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"I think the country is definitely looking for healing and for calm, and I think that's the tone the President needs to project when talking about what is happening around the country," Senate Majority Whip John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, told CNN. "I think he needs to strike a tone that fits the level of frustration country's experiencing right now, and I hope in the future, he'll do that."

Sen. John Cornyn, also a member of Senate GOP leadership, told CNN that "I think it's important" for Trump to offer more of a unifying message in the midst of the deep unrest across the county.

"I presume at some point he will address the nation," said Cornyn of Texas. "If I were advising him I would say we need it sooner rather than later."

At a time when Trump could be consoling the nation, Republicans -- who rarely break from Trump -- are voicing their disapproval that the President has offered little in the way of condolences and instead taken to Twitter to incite divisions and cast blame.

"Some of his tweets have not been helpful," Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said at a news conference Monday. "It would be helpful if he would change the tone of his message."

The message from his own party comes as protests have grown and spread throughout the country from Los Angeles to Washington with no end in sight.

"We are obviously in a divisive situation right now that is escalating. ... He needs to make more unifying comments," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, speaking on the Senate floor, called on Trump "to help heal the racial division."

"The President should help to heal the racial divisions in this country," Collins said. "It is at times like this that a President needs to speak to the nation, to pledge to right wrongs, and to calm inflamed passions."

Asked later if she thinks the President needs to offer a unifying message, Collins said: "I do."

Sen. Cory Gardner, who like Collins is facing reelection next year, didn't criticize Trump directly but added: "We all have to do better every day -- we have to."

"Those are not constructive tweets without any question," Sen. Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the US Senate, told Fox on Sunday. "I will say this, I spoke with the President (Saturday) morning, and he and I had a good conversation about the next steps. I told him, what I am going to tell you. I told him 'Mr. President, it helps us when you focus on the death, the unjustified in my opinion, the criminal death of George Floyd.'"

On Monday during a private call with governors, the President continued to blast others for what has unfolded, accusing some states of being weak and arguing that law enforcement needed to "dominate" protestors in order to contain the demonstrations in cities across the country.

"You have to dominate or you'll look like a bunch of jerks, you have to arrest and try people," the President told the governors in a call from the basement White House Situation Room, according to an audio recording of the call obtained by CNN.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wouldn't answer questions Monday about whether he believed Trump had struck the appropriate tone in his handling of the unrest. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wouldn't answer questions Monday about whether he believed Trump had struck the appropriate tone in his handling of the unrest. Others also declined to comment about Trump's tweets, including Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, who faces voters in the fall.

"Well, obviously this is an evolving situation -- I think this is a difficult position the President is in," said Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida when asked if Trump should shift his tone to emphasize unity.

On Monday, McConnell demonstrated a starkly different tone from the President from the floor of the Senate.

"In no world, whatsoever, should arresting a man for an alleged minor infraction involve a police officer putting his knee on a man's neck for nine minutes while he cries out 'I can't breathe' and then goes silent," McConnell said. "To me, to a great many of my fellow Kentuckians and to many outraged Americans, these disturbing events do not look like three isolated incidents, they look more like the latest chapter in our national struggle to make equal justice and equal protection of the law into facts of life for all Americans."

This story has been updated with additional developments Monday.

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GOP senators critical of Trump's response to unrest following Floyd's death - CNN

President TrumpDonald John TrumpFederal plan to contain Washington protests employs 7,600 personnel: report GOP Rep calls on primary opponent to condemn campaign surrogate's racist video Tennessee court rules all registered voters can obtain mail-in ballots due to COVID-19 MORE is strengthening his grip on the Republican Party as they head into the heat of an election season that Democrats want to make a referendum on Trump and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Trump flexed his muscle on Capitol Hill last week by scuttling bipartisan legislation to extend the intelligence surveillance powers that had passed the Senate easily and was expected to pass the House.

