Dueling Biden, Trump visits to besieged border come amid fresh slew of violent crimes by illegal immigrants
President Biden and former President Trump will both head to the southern border on Thursday as the besieged southern border becomes a top political issue — and as the nation is gripped by a wave of stories of violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The violent crime and those arrests, all made in the last two weeks, are in addition to additional migrant chaos in places like New York City — where the city has declared itself overwhelmed by the numbers it is seeing, has been subjected to a number of migrant-related crimes and is now reconsidering its sanctuary city policies. A Venezuelan illegal immigrant is being charged with the murder of a nursing student out for a jog in Georgia. WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES A Salvadoran illegal immigrant is being charged with murder in the death of a 2-year-old child in Maryland. A Honduran illegal immigrant is being charged with the rape of a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint in Louisiana. A Venezuelan illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with a sexual assault on a minor in Virginia A Honduran illegal immigrant is being charged with multiple counts related to child pornography in Virginia. These charges come after a record FY 23 that saw over 2.4 million migrant encounters and a December in which encounters soared over the 300,000 mark in history. Recent polling, including one this week by Gallup, shows voters see the large number of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S as a “critical” threat to the country. Biden, whose administration remains under heavy fire for its handling of the crisis now into its third year, will travel to Brownsville, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. He will meet with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders. The White House said he will renew his calls for Congress to pass a bipartisan border agreement, which would have increased staffing at the border as well as tightening asylum rules, moved to tackle fentanyl smuggling and increased funding to communities and NGO’s receiving migrants. SALVADORAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO MARYLAND MURDER OF 2-YEAR-OLD BOY “He will discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border in decades,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said aboard Air Force one. “He will reiterate his calls for Congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more. Meanwhile, the White House told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that it encourages cooperation with ICE from local law enforcement, including those in “sanctuary” jurisdictions. “We welcome local law enforcement’s support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday in response to a question about its stance on sanctuary cities. “When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE.” “Just since May 12, DHS has removed or returned more than 565,000 individuals – the vast majority of whom crossed the Southwest Border. 565,000 removals and returns is more than every full fiscal year since 2013,” they said. 7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES Trump, who has made restoring order to the border one of the main thrusts of his 2024 presidential bid, will be in Eagle Pass, the center of an ongoing stand-off and court battle between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the administration over border-related issues including setting up of razor-wire and a new anti-illegal immigration law. Trump and Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for the crisis, saying its rollback of Trump-era policies and implementation of “open border” policies have fueled the crisis and allowed the entry of millions of illegal immigrants. “Joe Biden ignored the southern border and denied that a crisis existed for years – but now, he’s pretending to change his tune when it’s politically convenient,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in a statement. “There’s no doubt: Biden’s open border policies have led to criminals entering our country, deadly fentanyl in our communities, and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. No matter how he spins it, every state is a border state under Joe Biden.” Trump has promised an aggressive turn away from Biden-era policies and towards greater enforcement. Trump has promised to continue wall construction, a return to the Remain-in-Mexico policy and greater deportations. “When I am your President, we will immediately Seal the Border, Stop the Invasion, and on Day One, we will begin the largest deportation operation of illegal CRIMINALS in American History!” Trump said this week on TruthSocial.
Delhi house of rat-hole miner who led team that rescued 41 from Uttarakhand tunnel razed
Hassan’s house, located in Delhi’s Khajoori Khas, was among several demolished structures during the DDA’s operation. Hassan was reportedly taken into police custody at the time of the demolition.
DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh fine on Air India after elderly passenger…
DGCA issued a show cause notice to the carrier, which submitted its response to the watchdog on February 20.
‘Anyay Kaal’: Priyanka Gandhi attacks BJP after DDA razes house of man who led Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation
The DDA had said on Wednesday that the demolition drive was carried out on land that was ”part of planned development land”. Police said several structures built illegally were demolished during the drive.
TADA court acquits Abdul Karim Tunda in 1993 serial blasts case
The CBI had accused Tunda of being the mastermind behind the blasts on four trains on the first anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.
