Ohio’s March 19 primary: early voting begins Wednesday, registration closing Tuesday
Some county election boards in Ohio are remaining open late Tuesday, the final day to register for the March 19 primary. Early voting begins Wednesday. Ohioans are choosing party nominees for president, U.S. Senate, state Legislature, Ohio Supreme Court and other seats. GOP SENATE CANDIDATE IN BATTLEGROUND STATE RAILS AGAINST VULNERABLE DEM INCUMBENT: ‘OUT OF TOUCH’ The high-stakes three-way Republican Senate primary features Trump-endorsed Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan. Through campaign stops, an expensive ad war and televised debates, they are fighting for the chance to take on third-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, considered among the nation’s most vulnerable Democrats. Across the state, voters will also be deciding 41 partisan contests for Ohio House and six for Ohio Senate. In pivotal elections for control of the Ohio Supreme Court — which holds immense sway over the future of Ohio abortion law — Democrats are defending two sitting justices after first deciding a primary for a third court seat that is open. 10th District Court of Appeals Judge Terri Jamison faces 8th District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes in that faceoff. The winner takes on Republican Dan Hawkins, a judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, this fall. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, five Republican presidential contenders will be listed on Ohio ballots, though only two — former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — remained in the race as of Tuesday.
Obama balked at Biden’s assertion that Russia should ‘pay in blood and money’ after 2014 invasion: book
Former President Obama disagreed with then-Vice President Biden that Russia should “pay in blood and money” after it invaded Crimea in 2014, according to a new book. An excerpt from “The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump” by Politico’s Alexander Ward revealed a disagreement that took place behind closed doors between Obama and Biden when Russian forces invaded Crimea and later annexed the peninsula, making it a part of Russia. “The Obama administration did little in response except to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, sanction the Kremlin, and kick Russia out of the Group of Eight, turning the G8 into the G7,” writes Ward. “The United States might have done more had Barack Obama’s vice president, Joe Biden, been in charge. Russia should ‘pay in blood and money’ for its actions, Biden told his boss as the 2014 invasion began. Obama disagreed, but he made Biden his effective ambassador to Ukraine during the crisis.” BIDEN PRIVATELY DEFIANT THAT HE DIDN’T BOTCH AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: BOOK Later, Obama told Biden not to “overpromise anything” to Ukraine, the book states. But the chasm between the two continued to widen as Biden continued to foster his alliance by further pledging his support for the Eastern European nation. As vice president, he traveled to Ukraine six times, with five visits occurring after the 2014 Maidan protests, the book notes. In Kyiv, alongside then-President Petro Poroshenko, Biden backed Ukraine’s quest for independence from Russia just three days before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. “Ukraine, like every country in Europe, has a right to determine its own path. Yet Russia seeks to deny that choice. And the international community must continue to stand as one against Russian aggression and coercion,” Biden said. “It’s no secret that Russia does not want you to succeed. It’s not just about Ukraine. It’s about the future we have long sought of a Europe whole, free, and at peace — whole, free, and at peace — something that is in the vital national interest of both the United States and all Europeans.” BIDEN PRIVATELY DEFIANT THAT HE DIDN’T BOTCH AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: BOOK In a 2014 interview with The Atlantic, Obama said he saw no benefit in the U.S. getting involved in the unfolding events in Europe related to Russia and Ukraine. “The fact is that Ukraine, which is a non-NATO country, is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what we do,” Obama said. “This is an example of where we have to be very clear about what our core interests are and what we are willing to go to war for.” Between 2014 and Dec. 27, 2023, the U.S. sent more than $47 billion in security aid to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression and improve NATO ties. The Biden administration has contributed about $44.2 billion since February 2022, according to a recent congressional report. RUSSIA ARRESTS DUAL US-RUSSIAN CITIZEN FOR ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR UKRAINE’S MILITARY: REPORT Biden has been urging Congress to pass a supplemental funding package to continue assisting Ukraine since last October. Last week, the Senate passed a $95 billion national security supplemental package to assist Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific after a tedious procedural process. The package includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and nearly $5 billion for the Indo-Pacific. CANADA SENDING MORE THAN 800 DRONES TO UKRAINE TO SUPPORT ITS FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA “I applaud the bipartisan coalition of Senators who came together to advance this agreement, and I urge the House to move on this with urgency. We cannot afford to wait any longer,” Biden said in a statement about the bill. “The costs of inaction are rising every day, especially in Ukraine. Already, we are seeing reports of Ukrainian troops running out of ammunition on the front lines as Russian forces continue to attack and Putin continues to dream of subjugating the Ukrainian people.” “There are those who say American leadership and our alliances and partnerships with countries around the world do not matter. They do. If we do not stand against tyrants who seek to conquer or carve up their neighbors’ territory, the consequences for America’s national security will be significant.”
