Bharat Ratna for LK Advani: A timeline of BJP stalwart’s illustrious political career
LK Advani was first the Home Minister and later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet from 1999 to 2004.
‘Now, trust is breaking’: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vice President on Gyanvapi Mosque case
Addressing a press conference here today, Mohammed Saleem (Vice President) of the Jamaat said that it is the responsibility of the government to safeguard the religious places and institutions in the country.
Bihar Cabinet Portfolio Allocation: CM Nitish retains Home; Deputy Samrat Chaudhary gets Finance, Health
Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, assigned portfolios to his recently appointed Cabinet members.
GOP House candidate served on board of prep school pushing controversial LGBTQ, woke books on young students
A Republican state legislator running for Congress in North Carolina previously served on the board of trustees of a prep school that’s frequently pushed controversial LGBTQ and other woke books on young students. State Rep. Grey Mills, who is running to represent North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District, served as a trustee at Cannon School, located in Concord, North Carolina, for at least two years from 2020-2021, and has, along with his family, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various causes and campaigns associated with the institution. Despite one of his children still attending Cannon School, as well as his anti-woke record in the state legislature opposing things like teaching critical race theory in schools, biological males participating in women’s sports, and opportunity scholarships, Mills never publicly addressed the school’s inclusion of controversial books on various summer reading lists during his time as a trustee. GOP CANDIDATE COMPARED DEPORTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO NAZIS, ‘NOT OPPOSED’ TO FAST-TRACKING DACA CITIZENSHIP One such book called “Pink is for Boys,” is notably sold on The Little Gay Shop, an online store that describes itself as a “queer marketplace.” The book, which appeared on Cannon School’s 2021 Kindergarten Summer reading list during Mills’ time as a trustee, is described on The Little Gay Shop site as a “timely and beautiful picture book” that “rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids-and their grown-ups-to express themselves in every color of the rainbow.” Another book, called “Illegal,” which appeared on the school’s 7th grade reading list, paints the illegal immigration of African migrants to Europe through a supportive lens, while others, such as “Efren Divided,” “Blended,” and “Ban this Book,” address woke themes like anti-law enforcement and pro-illegal immigration. FORMER GREEN BERET SHREDS ‘CRIMINALLY INCOMPETENT’ BIDEN, STRESSES NEED FOR MORE VETERANS IN CONGRESS In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mills campaign spokesman Chris D’Anna referenced Mills’ opponent, Pat Harrigan. “It is disgusting that Pathway Pat Harrigan is attacking Grey’s family and his desire to be a part of his children’s education. Anyone who knows Grey knows this is a ridiculous line of attack from an individual who believes illegal immigrants deserve a pathway to citizenship.” “Grey’s conservative record in the State House of protecting girls’ sports, standing for parents’ rights, and banning indoctrination speaks for itself. Attacking a father for being a part of his children’s education is a low blow, even for a disaster of a campaign like Pat Harrigan’s,” he added. A source familiar with Cannon School told Fox News Digital that an individual’s capacity as trustee does not have any involvement in the school’s reading list curriculum and that the board strictly focuses on the financial management of the school. North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, who briefly served as speaker pro tempore following former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster in October. It is a deep-red district considered a safe seat for Republicans. McHenry announced in December that he would not seek re-election. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
South Carolina Democrats expected to once again boost Biden as they kick off party’s primary calendar
Vice President Harris, on the eve of South Carolina’s Democratic presidential nominating primary, highlighting the significance of the state’s leadoff position. “South Carolina, you are the first primary in the nation and President Biden and I are counting on you,” Harris said at a campaign event at South Carolina State University. “Are you ready to make your voices heard,” asked the crowd gathered Friday at the historically Black university. South Carolina, where Black voters play an outsized role in state Democratic politics, for the first time is leading off the party’s official presidential nominating calendar. HALEY SAYS ‘CLOSING THE GAP’ WITH TRUMP HER GOAL IN SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRIMARY And much of the credit goes to President Biden, who orchestrated an upending of the Democratic National Committee’s long-running nominating calendar to place the Palmetto State first. “If you ever doubt that the power to change America is in your hands, remember this. You proved it. You’re the reason I am president. That’s right. You’re the reason Kamala Harris is a historic vice president,” Biden emphasized last weekend as he spoke at a major South Carolina Democratic Party gathering. HALEY, TRUMP, TRADE SHOTS OVER WHO’S THE WEAKER CANDIDATE AGAINST BIDEN Four