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Environmental groups present differing opinions of Trump’s energy and environment appointees

Energy and climate-focused groups have mixed feelings about the new appointees selected to lead the charge on environmental issues over the next four years. President-elect Donald Trump tapped fracking CEO Chris Wright to head the Department of Energy, while former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin was nominated to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both candidates are teed up to align themselves with Trump’s position on achieving U.S. energy independence and cut back on the Biden administration’s environmental policies, such as emissions standards. When interviewed by Fox News Digital, leaders of environmental groups said that neither inspired much hope that Trump would seriously address their concerns about the future.  Zeldin previously supported environmental causes during his time in Congress, such as cleaning up Long Island Sound, which was applauded by environmental groups after he was nominated for the top administration position. TRUMP TAPS LIBERTY ENERGY CEO CHRIS WRIGHT FOR DEPARTMENT TO ENERGY: ‘LEADING TECHNOLOGIST AND ENTREPRENEUR’ “Lee Zeldin is deeply familiar with the environmental issues we face in the Long Island Sound region and has championed the Sound’s health as co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus,” Save the Sound, a group focused on stopping water pollution, and restoring wildlife habitats, said in a statement. “We appreciate Representative Zeldin’s prior support of the funding that is critical for the restoration of Long Island Sound, his role in passing the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, and his support for the permanent preservation of Plum Island.” The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) also highlighted their work with Zeldin over the years on environmental issues. TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA “While we did not always see eye to eye with Rep. Zeldin, we did work to find common ground on several issues during his time in office, including on Plum Island, the Great American Outdoors Act, fighting offshore drilling on the East Coast, EPA actions on PFAS, and restoring funding for Long Island Sound,” NYLCV said in a statement after Zeldin was nominated.  “The former congressman has called himself a champion for conservation within the Republican Party. He has also said he is committed to public health and that he supports energy independence. He opposed cuts to the EPA from both Democratic and Republican presidents because, he said, they would hurt the people he was in office to serve,” NYLCV continued. “For the health and wellness of the American people and given the urgency of the climate crisis, we hope his EPA will reflect these values.” However, the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit of 250 scientists whose research is geared towards a mission to “combat climate change,” claimed that Zeldin does not have the experience for the role. “If confirmed, Lee Zeldin would come to the crucial position of EPA administrator lacking relevant experience and has already signaled that he would put corporations over people,” Rachel Cleetus, the policy director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement. “The EPA’s mission is to protect public health and the environment, and he must make decisions based on the best available science, not pressure from oil and gas companies seeking to expand their profits. His focus should be on cutting harmful pollution—including heat-trapping emissions—to safeguard people, the economy and ecosystems.”  Earthjustice, the San Francisco-based nonprofit that dates back to 1971, expressed skepticism that Zeldin could get rid of many of the current environmental policies of the Biden administration. “We need a steady, experienced hand at EPA to marshal federal resources to fight climate change and utilize the full power of the law to protect communities from toxic pollution. Lee Zeldin is not that person,” Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen said, according to Roll Call. “His loyalty to Donald Trump indicates he will gladly take a sledgehammer to EPA’s most recent lifesaving regulations, putting politics over science and endangering our communities.” Environmental groups have been widely critical of pro-fracking candidate Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, to head the Department of Energy in Trump’s second term. Jeff Deyette, deputy director of the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that “the nomination of Chris Wright makes crystal clear the fossil fuel industry’s out-sized and undue influence on shaping and implementing the Trump administration’s agenda.” “DOE must prioritize confronting the reality of the climate crisis, maintaining focus on the technological and policy innovation required to enable a rapid phase out of dirty fossil fuels and transition to clean and reliable renewable energy,” Deyette added. Wright, who described himself as a “lifelong environmentalist,” has said that he believes climate change is an issue, but not a crisis, and accused the movement of using “deceptive marketing terms.”  “Climate change is a real problem, and I’ve been speaking on it for 20 years,” Wright said while speaking at the 2023 American Conservation Coalition Summit in Salt Lake City. “We can make progress on that. But we can’t make progress towards solving a climate challenge if we’re keeping people in poverty and not letting them rise up.” The Sierra Club, an environmental group that “works to promote clean energy,” slammed his views on climate change. “Not since Donald Trump’s most recent cabinet pick has a nominee ever been so utterly unqualified for the job,” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said of Chris Wright. “Clean air and clean water are not a priority for these people, and their reckless ideas and policies will only further harm the American people. Chris Wright is not merely unqualified, he’s a direct threat to our future and the planet’s.” Wright is likely to push back on the Biden administration’s target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

