repeat,” Gunter told Fox News Digital after news of the endorsement broke, a clear swipe at national Republicans who have remained staunchly behind Brown’s candidacy.
Gunter later claimed in an early Monday X post that the endorsement came down to a “big check,” something the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) dismissed as an “unglued” attack against Trump.
“California Democrat Jeff Gunter became totally unglued after President Trump endorsed war hero Sam Brown. Gunter took to Twitter to falsely smear President Trump and sounds more Adam Schiff than a conservative,” NRSC communications director Mike Berg told Fox.
Some close to Trump blasted Gunter for accusing the former president of “pay for play,” calling on him to delete the post.
TRUMP ENDORSEMENT IN BATTLEGROUND STATE ANOTHER VICTORY FOR SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR
“Didn’t accuse President Trump of anything. Will always support him 110% His ‘top advisers’ on the other hand, have some explaining to do,” Gunter responded in another post.
Fox News Digital interviewed Gunter just hours before Trump announced his endorsement of Brown on Truth Social. He expressed confidence heading into Tuesday’s primary, citing internal polling he said showed him either tied or leading Brown.
“Word on the street is we’re doing great, very exciting, and we’re working hard,” Gunter said. “So we’re very optimistic that we will make Nevada great again as the true Trump supporter 110% and MAGA candidate.”
Brown’s campaign has also cited internal polls, but they show him with a significant lead over Gunter, who argues he is the only one in the race able to defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen in the general election.
TRUMP RILES UP FIERY SWING STATE CROWD IN FIRST RALLY SINCE NEW YORK CONVICTION
Former Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter is running for Senate in Nevada as a Republican. (Dr. Jeff Gunter for Senate)
Gunter cited polls showing Rosen leading Brown, but a New York Times poll released last month showed Brown and Rosen tied at 41% each with a number still undecided. Little independent polling has been done on a hypothetical matchup between Gunter and Rosen.
“I am the true MAGA candidate… If you like Mitch McConnell, and if you like Nikki Haley, then maybe you’ll like Sam Brown,” Gunter said. “But if you like America First, and if you love Donald Trump – I worked for him. I was his U.S. ambassador, and I’m true to my principles, and, I’m your guy. And that’s why we’re surging so much and doing so well in the great state of Nevada.”
Gunter said his experience as an ambassador and doctor, as well as his “loyalty” to Trump, were what undecided voters should consider as they head to the polls.
Fox News Digital repeatedly attempted to interview Brown ahead of Tuesday’s primary, but his campaign would not commit to doing so at the time of this article’s publishing.
Rosen is expected to easily win her primary on Tuesday, and will likely face either Brown or Gunter in the general election.
Republicans view Nevada as one of the party’s top flip opportunities as it seeks to win back control of the Senate from Democrats, who currently hold a slim 51-49 majority.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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One person is dead and two others are missing near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay after a boat with 19 people aboard capsized Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
A vessel was reported to be on fire around 600 yards off Alcatraz around 3:35 p.m., and police found a capsized three-deck pontoon boat, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said.
The incident was initially reported as a fire, but no first responders reported witnessing a blaze, Crispen said.
Everyone on the boat is believed to have been adults, Crispen said. A dog was also on board and is dead, he said.
Thirteen people were safely rescued, and another three were transported to hospitals, Crispen said.
Firefighters are “in full rescue mode,” with 11 boats and divers as part of the response, Crispen said.
“We are going to continue for hours to make sure that we find these two missing people, if possible,” Crispen said.
“It seemed like a recreational-type vessel, but that’s all we know at this point,” Crispen told reporters.
The vessel reportedly launched from a yacht club, and investigators were still gathering information, he said.
Helicopter footage from NBC Bay Area showed responding rescue boats and debris floating in the water. Video from the station appeared to show some of the rescued with blankets on shore.
Local police departments and private vessels also responded to the incident, Crispen said.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.
When first responders arrived, some people were in the water, others were on the sinking boat, and others were falling into the water, Crispen said.
Alcatraz Island is the site of the famous prison located in San Francisco Bay, around 1 mile offshore. It was closed as a federal prison in 1963 and is now a National Park.
Crispen said the search would be extensive.
“Our standard operating procedure is to continue to search, as long as it’s safe enough for us to search,” he said.
He said divers were in the water, helicopters were above, and officials were searching areas where survivors in the water would tend to move to.
“This search will go on for some time,” Crispen said.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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