years ago, the then-former vice president was reeling, after a fourth place finish in the Iowa caucuses and a fifth place showing in the New Hampshire primary. Biden rebounded with a distant second place finish to Sen. Bernie Sanders in Nevada’s caucuses, which was followed by a landslide victory in the South Carolina primary. Biden’s demolishing of the rest of the field of Democratic rivals – boosted in large part by the support of longtime Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina – rocketed Biden towards the party’s nomination and eventually the White House. National Democrats for years knocked both Iowa and New Hampshire – which led both national parties’ nominating calendars for half a century – as unrepresentative of the party as a whole because the states have largely Caucasian populations with few major urban areas. Nevada and South Carolina, which in recent cycles voted third and fourth on the calendar, are much more diverse than either Iowa or New Hampshire. While Republicans didn’t make major changes to their 2024 schedule, the DNC a year ago overwhelmingly approved a calendar proposed by Biden to move South Carolina to the lead position. The president and supporters of the new calendar argued that it would empower minority voters, upon whom Democrats have long relied but have at times taken for granted. Plenty of political analysts also saw the move as a thank you by Biden to Clyburn and South Carolina for the role they played in his 2020 election. While Iowa eventually complied with the DNC, New Hampshire adhered to a half-century-old state law that mandates their presidential primary goes first. New Hampshire held its primary for both parties on Jan. 23, and the Democratic contest was unsanctioned by the DNC, with no delegates at stake. Biden didn’t file to place his name on the New Hampshire primary ballot and didn’t campaign in the state. But he still won over 60% of the vote in the contest, thanks to a well-funded write-in effort by top Granite State Democrats. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But Biden’s on the ballot in South Carolina, as are his two long-shot primary challengers, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and Marianne Williamson, the best-selling author and spiritual adviser who’s making her second straight White House run. Phillips, who captured nearly 20% of the vote in New Hampshire after heavily campaigning there, appears to have waved the white flag in South Carolina. Phillips last campaigned in the Palmetto State a week ago. Biden’s expected to once again carry South Carolina by a massive margin. “This primary is contested, but it isn’t competitive,” South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain told Fox News on Friday.” And spotlighting the significance of going first in the calendar, she said “it means, for the first time in this country’s history, that Black voters get to have their voices heard first in the process. Not later on. That southern voters get to go first. Rural voters get to go first. So it’s a huge deal.” Fox News’ Nick Rojas contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Biden aims to solidify support with Black voters as he seeks re-election to White House
President Biden isn’t too concerned about winning Saturday’s Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina. He’s expected to carry the contest in a landslide. South Carolina, where Black voters play an outsized role in Democratic politics, for the first time is leading off the party’s official presidential nominating calendar, thanks in large part to Biden. And state Democratic Party chair Christale Spain told Fox News on the eve of the contest that “this primary is contested, but it isn’t competitive.” But for Biden, there’s a bigger mission than just winning big in the Palmetto State primary. CONCERNS RAISED OVER LACK OF ENTHUSIASM AMONG BLACK VOTERS FOR BIDEN RE-ELECTION The president is aiming to solidify his support among Black voters in South Carolina and across the country. Those voters, who four years ago boosted Biden first to the Democratic nomination and ultimately into the White House, appear less energized in 2024. The president’s approval ratings among Black voters, who are a crucial part of the Democratic Party base, have eroded over the past three years, which is a significant concern for his re-election chances. And while Black voters overwhelmingly voted for Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans made gains. HALEY SAYS ‘CLOSING THE GAP’ WITH TRUMP HER GOAL IN SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRIMARY Former President Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner for this year’s Republican nomination, is making a play for Black and Hispanic voters. Trump often points to endorsements from Black celebrities as a sign of his support in the Black community. And Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, a former 2024 GOP White House candidate and the only Black Republican in the Senate who endorsed Trump last month, has become top surrogate for the former president. “Have you seen our poll numbers with African Americans and with Hispanic Americans? But I’m not that surprised because I see it, I feel it,” Trump argued as he campaigned in New Hampshire ahead of that state’s presidential primary. While Trump suggested that “there is much more enthusiasm now” for him among minority voters, there’s little polling evidence to back up his claims. But even a slight shift of voters from Biden to Trump – or the possibility of some Black voters frustrated with a lack of progress on key