GOP hope for Mayorkas impeachment trial dims as Senate Dems look for quick dismissal
As the Senate waits for the House to deliver its articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, multiple Democrats expressed their expectation to Fox News Digital that they will be dismissed quickly, and a full trial will not play out. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told Fox News Digital he “of course” thinks his fellow Democratic colleagues will move to table the articles when they are officially delivered to the Senate and lawmakers are sworn in to be jurors. “It’s entirely political,” he said. “They’ve never shown any evidence of any kind of impeachable offense and then impeached him in the House anyway. It’s ridiculous.” During the House Republicans’ retreat this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., revealed, “We’ve not sent it over yet. And the very simple answer for that, and the reason for it, is because we’re in the middle of funding the government in the appropriations process.” RUBIO BILL AIMS TO WITHHOLD UN FUNDING FOR AFGHANISTAN UNTIL ASSURED IT DOESN’T SUPPORT TERRORISM He noted that there is a small window in which the Senate will be required to process the articles, and “we didn’t want to interrupt the Senate and their floor time and their deliberation on appropriations, because we’ve risked shutting the government down.” According to Johnson, they will be delivered in “due course.” MASSIVE COALITION FORMS TO PROTECT LEFT-WING ‘SQUAD’ MEMBERS AGAINST ONSLAUGHT OF ELECTION SPENDING In a narrow second attempt at impeaching Mayorkas last month, the House was successful. By a vote of 214-213, two articles of impeachment were approved against the DHS secretary. One accused him of having “refused to comply with Federal immigration laws” and the other of having violated “public trust.” Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis.; Ken Buck, R-Colo.; and Tom McClintock, R-Calif., voted against the impeachment. The first attempt to pass the articles was brought down by four Republican defections, one of which was a procedural move by Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, which allowed the resolution to be brought back to the floor. “I expect it will be dismissed” by the Democratic caucus, Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., told Fox News Digital. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., similarly shared that he is hoping for a “quick dismissal.” Also urging the Senate to get past the impeachment articles, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said, “Let’s turn the page and move on and deal with the problems and challenges that we face,” calling the impeachment both “nonsense” and “shameful behavior.” $12B IN EARMARKS: CONGRESS’ ROLLER-COASTER HISTORY WITH EARMARK SPENDING TAKES ANOTHER TWIST Democrats are in the majority in the Senate and will ultimately decide how the body moves forward once the articles are delivered. And since it would only require a simple majority to table the impeachment, the upper chamber may opt to do so. Their Republican counterparts signaled an expectation that Democrats will move to table the articles. “I assume the Democrats will try and table it,” said Republican Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who added his conference will do “everything we can to get them to conduct a trial.” SENATE VOTES TO CONFIRM US AMBASSADOR TO HAITI AMID GANG ATTEMPT TO SEIZE POWER IN CARIBBEAN COUNTRY Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she has heard “rumors” that Democrats were interested in tabling it. “I don’t expect a full trial to happen at this point,” she said. “But I think it should.” For many Democratic senators, it just isn’t on their radar. The Senate is notably working on several issues, including federal nominations; aid to Ukraine and Israel; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reform; Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization; and appropriations, with a March 22 deadline coming up for the last slate of funding bills. “I haven’t given virtually any thought to the political charade around Secretary Mayorkas, so that’s just not been high on my radar screen,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who explained that “serious issues” surrounding China and Ukraine are taking precedence. REPUBLICANS HAMMER JUDGE MCAFEE’S RULING IN FANI WILLIS CASE, CALLING IT ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’ “Who gives a s—?” said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. He added that the Mayorkas impeachment would not be the last of the “dumb s—” that House Republicans have done. However, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., emphasized the importance of their status as jurors in the matter of the DHS secretary’s impeachment. “As an impartial juror on all of the above, I’ve always been the same with any type of impeachment that I’m not going to predetermine or have any bias towards what’s going to happen,” said Cortez Masto. SCHUMER CALLS FOR NEW ISRAELI LEADER TO REPLACE NETANYAHU IN SENATE FLOOR SPEECH Cardin echoed, “I’ve always taken the position as a juror, I shouldn’t talk about that publicly.” The senator noted, however, that he has “pretty strong views,” adding that reporters could probably guess them. DHS did not provide comment on the Senate’s procedure for the articles of impeachment to Fox News Digital. Following the House’s vote last month, DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement, “House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border.” “Without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds, and despite bipartisan opposition, House Republicans have falsely smeared a dedicated public servant who has spent more than 20 years enforcing our laws and serving our country,” she continued. Despite several Senate Republicans criticizing the House’s attempt to impeach Mayorkas, many Republicans have changed their tune and expressed their interest in the Senate holding a full trial. Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