Once Trump threatened on Wednesday to veto the measure, Republican support in the lower chamber fell away quickly, forcing Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiPelosi: 'Scary' to see uniformed troops on steps of Lincoln Memorial Pelosi: Democrats to unveil sweeping criminal justice proposal Monday Pelosi demands Trump clarify deployment of unidentified law enforcement in DC MORE (D-Calif.) to pull the bill from the schedule.

The president sent a warning a week ago that disloyalty will be punished by scorching former Sen. Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsMcCabe, Rosenstein spar over Russia probe Rosenstein takes fire from Republicans in heated testimony Rosenstein defends Mueller appointment, role on surveillance warrants MORE (R-Ala.) on Twitter. Sessions is running to win back an Alabama Senate seat.

Trump lambasted Sessions, his former attorney general, for recusing himself from the investigation into alleged collusion between Trump advisers and Russia. The president also gave Sessions primary opponent, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, a ringing endorsement.

Hes gotten increasingly bold in asserting his will in the Republican Party, said Vin Weber, a GOP strategist. He doesnt seem reserved about exercising influence. Theres just no question the party is dominated by the president and his supporters and his backers and his organization.

Trump is facing huge challenges in his presidency, from the coronavirus and an economic crisis to the violence that broke out in cities across the country over the weekend sparked by the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd.

Trump's bellicose tweets about looting leading to shooting has earned criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, showing once again that GOP lawmakers will break with the president when they think he goes too far.

Those are not constructive tweets, without any question, Sen. Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottPaul clashes with Booker, Harris over anti-lynching bill Rand Paul holding up quick passage of anti-lynching bill With capital, communities of color can lead our economic revival MORE (R-S.C.) said Sunday during an appearing on Fox News Sunday.

Yet overall, Republicans are reluctant to break with the president and are in many ways taking their cues from him.

Its not a Washington phenomenon, its a grass-roots phenomenon, Weber said. His support is out in the countryside, in the Republican Party, and I think if not for that there would be at least some brake on the presidents actions in Washington. But theres not because [lawmakers] go back home and find the party wants to back the president almost without restraint."

I think thats going to be become more the case, not less the case, as we go forward, he added.

Another sign of Trumps imprint are the investigations moving forward in the Senate, where the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee are now probing the origins of the FBI investigation of Trumps 2016 campaign, Hunter Bidens business dealings in Ukraine and the prosecution of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.

These are all subjects that many Senate Republicans had shown little appetite to delve into, but they are now moving forward in large part due to Trump.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamBill aims to help farmers sell carbon credits Graham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over Graham pushes back on Mattis criticism of Trump: 'You're missing something here, my friend' MORE (R-S.C.) announced on May 18 that his committee would vote in June on authorizing a subpoena covering an array of former Obama administration officials, including former FBI Director James ComeyJames Brien ComeyGraham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over GOP votes to give chairman authority to subpoena Obama officials GOP chairmen stake out turf in Obama-era probes MORE, former Director of National Intelligence James ClapperJames Robert ClapperGraham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump tweets as tensions escalate across US Trump asserts his power over Republicans MORE and former CIA Director John BrennanJohn Owen BrennanGraham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over GOP votes to give chairman authority to subpoena Obama officials Rosenstein takes fire from Republicans in heated testimony MORE.

Graham made his announcement days after Trump tweeted that Congress should call on former President Obama to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, referring to the FBIs investigation of his 2016 campaign. The president singled out Graham, tweeting, Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk!

Graham, who is up for reelection this year, has declined to ask the former president to testify, but hes moved forward aggressively with the probe.

Weber said the unsuccessful effort by Democrats to remove Trump from office after impeaching him only solidified the presidents support among Republicans.

The whole effort to impeach the president by the Democrats has strengthened him in his ability to go to his own base and say, My detractors have been lying to you and the country the last three years, he said.

Trumps approval rating in the Gallup tracking poll hit the highest point of his presidency, 49 percent, during the Senate impeachment trial in January. It has since hit 49 percent in four subsequent Gallup polls.

Trumps approval numbers within the party are through the roof and have been through the roof since weve tracked him, said Chip Saltsman, a Republican strategist.