issues sitting out the 2024 election – could potentially make the difference in crucial battleground states like Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Black voters carried Biden to a landslide victory in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary four years ago, igniting his 2020 campaign. The president, campaigning in South Carolina last weekend, thanked the largely Black audience at a state Democratic Party gathering for helping him win the White House, adding “you’re the reason Donald Trump is a loser.” Looking ahead to his likely rematch with Trump in November, Biden told the crowd “you’re the reason we’re going to win and beat him again.” In a sign of the importance of the Black vote, the president kicked off his reelection bid last month at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine Black parishioners were killed in a 2015 mass shooting. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But some Democratic leaders have been raising concerns regarding the president’s underwhelming support among some Black voters. Spain told Fox News the key is to get the message out. “I do believe that it’s not enthusiasm, it’s information,” she said. And Spain predicted support would solidify “once we share the information about how President Biden and the Democrats have been delivering on things.” Vice President Harris, who made history as the nation’s first female and Black vice president, told the crowd at a get-out-the-vote rally at a historically Black university in Orangeburg on the eve of the primary that “South Carolina, you are the first primary in the nation and President Biden and I are counting on you.” And pointing to Trump, Harris argued that “for years, the former president has stoked the fires of hate and bigotry and racism and xenophobia for his own power and political gain.” “The former president has told us who he is, and it is on us, then, to recognize the profound threat he poses to our democracy and to our freedoms,” she warned the crowd. Fox News’ James Levinson contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
NY race to replace George Santos may be test for Republicans looking to keep House in November
Early voting kicks off on Saturday for a suburban New York election that both Democrats and Republicans have been pouring millions of dollars into. The race to replace expelled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., in the Empire State’s 3rd Congressional District is being watched as a potential bellwether for Republicans’ chance of keeping the House of Representatives next year. It’s between Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, a Nassau County official, and former Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., who left his seat at the end of 2022 for an unsuccessful bid to primary Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. “I think it’s anybody’s game at this point,” Naysa Woomer, Santos’ former communications director and a former aide to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, told Fox News Digital. “Even though Tom Suozzi was the former member that represented NY-3 for quite some time, but it’s still a new ballgame — especially with Mazi Pilip…she’s a local legislator. I think that could give her a real leg up, just having that name recognition but at a local level.” NY REPUBLICANS TAP IDF VETERAN TO REPLACE SANTOS IN SPECIAL ELECTION The race is shaping up as a test run of whether House Republicans can overcome a chaotic term fueled by having a thin but highly divided majority. Nationally, Democrats have seized on the dysfunction, while Republicans seized on issues like the high cost of living and the border crisis, which polls have shown as top of mind for voters. Pilip told Fox News Digital in an interview that her race, if successful, could be a roadmap for Republicans to keep the House. “This is a special election, but it’s going to also give us a picture for the November 2024 election. So it is very important. It is about saving the country, it is about common sense government,” Pilip said. “We can’t lose this election.” Some of Pilip’s most vocal backers in Congress are the New York Republicans who led the charge to expel Santos, including Long Island Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., who told Fox News Digital he was confident Republicans would keep the seat. GEORGE SANTOS IN DISCUSSIONS FOR POSSIBLE PLEA DEAL “So there’s… four M’s as to how to win this election in NY-3 — message, money, manpower and, in this case, Mazi,” LaLota said. “We’re out front on the border, folks know that Republicans have common sense solutions that will help fix our border. The same on inflation — our economic policies… are the right things that provide the right solutions to the problems facing Long Island and Queens residents.” But a Democratic operative familiar with the race suggested Suozzi, in addition to his attention to local issues, would have an edge with voters weary of what they see in the House GOP majority. That includes the many scandals Santos saw before being expelled over federal charges and a damning Ethics Committee report related to misuse of funds. “We are in a special election because the Republican Party repeatedly protected George Santos,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesperson Ellie Dougherty told Fox News Digital, noting House GOP leaders’ silence amid a small faction’s calls to boot him. However, LaLota denied that Santos would be an anchor for Republicans. “George Santos is a knucklehead. Republicans know it. Democrats know it. Independents know