Mudslinging candidates in heated House race face voters on big primary day
Candidates in a heated House race gaining national attention are facing the will of voters today as one aims to make history and the other tries to keep his family’s legacy alive. Veteran Air Force Brig. Gen. Chris “Mookie” Walker and West Virginia state Treasurer Riley Moore, the top two candidates in a crowded Republican primary for West Virginia’s deep-red 2nd Congressional District, have battled for months to win over the large majority of conservative voters in the district. Walker, a Republican who was the first Black man to hold a general’s rank in the West Virginia National Guard, would likely also be the first Black man from the state elected to Congress if he wins Tuesday’s primary, while Moore, whose family includes a number of former elected officials, would secure a continuation of that political legacy. RACIAL SLUR, ALLEGED THREAT TO ‘EXECUTE’ MAN: WATCH MOST OUTRAGEOUS MOMENTS FROM THIS DEM SENATE CANDIDATE Walker has sought to paint Moore as part of a “political dynasty,” calling for West Virginians to send a non-career politician to Washington, D.C. “Look, I respect Riley Moore. I appreciate what he’s done in state government as the state treasurer, but in my opinion, and a lot of people’s opinions, dynasties don’t work. Just because his grandfather was a former governor doesn’t make him best qualified,” he told Fox News Digital ahead of his campaign launch in January. “I think that this moment is too important to send another career politician to Washington, D.C. Again, I’m a pugilist. For all the things that are important to West Virginians, I will be the thorn in the side of the left, whereas others are, I think, going to just be there meekly casting votes,” he added. BIDEN FACING UPHILL BATTLE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES AS DOWN-BALLOT DEMS LEAD: POLL Moore, on the other hand, has largely ignored Walker on the campaign trail, instead focusing on his campaign’s America First message and pledges to stand up against the policies being pushed by Democrats and the Biden administration. Walker and Moore have run neck-and-neck on dollars spent on the race, while the former has tried to gain the advantage by tying the latter to his time working in the “swamp” of Washington, D.C., an often-used line to blast career politicians and those with deep ties to government-related work. Earlier this year, Walker criticized Moore for his time working as a lobbyist at the controversial – and now-defunct – Podesta Group, claiming he represented “dictators and despots and anti-American zealots,” including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). TRUMP VEEPSTAKES: THE PROS AND CONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM It appears no evidence exists linking Moore to any work directly with the CCP, although it has been reported that the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a client of the Podesta Group at the time of Moore’s employment, was heavily influenced by party members. Moore’s campaign pushed back on Walker’s claims, accusing him of lying. It also accused Walker of lying about his service in the Air Force, claiming he never flew in combat. Walker, in fact, served extensively in combat, according to military records reviewed by Fox News Digital. “West Virginians should vote for me for one simple reason – values. I spent my life defending America around the globe, and I’ve run this campaign on that record of service and sacrifice. My opponent has only ever looked out for himself. We deserve so much better,” Walker told Fox News Digital on Tuesday as voters headed to the polls. “Riley Moore is the only proven conservative in this race, with a record of fighting and winning for West Virginians. They know him, they trust him, and they’re ready to send him to Congress, where he’ll fight for them every single day,” a spokesperson for Moore told Fox News Digital. Walker and Moore face a crowded Republican primary field that includes Army veterans Dennis Cain and Joseph Early, as well as Alexander Gaaserud. The winner of Tuesday’s Republican primary will be the heavy favorite to win the November general election. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump allies join forces to hammer ‘sham’ trial ‘weaponized’ against 45th president: ‘Political persecution’
Allies of former President Donald Trump, including former 2024 presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, slammed the ongoing NY v. Trump trial as a “sham” promoted by Democrats ahead of the 2024 election. “I learned a lot from being in there in person. It is one of the most depressing places I have been in my life. But it is fitting because the only thing more depressing than the environment of that courtroom is what’s actually happening in there. It’s straight out of a Kafka novel. The prosecution’s main strategy appears to be to bore the jurors into submission. And if you look in that direction, sadly, it may appear to actually be working,” Ramaswamy said Tuesday outside the New York courthouse, adding that the case is “politicized persecution.” “The whole case that Alvin Bragg has brought depends on one premise for them to charge this as a felony, is that Donald Trump somehow should have used campaign funds to make an allegedly personal payment. Yet if he had done that, their case against him would be even stronger. This is garbage.