Trump actually does stuff as the titular head of the party, not just show up on the convention stage, he added. Hes not afraid to get involved in primaries for his friends or be against people he doesnt like and that what weve really seen as different than most."

Most of the Republican presidents weve seen would be hesitant to get in and support the people that supported them earlier, Saltsman added.

Trump will, he said, and hell put his name and endorsement and money and Twitter followers behind those he wants to help.

Saltsman pointed to the role Trump played in helping Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisRonald Dion DeSantisDeSantis pushing to host Republican National Convention in Florida Florida bars and theaters to reopen starting Friday, DeSantis says DeSantis says he's sending 500 National Guard troops to DC MORE and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp win competitive primaries and then general elections in 2018.

DeSantis was trailing his Republican opponent, former Rep. Adam Putnam, by double digits in the polls until Trump endorsed him.

On the other side of the coin, Trumps public attacks on past critics such as former Sens. Jeff FlakeJeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeKelly holds double-digit lead over McSally in Arizona: poll Trump asserts his power over Republicans 'Never Trump' Republicans: Fringe, or force to be reckoned with? MORE (R-Ariz.) and Bob CorkerRobert (Bob) Phillips CorkerTrump asserts his power over Republicans Romney is only GOP senator not on new White House coronavirus task force McConnell, Romney vie for influence over Trump's trial MORE (R-Tenn.) drove down their popularity among Republican voters, and they both eventually retired from Congress.

Trumps job approval rating among Republicans stood at 92 percent in the last Gallup tracking poll conducted from May 1 to May 13. It has bounced between 91 percent and 94 percent since mid-January, according to Gallup.

The president has asserted his power over fellow Republicans from the macro to the micro level.

His nominee to serve as director of national intelligence, John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeTrump official criticizes ex-Clinton spokesman over defunding police tweet Trump gives Grenell his Cabinet chair after he steps down Trump asserts his power over Republicans MORE, withdrew his name from consideration for the job in August of 2019 amid tepid support from Republicans and charges that he had exaggerated his national security credentials.

When Trump nominated Ratcliffe a second time for the nations top intelligence job, Republican lawmakers such as Graham, then-Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard BurrRichard Mauze BurrTrump asserts his power over Republicans FISA 'reform': Groundhog Day edition Rubio: Coronavirus conspiracy theories could be used in foreign election misinformation campaigns MORE (R-N.C.) and Sen. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioIf we seek resilience, we need liberty, not nationalism GOP senator blocks bill giving flexibility to small-business loans but says deal near GOP senators dodge on treatment of White House protesters MORE (R-Fla.) expressed stronger support for him, leaving observers baffled as to what had changed.

Im anxious to talk to my Republican colleagues who expressed serious concerns about him prior. I dont know what in his background or his rsum puffing has gone away, said Sen. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerVirginia senator calls for Barr to resign over order to clear protests Trump asserts his power over Republicans Expanding tax credit for businesses retaining workers gains bipartisan support MORE (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, who has had a good working relationship with Republicans on his panel.

The Senate voted to confirm Ratcliffe May 21 on a party-line vote.

Despite many signs that Trump is strengthening his grip on the party, theres evidence that a sizable minority of Republicans continue to have doubts about his leadership style.

An analysis of polling by FiveThirtyEight, a website that tracks and analyzes data, found that on average 82 percent of Republicans approve of the presidents handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The data is more worrisome for Republican lawmakers in swing states, as polling averages show that only 38.5 percent of independents approve of Trumps response to COVID-19.

Yet Trump has received little to no criticism from Republicans in Congress as he has moved to oust watchdogs within his administration who have pointed out or threatened to point out mistakes.

The president has moved to remove four inspectors general within the last several months, including Christi Grimm, the inspector general of Department of Health and Human Services, after her office published a report on hospitals around the nation facing a critical supply of testing and personal protective equipment during the pandemic.

Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump| Esper orders hundreds of active-duty troops outside DC sent home day after reversal | Iran releases US Navy veteran Michael White Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump Romney: Mattis statement 'stunning and powerful' MORE (Utah), one of the presidents few outspoken Republican critics in Congress, said Trumps personnel moves hadthe potential of sending a chilling message.

After Trump announced his decision to fire State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on May 15, a Friday, Senate Republicans said they wanted a detailed explanation from the president of his reasons.

But when Trump met with GOP senators for lunch a few days later on May 19, he dominated much of the discussion, and the subject of Linicks firing didnt come up.

Trump urged Senate Republicans at the time to get tough with Democrats and stay unified over the summer and into the fall campaign season.

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Trump asserts his power over Republicans | TheHill - The Hill

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said President TrumpDonald John TrumpFederal plan to contain Washington protests employs 7,600 personnel: report GOP Rep calls on primary opponent to condemn campaign surrogate's racist video Tennessee court rules all registered voters can obtain mail-in ballots due to COVID-19 MOREs response to the protests breaking out in response to George Floyds death is the opposite of the message the White House should be sending.

I think one of the most important things that a leader can do right now, and I went through this in 2015 during the riots in Baltimore, one of my primary focuses was to try to lower the temperature, Hogan said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union.

And that's not helpful it's not lowering the temperature, he said, referring to Trumps tweets and comments in response to the protests. It's sort of continuing to escalate the rhetoric. I think it's just the opposite of the message that should have been coming out of the White House.

Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland says President Trump's comments on the events of the week are "continuing to escalate the rhetoric."

"I think it's just the opposite of the message that should have been coming out of the White House" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Qk9rgpn3yZ

Trump said protesters in Minneapolis, where Floyd died after an arrest, were THUGS that were dishonoring the memory of George Floyd.

He added that, when the looting starts, the shooting starts, a phrase used by Miami Police Chief Walter Headley in 1967 during the civil rights movement.

Trump later told reporters he wasnt aware of the origins of the phrase and that he heard it from other places.

Trump also warned that if protesters near the White House came close to breaching the fence, they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.

In addition to responding to Trumps response, Hogan said he would advise leaders in other states to not let the situation get out of control.

Hogan spoke about his experience handling the 2015 riots in Baltimore, in response to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was arrested and fell into a coma while being transported in a police van.

Our theory was peace through strength, Hogan said.

The governor said officials successfully stopped violence in a few hours but let peaceful protests go on for a week.

The Justice Department announced in 2017 that six Baltimore officers would face no federal charges in Grays death.

Four officers were fired after a video was released of Floyds arrest, which showed one officer kneeling on Floyd as he said he could not breathe. He died shortly after.

That officer, Derek Chauvin, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

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Republican governor says Trump sending opposite message of one that should come from White House | TheHill - The Hill

(MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump is enlisting business leaders including many of his top donors to help guide the White House through its attempt to gradually reopen parts of the economy shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House published a list of executives this week dubbed Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups who will be asked to join conference calls with the president on how to reopen the economy. The list includes dozens of Trump donors and several major benefactors to Republican candidates.

Members of the new task force and their spouses gave a combined $467 million to Republican candidates and conservative groups since the 2016 election cycle, according to contribution data from OpenSecrets. Together theyve given tens of millions to Trumps joint fundraising committee and millions more to pro-Trump super PACs.

About half of Trumps advisers in the financial services industry are big GOP donors. Its headlined by Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, the top Republican donor so far this cycle. Schwarzman, who advises Trump, recently gave $10 million to Senate Republicans top super PAC and $3 million to pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. Schwarzman told Yahoo Finance the country will need to implement mass testing before Americans will be comfortable going back to work. Trump has told lawmakers that some parts of the country, particularly rural areas, can reopen without expanded testing.

Industry executives Warren Stephens, Paul Singer, Charles Schwab and Kenneth Griffin are also being asked to advise Trump. They are all multi-million dollar GOP donors. Republican National Committee Finance Chairman Todd Ricketts and venture capitalist Doug Leone, whose wife Patricia is a prolific Trump donor, are also named.

