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Texas showdown: Sen. Ted Cruz steps up his game as conservative firebrand faces bruising re-election race

Texas showdown: Sen. Ted Cruz steps up his game as conservative firebrand faces bruising re-election race

As he faces a second straight challenging re-election campaign, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is upping his efforts. The conservative firebrand senator running for a third six-year term representing the Lone Star State in the Senate will team up Saturday in Houston with staff, volunteers, grassroots supporters, friends and family for the official opening of his 2024 campaign headquarters. The opening comes a couple of days after Cruz announced a large campaign cash haul over the past three months. The senator brought in $9.7 million during the first quarter of 2024 fundraising, according to figures shared first with Fox News Wednesday. Cruz’s haul from his three fundraising committees was nearly double the $5.5 million he brought in the previous three months. FIRST ON FOX: CRUZ HAULS IN NEARLY $10 MILLION THE PAST THREE MONTHS And the senator’s political team said that, as of the end of March, Cruz had $15.1 million cash on hand from his three fundraising committees. They noted that figure includes the amounts he has sent to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, and the Republican Party of Texas (RPT), which are dedicated to his race.   Campaign spokesperson Nick Maddux told Fox News the senator “is off to a very strong start this year as the momentum to get him across the finish line in November continues to increase across the entire Lone Star State.” SIX KEY SENATE SEATS THAT COULD FLIP IN NOVEMBER  Cruz, who narrowly defeated Rep. Beto O’Rourke in a hard-fought 2018 Senate battle, is likely going to need every cent he raises, as he faces a bruising re-election bid against Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred. Allred, a former NFL player, civil rights attorney and three-term congressman representing a suburban Dallas district, on Thursday nearly matched Cruz’s fundraising. His campaign announced he hauled in over $9.5 million during the first quarter. Paige Hutchinson, Allred’s campaign manager, emphasized the fundraising “continues our momentum to build a strong campaign to win in November and send Ted Cruz packing for good.” Allred likely received a boost from President Biden, who told top-dollar donors during a fundraiser in Dallas last month, “You’ve got to elect Colin as your next senator … so Ted Cruz joins another loser, Donald Trump.” The former president is the GOP’s 2024 presumptive presidential nominee. Cruz, who was runner-up to Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race, flirted early this cycle with another White House run before confirming in late 2022 he would seek a third term in the Senate. The senator on Saturday will join with volunteers and staff, who will spend the day phone banking and door knocking on behalf of Cruz. The campaign says it has already surpassed 1 million direct voter contacts and notes it’s on track to hit historic grassroots numbers. WHERE THE PRESIDENTIAL AND SENATE SHOWDOWNS STAND IN TEXAS “Sen. Cruz will continue to pound the pavement day in and day out, meeting and talking to Texans in every corner of the state to keep Texas Texas and ensure that we remain the nation’s bastion of liberty,” Maddux emphasized. O’Rourke raised significantly more than Cruz in 2018 in a high-profile race that grabbed plenty of national attention. In an interview last week on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Cruz argued that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the chamber, “has been explicit. He’s coming after Texas. I am his No. 1 target in the entire country.” Cruz argued the Democrats “are going to spend more than $100 million this year. … They’re flooding millions of dollars into Texas.” The senator has long been a fan favorite of conservatives across the country due to his numerous broadsides against Democrats, from President Barack Obama early in his tenure to his attacks on President Biden in recent years. But Cruz, with the recent launch of “Democrats for Cruz,” is showcasing his bipartisan chops as he aims to attract left-leaning voters. He’s also trying to paint Allred as a partisan who votes in lockstep with his party. But Allred’s campaign counters that his bid is about “rejecting the divisiveness of Ted Cruz and fighting for Texans’ freedoms.” Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority in the chamber, which includes three independent senators who caucus with the Democratic conference. That means Republicans need a net gain of either one or two seats to win back the majority, depending on which party controls the White House after this year’s presidential election. The math and the map favor the GOP in 2024. Democrats are defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Three of those seats are in red states Trump carried in 2020 — West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. Democrats are also defending an open seat in West Virginia after Sen. Joe Manchin announced late last year he would not seek re-election. Five other blue-held seats are in key swing states narrowly carried by President Biden in 2020 — Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.  In blue-state Maryland, Senate Republicans scored a recruiting success with popular former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan. Texas and Florida, where incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is seeking re-election, appear to be the only competitive GOP-held seats up for grabs this November. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Battleground state Dem distances himself from defund movement, but political record shows different story

Battleground state Dem distances himself from defund movement, but political record shows different story

