Politics

(WASHINGTON) — Following a series of close calls involving commercial flights, aviation leaders are set to meet Wednesday to discuss the incidents and work to identify patterns and factors fueling risks to the industry.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced the safety summit last month as part of a review of the nation’s aerospace system, looking at structure, culture, systems and integration of safety efforts.

“We are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted,” the FAA’s acting administrator, Billy Nolen, said. “Recent events remind us that we must not become complacent. Now is the time to stare into the data and ask hard questions.”

The summit will feature remarks from Nolen as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. The event will also include a panel moderated by Nolen and former NTSB Chair Robert Sumwalt, while participants will include various union and lobbying officials.

Nolen will ask participants about what they see in their own operations and request specific ideas about how to enhance the country’s safety net with concrete actions.

In an interview, Buttigieg said he has been seeing an “uptick” in close calls with aircraft in recent weeks.

“This year, we’re on track to have more than 20 — and even one is one that I would not like to see happen,” he told ABC News Transportation Correspondent Gio Benitez.

Buttigieg said he’s “very concerned” about these incidents but stressed the overall safety of the nation’s aviation system.

“We need to make sure that there is continuous improvement, continuous attention to our national aviation system,” Buttigieg said. “Air travel didn’t become the safest way to travel on its own. The American transportation system had to learn from decades of crashes.”

Data shows the more serious incidents have been declining over the last two decades even as the total number of incidents grows.

Buttigieg told ABC News that the rebound of aviation from lows seen during the COVID-19 pandemic has been “putting strain on the system” and the increased demand in air travel also may be contributing to the recent close calls.

When asked if experience among aviation workers is to blame, Buttigieg pushed back, saying, “It’s not just experience in general.”

“We are still talking about human beings,” he said. “And while, again, these cases are extremely rare — we’re not going to allow any of them to pass by without getting a very close, focused look at how it happened, why it happened and what steps could prevent it from happening.”

Buttigieg wrote to attendees of the safety summit on Tuesday, saying he expects to accomplish three things: identifying “patterns and risk factors,” identifying how the different parts of the aviation system can “address any risks” and identifying and implementing “additional steps” to reduce those risks.

“It is our responsibility to take a hard look at all factors and determine what steps are needed to reinforce a safety culture and strengthen safety practices, especially given significant disruptions and changes to the aviation sector coming out of a global pandemic,” Buttigieg wrote.

FAA and NTSB investigating a string of incidents

The FAA and NTSB are currently investigating six close calls involving commercial planes in recent months — five of which occurred at airports and one over the Pacific Ocean.

In December, United Flight 1722 bound for San Francisco experienced a sudden loss in altitude over the Pacific, officials have said. Shortly after takeoff from Maui, the Boeing 777 dropped to just 775 feet above the water in less than 20 seconds. The plane was then able to regain altitude and continue on to its final destination. There were no injuries.

On Jan. 13, an American Airlines flight crossed a runway at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport without clearance from air traffic control, causing a Delta Air Lines plane to abort its takeoff from that runway, according to the NTSB. The closest point between the two aircraft was about 1,400 feet, a preliminary report from the agency stated.

Also in January, ​​United Airlines 384 crossed a runway at Honolulu’s airport without clearance from air traffic control. A Cessna was landing on the same runway at the time. The Cessna came to a stop approximately 1,170 feet from the United flight, according to the FAA. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft.

On Feb. 4, a FedEx plane landing at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas came within 100 feet of a Southwest Airlines jet taking off on the same runway, the FAA said. Both planes were given clearance from air traffic control to use that runway.

And in February, two more close calls, according to officials — one of which occurred at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida after an air traffic controller cleared an American Airlines flight to land on the same runway an Air Canada Rouge plane was cleared to take off from. The American flight self-initiated a go-around and the two aircraft were approximately 3,100 feet from each other.

The other incident occurred at Boston Logan International Airport after a Learjet took off without clearance from air traffic control as a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.

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(WASHINGTON) — There’s a growing list of politicians, conservatives and liberals alike, who back raising teacher pay.

