Iowa GOP voters weigh DeSantis’ Florida record as caucuses near: ‘Time to stand up’
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is upping his game on the campaign trail in Iowa, away from his home state in Florida. Voters in the two states say they support him — but for contrasting reasons. Iowa residents who support DeSantis told Fox News they admired his willingness to be tough on the U.S. border and say his immigration policies have a national appeal. “I like the fact that he’s supporting the border. You can’t just let people run through,” said Pam from Sigourney, Iowa. Steve in Davenport, Iowa, agreed, adding the border is his top concern and that DeSantis caught his eye with his stance on containing the migrant flow. DESANTIS ARGUES THAT GAVIN NEWSOM ‘CATERS TO A VERY FAR LEFT SLICE OF THE ELECTORATE’ “We can’t keep having this invasion of people. We don’t know who is coming in here. Everybody forgets 9/11 and it can happen again. It only took 19 people to do it. And we just let 8 million people come in here. So, it’s time to stand up and get this thing shut down,” he said. The border is among top concerns for voters nationwide too. A NBC News National poll shows 74% of registered voters support more funding for security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Voters overwhelmingly support funding the border instead of foreign aid packages. David Kochel, a longtime Iowa-based GOP strategist says if candidates want to do well in Iowa, they need to be able to showcase their stance on securing the border. DESANTIS LANDS ENDORSEMENT FROM INFLUENTIAL IOWA EVANGELICAL LEADER IN RACE FOR GOP NOMINATION “To the extent that these candidates can get some traction on that issue and talk about it and show that they have a plan and that they care about how voters feel on this, I think they’re going to do well,” Kochel said. “And it certainly is a thing that Governor DeSantis talks about. It’s a high-profile issue for most voters and especially in Iowa.” But in Florida, residents told Fox News they support DeSantis for his local accomplishments. None of the voters Fox News interviewed mentioned supporting DeSantis for his border or immigration policies. Theresa from Madeira beach said she backs DeSantis for his unwavering conservative policies in the state. “I just like that he tries to keep everything intact with how all of the state wants to continue as Republicans and go forward with all of the issues that we’re confronted with daily on,” she said. Harley from Treasure Island gave a specific example, saying he appreciates DeSantis taking a stand in his feud with Disney. “I love what he did over at Disney. I’m with him on everything and there’s so many crazy things that are going on right now,” he said. Kochel said Florida residents have seen his policies play out in front of them and DeSantis is able to tout his local successes to Floridians on the trail. “They saw how he handled COVID. They see how he handles tax policy, education policy and everything else,” said Kochel. “In Iowa what he emphasizes, on the campaign, might be a little different, although he has talked quite a bit about his Florida record.” As the first state to vote in the presidential nominating cycle, Iowa is key for GOP candidates ahead of the mid-January caucus. This week, DeSantis secured the latest endorsement out of the Hawkeye state from influential evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats. Evangelicals make up nearly two-thirds of Republicans voters in Iowa. Kochel said Vander Plaat’s endorsement is the last major endorsement out of Iowa. “He [Vander Plaats] certainly has his finger on the pulse of where Iowa activists are,” said Kochel. “He’s had a pretty good track record of picking winners in the Iowa caucuses. You know, he’s been with the last three caucus winners.” But Kochel says candidates still have plenty of time to make their pitch to Iowa voters. “Iowa voters like to wait until the last minute and make up their minds,” he said. “A lot of people will wait and make up their minds in the last 10 or 12 days. So, what we see right now may not be the way this race closes out in in a few weeks.” CHRISTIE TURNS UP THE HEAT ON HALEY AND DESANTIS AS HE TRIES TO BE THE TRUMP ALTERNATIVE IN GOP 2024 RACE An NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll last month shows Trump’s strong lead at 43% and Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley tied for second at 16%. “I think President Trump has made it into the finals already because of his national support,” said Kochel. “He’s almost running as an incumbent. But I think the real fight is for Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis to see who can emerge after the first 2 or 3 states as the primary challenger to Trump, because the only way to beat President Trump is to get him one on one.” DeSantis has visited 98 out of 99 Iowa counties, one county away from completing the “Full Grassley”, a statewide tour named after longtime Iowa senator Chuck Grassley. Nicole Schlinger, an Iowa-based GOP strategist says DeSantis is in full Iowa mode. “They’ve had the biggest ground game in Iowa for some time right now. And they’re you know, they’re running a very traditional grassroots caucus campaign,” said Schlinger. With less than two months until the first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican caucuses, DeSantis has the endorsement from Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds. Reynolds is arguably the most prominent player in Iowa Republican politics and very popular among Republicans in the Hawkeye state. While endorsing DeSantis she said, “I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer. We have too much at stake.” Schlinger said Iowa voters value the endorsement because he was able to turn Florida red. “I think in terms of why he has a strong showing, a person who has been a conservative, successful governor in a large state and has helped to turn a somewhat purple
