First on Fox: Massive donation to Trump from Jewish org amid anti-Israel campus protests
EXCLUSIVE: A top grassroots group that represents Jewish Republicans across the country is showcasing what it calls its largest ever fundraising and expenditure effort in support of a GOP presidential nominee. The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), in an announcement shared first with Fox News on Thursday, highlighted that it is committed to raising a minimum of $5 million – from its donors and from its RJC Victory Fund super PAC – to help elect former President Trump in his November White House rematch with President Biden. RJC national political director Sam Markstein highlighted that this “will be the RJC’s largest effort ever to mobilize support in the Jewish community for President Trump.” Additionally, Markstein noted that the announcement is “in addition to our $15 million independent expenditure,” which he characterized as the largest independent expenditure in the organization’s history. WARNING SIGNS FOR TRUMP, BIDEN, AS THEY CAREEN TOWARDS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES The announcement comes amid weeks of anti-Israel protests that have erupted on college campuses across the country over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. The protests in support of Palestinians have grabbed plenty of attention on cable news and online coverage. Demonstrators have criticized President Biden’s support for Israel in its battle with Hamas and have called on colleges and universities to cut financial ties with the government in Jerusalem. POTENTIAL RUNNING MATES DUELING FOR DOLLARS AS THEY SHOW OFF THEIR FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR TRUMP Polls suggest that while many Democrats are divided over the demonstrations, Republicans are nearly entirely united in opposition. “As antisemitism spikes to record highs and America’s relationship with our ally Israel continues to reach new lows, the Jewish community is more energized than ever to turn the page from the failures, broken promises, and betrayals by Joe Biden. November 5 cannot come soon enough,” Markstein argued. The RJC is a four-decades-old group that describes itself as “the national grassroots organization of Jewish Republicans and represents tens of thousands of Jewish Republicans across this country.” Late Republican mega donor and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who died at age 87 in 2021, for years played a key leadership role with the RJC and gave it generous financial support. The group remained neutral during the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race and the RJC’s annual leadership meeting in Las Vegas last autumn attracted all the major Republican White House contenders. Former Vice President Mike Pence made major news at the October confab by announcing that he was suspending his campaign. The RJC endorsed Trump in early March, immediately after former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – who was the former president’s last rival – dropped out of the race. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Southern border migrant encounters decrease slightly but gotaways still surge under Biden
The U.S. Border Patrol recorded ar decline in migrant encounters in April, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a news release Wednesday. In April, the Border Patrol recorded 128,900 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border. The figure was 30% lower than in April 2023, and 6% lower than in March. “CBP continues to surge resources and personnel to impacted sectors along the border to ensure the safe, swift, and orderly processing of individuals to maximize expedited removals,” Troy Miller, a senior official performing the duties of the commissioner, said in a statement. DHS’ FAILURE TO FILE PAPERWORK HAS LED TO 200K IMMIGRATION COURT CASES TOSSED UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN: TRAC Despite the decline, separate figures obtained by Fox News revealed there were 1.6 million known gotaways from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2023. In the decade of FY 2010 through FY 2020, under former Presidents Obama and Trump, authorities recorded more than 1.4 million known gotaways. Known gotaways are illegal immigrants seen or detected via cameras, sensors, footings, etc., but are never apprehended. “If a person is willing to put themselves into harm’s way crossing through very remote, very dangerous conditions to evade capture, you have to ask yourself why. What makes them willing to take that risk?” Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens asked a House committee in May 2023. BORDER PATROL OFFICIALS SAY THREAT POSED BY ‘GOTAWAYS’ AT SOUTHERN BORDER ‘KEEPS US UP AT NIGHT’ “That’s of concern to me. What’s also of concern to me is I don’t know who that individual is,” he added. “I don’t know where they came from. I don’t know what their intention is. I don’t know what they brought with them. That unknown represents a risk, a threat. It’s of great concern to anybody that wears this uniform.” In April, CBP processed 41,400 people through appointments at ports of entry submitted on the CBP One app, authorities said. Since the app was introduced in January 2023, more than 591,000 people have scheduled appointments to present at ports of entry, CBP said. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has been heavily criticized for the record numbers of migrants entering the U.S., has previously noted changes in migration flow in correspondence with Congress. “Before 2013, the majority of individuals attempting to cross the border entered without being caught,” he said in a letter in January to the House Homeland Security Committee. “Under this administration, the estimated annual apprehension rate has averaged 78%, the same average rate of apprehension as in the prior administration.” Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