But while members in both chambers of Congress, multiple governors and President Joe Biden all agree that the issue deserves attention, amid high inflation and an ongoing shortage of instructors, they disagree on whether it needs the federal government to offer a solution — and if so, how.

Nationally, teachers’ median pay was about $61,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning half of teachers made less than that and half made more.

Compensation can vary widely: California, Massachusetts and New York’s average teacher wages top $85,000 annually, labor statistics show, while Oklahoma and Mississippi on average pay teachers less than $50,000.

Last week, Arkansas’ Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law the LEARNS Act, a sweeping package which, among many other changes, increases the minimum salary for public and charter school teachers in her state from $36,000 to $50,000.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to go further. On Thursday, he introduced the Pay Teachers Act which, like a similar legislative proposal in the House, would raise public school teacher salaries nationwide to $60,000 or higher.

“There is a major teacher crisis in America and we need to significantly attract more people into the teaching profession,” Sanders, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), told ABC News. “Probably the easiest — the fastest — way to do that is by raising the minimum salary to at least $60,000,” he said.

Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., who sits on the HELP committee with Sanders, said he supports the premise behind the bill but would like it to be tied to performance. Braun said a larger overhaul of the system may attract more educators.

“I think we need to invest more in our school teachers,” Braun said in the wake of Sanders’ legislation.

“I’m not sure I’d take that approach. I think, in general, teacher pay obviously is going to have to be raised,” Braun said. “And to me it would be done through some type of performance measurement in general and inject choice and competition into the process. It might be an easier place for teachers to build a career if it was kind of restructured, you know, in other ways other than just throwing more money at it.”

The Pay Teachers Act is one of two recent proposals focused on instructors’ salaries.

Florida Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson, a career educator, introduced the American Teacher Act last month with Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., a former principal. Their bill would incentivize states to raise minimum salaries to $60,000 for public K-12 teachers, through a grant program at the U.S. Department of Education, as well as mandate yearly increases congruent to inflation.

Wilson previously told ABC News that she sees her target number as the most achievable goal despite some educators supporting higher base pay.

Citing some of the same concerns as Sanders did, Wilson said in December, “We can choose to take this issue head on or lose America’s teachers and have the education of our students severely impacted.”

Under Wilson and Bowman’s bill, states would need to opt-in to the federally funded short-term grants. Sanders called for the money to come from tripling funding for high-need or low-income public schools, as designated under Title I.

It’s unclear how quickly either bill may be taken up by committees, if at all.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Education Department has called for COVID-19 pandemic relief money from the federal government to be used to bump up teacher pay in the short term while also urging state-level action.

“Secretary [Miguel] Cardona has vocally said that states and schools can use American Rescue Plan funds to lift up the salaries of teachers,” a department spokesperson said, adding, “He also made sure to call on governors and state legislatures to match the urgency of the president to [use] the same amount of funding because the ARP money is temporary, so now it’s about long-term investments to make sure teacher salaries are lifted up.”

Whether there’s a majority in the currently divided Congress to pass either Sanders’ or Wilson and Bowman’s bill — or any push to increase teacher pay nationally — remains unknown. Other Republicans and Democrats disagree with how this issue should be handled and said they’re wary of Congress stepping in.

“There are constitutional questions, but there are also logical questions about it,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said. “I think everyone would love for teachers to make more, but teachers don’t work for the federal government, so they should talk to their school boards and state legislatures.”

The House’s Education and the Workforce Committee chairwoman, Rep. Virginia Foxx, advocated for increased teacher pay when she was in the North Carolina state legislature. Congress, however, shouldn’t force a national policy where the states would know better, she said.

“Imposing a one-size-fits-all plan at the federal level to K-12 education across the country will not improve schools or set students on the path to success,” Foxx, R-N.C., said.

Both Arkansas and Florida have recently approved major bumps to teacher pay at the state level. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, backed a budget that boosted salaries to a $47,000 minimum.

In January, DeSantis proposed investing $1 billion to raise teacher salaries again.