Longtime Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey has distanced himself from the defund the police movement in the run-up to his self-described “tough” election this year, despite recent endorsements from groups advocating that police departments be defunded and promoting a bill that would have overhauled policing practices at the height of 2020’s protests and riots.  “Senator Casey has a long and clear record of working alongside law enforcement and delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to fund bulletproof vests, SWAT gear, police cars, and ballistics shields for officers,” Maddy McDaniel, spokesperson for the Casey campaign, told Fox News Digital this month. “Senator Casey doesn’t support defunding the police, and he’s voted to block federal funding from cities and towns that defund their police departments.”  The campaign’s response comes after the longtime Keystone State senator received endorsements this year from pro-defund advocacy groups Indivisible Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania state chapter of Indivisible. “Indivisible Philadelphia and the #IndivisiblesOfPA enthusiastically support @Bob_Casey for re-election to the US Senate! #PASen,” Indivisible Philadelphia tweeted last month. LONGTIME PA DEM SILENT ON SUPPORT FOR FRESHMAN ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER AFTER HIS NAME IS QUIETLY REMOVED FROM SITE Indivisible Philadelphia describes itself as a “grassroots organization of volunteers determined to advance a progressive agenda by resisting corruption, authoritarianism, and inequality in our governmental institutions.” The group has also repeatedly advocated for police departments to be defunded, most notably in 2020 when defund the police and Black Lives Matter protests and riots unfolded in cities from coast to coast. “We won’t stop until they #DefundThePolice,” the group’s website reads in a June 25, 2020, post titled “Make Your Demand!” “When we said #DefundThePolice we meant fewer officers on the street terrorizing Black and Brown residents. We meant moving away from the racist system of criminalization and penal punishment, and moving toward community-led public safety methods and programs,” the post continued, which came after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis that year. DEM SEN BOB CASEY SLAMMED BY GOP FOR SHIFTING IMMIGRATION STANCES: ‘COMPLICIT IN THE CRISIS’ The advocacy group’s leader recently told Fox News Digital that police should be funded for “policing work” while other funds should be directed to support social workers and health officials to handle non-policing issues in communities. “Our position has always been that police should be funded to do policing work, and that for other kinds of problems in the community, adequate funding should be provided for health care professionals, social workers and mental health professionals as appropriate,” Indivisible Philadelphia group leader Vicki Miller said. Casey’s endorsement follows him outlining on his official Senate page that “we must reform” policing systems in the U.S., co-sponsoring the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, and even drawing the ire of law enforcement officials in the state after Indivisible Philadelphia threw its support behind him.  “At a time when there were four shootings in four days on our local public transit system, and law enforcement across the commonwealth is understaffed, Casey’s decision to align himself with these defund the police activists is alarming and extremely dangerous,” said Folcroft Deputy Police Chief Chris Eiserman, who is also the Delaware County FOP Lodge 27 president, during a recent press conference with other law enforcement officials. Casey joined Democrat New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and then-California Sen. Kamala Harris in 2020 to promote the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which was introduced after Floyd’s death. The bill, which did not pass, would have overhauled the qualified immunity doctrine – which protects police from lawsuits alleging that an official violated a plaintiff’s rights – and provided grants to state attorneys general to conduct ​​policing practice investigations and create investigation processes for allegations of police misconduct. The bill also would have banned choke holds and changed the use of force standard for federal officers; made conspiracy to commit a hate crime a federal crime; mandate officers to receive racial, religious and discriminatory profiling training; and create a federal registry of all federal, state and local law enforcement regarding misconduct complaints or disciplinary records. COOKIE MONSTER HIDES SEN BOB CASEY’S REPLY ON X AFTER DEM SOUGHT CAMPAIGN DONATION: ‘CAN YOU CHIP IN?’ “We must end police brutality and systematic racism in policing,” Casey said in a press release about the bill in 2020. “It is time for us to create structural change that safeguards every American’s right to safety and equal justice. I am proud to cosponsor the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which will hold police accountable and improve transparency in policing.” Police officers in the state railed against the bill at the time, as well as an op-ed Casey penned that argued the legislation would help address “systemic racism in policing.” “For too long, we have looked to increased training or increased resources as if they alone will solve the systemic issues in our law enforcement. And, too many times, we have witnessed the tragic consequences of our inability to fully implement a comprehensive solution to address the racial injustice and police brutality that permeates our nation’s history,” Casey wrote in the op-ed. Scott L. Bohn, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, fired back in his own op-ed shortly after Casey’s opinion piece “seemingly maligned over 1,000 professional and dedicated law enforcement executives in the commonwealth.” “The senator’s commentary, while politically expedient, lends itself to potentially shortsighted decisions that may have an adverse or unintended consequence,” Bohn wrote. “The opinion he expressed does not inform nor does it reflect the law enforcement environment in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s professional police chiefs are committed to public service and ensuring our communities are safe. Pennsylvanians need to work together and against social injustice and make our Commonwealth equally safe for all its citizens.” Fox News Digital obtained a copy of a letter that Casey reportedly sent to police officers who contacted him with concerns over the bill. In the letter, he doubled down on the legislation that would “put in place the most significant

