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Tag: republicans elections

  • SCOOP: Trump ally Kid Rock jumps into key governor’s race with high-profile endorsement

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    EXCLUSIVE — Detroit native and cultural icon Kid Rock is taking sides in the race for Michigan governor.

    The famed musician and entertainer with a working-class persona who is known for his conservative political views is endorsing Republican Rep. John James in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

    The Michigan governor’s office and a Democrat-controlled open U.S. Senate seat are top targets for the GOP to flip in November’s midterm elections.

    “As our next Governor of Michigan, I know you will bring many victories to our GREAT STATE!” Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital on Sunday.

    BATTLE FOR THE SENATE: WHERE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP SEATS

    Musician and Detroit native Kid Rock, left, joins Republican Rep. John James of Michigan, who is running for governor. (John James gubernatorial campaign)

    James, who’s in his second term representing a swing congressional district in suburban Detroit, said in a statement, “Kid Rock is a good friend. We share our love for Detroit, the state of Michigan and the United States of America!”

    “I’m honored to have the endorsement of this unapologetic freedom-loving patriot and I look forward to working with him and every other Michigander to make Michigan great again!” added James, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Iraq War, and a businessman who was the 2018 and 2020 Republican Senate nominee in the Great Lakes battleground state.

    Kid Rock’s backing of James comes a couple of hours before the singer and songwriter headlines Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” during the Super Bowl.

    HOW TO WATCH THE TURNING POINT USA ALTERNATE HALFTIME SHOW

    Turning Point USA, which was co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is hosting its own alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. The event comes as conservatives criticize the NFL’s choice to feature Latin music star Bad Bunny as the halftime performer.

    Kid Rock performs at Republican National Convention.

    Musician Kid Rock performs on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

    Kid Rock is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, backing him in all three of his presidential campaigns. He performed his song “American Bad Ass” at the 2024 Republican National Convention with altered lyrics to showcase his support for Trump.

    Trump, whose sway over the GOP remains immense and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are highly coveted and extremely influential, to date has not weighed in on Michigan’s gubernatorial race.

    HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

    A release from James’s campaign highlighted that “John James has stood with President Trump consistently since 2018, and every subsequent election, maintaining a clear and steady alignment when others backed his opponents, ran against him, or stayed silent.”

    The James campaign also emphasized that “Kid Rock and John James share deep Detroit roots and a common view of Michigan as a state defined by hard work, manufacturing, culture, and natural beauty — from the Great Lakes to the communities that power the Midwest economy.”

    Rep. John James of Michigan, seen at the 2024 Republican National Convention, is running for governor in the battleground state's 2026 race.

    Rep. John James of Michigan, seen at the 2024 Republican National Convention, is running for governor in the battleground state’s 2026 race. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty)

    James is the clear polling front-runner in a very crowded field of Republicans vying for the GOP nomination in the August primary. Among the other Republicans in the race are former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state House of Representatives Speaker Mike Leonard, and businessman Perry Johnson, a longshot candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination who is making his second bid for governor.

    Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the clear front-runner among three candidates for the Democratic nomination.

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    Former three-term Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit is campaigning for governor as an independent.

    The race in Michigan is rated a toss-up by three top nonpartisan political handicappers: the Cook Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball.

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • 11 Democrats running to keep blue-leaning seat in party hands as GOP House majority on the brink

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    Eleven candidates are running in Thursday’s Democratic Party primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

    The seat was left vacant after now New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning November’s gubernatorial election in the Garden State.

    The winner of the Democratic primary will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16.

    The special election in a district that tilts towards the Democrats comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218-214 majority in the House of Representatives.

    HOUSE GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO JUST ONE VOTE AS JOHNSON SWEARS IN NEW HOUSE DEMOCRAT

    Now-New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, stepped down from her seat in the House of Representatives in November, after winning the Garden State’s gubernatorial election. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    But the GOP may land a reinforcement before the general election for the open seat in New Jersey is held.

    That’s because a special election is scheduled on March 10 in Georgia’s solidly right 14th Congressional District, in the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The MAGA firebrand and one-time top Trump House ally a month ago stepped down from Congress a year before her term ended.

    A whopping 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are running in the Georgia showdown.

    JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE

    According to Georgia state law, all the candidates will run on the same ballot. If no contender tops 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two finishers will take place on April 7.

    Greene won re-election in 2024 to the seat by nearly 30 points and Trump carried the district, which is located in northwest Georgia, by 37 points.

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

    Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia stepped down from her seat in Congress in early January, a year before her term ended. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    While there’s a very crowded field in Thursday’s Democratic congressional primary in New Jersey, only a handful of the candidates have a possible shot at winning the nomination.

    Among the frontrunners are former Rep. Tom Malinowski, an assistant Secretary of State in former President Barack Obama’s administration who represented the neighboring 7th Congressional District from 2018 to 2022 before being defeated by now-GOP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill.

    Also in contention are former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, John Bartlett, a Passaic County commissioner, and Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer who is running as an outsider and is backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Sanders headlined a virtual rally for Mejia on the eve of the primary.

    HOUSE GOP’S ALREADY FRAGILE MAJORITY TO FURTHER SHRINK AFTER DEMOCRATS’ BALLOT BOX VICTORY

    The suburban district in northern New Jersey leans to the left, with Sherrill winning re-election in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin by which she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.

    But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat.

    Doug LaMalfa

    Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California, who represented a district in the northeastern portion of the state, died in early January. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    There’s one more vacant seat in Congress, in California’s 1st Congressional District, following the recent unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa.

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    A primary in the race to fill LaMalfa’s seat will be held on June 2, which is primary day in California. And the special general election will be held on Aug. 4.

    The district, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican.

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • Democrats, Republicans go all in on final 2025 congressional ballot box showdown

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    With one week to go until Election Day in a hotly contested race for a GOP-controlled vacant House seat in a solidly red congressional district in Tennessee, both Republicans and Democrats are pouring resources into the race.

    Republican-aligned groups are spending millions of dollars to run ads in the Dec. 2 special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, to avoid the possibility of a major upset and protect the GOP’s current razor-thin 219-213 majority in the House.

    President Donald Trump carried the district — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, and includes parts of Nashville — by 22 points in last year’s presidential election.

    But Democrats, energized following the party’s sweeping victories earlier this month in high-profile ballot box showdowns from coast to coast, are also spending big bucks in the race.

    TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS CROWDED GOP PRIMARY IN BATTLE FOR VACANT HOUSE SEAT

    Democratic congressional nominee Aftyn Behn, a Tennessee state representative, is running in a Dec. 2 special election for a vacant U.S. House seat. (Aftyn For Congress)

    “The stakes are exceptionally high, especially in the light of the results from the 2025 elections,” Vanderbilt University professor of political science John Greer told Fox News Digital. “Republicans are worried that this district, which is normally safe, could in fact swing to the Democrats.”

    Republican nominee Matt Van Epps is facing off against Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn in the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job.

    Democrats were laser focused on spotlighting the issue of affordability in this autumn’s elections, and Behn, a state representative, former healthcare community organizer and rising progressive star who some have dubbed the “AOC of Tennessee,” is keeping to that script.

    “Angry about high grocery prices? Worried about health care costs? Feeling burned by tariffs? Then Dec. 2 is your day to shake up Washington,” she says in her campaign’s final ad.

    By casting herself as the candidate who will put a check on Trump’s party in Congress, Behn sees a path to victory.

    While Democrats privately acknowledge that the path to victory is narrow, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, who campaigned with Behn earlier this month, argued that she has “an excellent shot to win.”

    Republican congressional nominee Matt Van Epps

    Republican congressional nominee Matt Van Epps casts his ballot at an early voting site in the special election for the 7th District, Nov. 12, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)

    Van Epps, a military combat veteran and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services who is backed by Trump, is showcasing his military career as part of his cost of living focus.

    “Matt Van Epps. Nine combat tours. True American hero,” the narrator in one of his ads says, before Van Epps adds, “Now, I’m on a new mission: to bring down prices, create good-paying jobs and lower healthcare costs for working families.”

    SCOOP: TRUMP-ALIGNED MAGA INC. JUMPS INTO HIGH STAKES BALLOT BOX CONGRESSIONAL SHOWDOWN

    While both candidates are running commercials, it’s the aligned super PACs and other outside groups that are flooding the airwaves and digital landscape.

    The Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. and the fiscally conservative powerhouse Club for Growth have each dished out seven figures to run ads in the race.

    “It’s going to be a hard race. They all are, but he’s [Van Epps] going to win that race because he’s more in line with Tennessee,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital. “I’m confident of him, and we’re going to help him do it.”

    Republican candidate for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District Matt Van Epps

    Matt Van Epps talks with attendees before a debate at CabaRay Showroom in Nashville, Sept. 5, 2025. (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

    Also playing in the race is Conservatives for American Excellence, which is financed by GOP megadonors.

    While not spending as much, Democrat-aligned outside groups are supporting Behn. And last week, House Majority PAC, the top group that backs House Democratic candidates, announced it was pumping $1 million into the Tennessee showdown.

    Over the past week, Republicans have been targeting Behn over her past comments from a 2020 podcast.

    “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it,” she said in the podcast.

    TENNESSEE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE CAUGHT SAYING ‘I HATE NASHVILLE’ AND ‘COUNTRY MUSIC’ IN RESURFACED CLIP

    The district is solidly red, but includes parts of the Democratic stronghold of Nashville, Tennessee’s capital and its most populous city, and a major national center for the country music industry. The district encompasses parts of north and west Nashville, including the downtown area which has long been a very popular tourist destination.