House committee demands interviews with FEMA employees about order to avoid Trump supporters’ houses

FIRST ON FOX — The House Homeland Security Committee is demanding interviews with three FEMA employees on possible “systemic bias” against Trump supporters — as the agency deals with fallout from now-fired employee Marn’i Washington telling relief workers to skip houses visibly advertising support for President-elect Trump during recovery efforts after Hurricane Milton.  In a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., asks to speak with three employees who would have been responsible for policy in Florida, where Washington was assigned. Those employees are FEMA Region 4 Administrator Robert Samaan, Deputy Region 4 Administrator Robert Ashe and Chad Hershey, the lead for FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance crew.  The letter cites recent comments by Washington, including to Fox News, that she’s being scapegoated for doing what her superiors told her to do.  Green is joined on the letter by Reps. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., and Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., who chair relevant Homeland Security subcommittees.  FEMA OFFICIAL SAID TO AVOID HOMES WITH TRUMP SIGNS: ‘TO SAY I WAS SURPRISED WOULD BE A LIE’ “Ms. Washington’s statement contradicts FEMA’s press release and points to a possibly systemic bias within FEMA against individuals that support President-elect Donald J. Trump,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “If such bias is present within FEMA, the Committee is deeply concerned that households that support President-elect Trump and even neighborhoods consisting of primarily Republican-aligned households might be receiving diminished levels of resources, manpower, and support, significantly protracting recovery following natural disasters.”  Criswell said in a statement after the Daily Wire first reported on Washington’s order that it was “reprehensible” and “a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles.” “I’m just simply executing, again, what was coming down from my superiors,” Washington shot back in an interview with Trace Gallagher on “Fox News @ Night” last week.  “This was the culture. They were already avoiding these homes based on community trends from hostile political encounters,” Washington also said.  HOUSE OVERSIGHT CALLS ON FEMA DIRECTOR TO TESTIFY AFTER OFFICIAL TELLS WORKERS TO AVOID HOME WITH TRUMP SIGNS Green’s letter asks that FEMA schedule the interviews with Hershey, Ashe and Samaan by the end of this week. Fox News is also told by a source familiar that the Homeland Security Committee will have another transcribed interview request on FEMA oversight soon.  “If [Washington] is right and there is a broader ‘policy’ of discriminatory practices in the agency’s recovery efforts, this Committee will demand accountability from the highest levels,” Green said in a statement to Fox News.  Washington emphasized to Fox News that FEMA prioritizes “avoidance” and “de-escalation” in situations where some employees may feel unsafe, and that isn’t necessarily politically targeted at Trump supporters. This could include other situations, like urban areas where there are unleashed dogs, she said.  Washington told Gallagher that discriminating against people explicitly because of political leanings would violate the Hatch Act, but said “unfortunately, again, the passionate supporters for Trump, some of them were a little bit violent.”  Criswell will nevertheless face a congressional grilling Tuesday. She appears before a House Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee at 10 a.m. EST and then will testify to the House Oversight Committee at 2 p.m. EST.   Fox News’ Trace Gallagher and Melissa Summers contributed to this report.

Gov. Greg Abbott issues executive order targeting Chinese government operatives in Texas

The order is in response to “Operation Fox Hunt,” a Chinese government initiative intended to root out corruption but in practice has been used to intimidate Chinese citizens living abroad.