NY ballot initiative could ban parents from approving child’s trans surgery, critics warn in fiery campaign

NY ballot initiative could ban parents from approving child’s trans surgery, critics warn in fiery campaign

A New York ballot initiative, the Equal Rights Amendment, is facing fierce backlash over its vague language that would reportedly prevent parents from signing off on their child undergoing gender reassignment surgery.  “Any decent lawyer will take one look at the Proposition One language and say, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me,” Greg Garvey, the executive director of the Coalition to Protect Kids – New York, a group “dedicated to defeating the so-called Equal Rights Amendment,” said in a press statement provided to Fox News Digital.  “This ballot initiative is written so broadly and so poorly that it could cause irreparable harm to children and families. This is no soft-sounding equal rights amendment, it’s nothing less than The Parent Replacement Act.” The New York Legislature passed the Equal Rights Amendment in January 2023, bringing the amendment to voters on the Nov. 5 ballot this year for ratification. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul celebrated its passage last year, adding that New York would “combat discrimination” and “protect abortion access” following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, which ended the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion.  ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDIATRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’ “Here in New York, we will continue to take bold measures to protect the rights of New Yorkers, and I applaud the New York State Legislature for taking another crucial step toward enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment into the state constitution. Last year, I was proud to convene an Extraordinary Session of the legislature that led to first passage of this historic amendment, and I am grateful the amendment is on its way to being presented to voters next year,” Hochul said at the time.  The proposal will reportedly codify abortion rights in the state constitution and add constitutional protections to its already existing protections regarding race and religion.  DOCTOR DEFENDS GIVING TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS TO 8 AND 10-YEAR-OLDS: ‘RESPECT KIDS AS INDIVIDUALS’ Critics, however, say the proposal’s language is broad and would open the door to parents being kept in the dark over their child’s medical procedures, including gender reassignment surgery.  “Whether through Albany sloppiness — or pernicious ideological intent — Proposition One would strip the legal rights of parents with school-age children to know about crucially important things happening with their kids, including controversial gender transformation procedures,” the Coalition to Protect Kids said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. TRANS CHILDREN WHO TOOK PUBERTY-BLOCKING DRUGS HAD MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UK STUDY FOUND The ballot proposal will ask New York voters this November if they support adding language to the state constitution strengthening that people cannot be denied rights based on their “ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability” or sex, which includes “sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” “​​If entities cannot ‘discriminate’ based on age or gender identity or expression, under the new amendment language, medical providers could be required to facilitate a child’s request to make permanent, life-altering ‘gender-affirming’ decisions, and they would not need to consult with parents,” the coalition continued.  EXPOSING THE TRANS AGENDA AIMED AT OUR KIDS: FAITH LEADER REVEALS HOW PARENTS CAN KEEP CHILDREN SAFE The group also said the proposal would require schools to allow biological males to compete on girls’ sports teams, while laws dictating the age New Yorkers can purchase alcohol or marijuana, or determine elder abuse and statutory rape could be “weakened because they ‘discriminate’ based on age.” “Proponents of the amendment say they are interested in protecting abortion rights,” Garvey continued. “But abortion was legislatively adopted in New York State in 1970 and everyone knows there is no risk of its repeal or limitation. Advocates of the amendment aren’t being truthful to voters when they contend this right is at risk in New York.”  GENDER DYSPHORIA GROWING AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS AMID ‘INCREASING ACCEPTANCE,’ STUDY FINDS “The proposed amendment opens the floodgates for government wielding more authority over children than parents on some of the most important decisions of their lives,” Garvey said. “The politicians in Albany have some explaining to do.” New Yorkers for Equal Rights, which supports the proposal, argued that the proposal would better protect New Yorkers’ rights while serving as an example for other states to follow.  “If passed, the NY ERA would provide the most comprehensive list of protected categories of any state in the country — safeguarding New Yorkers’ rights, as well as serving as a model for other states,” the group said in a statement last week, according to the New York Post.  The group denied that the proposal would curb parent’s say in their children’s medical care.  “These claims simply aren’t true. This amendment is about making sure our fundamental rights and reproductive freedoms are protected and never at risk of becoming a political football,” said Sasha Ahuja, campaign director of New Yorkers for Equal Rights. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul’s office for comment, but did not receive a reply.