Education finance expert Jess Gartner said teachers are categorically underpaid — they should make at least 20% more than they do, on average — but she also said that in her view the recent congressional proposals are not rooted in economic reality.

“This [$60,0000] is just a number,” Gartner said. “What is it based in? Where did that number come from? Is it high enough? Is it too high? I do not like policies like that because I think they sound great in headlines but in practice, it’s chaos.”

Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, last week pushed back on conservative lawmakers’ criticism.

“They’re wrong,” he said. “Congress has got to work with the state. Certainly states have an enormous responsibility, but states are going to need financial support. That’s going to significantly come from the federal government.”

Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of University of California at Berkeley’s Law School, said he believes Sanders and Wilson are well-within their constitutional authority to tie salary requirements to federal funding.

Teachers have told ABC News that strict time demands coupled with persistent student behavioral issues and lack of administrative support have made the profession undesirable without some pay incentive.

Even with incremental salary increases, some teachers said their raises have been inadequate due to the pressures from inflation.

“We have the worst compensation plan in any major industry in America,” said Eric Hale, the compensation committee lead within Texas’ teacher vacancy task force. “That’s a tough sell for a savvy student who can go into any other industry and look at making twice, three times as much as a teacher, right? So we got to fix that.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald Trump have in recent days exchanged sharp words over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, escalating a conflict between the two erstwhile partners.

Pence, speaking Saturday at the Gridiron Dinner in Washington, denounced his former boss over the insurrection.

“History will hold Donald Trump accountable for Jan. 6,” said Pence, who has been considering running against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. “Make no mistake about it: What happened that day was a disgrace, and it mocks decency to portray it in any other way. President Trump was wrong. His reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.”

“Tourists don’t injure 140 police officers by simply sightseeing,” Pence added, referencing how some other conservatives have sought to describe the rioters. “Tourists don’t break down doors to get to the speaker of the House. Tourists don’t threaten public officials.”

Pence also offered praise for the journalists in the audience, handing a compliment to a group Trump has lambasted as the “enemy of the people.”

“We were able to stay at our post in part because you stayed at your post,” he said of the reporters in the Capitol during the attack two years ago. “The American people know what happened that day because you never stopped reporting.”

While Pence previously faulted Trump for the riot, suggesting Trump’s calls for the overturning of the 2020 presidential election helped spur the violence, his comments on Saturday were unusually blunt and reportedly prompted a harsh rebuke from Trump.

“I heard his statement, and I guess he decided that being nice isn’t working because he’s at 3% in the polls, so he figured he might as well not be nice any longer,” Trump told a small group of media aboard his plane on Monday.

Pence has been traveling to states that host early presidential nominating contests and has been vague on whether he’d back Trump in 2024 if Trump won the primary, telling ABC News’ David Muir in November that he thinks there will be “better choices.”

Quotes from the Gridiron Dinner, a white-tie event for politicos and top Washington journalists, trickled out over Twitter and via news articles. However, coverage of it was partially stifled by virtue of there being no cameras in the venue to shoot video of Pence’s remarks.

But his upcoming travel, including to New Hampshire on Thursday and Iowa on Saturday, will have far more extensive media coverage — especially amid his continued break with Trump.

Pence’s team did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News.

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(MONTEREY PARK, Calif.) — President Joe Biden delivered an emotional tribute to the victims of the Monterey Park, California, shooting on Tuesday as he introduced his latest executive order to combat gun violence, this one aimed at increasing the number of background checks done on gun purchases, and promoting safe gun storage, among other actions.

“I’m here on behalf of the American people, to mourn with you, to pray with you. To let you know you’re loved and not alone. Every case is different. But I know what it’s like. I know what that’s like to get that call,” Biden said in an empathetic address.

As has become common when he visits the sites of mass shootings, Biden cited each victim by name, sharing a bit about each person’s character and legacy. He also acknowledged the heroism of Brandon Tsay, who subdued the gunman to bring an end to the attack.