it. We’re not shy about acknowledging that reality,” LaLota said. “We have been very straightforward and honest about it, and because we Long Island Republicans led the charge to remove him, I think we have a tremendous amount of credibility with the electorate.” ‘SQUAD’ DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON ‘GENOCIDE’ ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ISRAEL The Democratic operative said the left’s message in the last stretch would emphasize Suozzi’s decades of political experience and bipartisanship, while hammering Pilip as inexperienced and unvetted — a bid to tie her to Santos. But Pilip refuted those accusations on Friday, telling Fox News Digital her background was extensively searched in the wake of Santos, and added she was “very proud” of her history as an Israeli-American immigrant and Israeli Defense Force soldier. She also accused Suozzi of being a “career politician,” painting himself as a moderate while voting for progressive policies while in the House. “Yes, he has the name recognition, but you know what, people remember him for his bad policies out there,” Pilip said. The DCCC said of Pilip, “Mazi Pilip has nothing to say on issues that matter to voters. Even on immigration and border security, she only spews talking points her extreme Republican Party bosses give her… Meanwhile, Tom Suozzi has a long record of working with anyone to deliver for Nassau County and Queens.” A spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee told Fox News Digital of the race, “Tom Suozzi and Joe Biden caused the migrant crisis that is wreaking havoc in New York, and voters have had enough. Mazi Pilip is a strong, formidable candidate who will stand up to Biden and stop the inflow of illegal migrants into New York.” Fox News Digital tried several times to reach Suozzi’s campaign for comment but did not hear back.
Boebert faces stiff competition in Colorado House race after switching districts: ‘should be very concerned’
Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert’s mission to continue serving in the House of Representatives is panning out to be more difficult than some Republicans had originally anticipated. Instead of seeking re-election to Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, Boebert announced in December that she would be running for the House seat that is being vacated by Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., in the state’s 4th District. In a social media video addressing the switch, Boebert insisted that she would be “moving to the fourth” in 2024. “It’s the right move for me personally, and it’s the right decision for those who support our conservative movement,” Boebert said at the time. “This is the right move for Colorado, for us.” Since her announcement, however, Boebert appears to be struggling to make inroads with voters in the solid red district who will be casting their ballots in the state’s Republican primary election this summer. BOEBERT RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF FIGHT WITH EX-HUSBAND AT COLORADO RESTAURANT AFTER POLICE CALLED Alongside eight other Republican candidates who are seeking to represent the district at the federal level, Boebert participated in a debate last week in Fort Lupton, a city roughly 30 miles north of Denver. There, she attempted to persuade voters that she could best represent their interests in Washington, D.C. “The crops may be different in Colorado’s 4th District, but the values are not,” Boebert told the crowd of local Republicans who had gathered for the spectacle. “I’m a proven fighter for the values that you all believe in.” At one point during the debate, candidates were allowed to ask one other candidate a question. At that point, Boebert, who first won election to the House in 2020, was asked by former Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch to give him “the definition of carpetbagger.” With the audience stirred, Boebert responded, “Is this a Mary Poppins question? So yes, I have moved into the Fourth District. My boys and I needed a fresh start. That’s been very public…” Further responding to Lynch, Boebert claimed her decision also has the potential to “serve Colorado’s Third District,” insisting that Republicans “have an opportunity now to absolutely secure that seat and keep it red and stop the Hollywood money” from flowing into that district. Following the debate, a straw poll was conducted to get a better understanding of how the Republicans in the room felt about the candidates’ performances. Boebert finished in fifth place, garnering just 12 votes out of the approximately 100 people in attendance. Coming in ahead of Boebert in the straw poll, according to Colorado Politics, was Logan County Commissioner Jerry Sonnenberg with 22 votes, Lynch with 20 votes, Douglas County filmmaker and radio host Deborah Flora with 18 votes and state House Minority Whip Richard Holtorf with 17 votes. Sonnenberg, a rancher and former Colorado state senator who announced in December his decision to enter the race to represent the district, told Fox News Digital that he’s “not a negative person,” but recognized the significance of what appears to be Boebert’s decision to jump districts in an attempt to get re-elected. LAUREN BOEBERT ADDRESSES THEATER INCIDENT: ‘I MESSED UP’ “My mama always told me that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you don’t say anything at all, and so I won’t,” Sonnenberg said. “What I will tell you is, I think what sets us apart is integrity [and] honesty. That makes a difference. That’s important in a candidate, and for