    “The Democrat running in a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, Aftyn Behn, is running on the message: ‘I hate this place, elect me!’ Tennessee deserves better,” the Republican National Committee argued in a social media post last week.

    Democratic congressional nominee Aftyn Behn

    State Rep. Aftyn Behn attends a campaign event on Nov. 13, 2025, in Nashville. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)

    Republicans are also taking aim at Behn over an op-ed titled, “Tennessee is a racist state, and so is its legislature,” that appeared in a 2019 edition of The Tennessean newspaper.

    The RNC, pointing in a social media post Wednesday to the six-year-old opinion piece, asked, “If Behn hates Tennessee so much, why is she trying to represent it?”

    Also resurfacing in recent days are anti-police comments Behn made on a now-deleted social media account.

    Behn campaign manager Kate Briefs, pushing back, said in a statement Monday,” The attacks from Washington Republicans are getting louder because their agenda is deeply unpopular—and because early vote returns show this race is a dead heat. They can’t talk about fixing healthcare, lowering costs, or protecting our hospitals because they have no plan. So instead, they’re throwing mud.”

    Behn’s campaign is pointing to what it says is “a surge of first-time and infrequent voters” turning out for early voting.

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    But Greer, who is co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll, predicted that the special election in an off-election year “is likely to be pretty low and early voting is certainly an indication that it’s going to be pretty low.”

    “I still think the Democrats have an uphill climb,” Greer said. “But the fact that Republicans and Democrats are pouring money into the race, both sides see some evidence it could be close.”

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • Republicans get serious on housing crisis with high-profile conservative influencer leading the charge

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    FIRST ON FOX: Conservative influencer Benny Johnson is leading a new initiative to “Make Housing Great Again” amid concerns that Millennials and Gen Z are being pushed out of homeownership by rising costs, stagnant wages and regulatory burdens.

    The new initiative, which is being announced Friday, will be led by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) with help from Johnson, who will be the initiative’s co-chair and national spokesperson, serving as the voice of the initiative. Johnson will also help lead a business advisory council related to making housing more affordable.

    “Benny has 4 million followers. He is, you know, so influential. He’s been talking about this a lot on his own social media platforms, and so he is the perfect person to help deliver the policies,” Ashley Hayek, AFPI’s Executive Vice President and co-chair of the initiative, told Fox News Digital. “He has young children. I have young children. And for us, we are both very fired up about this issue.”

    I WORKED WITH CHARLIE KIRK FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. AMERICA LOST A FUTURE PRESIDENT

    Conservative influencer Benny Johnson will be the voice of the America First Policy Institute’s new ‘Make Housing Great Again’ initiative launched on Friday. (Brett Carlsen and Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Hayek pointed out that advocating for policy is, at least in part, a messaging war, and Johnson’s ability to articulate himself well will help with that. Additionally, he has the attention of many young people, who Hayek noted often aren’t aware of the tools out there to help them buy a home. 

    Greg Sindelar, AFPI’s interim president, added that the current culture in the United States “too often diminishes traditional aspirations,” like homeownership and building a family, which has taken a toll on younger generations.

    Even Democrats tend to agree. Former Democrat congressman and ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in August explaining how the increased difficulty of homeownership is depressing young men, particularly due to the fact that buying a home is often seen as such a pivotal part of achieving the American Dream.

    “Rising costs, stagnant wages, regulatory burdens, and a culture that too often diminishes traditional aspirations have left millions feeling directionless and forgotten,” Sindelar said. “AFPI is committed to reversing this trend by advancing meaningful, actionable policy solutions rooted in the principles of the America First movement.”

    BIPARTISAN PLAN AIMS TO MAKE THE AMERICAN DREAM AFFORDABLE AGAIN FOR MILLIONS OF FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS 

    The new initiative, announced Friday, laid out a list of policy proposals it plans to advance across government of all levels.

    Housing development

    Single family homes in a residential neighborhood in San Marcos, Texas, US, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Among those proposals is a push to eliminate capital gains taxes on first home sales as long as they reinvest in another home within the following five years. This proposal is aimed at mirroring the spirit of President Donald Trump’s “Opportunity Zones” aimed at accelerating wealth and economic development for low-income communities. 

    “Homes are too expensive and totally out of reach for young people. The slow death of the American Dream is happening before our eyes. It is a generational betrayal and we must reverse this trend by Making Housing Great Again,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Today, the average age of a first-time homebuyer in America is 40 years old. That is well past the optimal age for marriage and family creation. The battle for homeownership is a battle for our cultural and civilizational survival. We need more young people to get married and start families and that cannot happen without a culture of homeownership.  We must deliver on this promise for our young people. The American Dream hangs in the balance.”

    Another proposal includes a push for the creation of “Home Savings Accounts” similar to a Health Savings Account (HSA) that allows individuals to contribute pre-tax dollars to pay for their healthcare needs.

    One proposal also includes a plan to reduce regulations and increase incentives across states and localities that have restricted the development of new housing supply. One example they point to is “green building standards,” which the initiative says bloats costs for builders. By getting rid of these regulations, they say that it will dramatically reduce the cost for builders, who will then in turn be able to increase supply.

    Conservative commentator Benny Johnson.

    Conservative commentator Benny Johnson has 3.8 million followers on X and 5.6 million YouTube subscribers.  (Fox News Digital)

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    Other proposals include measures to stop predatory lending to young people, while promoting innovative housing like tiny homes. 

    Tax-focused proposals are in the mix as well, such as a “Family Formation Mortgage Credit,” aimed at making family formation and homeownership financially synergistic. It will give families that marry and have a child within five years a $10,000 reduction on their mortgage through a refundable tax credit. The initiative will also push to double the child-tax credit for households filing their taxes jointly and own a home, or are planning to own one.

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  • Key takeaways from the 2025 elections

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    After last year’s stunning electoral setbacks, Democrats needed a big night on Tuesday.

    And they got it.

    “Democrats Sweep Election Night, Fueling Momentum Going Into 2026 Midterms,” screamed the headline from a Democratic National Committee (DNC) email late in the evening, as the party pointed to double-digit victories in the gubernatorial elections in blue-leaning New Jersey and Virginia, and convincing victories in crucial ballot box showdowns in Democrat-dominated California and battleground Pennsylvania.

    In arguably the most closely watched election this autumn, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani made history as the first Muslim and first Millennial elected New York City mayor.

    HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS ELECTION 2025 COVERAGE

    New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill speaks during an election night party in East Brunswick, N.J., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

    While Mamdani’s victory in the nation’s most populous city is a shot in the arm for the rise of the socialist movement, it also appears to be a political gift for Republicans.

    Here are three key takeaways from Election Night 2025.

    1. The Mamdani factor

    Since Mamdani’s Democratic mayoral primary victory in June, Republicans have repeatedly aimed to make the now-34-year-old Ugandan-born state lawmaker from New York City the new face of the Democratic Party, as they work to characterize Democrats as far-left socialists.

    And as Mamdani was on his way to a roughly 9-point win in Tuesday’s general election over former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, the GOP struck again.

    HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE 2025 BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWNS

    “Democrats have officially handed New York City over to a self-proclaimed Communist, and hardworking families will be the ones paying the price,” Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Joe Gruters claimed in a statement. “His election is proof that the Democrat Party has abandoned common sense and tied themselves to extremism.”

    National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Mike Marinella charged that “the Democrat Party has surrendered to radical socialist Zohran Mamdani and the far-left mob who are now running the show.”

    Zohran Mamdani celebrating

    Socialist Zohran Mamdani won his New York City mayoral race over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

    And as Fox News Digital first reported on Wednesday morning, the NRCC immediately launched ads linking Mamdani to House Democrats who face challenging re-elections in next year’s midterms, when the GOP aims to defend its fragile majority in the chamber.

    Longtime Republican strategist Colin Reed told Fox News Digital that Democrats “are now going to have an ascendant and emboldened Mayor-elect Mamdani dominating the national spotlight.”

    WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE 2025 ELECTIONS MAY MEAN FOR DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS

    But veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, pointing to the gubernatorial victories by moderate Democrats Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, emphasized “tonight proved that the Democrats’ pathway back to majorities in both chambers and the White House runs directly through the idea of building a big enough tent to encompass moderates and progressives.”

    2. Did Democrats get their mojo back?

    Democrats lost control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority in last year’s elections, as Republicans made major gains with key parts of the Democratic Party base, including minorities and younger voters.

    And Democrats have been mostly powerless to blunt President Donald Trump‘s unprecedented and explosive second-term agenda.

    But Democrats see Tuesday’s impressive victories as the first step in a political rebound, and an affirmation of the party’s campaign trail emphasis this year on the issue of affordability.

    “American voters just delivered a Democratic resurgence. A Republican reckoning. A Blue Sweep. And it happened because our Democratic candidates, no matter where they are, no matter how they fit into our big tent party, are meeting voters at the kitchen table, not the gilded ballroom,” DNC chair Ken Martin highlighted.

    And Martin argued, “To all the Republicans who have bowed a cowardly knee to Trump all year, consider this: We’re coming after your jobs next.”

    Abigail Spanberger celebrates Virginia gubernatorial win

    Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger celebrates as she takes the stage during her election night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Nov. 04, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

    Caiazzo said that the Democrats’ ballot box victories show that “voters are hungry for candidates that speak to their concerns and offer to unite, not divide.”

    But Reed countered that “Democrat candidates winning in blue parts of the country isn’t unexpected. The fact that there was any suspense at all heading into the evening was the more surprising development.”

    And he pointed out that “the battle for next year’s midterms is taking place in friendlier terrain.”

    3. No MAGA momentum

    While he lost both New Jersey and Virginia in last year’s presidential election, Trump made major gains in both states.