“Twenty minutes after the rampage at Star Ballroom, Brandon saw the same shooter walk into his family’s own dance studio just two miles away, pointing a gun at him,” Biden said. “In an instant, he found the courage to act and wrestle a semi-automatic fireware — arm — away. Brandon saved lives. He protected the community,” he said, eliciting loud applause and a standing ovation for Tsay, who also attended Biden’s State of the Union address in February.

The visit to Monterey Park came as Biden issued another executive action to address gun violence across the U.S., in addition to the sweeping bipartisan Safer Communities Act he signed into law last year, and previous executive actions.

Biden’s latest action will ask Attorney General Merrick Garland to better define who is “engaged in the business” of selling guns in an effort to increase the number of background checks run on purchases.

“It’s just common sense to check whether someone is a felon, a domestic abuser, before they buy a gun,” Biden said of the checks.

The action also looks to promote the use of so-called red flag laws, and safer storage of weapons by gun owners, as well as call for the public release of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms inspection reports of firearms dealers cited for violation of the law.

“That way policymakers can strengthen laws to crack down on those illegal gun dealers and the public can avoid purchasing from them,” Biden said.

Biden will also use the order to ask members of his Cabinet to develop a proposal for how the federal government should respond to communities impacted by gun violence.

“The same way FEMA responds to natural disasters in California and all around the nation … we need to provide more mental health support and grief, for grief and trauma, and more financial assistance when a family loses the sole breadwinner or when a small business shuts down due to a lengthy shooting investigation,” Biden proposed.

Yet, even with the new action that was announced Tuesday, Biden acknowledged he is limited by using executive authority alone, and it will require congressional action to enact significant change. He once again called for a ban on assault weapons, something he has repeatedly promised to achieve during his tenure but is virtually impossible given the balance of power in Congress.

“But let’s be clear, none of this absorbs Congress the responsibility from — from the responsibility of acting to pass universal background checks, eliminate gun manufacturers immunity from liability and I am determined once again to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. I led that fight in ban them in 1994,” he said.

“The ten years that law was in place, mass shootings went down. Our Republican friends let it expire,” Biden said. “Ten years later, and mass shootings tripled since then, tripled. So, let’s finish the job. Ban assault weapons ban them again. Do it now. Enough do something do something big.”

Biden’s calls for action have grown across his presidency as the country faces continued instances of mass shootings. According to the Gun Violence Archives, there have been 110 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year.

But given the divided Congress in Washington, passing significant legislation faces an uphill battle.

Biden also took a moment during the speech to note the achievements of Asian actors at Sunday night’s Oscars.

“Just this week a film about resilience and power of an Asian American immigrant family made history at the Oscars. Echoing the heart of so many in this community,” he said.

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(WASHINGTON) — According to the CDC, one in five Americans will experience mental illness each year and among them is Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who was recently hospitalized for clinical depression.

In response, New York Congressman Ritchie Torres has opened about his own mental health struggles. Torres spoke to “GMA3” hosts DeMarco Morgan and Eva Pilgrim about his experience with depression and how it has motivated him to be a champion for more mental health awareness and resources.

EVA PILGRIM: You say that you would not be alive, let alone in Congress, if it was not for mental health care. Talk to us about your journey and why you felt like you need to share it now.

RITCHIE TORRES: More than 15 years ago, I was at the lowest point of my life. I had dropped out of college. I found myself struggling with depression. There were moments when I thought of even taking my own life, because I felt as if the world around me had collapsed. I had to be hospitalized. And so I never thought in my wildest dreams, seven years later, I’d become the youngest elected official in New York City. And then today, I would be before you as a United States congressman. And I would not be alive were it not for the power of mental health care. And I feel like I have an obligation to tell my story in the hopes of breaking the shame and silence, and stigma that too often surrounds the subject of mental health.

DEMARCO MORGAN: And you are the first openly gay Afro-Latino in Congress. Can you talk about, you know, how you have compared coming out about your sexuality to coming out about depression? How so?

