North Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline won’t run for reelection
Schatzline, who represents Fort Worth, is one the most conservative members of the Legislature’s lower chamber.
Federal appeals court will reconsider West Texas A&M drag show ban
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday tossed a three-judge panel’s earlier ruling that found the ban violated students’ free speech rights. The court’s 17 judges will rehear the case.
The Decision: Jeffries toes the line, takes the plunge in long-awaited NYC mayoral endorsement
Even up until the last hour, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., played it coy about endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race. “Early voting, as you know, starts tomorrow,” observed a reporter to Jeffries at 11:06 a.m. on Friday. “Are you ready to endorse Mamdani?” “Stay tuned,” replied Jeffries. “What more do you need to hear at this point?” asked another scribe. ‘STAY TUNED’: JEFFRIES REPEATEDLY DODGES MAMDANI ENDORSEMENT AS SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE LOOMS “Same answer,” said Jeffries. “I have not refused to endorse. I have refused to articulate my position and I will momentarily, at some point in advance of early voting.” Well, early voting began Saturday in New York. And true to his word, Jeffries articulated his position via a statement early Friday afternoon, throwing his political clout behind Mamdani. “Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a Mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” said Jeffries. “The communities I represent in Brooklyn are being devastated by this extreme version of the Republican Party. In this environment, we have a clear obligation to push back against the national nightmare being visited on the American people by Republican extremism.” Jeffries closed his endorsement with this key line: “I endorse the Democratic ticket.” In some respects, that was the least newsworthy line in Jeffries statement. It might be preposterous to think that the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, from New York City, would not endorse the Democratic candidate for mayor of his hometown. It would have been a bigger story had Jeffries not endorsed Mamdani. We don’t definitively know what Jeffries may have mulled for so long. But we do understand the fissure inside the Democratic Party between centrist Democrats and the far left. This is why Republicans shout from the Empire State Building that Mamdani is a “socialist” or even a “communist.” Republicans not-so-secretly love the fact Mamdani is the Democratic nominee. And they embrace the fact that Mamdani makes some Democrats squirm as the party tries to reach moderate voters – and simultaneously grapples with the leftist views of the nominee. ZOHRAN MAMDANI LANDS LONG-WAITED KEY ENDORSEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL RACE “What we’re witnessing is truly the end of the Democratic Party as we’ve known it,” opined House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “Hakeem Jeffries finally relented. He gave in and he gave his endorsement to the socialist running to be mayor of New York City. The House Democrats, they’ve shown the world what they really believe. There is no longer a place for [centrists] and moderates in their party.” Republicans also claim that the reason Democrats “shut down the government” is because Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., heard footsteps from the left and feared a primary challenge. In Schumer’s case: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “They decided to save their own skin that they had to endorse the Marxist Mamdani,” speculated Johnson. “In an unprecedented move, they have also decided they had to shut down the government in an unprecedented move.” When pressed on MSNBC over the weekend why it took him so long to endorse Mamdani, Jeffries replied that he wasn’t “someone that I knew prior to him receiving the Democratic nomination.” Jeffries added that he wanted “to sit down and have some conversations” with Mamdani. But the endorsement question has been a tortured avenue for Jeffries ever since Mamdani captured the Democratic nomination for mayor on June 25. On the day Mamdani won the primary, Jeffries offered his “congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on a decisive primary victory.” But Jeffries did not endorse. SOCIALIST CANDIDATE MAMDANI MEETS WITH NY DEMS AS THEY WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS “We spoke this morning and plan to meet in central Brooklyn shortly,” said Jeffries. Four days later, ABC’s Jonathan Karl asked Jeffries if he had endorsed Mamdani yet. The answer was no. “He out-worked, he out-communicated, and he out-organized the opposition. And that’s clearly why he was successful,” said Jeffries. “So, what’s holding you back from endorsing him right now?” asked Karl. “Well, we don’t really know each other