Senator presses Army over backpay, religious freedoms for soldiers discharged for COVID vaccine refusal
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is pressing the U.S. Army for answers on behalf of former service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 2,000 service members were let go from the military after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Amid recruitment troubles in 2023, the Army recently sent a letter to the discharged soldiers, telling them they have the option to now correct their characterization of discharge and rejoin the branch. The Army has said the letters were part of a congressionally-mandated process. In a letter to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth on Tuesday, Schmitt asked whether any soldiers would receive backpay if they decide to re-enlist, if they would be reinstated to their rank held before discharge, and whether the religious freedoms of service members will be protected moving forward. “These mandates certainly harmed our military’s readiness and tragically destroyed the careers of thousands of brave volunteers,” the Republican Senator wrote in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. “These members have faced negative implications for veterans benefits and employment outside of the military. It is likely that most of those former members will never return to the military and serve our nation.” ARMY SENDS LETTER TO TROOPS DISMISSED FOR REFUSING COVID VACCINE AMID MILITARY’S RECRUITMENT WOES The senator also asked whether the Army will make continuous effort to ask these particular members if they would like to rejoin the branch, after reports the Army was about 10,000 soldiers short of meeting its FY 2023 recruiting goals. In 2022, recruitments fell short by an even larger margin o 15,000. ARMY MAKES MAJOR CHANGE TO RECRUTING BATTLE PLAN AS SHORTFALL IN NEW SOLDIERS PERSISTS Schmitt noted the branch has missed their recruitment goals, highlighting that “8,300 men and women across the entire military were discharged solely due to COVID-19 mandates. The Army discharged 1,881 soldiers, and only granted 191 exemptions out of 10,699 requests.” Schmitt requested a response be delivered by December 13, 2023. Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA) at the Army told Fox News Digital they would be responding directly to the sender of the letter. “As with all congressional correspondence, we will respond directly to the author of the letter,” Bryce S. Dubee wrote in a statement to Fox on Wednesday. The Army also re-highlighted a previous statement sent to Fox after it was first reported that former service members received letters in the mail regarding their discharge. “As part of the overall COVID mandate rescission process mandated by Congress, the Army this month mailed the letters to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated. The letter provides information to former servicemembers on how to request a correction of their military records,” they wrote. According to Task and Purpose, thousands of troops unsuccessfully sought religious exemptions from the vaccination, including 8,945 soldiers, 10,800 airmen and guardians, 4,172 sailors, and 3,717 Marines. The initial military letter provided forms for service members who were “involuntary separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination” to request “a correction to military personnel records, including regarding the characterization of discharge.” The letter also shared links for any interested discharged soldiers to return to service. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Fierce DeSantis-Newsom rivalry heads to prime-time showdown with ‘Hannity’ debate
They’re two relatively young and very high-profile governors of large states who have a knack for grabbing national attention and firing up the bases of their respective political parties. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who have been trading fire for nearly two years, will tangle once again this week — but this time their slugfest will be in person. DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, and Newsom — who Republican critics charge is running a shadow campaign for the White House even though he repeatedly stomps on such speculation as “ridiculous” — will face off Thursday in a debate moderated by Fox News’ prime-time opinion host Sean Hannity. The showdown, titled “DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate,” will take in Alpharetta, Georgia — a one-time red state that’s become a top general election battleground between the two major political parties. DESANTIS SAYS HIS WAR OF WORDS WITH NEWSOM ‘IS ALL BUSINESS’ “He caters to a very far left slice of the electorate. I think that will be on display when we have the debate,” DeSantis said as he spoke with Fox News