    And a big question heading into the 2025 elections was whether MAGA supporters, who tend to be low-propensity voters, would cast ballots in an off-election year when Trump wasn’t on the ballot.

    Many didn’t.

    The president, in a quote on social media that he attributed to “pollsters,” said that “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT.”

    Veteran Republican strategist Chris LaCivita, who served as a co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 White House bid, highlighted, “Candidate quality matters. Tonight was a great lesson for the Republican Party: running squishy Rs who are lukewarm on Trump and MAGA, even in “purple” states, doesn’t work.”

    Winsome Sears cheers

    Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears greets supporters on Election Night in Leesburg, Virginia. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    LaCivita specifically called out Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP gubernatorial nominee who lost to Spanberger by 15 points.

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    And he warned that “Republicans must get smart and run only MAGA candidates moving forward; otherwise, there will be massive turnout problems when @realDonaldTrump is not on the ballot!”

    Reed emphasized that for the GOP, “the task remains re-assembling the winning Trump coalition without his name on the ballot. The good news for the Republican side is the deep bench of talented and proven leaders to carry that flag into battle.”

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • Marjorie Taylor Greene brushes off Trump attacks, breaks away on shutdown, NYC election

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    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stood by her controversial stances against the Republican Party, including President Donald Trump, on ABC’s “The View” Tuesday morning.

    The Georgia representative surprised the hosts of the liberal daytime talk show by having a cordial political discussion about her beliefs and recent breaks with her own party over the ongoing government shutdown.

    Co-host Joy Behar asked Greene about reported tension between herself and Trump, with some outlets suggesting the president has been frustrated with Greene as of late.

    ‘STOP PLAYING GAMES’: MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TAKES AIM AT REPUBLICANS, CONGRESS AMID SHUTDOWN

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks alongside Donald Trump at a campaign event in Rome, Georgia, on March 9, 2024. (Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images)

    “That’s OK,” Greene said. “Donald Trump, he usually yells at everybody, so we’re all used to it. But he’s the president of the United States.”

    She then turned to the shutdown, saying it “disgusts” her that she and other representatives aren’t working.

    “I feel like the government has failed all of us and it purely disgusts me. It really does, and I represent a district that is rural, I mean, manufacturing district, blue-collar workers. People have been crushed by decades of failure in Washington, D.C., and so I have no problem pointing fingers at everyone,” Greene said.

    MIKE JOHNSON, MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE CLASH IN HEATED PRIVATE GOP CALL OVER SHUTDOWN STRATEGY

    Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sunny Hostin

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene sits down with the co-hosts of “The View” on Nov. 4, 2025. (Screenshot/ABC)

    She laid the criticism directly on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and blamed him and other Republicans for failing to address the healthcare issues driving the shutdown today.

    “Republicans never fixed it,” Greene said. “And then the ACA tax credits were passed in 2021 and there was a sunset date of the end of this year and Republicans never made a plan for that. I yelled at Mike Johnson last week in our conference call. By the way, I’m missing the call today. It’s going on right now. And I hope that Mike Johnson is finally giving a single healthcare policy because the country deserves it and it shouldn’t be a secret.”

    She also agreed with the hosts that Republicans lacked a healthcare plan.

    REP MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE EXPLAINS WHY SHE’S ‘EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED’ WITH DC LAWMAKERS

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has come under fire for criticizing Republicans over the government shutdown. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

    Greene has broken ranks with members of her party regarding several issues in recent months, including the Israel-Hamas war and the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

    She even appeared to disagree with Trump’s endorsement of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for New York City mayor.

    “I personally wouldn’t — if I lived here I wouldn’t vote for Andrew Cuomo,” Greene said. “I was very much against, of course, the — all these women came out with accusations against him which I found pretty disgusting. And then the COVID lockdowns and all the people’s parents and grandparents who died in nursing homes.”

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    Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

    Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.

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  • Hannity announces he will host town hall with GOP New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli

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    Fox News host Sean Hannity announced he will host a town hall with Republican New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli that will air on Fox News Thursday.

    New Jersey’s governor’s race is one of the most closely watched elections, as Ciattarelli once again looks to turn the blue Garden State red after coming close to beating Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021. 

    CIATTARELLI GAINS MOMENTUM IN NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR’S RACE AS POLLS NARROW SHARPLY

    The polls in recent weeks against his opponent, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill, have tightened. 

    Asian American voters will play a big role in the New Jersey gubernatorial election as a DNC official warns the party should increase its AAPI outreach efforts in coming elections.  (Victor J. Blue/Getty Images;Mark Kauzlarich/Getty Images)

    A Fox News poll conducted Oct. 10–14 put Sherrill at 50% support among likely voters, with Ciattarelli at 45%. Sherrill’s 5-point advantage was down from an 8-point lead in Fox News’ September survey in New Jersey.

    MAGA STAR JOINS CIATTARELLI ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN NEW JERSEY AS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

    In an interview with Fox News Digital on Oct. 15, Ciattarelli noted that he “made big gains” in his 2021 showing “in Hudson County and Passaic County,” two long-time Democratic Party strongholds. He also pointed out that President Donald Trump has a following in those counties.

    Republican gubernatorial nominee in New Jersey Jack Ciattarelli

    Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor in New Jersey, is interviewed by Fox News Digital on Oct. 15, 2025 in Bayonne, N.J. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )

    “And the president did very, very well in ’24 in those very same counties. And if you take a look at who’s been endorsing me, including some very prominent Democrats here in Hudson County, people want change,” Ciattarelli argued.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ‘HANNITY’ TOWN HALL WITH JACK CIATTARELLI

    Meanwhile, Sherrill has cited Ciattarelli’s approval of President Trump’s policies against him. 

    NJ REPUBLICAN CIATTARELLI THREATENS TO SUE SHERRILL OVER OPIOID CLAIM

    On Oct. 8, she charged that her Republican rival had “shown zero signs of standing up to this president.” 

    “In fact, the president himself called Jack 100% MAGA, and he’s shown every sign of being that,” Sherrill asserted.

    The race has been rocked by explosive accusations on both sides. 

    According to Sherrill’s military records, the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal, which Ciattarelli called disqualifying. 

    TUNE IN TO FOX NEWS THURSDAY AT 9PM ET TO WATCH ‘HANNITY’S’ TOWN HALL WITH JACK CIATTARELLI

    The veteran later took aim at her Republican opponent by accusing him of being “complicit” in tens of thousands of New Jerseyans’ opioid deaths, based on his owning a medical publishing company that pushed content promoting the use of opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Visit Hannity.com for ticket information for Thursday’s town hall in Point Pleasant, N.J., ahead of the state’s election on Nov. 4.

    Stephanie Samsel is a digital production assistant at Fox News Digital. She has previously written for Campus Reform and the Media Research Center, covering political bias in education and entertainment. Follow her on X @StephSamsel.

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  • Selective outrage: Trump, Democrats mainly denounce the other side’s scandals

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    The group chat was racist as hell.

    Black folks were called “monkeys” and “the watermelon people.”

    The group chat was also utterly anti-Semitic.

    “I love Hitler.” Kill them in gas chambers. “I’m ready to watch people burn now.”

    JD VANCE TELLS DEMS OUTRAGED OVER YOUNG REPUBLICANS’ LEAKED GROUP CHAT TO ‘GROW UP’

    Oh, and there were jokes about rape (“epic”). And a slur against gay people, involving actions by cows.

    That reporting by Politico – based on 2,900 pages of leaked chats by the Young Republicans organization – has caused a national uproar.

    But JD Vance dismissed it as a “college group chat” and says “kids do stupid things, especially young boys.” 

    In fact, these were young adults under the age of 40 (according to the rules), working as political strategists and government staffers.

    Republicans and Democrats alike are dealing with intra-party extremism problems… but only seem particularly willing to call it out when the other side’s doing it. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, Pool)

    Vermont state Sen. Sam Douglass apologized and resigned, saying he had to protect his family in the face of death threats. His wife, Brianna, posted that “you’re giving nationals to [sic] much credit and expecting the Jew to be honest.”

    William Hendrix, working for the Kansas attorney general’s office, has been fired.

    Bobby Walker, chair of the New York State Young Republicans, lost his planned spot on a campaign. Peter Giunta has been ousted by a New York assemblyman. 

    The whole thing is sickening, disgusting and stomach-turning. 

    FROM AOC TO ZOHRAN MAMDANI, THE DEMOCRATS ARE PEDDLING FAR-LEFT POLITICS

    Don’t take my word for it. The Young Republican National Federation says it’s  “appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed … such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.”

    New York GOP leaders have now voted unanimously to disband the state’s Young Republicans chapter.

    But with some brave and prominent exceptions, most Republicans don’t want to talk about the chat fiasco. They have been pivoting to an awful scandal involving, naturally, a Democratic candidate.

    Jay Jones speaks during a campaign stop

    Democrats, meanwhile, have hesitated to withdraw support for Jay Jones – their nominee for Attorney General of Virginia – after texts rife with charged, violent rhetoric were released. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

    Jay Jones, running for attorney general in Virginia, was revealed by National Review to have had a violent exchange about a colleague in 2022, when both were in the House of Delegates. 

    Jones was fantasizing about going after Todd Gilbert, then the House speaker.

    Gilbert gets “two bullets to the head,” then Jones said he wanted the speaker’s children to “die in their mother’s arms.”

    JD Vance said Jones “has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents, “I’m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has done just that.”

    President Trump weighed in, saying “the Radical Left Lunatic Jay Jones” had made “SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all,” about “the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife and their children.” The president called Jones an “animal” and that “anybody would be put in prison for what he said.”

    Now all this is horrible and nauseating – and it gets worse.