GOP candidate pushing term limits seeks unseat vulnerable 41-year Dem incumbent: ‘Our country is in trouble’
A Republican Senate candidate in northwest Ohio is setting his sights on a congressional seat held by a vulnerable Democrat incumbent in a race that he says comes down to a clash between the entrenched establishment class and the voters. “People locally have encouraged me to run for Congress for years,” Republican Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin, 38, told Fox News Digital about his decision to run for the seat held by Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur. “I finally decided to pull the trigger. I’m a constitutional conservative. I believe our country is in trouble because the federal government has gone outside the bounds of the Constitution and is doing many things that should be left up to the states and the premise of my campaign is that America is the greatest country in the history of the world, and I’m fighting to preserve the American dream for everyone in northwest Ohio.” Merrin believes his previous electoral victories in northwest Ohio — home to Ohio’s 9th Congressional District that Kaptur has represented since 1983 — put him in a good position to challenge the 41-year Democratic incumbent. He once defeated a three-term incumbent in a race for mayor of Waterville, Ohio, as a 21-year-old. Generally, about 50% of the vote in Ohio’s 9th District comes from Lucas County, where both Merrin and Kaptur are from. Merrin told Fox News Digital that his ability historically to win votes in that county will be key to his success in November. WILL CONGRESS EVER HAVE TERM LIMITS? 4 REPUBLICANS SIDED WITH DEMOCRATS TO KILL LATEST PROPOSAL “[Kaptur] historically runs up the numbers in Lucas County, and it’s imperative that we have a Republican that can stop her in Lucas County and that’s why it’s important to have someone that lives here and has a proven record of getting elected,” Merrin said. When it comes to Kaptur’s record in Congress, Merrin told Fox News Digital the “majority of voters” in his district agree with him on most policy issues, especially when it comes to immigration, spending, taxes, and energy policy. “Marcy Kaptur is completely out of step with our district, and voters are going to see if we have the resources to get our message out, which we will, that they’re more aligned with my positions and with Marcy Kaptur.” Merrin, leader of the Ohio House Republican Caucus, explained that voters in his district are looking for an “authentic” candidate who will stand up to both parties. OHIO GOP SENATE CANDIDATE TOUTS KEY PRO-2A GROUP’S ENDORSEMENT: ‘ONLY CANDIDATE’ VOTERS ‘CAN TRUST’ ON GUNS “The majority of people agree with me on positions. There’s people that don’t but still vote for me because they realize I’m fighting against the establishment and doing what’s best for the people,” Merrin said, pointing to Kaptur’s track record of consistently voting with President Biden. Fox News Digital previously reported that Kaptur has introduced just five bills that have ultimately become law, although many bills she co-sponsored have become law. “She’s rarely in the district, she spent more time having brunch overlooking the Potomac River than she has overlooking Lake Erie,” Merrin said. “People really don’t see her.” Over the next few days before the primary, Merrin told Fox News Digital that his message will be focused on three key issues. TRUMP HEADING TO OHIO WITH HIS GOP CLOUT ON THE LINE IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY “Number one, we must stop the invasion at the southern border,” Merrin said. “We must secure the border. Number two, we must balance the budget. I believe in a constitutional amendment to put lawmakers in a box and force them to do the right thing and balance the budget. I’ve taken a pledge not to raise taxes. Number three is I say we must take on and combat the political class of this country, and that’s Democrats and Republicans. We need to enact term limits on members of Congress and bring the bad ones and the good ones home. “Our Founding Fathers never meant our government to have people sitting in Congress for 20 to 30 years, and in Marcy Kaptur’s case, for 41 years. Our government was never designed like this, and these guys need to come home.” Ohioans will head to the polls on Tuesday, March 19 to vote in the GOP primary and Merrin is facing two other Republican candidates in that race, former state Rep. Craig Riedel, and real estate broker Steve Lankenau. If Merrin were to advance past Tuesday’s primary, the general election race 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 “Lean Democrat” contest that Republicans are targeting as an opportunity to hold and improve on their slim majority in the House. Fox News Digital reached out to the Kaptur’s team for comment but did not receive a response.