Fox News Politics: Taking the bruises
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s Happening? -Biden age sparking concern among Democrats and Hollywood -Speaker Johnson cozies up to Trump as caucus fractures -Mexican President mocks Texas Governor over military bases Donald Trump’s campaign predicts that the former president will lock up the 2024 Republican presidential nomination by the middle of next month. Pointing to the former president’s very large double-digit lead over Nikki Haley in the latest polls in Saturday’s South Carolina GOP primary, Trump’s campaign argued Tuesday in a memo that Haley’s White House bid will end “fittingly, in her home state.” Going further, the Trump campaign memo forecasts an “ass-kicking in the making in South Carolina” for Haley, and that “the end is near” for her presidential run due to “a very serious math problem” she has in the race to lock up enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. But Haley, despite the expected loss in South Carolina, insists she will stay in the race through Super Tuesday on March 5. “I promise you this, I am in this fight. I will take the bruises. I will take the cuts,” she told supporters at a large rally in this city in upstate South Carolina on Monday night. NOT AGING WELL: Biden’s age sparks concern among Dems, media, comedians …Read more ‘COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW’: Ashley Biden gets up to date on delinquent taxes, latest filing shows …Read more AI TASK FORCE: Speaker Johnson launches new House artificial intelligence task force …Read more COZYING UP: Johnson cozies up to Trump at Mar-a-Lago as Haley vows to stay in GOP primary …Read more OUTRAISED: Embattled Rep Cori Bush faces campaign cash crunch 6 months from Dem primary …Read more ‘SEE WHAT HAPPENS’: Manchin not yet endorsing Biden …Read more ‘OUT OF TOUCH’: Longtime Dem senator in swing state faces challenger who says math is in his favor …Read more ‘STRONG CONSERVATIVE’: Scalise endorses former NASCAR driver’s bid to unseat Maine Democrat …Read more SPECIAL ELECTION: Special election to fill Georgia House seat will see 3 Republicans, 1 independent face off in April …Read more PENNSYLVANIA LATE: Pennsylvania mail-in ballots with wrong date may still count if US appeals court decides …Read more TAUNTING TEXAS: Mexican president mocks Gov. Abbott’s plan for military base camp along border …Read more EMERGENCY MOTION: Idaho asks Supreme Court to step in and allow state to enforce ban on transgender drugs, surgeries for minors …Read more CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Footage shows stream of migrants trekking beyond border down remote California mountainside …Read more WHO IS ARTHUR ENGORON?: Here is a look at the NY judge who ordered Trump to pay millions …Read more NO CEASE-FIRE: US vetoes UN resolution calling for immediate halt to Israel-Hamas war without hostage release …Read more MIGRANT CRISIS: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem deploys National Guard to ‘warzone’ at the southern border …Read more ‘INDEFENSIBLE’: Justice Alito writes fiery dissent after Supreme Court denies high school admissions case …Read more ‘ISLAMIC PRACTICING TRANSWOMAN’: Transgender inmate who murdered stepdaughter sues prison chaplain for allegedly not permitting hijab …Read more ‘BECOMING A FAD’: California teacher slams secretive gender policy pitting students against parents …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Fani Willis gets ‘achievement’ award at church, cites ‘weapons’ Bible verses after chaotic court testimony
Embattled Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis spoke at a church service Saturday insinuating she finds solace in Biblical scripture following her contentious testimony during a court hearing last week regarding allegations she had an ‘improper’ affair with a colleague. Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County who brought a slew of charges against former president Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants related to alleged 2020 election interference, received a “Black History Achievement Award” from Berean Ethiopian Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta on Saturday. Willis said in her remarks that supporters have sent her an Old Testament reference that reads, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” “They did not say the weapons will not form, and that’s the part I didn’t hear until recently,” Willis said. “Just because they won’t prosper, it doesn’t mean that they won’t form.” JUDGE WARNS FANI WILLIS OVER OUTBURSTS IN HEATED TESTIMONY “Even if you feel like everything you are doing in your life is the right thing, and