    JAY JONES MURDER TEXTS LATEST CASE OF DEMOCRATS CIRCLING THE SCANDAL WAGONS

    Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat running for Virginia governor, said she was “disgusted” by Jones’s remarks and issued a statement: “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate – and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”

    What she definitely did not do was pull her support for the man behind the “violent language.” She still backs Jay “two bullets” Jones. So do most Democrats, with some prominent exceptions.

    So each side is engaging in classic whataboutism – insisting that we train our gaze on the other side’s misconduct.

    And you know full well if the situations were reversed, Democrats would be denouncing the “two bullets” candidate and Republicans would be slamming the racist and anti-Semitic group chat.

    In an ideal world, both would be equally condemned regardless of party.

    Charlie Kirk in a white T-shirt emblazoned with the word "Freedom" at UVU shortly before his assassination

    There are also questions of real political violence – like the horrific Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

    David French, the conservative, anti-Trump columnist for the New York Times, says there’s a “twisted moral calculation” that he blames in part on Trumpism but admits the trend began well before DJT got into politics.  

    “The result is a push-pull dynamic that pushes people of good character out of the party and pulls in new leaders and new people who share the leader’s ethos. Every year, this cultural trend reinforces itself. Decency becomes rarer, and decent people feel more isolated…

    “Meanwhile, the trolls multiply until the radicals become the mainstream and the previous mainstream becomes the fringe.” Even compassionate conservative George W. Bush would be deemed too liberal for the Trump GOP. So would Ronald Reagan, who was pro-immigration, and Richard Nixon, who created the EPA.

    SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

    And then there’s the question of real violence, in the wake of the horrifying assassination of Charlie Kirk, not to mention the two attempts to muder Trump last year.

    “Rising vitriol and escalating illiberalism raise the perceived stakes of elections to such an extent that virtually every partisan American is all too willing to overlook almost any lesser evil to avoid the greater evil of an electoral loss,” says French.

    It’s the ultimate means-justify-the-ends argument. It’s really about seizing and holding power. Nothing else matters. And that’s revolting.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    It’s chilling to read that the fringe is now the mainstream, that nothing is more important than defending your side, your team, your ideology, details be damned.  But that’s the world in which we now live.

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  • SCOOP: Trump-backed former Navy SEAL launches GOP primary challenge against Massie

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    FIRST ON FOX – A former longtime Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer who is backed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared his candidacy in the state’s 4th Congressional District, as he challenges Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year’s GOP primary.

    “I’ve dedicated my life to serving my country, and I’m ready to answer the call again,” Ed Gallrein said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. 

    And pointing to Massie, a frequent GOP critic of the president during his second term in the White House, Gallrein emphasized, “This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t need obstacles in Congress – he needs backup. I’ll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for.”

    The campaign launch comes four days after Trump took to social media to praise Gallrein, urge him to run, and blast Massie.

    MAVERICK HOUSE REPUBLICAN CASHES IN ON TRUMP’S ATTACKS

    Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, arrives for a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Trump argued that Massie was a “Third Rate Congressman,” a “Weak and Pathetic RINO,” and a “totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly.”

    And the president applauded Gallrein, calling him a “Brave Combat Veteran” and a “very successful Businessman” who, if elected to Congress, would “fight tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

    HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS

    Trump’s social media post included a photo of himself and Gallrein holding red MAGA hats in the Oval Office.

    Gallrein served three decades in uniform, rising to the rank of Captain. According to his campaign bio, he served multiple times on SEAL Team SIX, deploying to Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and earned four Bronze Stars and two Presidential Unit Citations.

    Ed Gallrein with President Trump at the White House

    Ed Gallrein, left, seen with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, on Tuesday launched a congressional bid to primary challenge Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Gallrein’s campaign launch comes four days after Trump backed him and urged him to run. (Ed Gallrein congressional campaign)

    His campaign release also highlighted that “Gallrein’s roots run deep in Kentucky.” He was born and raised in the state. And his family, which has farmed for over a century, built Kentucky’s largest dairy farm and Gallrein Grain Farms, one of the state’s largest grain operations.

    Massie took aim at Gallrein following Trump’s social media endorsement, calling him a “failed candidate and establishment hack,” as he pointed to Gallrein’s unsuccessful run last year for the state Senate.

    MASSIE FIRES BACK AFTER JOHNSON CALLS HIS EPSTEIN RECORDS PUSH ‘MEANINGLESS’

    “After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein,” Massie said in a statement to Politico. “Ed’s been begging them to pick him for over three months now.”

    Trump started targeting Massie for ouster earlier this year over the seven-term lawmaker’s opposition to the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which passed the GOP-controlled Congress early in the summer nearly entirely along party lines. The sweeping GOP megalaw is the president’s major legislative achievement since returning to the White House.

    Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie, and Ro Khanna

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) during a news conference with alleged victims of disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein outside the U.S. Capitol on September 3, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    Massie is also leading the push, along with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, in forcing a House floor vote to urge the release of the Justice Department’s files on the late convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a move the White House and House GOP leaders have aimed to counter. Massie is on the verge of reaching the needed 218 signatures to force the vote.

    Two top Trump political advisers — 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita and pollster Tony Fabrizio — in June launched a super PAC that aims to defeat Massie. Nearly $2 million has been spent already to run TV ads targeting Massie.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    But Massie has used the attacks from Trump and his allies to boost fundraising, hauling in more than $750,000 the past three months, which was the best fundraising quarter of his congressional career.

    Massie’s district, in the northeastern part of the state, includes Louisville’s eastern suburbs and Cincinnati’s Kentucky suburbs.

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • Jeffries tells Lawler to ‘keep your mouth shut’ as shutdown sparks Capitol Hill confrontations

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    The National Hockey League played seven games in its young 2025-2026 season by the end of the day last Wednesday. The contests featured a grand total of two fights. 

    The government shutdown had run for eight days by the end of the day on that Wednesday. And the now lengthy shutdown sparked two extraordinary verbal brawls in the halls of Congress between lawmakers.

    NHL referees Gord Dwyer and Mitch Dunning worked the Washington Capitals/Boston Bruins tilt Wednesday night in DC. Perhaps the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms could have summoned Dwyer and Dunning up to Capitol Hill to dole out a few ten-minute misconducts beforehand.

    “You’re embarrassing yourself right now!” hollered House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., at Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.

    JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said Democrats, led in the House by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are putting health care access at risk by refusing the GOP’s federal funding plan. (Annabelle Gordon/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    “The only embarrassment here is you!” thundered Lawler at Jeffries.

    Tempers exploded as Lawler lay in wait outside the House Radio/TV Gallery Studio for a shutdown smackdown after Jeffries concluded his now-daily press conference. 

    “You’re not going to talk to me and talk over me when you don’t want to hear what I’m going to say!” yelled an animated Jeffries at Lawler, jabbing his index finger toward his colleague’s chest but never poking him. 

    “Oh, I’m listening,” said Lawler.

    “So just keep your mouth shut!” shouted the usually cool Jeffries. 

    There were multiple rounds of vocal fisticuffs between Members and Congressional leaders.

    Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., summoned the press to the hallway outside the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to complain about the shutdown and criticize the Speaker for not swearing-in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., more than two weeks after her election. Johnson then confronted the Arizona senators. And Lawler was nearby, serving as “fourth man in.”

    “This is absurd,” seethed an exasperated Johnson.

    SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES

    “This is the longest the House has gone…” interrupted Gallego.

    “Do you want me to answer the question?” shot back Johnson.

    “You’re not actually answering the question,” countered Gallego.

    The multiple rounds of brawls in the halls between lawmakers were nearly unprecedented in Congress. The shutdown smackdowns featured arguments about health care. Lawler waved around legislation focused on the Democrats’ push during the shutdown: a package to extend Obamacare subsidies.

    “If you believe in it so much!” chided Lawler, with a rhetorical uppercut. 

    “Bro, do you understand math?” counterpunched Jeffries.

    Tensions are spiking at the Capitol. Yours truly asked Johnson about Lawler confronting Jeffries and his decision to step out of the Speaker’s Office to engage Kelly and Gallego. I noted to the Speaker that if the House was in session, there may be fistfights in the hallways.

    Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

    Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on the tenth day of the federal government shutdown on Oct. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)

    “Are you concerned and is it incumbent upon you as the Speaker to try to lower this temperature?” I asked.

    Johnson added that the contretemps “concerns me.” He added that he wanted to “restore civility to the institution.”

    “Let’s have policy disputes. But not make it personal. This gets personal. Emotions are high. People are upset. I’m upset. I’m a very patient man. But I am very angry right now because this is dangerous stuff. And so is it better for them to be physically separated right now? It probably is.” said Johnson. 

    Lawmakers aren’t the only ones raging. Thousands of federal workers are fuming at the shutdown. The administration is now firing federal workers. 

    “Right now, many families are paying the price for political gridlock that they didn’t cause,” said American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley.

    TENSE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN HOUSE SPEAKER, SENATE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA OVER SHUTDOWN

    Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., represents 44,000 federal employees in her district near Washington, DC. She notes that Maryland has lost 15,000 federal jobs since President Trump took office in January. 

    “I believe that (the firings) are not only unethical and immoral, but illegal for him to be RIF-ing people during a shutdown. There’s no new authority granted to the President or OMB during a shutdown,” said Elfreth. “I don’t believe in negotiating by threat. It also shows that I think they have the weaker hand and that they’re losing the PR battle nationally to resort to threats.” 

    While the shutdown is the main event, the undercard is a fight between Democrats and Johnson over Grijalva to succeed her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. The elder Grijalva died in March after a battle with cancer.

    “I can’t hire staff. We don’t have an office,” said Grijalva “So it’s very much second-class citizen feeling for me.”

