Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Court denies bail to Sandip Ghosh, says ‘there might be capital punishment if…’
A Special court in Kolkata has denied bail to ex-Principal of RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh and suspended police officer Abhijit Mondal — the two accused in the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at the medical facility.
Texas sues Biden administration over requirement to provide LGBTQ+ youth foster placements
Placing LGBTQ+ foster children in more accepting homes would cost Texas too much money and resources, the lawsuit says.
Walz state education appointee called for the US to be ‘overthrown’ and ‘deconstructed’
An associate college professor who was appointed to the Minnesota State Department of Education by Gov. Tim Walz called for the U.S. to be “overthrown” and “deconstructed” in a video posted over two years ago. Walz is now the vice presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. Brian Lozenski, Ph.D., is an associate professor of urban and multicultural education in the Education Studies Department at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, according to his personal blog. He is also affiliated with several organizations, such as the Education for Liberation Network, or EdLib MN, Network for the Development of Children of African Descent, and the Twin Cities Solidarity Committee. Lozenski was appointed to the state’s department of education by Walz to help write the framework of ethnic studies standards, as well. TIM WALZ’S SCHOOL LUNCH FIASCO GOT SCAMMED FOR $250 MILLION RIGHT UNDER HIS NOSE In a video first reported on by the National Review and posted to YouTube on June 19, 2022, by The Solidarity Network, Lozenski spoke about his research with a panel. He even touched on Critical Race Theory, a school of thought that generally focuses on how power structures and institutions affect racial minorities. “We don’t use critical race theory in school,” Lozenski said. “The first tenet of critical race theory is that the United States, as constructed, is irreversibly racist. So, if the nation state, as constructed, is irreversibly racist, then it must be done with. It must be overthrown. “We can be like, ‘Oh no, critical race theory is just about telling our stories and diversity,’” he added. “It’s not about that. It’s about overgrowth. It is insurgent.” HARRIS NOW MUM ON REPARATIONS SHE SIGNALED SUPPORT FOR IN 2020 WHITE HOUSE RUN Lozenski also told the panel they need to be more honest with that idea because many people do not understand critical race theory. “It’s an anti-state theory that says the United States needs to be deconstructed, period,” Lozenski said. RNC BLASTS WALZ ADMIN’S NONANSWER ON HOW NONCITIZENS MADE IT ONTO MINNESOTA VOTER ROLLS: ‘NO HYPOTHETICAL’ Fox News Digital has reached out to both Walz and Lozenski for comment on the statements the department of education appointee made. According to a Wall Street Journal article last month, the Walz administration in Minnesota has relied on committed political activists like Lozenski to design and guide the implementation of the state’s education agenda. One of the groups Lozenski is part of, EdLib MN, is focused on becoming a political force in Minnesota and to “contend with the status quo of colonial education that prioritizes Eurocentric curricula,” according to its website.
Harris calls Trump ‘one of the biggest losers ever’ during economy speech in key battleground
PITTSBURGH — Vice President Harris pledged to lower child care and elder care costs as part of her push to help middle-class Americans cope with rising prices during her highly touted economic address in which she also repeatedly took aim at her rival for the White House, former President Trump. Speaking at the Pittsburgh Economic Club in the must-win battleground state of Pennsylvania, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee outlined the three pillars of her economic agenda: lower costs, investing in American innovation and entrepreneurship, and leading global competitors in the industries of the future. Pointing to persistent inflation, which has dogged President Biden’s administration and provided Trump with plenty of political ammunition to fire at Harris, the vice president said that despite recent economic “positive steps … the cost of living in America is just too high.” But Harris also said Trump “has no intention of lowering costs” and that he’s made it harder for small businesses to function as the backbone of the nation’s economy. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW And one day after Trump in a speech in battleground Georgia vowed to create manufacturing jobs by raising tariffs on overseas rivals and lowering taxes on U.S.-based manufacturers, Harris took aim. Harris said Trump “makes big promises on manufacturing. Just yesterday, he went out and promised to bring back manufacturing jobs.” She then said that during Trump’s four years in the White House, “[M]anufacturing jobs went down across our country and across our economy. All told, almost 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost during his presidency, starting before the pandemic hit, making Trump one of the biggest losers ever on manufacturing.” THIS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HAS UPPER HAND IN 2024 CASH DASH And the vice president also blasted Trump over the nation’s trade deficit with China. “Donald Trump also talked a big game on our trade deficit with China, but it is far lower under our watch than any year of his administration while he constantly got played by China,” she said. And she described Trump as someone who wants to help the wealthy and big businesses, but not average Americans. “For Donald Trump, our economy works best if it works for those who own the big skyscrapers, not those who actually build them, not those who wire them, not those who mop the floors,” she said. The Trump campaign, returning fire, put out a statement moments after the vice president’s address ended headlined “Kamala’s Speech Full of Lies.” Spotlighting a line from her address, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “Kamala Harris is right about one thing — it’s time to