… It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t. This is a sham. This is not the United States of America. This is some third-rate banana republic,” Ramaswamy said. Florida Rep. Cory Mills, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ramaswamy, Donalds and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined Trump in court on Tuesday. A Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital that the supporters all volunteered to join Trump in court to support their friend, and were not invited by the campaign. LIVE UPDATES: MICHAEL COHEN TESTIMONY CONTINUES AFTER EX-LAWYER REVEALS SECRET RECORDINGS OF TRUMP IN NY TRIAL “There’s nothing that has been wrong here. Nothing that has been done poorly by President Trump. The only thing that’s being done wrong is by this judge. His daughter is making money, raising money for Democrats, and all of the fundraising emails, and all the fundraising things are about this trial that his daughter is using. He won’t recuse himself. This is a travesty of justice. This is a misuse of the justice system,” Donalds said during the press conference. Trump’s legal team had previously demanded presiding Judge Juan Merchan’s recusal from the case, citing that Merchan’s daughter works as a Democratic consultant. TRUMP TRIAL VEEPSTAKES? TRUMP ALLIES SHOW UP IN FORCE AHEAD OF MICHAEL COHEN’S SECOND DAY OF TESTIMONY Mills slammed the trial as “the weaponization of what was the Department of Justice,” and Burgum called the case “election interference” that is “tying up the president for being out on the campaign trail.” The allies joining Trump Tuesday follow fellow supporters such as Ohio Sen. JD Vance, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, and Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville who attended Trump’s trial on Monday. Trump is in court for his 17th day of the trial on Tuesday. The case focuses on Cohen paying former pornographic performer Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged 2006 extramarital affair with the then-real estate tycoon. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels. Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime. MASSIVE TRUMP BEACH RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE NJ DRAWS STARK CONTRAST TO BIDEN’S BEACH WEEKEND: ‘BIDEN COULD NEVER’ Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case and has maintained his innocence. This week began with testimony from Cohen, who is considered the prosecution’s star witness in the case. The former Trump attorney detailed to the court that he spent his own funds to pay Daniels $130,000 in order to execute a non-disclosure agreement and obtain rights to her claims of an affair. In October 2016, according to Cohen’s testimony, he told Trump that Daniels must be paid in order to quiet her claims ahead of Election Day the following month. Cohen’s testimony also included how he secretly recorded Trump in 2016 regarding another payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. McDougal also claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which the 45th president has repeatedly denied. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker purchased exclusive rights to her story to bury the claims ahead of the 2016 election, according to trial testimony. TRUMP BLASTS ‘HIGHLY CONFLICTED’ JUDGE AFTER MICHAEL COHEN’S FIRST DAY OF TESTIMONY WRAPS Cohen’s testimony comes after Daniels took the stand last week, and detailed to the court that she met Trump in 2006 at Lake Tahoe in Nevada during a celebrity golf tournament. She alleged that the pair had sex in Trump’s hotel room during the event, which Trump has repeatedly denied in public comments. Daniels’ testimony also included describing to the court how she got into the pornography business after working as an exotic dancer as a teenager. Legal experts subsequently sounded off that Daniels’ testimony was irrelevant to the case and that it should not have been admitted into the record. Trump’s legal team twice moved for a mistrial, but was denied. MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION Burgum added during the Tuesday press conference that while the trial continues, allies of Trump’s will continue campaigning for the 45th president as Americans deal with spiraling inflation under the Biden administration. “We’re all here today because of the circus of this trial. But I want to say a word to those Americans out there that are dealing with Biden’s inflation. And when their paychecks aren’t helping them get through the end of the month because they’re paying more for their gas and their food. They’re paying more for their electricity. I want them to know that while this trial is going on, there’s many of us around the country that are out helping campaign for President Trump to make sure that the message gets through,” Burgum said in closing remarks.