Retail, among the industries hit hardest by the pandemic, received significant representation. In addition to naming Home Depot CEO Craig Menear to its list, the White House also listed Home Depot co-founders Bernie Marcus and Ken Langone. Both of those billionaires no longer work for the home improvement company, but they are major Republican donors. Langone urged Fox News viewers last month to comply with health officials recommendations and stay home. Marcus, who gave $5 million to a pro-Trump super PAC in 2016, said this week that the government-imposed shutdown cant go on too much longer.

Trumps biggest campaign backer and the top Republican donor of all time, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, headlines Trumps advisers in the hospitality industry. Treasure Island Hotel and Casino owner Phil Ruffin is also named. A friend of Trumps, Ruffin is a six-figure donor to Trumps joint fundraising committee and owns 50 percent of the Trump International Las Vegas hotel.

In sports, World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Vince McMahons wife, Linda McMahon, is Trumps top donor and leads America First Action, the only official pro-Trump super PAC. Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White also gave $1 million to the super PAC. White is trying to hold an event in early May as health officials warn against mass gatherings. Florida recently allowed WWE to hold events if they are closed to the public.

Among Trumps transportation industry advisers, a lesser known North Carolina company called LDJ Global Strategies is looped in with industry giants like United Airlines, UPS and Uber. The company is led by Louis DeJoy, who is leading fundraising efforts for the Republican National Convention. He and his wife, Aldona Wos, are major donors to Trump and the Republican National Committee. Trump picked Wos to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada, continuing the presidential tradition of nominating campaign donors to cushy diplomatic posts.

In the agriculture industry, Mountaire Farms Chairman Ronald Cameron is a major donor to pro-Trump and GOP super PACs. Also on the list, California carrot producer Barbara Grimm-Marshall gave over $740,000 to Take Back the House, a joint fundraising committee for Republican congressional candidates led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). McCarthy congratulated Grimm-Marshall when she was appointed to a Department of Agriculture advisory committee last summer.

In construction, California real estate executive Geoffrey Palmer gave $4 million to America First Action. Palmer held a fundraiser for Trump in his Beverly Hills home last year.

Trumps advisers gave a total of $8.3 million to Democratic candidates and causes since the 2016 cycle compared to $467 million to Republicans. Jon Gray, an executive at Blackstone Group, and his wife Mindy, are among the few Democratic donors. Only 21 names on Trumps list have not made a political contribution. The list does include some individuals who have clashed with Trump in recent years, such as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

It is unclear how the White House decided on who to include. Some members of the task force didnt know they would be asked to join until their names were published on the White House website. By organizing the group of industry leaders the way it did, the White House skirted transparency rules, Politico reported.

Trump originally said the president can decide when the nation reopens parts of its economy. But that decision is up to state and local authorities. Trump released guidance Thursday that says states with low numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases can reopen by May 1. However, the guidance confirms governors have the final say on when to lift stay-at-home orders and other restrictions. Public health officials are warning that the U.S. does not have nearly enough testing capacity to lift restrictions.

COVID-19 has killed over 30,000 Americans. More than 22 million Americans filed for unemployment over the last month, erasing job gains made over the last decade. The widespread economic damage and job losses caused by the coronavirus is putting pressure on governors to lift restrictions.

Sarah Bryner and Dan Auble contributed to this report.

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Karl joined the Center for Responsive Politics in October 2018. As CRPs money-in-politics reporter, he writes and edits stories for the news section and helps manage a team of diligent writers. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Karl graduated from State University of New York at New Paltz in 2016 with a B.A. in journalism. He previously worked at The Globe, a regional newspaper based in Worthington, Minnesota. His email is [emailprotected]

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Trump advisers on reopening economy gave half-billion to Republican efforts since 2015 - Center for Responsive Politics

The history of moonshining, especially in the mountains of Appalachia, is often related as a colorful part of our culture, overalled barefooted hillbillies minding their hidden stills and eluding revenooers, federal revenue officers out to put them out of business.