TORRES: Look, there is an analogy there. When you’re coming out of the closet, the process of coming out, the integrity that it demands of you, teaches you what I call an ethic of radical authenticity, of radical transparency. And when you’re out of the closet, you’re motivated to be transparent about every aspect of your life, including your struggle with depression. And so my experience of coming out has inspired me to be honest and open about my lifelong struggle with depression.

MORGAN: So you also think that there are people in the closet about, you know, being depressed and living with depression?

TORRES: We live in a society that historically has shamed people for experiencing mental illness, that has framed mental illness as a failure of character or a failure of willpower. And I’m here to send a message that mental illness is nothing of which to be ashamed, that there are millions of Americans who struggle with depression and anxiety. And I’m living proof that you can overcome those mental health barriers that keep you from becoming the best version of yourself.

PILGRIM: You’re talking about that shame, that stigma that’s associated with mental illness. You say it’s not broken yet, but it is breaking. What progress have we made? What do you think we need to do to make the full progress?

TORRES: Look, when you have a United States senator publicly acknowledge that he’s admitting himself into the hospital for depression, that’s a culturally consequential moment. That’s a breakthrough for mental health awareness. And I tell my story, because I see mental health awareness as a form of public service. And so more people are telling their stories. And no matter what position you hold in life, whether you’re rich or poor, black or white. Mental health is a universal experience. We all have either had experience with mental illness or we know someone we love who’s had those experiences.

MORGAN: And how has your battle with depression influenced your work in Washington and sort of changed the way that you represent your constituents who are dealing with depression?

TORRES: Well, especially in the world of COVID, my experience with depression has motivated me to be a champion of mental health awareness in Congress. I think I began experiencing depression when I was in high school, and my school was so chronically under resourced that there were no psychologists or psychiatrists on site. And if I had been given access to mental health care when I was in high school, then all the crises that followed could have been prevented. And so in the last federal budget, I secured millions of dollars to support the Montefiore School Health Program, which is the largest network of school based health centers, which services about 42,000 students. Our schools are like our second homes, and our schools should be hubs of mental health services.

PILGRIM: The first lines of defense for a lot of these students. You’re a congressmen. So what can legislators do to help this situation?

TORRES: Well, first and foremost, we have to recognize that health care, including mental health care, is a human right. The United States has the highest health care expenditures, but we have the worst health outcomes. And even if you have insurance, there are interminably long waiting periods for psychologists and psychiatrists. There’s a severe shortage of mental health professionals in America. So we have to fix our broken health care system. Because if you’re generation Z, especially, you’ve lived through the isolation of COVID, you’re the first generation to grow up on social media. Those are profound mental health events that will have consequences long after the pandemic is gone.

MORGAN: You’ve also said that it is much worse to let depression fester than to get treatment. What advice would you give someone who’s going through depression, doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know how to find the resources?

TORRES: Look, there’s no one size fits all. There’s no magic bullet. But my experience tells me that those who struggle with depression could benefit from medication and psychotherapy. Every morning I take an antidepressant, Wellbutrin. It enables me to function as a productive person in public service, and I feel no shame in admitting it. And I would encourage others to do the same, if that can make a difference in your life.

MORGAN: All right. Thank you. And thanks a lot for coming on to the show as well.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — A growing number of conservative Republicans are blaming what they call “woke” policies for the failures of two big banks this past weekend — but what exactly are they talking about?

None of the critics has provided evidence to prove the Silicon Valley Bank’s policies on diversity and “ESG” — so-called environmental, social and governance investing — led directly to its collapse, with most experts pointing instead to a cash crunch due to surging interest rates.

Yet, that hasn’t stopped Republicans from seizing on the “woke Biden bank” line as a convenient political talking point — one they’ve been using to attack the administration and Democratic-supported policies on issues across the board.

In a new op-ed in The Daily Mail on Tuesday, former Vice President Mike Pence blamed Silicon Valley Bank’s failure on the company for having “engaged in risky borrowing and lending on behalf of California’s donor class while committing billions of dollars to woke projects fighting climate change,” he wrote.

