Haley celebrates momentum as GOP rivals ramp up attacks: ‘These guys know we’re surging’
Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley responded Friday to a series of attacks from her political opponents, saying that her challengers in the race are losing and that they know that her campaign is “surging.” Haley’s comments came during an interview with Fox News Channel’s Martha MacCallum on “The Story,” where she also took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his comments about her record as governor of South Carolina and suggested that it’s up to him whether to drop out of the race as she gains momentum in the polls. Asked about recent campaign attacks by former President Donald Trump, who has referred to Haley as “bird brain” and insisted she is a globalist concerned about the prosperity of other nations, Haley said, “Look, all these guys know that we’re surging in the polls so they’re all starting to hit.” “The nickname, he’s losing it, it’s not even a funny nickname. I don’t even think it was that great,” continued Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in Trump’s administration. “But you look at everything else he says, he knows how strong I was when it came to China. I was actually tougher on China than he was.” HALEY, BOLSTERED BY THE BACKING OF A MAJOR CONSERVATIVE GROUP, IS HAVING A MOMENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL “He just handled the trade part of China, but he didn’t do anything about the fentanyl flow, he didn’t do anything about them stealing intellectual property, he didn’t do anything about them buying U.S. land, he didn’t do anything about defeating all of the intrusion that was happening in our universities from police stations to creating a spy center off the coast of Cuba. We’re gonna have to deal with all of that because he didn’t deal with any of it,” she added. Referencing remarks made by California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom at The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate this week, MacCallum also asked Haley whether she would like to see DeSantis drop out of the race for the White House. “I’ve always said it’s a personal decision to get into a race, it’s a personal decision to get out of a race,” Haley responded. “I’m never going to tell a candidate to get out of the race. That’s their decision. It’s up to Ron. But I think you can look at where we are right now. We’re second in the polls in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, second in South Carolina.” “We’re gonna keep working hard, we’re gonna keep staying focused, and we’re gonna get this done at the end of the day,” she added. Haley also responded to DeSantis’ attack on her record as the Palmetto State’s governor. Those comments, she suggested, came as a result of him “losing” in the polls. DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL 99 IOWA COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP, STAY AHEAD OF HALEY? “I think he went after my record as governor because he’s losing,” Haley said. “I mean, who else can spend $100 million and drop half in the polls. My record as governor is clear. I took a state that had 11% unemployment, we dropped it down to four percent. We were known as the Beast of the Southeast because we created so many jobs and brought so many companies in. . . . I’m proud of my record. South Carolinians should be proud of our record.” Though she continues to weather attacks from other candidates, Haley said her campaign is focused on making Americans “strong and proud,” and insisted she plans to do that by prioritizing relief from economic struggles, working to enhance education for children, lowering crime, and securing the borders. “We’re gonna let the world know America is back,” she said. Haley has enjoyed momentum in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates. She has also picked up a stream of strong endorsements in recent weeks, including one from Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. Haley recently showcased over 70 new Hawkeye State endorsements and on Friday launched a $10 million ad blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire. Haley has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire and in her home state, which holds the first southern contest. She has also pulled even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls in Iowa, whose caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar on January 15. But Haley and DeSantis remain far behind Trump, who continues to hold a commanding lead over the rest of the field as the former president makes his third straight White House run. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Johnson says vote on Biden impeachment inquiry is ‘necessary step’ after WH ‘stonewalled’ GOP investigations