    Democrats have tried on multiple occasions to compel the House to swear-in Grijalva during brief, pro forma sessions where the body gavels in and gavels out after just a few seconds. Once in office, Grijalva would provide the crucial 218th signature to go over the head of the Speaker and force the House to vote on a measure to release the Epstein files.

    “Get your people in and stop covering up for the pedophiles,” shouted Gallego at Johnson during their confrontation in the corridor.

    “That’s ridiculous,” responded Johnson. 

    “There’s nobody covering up for pedophiles,” chirped Lawler from the back of the scrum. “So knock it the hell off.”

    Johnson denies the Grijalva holdup is about the Epstein files. 

    a split image of Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Chuck Schumer

    Speaker Mike Johnson is canceling House votes for a third straight week in a bid to put pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer during the government shutdown. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite; Allison Robbert/AP Photo)

    “We’ll schedule it, I guess, as soon as she wants. It has nothing to do with it,” said Johnson. 

    But Grijalva wrote to the Speaker last week demanding the House swear her in immediately. And the House still hasn’t sworn her in.

    Circumstances were different this spring when the House GOP majority dwindled to a net seat of one. Republicans needed as many votes as they could muster to pass parliamentary frameworks for the Big, Beautiful Bill. Johnson swore-in Reps. Randy Fine, R-Fla., and Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., a day after they won special elections.

    “These guys worked hard and they earned the position,” said Johnson when he met with them back in April. “These gentlemen are going to come in and help us deliver the America First agenda.” 

    Johnson noted that swearing-in Fine and Patronis made “the margin a little more comfortable” for House Republicans.

    So Johnson is keeping the House out of session for now. House Democrats are returning to Capitol Hill this week to make a point of Johnson keeping the House out of session during the shutdown. Regardless, pouring everyone back into the Capitol would likely trigger the Congressional equivalent of a line brawl. 

    There are unwritten rules about hockey fights. You don’t sucker punch someone. You don’t knee your opponent. You generally square off in a fight with someone in your same weight class. In hockey, both sides warm up on their own side of the red line before the game and between periods. Violation of that code might trigger a big brawl.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Lawmakers from both sides seemingly left their own side of the rink to pick fights with the other side. Gallego and Kelly outside the Speaker’s Office. Lawler outside Jeffries’ news conference.

    But lawmakers are apparently ignoring these unwritten rules. The government shutdown soon enters its third week and everyone is dropping their gloves.

    Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

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  • Deep blue New Jersey amid ‘Lord of the Rings’ moment to ‘save the state’ from Democrats: Scott Presler

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    New Jersey is in the midst of a “Lord of the Rings” moment as Republicans work to rally voters to flip the deep blue state red in a tight gubernatorial election that’s coming down to its final days, Republican activist Scott Presler told Fox News Digital in an exclusive Zoom interview. 

    “To anyone who thinks that New Jersey is not winnable this November, I want to remind you that in 2021, that election was decided by 84,000 votes,” Presler told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview Monday afternoon. “Six hundred thousand Republicans did not vote in that election. That election was winnable. Did you know that there are 250,000 gun owners in New Jersey that are not registered to vote? If simply every Second Amendment supporter got registered and voted, we would flip New Jersey from blue to red.”

    Presler is on a “flip it red” mission in the Garden State, registering voters and promoting GOP candidate Jack Ciaterelli’s campaign against Democrat candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, in an off-year election that could add to the Democratic Party’s mounting woes following 2024’s ballot box losses or preserve the party’s legacy in the longtime blue state. 

    Presler is the founder of Early Vote Action, a PAC he operates that focuses on voter registration and rallied support for President Donald Trump‘s campaign and the GOP in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania during the 2024 election. The Republican activist spent months criss-crossing the Keystone State to rally support for the Trump–Vance ticket before the battleground ultimately threw its support behind the GOP on Election Day. 

    BLUE STATE GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEES TRADE BARBS OVER CRUCIAL ISSUE WEEKS AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

    Scott Presler registers new voters and hands out signs amid tailgaters in State College, Pennsylvania, in 2024.  (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

    Presler has since crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, where he’s targeting the longtime blue state with conservative activism. 

    “We just won a landslide victory for Donald Trump, winning all seven swing states and winning the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with our work at Early Vote Action. In December of 2024, I announced that we were going to focus next on helping to flip the New Jersey governorship from blue to red. So we have currently, 14 full-time staff on the ground across New Jersey’s 21 counties. We have been working tirelessly all throughout 2025, helping to register voters. And our message is: leave no county untouched,” he said, explaining he and staff are not only focused on deep blue counties ahead of the election, but also on reinvigorating voters in rural and right-leaning counties. 

    New Jersey is in the midst of a “Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars” moment, Presler said, saying voters have the chance to “save their state” and pointed to data showing how Republican support has increased in the state. 

    “This is their opportunity to save the state. This election in 2025 is gonna be seen as a referendum. The final opportunity, this is your ‘Lord of the Rings,’ This is your ‘Star Wars’ moment when people have the chance to save their state,” he said. 

    CIATTARELLI UNLOADS ON MIKIE SHERRILL IN NJ TOWN HALL, CITING IMMIGRATION AND NAVAL ACADEMY: ‘NOT A CENTRIST’

    New Jersey voted to elect former Vice President Kamala Harris as president nearly a year ago. Trump, however, made big inroads with Garden State voters, flipping five counties red, and improved on his 16-point loss in the state during the 2020 election to a six-point loss in 2024. 

    “Every month besides June, when that party switching was happening, Republicans have gained in an off-year election when the Democrats are spending more money than us and in a blue state. That shows me that I think the tide is changing, and I think that we have wind at our backs,” he said. 

    Scott Presler speaking during TPUSA event

    Republican activist Scott Presler rallied voter registration in the battleground state of Pennsylvania for the GOP during the 2024 election and is now focused on flipping New Jersey red during the 2025 off-year election.   (Jeff Kowalsky/ Getty Images )

    Presler rattled off that New Jersey voters have become increasingly incensed by the state’s notoriously high property taxes, its spiraling energy rates and even its ongoing ban on plastic bags at checkout lines that have spurred some residents to abandon Democrats in favor of the GOP ticket. 

    “Republicans, we must be that common-sense home, that common-sense party, that we are going to bring down property taxes, which is hurting New Jersey families — and that’s the number one issue that I hear about,” he said. “That we wanna bring down electricity prices, the number two issue that hear about from voters. And voters also want the third common-sense issue, which is law and order. They want us to deport and arrest criminal illegal aliens that are committing crimes against New Jersey voters. And from being on the ground this last year in 2025, I think you’re gonna see a huge amount of independent and Democrat voters vote for Jack because of those three common sense policies.”

    The activist pointed to one former Democrat voter and teacher he chatted with at a fair in Sussex County, New Jersey — a rural area of the state that borders both New York and Pennsylvania — who remarked Democrats had become so “extreme” in their views that he left the party and is considering casting a red vote. 

    REPUBLICAN AIMING TO FLIP BLUE STATE RIPS DEM RIVAL FOR BLAMING ‘EVERYTHING ON TRUMP’

    “They have become so extreme, so radical in their beliefs, even when it comes to things like allowing children to change their gender at such a young age. He says that he wants nothing to do with that party anymore,” Presler said of what the voter relayed to him. “And after a conversation I had with him, he’s even willing to give Jack Ciattarelli a closer look. And so that just shows me that Democrats are fleeing their former party. And they’re looking for a new home.”

    Scott Presler speaks during campaign event

    Republican activist Scott Presler is the founder of Early Vote Action, a PAC that focuses on voter registration and is currently working to flip New Jersey red.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

    Gen Z, the youngest American generation that is able to vote, played a pivotal role in delivering Trump a victory in 2024, with Presler saying male Gen Zers, specifically, are moving more to the right in New Jersey’s gubernatorial election. 

    The GOP activist pointed to another resident he chatted with during the Monmouth County, New Jersey, Fair over the summer, an 18-year-old who was not yet registered to vote. 

    “When I am talking to a voter, I really want to get into the mind and the head of the voter. And I was just asking him some questions. ‘Hey, would you like to own a home one day?’ And he was saying, ‘Yeah I want to but gosh the property’ — he said this, not me — ‘the property taxes are so high here,’” Presler recounted. 

    “As I’m just talking to him, I’m really discerning most of his beliefs. I think all of them really are congruent with the Republican Party. And so I’m courting him, and I’m asking for his vote for Jack Ciattarelli, and I am asking him to register to vote. And it’s young men like that man that I think you’re going to see who carried Donald Trump to victory in 2024, a lot of those some voters are gonna come out this year,” he added. 

    Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill smile in selfie photo

    Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) both launched gubernatorial bids for their respective states in the 2025 election.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

    NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR’S RACE: DEMOCRAT SHERRILL LEADS REPUBLICAN CIATTERELLI BY SIX POINTS IN 2026 BELLWETHER

    Sherrill is in the midst of facing a campaign scandal after a report in September revealed that the United States Naval Academy blocked Sherrill from taking part in her graduation amid the cheating scandal. The Democrat House lawmaker slammed the release of the report and said she was banned from walking at her graduation because she declined to report classmates who were involved in the scandal. 

    “Mikie ‘Cheating Scandal’ Sherrill,” Presler called Sherrill. “She voted against (the Laken Riley Act). She has no plan to bring down property taxes. She has no plan to bring down electricity crisis prices. And she doesn’t know where she made her money, $7 million worth in stock trades. … In fact, I would argue that those are the reasons why Democrat turnout is gonna be depressed. Their candidate is uninspiring versus Jack Ciattarelli.”

    Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill’s campaign Tuesday morning regarding Presler’s remarks but did not immediately receive a response. 

    On the flip side, Presler said, Trump-endorsed Ciattarelli is offering voters policies that would bring taxes and electricity prices down, ending New Jersey’s ban on plastic bags, opposing offshore wind to protect marine life, among other policies. 

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

    “They want to make life affordable for New Jersey voters so they don’t have to move to Pennsylvania,” he said. “They don’t to move Florida. They want to stay in new Jersey. And so really Jack Ciattarelli is offering policies that the residents are responding to.” 

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  • Youngkin says Democrat AG candidate Jay Jones must ‘step away in disgrace’ over texts about former GOP leader

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    Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said state Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones should abandon his campaign “in disgrace” after he once remarked on shooting a former Virginia House speaker in texts with another lawmaker. 

    Texts obtained by Fox News Digital on Friday showed an August 2022 conversation involving Jones — then a recently departed delegate from Norfolk — and Delegate Carrie Coyner, R-Chester. At one point, Jones, referencing then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, wrote: “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” 

    “This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying,” Youngkin wrote in an X post Saturday. “Jay Jones said that ‘Gilbert gets two bullets to the head’ and then hoped his children would die. Read those words again.” 

    “There is no ‘gosh, I’m sorry’ here. Jones doesn’t have the morality or character to drop out of this race, and his running mates, Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and every elected Democrat in Virginia don’t have the courage to call on him to step away from this campaign in disgrace,” he added. 

    VIRGINIA AG FLAMES OPPONENT FOR SUPPORTING SEX-CHANGE ID LAW HE BLAMES FOR LATEST PEDOPHILE CASES 

    Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, left, and former Virginia House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert, right. (Trevor Metcalfe/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

    A spokesperson for Coyner’s campaign confirmed the veracity of the texts first reported by National Review, saying they were “disturbing and disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office.” 

    “Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague and joked about shooting Todd Gilbert. It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official,” the spokesperson said. 

    Jones is running against incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican. 

    The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) also called on Jones to “immediately withdraw” from the race following “his abhorrent text messages.” 

    AFTER DEATH THREAT, VIRGINIA LAWMAKER SAYS ABIGAIL SPANBERGER CAN’T ESCAPE ‘RAGE’ REMARKS 

    Jay Jones and Glenn Youngkin are seen in split image

    Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones, left, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    “There is no place for political violence, including joking about it — especially from an elected official. Jay Jones should drop out of the Attorney General’s race. His comments are not acceptable from someone who wants to represent law enforcement,” RAGA Chairman Kris Kobach said. 

    In a statement released to the media, Jones said, “I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family.”  

    “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry. I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology,” Jones continued. 

    Jay Jones texted controversial things about Del. Todd Gilbert

    A text message from Jay Jones to Del. Carrie Coyner. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

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     “Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake, and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General,” he added. 

    Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and Charles Creitz contributed to this report. 

    Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

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  • Chuck Schumer slams GOP’s claim that Democrats want to give healthcare to illegals as an ‘effing lie’

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    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed Republican claims that Democrats shut down the government to provide illegal immigrants with healthcare benefits as a “total, absolute, effing lie” during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday.

    Host Joe Scarborough asked Schumer what he thought about “the lie of the day” coming from Republicans who are arguing that “Democrats are shutting down the government to give illegal immigrants healthcare benefits.”

    “Joe, you were right on the money,” Schumer responded. “It’s a total, absolute, effing lie.”

    VANCE SAYS SENATE DEMOCRATS TOOK GOVERNMENT ‘HOSTAGE’ WITH SHUTDOWN

    Schumer called Republicans’ claim that Democrats shut down the government to secure healthcare benefits a “total, absolute, effing lie.” (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

    Over the past week, members of President Donald Trump‘s cabinet, such as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, have made posts to X asserting that Democrats are blocking the passage of a spending package because they want the government to provide illegal immigrants with healthcare.

    “Democrats are going to shut down the federal government and inflict significant pain on American citizens because President Trump won’t force taxpayers to fund free benefits to illegal aliens,” Leavitt wrote on X Friday. “Democrats are radical and completely America Last.”

    On Monday, Miller posted to X that Democrats are “about to block a clean, routine government funding bill because it doesn’t give free healthcare to illegals.”

    GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’

    The federal government shut down on Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a spending agreement before the end of fiscal year 2025 on Sept. 30.

    Schumer argued that Republicans are pushing this claim because they’re “afraid of the truth,” asserting that their party has “decimated healthcare” for many Americans.

    “They thought that they could barrel us into a shutdown simply because we wanted to fix that healthcare, and they haven’t been able to,” he continued. “They’ve tried to lie, as you said. They tried to bludgeon us, but I think the number one reason that they’re lying is they’re afraid of the truth.”

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

    According to Schumer, there are “two things” that Democrats must accomplish during the shutdown.

    “First, now that we’ve shown the Republicans that they can’t bully us, they can’t bludgeon us. They’ve tried twice to get us to vote for their bill, which does nothing to protect Americans’ healthcare. We’re willing to sit down and negotiate a good deal to help the American people out of the healthcare dilemma,” he explained.

    Secondly, Schumer stated that Democrats are going to be “fighting everywhere on TV stations… in the social media, in picketing, in protesting, in emails, in every way.”

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    He added that when the average American asks why their healthcare has doubled, Democrats will be pointing out that “it’s the Republicans who did it.”

    Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

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  • Republican governor signs into law Trump-backed congressional redistricting map

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    Score another victory for President Donald Trump in the high-stakes political battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting.

    GOP Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri on Sunday signed into law a new congressional map, Missouri First, that is likely to hand Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of next year’s midterms elections.

    Missouri, once considered a swing state that has dramatically shifted to the right over the past decade and a half, is the latest battleground in the congressional redistricting showdown after the passage of new maps in GOP-dominated Texas and a redistricting push by Democrats in heavily blue California. 

    “I was proud to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law today ahead of the 2026 midterm election,” Kehoe said in a statement. “We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk.”

    TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND

    Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri, applauds while delivering the State of the State address Jan. 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

    Trump, in a social media statement following passage in the GOP-dominated state legislature, called the new map “FANTASTIC” and said it “will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”

    The new map targets longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The new map would likely flip Cleaver’s seat and give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in the state’s House delegation.

    Cleaver has vowed to take legal action if the new map is signed into law by the governor.

    “I want to warn all of us that if you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’re going to have left is ashes,” Cleaver said earlier this month as he testified in front of a Missouri Senate committee.

    Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri

    Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver waits to speak against a proposed congressional redistricting plan at a state Senate committee hearing Friday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)

    And pointing to recent public opinion polling, he called the redistricting plan “immensely unpopular.”

    And Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune accused Republicans of pushing to “rig our maps and eliminate our representation in Congress.”

    ABBOTT CLEARS FINAL REDISTRICTING HURDLE AS TEXAS SENATE PASSES NEW TRUMP-APPROVED MAP

    Kehoe’s announcement teeing up the special session came hours after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law a redistricting bill passed by the Republican supermajority in the state legislature that aims to create up to five right-leaning congressional districts at the expense of current Democrat-controlled seats in the reliably red state.

    Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas

    Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, seen being interviewed by Fox News Digital, recently signed into law a bill that redraws the Lone Star State’s congressional districts. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )

    The efforts in Missouri and Texas are part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

    Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

    Democrats are fighting back against the rare, but not unheard-of mid-decade redistricting.

    State lawmakers in heavily blue California have approved a special ballot proposition this November to obtain voter approval to temporarily sidetrack the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature.

    Gavin Newsom redistricting

    Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California speaks during a congressional redistricting event Aug. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP)

    The effort in California, which aims to create five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts and counter the shift in Texas, is being spearheaded by two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is seen as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender.

    With Democrats currently needing just a three-seat pickup in next year’s midterms to win back the House majority, Republicans in Indiana, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas and Nebraska are mulling their own GOP-friendly redistricting plans ahead of the 2026 elections. And right-leaning Ohio is under a court order to draw new maps ahead of the midterms.

    Democrats, as they push back, are looking to New York, Illinois and Maryland in the hopes of creating more left-leaning congressional seats.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

    In Illinois and Maryland, where governors J.B. Pritzker and Wes Moore are discussing redistricting, Democrats hope to pick up to three more left-leaning seats.

    And Democrats could pick up a seat in Republican-dominated Utah, where a judge recently ordered the GOP-controlled legislature to draw new maps after ruling that lawmakers four years ago ignored an independent commission approved by voters to prevent partisan gerrymandering. 

     

     

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • Virginia AG calls Dem prosecutor’s actions ‘weaponized incompetence’ in scathing report

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    Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares released a 33-page report on Friday chronicling what he said were systemic violations of public policy and trust by Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.

    Descano, an elected Democrat, has been under fire for purportedly lax prosecutorial discretion, including in cases involving transgender people and most recently an abduction by a repeat offender at the Fair Oaks Mall near John Foster Dulles International Airport.

    In that case, Caceres Jaldin allegedly scooped up a 3-year-old girl who got separated from her parents at the mall’s playground, before the guardians caught up with him on another floor of the complex.

    Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin lambasted Fairfax officials and separately asked Miyares to investigate their handling of Jaldin, who had just been released from prison. Jaldin has been charged in 30 instances since 2016, according to local outlet FairfaxNow, which also reported Descano dropped two charges of “malicious wounding” last year.

    SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS 26-YEAR-OLD MAN GRABBING TODDLER FROM MALL PLAY AREA BEFORE ARREST FOR ABDUCTION

    Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, left; Virginia AG Jason Miyares, right. (Marvin Joseph/Getty Images; Bill O’Leary/Getty Images)

    Descano also faced criticism over Fairfax’s handling of a jogger’s rape on the W&OD Trail — a popular path linking Purcellville and Washington, D.C. — after the arrested suspect was revealed to have a lengthy history of sexual assaults and had recently been released from custody.

    In 2022, the police chief in Herndon – where the alleged assault also occurred – told FOX-5 that Descano’s office downgraded a felony indictment to a misdemeanor in a case relating to the man allegedly choking one of their officers.

    “Justice isn’t optional,” Miyares, a Republican, said Friday. “And our laws are not suggestions.”

    “Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano has betrayed the rule of law and the very people he swore to protect, turning prosecutorial discretion into deliberate, weaponized incompetence,” said Miyares, who is running for reelection against former Del. Jerrauld “Jay” Jones, D-Norfolk.

    Miyares said Descano took an oath to uphold the law and protect victims in Fairfax County — home to George Washington, George Mason, Richard Bland Lee and other historic figures.

    VIRGINIA AG RELEASES FINDINGS OF INVESTIGATION INTO ROANOKE COLLEGE TRANS SWIMMER INCIDENT

    In his report, Miyares took particular aim at Descano’s policy prohibiting enforcement of some mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes, and relaxing or ignoring cash bail requirements for recidivists.

    The report alleged Descano “repeatedly commit[ed] Brady and discovery violations” – with Brady referring to requirements to present known exculpatory evidence to the defense – and engaged in “raw prosecutorial incompetence.”

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    As for alleged violations of the state constitution, Miyares found that Descano may have violated Article I Section 8A, regarding denying crime victims all rights guaranteed in law.

    Fox News Digital reached out to Descano’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

    Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

    He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

    Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

    Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

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  • Republicans move to cut DEI from federal contracts as Duffy cries foul on equity in Key Bridge rebuild

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    Republicans on the Small Business Committees face a deadline to scrap Biden-era rules requiring 10% of federal contract resources go to DEI, even as the USDOT warns Maryland over its handling of Francis Scott Key Bridge contracts.

    In Congress, the SBIR and STTR programs – dubbed “America’s seed fund(s)” – help small businesses apply for grants across federal agencies, in commercial and technology sectors, respectively.

    Ahead of the September 30th reauthorization deadline for both key programs, Sen. Joni Ernst, chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, expressed urgency to cut out DEI requirements.

    Ernst, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital her INNOVATE Act – for which Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, also drafted a version earlier this summer – would replace any reauthorization legislation, and remove requirements for DEI considerations and direct grants based on merit, not politics.

    DUFFY CLASHES WITH DEMOCRATS OVER DEI FUNDING CUTS, DENIES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS LET GO

    Ernst also highlighted some of what she considered the more wasteful grants awarded under the current rubric – including a $1.4 million NIH appropriation for what was entitled a “Mobile App Promoting Sexual Health for Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men.”

    Another health care-related grant she lambasted offered $283,526 for Evidence-Based Parent Training for Diverse Families – citing LGBTQ+ people whose “relationships do not fit within heterosexual…norms [and] are increasingly having children or considering” so. The Pentagon and other agencies had similar such grants approved under previous administrations, according to a source familiar.

    With less than a week before the program sunsets unless Congress acts, a source familiar with the talks said many Republicans back Ernst’s push to block such spending and grant rules but acknowledge the math is against them with Democrats united in opposition.

    BRIDGE COLLAPSE AID BECOMES ECONOMIC WEAPON IN ESCALATING TRUMP-MOORE FEUD

    Williams has favored a one-year extension of the current SBIR/STTR program with the clock winding down – giving time to focus on promptly reforming it without being under the gun — but offered a ringing endorsement of both chambers’ similar legislation.

    “I want to thank Senator Ernst for her partnership when introducing the House version of her INNOVATE Act in July, and remain in lockstep with her on ensuring contracts are awarded based on merit, not DEI,” Williams told Fox News Digital.

    “We must ensure there is no lapse in funding for current, deserving SBIR/STTR participants before the September 30th deadline.”

    Meanwhile, across the Anacostia River from the Capitol, Maryland lawmakers got an earful from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after he learned of that state’s own rubric for similar contracts.

    Maryland Gov. Wes Moore faces the daunting task of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Baltimore Beltway after a freighter struck and destroyed it in 2024 – but the Trump administration cried foul at the way Annapolis purportedly is considering who will do the job.

    Duffy wrote to Moore on Thursday thanking him for working with USDOT on the project but expressed concern that Annapolis may “intend to award contracts for the FSK Bridge project in a manner that relies on race and sex of contractors.”

    He warned the governor of the potential legal ramifications of doing so, citing the Civil Rights Act.

    On the day it collapsed, then-President Joe Biden separately promised the federal government would cover the entire estimated $1.8 billion cost to make Interstate 695 a full circle oncemore, while Duffy instead referenced the state – as the MDTA controlled the FSK Bridge when it collapsed.

    When asked about the letter, Moore provided Fox News Digital with a public response to Duffy:

    “We will continue to work with the Trump Administration to find ways to reduce costs and rebuild faster,” Moore said, in part. “We anticipate the price estimation process to be finalized in the coming months, and we will provide regular updates from the Maryland Department of Transportation about the project’s status.”

    Moore has repeatedly highlighted progress MDTA has made on the bridge, telling President Donald Trump in an exchange captured by Fox Nation at the U.S. Naval Academy – just down the street from the State House — that “we will have it done in [20]28.”

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

    Protesters in Michigan rally against President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies, denouncing federal rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. (Getty Images/Dominic Gwinn)

    “In the meantime, we will continue to pursue litigation and make substantial financial contributions by way of advance construction costs and insurance settlement dollars to keep the project moving.”

    Moore – who announced last week he would seek re-election instead of a potential 2028 Democratic bid – added the safety of the new FSK Bridge and “sound stewardship” of Marylanders’ tax dollars are paramount to both the Port of Baltimore and people across the country.

    Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

    He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

    Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

    Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

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  • Democrat succeeds her late father in Congress as GOP House majority shrinks

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    Democrat Adelita Grijalva has won a special election in battleground Arizona, securing the congressional seat left vacant by her father’s death and further eroding Republicans’ razor-thin House majority.

    The Associated Press reports that Grijalva, a former Pima County supervisor, defeated business owner and contractor Daniel Butierez, the Republican nominee, in Tuesday’s election in southern Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.

    Grijalva will serve the remaining 15 months of the term of Raul Grijalva, who died in March following complications from cancer treatment.

    TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS

    Arizona Congressional District 7 special election nominees Republican Daniel Butierez, left, and Democrat Adelita Grijalva participate during a televised debate, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. (Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

    The younger Grijalva’s victory was anything but a surprise in the left-leaning district. Democrats enjoy a nearly two-to-one voter registration advantage over Republicans in the Hispanic-majority district, which stretches from Yuma to Tucson and includes almost the entire length of the state’s border with Mexico.

    HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE

    Republicans currently control the House 219-214, with two vacant seats remaining. 

    Besides Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, there’s also a vacancy in Texas 18th Congressional District, a heavily Democrat-dominated district in Houston, following the March death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. The special election to fill the seat will be held on November 4, which is Election Day 2025.

    Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a right-leaning seat where Republican Rep. Mark Green stepped down in July to take a job in the private sector, is also currently vacant. The special election to fill the seat will be held on December 2.

    grijalva

    The late Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, died in March of complications due to cancer treatment. (Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Grijalva, thanks in part to her family name and her support from national progressive rock stars, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, grabbed over 60% of the primary vote this summer in a five-candidate showdown.

    Progressive activist and social media influencer Deja Foxx came in a distant second.

    Grijalva, who with her victory became Arizona’s first Latina in Congress, targeted President Donald Trump as she campaigned,

    “In Congress, I commit to fight Trump’s cruel agenda, like the Big Ugly Bill that took away coverage from nearly 383,000 Arizonans and 142,000 children,” Grijalva pledged in a social media post, as she took aim at Trump, congressional Republicans, and their sweeping domestic policy measure that they named the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    Adelita Grijalva

    Democratic congressional candidate Adelita Grijalva is interviewed in Tuscon, Arizona, on July 15, 2025.  (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

    Grijalva had also said that if she won, she would immediately sign a discharge petition by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The petition, which is currently just one vote shy of passing, calls on the GOP-controlled House to vote to urge the Justice Department to release the files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

    Butierez, as he campaigned, had been promoting himself as the change candidate in a district controlled by Democrats since the seat was created over two decades ago.

    “This is your chance to actually get a Representative who will represent everyone. If you vote we win, if you don’t only the radicals will have representation,” he wrote on X.

    Candidate Daniel Butierez

    Candidate Daniel Butierez answers a question during the Republican primary debate inside the Arizona Public Media studio in Tucson, Arizona, on June 9, 2025. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

    Butierez, who as the 2024 GOP congressional nominee lost to the elder Grijalva while Trump narrowly carried the southwestern battleground state at the top of the ballot, easily won this summer’s Republican primary in the special election.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

    While Trump carried Arizona last year after losing it in 2020, 2024 Democratic presidential nominee and then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by 23 points. 

    Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin, in a statement after the race was called, said that “Rep.-elect Grijalva won a hard-fought race. Now, Arizonans will have a fighter in their corner who will stand up to Trump on behalf of families who want to see real leadership in Washington.”

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • EXCLUSIVE: New DC watchdog aims to become ‘leading voice’ for conservative values, effective governance

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    A new watchdog group aiming to hold major institutions accountable and promoting good governance says it plans to become a “leading voice” for conservative values and effective governance across the country.