Excise Policy Case: ED issues 9th summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, asks to join probe on March 21
ED’s move comes a day after Kejriwal first time appeared before the city’s Rouse Avenue Court physically on Saturday in connection with the case.
Texas firefighters completely contain Panhandle inferno that burned more than 1 million acres
A series of deadly wildfires have burned for nearly three weeks, destroying farms and ranches in several counties.
As climate change threatens Arabica beans, can quality Robusta save coffee?
Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam – The white-walled room in a house on the outskirts of Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam’s coffee capital, is quiet. The only thing breaking the silence is the occasional beep of an electronic scale, or the sound of coffee being poured into a measuring glass. A handful of people, all wearing white lab coats, concentrate on their work. “This is really a lab,” says Nguyen Van Hoa, as he walks around the room in the white lab coat he wears over his jeans and trainers. A young man, Hoa calls himself a “green bean hunter” and is the owner of Stone Village Lab and Education, a company that researches and sources high-quality coffee beans for cafes and coffee businesses. Now and then, he stops at a desk to demonstrate how many beans to add to each cup and the ideal water temperature. Baristas and cafe owners come here from all over the country to learn about coffee, from the capital Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. He holds out a cup with a small serving of dark brown coffee brewed from a blend he has been working on for seven years. “It will change the mind of anyone who thinks that you cannot make good coffee from Robusta,” he says. This – changing the minds of the many Robusta sceptics – is what has occupied Nguyen Van Hoa for the past few years. In the coffee industry, Robusta is known as the inferior sibling of Arabica, lacking the latter’s complexity and sweeter, smoother notes. Robusta is almost always mass-produced and cheap. “The Robusta market is only looking for the best price. But we can change that,” Nguyen Van Hoa says. They must. The Arabica coffee bean which is near-universally synonymous with quality coffee, is under serious threat from climate change. Reforming the image and quality of the much-maligned – but, as its name suggests, resilient – Robusta coffee bean is crucial for the future of coffee. Nguyen Van Hoa – who calls himself a ‘green bean hunter’ – is the owner of Stone Village Lab and Education, which specialises in developing high-quality Robusta coffee, in Vietnam [Jenny Gustafsson/Al Jazeera] And Vietnam is where that change may well happen. It is the world’s largest producer of Robusta – and second to Brazil in overall coffee production, and the bean comprises 95-97 percent of all the coffee grown in the country. This has been the case since French colonists brought coffee plants to the region in the 1850s. “The idea was to ‘just bring the beans and the more you bring the more [money] you make’,” explains Timen Swijtink, managing partner at the coffee company Lacaph in Ho Chi Minh City. In the decades that followed, coffee plantations grew in popularity. After Vietnam’s first commercial coffee processing plant was built in 1950, the industry continued to expand. Then, in 1986, Vietnam introduced Doi Moi (“reinvention”), which shifted the country’s post-war economic focus to be more market oriented. Since then, the country’s annual coffee bean production has exploded, up from 18,400 tonnes to more than 1.9 million tonnes. Today, 90 percent of Vietnam’s coffee is grown around Buon Ma Thuot, on the Central Highlands plateau, between 500 metres (1,640 feet) and 800 metres (2,625 feet) above sea level. Here, in every direction, vast fields of bright green coffee plants stretch into the horizon. In the autumn, the small cherries, which are about the size of grapes and grow in bunches, weigh down the branches and change from green to red – a sign that they are ready for harvest. Workers at Nguyen Van Hoa’s coffee lab in Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam’s ‘coffee capital’ [Jenny Gustafsson/Al Jazeera] ‘The plants are happy together’ Just south of Buon Ma Thuot, not far from Nguyen Van Hoa’s coffee lab, is the Aeroco coffee plantation – eight hectares in size (20 acres) – which Anh Nguyen Tu and her husband, Le Dinh Tu, have run since 2017. Quality is not top of the list for the big, multinational companies that turn the majority of Vietnam’s coffee beans into instant coffee for the soft drink and pharmaceutical companies that use caffeine in their products. Both buy beans cheaply and in bulk. But at Aeroco, the focus is very much on growing “fine” Robusta. Le Dinh Tu is an agricultural engineer. Before shifting to specialty coffee, the couple provided organic fertilisers to farmers for 18 years. “It took three years until we could survive from coffee, there are many costs involved when you want to work in a