turn the page. She’s had three and a half years to prove herself, and she has failed.” Pointing to economic conditions the past three and a half years under President Biden’s administration, Leavitt said “personal savings are down, credit card debt is up, small business optimism is at a record-low, and people are struggling to afford homes, groceries, and gas. Every time Kamala speaks, it becomes increasingly clear that ONLY President Trump will Make America WEALTHY Again.” WHICH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HOLDS THE EDGE ON THE ECONOMY? Trump mockingly calls Harris “Comrade Kamala” and says she’s a far-left socialist. Apparently pushing back, the vice president, near the top of her speech, spotlighted that “I’m a capitalist. I believe in free and fair markets. I believe in consistent and transparent rules of the road to create a stable business environment. And I know the power of American innovation.” Harris, in her address, detailed plans for new tax incentives that would aim to spark next-generation industries critical to the economy and national security. And the vice president shined a spotlight on her proposals to provide first-time home buyers $25,000 to help with down payments and a $6,000 tax credit for families with newborns. “When we lower the cost and ease the burdens people face, we will not only make it … easier for them to meet their obligations as caregivers, we will also make it more possible for them to go to work and pursue their economic aspirations,” she said. “And when that happens, our economy as a whole grows stronger.” With less than six weeks until Election Day on Nov. 5 and with early in-person voting or absentee balloting underway in nearly two dozen states, just about every poll indicates the economy remains the top issue on the minds of Americans. And while the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic-inflicted recession continues, high prices remain a leading concern among voters. When it comes to which presidential candidate can better handle the economy, Trump continues to have the edge, but his margin over Harris differs dramatically depending on the poll. The former president is up 13 points over the vice president in a post-debate survey from the New York Times and Siena College, 11 points in a CNN poll and favored by seven points in an ABC News/Ipsos survey also conducted after the showdown. But Trump’s advantage over Harris on the economy stands at five points in the latest Fox News poll and two points in an AP/NORC survey. In Pennsylvania, a new Monmouth University survey indicated Trump holding a three-point edge over Harris when respondents were asked which candidate is more trusted to handle the economy. Pennsylvania, with 19 electoral votes up for grabs, is the biggest prize among the seven key battleground states whose razor-thin margins decided Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump and will likely determine whether Harris or Trump succeeds Biden in the White House. Hours before Harris arrived in Pittsburgh, a new public opinion poll from Muhlenberg College indicated the vice president and Trump deadlocked at 48% in the Keystone State. It was the latest survey to point to an incredibly close contest in the must-win state. Fox News’ Mark Meredith and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital
Senate passes funding bill without SAVE Act, avoiding potential shutdown
The Senate passed a short-term spending bill on Wednesday, avoiding a partial government shutdown at the end of the month and allowing lawmakers up for re-election to head home early to campaign. By a vote of 78 to 18, senators approved a spending bill that will keep funding steady until Dec. 20, known as a continuing resolution (CR). It passed in the House hours before being taken to the floor in the upper chamber, with representatives approving the spending bill 341 to 82. 132 Republican House members voted in favor of it. The bill saw 82 votes against it, all of which were cast by Republicans. Lawmakers avoided a partial shutdown with only days to spare, despite a GOP demand that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act be included. Several Republicans in Congress had insisted the SAVE Act be attached to the spending bill, including some in the Senate. GOP SENATORS EYE COMPREHENSIVE CHINA STRATEGY TO CURB CCP INFLUENCE The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. A short-term bill that included that measure failed in the House of Representatives when Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., brought it for a vote last week, effectively killing hopes for a CR with the SAVE Act attached. TOP SECRET SERVICE AGENT IN PITTSBURGH SAYS HE WAS KEPT IN DARK ON ‘CREDIBLE’ THREAT AHEAD OF BUTLER RALLY The House voted down the stopgap bill 202 to 220, with several Republicans voting against it and two voting “present.” Three vulnerable Democrats voted in favor of it. A CR with the SAVE Act had also been backed by former President Donald Trump, who urged Republicans not to accept a spending deal that did not include it. But while Trump encouraged it, Republicans both publicly and privately worried that their party would be blamed for a shutdown. JOE MANCHIN SAYS HE WON’T ENDORSE HARRIS OVER SUPPORT FOR ELIMINATING FILIBUSTER Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., even laid the groundwork for blaming the GOP for a potential shutdown in recent floor remarks, labeling the possibility as a “Trump shutdown.” “Democrats and Americans don’t want a Trump shutdown,” he claimed. DEMS LOOK TO FORCE VOTES ON EMERGENCY ABORTION AS ABORTION PILL DEATHS MAKE HEADLINES Republicans decided not to prolong the fight over the CR and potentially risk a government shutdown, which is attributed by some in part to incoming severe weather that would make it difficult for senators to get back to their home states and looming competitive elections that they want to get on the campaign trail for. While the CR will keep the government in full operation past the initial appropriations deadline, it sets up another potential standoff before Christmas and a GOP-dreaded omnibus measure that squeezes several necessary legislative items into one massive bill.