well. Our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him,” answered Jeffries. And that’s how it went, all summer long – and into the fall. Reporters frequently peppered Jeffries with questions about a potential endorsement or what the holdup was. And Jeffries was always circumspect. In fact, resistance to endorse fueled speculation that Jeffries harbored reservations about Mamdani. That’s nothing to say of possible headaches Mamdani could create for the party as it tries to court swing voters. EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY AMID HOTLY CONTESTED MAYOR AND GOVERNOR RACES “What does he need to do to secure your endorsement?” asked CNN’s Dana Bash on August 24. “(Rep.) Yvette Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and myself are scheduled to sit down with him in the next few days. I look forward to that conversation,” said Jeffries. “What do you want to hear from him? What’s missing? I mean, it’s pretty unusual for a high-ranking Democrat like yourself to withhold the endorsement of your party’s nominee for candidate for New York City mayor,” countered Bash. “I don’t think we have withheld an endorsement. We are engaging in a conversation about the future of New York City,” said Jeffries. Bash questioned if Jeffries wasn’t endorsing Mamdani because “he hasn’t denounced using the term or supporting the term ‘globalize the intifada?’” “I have raised several of the issues with him privately, as well as publicly spoken about some of the concerns that I have had,” said Jeffries. So, there were in fact “concerns.” “What do you say to your young constituents, energized young constituents that help put Mamdani in the position that he’s in and now they’re calling for you to represent their wishes and endorse him?” asked a reporter of Jeffries at the Capitol on October 6. CLINTON CAMPAIGN ALUM URGES JEFFRIES, SCHUMER NOT TO ‘TAKE THE
Man who went viral for heckling Winsome Sears with racist comment dealt another blow after getting fired
The man who went viral for lobbing racially charged insults at Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears during a college football game earlier this month, subsequently filed a police report claiming he was getting harassed after the incident went viral. The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was aware of the police report that was filed and that, ultimately, the department’s threat assessment unit found that the information provided did not meet the criteria for a criminal investigation. “Go back to Haiti!,” the man from the viral video yelled at Sears, a Republican, during a James Madison University football game earlier this month. “Traitor!” After the incident, Sears clarified on social media that she is an immigrant from Jamaica, not Haiti. WINSOME SEARS RESPONDS TO JMU FAN TELLING HER TO ‘GO BACK TO HAITI’ AFTER WEEKEND OF LEFTIST INVECTIVE “I thought Democrats were supposed to love everyone,” Sears quipped at the time. The man, identified by local news reports as Scott Pogorelc, from Centerville, Virginia, was also reportedly fired by his employer, a subsidiary of government contractor Lockheed Martin. A JMU football player by the same last name is a redshirt senior on the Dukes’ offensive line. “We hold all of our employees and subsidiaries to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct. Any behavior that violates our Code of Ethics will be thoroughly investigated and employees found in violation will be held accountable. Zeta Associates investigated the matter, and the individual is no longer employed,” said a statement from a Lockheed Martin spokesperson, according to Fox 5 DC reporter Allison Papson. Meanwhile, Pogorelc is also a Democratic Party donor, according to Federal Election Commission filings and the Virginia Public Access Project. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor running against Sears, was among those he has donated to. TOP GOP GROUP DROPS BIG MONEY INTO VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN AFTER DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT TEXTS GO VIRAL The situation involving Pogorelc was not the first time Sears has faced racially insensitive remarks in recent months amid her campaign. In August, while speaking out against transgender bathroom policies outside an Arlington County school board meeting, a counter-protester held up a sign that read: “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then Blacks can’t share my water fountain.” Following that incident, current GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is facing the end of his term limit, blasted what he described as the “hypocrisy of the liberal left.” “Winsome is so much bigger than this idiocy,” Youngkin wrote on X. “This is wrong. [Winsome Earle-Sears] — and Virginia — deserve better,” added Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in response to the sign. Miyares is running for reelection against Democratic Party candidate Jay Jones.