Digital earlier this week during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar. Newsom, in an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” earlier this autumn, pointed towards DeSantis and emphasized that “I don’t like people who demonize other people or go after vulnerable communities. I also don’t like liars.” NEWSOM’S POTENTIAL PRESIDENITAL AMBITIONS FRONT AND CENTER AS HE TOUTS BIDEN AT SECOND GOP DEBATE Both governors have outsized national profiles, run the nation’s first and third most populous states, and overwhelmingly won gubernatorial re-elections last year, when their rivalry really heated up. In 2022, Newsom went up with an ad on Florida airwaves that targeted DeSantis’ culture war approach to politics and policies. “Freedom, it’s under attack in your state. Republican leaders, they’re banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors,” Newsom argued in his spot. DeSantis, who became a hero to conservatives nationwide for his pushback against coronavirus pandemic restrictions, earlier this year called San Francisco — the city Newsom served two terms as mayor — a “dumpster fire.” The governors — who’ve long battled on social media over their very different COVID policies — this year have traded fire over the move by DeSantis to fly undocumented migrants from to California. The Florida governor has made border security a top issue in recent years and has repeatedly highlighted his efforts on the 2024 Republican presidential campaign trail. Last week, a Newsom-aligned political group started running an ad on Fox News’ ‘Hannity” that slammed DeSantis over the six-week abortion ban in Florida that he signed into law earlier this year. “They’re perfect foils for one another. They both lead some of the biggest states in the country. They both have very prominent roles in their respective parties, and they both love attention,” longtime Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News. WILL THIS MAJOR ENDORSEMENT IN IOWA BOOST DESANTIS? Williams, a veteran of numerous presidential and statewide campaigns, noted that “it’s in their best interests to attack one another. It gets both of their bases riled up. And it gives them a national platform to fight with each other.” DeSantis, once the clear alternative to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP nomination race, has seen his standing erode over the summer and autumn. He’s currently battling with former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for second place in the polls, far behind Trump, who remains the commanding Republican front-runner as he makes his third straight White House run. Newsom is one of the most high-profile surrogates for Biden, who’s running for a second term as president. But the 81-year-old president, saddled for over two-years with underwater approval ratings, has increasingly in recent months faced questions regarding his physical and cognitive ability to serve another four years in the White House. And Biden narrowly trails Trump in many of the most recent polls looking ahead to a likely 2024 general election matchup. While Newsom has repeatedly shot down speculation he would run for the White House next year should something happen to Biden, a well-publicized trip by the California governor to Israel and China last month sparked further buzz about his possible 2024 ambitions. DeSantis, speaking with Fox News Digital, argued that “I’ve been warning Republican voters… it may not be Biden in 2024.” “This guy is running a shadow campaign. He denies it, but even people in his own party are saying it,” DeSantis said of Newsom. “You have [Vice President Kamala] Harris, you have a lot of these other people who could end up running in 2024 if Biden’s not able to do it. I think there’s a lot of people in the Democratic Party who do not want Biden to run. Ultimately, it’s going to be his decision, but I think there’s a lot of pressure there for him to take a step back.” Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump blasts American leaders as no US citizens are among Hamas hostages recently released
Former President Trump blasted American leaders as there were no U.S. citizens released in the past few days by Hamas. Hamas terrorists released 17 hostages late Saturday, and 24 on Friday, but none of them were any of the 10 American citizens being held, including 4-year-old Avigail Idan. The release of hostages comes as Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day cease-fire. Fifty hostages held by Hamas are expected to be released within the four-day window, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. In exchange, 150 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel will be released. “Has anybody noticed that Hamas has returned people from other Countries but, so far, has not returned one American Hostage? There is only one reason for that, NO RESPECT FOR OUR COUNTRY OR OUR LEADERSHIP. This is a very sad and dark period of America!” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. 