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is looking to move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry vote against President Biden, saying that it is a “necessary step” as the White House continues to stonewall investigations by House Republicans into alleged wrongdoing by the Biden family. Johnson’s remarks came during a Saturday appearance on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” where he, along with House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., spoke to several topics and were asked about plans to bring forth a vote on impeachment. “It’s become a necessary step,” he said. “Elise and I both served on the impeachment defense team of Donald Trump twice when the Democrats used it for brazen, partisan political purposes. We decried that use of it. This is very different. Remember, we are the rule of law team. We have to do it very methodically.” “Our three committees of jurisdiction — judiciary, oversight, ways and means — have been doing an extraordinary job following the evidence where it leads,” he continued. “But now we’re being stonewalled by the White House, because they’re preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward, a former White House counsel, the national archives . . . the White House has withheld thousands of pages of evidence.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ‘SOON’ Reaffirming his belief in moving forward with the process, Johnson said a “formal impeachment inquiry vote on the floor will allow [Republicans] to take it to the next necessary step.” “I think it’s something we have to do at this juncture,” he added. Johnson’s comments came after multiple Republicans said Friday that a vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry of President Biden is likely to come before the House of Representatives breaks for the December recess. House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he expected his committee to get the legislation “sometime next week,” which will likely tee up a House-wide vote shortly thereafter. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said that he anticipates a House-wide vote “before we will break” on December 15. “I think that every Republican should be convinced about voting for the impeachment inquiry, there’s plenty of smoke there,” Gimenez said. The Republicans spoke after a closed-door House GOP Conference meeting where the three chairmen investigating Biden and his family — Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. — reiterating their case for lawmakers. Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said that the meeting had been held “to see where the votes are and make sure everybody’s communicated with, people have had their chance to understand what an impeachment inquiry is versus impeachment.” HOUSE GOP DISCUSSING VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY “It’s important we get it done as soon as possible so that we can move forward with this investigation,” Hern said. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said a vote would likely come “soon” and contrasted the push to formalize Republicans’ impeachment inquiry with how House Democrats handled former President Donald Trump, moving forward with the impeachment process without a House-wide vote. “We’re actually trying to do it the right way,” Murphy said. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden in September, but the White House has dismissed the probe as illegitimate without a formal vote on the matter. The administration’s resistance to cooperating with House investigators’ subpoenas has inspired even Republicans in districts won by Biden in 2020 to support formalizing the inquiry. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital, “This is what the administration has asked for.” “The administration made it very clear, they weren’t going to actually work with our constitutional authority, unless we did the vote. Fine,” Schweikert said. Oversight Democrats sent out a five-page memo Friday morning rebutting Republicans’ claims, citing a “mountain of evidence” they said clears Biden of any wrongdoing. “Rather than accept these facts, Republicans have resorted to cherry-picking and distorting facts in order to justify continuing this sham investigation aimed at satisfying the demands for retribution of President Trump who was twice indicted and now faces 91 felony counts,” the memo read. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Biden admin unveils latest crackdown on oil and gas industry at UN climate conference
The Biden administration finalized environmental regulations targeting methane and other air pollutants generated by the U.S. oil and gas industry across hundreds of thousands of existing sources nationwide. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan — alongside White House climate czar Ali Zaidi, Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and climate advocates — announced the rulemaking during a press conference at the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai on Saturday morning. The Biden administration said the action was among the “most critical” it could take to “slow the rate of climate change.” “On day one, President Biden restored America’s critical role as the global leader in confronting climate change, and today we’ve backed up that commitment with strong action, significantly slashing methane emissions and other air pollutants that endanger communities,” Regan said in a statement, adding that the rule will “reduce climate pollution, protecting people and the planet.” “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, the U.S is turbocharging the speed and scale of climate action, at home and abroad, including our collective