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GOP turns up heat on House Dems with high-pressure Israel vote Thursday
The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill to stop President Biden from blocking offensive weapons aid to Israel on Thursday. Biden has faced bipartisan backlash for withholding a bomb shipment from Israel over fears it could be used in Rafah, as well as for warning Israel that the U.S. would not send offensive weapons if they were used on population centers in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israel Security Assistance Support Act would condemn the president’s posture on Israel’s Gaza invasion while compelling the Biden administration to expeditiously send any weapons shipments already approved by Congress. REPORTS OF BIDEN WHITE HOUSEKEEPING ‘SENSITIVE’ HAMAS INTEL FROM ISRAEL DRAWS OUTRAGE It would also withhold funding from the secretary of defense, secretary of state and the National Security Council if there was any delay in weapons aid. Democrat leaders in the House and White House are actively opposing the bill, but it’s expected to have at least a few supporters on the left. One House Democrat aide told Fox News Digital they anticipate roughly 10 left-wing lawmakers to join Republicans in supporting the bill. BLINKEN DELIVERS STRONGEST REBUKE OF ISRAEL YET: ‘GET OUT OF GAZA’ A second House Democrat aide put the number at under 20, noting that the White House was “pushing hard” against the bill. At least two Democrat lawmakers – Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio – have told Axios that they are voting for the bill. The issue of Israel has proven to be a potent political cudgel for the GOP as Democrats wrestle with a growing chorus of voices who are increasingly critical of the U.S.’s traditionally unconditional support for Israel. MIKE PENCE ACCUSES BIDEN OF IMPEACHMENT HYPOCRISY House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said Wednesday morning, “We know this is a political sham bill. And really, when you look at this bill, they are looking to [the Pentagon], State Department, the NSC, in this time of global conflict. It’s shameful.” The White House called the bill a “misguided reaction to a deliberate distortion of the administration’s approach to Israel” in its veto threat. The vote comes days after Biden announced he was moving forward with a $1 billion weapons shipment to Israel, according to reports.
‘Must apologize’: Vulnerable House Dem faces renewed backlash over comparison involving 9/11 terrorist
FIRST ON FOX: Twenty-one-term Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is facing renewed criticism from Republicans in her state over comments she made in a resurfaced interview where she appears to compare Osama bin Laden and the United States’ war against terrorism with the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution. “Before launching a military strike against Iraq, Americans should consider their own history to remember how powerful the mix of religion and politics can be, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) said,” a March 2003 article from the Toledo Blade reports about a conversation with Kaptur, who is running for re-election in November for a seat she has held in Congress since 1983. “If you think back to our founding as a country, we are a country of revolution,” Kaptur is quoted as saying as the country was preparing for an invasion of Iraq. “One could say that Osama bin Laden and these non-nation-state fighters with religious purpose are very similar to those kind of atypical revolutionaries that helped to cast off the British crown.” Kaptur went on to explain that the United States should not get “caught in the crossfire” of religious extremism in the Middle East. VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM UNDER FIRE FOR INTRODUCING ONLY 5 BILLS THAT BECAME LAW IN 41 YEARS: ‘HASN’T DONE SQUAT’ “I think that one thing that people of faith understand about the world of Islam is that the kind of insurgency we see occurring in many of these countries is an act of hope that life will be better using Islam as the only reed that they have to lean on,” Kaptur said. “I think that people of faith understand that for many of the terrorists, their actions are acts of sacred piety to the point of losing their lives. And I think that people of faith understand that there is a heavy religious overtone to the opposition.” Kaptur’s comments drew criticism from Republicans at the time it was made, including from then National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Thomas M. Reynolds, who called it “outrageous,” Washington Post reported. That criticism was renewed this week by Kaptur’s critics in Ohio, including her Republican challenger, Republican Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin. GOP CANDIDATE PUSHING TERM LIMITS SEEKS TO UNSEAT VULNERABLE 41-YEAR DEM INCUMBENT: ‘COUNTRY IS IN TROUBLE’ “It’s clear Marcy Kaptur left her values behind many years ago,” Merrin told Fox News Digital. “Whether it’s comparing a terrorist to our Founding Fathers, voting in lockstep with radical Democrats, or failing to deliver results