‘George [Strait] has been my friend for 43 years and I did it for George,’ Gill explains. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Month: March 2026
When Brandon Herrera ran for Congress in 2024, the Republican Jewish Coalition called him “a goose-stepping extremist” and spent big to take him down. Two years later, he’s the presumptive GOP nominee — and his former foes are staying home as the GOP establishment moves to embrace him.
Herrera, a gun shop owner and popular YouTuber known as “The AKGuy” running in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, has faced widespread criticism for past videos in which he mimics a Nazi march to Nazi music, jokes about the Holocaust and boasts about his 1939 edition of “Mein Kampf.” His 2024 opponent, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) called him a “known neo-Nazi,” a characterization Herrera disputes. Concern over Herrera’s comments were so severe that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s United Democracy Project spent more than $1 million two years ago and the Republican Jewish Coalition spent close to $400,000 to sink his campaign.
But now, a scandal forced Gonzales to drop out of the runoff, and Herrera is the GOP nominee in the sprawling, GOP-leaning Texas border district, which President Donald Trump carried by a 17-point margin in 2024.
And faced with the choice of a candidate they’ve long accused of antisemitism and a Democrat, these pro-Israel and Jewish groups are thus far choosing to sit on their hands.
AIPAC, which backs both Democratic and Republican pro-Israel candidates and usually focuses its efforts in primaries, has not endorsed in the race. AIPAC spokesperson Deryn Sousa said in a statement only that the group would “continue to assess where candidates across the country stand on issues that affect the U.S.-Israel partnership.”
And the RJC, which only supports Republican candidates, won’t get involved. “The RJC has a longstanding policy of speaking out against those who traffic in Nazi ideology, and this is another case,” said RJC political director and spokesperson Sam Markstein. “The RJC opposed Mr. Herrera in 2024, and he will not get our support now.”
But Markstein made clear it was likely they would sit the race out rather than oppose him in the general election. “We’ve never supported a Democrat, so that should tell you everything you need to know,” he said.
In the weeks since Herrera finished as the top vote-getter in Texas’ March 4 primary and Gonzales dropped out, the GOP establishment has largely embraced Herrera.
Last week, as lawmakers and donors socialized during a glitzy Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for the House Freedom Caucus, which backed him in the primary, Herrera made a triumphant appearance, according to an attendee granted anonymity to detail a private event and another attendee’s post on social media. Trump announced his endorsement on social media the same night.
“Brandon is strongly supported by many Highly Respected MAGA Warriors in Texas, and Republicans in the US House,” Trump wrote. “HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Speaker Mike Johnson and House GOP leadership followed a week later, calling him an “America First grassroots leader” in a joint statement Thursday.
Trump’s endorsement brings “a little bit of comfort” to pro-Israel GOP donors who view Trump as a loyal ally, said Gabriel Groisman, a Florida-based GOP donor active in pro-Israel circles. “We trust the president and his team in their vetting of congressional candidates,” Groisman said. “But it doesn’t mean we don’t ask questions and we don’t dig further.”And Groisman said that the “ugly truth about politics” is Jewish Republican donors are now faced with the option of him or a Democrat, rather than another Republican. “So the question is whether it’s better to have him in [office], or not. That’s a very, very difficult question to answer.”
Herrera criticized AIPAC’s spending against him in 2024, calling it “Israel first bullshit.” “I’m not anti-Israel, I’m anti Israel buying American elections,” he wrote on social media.
He has also been critical of U.S. policy toward Israel, arguing American taxpayers should not have to pay for military aid to Israel. We shouldn’t be spending a cent of taxpayer dollars on anything that is not either an investment or right here in the United States,” he said in a speech, Israel National News reported. “I don’t hate my neighbor just because I don’t want to pay his power bill. If they want to buy rockets from us, let’s sell to them.”
Republicans’ embrace of Herrera shows how seriously the GOP values maintaining control of the House this cycle, even as some Republicans warn of growing antisemitism within their own ranks.
Herrera’s campaign has continued to publicly push back on criticisms of his social media history, which they contend are taken out of context from his “work as a historical firearms educator” and omitting extended clips that include “comments ridiculing and condemning Hitler’s book.”
“The accusations against Brandon were bizarre and false, manufactured by a desperate political opponent who misleadingly cut and pasted together disparate video clips,” Herrera campaign manager Kimmie Gonzalez said in a statement.
Groisman, the Florida-based donor, said Herrera’s allies are working to assuage concerns about his past statements through outreach to Jewish and pro-Israel donors in Texas and beyond.
“They’re trying to send them what he has actually said, versus what people say he said, which they seem to claim that there’s a big delta there,” Groisman said. “The concern is, are we, as a Republican Party, allowing in another potential Thomas Massie-type figure? Nobody knows the answer to that question.” Massie, a Republican member of the House from Kentucky, has been an outspoken critic of Trump and Israel.