Trump allies warn Biden risking ‘World War III’ by authorizing long-range missiles for Ukraine

President Joe Biden for the first time authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-given long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, a prospect that President-elect Donald Trump’s allies believe could threaten “World War III.” Ukraine can now target positions in the Kursk region, where Russia has lined up some 50,000 troops, including 10,000 North Koreans, senior U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News. Ukrainian forces seized the Russian territory earlier this year.  “This is another step up the escalation ladder, and no one knows where this is going,” Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s incoming national security adviser, said on Fox News.  “​​No one anticipated that Joe Biden would ESCALATE the war in Ukraine during the transition period. This is as if he is launching a whole new war,” Ric Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.  “Everything has changed now – all previous calculations are null and void. And all for politics.” “The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, wrote on X. ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA USING IRANIAN WEAPONS IN ‘MASSIVE’ ATTACK TARGETING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE “On his way out of office, Joe Biden is dangerously trying to start WWIII by authorizing Ukraine the use of U.S. long range missiles into Russia,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on X. “The American people gave a mandate on Nov 5th against these exact America last decisions.” Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, did not comment specifically on long-range missiles, but suggested the introduction of North Korean forces factored into the White House’s decision.  “The United States has been clear throughout this conflict that we will make our policy decisions based on the circumstances we identify on the battlefield, including in recent days and weeks a significant Russian escalation that involves the deployment of a foreign country’s forces on its own territory,” Finer said. Ukraine has pleaded for months with the Biden administration to be allowed to strike inside Russia — and hawkish members of Congress have issued similar demands. But Biden officials feared getting the U.S. further entrenched in the war. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called the authorization an “impeachable offense.” “By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state,” Massie wrote on X.  Ukrainian forces have been using drones for some deep strikes, but believe the U.S.-made ATACMS would be more effective.  ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile system fired from a mobile launcher vehicle, can strike anywhere between 100 and 190 miles away.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to respond to reports the U.S. will cross one of his “red lines,” but his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, accused the U.S. of adding fuel to the fire.  “This is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of U.S. involvement in this conflict,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a Monday briefing. “It’s clear that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps to, they’ve said so, to continue to add fuel to the fire and to further provoke the level of tension.” Ukraine has not yet used any ATACMS in Russia, according to a senior defense official.  Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) officer and author of “Putin’s Playbook,” suggested the reports could be a “trial balloon to disrupt Trump” and Biden may not have formally authorized the ATACMS strikes yet.  “Biden knows the danger of dragging the U.S. into conflict with Russia,” she said. “But if the reports are true, then what it means to Putin is that he has been correct all along in thinking that the U.S. is serious about destroying Russia, using Ukraine, and he was correct all along to devise a plan to defeat the U.S., if necessary, with kinetic means. “It will mean when Trump comes, Putin does not trust the U.S.… he will likely just proceed to destroying Ukraine. That is why he is not in a rush to negotiate, because he thinks that he can do it, because Russia has Ukraine outgunned and outmanned.” Trump has insisted he could bring a quick end to the war, a belief Koffler predicted Putin would play to his advantage.  “He’s going to pretend that he’s interested in negotiations, and drag it on, drag it on. And you know, trying to get the best deal possible. In the meantime, he’s going to proceed [with] destroying Ukraine.” DOCUMENTS REVEAL RUSSIA’S INITIAL ‘PEACE DEAL’ EQUATED TO THE SURRENDER OF UKRAINE: REPORT Other congressional hawks welcomed the reported lift on restrictions, but said it had taken too long. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mo., ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, said the decision “does not excuse the administration’s deliberate slow-walking of items and assistance long authorized by Congress for use against] Putin’s illegal aggression.” Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called the new move “long overdue,” saying, “President Biden should have listened to President Zelenskyy’s pleas much earlier.” Earlier this month, Biden, for the first time, authorized U.S. contractors to deploy to Ukraine to help the country’s military maintain and repair U.S.-provided weapons systems.  The announcement came after Great Britain and France authorized Ukraine to launch SCALP/Storm Shadow missile strikes, according to French outlet Le Figaro. Biden’s announcement also came just hours after Russia concluded one of its largest missile and drone attacks in months, launching more than 200 targeting Ukraine’s power and energy infrastructure. Putin has previously said that giving Ukraine the green light on missile use would effectively mean that the U.S. and NATO are “in the war.” “Flight assignments for these missile systems can, in fact, only be entered by military