for Northwest Ohio, Kaptur has demonstrated time and again that she’s lost touch with working-class people that love America. Our Founding Fathers created the best country on Earth,” Merrin continued. “They should never be considered in the same sentence as a terrorist who has done immeasurable harm to Americans.” Mike Marinella, a NRCC spokesperson, also slammed Kaptur in a statement to Fox News Digital. “When you’ve only passed five bills in forty years like Marcy Kaptur, apparently you have time on your hands to contemplate radical deep thoughts,” Marinella said. “No Ohioan agrees with Kaptur’s sympathy for terrorists – she must apologize immediately.” Fox News Digital reached out to Kaptur’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response. In 2003, Kaptur told the Washington Post that Republican critics had “chosen to twist my words.” “My comments were intended to point out that what faces us is a rising revolution being felt across repressive regimes of the Arab and Islamic world,” Kaptur said at the time. “The American people understand the power of revolution. It is in that context that I referred to the American Revolution.” The general election race in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District is expected to be a tight one with Kaptur defending her seat in a district that Trump won by three points in 2020. The Cook Political report ranks the race as a “toss up” that Republicans are targeting as an opportunity to hold and improve on their slim majority in the House.
Michael Cohen returns as final witness in NYC AG Bragg’s criminal prosecution of Trump
Defense attorneys for former President Trump are expected to continue their cross-examination of Michael Cohen when court resumes Thursday morning. Cohen is said to be the star witness and will give the final testimony in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against the former president. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified business records 34 times to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence. TRUMP ALLIES POUR INTO NYC COURTHOUSE TO ‘SUPPORT THEIR FRIEND,’ SAY THEY’RE NOT COORDINATING WITH CAMPAIGN So far, Cohen has testified he personally made the $130,000 payment to Daniels using a home equity line of credit in an effort to conceal the payment from his wife. Cohen said he did this because Trump told him to “handle it” and prevent a negative story from coming out ahead of the election. Cohen testified that he was “reimbursed $420,000” for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels. Cohen said former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg suggested he “gross up” the payments and that Trump knew the details of the reimbursement. MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION The prosecution presented Cohen with 11 checks totaling $420,000. Cohen confirmed that they were all received and deposited. The checks had a description of a “retainer,” which Cohen said was false. Under cross-examination by Trump attorney Todd Blanche, Cohen testified he apologized to Congress, the country and to his family for lying to them in 2017 and “acting in a way that suppressed information that the citizenry had a right to know in order to make an informed decision about an individual who was seeking the highest office in the land.” Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison. Blanche grilled Cohen about his negative past statements online and to the media about Trump. Over the course of the investigation, Cohen made more than 20 television appearances. He has recorded hundreds of podcast episodes — four total episodes a week annually — since the investigation for this trial started. Cohen agreed Trump has been mentioned in every podcast. SPEAKER JOHNSON TO ATTEND TRUMP TRIAL IN MANHATTAN IN SHOW OF SUPPORT Blanche also asked Cohen if he was obsessed with Trump. “I don’t know if I would call it obsessed,” Cohen said. “I admired him tremendously.” Under cross-examination, Cohen also admitted to meeting with former New York prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who resigned in 2022 when Bragg took over the Manhattan DA’s probe of Trump after Pomerantz signaled he was uninterested in bringing charges against the former president. Cohen in 2021 testified he wanted the DA’s office to publicly acknowledge he was cooperating with its investigation because he was hoping to have his sentence lessened. Cohen, at the time, was serving his sentence but was moved from prison to home confinement. Ultimately, there was no letter or public announcement made by the DA about his cooperation. Cohen’s expected continued testimony Thursday comes a day after Robert Costello, a lawyer who formerly advised Cohen, testified on Capitol Hill that Cohen was a serial liar. Costello testified before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s grand jury in March before Trump was indicted and recalled interactions with Cohen. Costello said Cohen told him during their meetings he “took care” of the Stormy Daniels payments “himself” and said he did not get any money from Trump for the arrangement. Trump is not permitted to speak about witnesses or court staff due to the gag order imposed upon him by Judge Juan Merchan. The former president appealed the gag order, arguing it violated his First Amendment rights. But as Cohen testified Tuesday, the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court denied Trump’s appeal of the gag order. Now Trump’s attorneys will have the opportunity to appeal to the New York Court of Appeals.