Fox News Politics: Volodymyr’s Verdict
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening… -Legislators with medical backgrounds debunk claims that pro-life laws responsible for maternal death… -Fox News releases new power rankings on 2024 presidential election… -Harris campaign won’t share what type of gun she owns… Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s trip to the U.S. this week may complicate his relationship with the U.S., particularly if Republicans take power in the November election. He flew on an Air Force C-17 plane to visit an arms producer in Scranton, Pennsylvania – a swing state – signed bombs with the state’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and called former President Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, “too radical.” The Ukrainian president said he didn’t think Trump knew how to bring an end to the war and told the United Nations General Assembly the war with Russia “can’t be calmed by talks” and Russian President Vladimir Putin can “only be forced into peace.” That didn’t sit well with people in Trump’s orbit…Read more ‘DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY’: Justice Department backs UN claim relief workers accused of aiding Hamas are immune …Read more ZELENSKYY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Comer investigating Biden-Harris admin’s alleged use of taxpayer funds to fly Zelenskyy to Pa. …Read more NOT A DENIAL: DOJ inspector general does not deny FBI informants were among Jan. 6 crowd …Read more BEHIND THE BLUE CURTAIN: Sneak peek into Dems’ plans for Trump if they win House majority in November …Read more FEARMONGERING: Legislators with emergency medicine background dismiss fears over Georgia’s heartbeat law …Read more CCP INFLUENCE: GOP senators eye comprehensive China strategy to curb influence …Read more ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’: House Speaker Johnson calls on Zelenskyy to fire Ukraine’s ambassador to US over Pennsylvania trip …Read more ‘COPYCATS’: House Judiciary investigating DOJ for release of Routh manifesto offering $150k Trump bounty …Read more ‘LEVERAGE ALL OPTIONS’: Bill would ban Afghan aid until Americans released …Read more POWER RANKINGS: Fox News Power Rankings: Harris ticks up and Senate Republicans take charge …Read more NO DETAILS: Harris campaign won’t provide info on type of gun she owns, last time she went to range …Read more WHO’S MORE ACCESSIBLE?: Trump-Vance have done significantly more interviews than Harris-Walz …Read more IRAN HACK: Trump campaign hack was Iran’s ‘explicit tipping of the scales’ for Harris, expert says …Read more ‘TRUST THE PROFESSIONALS’: Walz failed to ban TikTok on government devices despite nat sec concerns …Read more ‘HUMAN ERROR’: Wisconsin Republican demands probe after city sends out 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots …Read more HANDWRITTEN NOTE: Top Secret Service agent on July 13 heard about credible Trump threats on TV …Read more ‘STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES’: Trump points out Iranian president’s large security detail in NYC despite potential Iranian plot to assassinate him …Read more ‘DIRECT ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY’: Trump assassination suspect indicted in Miami court …Read more KILLER MOM: Susan Smith brags from behind bars in bid for early release from prison …Read more BREAKING NEWS: Illegal alien who was caught and released at border is accused of killing girlfriend in Maryland …Read more ‘TRUMP TRAIN’: Cleared defendants liken case to lawfare campaign against former prez …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
10 Dems vote with GOP to rebuke Biden officials over chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
Ten Democrats voted with Republicans to rebuke Biden administration officials over their handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on Wednesday. It passed 219 to 194, and among the Democrats who voted for the measure are Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine; Mary Peltola, D-Alaska; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Greg Landsman, D-Ohio; and Jeff Jackson, D-N.C. The bill was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who conducted a yearslong investigation into the chaotic military operation. “Three years after the deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden-Harris administration has yet to hold anyone accountable for one of the most devastating foreign policy blunders in American history,” McCaul told Fox News Digital. AMERICAN NEARING 600 DAYS IN TALIBAN CAPTIVITY AS WIFE PLEADS FOR BIDEN ADMIN HELP He accused Biden officials of having “prioritized optics over security,” which McCaul said led to the deaths of the 13 U.S. servicemembers who were killed in a terror attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during the withdrawal. McCaul read their names on the House floor in closing remarks for debate on the bill. “Nothing will bring their lives back,” he said. The resolution specifically name-checks 15 current or former Biden administration members, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, former Ambassador to Afghanistan Ross Wilson, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, among