you’re making mistakes all along the way, but you’re trying. You should not think that those weapons will not form,” Willis said. On Thursday, just prior to her church appearance, Willis took the witness stand in Fulton County Superior Court to respond to allegations that she financially benefited from hiring special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a romantic relationship while he was married, and should be disqualified from prosecuting the case against Trump. BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS AFTER WILD 2-DAY HEARING ON FANI WILLIS AFFAIR: ‘WHAT’S DONE IS DONE’ Willis was largely combative in her testimony and verbally sparred with lawyers for hours. At one point the judge threatened to strike her testimony. She also raised eyebrows for appearing to be wearing her dress backwards. Willis called the allegations against her “dishonest” and “extremely offensive.” At one point, Willis held up a printed copy of the allegations against her in both hands and turned to the judge yelling, “This is a lie!” FANI WILLIS’ TESTIMONY WAS ‘BELLIGERENT’ AND COULD DAMAGE HER CREDIBILITY, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS Willis’ testimony and that of her ex-lover Wade, contradict testimony of a former “good friend” and colleague who told the judge in court that she had “no doubt” Willis and Wade’s relationship started prior to Wade’s hiring. On Saturday, Willis was also gifted a book series called “Conflict of the Ages,” written by the church’s founder., which “chronicles the struggle between Satan and Jesus Christ.” “This is a really hard job I’m trying to do, and I am an imperfect human being, but I can literally feel the peoples’ who loves me prayers,” Willis said Saturday.
Fani Willis gets ‘achievement’ award at church, cites ‘weapons’ Bible verses in new video
Embattled Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis spoke at a church service Saturday insinuating she finds solace in Biblical scripture following her contentious testimony during a court hearing last week regarding allegations she had an ‘improper’ affair with a colleague. Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County who brought a slew of charges against former president Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants related to alleged 2020 election interference, received a “Black History Achievement Award” from Berean Ethiopian Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta on Saturday. Willis said in her remarks that supporters have sent her an Old Testament reference that reads “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” “They did not say the weapons will not form, and that’s the part I didn’t hear until recently,” Willis said. “Just because they won’t prosper, it doesn’t mean that they won’t form.” JUDGE WARNS FANI WILLIS OVER OUTBURSTS IN HEATED TESTIMONY “Even if you feel like everything you are doing in your life is the right thing, and you’re making mistakes all along the way, but you’re trying. You should not think that those weapons will not form,” Willis said. On Thursday, just prior to her church appearance, Willis took the witness stand in Fulton County Superior Court to respond to allegations that she financially benefitted from hiring special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a romantic relationship while he was married, and should be disqualified from prosecuting the case against Trump. BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS AFTER WILD 2-DAY HEARING ON FANI WILLIS AFFAIR: ‘WHAT’S DONE IS DONE’ Willis was largely combative in her testimony and verbally sparred with lawyers for hours. At one point the judge threatened to strike her testimony. She also raised eyebrows for appearing to be wearing her dress backwards. Willis called the allegations against her “dishonest” and “extremely offensive.” At one point, Willis held up a printed copy of the allegations against her in both hands and turned to the judge yelling, “this is a lie!” FANI WILLIS’ TESTIMONY WAS ‘BELLIGERENT’ AND COULD DAMAGE HER CREDIBILITY, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS Willis’ testimony and that of her ex-lover Wade, contradict testimony of a former “good friend” and colleague who told the judge in court that she had “no doubt” Willis and Wade’s relationship started prior to Wade’s hiring. On Saturday, Willis was also gifted a book series called “Conflict of the Ages,” written by the church’s founder., which “chronicles the struggle between Satan and Jesus Christ.” “This is a really hard job I’m trying to do, and I am an imperfect human being, but I can literally feel the peoples’ who loves me prayers,” Willis said Saturday.