There were violent episodes, however, with people on both sides losing their livelihoods and sometimes their lives.

In 1877, a Lt. McIntyre, a federal agent, died while on a mission to arrest moonshiners and put a thriving bootleg operation out of business in a remote section of Fannin County. He and other law enforcement officers had raided the home of Ayres Jones in the far backwoods so isolated that the nearest neighbors were miles apart.

The federal agents had burst through the door of Joness home only to find his wife and several children there. McIntyre waited. At some point, shots were fired into the home, and McIntyre was struck. The shooter or shooters fled into the woods, and the feds either lost them or gave up their pursuit so they could look after their lieutenant. Although it was said the shots were fired into the house, McIntyres body was found in the backyard.

Ayres Jones was the suspected shooter and became the target of an intensive manhunt. Federal agents and members of the military days later again invaded the Fannin County mountains where they suspected Jones was hiding. More than 50 strong, they again burst into his home with only Joness wife and children present. They also entered other homes in the area to see if friends were hiding the suspect.

The troops made no bones they were on a mission for revenge, and those who were arrested claimed they were treated badly, cursed, roughed up and targets of serious threats. They also said they saw no warrants for entering their homes or for arrest.

Most of those arrested were taken to Cartersville, then to Atlanta to wait in jail for trial. One woman testified she was made to walk 80 miles to Cartersville.

A judge in Atlanta, however, released most, if not all, of those taken into custody.

That didnt keep the Feds from remembering the murder of Lt. McIntyre, nor his suspected killer, Ayres Jones.

Three years later, a young Gainesville man, J.B. Gaston, a U.S. deputy marshal, set out to find and prosecute Jones. So determined was Gaston that he and another federal agent, James Findley of Gainesville, rode horseback three days to the Frogtown section of Fannin County, where their suspect lived. When they could ride horses no farther, the agents began to walk seven miles through rugged terrain to Joness home, arriving at 10 oclock at night.

They feared a barking dog would arouse the suspect, so they broke down his door and pulled him from bed. Joness sons and daughters also were in the house, and one of the sons escaped into the woods. Gaston and Findley also arrested Joe Whitt in addition to Jones.

The agents with their prisoners in tow immediately began their long trek through the thickly wooded mountains to where they had left their horses. They feared the son who had escaped or other friends of Jones would attempt a rescue, but it never happened.

The suspects were later taken to Atlanta, where they were prosecuted for the murder of Lt. McIntyre.

That Gaston-got-his-man success apparently jump-started J.B. Gastons career and made him a hero in the eyes of homefolks in Hall and other North Georgia counties.

He became U.S. commissioner for North Georgia, serving 32 years. That was a little unusual because he was a prominent Republican in an era when Democrats dominated politics. Republicans werent too popular as they were responsible for enforcing Reconstruction rules in the South after the Civil War.

Born in Lumpkin County in 1849, Gaston moved to Hall County in 1871. He became active in politics, and was elected 9th District delegate to the Republican convention. Gainesvillians admired him so much they elected him mayor twice. During his terms as mayor, a new City Hall was built, as well as the towns waterworks.

Judge Gaston became influential in state Republican politics. In 1908, he was credited with carrying the 9th District for presidential nominee William Howard Taft, who defeated the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan. Heavily Democratic Hall County was shocked Bryan won the county by only 78 votes.

Gaston died in June 1916 after suffering a brain hemorrhage while attending yet another Republican convention in Chicago. At the time he was chair of the Gainesville School Board. His funeral was at First Baptist Church, where he had been active for many years. His wife and eight children survived. He is buried under a large magnolia tree in Alta Vista Cemetery.

Watch for more local history in this column next Sunday.

Johnny Vardeman is retired editor of The Times. He can be reached at 2183 Pine Tree Circle NE; 770-532-2326; johnny.peggy@gmail.com. or vardeman1956@att.net

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This is the story of the Republican from Gainesville who finally caught an infamous moonshiner - Gainesville Times