efforts to tackle super-pollutants like methane,” added Zaidi. “Over just the last year, the Administration has taken over 100 actions to implement the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan — steps that cut pollution, promote public health, create thousands of jobs, and lower energy costs for Americans.” JOE MANCHIN GOES SCORCHED-EARTH ON BIDEN ADMIN OVER EV ACTIONS BOOSTING CHINA Grisham, whose state drilled the second-highest amount of crude oil in the U.S. last year, boasted that the regulations closely mirror rules New Mexico put forth, saying they will reduce emissions and spur innovation across the country. Overall, under the regulations, an estimated 58 million tons of methane emissions would be prevented between 2024 and 2038, according to the EPA. That is the equivalent of 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide and roughly the same amount emitted by the power sector in 2021. For years, environmentalists and Democrats have called for stricter regulations targeting methane, which activists refer to as a “super pollutant” and which is far more potent than carbon dioxide. The regulations include rigorous new standards that force the energy industry to slash methane emissions, mainly by incorporating advanced technology like pollution-control equipment and aerial screening, sensor networks and satellites. It further phases in a requirement to eliminate routine flaring of natural gas, the release of gas produced during oil drilling operations that lack capture technology. The finalized regulations introduce a so-called Super Emitter Program, which will use third parties to detect large methane releases. “As the world gathers to tackle the climate crisis, the U.S. now has the most protective methane pollution limits on the books,” Fred Krupp, the president of the left-wing Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement. “EPA’s limits on oil and gas methane pollution are a vital win for the climate and public health, dramatically reducing warming pollution and providing vital clean air protections to millions of Americans.” “With other countries also zeroing in on methane as a key climate risk, it’s a signal to operators worldwide that clean-up time is here,” Krupp continued. “EPA has shown tremendous leadership in establishing these leading clean air standards, and we look forward to working with states and EPA to move quickly on implementation. The communities who fought long and hard for these protections now need to begin to reap their benefits.” In a statement Saturday morning, the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S. oil and gas lobby group, said it was reviewing the rules, but also that it was committed to reducing methane emissions. “We share the administration’s goal of reducing methane emissions and smart federal regulation can help build on industry’s progress to date,” said API senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs Dustin Meyer. “To be truly effective, this rule must balance emissions reductions with the need to continue meeting rising energy demand. We are reviewing the complex rule to ensure it meets that dual objective.” US GRID OPERATORS WARN BIDEN’S POWER PLANT CRACKDOWN COULD TRIGGER ‘SIGNIFICANT POWER SHORTAGES’ EPA’s rules come as other nations are expected to issue similar pledges to reduce methane emissions during COP28 which kicked off on Thursday. They come also as world leaders and U.S. lawmakers have called for aggressive actions. International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol said in November that curbing methane emissions “is one of the best – and most affordable – opportunities to limit global warming in the near term.” Additionally, in a letter to Regan on Thursday, Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Tom Carper, and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone called for the EPA to finalize the rules. EPA first proposed the regulations last year during COP27, the 2022 UN climate summit in Egypt. That proposal strengthened a 2021 proposal. However, Republican lawmakers and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., have joined calls in opposition to the methane rules, saying they will force lower oil and gas production while increasing costs for U.S. consumers. “Within the next year, the EPA is planning to finalize multiple connected regulatory actions that will increase costs and reduce the production of American energy. Energy prices are projected to rise for American families because of new methane regulations, expanded emissions monitoring and reporting requirements, and a new tax on methane,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Environment Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, wrote to Regan on November 7. “The EPA’s expanded regulatory burden creates substantial legal and regulatory uncertainty, and the Congressional Budget Office determined that a tax on methane emissions will increase operational costs, reduce energy production, and increase the price of natural gas,” they added. Manchin wrote separately to Regan in October, saying that the rule showed the Biden administration was determined to “target our flourishing oil and gas sector” and would put “energy and national security at risk.”
