Erika Kirk channels Charlie with blunt message to conservatives after GOP midterm losses
Erika Kirk had a message for conservatives reeling from Republican election setbacks, and she turned to her late husband Charlie’s words to deliver it. “I miss Charlie so much every single day, but especially on a day like today,” she wrote. “He always said that when things are going well, we need to stay humble. And when things aren’t going the way we want, we need to stay positive, keep our faith, and get back to work.” ERIKA KIRK URGES CONSERVATIVE STUDENTS NOT TO BACK DOWN IN FIRST SCHOOL YEAR SINCE CHARLIE’S ASSASSINATION The widow of Turning Point USA CEO and founder Charlie Kirk said her husband had built a political operation meant to endure both victories and defeats. “Charlie’s vision for Turning Point Action was always bigger than one election,” she wrote. “He wanted a permanent, year-round operation with the people, relationships, and resources to compete in every cycle. INSIDE CHARLIE KIRK’S EFFORT TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATIVE VOICES “He knew there would be victories and setbacks because he had experienced both and that’s why he built for both.” Kirk also thanked the staff, students, volunteers and ballot chasers who worked during the election cycle. ERIKA KIRK SAYS PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY-STYLE TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE KIRK IS ‘IN THE WORKS’ AS TPUSA EXPANDS “I know Charlie would be unbelievably proud of each and every one of you, and I am, too,” she wrote. In a lengthy post on X, Erika Kirk said Republicans saw once comfortable races tighten or flip as candidates she described as democratic socialists campaigned on the cost of gas, groceries and housing. FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN DIAGNOSES GOP’S BLUE TSUNAMI LOSSES: ‘WE FAILED TO MAKE THEM THINK WE CARED ABOUT THEM’ “A rising stock market doesn’t mean much when nearly half of Americans don’t have a 401K and just want to put gas in their trucks, put food on the table, and provide a good life for their families,” she wrote. Erika Kirk paired her warning with a defense of free enterprise, arguing conservatives must understand why voters looked elsewhere without embracing the policies their opponents offered. CALLING DEMOCRATS ‘COMMUNISTS’ WON’T WIN GEN Z — REPUBLICANS NEED A BETTER OFFER “We can disagree with the solutions voters were offered while still recognizing why they were looking elsewhere for answers,” she wrote. Erika Kirk warned conservatives against turning on one another as she urged them to take voters’ frustrations seriously. JASON CHAFFETZ: FIVE TIMELESS POLITICAL LESSONS THAT GOT LOST IN 2026 “The biggest mistake conservatives can make right now would be to allow this moment to become another exercise in finger-pointing, in-fighting, or trying to secure their own political preservation,” she wrote. “That does not solve the problems the American people are demanding be solved.” Erika Kirk said exit polls showed voters were concerned about the economy and the war in Iran. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS USHER IN A BLUE WAVE AS DEMOCRATS WIN CONTROL OF CONGRESS She said those concerns echoed what Turning Point had been hearing from students around the country for months. “This isn’t a surprise to us because we’ve heard the same concerns from our students around the country for months and we’ve been concerned about it too,” she wrote. JONATHAN TURLEY: SOCIALISM IS BACK IN STYLE, AND DEMOCRATS ARE BUYING THE PITCH Erika Kirk rejected socialism as an answer, arguing it places economic power in government hands rather than allowing individuals and families to build prosperity. She said that approach conflicts with the free enterprise, individual liberty and opportunity at the heart of the country. But she also warned that Americans will not simply stick with a party out of habit. “Americans are not looking for labels and don’t subscribe to unquestioned party loyalty anymore either,” she wrote. “They will support the candidates who can both speak to their concerns and deliver on what THEY need and dream about for their families.” She identified affordable homes, safe communities and greater opportunity for the next generation as the promises voters want fulfilled. Erika Kirk said the organization would study the results, listen to voters and spend the next two years making the case that conservative policies and free markets can address the problems Americans face. She pledged to continue building relationships in communities across the country and preparing for “2028 and beyond.” “Our principles haven’t changed and neither has our mission,” she wrote. “Onward.”