17 ADDITIONAL HAMAS HOSTAGES RELEASED AFTER HOURS-LONG DELAY Two American nationals held hostage by Hamas were released Oct. 20, but no U.S. citizen has been released since then. While on vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Friday, President Biden said he still expects American hostages to be released. BIDEN UNSURE WHEN AMERICAN HOSTAGES WILL BE FREED BY HAMAS: ‘WE DON’T KNOW’ “We don’t know when that will occur, but we’re going to expect it to occur,” Biden said. “We don’t know what the list of all the hostages are and when they will be released, but we know the numbers that are going to be released, So, it’s my hope and expectation it will be soon.” Biden added that he didn’t know the conditions of Americans being held hostage by Hamas. While walking on the island Saturday, he told reporters, “I‘m hopeful you’ll see something soon,” when asked about American hostages. According to U.S. intelligence, approximately 10 Americans are among those being held hostage by Hamas. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., wrote on X that Biden should be doing more in order for the American hostages to be released. Fox News’ Greg Norman, Lucas Tomlinson, Trey Yingst, Andrea Vacchiano and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Trudeau blames ‘right-wing, American MAGA’ after Canadian Conservative Party votes against Ukraine bill
Right-wing American thinking has infiltrated Canadian politics and caused the Conservative Party to “turn their backs” on Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday. Trudeau called out the Conservative Party after the group unanimously voted against an update to the Canada Ukraine Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine. “I’ve actually boasted . . . that it’s not a political debate in Canada, all parties in Canada stand with Ukraine,” Trudeau said at a press conference Friday. “So it is particularly troubling to see — even though we are seeing a rise of right-wing rhetoric in the United States with MAGA conservatives, across Europe, in certain corners of right-wing politicians and parties — starting to pull their support for Ukraine. Starting to parrot Russian disinformation and misinformation and propaganda.” Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre earlier Friday said his party had voted against the agreement not because of flagging support for Ukraine, but out of concern it would saddle the war-torn country with a carbon tax. Trudeau said that explanation was “an absurd excuse.” CONSERVATIVE CANADIAN LEADER GOES VIRAL FOR MUNCHING ON APPLE WHILE CALMLY BATTING DOWN REPORTER’S QUESTIONS “The real story is the rise of a right-wing, American MAGA-influenced thinking that has made Canadian Conservatives — who used to be among the strongest defenders of Ukraine, I’ll admit it — turn their backs on something Ukraine needs in its hour of need,” Trudeau said. “That is the danger of the rise of the right-wing influence that is feeling its impact in Canada. That’s what not just Ukrainian Canadians but all Canadians should be concerned about. When the Conservative Party of Canada and Pierre Poilievre turn their backs on history, turn their backs on our friends and allies, turn their backs on the international rules-based order and our support for the UN Charter and territorial Integrity, it is of real concern and should be of concern to all of us, because we’re seeing that spiking up all around the world,” Trudeau said. Earlier Friday, Poilievre said that his party was only voting against the agreement because conservatives understood how disastrous carbon taxes can be. “We voted against Justin Trudeau forcing a carbon tax into that pre-existing agreement. Conservatives understand how devastating the carbon tax has been for Canadians,” Poilievre said. “It’s caused two million people to go to a food bank every single month, seven million Canadians not eating enough to stay healthy.” “I really think it speaks to how pathologically obsessed Trudeau is with the carbon tax that, while the knife is at the throat of Ukrainians, he would use that to impose his carbon tax ideology on those poor people,” Poilievre said, according to CBC News. The trade agreement includes a section committing both parties to coordinate “bilaterally and in international forums to address matters of mutual interest, as appropriate, to . . . promote carbon pricing and measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks.” Ukraine has had a carbon tax since 2011, and it is in the process of modifying the tax as it seeks to gain membership in the EU. It’s not the first time Trudeau has blamed American politics for pushback to liberal policies in Canada. JUSTIN TRUDEAU BLAMES ‘AMERICAN RIGHT-WING’ FOR MUSLIMS OPPOSING LGBTQ CURRICULUM: ‘LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE!’ In July, Trudeau said the “American right-wing” was responsible for causing Canadian Muslims’ to oppose gender ideology and LGBTQ curriculum in K-12 education. Trudeau made the comments during a visit with the Muslim community at the Baitun Nur Mosque in Calgary after hundreds of protesters rallied against gender ideology in schools, chanting, “Leave our kids alone.” The frustration reached a boiling point after audio surfaced of an Edmonton Public Schools teacher berating Muslim students for skipping school in order to avoid Pride events. One person in the audience asked Trudeau to “please protect our culture, our belief, the sin that you are doing to them.” Trudeau responded: “First of all, there is an awful lot of misinformation and disinformation out there [from] people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right-wing are spreading a lot of untruths about what is actually… in the curriculum.” Fox News’ Hannah Grossman contributed reporting.