2024 showdown: Christie ups his game in key primary state and turns up the heat on Haley
With the start of the Republican presidential nominating calendar just a month and a half away, Chris Christie is picking up the pace. As he sharpens his jabs at his 2024 White House rivals and vows he will qualify for next week’s fourth GOP presidential primary debate, the former two-term New Jersey governor making his second White House run is upping his sales pitch to voters. “I’ve enjoyed the dating period. Now it’s time for us to get married,” Christie told the crowd Friday at Politics and Pies, hosted by the GOP committee in Concord, New Hampshire. It was a line he had used at a town hall the previous night. Asked in an interview with Fox News Digital if he was getting marriage proposals from voters in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, Christie said, “I got a bunch last night after the town hall meeting.” WHAT CHRIS CHRISTIE TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT HIS 2024 CHANCES “The biggest difference between now and eight years ago is people that are coming to town halls are committing,” he said. As Christie runs a second time for national office, he faces a steep uphill climb against former President Donald Trump, who’s the commanding frontrunner in the race as he makes his third straight White House bid. And he’s once again concentrating his time and resources in New Hampshire. POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR IN A CRUCIAL PRIMARY STATE TEAMS UP WITH CHRISTIE, HALEY AND DESANTIS Christie has shifted his lean campaign into a higher gear, increasing the number of events he’s hosting with Granite State voters. This week’s quick swing included two town halls, including one organized by the New Hampshire State Employees Association. The union said Christie was the first GOP candidate to meet with the membership in three decades. Christie returns to New Hampshire next week for a two-day tour of college campuses. On Friday, Christie unveiled what his campaign touted was a “strong” and “influential” New Hampshire steering committee, which included former state GOP chair Wayne McDonald, former Rep. Charlie Bass, and two former Republican state Senate presidents. Christie told Fox News he’s stepping up his game “because people here are starting to focus too in a way that was much different than, let’s say, the last four or five months. You can tell by the attendance at the town halls. You can tell by the kind of questions that you get. And you can tell by the way that they’re reacting. They’re getting ready to make their decisions too, and so, you gotta be up here and make sure that you’re making the case.” The former governor, a one-time Trump ally turned vocal Republican critical of the former president, has been turning up the heat in recent weeks on two other rivals for the nomination. HALEY’S HAVING A MOMENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Christie’s amplifying criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for not vigorously targeting Trump. DeSantis and Haley are battling for a distant second place behind Trump in Iowa, the state whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar. In New Hampshire, Christie’s in third place, behind Trump and Haley. With Christie and Haley both aiming to win the votes of Republicans and independents who seek a Trump alternative, Christie’s been targeting his rival. “My point that I’ve been trying to make about Nikki is just pretty simple. You can’t be running against Donald Trump and then say he was the right president for the right time,” Christie told Fox News. “You can’t be trying to cuddle up to Trump at the same time you’re running against him.” Christie emphasized that Trump’s “well ahead. So, let’s stop pretending that he’s not, and let’s go after him because there’s a big case made against him.” Haley, who’s been sharpening her jabs at Trump on the campaign trail and who’s made the case that she’s more electable than Trump in next year’s general election, has seen her standing in the race rise this autumn. Earlier this week, she landed the backing of Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. The group pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars and mobilize its formidable grassroots operation to help push the Republican Party past Trump and support Haley. Christie made the stage at the first three Republican presidential primary debates and pushed back at speculation he’ll fail to reach the higher qualifying thresholds for next week’s fourth debate. In August, ahead of the first debate, Christie said Republican presidential candidates who didn’t qualify for the showdown should drop out of the race. Asked on Friday if his blunt suggestion would come back to haunt him, Christie quickly answered, “I’ll be on the debate stage next week, so we won’t have to worry about it.” And he reiterated that he’s 100% confident he’ll qualify. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
George Santos expelled: What happens to his House seat?
The House of Representatives voted to remove New York Republican Rep. George Santos from his post on Friday due to federal indictment charges. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a special election on Friday, just hours after she wrote a post on X claiming she was “prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District,” leading people to believe she would pick someone herself instead holding an election. In her later statement, Hochul clarified she was “prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District by scheduling a special election. The people of Long Island and Queens deserve nothing less.” Hochul had 10 days from the time of Santos’s expulsion to call a special election. EMBATTLED GOP REP GEORGE SANTOS EXPELLED FROM HOUSE Joe Burns, a New York Republican Election Attorney and former state board of elections official, told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday that the date of a special election should be within 70 to 80 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation, which places the approximate date to early next year. “The other point of significance is how the candidates get on the ballot, because it’s a special election,” Burns said. “There’s no ability for a primary.” As such, Burns said nominations for the election are made according to the rules of four recognized parties: Democrat, Republican, Conservative, and the minority party in the state called Working Families. The nominations are determined differently for each party; for instance, for the Republican nomination in a multi-county district, county chairs cast weighted votes based on previous votes for that office. Similar nomination processes apply to the other parties, and nominations must be made and filed within 10 days of the official proclamation for a special election. HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE HEAD TO MOVE TO EXPEL GEORGE SANTOS AFTER RELEASE OF DAMNING REPORT “The parties don’t really have a lot of time to dilly-dally on making a choice,” Burns said. “There is an option for an independent candidate to run, but they have to go and circulate petitions… I can’t think in all my time of being involved between being an attorney in private practice or working with the board of an instance where an independent candidate has gotten on the ballot for Congress for a special election — so, I think that’s highly unlikely.” Ousting a member of Congress takes a two-thirds majority vote. The last time a House lawmaker was expelled was more than two decades ago, when late former Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was voted out of Congress in 2002. Prior to his ousting, Traficant had been convicted of 10 felony counts, including racketeering and taking bribes. THIRD TIME THE CHARM: WILL GEORGE SANTOS SURVIVE THE LATEST MOVE TO OUST HIM FROM THE HOUSE? Santos has not been convicted of a crime, but he has been indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Santos has been accused of using campaign funds to purchase luxury goods, treatments such as Botox, and a subscription to porn site OnlyFans. The 311 to 114 vote was strongly bipartisan, although slightly more Republicans voted to keep Santos than to oust him. Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the 2022 election for New York’s 3rd Congressional District. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
DeSantis stops in all 99 Iowa counties, but will it help him close the gap with Trump, stay ahead of Haley?