Why Biden did the debate throwdown, Trump agreed, and the risks for each side
Candidates debate when they have to debate. That’s why Donald Trump didn’t during the primaries. That’s why Joe Biden, battling abysmal poll numbers, surprised everyone yesterday by agreeing to two debates. And why Trump, who’s been demanding a side-by-side comparison – he had even floated debating on my show – immediately accepted. BIDEN’S TEAM IS AFRAID TO ‘LET HIM LOOSE’: LUCY CALDWELL With a speed that raised questions about whether it was “rigged,” both camps agreed within a couple of hours to do the faceoffs on CNN on June 27, and on ABC Sept. 10. (Four networks were deemed eligible.) CNN has already announced Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators. While key details remain to be worked out, Trump appears to have agreed to two key Biden conditions. And this is not a man who likes others dictating the rules. First, Biden doesn’t want an audience. He doesn’t want Trump, who draws huge crowds at rallies, whipping his supporters into hooting and hollering. (Trump said he wanted big venues for “excitement.”) The president wants a quiet debate focused on policy. Second, Biden wants a mute button. That is, when one candidate is speaking for the allotted 60 or 30 seconds, the other’s mike is shut off. This is to prevent a replay of their first debate in 2020, when Trump was constantly interrupting or talking over Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. The former president can’t be thrilled about that. CROSS-EXAMINATION THROWS MICHAEL COHEN OFF BALANCE, BUT BELABORS POINT THAT HE HATES TRUMP This all went public at 8 a.m. Eastern yesterday morning, when Biden posted a short and snarky video: “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal.” By the way, the man doesn’t make a very convincing Clint Eastwood. “I’ll even do it twice. So let’s pick the dates. Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.” (The joke, in case you were wondering, is that the hush money trial isn’t in session on Wednesdays – like yesterday, when Biden’s message would actually get covered.” Trump responded on Truth Social that while “Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced” and “can’t put two sentences together,” he accepts. It’s hard to overstate the importance of these two events, which more than any debate since Ronald Reagan told Jimmy Carter in 1980 “there you go again,” could decide the election. Biden was on track to lose the election. He’s been shielded and hardly making any news, even before Trump’s hush money trial began. His team must belatedly recognize this. Joe had to do something to shake things up. The Biden camp believes that his superior knowledge will become evident in no-frills debates. There’s also a conviction that the more the public sees of Trump, who’s been cooped up in a Manhattan courthouse, the better it is for the president. On the other hand, Trump’s sheer physical presence, and bombastic style, will present a favorable contrast to Biden’s elderly mien and thin voice (though they’re only 3-½ years apart). And trust me, as someone who’s sat down with Donald for an hour-long interview, he can focus and exercise discipline when he wants to. SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES This probably sounds the death knell for the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has handled the fall events since 1988. It has become something of a dinosaur, locked into three October debates (after early voting starts) with a loud audience. Plus the moderators, picked from the usual suspects (except the late great Jim Lehrer) were often distrusted. So both candidates are bailing on the bipartisan panel. Already there’s chatter that Trump might find reasons to back out, but I don’t see that happening. And I didn’t think his opponent would engage. But Biden’s calculation is that he had to roll the dice. We’ll know soon enough whether his gamble pays off.