others. Leading opposition to McCaul’s bill was Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. TALIBAN USING FINGERPRINTS, GUN RECORDS TO TRACK DOWN AFGHANS WHO ASSISTED US, INSPECTOR GENERAL FINDS “This resolution, as I’ve said all along, is nothing more than political theater designed to score cheap points rather than address the real issues at hand,” Meeks said. “It’s a distortion of the facts and a disservice to the American people, a disservice to our servicemembers, a disservice to our diplomats – all of who put their lives on the line during our 20-year war efforts.” “Them and their sacrifices should not be used as a political football. We should be working on real solutions, supporting our Afghan allies, ensuring that we learn the right lessons, and providing accountability that are based on truth, not partisan narratives.” HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN McCaul responded, “I have tremendous respect [for Meeks]. We work together on many things, bipartisan. And when we don’t agree, we do so civilly. However, I cannot disagree with you more than I do today.” “Who could ever forget the harrowing images of Afghans falling off the planes, and babies being flung over barbed wire in a desperate attempt by mothers to save their children and escape Afghanistan under Taliban rule?” he asked. McCaul is also poised to lead the House in holding Blinken in contempt of Congress over accusations he is stonewalling his probe. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP His committee advanced that resolution on Tuesday, and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested to Fox News Digital that he will bring it up for a House-wide vote when lawmakers return from a six-week recess that starts Wednesday. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller criticized the move in a Tuesday statement, “Today’s action by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs was a naked political exercise masquerading as oversight, designed only to further the majority’s partisan interests under the guise of asking questions that have long ago been answered.”
Biden administration hit with FOIA suit seeking 25th Amendment-related comms
A conservative think tank and its public-policy oversight arm filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit against the Biden administration seeking any records relating to advice the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) may have offered in regard to the 25th Amendment. Heritage Foundation Oversight Project attorney Kyle Brosnan characterized the OLC as the equivalent of a White House “law firm” that provides legal advice to the executive branch and its officers, adding the timeline for any responsive documents is June 1 to the present day. Under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, a majority of the “principal officers” of the Cabinet would transmit to the Senate president pro tem – currently Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. – a declaration that the sitting president can no longer perform his duties. The vice president would then be named “acting president.” The amendment was ratified following the Kennedy assassination. In the past, temporary cases have arisen, such as President George W. Bush providing a written declaration that Vice President Dick Cheney would assume his powers while he underwent a medical procedure. DEMOCRAT STATE OFFICIALS LARGELY BACK BIDEN AFTER DEBATE, AS PARTY CHARI SUGGESTS GOP PULLS TRUMP NOM In that regard, prior to filing the suit, Brosnan said the Heritage Foundation made a media request through its press arm, the Daily Signal, to the offices of each of the Cabinet secretaries, and then followed up with FOIA requests with each for such communications. Oversight Project President Mike Howell noted that one Cabinet agency provided an email response that appeared to show the “White House was taking over the comms” on the matter, in his words. In a Wednesday interview with the two attorneys, Howell added that concerns about President Biden’s ability to perform his duties are not new, and the media have particularly recently appeared to make such a case, and that discussions in the media and elsewhere spurred the Oversight Project to use legal means to find out whether any such communications exist. “We don’t have to take George Clooney’s word for it,” he said, referring to how the longtime Democrat and actor publicly stated following the CNN debate that Biden showed signs of decline at a prior fundraiser. He further pointed to first lady Jill Biden’s unusually prominent role in a recent Cabinet meeting, which was met with some public backlash. Howell said Congress has largely shirked its duty to provide oversight when it comes to the question, “Who is really running our country?” FLASHBACK: BIDEN’S CABINET DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT FOLLOWING DEBATE “The media clearly decided it can’t be Kamala Harris, who would be the constitutional successor or somebody else other than Harris/Biden. Right now, an unelected person is, most likely performing the duties of the president with Biden [conducting] ceremonial duties only when his physical state allows. And so Congress controls the timeline,” he said. Another reason the 25th Amendment is a key topic at present is that there is a very real chance that former President Trump could have been put in a coma or killed by recent attempted assassins, Howell said. He predicted the trend could continue if Trump were elected, given the heated political rhetoric in some corners on the left. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP However, positing that Democrats have been loath to even consider utilizing the amendment under the current presidency, it gives Trump and Republicans room to excuse a future Trump presidency from being held to a higher standard when it comes to cognition or ability to perform duties. “Any of those [assassination attempts] are one day likely to partially… The left has no leg to stand on to say the 25th Amendment needs to be invoked.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department and the White House for comment on the lawsuit.
Congress one step closer to avoiding government shutdown after bill passes House
Congress took a significant step toward averting an end-of-month partial government shutdown just weeks before Election Day. In a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a majority of Republicans voted for the measure – it passed 341 to 82, with 132 House GOP lawmakers in favor. All the 82 “no” votes were Republicans. Faced with an Oct. 1 deadline and little bipartisan progress on fiscal year 2025 spending priorities, the House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a short-term extension of the current fiscal year’s federal funding levels to keep the government open through Dec. 20. The measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), gained wide bipartisan support – though more Democrats voted for it than Republicans, as expected. JOHNSON’S PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS REPUBLICANS REBEL A large contingent of Republicans, still angry with House GOP leaders for passing last year’s federal funding bills in two large segments rather than forcing the Democrat-held Senate to consider 12 appropriations bills individually, were always likely to vote against extending those measures. The federal funding debate has been a lightening rod for political drama, particularly during the 118th Congress. Last year’s government funding stand-off precipitated the ouster of Johnson’s predecessor by a group of House Republicans. Fiscal conservatives are frustrated about punting that fight into December, arguing it puts the House GOP majority in the position of being forced to reckon with a massive “omnibus” spending bill right before the end-of-year holidays rather than work through their 12 individual appropriations bills. “I’ve said this in public forum – we are condemned to a Christmas lame-duck omnibus,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. SHUTDOWN FEARS MOVE HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO PROTECT MILITARY PAYCHECKS House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said, “I think that’s the preview of coming attractions, unfortunately.” But Johnson swore both in public and private that the House would not take up an omnibus in December. “There won’t be a Christmas omnibus. Somebody asked me in the hallway a little while ago, ‘Will there be mini-buses?’ We don’t want any buses. We’re not going to do any buses.” Allies of former President Trump, meanwhile, have called for a CR into the new year in the hopes he will win the White House and carry Congress along with him. House GOP leadership staff suggested to Fox News Digital over the weekend that it’s more likely Johnson will aim for a CR to do just that in December rather than consider an omnibus. That would line up with his original plan for a more conservative CR – one that offered a six-month funding extension into March and was coupled with a measure to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote in U.S. elections. MCCARTHY’S ‘FINAL STRUGGLES’ THREATEN TO HAUNT JOHNSON’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FIGHT The initial plan failed after a rebellion by 14 Republicans. Some defense hawks worried about the effect of a six-month CR on military readiness, while a group of fiscal conservatives balked at the principle of the CR itself. The new plan is a more straightforward funding extension, though it adds $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service after two foiled assassination attempts against Trump. And while the Democrat-led White House and Senate were both poised to reject Johnson’s initial CR, President Biden and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have signaled they’re supportive of the recent deal. The bill is expected to be considered in the Senate on Thursday, after which it heads to the White House for Biden’s signature.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Vance criticisms could come back to haunt him, Republicans warn
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s trip to the U.S. this week may complicate his relationship with the U.S., particularly if Republicans take power in the November election. He flew on an Air Force C-17 plane to visit an arms producer in Scranton, Pennsylvania – a swing state – signed bombs with the state’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and called former President Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, “too radical.” The Ukrainian president said he didn’t think Trump knew how to bring an end to the war and told the United Nations General Assembly the war with Russia “can’t be calmed by talks” and Russian President Vladimir Putin can “only be forced into peace.” That didn’t sit well with people in Trump’s orbit. “As someone who has been personally supportive of President Zelenskyy, I was deeply disappointed that he allowed himself to be used that way,” Trump’s former deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates told Fox News Digital. “It was pretty much political theater.” During a rally on Tuesday, the former president said Zelenskyy wanted Vice President Kamala Harris to win the election “so badly” and described him as “the greatest salesman in history.” ZELENSKYY QUESTIONS CHINA’S ‘TRUE INTEREST’ BEHIND PLAN TO END UKRAINE WAR The stunts have left conservative Ukraine supporters concerned about the warring nation’s ability to come back to the U.S. next year and ask for more resources if Republicans are in power. “I don’t know what he could do [to repair the relationship],” Coates said. “It was a very strange performance, very counterproductive for him being able to come back in a year and argue for more funding.” “He is too radical,” Zelenskyy this week told the New Yorker of Vance, who’s an outspoken opponent of aid to Ukraine. “[Vance’s] message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice. This brings us back to the question of the cost and who shoulders it. The idea that the world should end this war at Ukraine’s expense is unacceptable.” Zelenskyy went on: “My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war, even if he might think he knows how.” “It was a very poor move on [Zelenskyy’s] part,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a close Trump ally and key negotiator in moving the last $60 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine over the finish line earlier this year. His suggestion for Zelenskyy: “Stay out of politics. And maybe come and talk to us about what just happened, because that was a bad move.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a staunch Ukraine supporter, didn’t think it was a bad move at all. “Zelenskyy was rightly reacting to some of what Sen. Vance has been saying about his position on these issues,” the Connecticut Democrat said. Vance this month pitched a peace plan that would see Ukraine give up much of the land Russia has captured since 2022 in exchange for a demilitarization zone along the front lines, fortifying Ukraine to deter another invasion and a guarantee that Kyiv would not be brought into NATO. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., a Trump surrogate, said Zelenskyy deserves any blowback he gets. “Wherever you fall on the spectrum, the idea that a foreign leader is on US soil, being flown around on a C-17 at a campaign stop for Kamala Harris, criticizing President Trump, in any event, is unreal, and so I hope there’s backlash. It’s unacceptable.” ZELENSKYY WARNS VANCE’S PLAN TO GIVE RUSSIA SEIZED LAND WILL LEAD TO ‘GLOBAL SHOWDOWN’ “He made the decision to make those comments. They’re completely out of bounds, and he ought to be called out for it.” Schmitt suggested the comments did not completely end any chances of further aid in the future, however. “I think we should take a clear-eyed view of things like what’s the plan, has Europe stepped up, all of that,” he told Fox News Digital. “But this doesn’t help.” In his comments to the New Yorker, Zelenskyy suggested that Trump seemed more receptive to his cause than his running mate. “These are dangerous signals, coming as they do from a potential vice president. I should say that it hasn’t been like this with Trump,” he said. “He and I talked on the phone, and his message was as positive as it could be, from my point of view. ‘I understand,’ ‘I will lend support,’ and so on.” “I don’t take Vance’s words seriously,” he added. “Trump makes political statements in his election campaign. He says he wants the war to stop. Well, we do too,” Zelenskyy added. Ukraine is expected to receive the last $6 billion in aid from the supplemental over the coming months as the war with Russia presses on toward three years in February. Zelenskyy will meet with President Biden on Thursday and propose a new plan for victory. He’s expected to make another plea for the U.S. to allow him to use long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia. Last week Trump said he would “probably” meet with Zelenskyy during his U.S. swing, but no such meeting has been scheduled. And at United Nations this week, Zelenskyy suggested that a negotiated peace deal was off the table. “We know some in the world want to talk to Putin,” Zelenskyy said to the General Assembly, “to possibly hear from him that he’s upset because we are exercising our right to defend our people.” Donning his signature green fatigues, he called such views “insanity.” “Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what’s needed – forcing Russia into peace,” he said. “Russia is committing an international crime. This war can’t simply fade away, this war can’t be calmed by talks. Actions are needed.”