sustainable way,” says Anh Nguyen Tu. Wearing a straw hat as protection from the afternoon sun, she walks out among the plants. She explains the growing process. “We grow in three layers. First grass, then coffee, then trees like jackfruit and pepper. This is to balance the ecosystem. The plants are happy together,” she says. Planting this way benefits both the bushes and the land. It gives the coffee plant much-needed shade, and helps the soil retain its nutrients. A worker harvests coffee cherries at a farm in Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam, on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 [Maika Elan/Bloomberg via Getty Images] Anh Nguyen Tu picks and carefully scratches a pale red cherry with her nail to determine if it is fully ripe. If the beans are harvested too early, the coffee will not have the round and sweet aftertaste typical for quality coffee. “These cherries need a bit more time,” she says, then walks towards an open space where a group of employees are gathering beans which had been laid out on canvases in the sun. It’s a time-consuming process. To properly dry and ferment the beans, they must be turned every 30 minutes, and then brought indoors in the afternoon. “I had no idea how patient you must be when growing coffee,” says Pham Thi Duyen, one of the workers. She wears a green shirt, just like the others in
Republican has message for every lawmaker after Falls Township shooter kills 3: ‘That needs to change’
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., warned on Saturday that America could continue to see violent crime sprees like Saturday’s Pennsylvania shooting and New Jersey standoff, where a lone gunman killed three people before being taken into custody hours later. During a segment on “Fox News Live,” Fitzpatrick discussed the tense situation and said lawmakers need to prioritize addressing mental health problems, or they would continue to see violence permeate communities across the country. “The reality is, in America, it’s stigmatized when we talk about healthcare from the neck up,” Fitzpatrick said. “We focus on healthcare from the neck down and that needs to change. Mental health is an absolute crisis in America. It was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s being spiked due to expanded social media usage, increased drug use. A lot of these are interconnected issues.” He added: “Until we start treating mental health issues like we do physical health in America, unfortunately, we are going to keep seeing crises like this. We have to fix it.” 3 SHOT DEAD IN PENNSYLVANIA; SUSPECTED GUNMAN ARRESTED The comments came as police said 26-year-old Andre Gordon allegedly shot and killed three people in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, which falls inside the district that Fitzpatrick represents, before he fled across state lines into New Jersey, where he had a five-hour standoff with law enforcement at a residence. During Saturday’s multi-state rampage, Gordon is accused of killing his 52-year-old stepmother, Karen Gordon, and 13-year-old sister, Kera Gordon, inside a Falls Township home. Authorities ultimately took Gordon into custody in Trenton, New Jersey, after he surrendered to law enforcement. “The suspect has been located at another location in Trenton, and he surrendered peacefully,” Detective Lt. Lisette Rios of the Trenton Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital. Fitzpatrick shared that Gordon was taken into custody on the social media site X. “Moments ago, Andre Gordon was apprehended after a manhunt that lasted all morning and into the late afternoon. On a day where our Lower Bucks community celebrates our proud Irish heritage, Andre shocked our region by selfishly and abhorrently taking the lives of 3 individuals who have been confirmed to be his very own family,” he wrote. PHILADELPHIA DUO FACE CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING MAN AND WOMAN ‘EXECUTION STYLE’: POLICE Fitzpatrick applauded the efforts of the various law enforcement entities involved. “From the onset, we had federal law enforcement, first responders from all over Bucks County, and units from Philadelphia and New Jersey answer the call to track down this perpetrator. We are incredibly grateful for their swift response in ensuring that all parade participants were safely evacuated, residents remained sheltered in place, and we are grateful for their swift pursuit,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “These individuals displayed heroic courage by stepping up instantly and for putting our safety before theirs. As we continue to investigate what happened today, let us pray for the 3 Bucks County residents we lost today and pray for all of those impacted by this tragedy,” he continued. Three other people, including a minor, were inside the home at the time. He then fled to another home, where he is accused of shooting and killing 25-year-old Taylor Daniel, who was the mother of their two kids, at another home in the area. Four others inside the home survived.
