Press

Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, is readying for her national close-up. How else to interpret her recent controversial trip to Texas to “fix” her smile, documented in a lengthy video?

You know, the one she posted on X, Facebook and Instagram, singing the praises of Smile Texas, the cosmetic dental clinic that remedied what she said had been a problem incurred long ago in an accident while bicycling with her children. The one that chronicled her journey to, she said, “a smile that I can be proud of and confident in.”

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke to The New York Times about what being in Trump’s circle has meant for Kristi Noem.

House Speaker Mike Johnson begins the two-week spring recess with a threat against his leadership. With the GOP’s majority soon shrinking to one seat, how will Johnson and the Republicans govern?

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke with NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition about House Speaker Johnson’s leadership as the house begins its two-week spring recess.

One of U.S. President Joe Biden’s key campaign messages, that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, is winning over fewer Black supporters and those without college degrees than other segments of his political base, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Worries about political extremism and threats to democracy have emerged as among Americans’ top concerns, following historic events including Republican former President Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, the Supreme Court’s move to end the nationwide right to abortion and a surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rodell Mollineau, co-founder and partner, spoke with Reuters about how voters should be viewing Trump and Biden’s accomplishments and failures when looking to the future. Read the full article here.

The race for the next Republican Senate leader has the potential to further expose deepening divisions within the party as the conference looks to select a new head in November after the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., steps down from his post. 

While the Republicans boast 49 seats in the Senate, they don’t all champion the same brand of conservatism. This has become more evident in the Trump era as the party’s positions and base shift. 

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke to Fox News about what the fight for the next Republican Senate leader will look like for those who want to join the race. Read the full article here.

Donald Trump is sailing into battle against President Joe Biden powered by anger over the two policy issues that have driven his comeback campaign so far: immigration and the economy.

Trump came close to sweeping the board in the 16 “Super Tuesday” Republican primary races, putting him on the verge of clinching the party’s nomination and allowing him to train his full fire on Biden ahead of the November election.

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke with Reuters about the disconnect on how voters view the economy. Read the full article here.

The furor over corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs has turned so explosive that it’s never been busier for specialists on the topic.

Some companies are cutting back on DEI initiatives while others are disbanding them altogether. Many more are hurriedly reconfiguring their policies, striving to avoid lawsuits from conservative activists as they attack diversity programs. That’s led to a flurry of requests for audits from law firms and consultancies who specialize on diversity in the workplace.

ROKK’s Chief Development Officer Lindsay Singleton spoke with Bloomberg on what companies are doing in the wake of the push against DEI programs from conservative activists. Read the full article here and learn more about our DEI report here.

If anyone gets a thank-you note from President Biden for helping get him out of a jam in recent days, it should probably be former President Donald J. Trump.

Just when Mr. Biden was swamped by unwelcome questions about his age, his predecessor and challenger stepped in, rescuing him with an ill-timed diatribe vowing to “encourage” Russia to attack NATO allies that do not spend enough on their militaries.

ROKK Co-Founder and President Rodell Mollineau spoke with The New York Times about what we can expect this election year from former President Donald Trump.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a months-long push to advance bipartisan border legislation, effectively punting on the issue until after the November election.

The motion to proceed on the bill fell 11 votes short of the 60 votes needed. Only four Republicans — Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitt Romney (Utah) and James Lankford (Okla.), who negotiated the bill for the GOP — voted to proceed.

ROKK Co-Founders and Partners Ron Bonjean and Rodell Mollineau spoke to The Hill on the risks both parties face if Congress pushes the immigration issue past the 2024 election.

Nikki Haley’s defeat in Nevada’s primary on Tuesday has dealt an embarrassing blow to her candidacy as she heads toward a showdown with former President Trump in South Carolina. 

Though the former U.N. ambassador has been seen as a long-shot candidate, she’s benefited from a cash windfall in recent months, spurring hopes she might at least be able to close the gap with Trump in her home state’s primary on Feb. 24.

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke to The Hill about what Haley’s loss looks like going into the Republican South Carolina primary at the end of the month.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) has spent the past few months at the Capitol hashing out a politically tricky bipartisan deal with a small group of lawmakers to address the migrant crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.

It’s the type of intricate legislative dealmaking the former Democrat has built her unusual political brand on. But in the next few weeks, Sinema must decide whether voters in her purple state care enough about her brand of politics in a polarized era to reelect her as an independent, as the window for her to gather enough signatures to land on the November ballot quickly closes.

Read the insights from Co-Founder and Partner Rodell Mollineau on what Sinema’s indecision to run for reelection means for Democrats in The Washington Post.