Santos accuses colleagues of voting hungover, sleeping around in profanity-laden tirade against ethics report
Embattled New York Republican Rep. George Santos delivered a tirade Friday night blasting his congressional colleagues, accusing them of trying to force him out of Congress because he’s different. The New York congressman accused the House Ethics Committee of attacking him while letting other unethical behavior in the House go unchecked. “Within the ranks of the United States Congress, there’s felons galore, there’s people with all sorts of sheisty backgrounds,” Santos said in a nearly three-hour conversation broadcast on X, formerly Twitter. NY REP. GEORGE SANTOS, WHO FLIPPED BLUE SEAT, SAYS HE WON’T RUN FOR RE-ELECTION IN WAKE OF ETHICS REPORT Santos also accused members of Congress of voting drunk and having inappropriate relationships with lobbyists. “I have colleagues who are more worried about getting drunk every night with the next lobbyists that they’re going to screw and pretend like none of us know what’s going on and sell off the American people,” he said, adding that some do not “show up to vote because they’re too hungover or whatever the reason is, or not show up to vote at all and just give their card out like f—ing candy for someone else to vote for them.” “This s— happens every single week. Where are the ethics investigations?” he said. FORMER SANTOS CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT Santos accused “hacks in the Ethics Committee” of acting inappropriately in releasing a report last week that found “substantial evidence” that Santos filed false campaign finance reports, used campaign funds for personal purposes, had a fraudulent connection to a business and knowingly violated ethics laws. Among other things, the Ethics Committee said it found evidence that Santos had used campaign funds for personal Botox treatments, personal meals, a $4,000 purchase at Hermes and payments to OnlyFans. The Ethics committee report itself violated his rights to a fair trial, according to Santos, because it made definitive statements about criminal matters and contained “a s—-ton of hyperbole.” Santos faces federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud. Santos already said he would not seek re-election, but he might not survive much longer in the seat he flipped for the GOP. HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE HEAD TO MOVE TO EXPEL GEORGE SANTOS AFTER RELEASE OF DAMNING REPORT Santos has survived two expulsion votes, but Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., introduced a resolution to expel Santos following the release of the report. It’s unclear when the measure will be taken up after the House returns. “Chairman Guest feels that the evidence uncovered in the Committee’s investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and that the most appropriate punishment is expulsion,” Republican Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest’s personal office told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Santos admitted that the House appears to be stacked against him. “I’ll be expelled simply because people did not want me,” he said Friday. If Santos is expelled, he would be the fifth member of the House to be forcibly removed from the chamber in U.S. history. Santos said that if he is expelled, it would be the first time a member was kicked out of the House before being convicted in court. Should Santos be expelled, his seat would be subject to a special election that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul would schedule. Santos’ district voted for President Biden in 2020, but the freshman Republican House member won a surprising upset in the 2022 midterms.