‘Run for Good Happening’ marathon in Delhi today: Police issue traffic advisory, check routes to avoid
According to the police, the ‘Run for Good Happening’ marathon will be held on Sunday at the JLN Stadium. Around 2,000 people from all parts of Delhi is expected to participate in the marathon.
Rahul Gandhi led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ to end in Shivaji Park today
The ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is set to cover a distance of 479 km, passing through six districts before culminating in Mumbai.
Ohio Republican US Senate candidate Bernie Moreno has special message for GOP members who ‘don’t like’ Trump
Former President Trump was flanked by several Republican allies during a campaign rally in Ohio on Saturday, where he urged voters to support Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno. In his remarks, Trump railed against President Biden — calling him “a great threat to our democracy” and the “worst president in U.S. history” — and his border policies. The 45th president also urged voters to back Moreno, an Ohio businessman who is running to help Republicans win a crucial seat and potentially flip the majority in the U.S. Senate. Moreno returned the favor during the speech, urging voters to back Trump, and he offered a special message to Republicans who “don’t like” the former president. “I am so sick of Republicans that will say ‘I support President Trump’s policies, but I don’t like the man,’” Moreno said, drawing some reaction from the crowd. “This is a good man. This is a great American. This man wakes up every day fighting for us, fighting for this country. He loves this country like no other leader in this nation has ever loved this country.” TRUMP REVEALS ‘VERY FIRST ACTIONS’ HE’LL TAKE AS PRESIDENT DURING OHIO RALLY, HAMMERS BIDEN’S BORDER POLICIES Moreno faces Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and state Sen. Matt Dolan in the Republican primary on Tuesday. The winner will face third-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is viewed as a particularly vulnerable Democrat, in November. Trump’s pick for Ohio senator has picked up several endorsements ahead of the crucial primary election. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., endorsed Moreno in a statement last month. “I am thrilled to endorse Bernie Moreno as Ohio’s next U.S. Senator. Bernie is a strong conservative who will put America first and help reverse the damage done by Joe Biden and the radical left’s agenda.” GOP SENATOR ENDORSES TRUMP-BACKED OHIO SENATE CANDIDATE TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT “Bernie is the type of senator we need to help get our nation back on track for working American families. Bernie will be a fierce voice for the forgotten men and women of this country, and I look forward to working with him in the U.S. Senate.” He is also endorsed by fellow Ohioans, Sen. J.D. Vance and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, both of whom spoke during Saturday’s rally. “What we had under President Trump was a guy who did what he said he was going to do,” Jordan said. “He was amazing. He said he would cut taxes, he did. He said he would reduce regulations, he did. He said he would put conservatives on the court, he did.” TRUMP HEADING TO OHIO WITH HIS GOP CLOUT ON THE LINE IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY Moreno has also picked up endorsements from former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., Reps. Max Miller, R-Ohio, Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith R-Miss., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rand Paul, R-Ky., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. According to his website, Moreno is a former luxury car dealership tycoon, who purchased a flailing Cleveland Mercedes-Benz dealership in 2005. He has cast himself as a “political outsider” and a self-made man. With a background reminiscent of Trump, he quickly emerged as the Trump-world favorite for the nomination. Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Trump reveals ‘very first actions’ he’ll take as president during Ohio rally, hammers Biden’s border policies
Former President Trump visited Ohio on Saturday, where he barnstormed for businessman Bernie Moreno, a Republican seeking to win his state’s primary to run against Democrat Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate. During his rally in Dayton, Trump repeatedly mentioned illegal migrants surging across the border, violent migrant crime, and the death of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. “Not one more American life should be lost to migrant crime. We can’t have another Laken,” the 2024 Republican presumptive nominee said in his remarks, in which he also repeatedly blamed President Biden’s policies for allowing millions of migrants, including, “violent gang members and gangsters” into the U.S. “When I’m President of the United States, we will demand justice for Laken on day one. My administration will terminate every open border policy of the Biden administration.” He added: “The fastest way to reverse every single Biden disaster is to very simply just put me back in office.” TRUMP HEADING TO OHIO WITH HIS GOP CLOUT ON THE LINE IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY Trump’s trip comes three days before Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary, when Moreno will face state Sen. Matt Dolan, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. On the Ohio Senate race, Trump called Moreno a “hero” and “a winner” and urged voters to elect him to replace the “radical left Democrat Sherrod Brown.” “Ohio needs to defeat your horrendous radical left, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who pretends he’s my best friend. He pretends he’s my best friend, then he goes radical left all the time,” Trump said before a large crowd in the Dayton suburb of Vandalia. “If you listen to his commercials, he sounds like he’s running with Trump. He’s not. He’s not with me.” The U.S.-Mexico border was a focus of Trump’s Ohio speech, as was Biden’s border policies which he criticized as allowing violent migrants to enter the U.S. “We’re going to fix it again,” Trump said of the border. “Among my very first actions will be to stop the invasion of our country and send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home.” 6 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER Trump also took issue with Biden apologizing last week for using the word “illegal” to describe Riley’s alleged killer during the State of the Union speech. “They have a new term for people coming into our country,” the former president said of the Biden administration. “They call them ‘neighbors.’” The line was an apparent reference to a recent White House handout that referred to illegal immigrants as “newcomers.” “One week ago, I met with the family of a 22-year-old nursing student, Laken Riley, who was brutally murdered in Georgia last month while out on a morning run,” the former president said Saturday. “She was so badly beaten up, unrecognizable. Laken’s killer was set loose into the United States through Joe Biden’s program of releasing military-age males into our community after they’ve illegally crossed our southern border.” He added: “Laken Riley would be alive today if Biden had not unleashed his savage attack on America. And that’s what he’s done. But instead of apologizing to Laken’s family, Joe Biden apologized to the killer for calling him illegal. He shouldn’t have done that.” “We believe that Laken’s killer is an illegal alien criminal. He is an illegal monster. He should never have been in our country,” Trump said. He also specifically addressed members of the notoriously violent MS-13 Mexican gang, who have crossed into the U.S. “If you can [even] call them people. I don’t know if you call them people. In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion, but I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say,” Trump chided. GOP SENATOR ENDORSES TRUMP-BACKED OHIO SENATE CANDIDATE TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT Trump’s speech also took repeated swipes at Biden, who the former president called “a great threat to our democracy.” “Remember this, Joe Biden is a great threat to our democracy,” Trump told the thunderous Dayton crowd. “He’s a tremendous threat to our democracy. His incompetence is the number one reason. Also, he uses the Justice Department, the FBI, to go after his political opponent, which happens to be me.” “There’s never been a president so bad,” Trump said of Biden. “There’s never been anything like it. He’s incompetent, he’s crooked.” REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS FIGHT FOR OHIO AS FORMER SWING STATE’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE SHIFTS The former president urged people to go out and vote Tuesday, and again in November to elect him and other Republicans. “But with your vote, we’re going to take back the Senate. We’re going to win Ohio in November. We’re going to win by a lot,” Trump said. During the speech, Trump had a notable issue with the wind affecting his teleprompters. He used the moment to swipe Biden again. “We can give a non-teleprompter speech,” he persisted. “Isn’t it nice to have a president that doesn’t need to use a teleprompter?” Trump then summarized his 2024 campaign pitch with four priorities: Seal the border, stop inflation, drill for oil, and prevent World War III. Moreno, an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally from Colombia, and later became a successful Cleveland-based businessman and luxury auto dealership giant, was endorsed by Trump in December. The winner of the GOP primary will face off in November against Brown, who is the only Democrat to win statewide in Ohio over the past decade. The seat is contested as Republicans seek to win a majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats control a slim 51-49 majority, but Republicans have a favorable Senate map in 2024, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.