Trump defense challenges jury selection in criminal hush money trial

Trump defense challenges jury selection in criminal hush money trial

The defense team for former President Trump is challenging the jury selection in his criminal hush money trial, saying there are concerning issues that need to be addressed.  Trump’s defense submitted a pre-trial letter to the court on Friday laying out two concerns relating to jury selection. The letter came the same day that Judge Juan Merchan dismissed a last-ditch effort by the Trump team to delay the trial, which begins Monday. The letter states that the defense opposes dismissing potential jurors who “self-identify as being unable to serve,” calling it inadequate. Instead, the defense said they wish to use a hybrid method to differentiate between jurors who claim they cannot be fair and impartial and those who are simply unable to serve. “That clarity is necessary so that President Trump can present arguments to the First Department, if and when necessary, regarding the number of potential jurors who believed they harbored a disqualifying bias before questioning, as well as the number of additional potential jurors who reveal a disqualifying bias during questioning,” the letter read. ‘I TELL THE TRUTH’: TRUMP SAYS HE’LL TESTIFY AT HUSH MONEY TRIAL AS JUDGE REJECTS LAST MINUTE PLEA The defense also claims the jury questionnaire benefits the DA’s office by identifying people who affiliate with Trump’s political party. “Second, while we agree that whether a potential juror ‘likes or does not like’ President Trump is not the central focus of jury selection, it is well established that a potential juror’s ‘negative opinion’ is a form of ‘actual bias’” the letter reads. Trump’s defense stated that the questionnaire lacks a similarly broad inquiry to identify potential jurors who align with rival political parties that are not necessarily “anti-Trump,” but could still support a disqualifying bias that is worthy of a follow-up inquiry by the defense.  “The Court’s questionnaire asks about connections to any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump, which is a fairly direct inquiry regarding Republican Party affiliation. On the other hand, however, Questions 29. E-H ask only about ‘anti-Trump’ groups. People can have political or policy views that lead to disqualifying bias without being ‘anti-Trump.’ Thus, the questionnaire benefits DANY by identifying people who affiliate with President Trump’s political party,” the letter continued.  TRUMP’S NAME ‘INCORRECTLY’ USED IN LA TIMES’ OJ SIMPSON OBITUARY: ‘FREUD LIVES’ “To the extent the Court fails to remedy this asymmetry in the questionnaire, defense counsel must be permitted leeway to probe such affiliations during the jury selection process,” the letter finished. Trump’s trial is related to accusations he falsified business records to cover up a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election and is scheduled to begin Monday. “I’m testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth,” Trump told reporters at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Friday. “And the truth is, that there’s no case.” Trump called his trial a “scam” and a “witch hunt” when asked if he planned to testify at his upcoming trial. “What they have done is incredible. It’s election interference, and it’s got to stop. It’s a third-world country. This country has never done it,” the former president said. Trump’s trial comes as he prepares to challenge President Biden for another White House term later this year. Hunter Biden, the president’s son, faces legal challenges of his own, including federal tax and gun charges.  Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

CBP report reveals lowest March for migrant encounters; Texas crackdown continues

CBP report reveals lowest March for migrant encounters; Texas crackdown continues

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its monthly update touting that the number of migrant encounters had decreased since last month.  In March, the Border Patrol recorded 137,480 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border. The encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border were 45% lower than in December 2023, and 16% lower than in March 2023. While it was the lowest March for Border Patrol encounters under the Biden administration, CBP records show the first six months of fiscal year 2024 had 1,340,801 total encounters, exceeding the first six months of fiscal year 2023, which set a record of 1,226,254 total encounters.  GOP GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL ALLOWING LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO ARREST CERTAIN MIGRANTS, ‘ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS’ The report comes as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott highlights his state’s own program, Operation Lone Star, which he said continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden administration’s refusal to secure the southern border. “Construction on the border wall continues in Zapata County. While the Biden Administration refuses to secure the border, Texas works around-the-clock to deter and repel illegal immigration along the southern border,” Abbott wrote in a X post on Thursday.  Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 507,200 illegal immigrant apprehensions, and more than 41,500 criminal arrests, with more than 36,900 felony charges, Abbott added.  REP. MIKE GARCIA SLAMS FBI DIRECTOR AS BEING INEFFECTIVE AT HIS JOB: ‘I DON’T TRUST YOU’ “Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden’s open border policies,” Abbott said in a release.  EXCLUSIVE FOX VIDEO SHOWS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, SMUGGLERS SWARMING NEW MEXICO HOTSPOT: ‘IT’S THEIRS’ CBP’s monthly migrant encounter statistics are gathered on the first day of the next month and released two weeks later. “CBP — in coordination with our partners across the Federal government as well as foreign partners — continues to take significant actions to disrupt criminal networks amidst unprecedented hemispheric migration activity,” CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller said. “Encounters at our southern border are lower right now, but we remain prepared for changes, continually managing operations to respond to ever-shifting transnational criminal activities and migration patterns.” On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security also announced that an Afghan national, who is on the U.S. terror watchlist, was taken back into custody, after he was previously captured at the U.S.-Mexico border and released twice onto American soil.