Dozens of state financial officials warn new Congress of national security implications of ignoring US debt

EXCLUSIVE: More than three dozen state financial officers will send a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson calling for action to assuage their “grave concerns” about the national debt. The consortium of treasurers, controllers and auditors will tell Johnson, R-La., they agree with Arizona Republican Andy Biggs’ resolution declaring the national debt a “threat to national security.” “We have grave concerns about the national debt. We concur with [legislation from Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Biggs, R-Ariz.]…” “It gives us great pause that we are speaking of our nation, which serves as the beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world,” they wrote. BIDEN’S $8T BUDGET MAKES CLAIMS OF CUTTING DEBT LAUGHABLE, ANALYST SAYS “Control [the] debt to protect the states and American global leadership,” read the subject line, as the state officials went on to call for the passage of a long-term congressional plan to restore U.S. solvency. The national debt – which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors – rose to $35,965,533,024,604.05 as of Nov. 14, according to the Treasury Department. That is up about $15.2 billion from the figure reported the previous day. The nation’s first Treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, wrote in 1790 that the U.S. debt “was the price of liberty [and] the faith of America has been repeatedly pledged for it.” “To justify and preserve their confidence and promote the increasing respectability of the American name… these are great and invaluable ends to be secured by a proper and adequate provision… for the support of public credit.” The U.S. budget was last balanced in the years between 1998 and 2001 during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Prior to that, former President Lyndon Johnson oversaw a balanced budget in 1968. “Balancing the budget and reducing spending are among the most difficult, yet essential, actions you could take,” the state financial officers wrote to Johnson: “That is why we have come together to support you in making these critical decisions.” GOP REP JABS EDUCATION SEC ‘ARE CAR LOANS NEXT’ AFTER COLLEGE DEBT FORGIVENESS They warned that the cost of servicing the debt in 2024 exceeded both $1 trillion and thereby the annual cost of Medicare payouts. “America’s financial stability, the dollar will be replaced as the reserve currency, and we will lose our nation’s status as the global leader. To prevent this looming day of reckoning, which could easily occur within our and our children’s lifetimes, requires a commitment to begin addressing this situation on day one.” The officials expressed that a new president and a new Congress could mean a reset on fiscal policy and potentially produce a “National Financial Restoration Plan” before July 4, 2026, when the U.S. turns 250 years old. One avenue they suggested, which has been floated by President-elect Trump as well, is to slash regulations and tap into “vast national resources” and put them on the market. Alaska’s chief financial officer, Adam Crum, was one of the signatories of the letter, and the man who appointed him – Gov. Mike Dunleavy – previously told Fox News Digital the state remains ready to work with any administration willing to utilize the Last Frontier’s oil and gas resources in that way. Biden, he said, “is searching for oil anywhere except at home.” Other signatories have recently made news with their own belt-tightening endeavors, including Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity – who recently announced a $737 million had been added to the state’s “Rainy Day Fund.”  Garrity said when she took office in 2021 that it was one of the “worst reserve funds” of any state, and praised both the Republican legislature and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro for their aid. Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith added that the Hawkeye State too has adopted strong budgeting practices and he would like to see the same approach taken federally. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Congress should look to Iowa as an example of the benefits of keeping a balanced budget and limiting spending, and should place a strong emphasis on applying these same principles at the federal level,” he said. “Our hard-won independence depends on it,” added Indiana Comptroller Elise Nieshalla. Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee said her “don’t spend more than you make” mantra needs to be heeded by Washington.

