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Year: 2025

Nationwide unrest looms as ‘No Kings’ demonstrators begin to gather in major US cities

Nationwide unrest looms as ‘No Kings’ demonstrators begin to gather in major US cities

Millions have been expected to gather across thousands of locations in the United States on Saturday for a nationwide “No Kings” protest challenging Donald Trump and his GOP priorities.  Saturday’s demonstrations across the nation mark the second “No Kings” protest since Trump took office. Some Democratic members and candidates for Congress are expected to attend.  House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not provide a clear answer when asked if he would attend one of the rallies Saturday, telling reporters he hasn’t “finalized” his schedule. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as well as House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., both told the press they would be in attendance Saturday.  Republicans have argued that this second mass “No Kings” protest event scheduled for Saturday is simply an effort to distract from the current government shutdown battle and appease their base. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told FOX Business he hoped that Democratic leaders who attended would be more willing to accept the GOP’s plan after the demonstrations were over — but he did not sound overly optimistic. ANTI-ISRAEL RADICALS FROM ‘GLOBAL INTIFADA’ MOVEMENT JOIN ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS “It’ll be a collection of wild leftist policy priorities, and that’ll be on display for the whole country. After that’s over, I hope there’s a few Democrats over here who will come to their senses and return to governing the country,” Johnson said. “Right now, I don’t think — it’s my assumption and all of ours that they would not make that concession before that rally’s over because they don’t want to face the angry mob. I mean it’s sad, but that’s where we are.” “My guess is if they don’t want a primary from the left, they’ll probably find a way to sneak [attending a rally] into their schedule,” Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital earlier this week. “The real question that’s going to be is, do they have the fortitude after Saturday to come back and open up the government?” By around 10:30 a.m. ET, crowds had already begun gathering in New York City’s Times Square, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and in Atlanta. LEADER SCALISE: DEMOCRATS CHEER ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS, BUT LET SHUTDOWN DEVASTATE FAMILIES In the state of Virginia, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin mobilized the National Guard to help with any potential chaos.  “I want to be clear that Virginians have a fundamental right to free speech and peaceful assembly, but that right does not include the destruction of property, looting, vandalism, disruption of traffic or violence of any kind — for which there will be zero tolerance,” Youngkin said, according to The Virginia Pilot.  Virginia-specific protests are expected to take place in Hampton Roads, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Williamsburg, according the official No Kings website. In addition to the protests taking place in the continental United States, protests are also expected in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska. Protests are also planned for outside the U.S., including in multiple European countries, and there is at least one rally planned in Mexico.  Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Chase Williams contributed to this report.

From Israel to Ukraine, Trump spends week focused on navigating global conflicts

From Israel to Ukraine, Trump spends week focused on navigating global conflicts

President Donald Trump kicked off the week with a major breakthrough brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and closed out the week seeking to make progress on the next global conflict: Ukraine.  Trump met with Israeli lawmakers in the Knesset on Monday, before heading to Egypt where he met with leaders there as well as Qatar, Turkey and other regional powers. The president urged countries in the region to “put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.” “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East, and it’s a very simple expression, peace in the Middle East,” Trump told reporters in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. COULD TRUMP’S GAZA CEASEFIRE PLAN OFFER A BLUEPRINT FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE? “We’ve heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there. And now we’re there,” Trump said.  The peace deal in the Middle East includes a provision to return the hostages that were still in captivity within 72 hours of Hamas signing off on the deal. It also called for Israeli forces to withdraw its troops and a complete disarmament of Hamas. Now, Trump has said that he will set his sights on resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday at the White House.  TRUMP WRITES MESSAGE TO ISRAELIS AFTER ALL LIVING HOSTAGES RELEASED BY HAMAS While Trump said that there is momentum to solve the conflict on the heels of the peace deal in the Middle East, there is “tremendous bad blood” between Putin and Zelenskyy that is stalling a resolution.  “They have tremendous bad blood,” Trump told reporters. “It’s really is what is holding up I think a settlement. I think we are going to get it done, and we have to make it long-lasting, as I said in the Middle East, everlasting.”  “The Middle East is a much more complicated situation. You know, we had 59 countries involved, and every one of them agreed. And it’s, you know, it’s sort of amazing. Most people didn’t think that was doable. This is going to be something I really believe that’s going to get done. I had a very good talk yesterday with President Putin. I think he wants to get it done,” Trump said.  WORLD LEADERS PRAISE ‘LANDMARK’ ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL MEDIATED BY US: ‘NEW HORIZON OF HOPE’ Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that Trump has a big opportunity to make headway on mediating an end to the conflict.  “President Trump has really showed for the world that he can manage a ceasefire in the Middle East. And that’s why I hope that he will do this. And we will also have such big success. For Ukraine, it’s a big chance, and I hope that President Trump can manage it,” Zelenskyy said Friday. 