Who is Bhavesh Bhinde, owner of Ghatkopar hoarding that collapsed and killed 14 during Mumbai storm?
The owner of Ego Media has a history of police cases-over 20 total, including one involving rape.Bhinde is reportedly on the run and has turned off his mobile, according to police officials.
Trump flanked by strong showing of GOP allies amid Cohen’s testimony in NY v. Trump trial: PHOTOS
A bevy of Republican allies are joining former President Trump in Manhattan court this week, including a handful of politicians floated as potential vice presidential contenders in Trump’s effort to re-win the White House this year. Trump was flanked Tuesday ahead of court by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, as well as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former 2024 presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy. Johnson held a press conference Tuesday morning outside the courthouse, where he railed against presiding Judge Juan Merchan and the prosecution team as politically-motivated against Trump. “What we’ve got here is a partisan Democrat district attorney. We have a Biden donor judge, and we have an assistant D.A. who was recently a top official at the Department of Justice, Biden’s DOJ, and recently received over $10,000 in payments from the Democratic National Committee,” he said. LIVE UPDATES: MICHAEL COHEN TESTIMONY TO CONTINUE AFTER EX-LAWYER REVEALS SECRET RECORDINGS OF TRUMP IN NY TRIAL “The judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another. And meanwhile, among the atrocities here, the judge’s own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrat,” he continued, citing Merchan’s daughter’s work as a political consultant. On Monday, the former president was joined by Ohio Sen. JD Vance, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and his son Eric Trump. Eric Trump is also in court with his father again Tuesday, as is Trump attorney Alina Habba. TRUMP TRIAL VEEPSTAKES? TRUMP ALLIES SHOW UP IN FORCE AHEAD OF MICHAEL COHEN’S SECOND DAY OF TESTIMONY Politicians and lawmakers such as Vance, Donalds, Burgum and Ramaswamy have all been floated as potential picks for vice president on Trump’s ticket. A Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital that the supporters all volunteered to join Trump in court to support their friend, and were not invited by the campaign. Trump is back in court Tuesday for his 17th day of the trial, where the court is hearing testimony again from former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. MASSIVE TRUMP BEACH RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE NJ DRAWS STARK CONTRAST TO BIDEN’S BEACH WEEKEND: ‘BIDEN COULD NEVER’ Monday was an action-packed day in court, hearing testimony for the first time from former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen. The case focuses on Cohen paying former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels. TRUMP ALLIES POUR INTO NYC COURTHOUSE TO ‘SUPPORT THEIR FRIEND,’ SAY THEY’RE NOT COORDINATING WITH CAMPAIGN Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime. Cohen testified to secretly recording Trump in September 2016 to share with publisher David Pecker proof that Trump planned to reimburse Pecker for purchasing the potentially damaging story, according to the testimony. Cohen added that in addition to easing Pecker’s mind that he would be repaid, he also made the recording in order to keep Pecker “loyal” to Trump. TRUMP BLASTS ‘HIGHLY CONFLICTED’ JUDGE AFTER MICHAEL COHEN’S FIRST DAY OF TESTIMONY WRAPS He also detailed to the court that he spent his own funds to pay Daniels $130,000 in order to execute a non-disclosure agreement and obtain rights to her claims of the affair. In October 2016, according to Cohen’s testimony, he told Trump that Daniels must be paid in order to quiet her claims ahead of Election Day the following month. He testified that he spoke with Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg about how to fund the payment, with Weisselberg saying he was not in a position to initially foot the bill. MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION TRUMP, DEFENDERS SHOW UP IN FORCE AHEAD OF COHEN TESTIMONY Cohen said he did not discuss the matter with his wife, and decided to gather funds through a home equity line of credit instead of drawing the money from his personal account. “The star witness here is Michael Cohen. I just listened to a few moments of his, testimony this morning, and it is consistent with what he’s already done. This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth. He is someone who has a history of perjury and is well known for it. No one should believe a word he says today. He lied to Congress. He lied to the IRS. He lied to federal election officials. Even Cohen’s own lawyer testified to a grand jury that he is not reliable. So there’s nothing that he presents here that should be given any weight at all by a jury, and certainly not this judge,” Speaker Johnson said in his remarks Monday outside the Manhattan courthouse.