“Banks make foolish decisions enabled by imprudent government policies and the American people pay the price,” Pence wrote, calling Biden “disingenuous” for saying taxpayers won’t now see higher fees in the fallout.

Pence, notably, served as vice president when then-President Donald Trump signed a banking deregulation bill in 2018 — which Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders say led directly to Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsing.

But his language echoes a growing chorus of Republicans like Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who called federal regulators stepping in to pay off deposits a “woke bailout,” and House Oversight Chair James Comer, who on Sunday called Silicon Valley Bank “one of the most woke banks” on Fox News.

“We see now coming out they were one of the most woke banks in their quest for the ESG-type policy and investing,” Comer said. “This could be a trend, and there are consequences for bad Democrat policy.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appears to be preparing a run for president in 2024, in an appearance on Fox News on Sunday, also raised the prospect of Silicon Valley Bank being “so concerned with DEI and politics,” referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion, that it “really diverted from them focusing on their core mission.”

Silicon Valley Bank had documented efforts “to build a diverse workforce” where “all employees are connected, celebrated and supported.”

GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas also blamed what he called Silicon Valley Bank’s “WOKE agenda” for its collapse, claiming the company wasted money on ESG policies and “CRT CRAP,” he said, referring to Critical Race Theory.

“How much money did they WASTE on financing ESG/CRT CRAP? The insane left-wing agenda is BANKRUPTING our future. Go woke, GET BROKE!” Jackson tweeted Monday.

While conservatives team up against “woke” policies, Democrats have laid blame on the 2018 deregulation law, which they say allowed for Silicon Valley and Signature Banks to not be held to the same scrutiny as larger banks.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut on Monday mocked Republicans calling Silicon Valley Bank a “woke California bank.”

“Count me in for all the ‘woke means everything I don’t like or understand’ content,” Murphy tweeted.

The definition of “woke” changes depending on who’s speaking, but Republicans have used the term recently to call out what they say are the identity-based social justice issues some Democrats and progressives now push for on multiple fronts.

Conservative Republicans also blame President Joe Biden for what they call a “Biden bailout” of “Big Tech” as the administration seeks to avoid such language sparking fears from the 2008 financial crisis.

As Biden also tries to avoid the word “bailout,” in assuring Americans that taxpayers will not rescue the failed banks, Republicans are characterizing federal regulators stepping in on Sunday as just that.

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene summarized the situation from her point-of-view over Twitter, saying, “the fools running the bank were woke and almost became broke, but the Democrats and the Fed swooped in to make sure their woke donors at SVB didn’t go under.”

Former Trump aide Stephen Miller has called on House Republicans to investigate how much time and money was spent on “equity” and “climate scams,” as well as “which Dem entities … benefited the most from SVB’s risky behavior.”

A Wall Street Journalist columnist, too, took up the talking point in an op-ed on Monday — criticizing the bank for tracking the diversity of its board Black and LGBTQ+ members of Silicon Valley Bank’s board.

“In a proxy statement SVB notes that besides 91% of their board being independent and 45% women, they also have ‘1 Black,’ ‘1 LGBTQ+” and ‘2 Veterans,'” wrote Andy Kessler. “I’m not saying 12 white men would have avoided this mess, but the company may have been distracted by diversity demands.”

Biden asked Congress on Monday to strengthen the rules regulating banks, hoping to reinstate some banking regulations rolled back in 2018 under the Trump administration.

“Americans can rest assured that our banking system is safe,” Biden said from the White House. “Your deposits are safe. Let me also assure you, we will not stop at this. We’ll do whatever is needed.”

His comments came after the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC issued a joint statement on Sunday to announce that they were “taking decisive actions to protect the U.S. economy by strengthening public confidence in our banking system.”

“Depositors will have access to all of their money starting Monday, March 13,” it said, but, “Shareholders and certain unsecured debt holders will not be protected,” and, “No losses will be borne by the taxpayer.”

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(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Republican Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announced he would be pausing his social media use on Monday after posting complimentary comments on the Instagram posts of a scantily clad queer man.

