Texas Weekly Online

Texas-trans-white
Menu
Menu

Author: shailender

Bruce Blakeman calls Kathy Hochul Zohran Mamdani’s ‘puppet’ during New York campaign rally

Bruce Blakeman calls Kathy Hochul Zohran Mamdani’s ‘puppet’ during New York campaign rally

Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman blasted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as a “puppet” of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a campaign rally Sunday. Speaking at the event in Yorktown Heights, New York, Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, accused his opponent of embracing the democratic socialist mayor’s agenda while failing to crack down on illegal immigration and crime. “Kathy Hochul, she was out campaigning with Mamdani this week,” Blakeman said, according to the New York Post. “And I say that’s great.” “Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy, because I want to remind people that this un-American, antisemite, anti-Christian mayor is running the Democratic Party and Kathy Hochul is nothing more than his puppet,” he continued. HOCHUL DEFLECTS WHEN PRESSED ON TIES TO ‘ANTI-CHRISTIAN’ MAMDANI IN FIERY DEBATE MOMENT: ‘SHAME ON YOU’ Hochul has been campaigning alongside Mamdani, including at a recent rally in Brooklyn. The political alliance between the mayor and the governor, who is seeking reelection to a second full term, comes as democratic socialists have gained greater influence in New York politics. Along with Mamdani’s victory in last year’s mayoral election, candidates aligned with Mamdani and New York’s democratic socialist movement scored major victories in congressional primaries this year, including the defeats of two Democratic incumbents. Blakeman has previously targeted Hochul and Mamdani over public safety, accusing both Democrats of failing to address crime in New York City. FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS During a campaign appearance on the city’s subway system earlier this month, Blakeman described Hochul as the “most pro-criminal governor” and accused both leaders of failing to keep commuters safe. Mamdani has also publicly criticized Blakeman, accusing the Republican gubernatorial candidate of engaging in “bigotry and racism” following a debate between Blakeman and Hochul earlier this month. “I think the governor did a good job,” Mamdani told reporters when asked about Hochul’s response to Blakeman’s criticism. “And I’ll never fault someone for not being able to catch all of it because that is a fool’s errand when it comes to Bruce Blakeman.” Hochul and Mamdani have emphasized affordability and child care while campaigning together, arguing their policies are aimed at lowering costs for working families. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul’s and Mamdani’s offices for comment. Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this story.

Ninth Circuit questions Trump DOJ’s emergency request to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots

Ninth Circuit questions Trump DOJ’s emergency request to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots

A federal appeals court on Sunday scrutinized the Trump administration’s emergency effort to force California to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots tied to people the Justice Department suspects are noncitizens ahead of the midterm elections. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit raised questions about both the government’s legal arguments and whether the court has jurisdiction to intervene during a hearing in which attorneys representing the Trump administration and California argued for nearly two hours, Fox News’ Matt Finn reported. The federal government asked the panel to rule immediately, arguing that hundreds of thousands of California ballots could be tabulated each day while the dispute remains unresolved. The hearing comes after the Trump administration filed an emergency request involving roughly 20,000 mail-in ballots sent to people it suspects are noncitizens. CALIFORNIA MUST RESPOND TO DOJ’S EMERGENCY REQUEST OVER BALLOTS MAILED TO ALLEGED NONCITIZENS, COURT RULES The DOJ wants California election officials to set aside ballots associated with individuals on its list while their eligibility is reviewed, rather than allowing the ballots to be processed alongside other votes. Circuit Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, questioned whether the administration’s requested injunction could be reconciled with the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which gives state legislatures authority over the times, places and manner of congressional elections, subject to congressional regulation. “It seems to me that you want us to issue an injunction that is entirely inconsistent with the law that the California legislature has adopted pursuant to the Elections Clause,” he told Justice Department attorney Matthew Donnelly. BLANCHE WON’T RULE OUT DOJ BLOCKING ELECTION CERTIFICATION IN ‘DOOMSDAY’ SCENARIO “How can we do that?” The panel also questioned whether the Ninth Circuit has jurisdiction to intervene at this stage. Judge Gabriel Sanchez, a Biden appointee, questioned why the Ninth Circuit should weigh in when the district court has yet to rule on the DOJ’s request and a hearing before U.S. District Judge David Carter remains scheduled for Tuesday. Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, focused more heavily on the government’s concerns about potential noncitizen voting and questioned California’s handling of challenges involving suspected ineligible voters. The Justice Department sought emergency relief from the appeals court after Carter did not rule by a deadline previously requested by the department. California, meanwhile, has argued that the Ninth Circuit should not intervene before the lower court has ruled. The Justice Department initially filed the suit Oct. 15, roughly two weeks after California began mailing ballots. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL Before oral arguments, the Trump administration accused California of having a history of “mishandling voter rolls.” California has disputed the federal government’s underlying data while emphasizing that it has robust safeguards against noncitizen voting. Los Angeles County officials have said a preliminary review of a portion of the federal government’s list identified apparent discrepancies, including people who were born in the United States or were not registered to vote. In a filing this weekend, California argued that the federal government’s theory would “turn the Constitution on its head.” “When it comes to rules of elections administration, the federal government has no power to interfere with the States unless Congress passes a law governing the time, place, or manner of elections,” the state contended. More than 3 million people have already cast ballots statewide, including more than 500,000 in Los Angeles County, according to figures cited during the litigation. The Justice Department has emphasized the urgency of its request, arguing that each day without a ruling risks allowing additional ballots to be processed before the citizenship dispute can be resolved. Bennett said the three-judge panel would try to issue a ruling as quickly as possible. Reuters contributed to this report.

MAPPED: The states Trump and top Democrats are targeting before Election Day

MAPPED: The states Trump and top Democrats are targeting before Election Day

With just nine days until Election Day, both parties are making a final push to shape the fight for control of Congress. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are rallying Republicans across the country, while former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning for Democrats. The map traces their campaign stops so far this month, with states visited by both sides shaded gray. Trump’s stops span the country, from Texas and Oklahoma to Ohio, Georgia, Florida and Michigan. He said in early October he planned to hold five to seven rallies a week. This weekend, he campaigned in Florida on Friday, Georgia on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday. HIGH PRICES PUT TRUMP’S ECONOMY IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS THE GOP FIGHTS TO HOLD CONGRESS The map includes both reliably Republican states and states with competitive races. Oklahoma and Alabama, for example, are deep-red states where rallies can help energize the GOP base. Ohio, Texas and Iowa have competitive Senate contests; recent Cook Political Report polling showed Democratic candidates narrowly ahead in all three. Michigan is also a key Senate battleground. REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE. The stops by Obama and Harris show Democrats are also leaning on well-known figures in states with consequential races. Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan, while Harris’s recent appearances included Nevada, Mississippi and New Hampshire. The map tracks campaign travel, not a formal ranking of battlegrounds. However, it offers a snapshot of where the parties are trying to rally voters in the final stretch before Nov. 3.