GOP cries foul on Dem border spending bill they say would drag out migrant crisis

Senate Republicans slammed their Democrat counterparts in the chamber for moving forward with a “partisan” Homeland Security appropriations bill that they say has “substantial flaws” and will leave the incoming Trump administration without the resources they need to fix the border crisis. Senate Committee on Appropriations ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement that Democrats’ leadership has led to a “unilateral decision from the Majority to post a partisan measure on a critical appropriations bill that is meant to help secure our borders and combat the surge of deadly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics flooding our communities.” SPENDING BILL TROUBLE BREWS AS SEN MIKE LEE WARNS OF CHRISTMAS ‘SWAMPBUS’ She slammed this decision, claiming it “undercuts our efforts over the last two years to reach bipartisan consensus and allow Senators an opportunity to debate and amend appropriations bills.” Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.  Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, also criticized the move by Democrats.  THUNE ‘ADAMANT’ ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORT, DRIVING MAGA AGENDA DESPITE TENSE PAST RELATIONSHIP “On a unilateral, partisan basis, Senate Democrats chose to post a Homeland Security bill that falls woefully short of what’s needed to combat America’s border crisis and strengthen interior immigration enforcement,” she said in a statement.  “Senate Democrats know [Trump] is going to immediately take action to clean up the Biden-Harris Administration’s mess at the border, so instead of working with Republicans to create a responsible appropriations bill they chose to release a product that would leave a Trump Administration short of the resources they need to secure our border.” TOP GOP SENATORS WARN DOJ TO PRESERVE JACK SMITH DOCS IN TRUMP CASES, CITING ‘PAST DESTRUCTION’ OF RECORDS Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., also hammered the Democrats for advancing the bill.  “Americans rejected open borders, yet Senate Democrats propose:  THUNE SAYS TRUMP’S BORDER PLAN IS 1ST UP IN RIGOROUS PRIORITY LIST FOR NEW CONGRESS: ‘REAL WORK BEGINS’ The 11 other various appropriations bills advanced out of committee this summer with bipartisan support after being debated. The Homeland Security measure was the only outstanding spending measure that did not go through the committee.  None of the individual measures have been voted on in the Senate. It’s unclear if or when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will schedule votes on them.  Schumer’s office did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Biden asks Congress for $98 billion in Helene, Milton disaster relief funding

President Biden is asking Congress to approve nearly $100 billion in emergency funding to aid recovery efforts for the recent deadly storms that ravaged parts of the South. Biden sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Monday asking him to quickly take up his supplemental disaster aid request, specifically aimed at helping people affected by storms Helene and Milton. The White House letter did not specify a total, but Fox News Digital was told it amounts to roughly $98 billion. “With the Congress now back in session, I write to request urgently needed emergency funding to provide for an expeditious and meaningful Federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters,” Biden wrote. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ The speaker’s office confirmed it received the request, and it was being reviewed by staff. Fox News Digital also reached out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have repeatedly said they would stand ready to act on storm relief funds once a cost estimate was made. Johnson told Fox News Digital in early October that Helene would likely be “one of the most expensive storms that the country has ever encountered.” “It affects at least six states – a broad swath of destruction across many, many areas – and I think that’s why it’s going to take awhile to assess,” Johnson said at the time. “As soon as those numbers are ready, Congress will be prepared to act.” REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA Helene barreled into the Southeastern U.S. in late September, killing more than 100 people in North Carolina alone and causing billions of dollars of structural damage. Hurricane Milton, another deadly storm, hit Florida and Georgia roughly a week later. Biden’s funding request is expected to cover the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, and disaster funds for the Small Business Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant areas. It comes as FEMA faces some backlash after an official was caught instructing workers to ignore houses with pro-Trump campaign signs in Florida after Milton and Helene.  MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell condemned the incident, which she called an isolated event. Criswell is due before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday for a high-stakes hearing. And while any supplemental relief package is expected to get broad enough bipartisan support to pass, House GOP hardliners are expected to oppose the measure if it does not offset the costs with cuts elsewhere.