McNally’s account repeatedly commented on various racy pictures, saying “Finn, you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine,” “Super look Finn,” and “way to go Finn!!! You light up the world!!”

McNally told ABC affiliate WKRN in a statement that he has “long been active on social media” and engaged with constituents via posts, comments and messages. He said the comments on these posts “are no different.”

“While I see now that I should have been more careful about how my comments and activity would be perceived, my intent was always engagement and encouragement,” he said in the statement.

He continued, “I apologize for any embarrassment my postings have caused my family, friends and colleagues. For this reason, I will be pausing my social media activity in order to reflect and receive more guidance on the use of social media.”

Under Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and McNally, several policies targeting the LGBTQ community have been passed, including restrictions on certain types of performances in a public space, which can include drag shows, and restrictions on transgender youth health care.

McNally said in the statement to WKRN that though he has made some mistakes in his use of social media, it’s inaccurate to call him “anti-gay,” as he has spoken out against an anti-LGBTQ adoption bill that protects religious adoption agencies in their ability to discriminate against same-sex couples.

“On a personal level, nothing could be further from the truth. I believe every person has value and deserves respect regardless of their orientation,” said McNally. “I am 79 years old, and was raised in a time when homosexuality was deeply shameful. And I absolutely still hold traditional Tennessee values dear.”

Lee was called out on social media after a yearbook photo of him apparently dressed in women’s clothing and a wig became public following passage of the law that restricts drag performances.

Lee has yet to respond to ABC News’ request for comment concerning the apparent yearbook photo. But his office told NBC News that “any attempt to conflate this serious issue with lighthearted school traditions is dishonest and disrespectful to Tennessee families.”

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(DAVENPORT, Iowa) — Donald Trump has amped up his attacks on Ron DeSantis — making some of his harshest public comments yet directed at Florida’s governor and potential GOP campaign rival.

“You have to remember Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan, who is a RINO (Republican In Name Only) loser,” Trump said to a crowd in Davenport, Iowa on Monday, attempting to cast DeSantis — a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus in Congress — as a pre-MAGA Republican who opposed ethanol and supported cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

“Romney — I’m not a big fan of Mitt Romney, lost his election and to be honest with you, Ron reminds me a lot of Mitt Romney,” he said.

Trump then appeared to speak directly to DeSantis: “So, I don’t think you’re going to be doing so well here. But we’re going to find out.”

DeSantis has not yet declared his candidacy for a White House bid despite recent tours of pivotal early voting states like Iowa and Nevada, though he’s privately indicated to allies he intends to launch his candidacy in May or June, sources familiar with his plans told ABC News.

DeSantis is considered maybe Trump’s chief rivals should he enter the race as he trails the former president’s favorability ratings only slightly in a recent Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll.

During Trump’s speech — which sources familiar with the matter had said would be focused on education — he vowed to cut funding for any school that is pushing critical race theory or what he called “transgender insanity,” or that has a vaccine or mask mandate. He also again said he would support the direct election of school principals by parents, and vowed to break up the Department of Education if elected.

DeSantis did not comment directly on Trump’s attacks but released a tweet following the remarks, where he addressed education by disavowing “political indoctrination” in universities.

“The publications said Trump still has really high approval ratings with the Republican voter base is defeating Ron DeSantis in poll after poll by a lot and I’m beating Joe Biden by a lot– very important,” Trump said.

The former president on Monday focused directly on DeSantis’ record as a former member of Congress and dove into other stances the governor has taken.

Trump attacked DeSantis over his previous support — while serving in Congress in 2017 — of a bill that would have immediately ended the Renewable Fuel Standard, or the RFS. The RFS mandates that specific percentages of ethanol — a major industry in Iowa — be part of the nation’s fuel supply.

“Okay, so remember this — Ron Desanctus. Did anyone ever hear of Desanctus? Desanctimonious … Ron Desanctus strongly opposed ethanol. Do you know that? And we don’t even know if he’s running but I might as well tell you. If he’s not running, I’ll say he was fine on ethanol, don’t worry,” Trump said in his speech.