Herrera’s campaign confirmed he is looking for dialogue with those same groups that have attacked him for years — including the RJC.
Katie Padilla Stout, the Democratic nominee in the district, has said that Herrera has “consistently been on the wrong side of history,” citing content from his YouTube videos that mocked veterans and another video in which he tested Nazi weaponry. Padilla Stout has started to make allegations of antisemitism core to her attacks on her Republican opponent, as outside Democratic groups — like the House Majority PAC — use his past videos as attacks.
“Given his documented history of apparent anti-semitism, it’s no surprise our campaign has received an outpouring of support from people from all across the district and from both sides of the aisle, including support from the Jewish community,” Padilla Stout’s campaign manager, Yolitzma Aguirre, said in a statement.
Some of the Republican officeholders who have warned loudly about growing antisemitism within their party dodged when asked about Herrera.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has vowed to take on any Republican congressional candidate who espoused antisemitism, but when asked about Herrera said “I don’t know what you’re talking about, in terms of what he said.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who denounced podcaster Nick Fuentes as a “goose-stepping Nazi” during a speech last week, has stayed out of the primary, even as he endorsed in other U.S. House races in his state. He said questions about Herrera’s statements or actions should be directed to Herrera himself.
“I haven’t seen the video you’re discussing, and so you’re welcome to ask him those questions,” Cruz said in a brief interview last week.
When asked how he would advise Texas voters to cast their ballot in Herrera’s race, Cruz refused to answer. “Those are the exact same questions a Democrat tracker would ask,” Cruz said before walking away. His office declined to elaborate on his answers.
While Republicans circle the wagons or duck the topic, a Jewish Democratic group that rarely plays in districts like this is thinking about investing in trying to defeat Herrera.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America is considering getting involved in the heavily Republican district, which would deviate from their norm of engaging only in districts with significant Jewish voter populations.
“If there was ever a chance that a Democrat could win a seat like this, maybe it’s in these midterms,” said JDCA CEO Halie Soifer. “So it is something we’re looking at. Certainly it is a priority for us to defeat Trump-endorsed neo-Nazis, like this candidate.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misspelled Halie Soifer’s name and misstated her title.
Politics
BMO Stadium (Los Angeles) – Put some respect on his name. Team USA football player Darrell Doucette spoke for the rest of his teammates after manhandling some of the best NFL players in the game, winning the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Championship on Saturday. An emotional and teary-eyed Doucette, who won MVP of the tournament, was thankful for the opportunity for his team to highlight their skills, letting the world know what they do is much different than the tackle football being played on Sundays. “Those guys that we competed against, they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into,” Doucette said. “They just thought that they were going to come out and play. But I think we gained a lot of respect from those guys. “Of course, we are fans of those guys. We love just being in their presence, not necessarily competing against them, but being in their presence and them accepting us. They gave us a lot of respect and a lot of credit.” Team USA’s cat-quick, shifty athletes routinely slid past their NFL counterparts, as the more experienced national team players dominated play on Saturday, finishing 3-0 in the round-robin tournament. Here are my takeaways: 1. Yep, Tom Brady can still play On the opening drive of the game, Brady engineered his most impressive two-play sequence on the day. Brady evaded a would-be pass rusher who attempted to grab his flag by side-stepping him to the left, then delivering a dart to the back of the end zone to Stefon Diggs. Brady followed that up by finding his security blanket in the pros, connecting with tight end Rob Gronkowski for the two-point version as Team Founder took an 8-0 lead to start the game against Team USA. It was short-lived, though, as Team USA marched down the field to tie the game en route to a runaway victory over Brady’s hand-picked team. The seven-time Super Bowl champion finished 8-of-12 for 61 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions, while his team finished 0-2 on the day. While the NFL players struggled, Brady said not to rule out the possibility of elite athletes from the highest level of football learning the flag football game over the next two years to make their way onto Team USA by the Olympics. “There’s going to be a selection process, and may the best people play,” Brady said. “That’s the best thing about team sports, it’s a meritocracy. Whoever gives the team the best opportunity to win, that’s who should be out there. There’s a long way from that happening, a couple years. “But I think it’s just good for NFL players to see what this is all about. The NFL players are great athletes. We were literally learning how to take flags off two days ago. Those guys did a great job. I don’t want to take anything away from them. But there’s certainly a long way to go before the selection process happens.” 2. Team USA is the clear winner Team USA accomplished its goal of proving it can compete against the NFL-level talent that was on the field opposite it on Saturday. More experienced and practiced in playing flag football, that wizardry showed as NFL players were routinely fooled schematically or just could not catch the smaller, quicker players on USA Football on the smaller field in open space. It was surprising to see elite NFL athletes struggle to keep up with the Team USA, which makes you wonder how the selection process will be handled two years from now for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “With that 5-vs-5 field, it’s not as big as a natural football field,” Doucette said. “You can’t get into the deep balls like they’re accustomed to. A 40-yard dash doesn’t mean anything. It’s 50 yards. You’re only going to run 40 yards when you run down the field to the end zone. So, a 40 doesn’t matter. “It’s all about being able to be a little twitchy or quicker. But we just wanted to showcase our talents. And those guys respected us. They treated us great all week, and it’s been a blessing.” 