Dolton board makes new move against scandal-ridden ‘supermayor’ Tiffany Henyard
There has been another twist in the ongoing saga in the small Chicago town of Dolton. The board members of Dolton appointed a mayor pro tempore on Monday to serve in place of embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard should she refuse to execute her duties, Fox 32 Chicago reports. Trustee Jason House was voted in as mayor pro tempore – meaning for the time being – at a special meeting and could sign off on village business and pay bills in Henyard’s absence. Henyard, the self-described “supermayor” of Dolton, and Thornton Township Supervisor, has faced accusations of corruption and has drawn national attention to the small town which has a population of around 21,500. Dolton residents have called for Henyard’s resignation, including booing her at the last Village Board meeting she attended. DEMOCRATIC ILLINOIS ‘SUPER MAYOR’ VETOES ATTEMPT TO PROBE HER LAVISH SPENDING The board says Henyard is ignoring important village business and that their move was necessary so that Dolton can function and residents can receive services. They say she has missed 25 of the special meetings and refuses to allow some business to be put on the agenda for the village’s regular meetings, WGN reports. “We’re just really trying to make sure that if something critical comes up, that there’s a signature on deck that can move it forward,” House said, according to the media outlet. “This is not a replacement. This ordinance is strictly in the refusal or inability for the mayor to do her duties, an appointed senior trustee to step in and make sure the necessary documents are signed and business moves forward,” House said during Monday night’s trustee meeting, Fox 32 reports. According to one report, Henyard is expected to veto the action. She has already vetoed the board’s request to launch a federal investigation into her alleged misuse of funds and last week vetoed their hiring of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who had been tasked with leading a special investigation into the mayor. Lightfoot was being paid $400 an hour to gather information on Henyard’s alleged spending and finance mismanagement, but Henyard said she would not be paid. Henyard has been dubbed the “worst mayor in America” by critics after being accused of misdeeds ranging from weaponizing police raids to spending taxpayer money on luxuries in Las Vegas. Most recently, the scandal-ridden mayor has also come under fire for an alleged sexual assault by one of her allies during the Vegas trip, where the alleged victim claims to have been fired after speaking out. Henyard’s cancer charity is also facing scrutiny. CONTROVERSIAL MAYOR POSTS VIDEO WITH BIDEN JUST DAYS AFTER RIPPING COLLEAGUES FOR ‘ATTACKING ON A BLACK WOMAN’ Last month the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation. Henyard herself was not served. The first one was for employment records, personnel files, and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, who is the village administrator and Henyard’s top aide. Freeman was charged with bankruptcy fraud on Monday. The second subpoena was served specifically on Freeman, asking for records of all companies associated with him and possible ties to the village. In February, it was reported that the FBI was investigating the mayor, as six individuals had reportedly spoken to the agency about her alleged misconduct, including “business owners, a former village employee and one or more public officials.” Fox News Digital requested comment from Henyard’s office but did not immediately receive a response. Henyard has appealed to racial politics amid her scandals before, proclaiming during a previous meeting, “Y’all got false narratives out there, and y’all should be ashamed of y’all selves. Y’all Black. Y’all are Black! And y’all sitting up here beating and attacking on a Black woman that’s in power. Y’all should be ashamed of y’all selves.” Fox News Digital previously reported that Henyard has been living like a royal with a combined salary of nearly $300,000 — more than the state’s governor — and frequent use of beauty vendors, despite the 23,000 residents of the Illinois town having a median income of $24,000. The mayor, who insists “God chose me” and met with President Biden in January, has been said to engage in such wild antics it is like a “real life Parks and Rec situation.” Fox News’ Alexander Hall and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
White House protests GOP-led bill that would compel Israel support