Court strikes down early voting law in Biden’s home state: ‘A little bit of irony’
A court in President Joe Biden’s home state determined a state law allowing 10 days of early voting and permanent absentee voting violated the Delaware constitution. After coming into office in 2021, Biden regularly launched rhetorical bombs at Georgia and other states as being “Jim Crow 2.0” or “Jim Eagle,” for requiring voter ID for mail-in voting. However, Georgia allows three weeks of early voting. Delaware Superior Court Judge Mark H. Conner ruled in a 25-page opinion, “The enactments of the General Assembly challenged today are inconsistent with our Constitution and therefore cannot stand.” Delaware’s constitution in Article 5 Section 1 states that a “general election shall be held biennially on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.” The Delaware early voting law, enacted in 2019, allows in-person voting up to 10 days before an election. FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS DOJ PRESENTED NO EVIDENCE BLACK GEORGIA VOTERS WOULD BE HURT BY SHORTER EARLY VOTING “The conflict between these two passages is obvious,” the judge wrote. “Our Constitution enumerates the one day an election shall be held biennially, and the Early Voting Statute allows for voting at least 10 days before that date.” The Delaware Board of Elections argued that the words, “election shall be held” refers to the last day votes can be cast. MICHIGAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GIVES COMMUNITIES MORE TIME TO HANDLE ABSENTEE BALLOTS The plaintiffs in the case were Delaware state Sen. Gerald Hocker, a Republican, and Delaware resident Michael Mennella, an inspector of elections for the Delaware Department of Elections. Mennella was represented by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a Northern Virginia-based election watchdog group. “This shows that states have to follow their own constitutions,” J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, told Fox News Digital. He noted this comes days after a New York state appeals court ruled that New York City’s law to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections violated the state constitution. When asked about Biden’s remarks toward other states such as Georgia, Adams said there was some irony. “There is a little bit of irony, though he never served in the Delaware legislature that passed these laws,” Adams said. “But if he wants to talk about state voting, he might want to devote his energy to Delaware.” Currently 46 states and the District of Columbia allow early in-person voting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That tally includes Delaware, which could still appeal the decision. Neither the Delaware Board of Elections nor the state attorney general’s office responded to inquiries from Fox News Digital for this story about whether there were plans to appeal. Adams said he was not aware of the state’s plans. This marks Mennella and the legal foundation’s second victory over the state of Delaware in less than two years. In December 2022, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled in Mennella’s favor when he challenged the constitutionality of the state’s universal vote-by-mail and same-day voter registration laws. The lower court judge on Friday also determined a provision of the early voting law that allowed registered voters to get permanent absentee voting status was unconstitutional based on Article 5 Section 4A. This section was added to the state constitution in 1943 and specifies conditions when someone is “unable to appear” for in-person voting because a voter is away from home or is sick or disabled. This would also be determined on a per-election basis. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “By granting indefinite absentee voting to those who are unable to vote in a single election extends beyond the limited authority granted to the General Assembly by our Constitution,” the judge ruled.
Thousands of NY voters switch to Dem Party ahead of ‘Squad’ member’s primary: ‘antisemitism’ on ballot
More than 2,000 registered Republican and unaffiliated voters in Westchester County, New York, switched political parties and re-enrolled as Democrats ahead of the party’s congressional primary, which pits Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman against longtime Empire State elected official George Latimer. “Westchester Unites, a campaign of Teach Action Fund, has successfully re-enrolled over 1,660 voters in New York’s 16th Congressional District ahead of the Feb. 14 deadline, representing 13% of their targeted group – a figure that outpaces similar efforts, signaling sky-high interest in the primary among Jewish voters,” Westchester Unites said in a press release this week, which was provided to Fox News Digital. More than 2,300 voters in Westchester County’s portion of New York’s 16th Congressional District – Bowman’s Distrcit – switched to the Democratic Party between December and Valentine’s Day, the deadline in order to vote in the primary, LoHud reported this week. Only registered Democrats are able to vote in the primary election, which will be held on June 25. Westchester Unites is a group that’s been at the forefront of the push to re-enroll