Sherrill pulls out all stops with Obama endorsement, star-studded New Jersey campaign push as race tightens

Sherrill pulls out all stops with Obama endorsement, star-studded New Jersey campaign push as race tightens

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill is pulling out all the stops in the final push ahead of Election Day, campaigning alongside Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Wes Moore of Maryland, both considered potential 2028 presidential candidates.  While the Sherrill campaign gears up for high-profile campaign collaborations, former President Barack Obama endorsed Sherrill’s gubernatorial campaign on Friday.  “This November, we have an opportunity to chart a different path forward — to reject the chaos in Washington and lower costs in New Jersey — and I’m so grateful to have President Obama’s support and endorsement in this race,” Sherrill said in a statement, commending Obama’s leadership on healthcare amid the government shutdown as congressional Democrats seek to extend healthcare premiums set to expire this year.  Sherrill will rally with Whitmer in Paramus, New Jersey, on Saturday morning. Later, she will join Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin for a “No Kings” rally in Montclair — one of hundreds scheduled across the country in rejection of President Donald Trump’s sweeping, second-term agenda.  NJ SHOWDOWN: CIATTARELLI PILES ON DEM RIVAL AFTER HEATED DEBATE WITH SCATHING NEW ADS On Sunday, Sherrill will host a policy roundtable with Moore and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Baraka was one of several Democratic candidates who competed for the New Jersey gubernatorial nomination earlier this year.  FINAL FACEOFF: DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN NOMINEES IN KEY RACE FOR GOVERNOR BLAST EACH OTHER ON DEBATE STAGE Baraka made national headlines during his campaign when he was arrested for trespassing at Delaney Hall, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Newark, while protesting earlier this year. He was later accused of fostering toxic work environments for women. After the policy roundtable on Sunday, Sherrill and Moore will canvass in Newark before she attends an Oktoberfest event in Hamilton later that day.  A Fox News survey released Thursday found Sherill ahead of her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli by 5 points among New Jersey likely voters (50-45%), down from an 8-point lead in late September (50-42%). As the race to replace Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited in the Garden State this year, Sherrill’s edge has tightened over Ciattarelli, within the poll’s margin of sampling error. New Jersey is one of two statewide elections in the U.S. this year and will be considered a bellwether ahead of competitive midterm elections expected next year.  The race for the Garden State’s highest office has become increasingly hostile between Sherrill and Ciattarelli in the final weeks ahead of Election Day. And while Trump isn’t on the ballot, he’s loomed large over the New Jersey gubernatorial election. At last week’s second and final debate, Sherrill charged that her GOP rival had “shown zero signs of standing up to this president. In fact, the president himself called Jack 100% MAGA, and he’s shown every sign of being that.” Asked whether he considered himself part of the MAGA movement, Ciattarelli said he was “part of a New Jersey movement.” When asked to grade the president’s performance so far during his second term, Ciattarelli said, “I’d certainly give the president an A. I think he’s right about everything that he’s doing.” “I think that tells us all we need to know about who Jack Ciattarelli’s supporting. I give him an F right now,” Sherrill responded, as she pointed to New Jersey’s high cost of living. While Democrats have long dominated federal and state legislative elections in blue-leaning New Jersey, Republicans are very competitive in gubernatorial contests, winning five out of the past ten elections. And Trump made major gains in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, losing the state by only 6 percentage points, an improvement over his 16-point deficit four years earlier. This week multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that Trump will hold tele-rallies with Ciattarelli.  In what’s expected to be a low-turnout election, Trump’s backing could prove crucial for Ciattarelli, who’s making his third run for governor after narrowly losing to Murphy four years ago. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS The race in New Jersey was rocked a couple of weeks ago by a report that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, mistakenly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally.  But Sherrill’s military records indicated that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal. The showdown was jolted again last week after Sherrill’s allegations that Ciattarelli was “complicit” with pharmaceutical companies in the opioid deaths of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans, as she pointed to the medical publishing company he owned that pushed content promoting the use of opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain. This week, Trump set off a political hand grenade in the race, as he “terminated” billions of federal dollars for the Gateway Project, which is funding a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York. Sherrill, holding a news conference Thursday at a major commuter rail station just a few miles from the site of the tunnels in one of the busiest train corridors in the nation, called the project “critical” as she took aim at Trump and Ciattarelli. “I’m fighting for the people of New Jersey. He’s fighting to excuse Trump. It’s unacceptable,” Sherrill charged. New Jersey traditionally elects a governor from the party out of power in the White House, which this year favors the Democrats. But Garden State voters haven’t elected a governor from the same party in three straight elections in over a half century, which would favor the Republicans. One of those political trends will be busted in next month’s election.