3. Odell Beckham Jr. is still that dude The LSU product sat out last season and served a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. The 33-year-old receiver certainly looked like he could help an NFL team during the flag football event, though, finishing with a handful of spectacular catches, including a one-handed grab over two Team USA defenders in the back of the end zone for a score. Team USA head coach Jorge Cascudo took notice, pointing to Beckham as an NFL player who could successfully make the transition to his team. “Odell’s a great athlete,” Cascudo said. “He made an excellent catch in our game, and I was like, ‘Whoa. There’s a spot whenever you’re interested. Come talk to me. We’ll put you in trials and come compete.'” 4. NFL players face a steep learning curve in flag football Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly understands NFL players have an uphill climb to learn the flag football game and compete for a spot on the USA Flag Football team. Bulkier players like Kuechly are not built for the short-area quickness required to make plays on the smaller flag football field. “Me and Logan [Paul], we’re not built for this type of game,” Kuechly said. “I think when you look at it, you build it with corner and nickel [defenders] on the defensive side of the ball. And then fast, skilled guys on the other side of the ball. “It was a tremendous opportunity for me to play. I loved it. The fellowship, camaraderie and the opportunity to put cleats on again was great. … But it feels like a nickels and corners game on the defensive side of the ball.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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LOS ANGELES – For Tom Brady, throwing the football is like riding a bike – something perfected over time that never leaves your muscle memory. And during practice for Saturday’s inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic, it certainly looked like Brady had spent some time working and preparing for his return to competitive play. “I feel great,” Brady said, when I asked what kind of shape he was in. “Fortunately, as an athlete your body is your asset over a period of time and you learn how to take care of it. Even when you retire, I felt like I still wanted to do the same things after football when I was playing. I still want to be active. I want to be outside. I want to continue to live a healthy, active lifestyle. “And I learned a lot of good, healthy habits over the course of a 23-year career. So, it’s basically been the same. I ran and I threw a little bit. I’ve thrown more over the last three months than I’ve had over a period of time. But there’s no feeling like going out there and throwing a football, and to watch it go exactly where you want. I don’t think that feeling will ever get old.” Brady was the headliner of the three-team flag football event at BMO stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday. Loaded with current and former NFL stars, the three-team tournament featured Team Founders and Team Wildcats as well as Team USA, the reigning world champion in flag football. The game followed modified Olympic-style flag football rules, featuring two, 15-minute halves with a running clock on a 50-by-25-yard field. All three teams met in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams advancing to the championship. Brady’s Founders were beaten by Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow’s Wildcats, as well as Team USA. Those two other teams faced off for the championship on Saturday night. While the 48-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champ looked like he could still lace him up, Brady dispelled speculation that he was interested in playing for Team USA Football in the upcoming Olympics set for Los Angeles in 2028. “I would love to play some role in USA flag football, but it won’t be on the field,” Brady said. However, other current players, like Burrow, were looking forward to earning a chance to play on Team USA Football and represent their country in the Olympics. “The Super Bowl is obviously the pinnacle of what we do,” Burrow said. “Tom brought up being an ambassador for the game and for the league. And that’s something I take very seriously. And I think the league tries to reward people that go out of their way to help in that context. “I’ve always wanted to play in the Olympics. I never necessarily played in an Olympic sport before. So, when this got announced, I was pretty excited about it. The opportunity to win a gold medal is something I’ve thought about an opportunity like that for a long time as a kid. And I think it would be something that’s very special.” Of course, Burrow will have to compete for one of those spots against current players on USA Football like quarterback Darrell Doucette, whose team haven’t lost an International Federation of American Football (IFAF) tournament since 2018. Doucette said he appreciates the respect elite NFL players like Burrow has shown him and his teammates this week, but also understands Saturday is a prime opportunity to show that he and his teammates can compete with the best athletes in the world. And that means keeping things close to the vest when it comes to scheme. “We give them little things like rules, but we’re not going to give them strategies,” joked Doucette. “There’s too much on the line. We’re not going to give them any secrets.” Doucette did lead Team USA to a 2-0 record on Saturday in round-robin play, impressively beating both teams full of NFL stars. While he’s looking forward to taking the field again, Brady said the overarching goal is to bring more attention to one of the fastest growing sports in the country in flag football, with the Olympics two years away. “For me, it’s seeing some of the best athletes in the world try something different,” Brady said. “Some of the skill sets are similar, but the rules are quite a bit different. But really, it’s a great gauge for all these players, and the players that will be playing in L.A. in 2028 to see where we’re at, and what we need to do in the next two years.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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