7.2M illegals entered the US under Biden admin, an amount greater than population of 36 states
Nearly 7.3 million migrants have illegally crossed the southwest border under President Biden’s watch, a number greater than the population of 36 individual states, a Fox News analysis finds. That figure comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which has already reported 961,537 border encounters in the current fiscal year, which runs from October through September. If the current pace of illegal immigration does not slow down, fiscal year 2024 will break last year’s record of 2,475,669 southwest border encounters — a number that by itself exceeds the population of New Mexico, a border state. The total number of southwest land border encounters since Biden assumed office in 2021 is 7,298,486, CBP data shows. That is larger than the population of 36 U.S. states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. MIGRANTS CAUGHT ON NEW VIDEO STREAMING DOWN REMOTE CALIFORNIA MOUNTAINSIDE TO ILLEGALLY CROSS THE BORDER Compared to the largest U.S. states, the 7.3 million number is about 18.7% of California’s population of 39 million, 23.9% of the state of Texas and its 31 million residents, 32.3% of the population of Florida and 37.3% of New York. It’s more than half the size of Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio. Were the number of illegal immigrants who entered the United States under President Biden gathered together to found a city, it would be the second-largest city in America after New York. And the total does not include an estimated additional 1.8 million known “gotaways” who evaded law enforcement, which would make it bigger than New York. Taken together, nearly 10 million migrants have crossed into the U.S. illegally during the Biden administration, a record Biden’s critics assert could only be achieved by intentionally refusing to enforce the law. “This unprecedented surge in illegal immigration isn’t an accident. It is the result of deliberate policy choices by the Biden administration,” said Eric Ruark, Director of Research for Numbers USA, a nonprofit that advocates for immigration restrictions. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. MIGRANT CRISIS: NOEM SENDS NATIONAL GUARD TO SOUTHERN BORDER’S ‘WARZONE’ Republicans and anti-illegal immigration activists have for years blamed Biden for allowing the current overwhelming surge of migrants by reversing former President Donald Trump’s border policies. The Biden administration has denied responsibility for the crisis and pointed to external “push” factors like violence and economic instability in South and Central America as the culprit responsible for vast waves of migration to the U.S. However, the president’s critics say migrants face more of a “pull” factor in the form of job opportunities and government benefits because they know they will not face deportation under Biden’s lenient policies. “The administration has refused to enforce existing immigration law and taken every opportunity to aid and abet illegal border crossings — through policies such as catch-and-release, mass parole, and offering temporary work permits to tens of thousands of foreigners who make dubious claims for asylum,” Ruark told Fox News Digital. “In actual effect, the United States government is completing the human smuggling and trafficking process for the Mexican cartels.” Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said migrants have learned in the last three years that they won’t face deportation for entering the country illegally. “They have sent the signal that if you come to the U.S. illegally, if you abuse the asylum system, you’ll be released into the country and allowed to remain here, in most cases given work authorization,” Mehlman said. “Even if you neglect to show up for your hearings, the odds of you being removed are negligible. The president claims he doesn’t have the authority to enforce our laws. He absolutely does. He is deliberately not enforcing those laws.” LARGE MAJORITY OF ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSING SHIFT TO ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA, PIVOTING AWAY FROM TEXAS Biden has called on Congress to pass new laws he claims would let him solve the border crisis. He endorsed a bipartisan deal in the Senate that included an “emergency border authority” to mandate Title 42-style expulsions of migrants when migration levels exceed 5,000 a day over a seven-day rolling average. It would have also limited the window for people to apply for asylum, provided immediate work permits for asylum seekers and funded a massive increase in staffing at the border and more immigration judges. But conservatives tanked the deal in the Senate after House Republicans declared it a