voters, mostly Jewish residents, as Democrats. The group launched a $1.6 million campaign in January to re-enroll voters as Democrats, including establishing a voter education office in New Rochelle that will continue operating through election season. All in, the campaign sent out 77,629 mailers “through seven rounds of mail,” 24,876 text messages, made 6,473 calls and knocked on 1,178 doors ahead of the Feb. 14 deadline. NY GOPERS, INDEPENDENTS URGED TO REGISTER AS DEMS AHEAD OF ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER’S PRIMARY: ‘COMBAT’ ANTISEMITISM “We’ve looked at re-enrollment campaigns around the country, and while an effective effort might see a 2% conversion rate on the high end, 13% is an indicator of just how motivated this community was by this election,” Dan Mitzner, Policy Director for Teach Action Fund, said in comment provided to Fox Digital. “This election, the people on the ballot, and what they represent, have clearly ignited this community – the success of this campaign is a true testament to their passion and dedication.” SQUAD MEMBER IN FIRE ALARM FIASCO TAKES HEAT FROM WITHIN HIS OWN PARTY: ‘NEED NEW LEADERSHIP’ Westchester Unites said in mailers and texts sent to voters that “antisemitism is on the ballot” and that “Community and family transcend politics.“ The mailers, which were previously reviewed by Fox News Digital, did not cite Bowman nor his Democratic challenger Latimer, the current county executive of Westchester County campaigning for Congress, though the campaign targeted voters in Bowman’s district. ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER FACES ATTACK FROM WITHIN OWN PARTY OVER ISRAEL STANCE AMID DEM INFIGHTING ON GAZA “Why change your enrollment?” a text message from the group reviewed by Fox News Digital asks. “Because this district is overwhelmingly Democratic, which means the next Member of Congress will essentially be determined in the Democratic primary.” Mitzner said in the press release that their efforts “are simply to enable as many people as possible to vote, especially in the current climate of hate and hostility toward the Jewish community.” “Unfortunately, there are reports of those looking to do the opposite – suppress voices and obstruct peoples’ ability to participate in this election. This notion of wanting fewer people to be able to vote, to have their voices be heard, is disturbing, alarming, and frankly un-democratic,” he said. Bowman’s re-election campaign has been mired in controversy over comments some voters and national viewers have slammed as anti-Israel. Bowman’s district encompasses Westchester County’s southern suburban areas and parts of the Bronx, and is home to a large Jewish community. NY DEM TEES UP PRIMARY AGAINST ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER UNDER FIRE FOR ISRAEL STANCE, FIRE ALARM FIASCO The “Squad” member has come under fire for boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress this past summer, defending Rep. Pramila Jayapal when she was criticized for saying that Israel is a “racist state” and calling for a ceasefire soon after war broke out in Israel on Oct. 7. Bowman has repeatedly denounced antisemitism amid criticisms of his previous remarks, as well as condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel when the war began on Oct. 7. The New York congressman also faced national heat last year after he pulled a fire alarm in the House of Representatives before lawmakers voted to avert a government shutdown. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, with House members later voting to censure Bowman for the act. Latimer, meanwhile, is running on a pro-Israel platform, and pitched himself to voters in December as the candidate “who will listen to every voice, not just those who agree with him, & who will deliver on the issues that matter” if elected to Congress. The Democratic challenger has more than 35 years of New York politics under his belt, and touts himself as a political leader who has never lost “an election after over three decades in public office.” When asked about voter data showing residents switching to the Democratic Party ahead of the primary, Bowman campaign spokesman Bill Neidhardt argued in comment to LoHud that “Latimer should reject Republican interference in Democratic primaries, not base his campaign on it.” He additionally tied GOP donors to the Latimer campaign, according to LoHud. Latimer’s office subsequently called out “hypocrisy” when asked about the Bowman campaign’s comment, LoHud reported. Latimer’s team said the Bowman campaign simultaneously panned Westchester Unites’ efforts to register voters as Democrats while sending out their own campaign materials also urging voters to register as Democrats in the primary. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This is the level of hypocrisy that voters have sadly come to expect from Congressmember Bowman,” the Latimer campaign said in a statement, according to the outlet. “The mindset that there should be special rules for Bowman supporters while the same actions by others are somehow wrong is a Trumpian attack on the very concept of democracy.” Bowman’s and Latimer’s campaigns did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for additional comment.