“He strongly opposed ethanol and fought against it at every turn. And he’s gonna do that again. Because people that come out early for something, that’s where they go. Politically, but he was very, very bad on ethanol,” he said.

Ethanol is a key issue for many of Iowa’s farmers. Trump himself has faced criticism from farmers while president because he granted ethanol waivers to some small refineries, giving them an exemption from blending ethanol into their fuel. Trump, however, billed himself as the “most pro-farmer president,” on Monday.

The former president also continued to attack DeSantis over his positions on Social Security, saying he “wanted to decimate it and voted against it.”

“A lot of people don’t know that. I think they’ve been finding out over the last four weeks. One of the reasons that we’re zooming in the polls, perhaps,” Trump said. “He also voted to severely cut Medicare. I will not be adding Medicare and I will not be cutting Social Security.”

Trump did not mention GOP opponent Nikki Haley’s recent calls for changing the retirement age for Americans currently in their 20s and limiting Social Security and Medicare benefits for wealthy Americans.

The former South Carolina governor first proposed the entitlement program changes and change of retirement age for “young people” at a town hall in Iowa last week.

Haley had the highest uncertainty in the recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, with 40% of Republicans surveyed saying they do not know enough about her, while garnering a 53% approval rating.

Trump also addressed DeSantis’ with a group of reporters on en route to Davenport, Iowa on Monday, the same town DeSantis toured on Friday.

Trump said he regretted endorsing DeSantis for governor in 2018, saying, “This guy was dead. He was dead as a doornail … I might say that,” Trump told Politico.

“I said, ‘You are so dead right now you are not going, no endorsement is going to save you. George Washington won’t save you.’ He said, ‘I’m telling you, if you endorse me, I have a chance,'” Trump said.

Politico also reported that Trump has been workshopping nicknames for his potential rival, but he said that he has decided against attacking DeSantis with the name “Meatball Ron,” calling it “too crude.”

ABC News’ Olivia Rubin contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden let it slip on Monday evening that former President Jimmy Carter has asked Biden to deliver his eulogy, according to pool reporters present at the closed-door event.

At a private reception for the Democratic National Committee in Rancho Santa Fe, California, Biden revealed Carter’s request seemingly off the cuff when talking about a “recent” visit with him.

“He asked me to do his eulogy — excuse me I shouldn’t say that,” Biden said, according to the pool. “I spent time with Jimmy Carter and it’s finally caught up with him. But they found a way to keep him going for a lot longer than they anticipated because they found a breakthrough.”

Carter, who at 98 is both the oldest living and longest-lived U.S. president, has been receiving hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. The Carter Center announced last month the former president had elected to spend his remaining time at home with family after several extended hospital stays.

Biden’s relationship with Carter stretches back decades, as he was reportedly the first elected official outside of Georgia to endorse Carter’s run for president in 1976, when Biden was a first-term senator from Delaware.

The two previously saw each other in May 2021, a few months after Biden entered the White House, when he and first lady Jill Biden traveled to Plains.

Carter, who held office from 1977 to 1981 as the 39th president and went on to become a Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian, has seen serious health challenges in recent years. In 2019, he suffered from various falls and underwent hip surgery. He has also survived metastatic melanoma.

Back in 2007, Carter eulogized former President Gerald Ford, the Republican he defeated in 1976 to win the presidency.

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(WASHINGTON) — Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., on Tuesday filed a new statement of candidacy to the Federal Election Commission, indicating he’s running for reelection — a move that will allow him to continue to raise campaign funds.

The new filing is in response to a letter from the FEC last month asking Santos to clarify if he’s running again in 2024, in order for him to continue raising money through his principal campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress.

Campaign finance experts say it’s common for newly elected members of Congress to immediately declare candidacy again for a new election cycle in order to continue raising money, and that it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will for certain run again the following year.

But the new statement of candidacy from Santos is notable because of the unique situation the embattled freshman congressman is in, experts have said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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