As he aims for an upset victory in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is fulfilling his goal of stopping in all 99 counties in the state that holds the first contest on the GOP nominating calendar. DeSantis will make his final stop Saturday in Jasper County, where he’ll be joined by popular Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who endorsed him in early November. Also teaming up with DeSantis will be Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, an influential social conservative organization in a state where evangelical voters play an outsized role in Republican politics. Vander Plaats endorsed DeSantis two weeks ago. “We’re going to win here. We have what it takes,” DeSantis pledged in a recent Fox News Digital interview in Des Moines, Iowa. GAME ON IN IOWA WITH THE CAUCUSES CLOSING IN As part of that push, DeSantis is completing what’s known as “the full Grassley,” named after Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The longtime Republican senator pioneered the all-county tour and has been doing it more than four decades. “We’re going to complete the full Grassley. That’ll be 99 counties,” DeSantis told reporters Thursday. “We’re very excited about doing that. I think you have to do it to win Iowa. I think that’s what voters want to see. I think they want to be able to meet you.” THIS CANDIDATE REMAINS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT AS THE FIRST VOTES IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE NEAR And he pledged that “the fact that we did it doesn’t mean we’re not going to hit a lot more counties, again, over between now and caucus night.” DeSantis is hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (2008), former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (2012) and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (2016), who stopped in all 99 counties en route to Iowa caucus victories. But none of those three won the GOP nomination. Pointing to the Reynolds and Vander Plaats endorsements and backing from plenty of other politicians in Iowa, DeSantis argued his campaign is “in better shape by far than previous caucus winners. And so we’re going to continue to take that momentum all the way to caucus night for victory.” Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of numerous presidential and statewide campaigns in Iowa, told Fox News that pulling a “full Grassley” is “kind of an inefficient use of candidate time because 70% of Iowans live in 30 counties. But it is a good messaging point, and it is a way to demonstrate that you’re committed to the process.” “It’s a way to say, ‘I respect the Iowa caucus process. I’m going to do it the right way, and I’m going to go everywhere and earn your vote,’” Kochel said. The Florida governor will be the second Republican White House hopeful this cycle to stop in all 99 counties, following long shot candidate Ryan Blinkley, a little-known pastor and entrepreneur from Texas who accomplished his quest in early November. DeSantis is battling Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, for second place in the latest GOP presidential nomination polls in Iowa, far behind former President Donald Trump. The former president remains the commanding Republican frontrunner in Iowa, the other early voting states and in national surveys as he makes his third straight bid for the White House. Trump also returns to Iowa Saturday to hold caucus organizing events. And his campaign is ramping up its ad buys in the state the final weeks ahead of the caucuses. While Trump has hosted nearly 20 events in Iowa this year, the Florida governor has made roughly 130 stops, many of them hosted by the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down. Additionally, the super PAC has spent millions to put together a formidable ground game in Iowa. However, what once appeared to be a two-candidate fight for the nomination is now a three-way battle. Haley, who has enjoyed momentum in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates, has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican nominating schedule, and her home state, which holds the first southern contest. She aims to make a fight of it in Iowa, where she is pulling even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls. “The momentum is real. The excitement is there. We’re going to keep working hard to win every Iowan’s vote. We’re not going to give up on Iowa,” Haley said in a Fox News Digital interview ahead of a recent town hall in Newton, Iowa. Haley recently showcased over 70 new Hawkeye State endorsements and on Friday launched a $10 million ad blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire. She also landed the backing earlier this week of Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. AFP Action has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars and mobilize its formidable grassroots operation to boost Haley and help push the Republican Party past Trump. Pointing to DeSantis, Haley and Trump, Kochel said “it feels to me like everybody understands how determinative Iowa might be in setting this field up for a big dynamic change.” There are also other long shots vying for the GOP nomination campaigning in Iowa. Multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is basing his campaign in Iowa for the final stretch as he barnstorms the state. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who failed to make the stage at the third GOP presidential primary debate, is also spending plenty of time in Iowa. And former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who sits at less than 1% in the polls and who has missed the past two debates, also remains in the race and is campaigning in the Hawkeye State. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is running for the
Eric Adams’ fate rests with fellow Dems amid brewing political struggles reminiscent of Andrew Cuomo: expert
From a worsening migrant crisis to an FBI probe into his campaign finances, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ political struggles have continued to build over the past year. The challenges are once again threatening to derail his administration in ways reminiscent of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s downfall, one political expert told Fox News Digital. According to Nicholas Giordano, a political science professor at Suffolk Community College and a Leadership Institute Campus Reform Higher Education fellow, Adams’ fate amid these brewing challenges will ultimately rest with those in his own party. How Democrats react to recent potential scandals could determine whether Adams’ political career has reached “the beginning of the end,” much like Cuomo two years ago. The latest blow to Adams came last week with an accusation of sexual assault, something Cuomo also faced, in the form of him being named as the defendant in a court summons filed in the state Supreme Court in Manhattan by a woman seeking a trial and at least $5 million in damages, according to a report by The Messenger. BILL MAHER CONFRONTS CUOMO ON NURSING HOME SCANDAL, EX-NY GOV CALLS QUESTIONS ‘MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING’ According to the report, the summons said the “plaintiff was sexually assaulted by Defendant Eric Adams in New York, New York in 1993 while they both worked for the City of New York.” “I think it is an accurate comparison to a certain degree,” Giordano said when asked about the similarities between Adams and Cuomo. “When you look at Gov. Cuomo, it wasn’t necessarily the nursing home situation that brought him down. I mean, it was the single worst decision in the coronavirus pandemic and the response. But that’s not what brought him down. It was the sexual harassment claims that brought him down.” Giordano was referring to the nursing home scandal that rocked Cuomo’s administration amid the coronavirus pandemic, when thousands of nursing home residents died as a result of his requirement that the facilities accept patients testing positive for COVID-19. “When you look at Mayor Adams, it’s not his handling of the migrant situation that’s going to be the thing that actually ultimately brings him down. It’s how Democrats react to the potential campaign finance scandal that may exist and the sexual harassment claim that has come out [from] 1993,” Giordano said. KEVIN MCCARTHY, MATT GAETZ TRADE JABS AS FIERCE RIVALRY CONTINUES: HE ‘BELONGS IN JAIL’ The sexual assault allegation comes as Adams, who was elected mayor in 2021, remains the subject of an FBI probe for allegedly pressuring FDNY officials to open a Manhattan skyrise that now serves as the Turkish consulate despite safety concerns. The alleged pressure from Adams came ahead of a planned visit to New York City by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Federal authorities have not publicly disclosed the nature of the probe, but Adams’ electronic devices were seized by the FBI earlier this month as part of an investigation into whether his 2021 campaign received illegal donations from the Turkish government. Adams has maintained that he has “nothing to hide” pertaining to the investigation, and has insisted he will “fully cooperate.” Adams faces the investigations as he continues to deal with the effects of the worsening migrant crisis on the city, an issue that came to a head earlier this year when Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida began sending migrants to New York City, among other Democrat-run cities, as a response to their opposition to GOP policies aimed at tightening the border. WATCH: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE STORMS OUT OF WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING WHEN PRESSED BY AFRICAN REPORTER To Giordano, whether Adams