non-starter. They argued the bill would have normalized record-high levels of illegal immigration and said Biden currently has all the authority he needs to reenact Trump’s policies and secure the border. While the debate rages, House Republicans have impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for allegedly refusing to enforce immigration laws. Two impeachment articles advanced against Mayorkas accused him of having “refused to comply with Federal immigration laws” and violating the “public trust.” DHS has criticized the effort as politically motivated and insisted the Biden administration is enforcing the laws on the books. Biden said that “history will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games.” Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Adam Shaw and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
Trump spokesperson claims Haley will ‘kiss a– when she quits’ after she vowed to stay in race
The Trump presidential campaign issued a scathing response on Tuesday after his last remaining GOP challenger, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, announced she is not dropping out of the race to “kiss the ring” despite facing a 30 point deficit in her home state of South Carolina. “She’s going to drop down to kiss a– when she quits, like she always does,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after she announced she is staying in the race at least through Saturday’s South Carolina primary. “I feel no need to kiss the ring,” Haley told a crowd in Greenville, South Carolina on Tuesday. “And I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him. My own political future is of zero concern.” “I refuse to quit,” Haley added. “South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere.” TRUMP HOLDS LARGE LEAD OVER HALEY 4 DAYS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY In her remarks, Haley outlined her belief that the calls for her to drop out are coming from “the political elite” and “party bosses” and that only three states have voted so far with many more to come in recent weeks. “I’m campaigning every day until the last person votes because I believe in a better America and a brighter future for our kids,” Haley said. “Nothing good in life comes easy. I’m willing to take the cuts, the bruises and the name calling because the only way you get to the blessing is by going through the pain.” “The presidential primaries have barely begun. Just three states have voted. That’s right. Three. That’s it. After this weekend, we’ll be four. That’s not a lot,” Haley explained. “In the ten days after South Carolina, another 21 states and territories will vote, and they deserve a real choice, not a Soviet-style election when there’s only one candidate, and he gets 99% of the vote. We don’t anoint kings in this country. We have elections. And Donald Trump, of all people, should know. We don’t rig elections.” SPEAKER JOHNSON TALKS 2024 WITH TRUMP AT MAR-A-LAGO AS HALEY VOWS TO STAY IN GOP PRIMARY Haley also said that part of her rationale for staying in the race is that “the majority of Americans” have signaled they “dislike both candidates.” “We have plenty of time to hash this out,” Haley said. “If the race ended today, we would have the longest general election in history. There are still eight and a half months before Election Day. How do we really want to spend every day from now until November? Watching America’s most two most disliked politicians duke it out? No sane person wants that.” Nearly 800 delegates are up for grabs on Super Tuesday as 15 states hold Republican presidential contests on March 5, with over 150 at stake over the following two weeks, the Trump campaign predicted in a memo released Tuesday that the former president would secure the nomination on March 19, even under a “most-generous model” for Haley. The Trump memo predicted an “a– kicking in the making” in South Carolina and said the “true ‘State’ of Nikki Haley’s campaign” is “broken down, out of ideas, out of gas, and completely outperformed by every measure, by Donald Trump.” In response to Cheung’s comment, Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas wrote on X, “xoxo” along with a kissing emoji to which Cheung responded, “All of our internship positions have been filled, but maybe you can apply for next term.” “What a move,” Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney wrote on X in response to Cheung’s comment. “@TheStevenCheung is the key to winning back suburban women! #AreYouTiredOfWinningYet.” “You should ask Susie Wiles what she thinks about her people harassing women online and at our events,” Perez-Cubas said in a statement to Fox News Digital referring to an earlier altercation on the campaign trail. HALEY SAYS SHE WOULD PARDON TRUMP IF CONVICTED: ‘TIME TO MOVE FORWARD’ Cheung told Fox News Digital in a statement Tuesday that “Nikki ‘Birdbrain’ Haley can’t name one state she can win” and “she keeps getting crushed after every single contest.” “At this point, she’s Crooked Joe Biden’s biggest surrogate.” Trump’s campaign memo and Haley’s speech came out hours before Trump returns to South Carolina on Tuesday to headline a Fox News town hall in Greenville hosted by Laura Ingraham. The pre-taped one-hour event, which will focus on both domestic issues and overseas conflicts, will air at 7 p.m. ET. The Real Clear Politics average of polls heading into Saturday’s primary election in South Carolina shows Trump leading Haley by 25 points. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Hunter Biden lawyer says photo on his phone showed sawdust, not cocaine: ‘prosecution is flat out wrong’
An attorney for Hunter Biden is disputing a picture included in a Special Counsel Filing last week, saying it is not cocaine, as was previously described, but sawdust. The picture in question was among multiple photographs the president’s son allegedly took of his drug abuse. The Justice Department included the photos in a court filing last week to prove Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs when he answered “No” to drug use on a gun application, which is a violation of federal law. Hunter Biden’s lawyer said one of the photos was taken in the office of his then-psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Ablow. Ablow had received the picture, Biden’s lawyer said, from a “master carpenter” who was a “coke addict.” DOJ REVIEWING BIDEN, HUR INTERVIEW TO ID POTENTIAL CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO HOUSE GOP DEMANDS The message accompanying this photo, Biden’s lawyer said in the court filing, was meant to convey to the younger Biden that he too “could overcome any addiction.” Biden’s lawyer called the prosecution “reckless” for “making such a hyperbolic and sensational claim in a public filing,” saying the move would surely “prejudice Mr. Biden in the public eye.” DOJ DEFENDS SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT ON BIDEN’S MEMORY: ‘CONSISTENT WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENT,’ NOT ‘GRATUITOUS’ “Mistaking sawdust for cocaine sounds more like a storyline from one of the 1980s Police Academy comedies than what should be expected in a high-profile prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice,” Biden’s lawyer stated in the court filing. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. The president’s son pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in October, which accused him of lying about using drugs in October 2018 on a gun purchase form. He previously acknowledged that he struggled with a crack cocaine addiction during a period in 2018, but his attorneys said he did not break the law. Hunter Biden has since said he has stopped using drugs and has been working to turn his life around. Tuesday’s court filing comes after Special Counsel David Weiss charged an FBI informant with giving false information after he alleged that Joe Biden and his son were paid millions in exchange for their help firing the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings. Fox News’ David Spunt and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Biden facing abysmal approval rating on immigration as Americans react to spiraling border crisis
President Biden continues to be plagued with abysmal approval ratings concerning his handling of immigration as Americans across the country watch the border crisis worsen ahead of the 2024 presidential election. According to a new Monmouth University poll released Tuesday, just 26% of Americans say they approve of Biden’s handling of immigration while a whopping 76% disapprove. When broken down by party affiliation, slightly over half of Democrats (54%) said they approved of Biden’s handling of immigration, but just 21% of independents and 2% of Republicans said the same. BIDEN’S $200K PAYMENT FROM BROTHER RECEIVES RENEWED SCRUTINY AFTER REPORT DETAILING FAILED HOSPITAL VENTURE The poll also found just 38% approve of Biden’s overall performance as president with 58% disapproving. Vice President Kamala Harris’ numbers were similar at 35% approve and 58% disapprove. Just 14% approve of Congress’ job performance compared to 79% who disapprove, and just 17% say the country is heading in the right direction while 69% say its on the wrong track. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed last month there were a record 302,000 migrant encounters at the southern border in the month of December, which broke the monthly record set in September and is the first time the number has ever breached the 300,000 mark. GOP SENATOR FUMES OVER BIDEN ADMIN PROVIDING VETERAN MEDICAL RESOURCES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The staggering number was enough people to fill the Las Vegas Super Bowl more than four and a half times, and is nearly the total population of Cincinnati, Ohio. Of the encounters, nearly 250,000 were between ports of entry. Those numbers were the latest to come from the southern border since the crisis exploded in 2021. There were over 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY 23, after a record-setting FY 22. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. Fox News’ Adam Shaw, Bill Melugin and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