me, it’s important in a candidate that I would support.” “I obviously wouldn’t support a candidate that doesn’t have solid roots inside the district or understand the district,” he continued. “I think that becomes a challenge for anybody to carry a constituent’s voice anywhere, quite frankly.” Furthering his point, Sonneberg said, “It’s similar to a Californian moving into Colorado and wanting to run for office here. They don’t know anything about Colorado.” “I would use jumping from the third to the fourth district in the same type of venue — that becomes a challenge understanding the district,” he said. “Two totally different districts and, quite frankly, two totally different environments in which someone has to understand.” Prior to entering the race to succeed Buck, Sonnenberg served on the Colorado Farm Bureau board of directors before being elected to the state House in 2006 — where he was the only farmer and rancher in the chamber — and was elected as a state senator in 2014. Getting to the heart of what “really sets” him apart from Boebert, Sonnenberg said: “I grew up in this district. The neighbors know me, I know the neighbors. I represented the Eastern Plains while I was in the legislature. I grew up in the same house that my father and I were both raised in. I live in that house. I raised my children here.” “I understand the district and the district understands me. I think that makes for a great partnership when they’re looking for someone to go to D.C.,” he added. Following the straw poll from last week’s debate in the Centennial State, Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who reportedly wishes not to involve herself in the contentious Colorado election, said she believes Boebert should be “very concerned.” “I think she’s got to earn those people’s support. I saw that she came in fifth place in the straw poll over the weekend, which she should be very concerned about,” Greene told The Hill’s Kevin Cirilli. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Drew Sexton, Boebert’s campaign manager, said: “Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is focused on earning the support of all 4th District voters. A straw poll of 10 candidates and their supporters that took place in the 8th District where ticket sales closed days after she announced is of no concern and doesn’t provide a realistic snapshot of the district.” CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Downplaying the results of the straw poll in a post to social media, Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul wrote: “I
NY GOPers, Independents urged to register as Dems ahead of ‘Squad’ member’s primary: ‘combat’ antisemitism
Independent, Republican and unregistered voters in New York’s Westchester County are being urged to register as Democrats ahead of the Democratic congressional primary between “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman and pro-Israel candidate George Latimer, mailers obtained by Fox News Digital show. “Community and family transcend politics,” Westchester Unites, a group in Westchester County that works to advocate for “community over party,” said in mailers to local voters. “Especially when antisemitism is on the ballot.” The mailers call on voters to “combat” antisemitic hate by making “our voices heard.” “But you can only do so if you are enrolled Democratic by February 14,” one of the mailers obtained by Fox News Digital shows. SQUAD MEMBER IN FIRE ALARM FIASCO TAKES HEAT FROM WITHIN HIS OWN PARTY: ‘NEED NEW LEADERSHIP’ The mailer does not cite Bowman or his Democratic challenger Latimer, the current county executive of Westchester County campaigning for Congress on a pro-Israel platform, though it targets voters in Bowman’s district. “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.” ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER FACES ATTACK FROM WITHIN OWN PARTY OVER ISRAEL STANCE AMID DEM INFIGHTING ON GAZA Bowman is up for re-election this year, but his run 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. The “Squad” member has come under fire for calling for a cease-fire shortly following the war between Israel and Hamas, for boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress this past summer, and defending Rep. Pramila Jayapal when she was criticized for saying that Israel is a “racist state.” Late last year, Bowman also saw an event intended to spread “healing” amid antisemitism devolve into protesters demanding that the congressman represent Jews in his district when making policy decisions. NY DEM TEES UP PRIMARY AGAINST ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER UNDER FIRE FOR ISRAEL STANCE, FIRE ALARM FIASCO 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 controversy this fall 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 count for triggering the fire alarm. REP BOWMAN SAYS THERE MUST BE ‘CLEAR DISTINCTION’ BETWEEN ISRAEL’S CITIZENS, GOVERNMENT Latimer, who has 35 years in New York politics under his belt, emerged this summer as a potential candidate to face off against Bowman when local headlines in July declared that New York Jewish groups and Democrat donors were meeting with the county leader to test the waters for a potential run. Latimer announced his run in December, pitching himself to voters 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 group behind the mailers and texts sent to local Republicans and Independents urging them to switch parties was organized by a group called the Teach Action Fund, according to the New York Post. ‘SQUAD’ DEM REP JAMAAL BOWMAN FIRE ALARM FOOTAGE RELEASED AFTER