will ultimately overcome these challenges depends largely on support, or lack thereof, from his fellow Democrats. “I think that’s what Mayor Adams has to worry about most. If Democrats start to turn on him, then it may be the beginning of the end of his administration, because when your own political party does it, your own political party throws you under the bus, then that spells the beginning of the end. It’s like Brutus with Julius Caesar,” he said. “The problem that Mayor Adams has is he hasn’t made too many friends in the Democrat Party by criticizing Biden’s handling of the open borders. He has gone hard after the Biden administration. The city is under an enormous amount of pressure. City budgets have to be cut in order to handle the migrants and put them up in residence,” Giordano said. He added that Adams’ attempts to distance himself from the Biden administration’s handling of the migrant crisis may have “turned off” Democrats who might have otherwise come to his defense, and that they may now be more prone to “sit on the sidelines and let these scandals continue to brew.” When asked if he thought there was any chance of Adams making a comeback from the piling on of issues or if he would suffer the same fate as Cuomo and be forced out of office, Giordano noted a major difference in the allegations of sexual misconduct between the two men. MORE AMERICANS THAN EVER THINK US HEADED IN WRONG DIRECTION AS CONGRESS’ APPROVAL NEAR ROCK BOTTOM: SURVEY “I don’t think he’ll necessarily face the same fate because Cuomo’s sexual harassment claims were recent. It’s not like it was in the past. And even worse is the fact that Gov. Cuomo used his office to punish those that he sexually harassed. Whereas Mayor Adams’ sexual harassment claim stems from a 1993 incident that Mayor Adams claims he doesn’t recall,” he said. “If I was Mayor Adams, I would be much more concerned about the Turkish involvement in the campaign finances and the FBI investigation. To me, that’s going to be the most serious of the scandals and that has the potential to have legs. If he was receiving foreign monies, well, it could be a Bob Menendez type of situation,” he added,
WATCH: Gavin Newsom repeatedly says he was insulted, offended by Ron DeSantis
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom repeatedly said he was insulted and offended by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ actions and policies during Thursday’s landmark debate on “Hannity,” including one tense moment when DeSantis mentioned Vice President Kamala Harris. The Fox News debate between Newsom and DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, quickly got heated when the two attacked each other’s records on hot topics like crime, tax policy and the COVID-19 pandemic response. “That’s insulting,” Newsom declared after DeSantis claimed Los Angeles had “collapsed” due to crime. DESANTIS-NEWSOM DEBATE LEADS TO ONLINE FIRESTORM AS CONGRESSMAN CALLS CALI ‘A WARNING FOR THE NATION’ “I mean, you’re running for president of the United States,” Newsom said. “You’re talking down the great state of California, talking down one of the great American cities, Los Angeles.” When the debate pivoted to the topic of parental rights in education, Newsom complained, “I don’t like the way you demean people.” “I don’t like the way you demean the LGBTQ community,” he said. “I don’t like the way you demean and humiliate people you disagree with, Ron. I really find this fundamentally offensive, and this is a core value that distinguishes the values of my state and, frankly, the vast majority of Americans against the weaponization of education.” “What I find but what I find offensive, Sean and Ron, what I find offensive is the very significant number of these books happen to be LGBTQ books,” Newsom said later, referring to Florida school districts removing and restricting books containing sexual topics. “These kids just want to survive,” Newsom said on the topic of children undergoing sex-reassignment procedures and treatments. “Where’s your decency and humanity and grace when it comes to these things? Attacking minorities, attacking gay and lesbian communities, that’s all part of the Ron DeSantis brand.” “Your attacks on the trans community, your attack on the gay and lesbian community, you attack vulnerable communities, you attack women,” he said later. “Again, Ron, relax. I can handle it. I’m used to bullying. You’re nothing but a bully. Intimidating and humiliating people — that’s your calling card.” Perhaps the most notable moment was when Newsom chastised DeSantis for his pronunciation of Harris’ name when he declared, “Joe Biden is in the pocket of the teachers’ union and so is Kamala Harris.” “Hey by the way,” Newsom interjected, “it’s not Kamala Harris, shame on you. It’s Kamala Harris, Ron. It’s Kamala Harris, madame vice president to you, Kamala Harris. Stop insulting.”