DOJ signals it would rather deport Abrego Garcia than prosecute him
The Trump administration signaled to a federal judge on Monday during a hearing that it would rather deport Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Africa than follow through with prosecuting him on charges of transporting illegal migrants. Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland grilled a Department of Justice lawyer over the plans, asking if the administration would remove Abrego Garcia to Liberia this week if it could overcome legal hurdles. Xinis currently has an injunction in place blocking Abrego Garcia from being deported. “I have been told that if there was no prohibition, we would remove him on Friday,” DOJ lawyer Drew Ensign said. Xinis pressed Ensign about Abrego Garcia’s criminal case in Tennessee, and Ensign replied that he did not know how deporting Abrego Garcia would affect that case. The judge voiced skepticism about the timing of the administration’s desired deportation date of Friday. FEDERAL JUDGE LOSES PATIENCE WITH TRUMP DOJ AS ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION STALLS AGAIN Xinis noted that a high-pressure hearing is happening next week over whether the DOJ vindictively brought criminal charges against Abrego Garcia after initially admitting to erroneously deporting him to a prison in El Salvador earlier this year. “I don’t believe a criminal case can go forward if there’s no defendant,” Xinis said, adding, “I’m trying to figure out how useful this Friday is, and the reason why I’m asking is because it’s common knowledge there is an evidentiary hearing [in Tennessee] next week.” Liberia is now the fourth African country raised by lawyers for the Trump administration after they previously identified three others, Uganda, Ghana and Eswatini, that could potentially accept Abrego Garcia, pending dissolution of Xinis’ injunction keeping him in the United States. The judge signaled that the Department of Homeland Security’s position of wanting to deport him and the DOJ’s position of wanting to take him to trial did not add up and that she suspected some behind-the-scenes logistical discussions were taking place. “It just doesn’t pass the sniff test that there hasn’t been some coordination,” Xinis said. DHS TO SOON DEPORT ABREGO GARCIA TO AFRICAN NATION AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN’S RETURN FROM EL SALVADOR, FILING SAYS Abrego Garcia’s defense attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg told the judge his team was unsatisfied with Liberia, saying they were unclear on whether their client would be detained or free in Liberia and that they currently suspect he could be re-deported to El Salvador, where he has established a credible fear of persecution. Sandoval-Moshenberg reiterated that Abrego Garcia is open to being deported to Costa Rica, the only country that has explicitly agreed to grant him asylum and to not send him back to El Salvador. Xinis questioned Ensign about the administration’s position on deporting him to Costa Rica, after Abrego Garcia’s attorneys previously accused the government of dangling that option in exchange for him pleading guilty in his criminal case in Tennessee. FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BARS ABREGO GARCIA FROM DEPORTATION TO UGANDA “Any insight you can shed on why we’re continuing this hearing when you could deport him to a third country tomorrow?” Xinis asked, adding, “Now we’re about to burn significant resources … to now talk about a fourth African country.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment. In August, when Abrego Garcia’s attorneys first told the court about the DOJ floating Costa Rica as part of a plea deal, a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement that pleading guilty or standing trial were Abrego Garcia’s only options because he presented a “clear danger” to the community. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the charges. “This defendant can plead guilty and accept responsibility or stand trial before a jury,” the spokesperson said. “Either way, we will hold Abrego Garcia accountable and protect the American people.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch and Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Mamdani forced to clarify relative invoked in viral Islamophobia anecdote as questions swirl