Florida congressman diagnoses GOP’s blue tsunami losses: ‘We failed to make them think we cared about them’
As Republicans sift through the wreckage of a devastating election night that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress by large margins, one Florida Republican who bucked the national trend says the GOP fundamentally misread the electorate. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Congressman Randy Fine — who expanded his own winning margin by five points despite the national backlash — offered a candid assessment of his party’s shortcomings and warned that Republicans must now prepare for an “ugly two years” battling Democrats over immigration and other contentious issues. While Republicans held their ground in Florida, winning the governor’s mansion, the Senate race, and maintaining their 20-8 edge in the US House, nationally the GOP got crushed under the weight of a blue tsunami. ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH EXPULSION THREAT AS GOP LAWMAKER VOWS TO BOOT HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE Congressman Fine presents no easy answer to the GOP’s divergence in fortunes between Florida and the rest of the country: “You know, I think that’s a hard question to answer. What I would say, I can speak to my race, and I’m actually one of the few Republicans in the country whose margin increased from my last election. I won my special election after having $14 million spent against me. I won it by 14 points. I won last night by 19 points. And so what I can tell you is what worked for me. “My constituents want a fighter, someone who says what they believe. They know it’s not driven by polls or anything else and fights for them, whether it’s fighting for their constituent service issue or fighting on illegal immigration or fighting to bring money to the district. And that’s why I went up so much. I took my race seriously because I knew the winds were against us. “And so, Florida, I think just people know how good we have it and they don’t want to screw up the state. I think that’s why we won all 20 of these races.” Fine refuses to single out anyone in GOP leadership for the electoral outcome, and believes the Republicans must approach each election cycle as a unified team: “Well, look, I’m not a finger pointer, but what I would say is this. We’re a team and the team lost. And so then the whole team bears responsibility and that includes me. I mean, while I did well, my team lost, and I’m not going to be here pointing the fingers at anybody. FROM CAMPUS RADICALS TO BEIJING’S AI SABOTAGE: REP RANDY FINE SAYS ‘US FIGHTING TO SAVE WESTERN CIVILIZATION’ “I think that what we did is we failed to understand what the American people wanted. I think we failed to make them think we cared about them. Now, I didn’t fail in my district, but I think nationally people came to believe that we weren’t interested in them and that’s wrong. “We were, but we failed to communicate it, and maybe that’s part of my special sauce is I know how to communicate better than many of these people.” With Democrats firmly in control of both chambers of Congress, Fine anticipates two years of playing defense, and a continuous fight to explain why Democrats’ policies will be harmful to the country: “I don’t know that we’re going to push the agenda. I think what we’re going to be is we’re going to be on defense. We’re going to have to fight back. And you know, as my father told me this morning, he goes, ‘Randy, you’ve been a fighter your whole life. You were built for the fight.’ “So we’re going to be having to fight against stupid policies that they will be pushing. And it’s going to be an ugly two years, but we’re gonna have to explain why all of the things that they said they would do during the campaign are so bad. We obviously didn’t succeed in doing that. But as they put those policies forward, we’re going to have to make the argument for why they would damage America.” Immigration is the single issue that Fine identifies as having the greatest potential to harm the country: “I think they will seek to reopen the border and allow illegals to flood in. I think they will seek mass amnesty, rewarding all of the illegals that are here. And I think they will stop any requirement for people who come to this country to assimilate. They believe in the ‘third worldification’ of America. And that’s going to be the number one thing we have to fight back against.” Florida and Texas painted a particularly stark contrast in electoral outcomes. Fine suggests the Sunshine state GOP was better prepared to face headwinds: “Well, I think maybe our candidates at the top of the ticket were better. You know, Byron Donalds is an incredible spokesman for the conservative movement. Ashley Moody is a multiple-time winner statewide. And I think Texas allowed itself to slide on a lot of these things. “They had a big influx of illegal immigrants. And they also really didn’t fight back against the Islamification of their state in a way that we have in Florida. Demographics are destiny. And I think, to some degree, Texas was overtaken by that yesterday.” Fine has long been an outspoken critic of Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, and believes he represents a danger to the country: “Of all the races last night, that one breaks my heart the most. I mean, someone who literally supports Muslim terror, someone whose family is embedded in so many aspects of Muslim terror. Someone who’s really a danger to this country being elected to the United States Senate. It’s an unspeakably horrible thing, a historically bad thing. Someone who doesn’t support the United States. Someone who supports the Muslim Brotherhood. “It breaks my heart. I’m not from Michigan, I don’t know what they were thinking, but it’s a terrible, terrible, terrible day. Look today for