Republicans file 12 Pennsylvania lawsuits in ‘aggressive’ push to end recount

FIRST ON FOX — Senior Republican Party officials announced Monday that they are filing 12 lawsuits in Pennsylvania as part of an ongoing effort to “aggressively” defend their pickup in the closely watched Keystone State Senate race. Speaking to reporters on a call Monday, GOP officials said they have been working closely with Republican candidate Dave McCormick’s campaign in an effort to protect his Senate win over three-term incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, who has refused to concede defeat and has secured a statewide recount. Both national and state Republican parties have filed lawsuits in four counties across Pennsylvania, urging the courts to not count mail-in ballots with either incorrect or missing dates, in accordance with a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling earlier this month. Republicans noted the defiance they’ve encountered from some county Democratic leaders, including in Philadelphia, including Bucks County, Center County and Delaware County — four areas that the GOP focused their first wave of lawsuits. “Democrat officials are on video saying that they’re going to choose to break the law, and there will be legal consequences for that,” a senior party official told Fox News.  ‘ABSOLUTE LAWLESSNESS’: GOP BLASTS PA. DEMS’ RECOUNT EFFORT IN CASEY SENATE LOSS In addition to these lawsuits, party officials told Fox News Monday that they are filing eight additional court challenges in Pennsylvania. The efforts are aimed at ensuring McCormick’s victory is upheld, and confirming that only legal votes are counted. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled before the election that mail-in ballots lacking formally required signatures or dates should not be included in official results. But Democratic officials in Philadelphia and other parts of the state, including Bucks County, Centre County, and Montgomery County, have not complied with that order, RNC officials said, prompting the litigation. Speaking to reporters on a call Monday, Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley said senior RNC officials have been “coordinating closely with Dave McCormick’s campaign to ensure that this hard won Senate seat will be protected.” He also vowed to maintain “an aggressive, comprehensive and strategic legal posture for as long as it takes to ensure that this election is going to be certified” in Pennsylvania. “The RNC and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania are aggressively fighting back to bring an end to this corrupt and despicable conduct” in the state, Whatley said.  PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS SLAMMED FOR COUNTING ILLEGAL BALLOTS IN SENATE RACE: UNBELIEVABLY ‘BRAZEN’ McCormick’s unofficial margin of victory stands at roughly 17,000 votes, or within the 0.5% threshold required under Pennsylvania law to trigger an automatic recount. But RNC officials challenged the notion that the Senate recount—which will continue through Nov. 26 — will change the outcome in any substantive way. They have decried the effort, which costs an estimated $1 million, as a waste of taxpayer money, noting that since 2000, there have been just three statewide election recounts in Pennsylvania, and each has resulted in an average change of 393 votes. In a “worst case” scenario, they said, the uncounted provisional, mail-in and absentee ballots could reduce McCormick’s margin of victory “to maybe 14,000” votes. BATTLEGROUND STATES’ RECOUNT RULES VARY WIDELY, HERE’S A LOOK AT HOW THEY WORK To wit, national and state Republican officials said they have deployed “hundreds of attorneys and other observers” on the ground at recount sites in “every county in Pennsylvania,” they said, to ensure the process is conducted freely and fairly. Speaking to reporters Monday, Pennsylvania Republican Party chair Lawrence Tabas took aim at the price of the recount, which is estimated to be around $1 million.  He also criticized possible political ramifications of the recount, which he said threatened to erode voter confidence in the election system. This has been a frequent claim repeated by Republicans as they seek to challenge the recount. “The Casey campaign could end the recount at any time,” Tabas said. “And there are political ramifications of eroding the voters’ confidence in elections that has been built. So we need to stop this attempt at electioneering and declare McCormick the winner.” At the end of the day, he said: “There’s no mathematical way to achieve what the Casey folks apparently think they can achieve.”