New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani offered up a clarification on Monday about an anecdote that sparked controversy on social media related to an anecdote he told about his “aunt” not using the subway in New York City due to post-9/11 Islamophobia. “I was speaking about Zehra fuhi, my father’s cousin, who passed away a few years ago,” Mamdani told reporters on Monday, using the term “fuhi” which the New York Post reported means paternal aunt in Hindi and Urdu, after social media users had raised questions about the veracity of his story. “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani, fighting back tears, told a crowd on Oct. 24 while outlining his concerns about Islamophobia and suggesting that criticisms of his anti-Israel positions are rooted in a disdain toward his Muslim faith. Shortly after that clip hit the internet, a wave of criticism hit from conservatives and internet sleuths who poked holes in the story and suggested Mamdani had embellished it, pointing to his one direct biological aunt, Dr. Masuma Mamdani, listing on her LinkedIn that she worked and presumably lived in Tanzania from January 2000 to December 2003. Additionally, publicly available photos of Masuma Mamdani don’t show her wearing a hijab. DESANTIS PREDICTS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MAMDANI WINS NYC ELECTION: ‘GREAT’ FOR GOP, ‘BAD FOR NEW YORK CITY’ The controversy reached the White House in the form of a post on X from Vice President JD Vance who expressed skepticism about the story. “According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” the vice president wrote. INSIDE THE MAMDANI MACHINE: SOROS CASH, SOCIALISTS AND RADICAL IMAMS ENGINEERED ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S PATH TO POWER Mamdani’s father Mahmood, who Zohran Mamdani says is the cousin of the deceased aunt, has faced criticism during the campaign for his past controversial statements as a professor at Columbia University, including a claim that Hitler was inspired by Abraham Lincoln, which resurfaced on social media in recent days. Mahmood Mamdani also sits on the advisory council of an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel, and routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing “genocide”, Fox News Digital reported this summer. “Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism,” the elder Mamdani wrote in his 2004 book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror. “We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier.” Zohran Mamdani has pushed back in recent days against critics of his various anti-Israel policies and statements dating back to his time in college and suggested that those criticisms are rooted in anti-Muslim bigotry. “The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker,” Mamdani posted on X on Friday with a video that was viewed at least 24 million times. “And yet, for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that, and endure hatred and bigotry in the shadows. No more.”
Shutdown crushes small business owners as losses hit billions — industry leaders beg Congress for ‘clean CR’
FIRST ON FOX: Small business owners are losing billions in funding due to the government shutdown, with industry leaders publishing a letter Monday demanding lawmakers pass a “clean CR” and reopen the federal government. “On behalf of our organizations representing millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners, we are calling on U.S. Senators to put an end to the instability and hardship by passing a clean continuing resolution, which will allow negotiations to continue on spending measures moving through Congress, including the future of the COVID credits that will expire at year-end,” a letter addressed to U.S. senators across the board and first obtained by Fox News Digital states. “The viability of thousands of small businesses is at risk due to the shutdown, and it is unacceptable that the livelihoods of owners and their employees are being sacrificed for spending demands that can be resolved through regular order.” The letter was signed by six industry groups, including the Family Business Coalition, International Franchise Association, Job Creators Network, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, National Restaurant Association and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The government shut down Oct. 1 after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement before a midnight deadline. Leaders of both political parties have since cast blame for the shutdown on each other, with Republicans arguing Democrats sought taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants in their legislation, while Democrats have denied the accusation and claimed Republicans won’t join the negotiation table on healthcare for citizens. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN 101: WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT The letter urged lawmakers to reopen the government while pointing to a handful of examples of how Americans are suffering due to the shutdown, including small business owners losing out on billions in funding. “According to the (Small Business Administration), 4,800 small businesses have been blocked from receiving $2.5 billion in capital since the start of the shutdown,” the groups warned. “Every day the shutdown continues means another 320 small businesses will not have access to the SBA-backed commercial loans these businesses were counting on for expansion and growth. Hundreds of thousands of workers are impacted by the suspension through furloughs, reduced jobs and wages, along with missed opportunities for local economies.” The Small Business Administration released data earlier in October showing 320 small business owners have lost $170 million in funding each day due to the shutdown, which has resulted in at least $2.5 billion in funding that cannot be delivered to business owners. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox Digital that the “Democrat shutdown” has caused “chaos” that is gripping business owners no matter the size of the company. SHUTDOWN IGNITES STRATEGIST DEBATE: WILL TRUMP AND GOP PAY THE POLITICAL PRICE IN 2026? “From Wall Street to Main Street, the Democrat shutdown has generated unnecessary chaos and economic uncertainty. Millions of small businesses and entrepreneurs have made it very clear — it is time for Senate Democrats to pass the clean continuing resolution, reopen the government, and stop using Americans as ‘leverage’ for their radical policies,” Rogers said. The letter added that disruptions to air travel and air traffic controller shortages have affected business owners and consumers, alike, and that small business owners are feeling the pinch of “ever-increasing costs and diminishing choices” as they relate to healthcare coverage. SOCIAL SECURITY, AIRPORTS, FOOD STAMPS: HOW ARE YOU AFFECTED DURING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN? “With respect to the rising cost of health insurance premiums, small businesses have been the hardest hit by years of ever-increasing costs and diminishing choices. Premium tax credit expiration represents only a fraction of the reason why many small businesses are seeing hefty premium increases for next year. Lowering costs and increasing affordable choices will be resolved through comprehensive reforms that need to be addressed by Congress and state legislatures. Congress must commit to this important task as well,” the letter stated. “The effects of the shutdown will only grow wider with each passing day unless the Senate acts. Passing a clean CR is a smart, responsible, and bipartisan course of action. It will provide certainty for small business owners, employees and workers who are counting on actions from their elected officials that produce certainty and stability. We urge every Senator to support a clean CR that allows the appropriations process to move forward to ensure the federal government remains open and operational,” the letter said. The shutdown currently does not have an end in sight. Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are taking issue with Trump traveling to Asia this week to meet with foreign leaders. “Americans deserve a government that works as hard as they do — not a leader that flies away from responsibility at the time they need one most,” Schumer said Friday. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, when asked about Schumer’s remarks, told the media Monday that “President Trump has entrusted us to fix this because this is an Article I branch problem.” “The president tried his best, he brought them in before all this madness started, and Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries effectively told him to jump in the Potomac,” Johnson said, CBS News reported. “So it’s up to the Democrats, everybody knows that. The president said he’ll meet with them on any issue under the sun. We’re delighted to talk about it, but they have to get the government reopened first.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Hamas to return hostage body amid Trump warning
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Cuomo closes gap on Mamdani as NYC mayor race tightens dramatically in new poll -Trump admin warns 42 million Americans could lose food stamps as shutdown drags on -Newsom and Harris both position themselves as potential 2028 White House contenders Hamas says it will hand over another body of an Israeli hostage on Monday, as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline looms. If the latest body is handed over, Hamas will still have the bodies of 12 Israeli hostages in its custody. Trump’s deadline will expire Monday night. Hamas has made no mention of the identity of the deceased hostage set to be released. “Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of one of the occupation prisoners, which was recovered today in the Gaza Strip, at 9 PM Gaza time,” Hamas announced in a statement…READ MORE. ‘PERFECT’ SCAN: Trump reveals he had ‘perfect’ MRI during recent Walter Reed physical ‘DARK DAYS’: Biden claims nation facing ‘dark days’ as he accepts lifetime achievement award RUNWAY REVENGE: America’s ‘BAT’ man unveils tech built to outsmart a Chinese first strike MOSCOW IN RANGE: The Tomahawk factor: US long-range missiles are the battlefield gamechanger Putin should fear ASIA POWER PLAY: Trump courts Japan’s emperor and new PM before high-stakes Xi summit this week WEEK AHEAD: Trump’s focus turns to Japan and South Korea as Asia trip continues FROM SEA TO SOIL: Graham says Trump has ‘all the authority he needs’ in Venezuela strikes PAYDAY PANIC: Federal workers brace for missed paycheck as shutdown enters 5th week WIFE UNDER SIEGE: House Republicans accuse Biden’s FBI of retaliating against whistleblower who exposed misconduct CAPITOL CLASH: Republicans, Democrats clash over expiring Obamacare subsidies during ongoing shutdown talks WRECKING BALL RAGE: Swalwell mocked for demanding 2028 Democrats pledge to demolish Trump’s ballroom ‘LEFTIST AGENDA’: DeSantis predicts what would happen if Mamdani wins NYC election: ‘Great’ for GOP, ‘bad for New York City’ TECH HIRING TENSION: ‘3 headed monster’: Expert reveals how H1B visa program is crushing American college graduates ‘CRAZY STAT’: Bill Maher calls out Democrats for failing to properly stop crime and repeat offenders COLLEGE CLASH: Turning Point USA chapter denied official status by Loyola University New Orleans student government Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
