NEWS 28 - Jesstopian Presidential Candidate Thomas Cooke has long been a strong ally to his, at least in Cooke's case, future predecessor President John McCallum. He has claimed top supporter to the president, even coming as close as a candidate to replace then-Vice President Richard Banks following his resignation for sexual assault allegations and allegations of misconduct.
"He has always been about our troops, the very people who protect our great nation," said Thomas Cooke. "President McCallum has shown he is a great leader, especially as Commander-In-Chief of Jesstopia's armed forces. He is the greatest man I know. He has shown time and time again that he is for the people, soldiers and military families of the United States Of Jesstopia."
Cooke continued on and said that "Jesstopia was pulled into the war by Putin's threats back in 2022 to assassinate the President and then-Vice President Richard Banks. The war that Republicans say that McCallum started, also agree that our country was forced into this war, by those threats alone. The war against Russia was quietly declared by Congress and it was then announced to the public." He continues to blame Russia for the Jesstopian Involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war that has been raging on since 2022.
"McCallum's presidency was, at least in my opinion, one of the most challenging ones that we will every have. From him dealing with the death of his former boss, then-President Joe Diester, to the COVID-19 crisis, to the two bombings in 2022, and two wars that were being fought during his presidency," explained Cooke. "There will never be a president who risked so much for a job he wanted so little. He will forever be a great president, man and father, and our nation owes a great deal to him for his years of service."
The former New Shire Governor has been known on multiple occasions, before political life to donate to McCallum's campaigns. McCallum and the Nationalist House has always been in Cooke's sights. Unfortunately, he wasn't known well enough at the time, at least to the McCallum cabinet to be the next Vice President after Richard Banks. But he now has built up a strong enough following to pull a 2016 Donald Trump and win the Jesstopian presidency as a relatively new politician.
The Resignation of Mark Maulkinkski shot Cooke into the political spotlight after he was named Maulkinkski's next Lt. Governor. This had built up to a strong relationship between the young politician and president McCallum, whom Cooke has come to admire as a friend and fellow Nationalist.