Biden tries to hide away in Nantucket but can’t escape pro-Palestinian protesters
President Biden retreated to Nantucket, where he normally finds reprieve from the demands of running the country, but pro-Palestinian protesters managed to track him down and remain a reminder of the troubles waiting for him. The protesters found Biden twice on Friday, once as he departed lunch with his family and again when they attended a tree-lighting ceremony. Each time, they shouted now-familiar slogans, including “Free Palestine” and “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!” If the president heard them, he didn’t let them know: Biden focused on greeting members of the children’s choir who performed at the tree lighting. A local official tried to dissuade the protesters from interrupting the ceremony, stressing that it was not a political event. Biden’s staunch support for Israel has come at a price as his party finds itself divided over the war in the Gaza Strip. His polling numbers have slumped as younger voters and members of his party stand in favor of the Palestinian people, who have died by the thousands during Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza. BIDEN ADMIN WILL HAVE TO USE LEVERAGE IF AMERICANS AREN’T RELEASED, WARNS MORGAN ORTAGUS NBC political correspondent Steve Kornacki earlier this week highlighted just how hard Biden’s numbers have fallen by revealing that former President Trump beats Biden in a hypothetical general match-up for the first time in the network’s poll history. “The gap is gone,” Kornacki said. “36% positive on both and actually Biden, one point more negative than Trump. That’s been a significant advantage for Biden, our poll says that advantage, at least for now, may be gone.” DEMOCRATS HAVE A ‘QUANDRY’ WITH PRO-ISRAEL AND PRO-PALESTINIAN BASES: LEO TERRELL Biden had to delay the start of his annual post-Thanksgiving unwind with the family as he spent Friday morning attending multiple briefings with national security aides, who were updating him as Hamas released the first phase of hostages per their agreement with Israel as part of a four-day ceasefire. He then managed to catch up with the family for their regular lunch, which preceded some local shopping and mingling with the Nantucket crowd before the tree lighting. The family ate at the Brotherhood of Thieves bar and grill, which promotes itself as a “1840s whaling bar.” IF MANCHIN RUNS FOR PRESIDENT, WILL HE BE A SPOILER AND THROW THE ELECTION TO TRUMP? The president walked out of Nantucket Books with a copy of Democracy Awakening by historian Heather Cox Richardson, who interviewed Biden at the White House last year. He remarked that he couldn’t visit Nantucket “without going to the book store . . . we’ve got a tradition.” The last stop before the tree lighting saw the Bidens’ stop off at the Jeweler’s Gallery, where a crowd wished him a happy birthday and took photos with the first family. CRUZ, WHITE HOUSE TRADE BARBS OVER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S ISRAEL RESPONSE: ‘THAT IS A LIE’ The Bidens arrived on Nantucket Tuesday night, taking up residence at the home of billionaire David Rubenstein. Secret Service prepared the island five days ahead of Air Force One touching down, including a surge of Massachusetts State Police Troopers to boost security. Rubenstein, a friend of the Bidens whose net worth is estimated at over $3.5 billion, has offered his property to the family for their Thanksgiving celebrations since at least 2021, Forbes reported. He acquired the property in 1998 for $8 million with his ex-wife, Alice, and has expanded the compound with five additional guest structures. The lavish coastal property on Abram’s Point includes several guest houses, a tennis court, a hot tub and a pool and has an estimated total value of more than $34 million, according to the Nantucket Assessor’s office. FOX Business’s Chris Pandolfo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cruz, White House trade barbs over Biden administration’s Israel response: ‘That is a lie’
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the White House traded barbs this week over the Biden administration’s response to the Hamas attacks in Israel. It started after Cruz said in a Fox News interview that the Biden administration had been sympathetic to calls for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller told FactCheck.org Cruz was “wrong” to make the claims and that the administration had been “nothing other than completely supportive” of Israel. In a lengthy post Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, Cruz said the fact check “admits I was right that Biden immediately called on Israel not to retaliate against Hamas, because they have to, because it’s true.” BIDEN ADMIN REACTS TO TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS, RELEASE OF HOSTAGES “But, so they can defend Biden, they quote ‘experts’ anyway saying he’s been 100% supportive of Israel,” he wrote. “Washington DC experts say that Biden has been 100% supportive of Israel. These are the people who have been in charge of Middle East diplomacy for decades — which also explains how we got to a place where Iranian terrorists were able to launch the worst one day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust,” the post continued. In a statement to Fox News Digital in response to Cruz’s post, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said, “Obviously, Senator Cruz