Fani Willis, Nathan Wade referred to Georgia state bar for misconduct by watchdog group
FIRST ON FOX – Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis and her former lover Nathan Wade are facing two ethics complaints from a conservative government watchdog group based on their court testimony on allegations they had an ‘improper’ affair. The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) is requesting that the Georgia state bar open disciplinary proceedings against the Fulton County DA and Wade for violations of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. AAF is alleging Wade lied under oath about his relationship with Willis, and alleging that Willis admitted to keeping campaign money for personal use on the witness stand. “To ensure that the citizens of Fulton County and the State of Georgia understand that the Bar will not countenance any violation of its ethics by those charged with upholding it, we urge you to revoke Ms. Willis’ license to practice law and permanently bar her from practicing law,” adding the same request in a separate complaint against Wade. KEY WITNESS IN FANI WILLIS CASE TESTIFIES HE MAY HAVE LIED IN TEXTS ABOUT FRIENDS’ AFFAIR The complaint against Willis notes that on Feb 15. 2024 she testified before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee and was questioned regarding her reimbursement of Wade and her use of cash with no bank or transaction receipts. Willis was asked where the cash originally came from, to which she replied: “Cash is fungible. I’ve had cash for years in my house. So for me to tell you the source of where it comes from … when you go to Publix and you buy something and you get fifty dollars and you throw it in there. It’s been my whole life. When I took out a large amount of money during my first campaign, I kept some of the cash of that.” AAF claims that Willis’ “admission” represents “the admission of a clear violation of Georgia Campaign Finance law.” The portion of that law they say is applicable states that, “Nothing in this Code section shall permit or authorize a candidate to utilize campaign funds for the purpose of making gifts, loans, or investments directly to: (A) The candidate…” “The statute is unambiguous – and the facts are not in dispute – as Ms. Willis described in her testimony, she placed the money that was intended for her campaign into a “fungible” slush fund with other moneys that she would use for various other purposes, including reimbursing her boyfriend for leisure travel,” the complaint states. FANI WILLIS’ TESTIMONY WAS ‘BELLIGERENT’ AND COULD DAMAGE HER CREDIBILITY, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS The complaint also states that her “keeping some of the cash” was a “willful intentional act and denied the citizens of Georgia the ability to exercise effective oversight over her campaign.” “It is unreasonable to believe that a barred attorney running for public office would not have been aware that the strict reporting guidelines of Georgia campaign finance law existed to protect the public’s right to oversee elections and that she had an obligation to scrupulously abide by them,” the complaint states. The complaint against Wade alleges that he lied under oath on more than one occasion. When asked on an interrogatory to “describe each instance in which you have had sexual relations with a person other than your spouse during the course of the marriage,” and he said, “none.” Wade testified that his marriage “was irretrievably broken in 2015” but that he and his wife agreed to delay a divorce for the sake of their children. “First it is simply not credible that Mr. Wade did not know that he had sexual relations with Ms. Willis when he replied to the interrogatories above in his divorce case. Put simply, it is clear Mr. Wade knew that he had had sex with Ms. Willis, and he knew that at the time he was still married, and he simply lied in the interrogatories,” the AAF complaint states. FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT TIMING OF AFFAIR WITH TRUMP PROSECUTOR “Whether he was married was not a complicated question. In fact, he was the plaintiff in a divorce case, a case that cannot proceed without the parties being married. As an officer of the court, this is simply unacceptable. It is challenging to think of a more clear-cut example of ‘dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation,’” the complaint says. The complaint goes on to say that Wade’s “rationale for not answering the interrogatories truthfully under questioning shows a whole lack of understanding of the law that makes him unfit to practice law in the State,” deeming him a risk to future potential clients. “The Bar owes the profession and the public a duty to guard the practice from charlatans and incompetents. Any simple reading of Mr. Wade’s testimony quickly reveals that he is so grossly unfamiliar with the simple understanding of a legal concept like marriage that the risk he and his incompetence poses to vulnerable members of the public requires his exclusion from the profession,” it states. Willis and Wade did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
House Republicans tout new bill as ‘strongest’ anti-CCP measure in history
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are preparing to unveil what they call the “strongest” anti-Chinese government bill in U.S. history Thursday. If passed, it would dramatically curtail trade with China in areas critical to national security, including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and military technology. On the cultural front, the bill would establish avenues for the promotion of U.S.-backed ideals and points critical of Beijing’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) within China’s own borders. HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE ‘BIDENS ARE THE BEST,’ HAVE ‘CONNECTIONS’ Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is leading the proposal, the Countering Communist China Act, which is being promoted by his 175-member group. “We must treat the CCP like the threat they are and use every tool at our disposal to combat their influence in our schools and our government,” Hern told Fox News Digital. BIDEN MET WITH CHAIRMAN OF CHINESE ENERGY FIRM HUNTER DID BUSINESS WITH IN 2017, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIES “This bill targets the CCP in a comprehensive and vigorous way, putting American safety and economic security first. It’s the strongest legislation against the CCP ever introduced to Congress, and for good reason.” Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., RSC’s National Security and Foreign Policy Task Force chairman, told Fox News Digital, “The CCP dictatorship in China run by Xi Jinping threatens global security, endangers our allies and is destroying the future of the people of China.” The bill would restrict outbound investments in Chinese technology companies, while also placing trade restrictions on Beijing-backed companies dealing with military tech and surveillance. It would also call for expanded U.S. production in supply chains dealing with medicine and critical minerals, both of which are heavily dominated by China. CHINESE MIGRANTS POURING ACROSS SOUTHERN BORDER SPARK NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS The bill would not fully sever U.S.-China trade, however. Trade in sectors unrelated to national security, such as agricultural goods and toys, is not covered by the proposed restrictions. Hern’s comprehensive legislation is also aimed at addressing the fentanyl crisis by levying sanctions on Chinese officials and entities linked to the international flow of the lethal drug into the U.S. It also calls for empowering U.S. citizens to sue Chinese government officials after the fentanyl death of a loved one. Amid the restrictions, the bill also seeks to promote pro-democracy viewpoints to both people in China and the Chinese-speaking diaspora. A summary of the bill obtained by Fox News Digital called for the formation of “new Mandarin Chinese language social media accounts, radio stations, videos, etc. to amplify the voices of Chinese people as they highlight CCP human rights abuses, and fight for democracy.” It would be a significant initiative given China’s crackdown on information within its borders, including internet restrictions on content critical of the CCP. U.S.-China relations, especially on trade, have suffered from rising geopolitical tensions. They primarily stem from Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea, both countries’ relationship with Taiwan and longstanding allegations of intellectual property theft by CCP-backed entities.
