State Senator Ditches Dem Party After 40 Years To Become A Republican
A Nebraska state senator has switched to the Republican Party after being a Democrat for 40 years. State Senator Mike McDonnell said one of the main reasons he is switching parties is because of his anti-abortion stance.
The lawmaker said that his religious beliefs about the sanctity of life made Democrats “punish” him by taking away their support and having the state party’s main committee censure him.
“Today I’m announcing, I am now going to be a registered Republican in the state of Nebraska,” said, McDonnell, a former firefighter and union leader.
“I asked the Democratic Party in Douglas County to respect that I’m pro-life, that I’m a member of the Roman Catholic Church. And my beliefs are based on that,” McDonnell said. “Douglas County Democrats instead of respecting it, they decided to punish it.”
“They said you cannot participate, you can’t be a delegate, we’re not gonna share our party resources,” he added. “I continue to vote pro-life. The state Democratic Party decided to censure me. I continue to vote pro-life.”
The Nebraska Democratic Party, which censured McDonnell previously, pushed back on his claim.
“The Nebraska Democratic Party will continue to stand up for reproductive freedom and the human rights of the LGBTQ community. Our decision to censure Sen. McDonnell was never about him being a pro-life Catholic,” NDP chair Jane Kleeb said Wednesday in a statement.
“Our decision was based on our party reaffirming our core values to protect women’s ability to make health decisions and to keep politicians out of our personal health decisions. We respect the ongoing work of Senator McDonnell on behalf of unions and his commitment to protect a fair electoral vote system we have in our state,” Kleeb added.
“McDonnell’s switch, confirmed by Douglas County election officials, gives the GOP 33 members in a one-house Legislature. That’s a significant number in a 49-member body with rules that require 33 votes to overcome a filibuster. Democrats would then hold 15 seats, plus a progressive who is a registered nonpartisan,” the Nebraska Examiner reported. “The Legislature is officially nonpartisan and often splits along different fault lines than political party. On controversial votes, however, senators tend to vote more often along party lines.”
A recent poll of U.S. adults conducted in January 2026 found that 67% of respondents support legal limits on abortion, including restrictions on when the procedure can be performed, reflecting broad public backing for some level of regulation on the practice.
A similar majority also expressed support for laws designed to protect both mothers and unborn children.
The poll surveyed 1,408 adults nationwide, asking about support for legal limits on abortion, restrictions by trimester, and related issues such as protections for healthcare professionals who object to participating in abortions on religious grounds.
Among those surveyed:
- 67% said they favor placing legal limits on abortion, even if the procedure remains available in many circumstances.
- 57% supported limiting elective abortion to at most the first trimester in most situations.
- 63% said that healthcare workers with religious objections should not be required to participate in abortions.
- A strong majority also said laws can be written to protect both the mother and the unborn child.
The poll also found broad support for pregnancy resource centers that assist expectant mothers and families.
Despite the majority backing limits, the survey indicated that more Americans identify as “pro-choice” than “pro-life.” In the same poll, roughly 62% described themselves as pro-choice, while 37% said they were pro-life.
Director of the Marist Poll, Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, noted, “Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus on this issue among Americans.” Her remarks underscored a surprising unity beneath the surface of a polarized topic, as reported by The Center Square.
Carvalho told the outlet, “Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus on this issue among Americans.”
“Americans believe abortion should be limited yet include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” Carvalho said.
Trump Warns Iran of ‘Total Obliteration’ if They Try To Harm Him HH
President Donald Trump warned Iran that continued assassination threats made by leaders in Tehran would be met with the country getting “blown up” and “total obliteration.”
“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification,” Trump said. “Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up.”
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Biden-era Intelligence officials briefed Trump about the alleged threats against him during his presidential campaign in 2024. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plot was retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in 2020, during Trump’s first administration.
Despite being briefed by his administration, Trump on Tuesday said President Biden “should have said something” on the matter, adding that presidents should defend each other on such matters.
“But I have very firm instructions,” Trump continued. “Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
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Trump also spoke about the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva.
“What are you expecting from these Iran talks in Geneva?” a reporter asked Trump aboard Air Force One.
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“So, I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important. We’ll see what can happen. Typically, Iran’s a very tough negotiator; they’re good negotiators — or bad negotiators. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s to knock out their nuclear potential. We had to send the B2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?” the reporter followed up.
Trump replied, “No. I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal.”
WATCH:
Trump previously said that he instructed officials to destroy Iran if they killed him.
The president said this after signing an executive order right after taking office that gave him all the tools he needed to talk to Iran’s government and put as much pressure on Tehran as possible.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said at the time. “Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it.”
Trump warned last week that the United States could send additional warships toward Iran if ongoing diplomatic negotiations fail to produce a deal, signaling that military pressure could increase as talks over Tehran’s nuclear program stall.
In remarks to Axios, Trump said the administration is considering deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln and 9 additional warships already positioned near Iran, though he expressed hope that a diplomatic agreement can still be reached.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” the president told Axios on Tuesday, a reference to the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites in June.
“Last time they didn’t believe I would do it. They overplayed their hand,” Trump added. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.”
The president emphasized that the United States is seeking to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, halt the development of its ballistic missile program, and end support for militant proxy groups. Iranian officials have so far resisted expanding negotiations beyond nuclear-related issues.
He described the nuclear issue as a “matter of course” part of any negotiation, but also insisted that an agreement with Iran must also address Tehran’s ballistic missile stockpiles, per Axios.
Trump said the US “can make a great deal with Iran,” and Tehran “very much wants to make a deal.”
Trump’s comments came ahead of a planned visit to Washington, D.C. by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to press for a tougher U.S. stance and broader terms for any Iran deal that would include constraints on Tehran’s missile capabilities and regional activities.
Before heading to DC, the Israeli leader previewed some of what he and Trump were going to discuss.
“I will present to the president our understanding of the principles of the negotiations (with Iran) – the essential principles that are important not only to Israel – but to everyone who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told reporters, per the New York Post.
The administration has already bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, with multiple warships and aircraft deployed as a means of deterrence and leverage.
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