hasn’t asked anyone in Israel about this,” and referenced a link to a New York Times article, “Israeli Billboards Thanking the U.S. Have a New Face on Them: Biden’s.” The Times article said Biden is “suddenly finding warm embraces” in Israel after former President Donald Trump’s politics “drove a wedge between the Democratic Party and the Jews who have long called it their political home.” “The Hamas attacks — and the Biden administration’s response — have so far not only united a fractured Israeli society but also buried animosities between the world’s two largest Jewish communities, in Israel and the United States,” the article continued. The article didn’t mention the Biden administration’s initial social media responses to the Oct. 7 attacks condemned by conservatives, including Cruz. Cruz’s comments referenced an Oct. 7 post on X in which the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs called for “all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks,” which was quickly deleted. On Oct. 8, the day Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a phone call with the Turkish foreign minister, Blinken posted on X, urging, “Türkiye’s advocacy for a cease-fire and the release of all hostages held by Hamas immediately.” That post was also deleted, according to the FactCheck.org website. ISRAEL, HAMAS AGREE TO TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE, HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL INCLUDING FREEING 3 AMERICANS “Even that is a lie,” Cruz continued on X. “In reality, the Biden administration immediately called on Israel not to retaliate on Oct 7, deleted the tweet, supported a ceasefire again the next day, then deleted that tweet too.” Nonetheless, the Biden administration has since publicly rejected a cease-fire. On Oct. 10, FactCheck.org reported that Biden said in a speech: “So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear,” he said. “We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond to this attack.” But, earlier this month, State Department staffers wrote a scathing internal memo urging the Biden administration to change its public stance toward Israel and support a cease-fire, Politico reported. The leaked memo was submitted to the department’s Dissent Channel, where employees are invited to express policy disagreements, the outlet said. It is the latest incident showing internal strife within the department over the U.S. support for its closest ally in the Middle East. PRO-PALESTINIAN VIOLENT PROTEST ERUPTS OUTSIDE DNC HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON DC, CAPITOL POLICE INJURED The message reportedly demands the U.S. support a cease-fire and be willing to publicly criticize “Israeli military tactics and treatments of Palestinians,” the outlet reported. Politico reported that two mid-level staffers wrote this particular memo, but there were several other dissent memos over the Israel-Hamas war being shared within the department. The message “reflects the sentiments of many U.S. diplomats,” the report said. A State Department spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the department does “not comment on reports of internal department communications,” as a general rule. Fox News Digital has reached out to FactCheck.org for comment. Fox News’ Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
If Manchin runs for president, will he be a spoiler and throw the election to Trump?
As he openly flirts with a third-party run for president in 2024, Sen. Joe Manchin has plenty of people in his party terrified that the moderate from West Virginia will unintentionally hand the White House over to former President Donald Trump. But Manchin dismisses such warnings, rejecting claims from fellow Democrats that a third party run would hurt President Biden’s chances of re-election in a likely rematch next year with Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination. “I would never be a spoiler for anybody, and I don’t agree with…the analysis that they’ve come up with,” Manchin told Fox News’ host Brett Baier on “Special Report” last week. Manchin has repeatedly emphasized that “I believe that Donald Trump being elected again would destroy democracy as we know it.” WATCH: WHAT JOE MANCHIN SAID IN HIS FOX NEWS’ ‘SPECIAL REPORT’ INTERVIEW And he worries that the 81-year-old Biden, saddled with deeply underwater approval ratings, isn’t up to the task of defeating Trump. Manchin made national headlines earlier this month by announcing that he wouldn’t seek re-election next year in the Senate, striking a major blow to the Democrats’ hopes of holding their razor-thin majority in the chamber in 2024. He also teased a potential third-party presidential campaign and in the ensuing days told NBC News that he’d “absolutely” consider a White House run and CBS News that there’s “plenty of time” to make a decision. JOE MANCHIN MAKES A MAJOR POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENT Manchin argues that national politics has increasingly become too polarized, leaving millions of voters in the middle of the ideological spectrum without much of a voice in the nation’s capital. “I want to mobilize what we’ll call the radical, moderate, centrist middle person to get involved because neither side can win without them,” he emphasized in his Fox News interview. Much of the speculation surrounding Manchin focuses on No Labels, the influential centrist group that’s seriously mulling