Crowded field of potential McConnell successors emerges in Senate
Several potential successors are being eyed to fill outgoing Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s role as the party faces growing division between more mainstream Republicans and a faction of hardline conservative members. Among those who are being floated as a potential replacement for the leadership position are senators John Cornyn, R-Texas; John Thune, R-N.D.; John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; Rick Scott R-Fla.; Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; and Steve Daines, R-Mont. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced in a floor speech Wednesday he will step down from leadership in November. The Kentucky Republican is the Senate’s longest-serving party leader in history. Speculation about Thune, Barrasso or Daines taking over as leader stems from their current roles in GOP leadership. They serve as Republican whip, Senate Republican Conference chairman and National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, respectively. MITCH MCCONNELL STEPPING DOWN AS REPUBLICAN LEADER “Chairman Daines is laser-focused on taking back the Senate majority,” NRSC communications director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital. One source familiar with Senate Republican conference discussions shared that the “three Johns” — Thune, Cornyn and Barrasso — are not of the same political stripe. Barrasso is considered the most conservative out of the three, the source said. Barrasso is also believed to be a more palatable option for the various factions of Republicans in the Senate who don’t always see eye to eye. He notably endorsed former President Trump early last month. SEN. COTTON PROBES DOD HOW US AIRMAN WHO LIT HIMSELF ON FIRE WAS ‘ALLOWED TO SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY’ “What I’m focused on is the election,” Barrasso told reporters shortly after McConnell’s announcement. As for decisions regarding leadership, he said, “I’m going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say, listen to them in terms of what direction that they want to take with us.” Both Cornyn and Thune also endorsed Trump after Barrasso. Thune had initially endorsed fellow Sen. Tim Scott R-S.C., who ultimately dropped out and endorsed Trump. Sen. Rick Scott was more pointed in his statement following McConnell’s surprise announcement, saying in a statement, “I have been very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate that represents our voters and the issues we were sent here to fight for.” When Scott challenged McConnell for the position, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., told reporters McConnell received 37 votes from conference members, while Scott received 10. One Republican voted “present.” Some of those who reportedly voted against McConnell were senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Braun; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who supported Scott in 2022, would welcome Scott’s leadership if he were to take over, a staffer in Lee’s office told Fox News Digital. MCCONNELL SAYS SENATE TRIAL FOR MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT IS THE ‘BEST WAY FORWARD’ The source also shared that Cotton was being mentioned as a potential contender for the position. Cotton’s office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Cornyn, who does not hold a leadership position in the GOP and is poised to launch a potential bid for leader, said in a statement Wednesday that “today is about Mitch McConnell.” “But I’ve made no secret about my intentions,” he added. Cornyn on his timeline: “Not today.” Cornyn also endorsed former President Trump to be the Republican presidential nominee, and some lawmakers have begun looking to the likely GOP candidate for guidance about who should replace McConnell. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told reporters Wednesday the next person “absolutely” needs to have a more positive relationship with Trump, adding, “He’s going to be the next president, we have to work together.” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., agreed. “It’s so important that the next leader have a very positive relationship with the president,” Marshall told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. “I think that this next leader needs to have a little bit more, maybe a lot more of a populist view.” Marshall, who positioned himself alongside conservative hardliners who were critical of McConnell and voted against the bipartisan border deal in the national security supplemental package this month, added that the names being floated for leadership have been “interviewing for the job since I got here.” “I watch how they vote. I watch what their priorities are. I’ve been watching their volume on what issues they’re championing,” he said. “All the names … have great qualities. They would do a fine job. But I’ve not even started a process of weeding them out. And I tell you, it’ll be one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made.” Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.