    The Safety and Prosperity Oversight Coalition, which launched on Wednesday, will be led by seasoned political operative Chris Zeller. The group announced its creation this week and said it will be focused on promoting transparency, integrity and efficiency across American governmental institutions and the private sector. Zeller has a long history in GOP politics, including work on numerous national campaigns and a stint as the executive director for multiple state Republican parties. 

    “The coalition brings together some of the nation’s top attorneys and financial investigators, leveraging their expertise to scrutinize institutional practices, expose inefficiencies, and advocate for policies that prioritize safety and prosperity for all Americans,” stated a press release from the group. “Backed by a team of established professionals, the coalition is poised to become a leading voice for conservative values and effective governance.”

    EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE GOP REPORT ALLEGES $20B GREEN GRANTS ENRICHED BIDEN ALLIES 

    A police officer is seen stationed outside of the U.S. Capitol. (Getty Images)

    Per the press release, the watchdog will focus on three core pillars: “rigorous oversight of government spending, accountability for corporate and public sector misconduct, and advocacy for common-sense reforms to strengthen democratic institutions.” This work will subsequently be accomplished via independent audits, legal challenges to governmental overreach brought forward by the nonprofit, and public education campaigns “to empower citizens with the facts.”

    A GOP strategist who was willing to speak on background said the new watchdog group is a much-needed entity to combat efforts from the left. The strategist highlighted how the new conservative watchdog will help Republicans hold corporate America’s feet to the fire the same way the left did during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, or the same way they did with “woke” diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

    DEPT OF ED SPENDING SOARED 749% DESPITE DOWNSIZING, NEW DOGE-INSPIRED INITIATIVE REVEALS

    Demonstrators in Michigan protest Trump’s anti-DEI agenda.

    Protesters in Michigan rally against President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies, denouncing federal rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. (Getty Images/Dominic Gwinn)

    “The Safety and Prosperity Oversight Coalition is a response to the growing need for accountability in our institutions,” Zeller added. “Americans deserve leadership that upholds integrity and delivers results. Our coalition will shine a light on waste, corruption, and mismanagement, ensuring that those in power serve the public, not themselves.”

    Zeller most recently spent time as a top aide for Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., which followed his stint working on Kari Lake’s Arizona Senate bid in 2024. Lake ultimately lost to Democrat challenger Ruben Gallego.

    Elise Stefanik

    Former House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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    Zeller also worked as the campaign manager for Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., when she successfully won her 2021 bid to represent New York’s 22nd Congressional District by a razor-thin margin of just over 100 votes.

    Meanwhile, Zeller has spent time as the Executive Director at both the Connecticut and New Hampshire state Republican parties as well.

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  • Donald Trump’s first vice president snags new job

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    Former Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to school.

    Pence, who served as vice president during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House but who later ran against his former boss in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, is joining George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government as a distinguished professor of practice.

    The northern Virginia-based school said that Pence will begin teaching undergraduate courses and public-facing seminars starting in next year’s spring semester.

    The school, in a Tuesday announcement, also said that Pence will be available via moderated discussions and mentorship programs with students pursuing degrees in political science, law, public administration and related fields.

    FORMER VICE PRESIDENT PENCE RECEIVES JFK ‘PROFILE IN COURAGE’ AWARD

    Former Vice President Mike Pence acknowledges his staff members after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award during a ceremony at the JFK Library in Boston, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Schar School dean Mark Rozell said that the former vice president’s “disciplined approach to communication and his deeply rooted conservative philosophy provide a principled framework to discussions of federalism, the separation of powers, and the role of values in public life.”

    And Pence, in a statement, said that “throughout my years of public service, I have seen firsthand the importance of principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution in shaping the future of our nation. I look forward to sharing these lessons with the next generation of American leaders and learning from the remarkable students and faculty of George Mason University.”

    CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS AND OPINION ON MIKE PENCE

    The now-66-year-old Pence, a former congressman, was Indiana’s governor when Trump named him his running mate in 2016. For four years, Pence served as the loyal vice president to Trump during the president’s first term in the White House.

    President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence stand onstage

    Then-President-elect Donald Trump and then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence stand onstage together at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Dec. 1, 2016. (Ty Wright/Getty Images)

    However, everything changed on Jan. 6, 2021, as pro-Trump protesters — including some chanting “hang Mike Pence” — stormed the U.S. Capitol aiming to upend congressional certification of now-former President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, a process overseen by Pence in his constitutional role as vice president. 

    The attack on the Capitol took place soon after Trump spoke to a large rally of supporters near the White House about unproven claims that the 2020 election was “rigged” due to massive “voter fraud.”

    Pence rejected the advice of the Secret Service that he flee the Capitol, and after the rioters were eventually removed from the Capitol, he resumed his constitutional role in overseeing the congressional certification ceremony.

    The former vice president has repeatedly refuted Trump’s claim that he could have overturned the presidential election results. Despite that, Trump loyalists have never forgiven Pence, whom they view as a traitor, for refusing to assist the president’s repeated efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

    Pence launches 2024 presidential run

    Former Vice President Mike Pence formally announced his run for president in Ankeny, Iowa, on June 7, 2023. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

    Pence in June 2023 launched a presidential campaign of his own, joining a large field of challengers to Trump gunning for the 2024 GOP nomination, becoming the first running mate in over 80 years to run against their former boss.

    Pence ran on a traditional conservative platform, framing the future of the Republican Party against what he called the rise of “populism” in the party. 

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    Among the slim anti-Trump base of the Republican Party, Pence received praise for his courage during the attack on the Capitol, often receiving thanks at town halls during his campaign for standing up to Trump. 

    While Pence regularly campaigned in the crucial early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, his White House bid never took off. Struggling in the polls and with fundraising, he suspended his campaign just four and a half months after declaring his candidacy.

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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  • Charlie Kirk’s close friend reveals what he would be ‘proudest of’ while reflecting on legacy

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    A close friend and colleague of Charlie Kirk says the conservative leader and media star “was one of one” and doubts he’ll ever be replaced.

    But asked about a void in the conservative movement, Andy Surabian, who’s a top political adviser to both Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr., told Fox News Digital that Kirk “inspired a generation of young conservatives who have the potential to grow into being somebody like Charlie Kirk.”

    Kirk, who was shot and killed this past Wednesday during a college campus event in Utah, was a top conservative activist, culture warrior, and media rockstar for millions of MAGA and right-wing followers.

    A crucial ally to President Donald Trump, Vance, and Donald Trump Jr., Kirk transformed the Turning Point USA conservative youth organization that he co-founded at age 18 into an extremely influential political powerhouse and a voter turnout machine for Trump in last year’s presidential election.

    HOW CHARLIE KIRK HELPED FUEL DONALD TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE

    From left to right: Vice President JD Vance, Donald Trump Jr., Republican strategist Andy Surabian, and Turning Point USA co-founder and conservative leader Charlie Kirk. (JD Vance social media post)

    “I don’t think there’s any singular person who will ever replace Charlie Kirk,” Surabian said.

    But pointing to Kirk’s inspiration to a generation of younger conservatives, Surabian said, “This is the thing that Charlie would be proudest of, it’s the thing that makes me so proud of Charlie.”

    UTAH’S GOVERNOR REVEALS POSSIBLE MOTIVE IN CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING

    Surabian said he and Kirk first met in 2018 and quickly became “generational piers.”

    “We would constantly gut check things with each other….both of us respected the political instincts of the other,” Surabian said. “There was an implicit trust.”

    In a social media post, Surabian wrote that he and Kirk “bonded quickly over our similar political views and closeness in age, and ultimately developed a close friendship. We always had each other’s back. If I needed help, I knew he would always be there for me. If he needed anything, I was always there for him. If there was a candidate for office he vouched for, that was all I needed. If there was a candidate for office I vouched for, that was all he needed.”

    Surabian said Kirk was the person who introduced him to Vance, ahead of Vance’s successful 2022 campaign for the Senate in Ohio.

    Vice President JD Vance escorts casket of Charlie Kirk in Utah.

    Vice President JD Vance walks toward Air Force Two alongside Charlie Kirk’s casket on the tarmac in Salt Lake City on Thursday. (Fox News / Pool)

    “I was skeptical, but since Charlie was vouching for him, I was on the phone with JD within the hour. 90 minutes later, after JD and I had hit it off and decided to work together, Charlie excitedly told me I wouldn’t regret it — and he was certainly right about that,” Surabian wrote.

    Speaking with Fox News, Surabian listed off Kirks’ numerous political attributes.

    “Charlie was a terrific fundraiser. He was beloved by donors. Charlie was extremely charismatic and was extremely impressive in debates. Charlie was very talented at doing media. He was a great talk show host. Charlie understood how to organize students. Charlie understood messaging and how to deliver a message in a way that even some of the top PR experts in the country couldn’t touch with a 10-point pole. Charlie understood how to organize in politics. Very rarely do figures come along who can put all those things together the way Charlie put it together,” Surabian highlighted.

    “Never mind the fact that, in addition to all that stuff, he was highly intelligent. And most important of all, he was a fundamentally decent person,” Surabian added.

    Charlie Kirk mourners in Arizona

    Arizonans mourn Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk outside of the Turning Point USA headquarters on September 12, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the suspect had been taken into custody over the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk after a massive manhunt.  (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

    While Kirk had already accomplished much by age 31, Surabian predicted that his friend would have had many chapters to come.

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    “Despite how influential he became, despite how famous he was, I do absolutely believe that he was still at the start of his rise and not at the end of it,” he said.

    And Surabian said that Kirk “was getting to a place where in a few years I think he had the potential to be the next Rush Limbaugh, and when I say that, anyone who understands the influence that Rush Limbaugh had on the conservative movement knows what a big statement that is.”

    Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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