sporting a bipartisan, third-party presidential ticket, if Biden and Trump are the major party nominees in the 2024 election. Manchin, a former No Labels chair, grabbed plenty of national attention earlier this year as he served as honorary co-host of the group’s “Common Sense” town hall in New Hampshire, where they unveiled their policy proposals. Following Manchin’s announcement earlier this month, No Labels said that “we commend Senator Manchin for stepping up to lead a long overdue national conversation about solving America’s biggest challenges, including inflation, an insecure border, out-of-control debt and growing threats from abroad.” “Regarding our No Labels Unity presidential ticket, we are gathering input from our members across the country to understand the kind of leaders they would like to see in the White House. As we have said from the beginning, we will make a decision by early 2024 about whether we will nominate a Unity presidential ticket and who will be on it,” the group added. MORE 2024 HEADACHES FOR BIDEN AS LIST OF THIRD-PARTY AND INDEPENDENT CHALLENGERS GROWS Polling suggests that independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornell West pull support from both Biden and Trump in a hypothetical four-way 2024 general election showdown. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and high-profile vaccine critic who is a scion of arguably the nation’s most famous family political dynasty, launched a Democrat primary challenge against Biden in April. But Kennedy announced at a campaign event in Philadelphia last month that he would seek the White House as an independent candidate. West, an outspoken progressive university scholar, was running on the Green Party ticket, but last month announced he would seek the presidency as an independent candidate. But both Kennedy and West now face uphill climbs to obtain ballot access in states across the country. Earlier this month, 2016 Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein announced that she will make another White House run next year. Plenty of Democrats still blame Stein’s 2016 campaign for putting Trump in the White House. Her vote totals seven years ago in the key battlegrounds of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin topped Trump’s margins over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in each state. Now comes Manchin’s third-party flirtation. “Everything going into the 2024 race that would help Donald Trump win should be avoided if you are somebody who cares about the future of democracy and the future of this country,” longtime Democratic strategist and Democratic National Committee member Maria Cardona told Fox News. Matt Bennett, a co-founder of the moderate Democratic group the Third Way, noted that plenty of middle of the road voters, “if they’re confronted with a forced choice between Biden and Trump, they will vote for Biden if they must because they can’t abide Trump.” But Bennett, a veteran of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns and who also served in then-President Bill Clinton’s White House, argued “if they’re given the option of a Larry Hogan type Republican, they might take it. Not a lot of them take it, but enough to make a difference. And this is what we’re most worried about.” Hogan, a former popular two-term moderate GOP governor of Maryland, is mulling a third-party presidential bid with No Labels. Bennett, a vocal critic of No Labels, argued that Manchin “is not going to be their candidate,” as he pointed to a potential national ticket by the centrist group. “They made clear they’re going to put a Republican at the top of their ticket. They put out a chart three weeks ago that if they put a Democrat at the top of their ticket, Trump wins. It’s pretty hard to walk that back,” he said. Bennett is referring to a meeting No Labels had with its donors, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed by Fox News. But No Labels reiterates that it’s made no decisions yet when it comes to a potential national ticket and which candidates may be involved. As for Manchin, he says he’ll do “whatever it takes” to help the country out of its current “horrible situation.” Veteran communicator and strategist
See the photos: US troops celebrate Thanksgiving across the world
President Biden gave a shout-out to the troops spending Thanksgiving away from their loved ones this holiday season and called on Americans to “come together” regardless of differing politics. Biden and first lady Jill Biden called into to the “Today” show during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday and gave thanks to the troops stationed abroad. “We’re the greatest nation in the world,” the president told NBC host Al Roker. “We have to come together…stop the rancor, you know? We have to bring the nation together.” BIDEN’S THANKSGIVING CALL FOR END FOR END TO PARTISAN ‘RANCOR’ TAKES HEAT AFTER CAMPAIGN BLASTS ‘CRAZY MAGA NONSENSE’ Biden later said he and the first lady spoke with U.S. service members in a call thanking them “for the sacrifices” they make every day for the country. “This Thanksgiving, Jill and I spoke with members of our Armed Forces to offer our sincere gratitude for the sacrifices they make every day to protect our freedom. They’re the best of us,” the president, who just turned 81 on Monday, wrote in a post Thursday on X. Here’s a glimpse into what Thanksgiving looks like for the troops celebrating overseas this year: