Communal clash in Karnataka’s Mandya after stone pelting on Ganpati procession, curfew imposed
Stones were allegedly thrown at the procession, which led to the clashes, following which shops and businesses were set afire by a group.
Weather report: IMD issues ‘yellow alert’ for Delhi today, mercury to dip
The IMD has issued a ‘yellow alert’ for light to moderate rainfall for Delhi and the adjoining NCR today.
Secret Service to ramp up security on Jan. 6, 2025, to avoid another riot at the Capitol
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) will ramp up security on Jan. 6, 2025, in an effort to “ensure the safety and security” of the upcoming Electoral College vote count at the Capitol. The USSS confirmed the security measures in an email to Fox News Digital. The agency released a statement on Wednesday noting that Jan. 6, 2025, has been “designated a National Special Security Event by the Secretary of Homeland Security.” “This designation allows for significant resources from the federal government, as well as from state and local partners, to be utilized in a comprehensive security plan,” officials said in a statement. “When an event is designated a National Special Security Event, the U.S. Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan.” Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had requested the heightened security, the agency said. The 2025 presidential inauguration, which will take place on Jan. 20, had previously been designated a National Special Security Event. SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT PARTICIPANT WHO CHALLENGED OBSTRUCTION CONVICTION “This marks the first time a National Special Security Event designation has been granted for a Certification of Electoral Votes and follows a request made by the DC Mayor to designate this event a National Special Security Event,” the USSS’s statement read. “Various reports including from the House Select January 6 Committee and the Government Accountability Office also called for the DHS Secretary to consider a National Special Security Event designation for future Certification of Electoral Votes.” In a statement, Special Agent Eric Ranaghan, who is in charge of USSS’s Dignitary Protective Division, said that the electoral voting session has been designated an event “of the highest national significance.” “The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants,” he said. LEGAL EXPERTS SAY BIDEN ADMIN’S LEGAL THEORY IN JAN 6 PROSECUTION ‘ON THE ROPES’ AFTER SUPREME COURT ARGUMENT An Executive Steering Committee, which will consist of “senior representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety partners,” will convene to start the formal planning process. The request was made in direct response to the 2021 Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, in which thousands of supporters of former President Trump stormed the Capitol to against the Electoral College vote count. On Tuesday night, Trump was asked by ABC host David Muir if he had any regrets about Jan. 6 during a presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. “I had nothing to do with that, other than they asked me to make a speech,” the Republican nominee replied.
House Republicans lament Trump’s ‘terrible’ debate performance: ‘Let her get under his skin’
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are privately expressing frustration about former President Trump’s performance in his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Several House GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely acknowledged Trump “missed” opportunities to effectively attack Harris and tout his own record. A few said it was the prevailing sentiment within the House Republican Conference that Harris successfully baited him on multiple occasions — though most argued it would ultimately have little impact on Election Day. “It was terrible. I think you’re seeing that comment from everybody,” one senior House Republican told Fox News Digital. “The thing that’s terrible is, he had so many opportunities to come after her and he didn’t. He got bogged down on the hook she was dragging through the water.” IN THE TRUMP-HARRIS FACEOFF THERE WAS A CLEAR WINNER BUT DON’T BELIEVE THIS ELECTION IS OVER Another House GOP lawmaker went even further, calling the debate a “dumpster fire” for the former president. “It was one of the worst bloodlettings I’ve ever seen,” the lawmaker said. “But the thing is, too, the optics itself — Trump standing next to Kamala Harris, he looks old. He didn’t look old against Biden…and that, you can’t fix.” While most Republicans shrugged off the debate’s ultimate effect on the election, that lawmaker worried, “I think it’s gonna sway the people in the middle, who matter.” A third Republican said Harris “certainly got under [Trump’s] skin” and their fellow conference members agreed “she did well.” GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital argued Trump’s policies and record are far stronger than Harris’ and were dismayed that they weren’t a larger part of his performance. HARRIS TELLS TRUMP HE’S ‘NOT RUNNING AGAINST JOE BIDEN’ DURING DEBATE “While he made many [good] points, she was able to slide out of every one of those arguments,” the third Republican said. “We need to stop treating her like she’s Joe Biden, someone who can’t get her thoughts out, and treat her more like Hillary Clinton.” A fourth GOP lawmaker simply said when asked for their reaction to the debate, “I prefer not to answer questions about cats and dogs and immigrants.” That person added as well, however, that Harris “had to present herself as a person with credibility and a policy agenda, she didn’t do that.” They said it was Trump’s own “fault” when asked if Harris successfully baited him, however. Another Republican said they had not discussed the debate with GOP colleagues, explaining, “I think everybody’s just kind of bummed out.” “They set a trap, and he walked into it. He wasn’t helped, but there were so many easy things he could’ve said,” the fifth lawmaker said. “You wanna talk about the border, the world on fire, inflation — that’s all he had to do. Instead, she poked and prodded until she got a reaction.” BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT’S BRUTAL TAKE ON BIDEN’S DEBATE AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING’ A sixth GOP lawmaker simply smiled sheepishly, “I do think he missed some opportunities to highlight her record. And I’ll leave it at that.” A seventh Republican who spoke with Fox News Digital at the end of the debate on Tuesday night said Harris was “doing a good job provoking [Trump].” “He’s right on policy but can’t keep a message,” they complained. The majority of House Republicans who spoke publicly praised Trump, though, with the top GOP leaders all declaring victory for the ex-president minutes after the debate. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement Tuesday night, “Tonight, President Donald Trump exposed Vice President Kamala Harris for the dangerous radical she has always been.” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who helped Trump prepare for the debate, told reporters on Wednesday that the ex-president “did a great job.” “Look, the debate was about immigration and the economy. Those are the issues where President Trump dominates with voters,” he said. Trump himself posted on his Truth Social app just after the debate, “People are saying BIG WIN tonight!” When reached for comment on this story, the Trump campaign pointed Fox News Digital to its statement on the debate from Tuesday night, which said in part, “President Trump delivered a masterful debate performance tonight, prosecuting Kamala Harris’ abysmal record of failure that has hurt Americans for the last 4 years.” “We saw President Trump lay out his bold vision of America and how he would continue to build upon the successes of his first term by supercharging the economy, securing the border, and stopping crime from ravaging communities across the country,” the statement said. “Conversely, Kamala’s vision of America was a dark reminder of the oppressive, big government policies of Joe Biden that she wants to continue.”
Trump highlights abortion comments from Democrat to show who’s ‘radical’ on the issue
During Tuesday’s debate, former President Trump sought to delineate his and other Republicans’ pro-life viewpoints with that of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, while sparring with moderator Linsey Davis. Davis asked, ‘Why should [Americans] trust” him on the abortion issue when he has changed his view on some aspects of it at times. In response, Trump said Democrats have been “radical” on the issue, while Republicans have sought to bring the issue “back to the states” in supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Trump claimed comments from former Virginia Gov. Ralph S. Northam seem to prove it is Democrats, not Republicans, who hold extreme views on the issue. CLIMATE PROTESTERS INTERRUPT YOUNGKIN’S REMARKS REMEMBERING 9/11 While appearing to accidentally refer to Northam as the previous governor of West Virginia, who would be Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin, Trump said the opposition party wants to allow abortions into the ninth month of gestation and even after birth. “Look at [Northam], not the current governor who is doing an excellent job, but the governor before him, who said, ‘The baby will be born, and we will decide what to do with the baby.’ In other words, we’ll execute the baby,” Trump said. In 2019, Northam was interviewed by Washington, D.C., radio station WTOP and was asked about a bill from Delegate Kathy Tran, D-Springfield, that loosened Virginia abortion restrictions. Northam was asked to explain a comment Tran made in a committee hearing regarding a woman being permitted to undergo an abortion while in labor. “This is why decisions such as this should be made by providers, physicians and the mothers and fathers that are involved. When we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physician — more than one physician, by the way — and it’s done in cases where there may be severe deformities,” he said. TRUMP: I HAVE BEEN A LEADER ON IVF Northam, who was also a pediatrician in Onancock, Va., added that if a mother is in labor, the infant would “be delivered [and] kept comfortable.” “The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.” In the debate, Trump said Northam’s comments show Democrats are the true “radicals” on the abortion issue, while Republicans have fought to return the issue to states, where people can vote on the leniency or strictness of abortion policy in their area. Trump said most Republicans support exceptions to abortion bans for life of the mother or rape or incest. He noted Republicans’ success in having abortion policy returned to state houses has actually led to several red states passing otherwise lenient abortion policies, pointing to referendums in Ohio and Kansas. “The vote [in Ohio] was somewhat liberal,” Trump said. However, Davis cut in after Trump finished his response and said, “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.” Heritage Foundation religion fellow Delano Squires shared clips of both Tran and Northam speaking about the late-term abortion policy, sarcastically captioning it, “no one supports abortion in the ninth month.” “This is how extreme they are,” tweeted Rob Smith, a conservative commentator. Dozens of others on X posted the same video of Northam speaking to WTOP in attempts to debunk Davis’ retort or make Trump’s case.
Fox News Politics: Top 5 Clashes of the Debate
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. MISSED THE DEBATE?: Check out the top moments and more here. What’s happening… -House GOP plan to avert shutdown on life support -Viewers believe Harris bested Trump in 2024 debate -Elon Musk needles Taylor Swift over Harris endorsement The presidential debate on Tuesday between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump saw a number of testy moments between the two candidates. The debate, which was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first and possibly only debate between Harris and Trump. The Harris campaign quickly said “Harris is ready for a second debate,” but Trump said on Wednesday morning during a “Fox and Friends” interview that he “won the debate” and is “less inclined to” do another debate with Harris. Here are some of the top clashes of the night….Read more ‘SINCE WHEN’: Harris surprises social media by saying she’s a gun owner …Read more OUT OF IT: Top Dem ripped for ‘sleeping’ as mothers testify on daughters’ horrific murders …Read more NO IRAN DEAL: House GOP majority would block Iran peace deal efforts under Harris: Stefanik …Read more ‘NO VOTE TODAY’: House GOP plan to avert government shutdown on life support as Johnson delays vote …Read more ‘LAUGHABLY UNEVEN’: Political analyst rips ABC’s ‘failure’ to press Harris on flip-flops …Read more ‘FLAWLESS’: MSNBC host goes wild for Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris …Read more NEW NUMBERS: Harris leads in state Trump is aiming to flip: poll …Read more VOTER VERDICT: Fox News voter panel says Harris won debate …Read more 34 TO 1: Trump-Vance have done significantly more interviews than Harris-Walz …Read more ‘YOU’VE LOST’: Liberal pundits, reporters pile on Trump complaints about debate moderators …Read more ‘FELL INTO THE TRAP’: Body language expert weighs in on high stakes Trump Harris debate …Read more WIN FOR HARRIS: Viewers believe Harris defeated Trump in debate, according to poll …Read more ‘THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS’: Voters react to Trump’s claim about migrants in Ohio …Read more ‘ONLY REALISTIC OPTION’: Jewish Democrat explains why he is now voting for Donald Trump …Read more FACT CHECK: Harris denied supporting defund the police movement but old X post tells different story …Read more ‘ALREADY DECIDED’: Mike Rogers addresses abortion stance amid Slotkin attacks …Read more ‘PRO-KAMALA ACTIVISTS’: GOP Trump allies claim victory, pan moderators after tense 2024 debate …Read more TOP SECRET SPYING: CCP-linked machinery in use at top secret U.S. lab: Oversight …Read more ‘NO USE RESPONDING’: Kirby says ‘no use responding’ to vet concerns on botched Afghan withdrawal in accidental reply all email …Read more SPRINGFIELD SPENDING: Ohio governor approves millions in aid, additional cops for town seeing migrant surge …Read more ‘NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON’: Google CEO subpoena demanded over Trump assassination attempt search results …Read more ‘SHUT UP’: Joy Behar unloads on Chris Christie for refusing to endorse Harris …Read more ‘YOU WIN’: Elon Musk needles Taylor Swift after Harris endorsement …Read more ‘BEAT DOWN’: ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel brings on anti-Trump guests for post-debate interviews …Read more DOGS OF 9/11: Certified canines and their handlers were assigned various responsibilities at Ground Zero amid relief efforts …Read more COP OUT: Investigator sidelined in high-profile murder trial over text messages in Karen Read case …Read more FOILED PLOT: Pakistani who planned death of US politicians, potentially Trump, charged with terrorism …Read more ‘FIERY DEBATE’: International media reacts to Trump-Harris debate …Read more ‘READY FOR COMBAT’: Kim Jong Un promises to ‘strengthen’ North Korean ‘nuclear force’ …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
What the Taylor Swift endorsement of Kamala Harris means for the November election
Democrats believe Taylor Swift’s recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris could encourage more young voters to turn out in November, but recent polling indicates the pop star’s support might not greatly affect voter decisions at the ballot box. Swift, an outspoken critic of former President Trump, endorsed Harris after the presidential debate Tuesday. In an Instagram post that she signed “childless cat lady,” the pop icon said Harris “fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Fox News Digital from the debate spin room the endorsement “matters.” “Some advice to Donald Trump. Don’t disparage that endorsement at your own peril,” he said. “She is a cultural icon. Something big has happened in the world in terms of the energy, environment she’s associated with. The optimism she’s associated with. That was a big deal.” TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT AFTER DEBATE: ‘I’VE MADE MY CHOICE’ One Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital that Swift’s support could encourage more voters to turn out at the polls. TRUMP SAYS TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSING HARRIS WAS ‘JUST A QUESTION OF TIME’ “It absolutely will impact young voter turnout. And Trump knows it,” said Jessica Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor. “What’s important about how she did it is that she explained her thinking and how past experience — the AI-generated images of her — have impacted her personally and her decision. “This isn’t the Taylor Swift of 2018, wondering whether she should wade into politics. This is 2024 Taylor Swift, who knows who she is and isn’t afraid of backlash for saying what she believes.” A Suffolk University/USA Today poll from May reported that about 83% of respondents say that a Swift endorsement would “not at all” influence their decision on who to vote for in November. Recent polls suggest Harris leads Trump among young voters, traditionally Swift’s main support base. According to a recent New York Times/Siena survey, Harris leads Trump by 10 percentage points among voters aged 18-29. “As a first-time voter this November, my peers and I will not be voting for Kamala Harris because Taylor Swift and her cats told us to do so,” Brilyn Hollyhand, RNC Youth Advisory Council Chairman and a Generation Z voter, told Fox about the endorsement. “I think when you look at it, it’s not actually making any difference. This is all vibes and no policy,” he said. “I think no amount of pop stars or viral memes that she’s trying to do are going to make Gen Z vote for her when she has no plans to fix the nation she’s broken.” Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday he wasn’t surprised by the endorsement and is “not a Taylor Swift fan.” “It was just a question of time. She couldn’t […] possibly endorse Biden. You look at Biden, you couldn’t possibly endorse him,” Trump said. “But she’s a very liberal person. She seems to always endorse a Democrat. And she’ll probably pay a price for it […] in the marketplace.” While an endorsement might not make or break a decision, a Monmouth University poll released in February found that 68% of respondents are OK with Swift encouraging her fans to vote this cycle. Following the endorsement, the Harris-Walz campaign released friendship bracelets for purchase on its website that appear similar to those worn by fans during Swift’s “Eras” tour. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Seattle pushes for law targeting pimps and johns in prostitution-ridden area despite opposition
The Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee has moved on a proposal to reinstate a law that makes prostitution loitering a misdemeanor as the city attempts to crack down on sex trafficking, violence and drug dealing despite strong opposition from the public. Prostitution, violence and drug deals are common along Seattle’s Aurora Avenue, which has become the focal point in the metro’s ongoing debate over public safety. FOX 13 in Seattle reported that one law that was removed in 2020 that makes prostitution loitering a misdemeanor is being considered by city leaders for reinstatement to help control the blighted spot. In a video presented last month during a Public Safety Committee meeting, time-lapse footage showed several women being trafficked and sold on a street corner along Aurora Avenue from midnight to 1 a.m. VIDEO SHOWS PROSTITUTION, GUNFIGHTS ON SEATTLE STREET CORNER AS CITY LAWMAKERS AIM TO TEMPER ‘UNSAFE’ PROBLEM The video also showed multiple gunfights breaking out, sometimes with prostitutes standing on the corner while trying to drum up business. Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore is proposing legislation to establish policies that govern arrests involving prostitution and loitering and to create “Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution” (SOAP) zones that, if violated, could result in charges. Moore said the legislation intends to disrupt the violent criminal enterprise of the commercial sex trade by focusing enforcement efforts on buyers (johns) and promoters (pimps). The legislation also emphasizes diversion to social services, safe houses and treatment for sellers, mostly women and girls, Moore said at the time. SEATTLE BUSINESS OWNERS WARN VIOLENT CRIME IS HAPPENING ON NEAR-HOURLY BASIS: ‘THIS IS MADNESS’ Supporters, the station reported, have argued that Aurora has become an “open-air drug market” and a dangerous area where violence is a common occurrence. “It’s like a war zone in your city,” one resident from 102nd Street testified during the City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting on Tuesday. “When I go home, I’m in it, and it is just the most dehumanizing thing I’ve ever experienced.” The resident was one of more than 100 speakers who signed up to speak at the beginning of the meeting. But not everyone was in favor of the legislation. In fact, Moore’s proposal was met with strong opposition from critics who argued the ordinance unfairly targets sex workers and does not address the causes of gun violence and crime. AFTER SHOOTING, SEATTLE PARENTS REGRET SCHOOL KICKING OUT OFFICERS IN 2020: ‘WHO IS PROTECTING OUR BABIES?’ “There is broad vocal opposition to this bill,” one speaker said. “Yet, Councilmember Moore is still pushing it forward and defending racially profiling and arresting her most vulnerable constituents.” A woman named Bingo, who spoke before the committee while wearing animal ears and a choker, said she is a sex worker and performer in one of the city’s districts. Bingo said she opposed the ordinance because she depends on clients and gig work to pay bills. She also said that passing the bill could kill her and her friends because it would take away money and services they rely on. The issue centers around Moore’s proposed SOAP zones along Aurora Avenue. The zones would make loitering for the purpose of prostitution a misdemeanor. “Stay Out of Drug Area” (SODA) zones would target areas identified as “open-air drug markets” in places like downtown Seattle and Chinatown, the station reported. ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS IN SEATTLE DELAY CAMPUS ENCAMPMENT AFTER BEING CALLED OUT FOR LACK OF DIVERSITY: REPORT Bob Kettle, chair of the Public Safety Committee, said the neighborhoods are hurting, adding that drug dealers prey on those who are vulnerable during a crisis. Several people told the committee they would rather see services provided than the reinstatement of SOAP zones. The bill also offers diversion for the first time, meaning it gives officers the ability to approach sex workers and talk about getting them help and offering professional services. In Seattle, prostitution is illegal, and according to Moore, many people do not understand that prostitution is illegal. Promoting prostitution is a felony and requires testimony from the sex workers to establish a case. Testimony puts additional heightened risk on the sex workers, and it makes it difficult to prove the case. Moore’s bill also directs the city’s Human Services Department and mayor’s office to create a work program that will provide advocates who work with individuals with prostitution-related convictions. The goal is to have the convictions scrubbed from their record so that when they apply for a job or housing, the convictions don’t exist.
House GOP majority would block Iran peace deal efforts under a President Harris, top Republican vows
EXCLUSIVE: Republicans would pull out every stop to block a Harris administration from negotiating another Iran deal, according to the House’s No. 3 Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. “We would block that at every turn,” the GOP Conference chairwoman vowed in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “Biden and Kamala Harris have given hundreds of billions of dollars straight to Iran, the greatest sponsor of terror, and the dollars are going to support proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, which are attacking Israel every single day.” Two separate agreements last fall that included a prisoner swap allowed Iran to access up to $16 billion of its previously frozen assets. STEFANIK FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE Middle East watchers have predicted that Vice President Kamala Harris would be much more likely to take to the negotiating table to try to prevent Iran from creating a nuclear weapon than using military deterrence and financial sanctions. In 2019, Harris said she favored rejoining the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear programs. “President Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from an agreement that was verifiably preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon — against the warnings of our closest allies and without any plan for what comes next — was beyond reckless,” she said. She said she would seek to rejoin the deal “so long as Iran also returned to verifiable compliance.” Iran has a growing stockpile of uranium enriched to just below weapons-grade, and some fear it could create a nuclear weapon before the end of the year. Trump recently warned that sanctions should be used “as little as possible” to “continue to have [the U.S. dollar] be the world currency.” “I use sanctions very powerfully against countries that deserve it, and then I take them off because, look, you’re losing Iran, you’re losing Russia. China is out there trying to get their currency to be the dominant currency.” In a wide-ranging interview on the House GOP’s national security priorities, Stefanik, a member of the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said if the GOP keeps control of the House next Congress, it would continue to work to defund the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) and “address these foreign dollars going into universities, put a stop to that.” President Biden signed an appropriations package in March that banned funding to UNRWA for one year after some of its employees were found to have ties to Hamas. STEFANIK: HARRIS UNFIT TO BE COMMANDER IN CHIEF The chairwoman declined to say whether the House would authorize more funding for Ukraine or Taiwan once this year’s foreign aid packages dry up but noted concerns about oversight of U.S. aid in Ukraine. “I have major concerns about the lack of accountability for the billions of dollars that have gone to Ukraine,” she said. “We are continuing to get more reports from the Pentagon that they can’t account for — to the tune of billions of dollars. “The only person who can solve that conflict is Trump,” Stefanik added. “If you look at modern-day presidents, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin invaded other countries during every modern president except for President Trump.” And on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Stefanik revealed she is not confident the U.S. is equipped to prevent another similar tragedy. “If you look at the attack against Israel, the Iranians [are] on the march. The same terrorists that are chanting ‘Death to Israel’ are also chanting ‘Death to America,’” she said. “We have individuals on the terrorist watch list who have crossed our open borders. … That is a national security threat.”
Kirby: ‘No use in responding’ to a ‘handful of vets’ on Biden’s botched Afghan withdrawal
On the anniversary of 9/11, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby dismissed the concerns of military veterans critical of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, writing in response to a Fox News Digital press inquiry that there’s “no use” weighing in on the veterans’ views. “Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe,” Kirby said in a “reply all” email chain Wednesday afternoon that appeared to be intended for White House staffers, but which also included Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital had reached out to the White House earlier Wednesday afternoon regarding critical comments from four veterans, including Florida Rep. Cory Mills, who blasted Kirby for his Monday press conference that they said provided “cover” for the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal. Included in that initial reachout were quotes from the four veterans, and Fox News Digital asked the White House if it had any comment to include on the vets’ blistering criticisms of Kirby and the White House’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The email chain was forwarded to White House staffers on the National Security Council, before Kirby replied to all on the chain that there’s “no use in responding.” Kirby’s message was sent in error, with him following up with a Fox News Digital reporter, “Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain.” Kirby sent the email while traveling with President Biden on the anniversary of 9/11. HARRIS LEAVES OUT DEADLY BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL IN SOARING PRO-MILITARY DNC SPEECH The veterans quoted in the email lambasted Kirby for “deflecting” from the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, following House Republicans releasing a scathing report this week following the anniversary of the botched withdrawal. “The bottom line is that the Biden-Harris administration chose politics over strategy, and Kirby, who I wouldn’t trust to guard my grocery list, is now trying to cover for them,” Florida Republican Rep. Mills, an Army veteran, said in comments to Fox News Digital. The Republican chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, released a report this week disputing President Biden’s claims that his hands were tied to an agreement made under former President Trump’s administration for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under an established deadline in 2021. The report added that State Department officials had no plan for helping Americans and allies out while there were still troops in the region to protect them. McCaul’s report argued that the administration failed to adequately respond to terror threats ahead of the terrorist bombing at Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghan civilians, and that the Taliban likely had access after the withdrawal to $7 billion in abandoned U.S. weapons, and up to $57 million in U.S. funds that were initially given to the Afghan government. Kirby joined the White House’s press conference on Monday and defended the Biden-Harris administration’s withdrawal, while arguing the new report “says little or nothing new.” Kirby went on to list the “actual facts” surrounding the withdrawal, including arguing that the Trump administration cut a deal with the Taliban that “mandated a complete U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.” “President Biden, for his part, faced a stark choice when he came to office: Abide by the flawed agreement and end America’s longest war, or blow up the deal, extend the war, and see a much smaller contingent of American troops back in combat with the Taliban,” Kirby said. “He chose the former and was able to buy additional time to prepare for that withdrawal all the way into summer, and we, as a nation, are safer for it.” GOLD STAR DAD SAYS BIDEN-HARRIS ‘DENIED’ SON’S SERVICE AS FALLEN AFGHANISTAN SOLDIERS HONORED IN CALIFORNIA Mills said Kirby was “deflecting” from the White House’s “failed foreign policies,” while pointing to the House Foreign Affairs Committee threatening to subpoena Secretary of State Antony Blinken last year regarding a July 2021 dissent cable by 23 diplomats that offered avenues to mitigate disaster as the Taliban’s power grew ahead of the U.S. pulling out of Afghanistan. “Once again, John Kirby is deflecting from the Biden-Harris administration’s failed foreign policies. If they were truly transparent, why did HFAC have fun threatening contempt of Congress for Secretary Blinken for intentionally withholding DoS dissent cables from 23 U.S. Embassy diplomats warning that the administration’s strategy would allow the Taliban to advance and lead to the collapse of the Afghan government and American lives to be lost? They knew this and tried to cover it up. This wasn’t ignorance, it was intentional and putting political optics above strategy/safety with a complete lack of transparency. This administration knew exactly what they were doing, tried to cover it up, and got caught. Worse, their actions cost the lives of 13 American service members and severely damaged our credibility with allies. It welcomed aggression from adversaries and showed weakness geopolitically,” Mills said. 3 YEARS LATER, AFGHANISTAN WAR VETERANS HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN – HAVE YOU? Mark Geist, a Marine veteran and Benghazi annex security team member who helped rescue more than 100 Americans from the Taliban in 2021, told Fox News Digital that Kirby delivered a “one-sided presentation of facts” and argued the U.S. wanted to end the war in Afghanistan to “start and fund the war in Ukraine.” HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN “In the press conference, John Kirby delivered a one-sided presentation of facts and falsehoods regarding the recent House Report on Afghanistan. I’ll start with where Mr. Kirby finished, which was likely the only thing he said that was completely true: they pulled out of Afghanistan because they wanted to start and fund the war in Ukraine, fully aware that the American people would not tolerate being involved in two wars again,” Geist said. Following the deaths of the 13 U.S. service members, Biden-Harris administration critics such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the withdrawal paved the way for adversaries such as Russia