‘Tax the rich!’: Mamdani steps in to defend Hochul after supporters heckle governor at NYC rally
NEW YORK CITY – New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani defended Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., on Monday after his supporters drowned her out at the podium with chants of “Tax the rich!” at her during Sunday night’s high-profile rally in Forest Hills, Queens. Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his ambitious campaign promises, like free childcare, fast and free buses and city-run grocery stores, would require state approval, but the governor has ruled out raising taxes on New Yorkers. “Whenever I speak with the governor, it always comes back to affordability, and we have both made clear that that is the defining purpose of our politics, and that’s what we’re going to deliver,” Mamdani told reporters in Manhattan on Monday. But Mamdani’s supporters, knowing Hochul has been unwilling to budge on raising taxes, disrupted her remarks on Sunday, shouting, “Tax the rich!” The chants forced Mamdani to walk out on stage early and taking her hand in his to affirm his support for the governor. MAMDANI SPARKS ONLINE FRENZY OVER RESPONSE TO WHETHER HE ENDORSES NY GOV HOCHUL: ‘HUMILIATING’ “I can hear you,” Hochul responded as the stadium erupted with the chant. Yet Hochul told reporters on Monday that she knows there is “passion” to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers, but the governor said she attended Mamdani’s rally, as leader of New York’s Democratic Party, to reaffirm her support for the Democratic mayoral nominee. MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST, CITY-RUN GROCERY PLAN FACES BACKLASH FROM HOCHUL: ‘I FAVOR FREE ENTERPRISE’ “What I saw in that stadium was refreshing and energizing to know we can harness all that, to be on the same team and to make sure we can do a lot of great things for the people of this state and indeed the country,” Hochul said. Mamdani was joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Sunday for the “New York is Not for Sale Rally,” with more than 10,000 people packed into Forest Hills Stadium, according to the campaign. When pressed by a reporter if she would be willing to change her mind about raising taxes, Hochul said, “I’m having a lot of conversations about everything.” “They want to know my timeline. I said let’s get through this election. Let’s let the focus be on your race,” Hochul added, explaining that she wanted to attend Sunday’s rally as the leader of a diverse Democratic Party. She also said she wasn’t sure what the hecklers were saying. “I couldn’t hear what they were chanting. I thought they were saying, ‘Let’s go, Bills.’ I wasn’t sure,” Hochul said. “I appreciated the governor speaking at yesterday’s rally,” Mamdani said when asked about the hecklers. “I appreciated her remarks. I appreciate her support for universal childcare, which is something that’s been a longstanding priority for her.” “I went out to hold her hand and hold our hands together to show New York City that the relationship between a mayor and a governor need not always be what it was with Andrew Cuomo. It could, in fact, be one that’s committed to the same set of constituents,” Mamdani added. With nearly one week until Election Day, Mamdani maintains a double-digit lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with 44% of support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race, from Suffolk University. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary to Mamdani, has 34% support in the latest survey. Hochul endorsed Mamdani last month after previously withholding for months after Mamdani secured the Democratic nomination. While Hochul has now thrown her political weight behind Mamdani as he campaigns to become the next mayor of the nation’s most populous city, Mamdani has refused to endorse her own re-election campaign. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considering a gubernatorial challenge against Hochul next year, said in a statement that Sunday’s rally “could not have been more of a disaster” for Hochul. “Hochul truly is the Worst Governor in America and voters across the political spectrum, including even the Socialists she bent the knee to, all know that she is truly the Worst Governor in America. New Yorkers will fire Kathy Hochul next year,” Stefanik said. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Obama insisted Black men vote for Harris but now stumps against Virginia’s Black lieutenant governor