The White House is speaking out against a Republican-led bill that would force President Biden to stop withholding military shipments to Israel. Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced the Israel Security Assistance Support Act over the weekend, which would “[compel] the expeditious delivery of approved defense articles and services to Israel, including third-party deliveries.” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke out against the bill at her Monday press conference, claiming it put restraints on the president’s ability to fulfill foreign policy objectives. REPUBLICAN SAYS BIDEN HAS ‘STRENGTHENED’ HAMAS BY WITHHOLDING AID FROM ISRAEL: ‘COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT’ “We strongly, strongly oppose attempts to constrain the president’s ability to deploy U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” said Jean-Pierre at the Monday press briefing. Biden has so far withheld one shipment of weapons covered by the Israeli aid package passed in Congress last month. Jean-Pirre told reporters at the press conference that the Biden administration intends to eventually follow through with all $17 billion of aid approved by Congress. BIDEN UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER THREAT TO ISRAEL’S OFFENSIVE AID: ‘PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES’ “It is our objective, as well, that we plan to spend every last cent appropriated consistent with legal obligations, including in the recent […] national security supplemental that was just passed,” she said. The White House’s unclear intentions regarding fulfilling the Israeli aid package has threatened to rupture the Democratic Party. Twenty-six Democrats signed a letter to the president last week expressing concern about “the message the Administration is sending to Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist proxies.” After President Biden gave his ultimatum of withholding offensive weapons to the Jewish state if Israel were to launch an invasion of Rafah, rocket attacks rained down on Israel on Friday from Rafah, with more rockets fired on Saturday. Hamas launched rockets from Rafah at the southern Israeli city of Beersheva on Friday for the first time since December, as Iranian proxy Hezbollah sent a barrage of rockets into the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, causing a massive fire. Fox News Digital’s Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
NY v. Trump: Appeals court rejects Trump’s request to end ‘unconstitutional’ gag order
The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected former President Donald Trump’s attempt to end a gag order that has prevented him from speaking publicly about many aspects of the case. “We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner’s First Amendment Rights against the court’s historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” the First Department of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division wrote in its order Tuesday. Trump’s legal team now has the opportunity to appeal the gag order to the New York Court of Appeals. “The gag order imposed by conflicted Judge Juan Merchan in the lawless Manhattan DA case is unconstitutional and un-American. The threat to throw the 45th President of the United States and the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election in jail for exercising his First Amendment rights is a Third World authoritarian tactic typical of Crooked Joe Biden and his comrades,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. MICHAEL COHEN TESTIMONY TO CONTINUE AFTER EX-LAWYER REVEALS SECRET RECORDINGS OF TRUMP IN NY TRIAL The rejected appeal comes as Trump, as well as his allies, have repeatedly and consistently railed against the order as “unconstitutional” and preventing Trump from defending himself from critics’ attacks. Presiding Judge Juan Merchan imposed the gag order on Trump before his criminal trial in New York began, ordering the presumptive Republican presidential nominee not to make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses, counsel in the case or about court staff, the DA staff or family members of staff. TRUMP TRIAL VEEPSTAKES? TRUMP ALLIES SHOW UP IN FORCE AHEAD OF MICHAEL COHEN’S SECOND DAY OF TESTIMONY After the trial kicked off, Merchan ruled that Trump violated the order on 10 occasions, resulting in a combined $10,000 fine. The violations stemmed from messages posted by Trump on Truth Social and the campaign’s website. In the judge’s initial gag order ruling, he threatened Trump with jail time if he further violated the order, while also lamenting not being able to fine Trump more than $1,000 for each violation. Merchan wrote in the order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.” MASSIVE TRUMP BEACH RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE NJ DRAWS STARK CONTRAST TO BIDEN’S BEACH WEEKEND: ‘BIDEN COULD NEVER’ Merchan also lamented that the dollar amount of the penalties “unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the contemnor can easily afford such a fine.” MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION Trump responded to the threats of jail earlier this month as a “sacrifice” he was willing to make to protect the Constitution. “I have to watch every word I tell you people. You ask me a question, a simple question I’d like to give it, but I can’t talk about it because this judge has given me a gag order and [says] you’ll go to jail if you violate it,” Trump said last week. “And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.”