Federal judge denies Trump’s claim of presidential immunity in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 case
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. denied former President Trump’s claim of presidential immunity on Friday and ruled against his request to drop the Jan. 6 case. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of the District of Columbia, responding to Trump’s claim that the Constitution grants him “absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions performed within the ‘outer perimeter’ of his official responsibility,” wrote that the former president doesn’t have a “lifelong ‘”get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.” “Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability. Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office,” Chutkan wrote in her opinion. Responding to Trump’s First Amendment argument, Chutkan wrote that the Constitution doesn’t protect speech that’s used “as an instrument of a crime.” TRUMP IS NOT IMMUNE FROM CIVIL LAWSUITS RELATED TO JAN. 6, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Earlier on Friday, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump isn’t immune from civil lawsuits stemming from the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Following the ruling, Trump Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung gave the following statement to Fox News Digital: “Radical Democrats, under the direction of Crooked Joe Biden, continue to try and destroy bedrock constitutional principles and set dangerous precedents that would cripple future presidential administrations and our country as a whole, in their desperate effort to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election. The corrupt leftists will fail and President Trump will keep fighting for America and Americans, including by challenging these wrongful decisions in higher courts,” Cheung said. BIDEN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS TRUMP CAN BE SUED BY POLICE, DEMOCRATS OVER JAN. 6 RIOT Sri Srinivasan, the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, wrote in the court’s opinion that Trump isn’t entitled to immunity. “The district court largely rejected his claim of immunity, and President Trump now appeals. The sole issue before us is whether President Trump has demonstrated an entitlement to official-act immunity for his actions leading up to and on January 6 as alleged in the complaints,” Srinivasan wrote. “We answer no, at least at this state of the proceedings.” Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Washington state Democrat Rep. Adam Smith says cease-fire activists vandalized home
Washington state Democrat Rep. Adam Smith said his home was vandalized by cease-fire activists. Smith said in a statement that his house in Bellevue, Washington, was vandalized on Thursday night. “Last night, my house was vandalized by people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system,” Smith said. “Throughout the course of my career, my staff and I have continually met with groups from all parts of the political spectrum, including Pro-Palestinian and left-wing activists, and I remain open to meeting with these groups and discussing our differences and where we can come together in a productive and peaceful way. We must engage with politics in this way and reject the rise in political violence that we have witnessed over the past several years.” CALIFORNIA GOP REP. DAVID VALADAO’S OFFICE VANDALIZED BY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTORS The Washington Democrat called out the extremism on both sides of the political aisle, stating it needs to be addressed. “The extremism on both the left and right side of our political spectrum is a threat to a healthy, functioning democracy and has been condoned for far too long. The simple truth is that extremism on both sides is degrading to our political system and must be rooted out for our democracy to be able to persist,” he said. “The world is increasingly complicated and full of tough challenges that require strong leaders. I am committed to taking on these challenges and this act of vandalism has only made me more determined to remain in politics to ensure that we resolve our differences in a peaceful way that truly reflects representative democracy,” Smith added. Smith isn’t the only Congressman to be targeted in acts of vandalism related to the Israel-Hamas war. NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS BLASTS STUDENTS’ ‘VILE SHOW OF ANTISEMITISM’ THAT FORCED TEACHER TO HIDE IN OFFICE California Republican Rep. David Valadao’s Hanford, California office was vandalized by anti-Israel activists on Nov. 27. “This morning, my Hanford office was vandalized by anti-Israel protestors. I strongly support the right to peaceful protest, but violence and vandalism are never acceptable. In a democracy, harassment and intimidation is not how you make your voice heard,” Rep. Valadao posted on X. A picture posted by the California Republican shows the office covered in “Murdered by Israel” posters and fake blood. Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.