Former President Barack Obama is heading back to the campaign trail in the final days of a pair of high-stakes gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey to stump for the respective Democrats in the cycles. In the Old Dominion State, former CIA employee and former Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger is facing off against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Jamaican immigrant and Marine veteran. The election comes with a handful of historic firsts, including Earle-Sears becoming the state’s first Black female nominee for governor in a race that ultimately will result in Virginia electing the first female governor, regardless of which party wins the general election. Obama will head to Virginia Nov. 1 to headline a political rally for Spanberger in Norfolk after endorsing her in a pair of political ads earlier in October that took shots at Republicans. Obama stumping for the Virginia Democrats comes just a year after he landed in hot water for insisting Black male voters support then-Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign. Now, he is calling on Virginia voters to snub the Black female candidate in favor of Spanberger. WITH LEGACY ON THE LINE, OBAMA HITTING CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO BOOST DEMOCRATS IN KEY GOVERNOR ELECTIONS A year ago, Obama was hot on the campaign trail for the Harris campaign, criss-crossing battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin to rally votes during the unprecedented cycle that first began with former President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket before he dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. Obama scolded Black men during a campaign stop at a Pittsburgh campaign office, saying they appeared apprehensive to support a woman for president and that they should get on board with the Harris ticket. “We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said of support for Harris’ race. “Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don’t mind – just for a second, I’ve got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean: When on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles (and the) pain and joy that comes from those experiences,” Obama said, continuing that Trump “has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person – and you are thinking about sitting out?” Part “of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly… that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” The remark garnered pushback from some voters and groups that described the comments as “insulting” and “offensive.” OBAMA ENDORSES SPANBERGER, ATTACKS REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE ADS “The general tone of it was disgusting,” one Black male voter from Philadelphia said of Obama’s comments during an MSNBC election panel at the time. “It was abhorrent. I didn’t respect it. I didn’t like nothing about it. And Kamala, two days after that, is like, ‘We love our Black men, we have programs and things that we’re rolling out for them’ and she rolled out policy.” Spanberger’s campaign was rocked by an undercover video showing a campaign organizer lamenting the Virginia race pitted a “White woman who was in the CIA” against “a Black woman.” “CIA agent, literally, which is crazy, like yeah, vote for the CIA agent, guys, like what the f—,” a campaign organizer for Spanberger said in a video with an undercover journalist in September that was first reported by Fox Digital. “I don’t know what happened. We’re in, like, the darkest timeline,” she continued. “Our only choices are between a Black woman, which ordinarily all for, but this time you think we should bring back slavery, Winsome.… Even with that, it’s like either vote for the Black woman who thinks that slavery should be brought back or vote for the White woman who was in the CIA.” Only two states across the country are holding gubernatorial elections this off-season election in 2025: New Jersey and Virginia. Earle-Sears is the only Black candidate to run for governor out of the four major-party candidates running in either state. OBAMA CONTINUES TRADITION OF SLOW-ROLLED POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS AS GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS HIT FEVER PITCH Obama officially endorsed Spanberger in a pair of ads released earlier in October celebrating her abortion and tax policies. “Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” Obama said in an ad released earlier in October. “Republican policies are raising costs on working families so (that) billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” he said in another ad endorsing Spanberger. Fox News Digital reached out to Earle-Sears’ campaign for comment on Obama’s support of Spanberger but did not immediately receive a reply. Obama’s office did not immediately respond when approached for comment on the upcoming Virginia rally and past remarks on Black male voters. Obama also will head to New Jersey Saturday, where he will stump for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill as she looks to defeat Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.