Republican Eric Hovde seeks to flip Democrat Baldwin’s seat red in Wisconsin Senate race
Republican businessman and real estate mogul Eric Hovde launched his bid for the U.S. Senate against Wisconsin Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Tuesday, saying in a video that “America is slipping away” and “everything is going in the wrong direction.” This is Hovde’s second Senate campaign; he ran in 2012 but lost in the GOP primary to former Gov. Tommy Thompson. Baldwin went on to win election that year and is now seeking a third term in battleground Wisconsin. Hovde planned to hold his first campaign event later Tuesday with an event at a building developed by his real estate company. In a video posted on his campaign website, Hovde mentioned the economy, health care, crime and “open borders” as issues he will focus on during the campaign. WISCONSIN LAWMAKERS VOTE ON TAX CUTS, VETO POWERS AND HUNTING FEES IN FINAL SESSION PUSH “I believe we need to come together and find commonsense solutions,” Hovde said in the video. Reelecting Baldwin to a third term is critical for Democratic hopes to maintain majority control of the Senate. Democrats are defending 23 seats in the Senate in November, including two held by independents who caucus with Democrats. That’s compared with just 11 seats that Republicans hope to keep in their column. Baldwin’s campaign branded Hovde as “an out-of-touch megamillionaire” in a fundraising email sent minutes after his campaign website went live. Baldwin’s campaign said Hovde would “rubber stamp” the agenda of Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. “Hovde would vote to pass a national abortion ban, raise taxes on working families and seniors while cutting Social Security and Medicare, and repeal the Affordable Care Act,” Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesperson Arik Wolk said separately. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, is backing Hovde. “Eric Hovde’s experience as a job creator rather than a career politician makes him a strong candidate to flip Wisconsin’s Senate seat this year,” said Montana Sen. Steve Daines, chair of the NRSC, in a statement. Other Republicans are considering challenging Hovde for the nomination. Scott Mayer, a Franklin businessman, and former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke are also considering Senate runs. Other higher profile Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany and Mike Gallagher, opted against running. Mayer’s campaign had no comment Tuesday. WISCONSIN GOV. EVERS SIGNS NEW LEGISLATIVE MAPS INTO LAW AFTER REPUBLICANS PASS THEM Wisconsin’s primary is scheduled for Aug. 13. In his 2012 race, Hovde described himself as a free-market conservative. He campaigned as a supporter of overturning the Affordable Care Act, the national health care law signed by former President Barack Obama, an abortion opponent and supporter of overturning Roe v. Wade. The U.S. Supreme Court did that in 2022, fueling wins by Democratic candidates that year who supported abortion rights. Baldwin has already said she plans to highlight abortion rights in this year’s Senate race. Hovde’s business empire includes Hovde Properties, a real estate development company founded by his grandfather in 1933, and three banking companies. He is CEO of Sunwest Bank, has appeared in television commercials for them that air out west, and owns a $7 million estate in Laguna Beach, California, in addition to his property in Madison. He returned to Madison in 2011 after living in Washington, D.C., for 24 years. Democrats have branded Hovde as a carpetbagger who left his California mansion to run for Senate in Wisconsin, where he was born and raised. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Baldwin most recently won reelection by 11 points in a race that was seen as a model for how to run as a Democrat statewide in Wisconsin. She is a tireless campaigner, garnered broad support, including among independents and voters outside of Democratic strongholds in Madison and Milwaukee, and she raised millions of dollars to fuel the successful bid.