Vance courting disgruntled Trump voters to form ‘new right’ alliance after Republican bloodbath, sources say
EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance is seeking to forge a new alliance with disaffected Trump voters ahead of the 2028 election cycle, Fox News Digital has learned. Vance took control of his own messaging Wednesday morning in the wake of a brutal Republican midterm beatdown, breaking with President Donald Trump on foreign policy and America’s relationship with Israel. A source familiar with post-election happenings told Fox News Digital that there was a White House meeting Wednesday morning aimed at aligning the entire administration officials on post-midterm messaging. A second source familiar described the meeting as a regular senior staff meeting. After that huddle, the vice president posted a lengthy admonishment to X where he squarely blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party’s losses in the 2026 midterms. Trump made a similar claim after calling into Fox News during Tuesday night’s election coverage, saying the upsets were “partly” due to the Iran war. VANCE’S SCATHING IRAN WAR POSTMORTEM PUTS POTENTIAL 2028 GOP SHOWDOWN IN FOCUS: ‘EVERYONE KNOWS WHY’ “The reason we lost is the war,” Vance’s post said. “The president himself said so last night.” “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest,” he went on. “But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.” In the post, Vance said a pollster and “one of the smartest people I know in politics” laid out four tasks that would bring voters back to the GOP — end the war in Iran, focus on the cost of living and inflation, put America first, and “change our relationship with Israel.” JD VANCE DECLINES TO ENDORSE NETANYAHU DESPITE TRUMP’S STRONG BACKING A Trump administration official who spoke with Fox News Digital said that the four tasks are Vance’s rallying cry to the “new right,” broadly defined as a coalition of Republicans that aligns with the president’s original “America First” movement — staying out of foreign conflicts, making America an affordable place for Americans to raise families, and closing the borders. But those voters, they said, also believe that Trump is too aligned with Israel on foreign policy matters. Among some on the political right, the war in Iran is intrinsically tied to Israel’s influence in the Middle East, and Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028 The official made it clear that Vance’s message is not a separation from Trump, à la former Vice President Mike Pence who denounced Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the capitol. Rather, they said, he is aiming to send a clear message to Republicans who support Trump and disagree with or feel betrayed by his foreign policy. And that message is: “Vance is our guy.” The White House did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment at time of publication on the meeting or Vance’s post-election messaging. The vice president has not strayed much from Trump and the White House’s preferred messaging for the past two years — though he has been one of the few voicing concern over the ongoing war in Iran. Despite his friendship with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, reports and comments from the vice president himself have expressed how his stance on the Iran conflict differs. Trump acknowledged earlier this year that Vance was “maybe less enthusiastic” about attacking Iran from the jump. TRUMP ‘COULDN’T TRANSFER THE LOVE’ OF HIS SUPPORTERS TO OTHER REPUBLICANS AMID HISTORIC MIDTERM LOSS Vance is widely considered a top GOP presidential candidate in 2028 — along with Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio. So far, Democrats stand at 54 Senate seats to Republicans’ 44, after sweeping wins in typically red Texas, ruby-red Kansas and other Republican strongholds like South Carolina. DEMS SEIZE THE SENATE AS BLUE TIDAL WAVE CRASHES DEEP INTO TRUMP COUNTRY, TOPPLES GOP STRONGHOLDS Votes are still being counted into Wednesday in a tight race in Alaska, that could see Democrats winning yet another seat in the Senate and widening their majority over the GOP. The outcome of the midterms could have massive implications for the 2028 election, and Republicans are grappling now with how to face one of their biggest-ever challenges in trying to flip back the upper chamber despite a widened gap throwing them deep into a minority in January. Needing only 218 to control the House, Democrats on Wednesday afternoon had won 237 seats, with more projected to filter in as ballots are counted and races are called.