GUILTY PLEA: ‘BOLD-FACED LIAR’ Dan Mitzner told Fox News Digital that the group is not explicitly targeting Republicans and Independents in the district, but working to ensure all Jewish residents and unaffiliated voters are registered. “This inclusive and empowering voter education and mobilization program is a first for the district and comes at a critical time,” Mitzner, political director of the Teach Action Fund, said in a press release provided to Fox News Digital. “The reality is that with an alarming rise in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents, our Jewish community here at home is under threat,” Mitzner added. “It’s essential that the next person we elect to Congress cares about the safety and well-being of the Jewish community and all our neighbors.” Mitzner added that only 15% of Democrats voted in the party’s 2022 primary, which he said was “bad for the district, bad for democracy, bad for the country, and bad for accountability.” Just this week, Westchester Unites opened a voter education office in New Rochelle, according to the press release, where voters can visit for registration and absentee-ballot information and assistance. “We are investing six figures in the first phase of this campaign, and we will not shy away from making sure as many voters as possible have their say between now and the June primary. The stakes for our community are too high to sit on the sidelines,” the press release states. Bowman’s campaign hit back at the push to register Jewish Republicans and Independents as Democrats, arguing it is an effort to bolster Latimer’s chances in the primary. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “George Latimer held a fundraiser hosted by a Trump mega-donor and has welcomed Republican-funded Super PACs to spend in this race, so it’s no surprise supporters are asking Republicans to vote in a Democratic primary,” campaign spokesman Bill Neidhardt told the New York Post. “George Latimer has abandoned the Democratic Party and voters across the district are deeply disappointed.” The race between the New York Democrats is already hotly contested, and anticipated to be a nail biter. Bowman defeated three-term incumbent Eliot Engel when he first secured his spot in the House, which was one of the biggest Democratic primary upsets of 2020. Latimer, meanwhile, has long-established roots in the area as a political leader who champions his record of never losing an election in his career. Neither campaign responded to Fox News Digital requests for comment.
Dr. Phil visits Southern Border, blasts Biden admin for handling of illegal immigration crisis
Former daytime talk show host Phil McGraw visited the Southern Border in Texas on Friday and criticized President Biden and Vice President Harris for the administration’s response to the influx of migrants flowing through the border illegally. McGraw spoke about the ongoing crisis at the border, including the legal fight between the Texas government and the federal government and Harris’ absence at the U.S.-Mexico border after being tapped as border czar early on in the Biden administration. “Wrapping up my trip to the border. This is something I needed to see with my own eyes. I have so much to say and share,” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In a video posted to X, the former “Dr. Phil” host cited Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott’s claim Biden “refused” to enforce protection laws and “enticed” thousands of migrants to avoid legal points of entry into the U.S. MAYORKAS REFUSES TO CALL THE BORDER SITUATION A ‘CRISIS:’ ‘NOT FOCUSED ON THAT LABEL’ “Texas law enforcement has seized over 454 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this mission. Governor Abbott has said that the federal government has broken the pact between the United States federal government and the states,” McGraw said. “Governor Abbott says President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them.” “The result is a humanitarian crisis, unlike anything we’ve seen before, smashing records for illegal immigration by wasting taxpayer dollars to tear open Texas border security infrastructure,” he continued. “Governor Abbott says President Biden has enticed tens of thousands of illegal immigrants away from 28 legal entry points along the Texas border and into the dangerous deadly waters of the Rio Grande.” McGraw also pointed to statistics from the Department of Homeland Security before claiming the number of migrants who have illegally entered the U.S. since Biden took office in 2021 is “more than the population of 33 different states.” BORDER NUMBERS FOR DECEMBER BREAK MONTHLY RECORD, AS BIDEN ADMIN TALKS AMNESTY WITH MEXICO “According to the Department of Homeland Security, since President Biden took office more than 6 million illegal immigrants have crossed [the] Texas southern border in just three years,” McGraw said. “That’s more than the population of 33 different states in this country. And what about our Vice President Kamala Harris? Did you know she’s our country’s immigration czar? Guess how many times she’s been to the border? Once.” This comes amid the fight between Texas officials and the Biden administration over the handling of the border. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration, allowing it to cut down razor wire put up on the border in the Lone Star State. Texas has also seized Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, which has seen a significant rise in illegal border crossings, a move the Biden administration has said has prevented Border Patrol from doing its job.