Hovde concedes 12 days after Wisconsin Senate race call, blames Dem-recruited 3rd-party candidate

Republican businessman Eric Hovde finally conceded defeat on Monday in a razor-thin race for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin, claiming that a Democrat-recruited third-party candidate siphoned off the votes that would have secured him the victory. Hovde, a multimillionaire bank owner and real estate developer, posted his concession video on social media 12 days after the race was called in favor of Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin. Hovde could have requested a recount, which he would have had to pay for himself, because his margin of defeat was less than 1 percentage point at about 29,000 votes, though he said he did not want to “add to political strife through a contentious recount.” The Republican candidate repeated claims in the video that he first made last week, saying there were “many troubling issues” related to absentee ballots in Milwaukee and when they were reported. Republicans, Democrats and nonpartisan election leaders all refuted the claims of impropriety Hovde made. LEE THREATENS TO NOT SEAT CASEY IN SENATE IF HE CONTINUES REFUSAL TO CONCEDE “Without a detailed review of all the ballots and their legitimacy, which will be difficult to obtain in the courts, a request for a recount would serve no purpose because you will just be recounting the same ballots regardless of their integrity,” Hovde said in the video. SCHUMER NOW PLEADS FOR BIPARTISANSHIP HAVING PROMISED TO RAILROAD DEMOCRAT AGENDA THROUGH Hovde also repeated his complaint about the candidacy of Thomas Leager, who ran as a member of the America First Party.  Leager, a far-right candidate who was supported by Democratic donors as he ran as a conservative, finished a distant fourth, receiving about 400 fewer votes than the margin between Baldwin and Hovde. Hovde claimed that Democratic operatives were behind Leager’s candidacy.  Hovde, who poured millions of dollars of his own money into his losing race this year, has not ruled out another political campaign in the future. Some Republicans have floated him as a potential candidate for governor in 2026. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DeSantis sets timetable for naming Rubio Senate successor amid calls for a Trump to fill the seat

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he is likely to make a decision on who will fill Sen. Marco Rubio’s U.S. Senate seat by early January, emphasizing that the governor’s office has already begun vetting several possible candidates  President-elect Donald Trump officially announced last week that he would nominate Rubio, the three-term senator from Florida and a senior Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration. “Senator Marco Rubio is expected to resign from the Senate to assume duties as Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes power on January 20th, creating a vacancy roughly two months from today,” DeSantis wrote in a statement Monday morning. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION The governor highlighted that “we have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting. More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January.” LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP GOES FULL MAGA AS NE NAMES AMERICA FIRST SUPPORTERS TO HIS CABINET The statement from Florida’s two-term conservative Republican governor comes as some key Trump allies have recommended that Lara Trump, Republican National Committee co-chair and the president-elect’s daughter-in-law, be named by DeSantis to fill Rubio’s seat for the next two years. Among those who have touted Lara Trump over the past couple of days include Florida’s other GOP member of the U.S. Senate – Sen. Rick Scott – Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Katie Britt of Alabama, as well as Rep. Anna Paulina Lune of Florida. DeSantis, a one-time Trump ally who clashed with the former president last year and early this year during a very contentious 2024 GOP presidential nomination race, mended relations a bit with the former president after the primary season, as he endorsed Trump and helped raise money for the Republican nominee’s general election campaign. “Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results,” DeSantis said in his statement. Amid the calls for Lara Trump to be named to fill Rubio’s seat, the statement by DeSantis can be seen as a signal that he would not be rushed into making any hasty decision. A source in DeSantis’ political orbit simply said that “the statement speaks for itself.” The governor, according to Florida law, has the power to temporarily appoint someone to fill the vacant Senate seat until the next regularly scheduled general election, which will be held in 2026. Other names floated to replace Rubio include DeSantis’s chief of staff James Uthmeier, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and state Attorney General Ashley Moody, outgoing Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and former state House Speaker Jose Oliva.