‘Country is in crisis’: House GOP unleashes on Dems with blistering ad marking 6 months until Election Day
FIRST ON FOX: The National Republican Congressional Committee unveiled an ad Tuesday morning signaling the six-month mark until the November election and accusing House Democrats of failing on a variety of top issues. “Under extreme House Democrats, the country is in crisis,” the new ad released on Tuesday starts out. “The border is a disaster. The economy is failing. And lawlessness is the new normal.” The ad continues, “Yet amid Democrats’ extremism, Republicans fight for our freedoms. We are six months out from the most important election of this lifetime. Fight for freedom. Fight for America. And vote on Nov. 5.” NRCC rapid response director Macy Gardner told Fox News Digital in a statement that “extreme Democrats will plunge our country into an unprecedented level of chaos if we don’t kick them out of office in November.” BIDEN FACING UPHILL BATTLE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES AS DOWN-BALLOT DEMS LEAD: POLL “Fortunately, House Republicans continue to fight tooth and nail to halt Biden’s border, crime, and inflation crises.” A spokesperson for the DCCC fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, “Facts matter.” “We’ve seen record job growth over the last two years, inflation has come down significantly, and it’s Republicans who defend violent insurrectionists and their wannabe dictator in chief as they stand trial,” Viet Shelton said. “Only Democrats are fighting to lower health care costs, make the ultra wealthy pay their fair share, support a bipartisan border security deal, and protect reproductive freedom for everyone, everywhere.” “The defining traits of this House Republican majority have been dysfunction, chaos, and a steady sprint to the far-right at all costs – and voters are sick and tired of it,” he added. NEW POLL REVEALS HOW MANY DEMS AGREE WITH DEMANDS OF ANTI-ISRAEL CAMPUS PROTESTERS Democrats continue to hold a major cash advantage in the race for control of the House of Representatives, Fox News Digital reported last month, as Republicans attempt to grow their slim majority in the chamber this November. A bright spot for Republicans, however, is that the NRCC’s current cash-on-hand deficit is smaller than it was at the same point in the 2022 and 2020 election cycles. In March 2022, the DCCC had $18.5 million more cash on hand than the NRCC, but Republicans gained nine seats that November. That difference was a massive $31.9 million in 2020, but Republicans still went on to gain 13 seats. “House Republicans remain in a strong position to grow the majority. Meanwhile, extreme House Democrats continue to support dangerous open borders, pro-crime and pro-inflationary policies that doomed their majority in the first place,” NRCC spokesman Will Reinert told Fox News Digital in April. Fox News Digital’s Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report
Speaker Johnson rips ‘atrocities’ against Trump at Manhattan hush money trial
House Speaker Mike Johnson accused New York City justice officials of committing “atrocities” against former President Trump in an impassioned set of remarks outside the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday. Johnson is the latest Trump ally to descend on the Big Apple as the ex-president stands trial for accusations he falsified business documents to cover up a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. “It’s impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another,” Johnson said, referring to GOP-led accusations that President Biden has been shielded by his own Justice Department. “And meanwhile…among the atrocities here, the judge’s own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats.” MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION Johnson also echoed accusations that Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is profiting off of the trial via her firm Authentic Campaigns, which has done work for top Democrats like Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Adam Schiff, R-Calif., according to the industry site Campaigns & Elections. Trump himself is under a partial gag order after lobbing similar accusations. “It’s so corrupt, it’s so corrupt and everybody knows it,” Johnson continued on Tuesday. “If [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg] thinks the American people will believe these absurd charges, take a look at the turnout at Trump events.” Fox News Digital reached out to Authentic Campaigns and the New York Courts system for comment, as well as a spokesperson for Bragg. MICHAEL COHEN’S CREDIBILITY ISSUES, BRAZEN TIKTOK USAGE RAISE MEDIA EYEBROWS AHEAD OF TESTIMONY Johnson further argued that the Manhattan trial was the latest in a series of “partisan witch hunts” against Trump, and vowed the House of Representatives would look at ways to “rein in” Special Counsel Jack Smith. Smith is investigating Trump for his alleged efforts to upend his 2020 election loss and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. “That one is so egregious, the trial’s been indefinitely postponed,” Johnson said of the classified documents case. “I’m working with Chairman [Jim] Jordan of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman [James] Comer of our Oversight committee on measures to rein in the abuses of Special Counsel Jack Smith.” He said the multiple cases against Trump amount to “election interference.” NY V TRUMP: COHEN TESTIFIES TO PAYING STORMY DANIELS FROM HIS OWN POCKET The Louisiana Republican is the highest-ranking federal official to show public support for Trump so far, demonstrating the commanding hold he has over the GOP, including Johnson’s own razor-thin House majority. In addition to Johnson, former 2024 presidential candidate-turned-Trump surrogate Vivek Ramaswamy also planned to attend the ex-president’s trial on Tuesday. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., also posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was in attendance. “Great to meet with President Trump today prior to us heading to the courtroom. I’m honored to stand with the President, as America stands with him, and I view this victimless sham indictment as political theater and interference,” Mills wrote.
Trump allies pour into NYC courthouse to ‘support their friend,’ say they’re not coordinating with campaign
Allies of former President Trump are coming to court in New York City this week of their own volition and without coordination from the Trump campaign, according to sources who told Fox News Digital that Republican guests are “genuinely” coming to “support their friend” during his criminal trial. Trump was joined by a number of GOP allies Tuesday as he arrived at court in Lower Manhattan for the 17th day of his trial. NY V TRUMP: PROSECUTORS TO RESUME QUESTIONING MICHAEL COHEN AFTER TESTIMONY ON STORMY DANIELS PAYMENT “All guests volunteer to come to court to support their friend, President Trump, and are not invited by the campaign,” a Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital. The official said the growing number of Republican allies coming to the downtown Manhattan courthouse is “not some kind of coordinated political thing.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy joined the former president at the courthouse Tuesday. Sens. J.D. Vance, Tommy Tuberville, Rick Scott and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis attended court with the former president on Monday. “I came here, again, today, on my own, to support President Trump,” Johnson, R-La., said outside the court in New York City on Tuesday morning. A source close to Vance told Fox News Digital that the senator “went to court yesterday for one very simple reason: To show support for his friend.” “No one on the Trump team asked him to go,” the source told Fox News Digital. “He just thought it was the right thing to do.” MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION Trump’s son, Eric Trump, also attended the court proceedings this week supporting his father. The support comes as ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen takes the stand. Cohen is said to be the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team as they try to prove the former president falsified business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence. SPEAKER JOHNSON TO ATTEND TRUMP TRIAL IN MANHATTAN IN SHOW OF SUPPORT Cohen, who once famously said he would “take a bullet” for Trump, his former longtime boss and friend, testified about his role in arranging the alleged hush-money payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election in an effort to keep her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in the early 2000s from becoming public. Cohen testified on Monday that he personally paid 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 said that former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg facilitated his reimbursement plan for the payment, and claimed that Trump, himself, knew the details of that reimbursement. Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, imposed a gag order on Trump for the entirety of the trial, blocking him from discussing court staff or witnesses. Merchan has already held Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order 10 times and has fined the former president $10,000. Merchan has threatened Trump with jail time should he violate the gag order again. Trump allies in and outside of court during Cohen’s testimony can speak out against his ex-attorney on his behalf.