Fox News/NORC Study: Voters look to 2028 focused on the economy
After the midterm elections, attention will turn to the 2028 race for the White House. What is on voters’ minds as they look ahead to the next presidential election? Most Republicans want the next president to follow President Donald Trump’s policies, if not his style. Nearly 4 in 10 MAGA Republicans want Trump’s successor to emulate both, and about half want the next president to follow his policies alone. Non-MAGA Republicans are less enthusiastic: 45% want his policies to continue, but only about 15% of non-MAGA Republicans want a president with the same style. Independents prefer something entirely different: 6 in 10 want the next president to break with both Trump’s policies and his style. Likewise, few Democrats want to see either his style or his policies repeated. Even as the Democrats have won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Trump finds his approval rating at 39%, a bloc of voters remains loyal to the president and is likely to influence the 2028 campaign. While half of voters want a successor who does not emulate his style or follow his policies, 26% want a president who will carry on his policies, and another 12% want the next president to copy his policies and his style. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS USHER IN A BLUE WAVE AS DEMOCRATS WIN CONTROL OF CONGRESS Looking ahead, voters across party lines say improving economic conditions is the most important issue for the country to address over the next five years. Six in 10 voters feel they are holding steady financially while about 3 in 10 feel they are falling behind. Few, about 1 in 10 voters, feel they are getting ahead financially. Voters who describe their own financial situation as less than satisfactory, or say they are falling behind, are more likely to name the economy as the top issue. What should Tuesday’s winners prioritize once sworn into office? When asked what is most important for newly elected officials to work on first in 2027, 3 in 10 voters want elected officials to address grocery costs. About 2 in 10 want action on gas prices, and a similar share say they should work on healthcare and prescription drug costs. Slightly fewer are concerned about housing costs, while about 1 in 10 want officials to address electricity and other utility costs. Voters are closely divided on whether the country can look forward to better days or if the good days are behind us. And it’s linked to how they’re feeling financially. About two-thirds of those who say they are getting ahead financially are optimistic about the future. However, about two-thirds of voters who are falling behind financially think the country’s best days are in the past. Beyond the economy, priorities diverge. About 1 in 5 Democrats point to access to affordable healthcare, while about a similar share of Republicans say protecting individuals from government overreach is the top issue. About 1 in 10 independents say the country should address the affordability of healthcare, and about the same share say government overreach. Voters are divided over AI’s effect on the U.S. economy during the next 10 years. About 4 in 10 say it will be harmful, while 3 in 10 expect benefits. About 1 in 10 expect AI to make no difference, while slightly more, about 2 in 10, are unsure. About 4 in 10 expect AI to negatively affect the environment and the arts and entertainment industry. About half of voters want substantial changes in how the country is run. Party identification shapes how much change voters want and which branches of government they think most need reform. Democrats are about three times as likely as Republicans to want complete upheaval of how the country is run. Half of democratic socialists favor complete and total upheaval, compared with about 1 in 10 MAGA Republicans. In the 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis conducted for the presidential election, most Republican voters said they wanted substantial change or total upheaval. Now, with a Republican in the White House and their party controlling both houses of Congress, they are less eager for major change. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: HOW DEMOCRATS TOOK CONTROL OF THE SENATE Overall, 4 in 10 voters think Congress should be substantially reformed, including three-quarters of MAGA Republicans and half of non-MAGA Republicans. Democrats are less likely to say Congress needs reform, but half say the executive branch should be improved. Few voters in either party want changes to the Constitution. Democrats are more likely than Republicans or independents to say the Supreme Court needs reform. Voters across party lines support term limits for Congress and Supreme Court justices. Democrats favor abolishing the Electoral College, but Republicans and independents are less enthusiastic. Most Republicans support limiting mail voting to people physically unable to vote in person. MAGA Republicans are more supportive of limiting mail voting than non-MAGA Republicans (63% vs 40%). Democrats oppose the idea, regardless of whether they support the Democratic Socialists of America. AMERICANS CLASH OVER SUPREME COURT EXPANSION AS FIGHT OVER 9 JUSTICES HEATS UP: ‘LET’S PACK IT NOW’ The expansion of artificial intelligence has triggered some public backlash against AI data centers. Voters are divided on whether AI will help or hurt during the next 10 years. More Democrats say the technology will be harmful while more Republicans expect benefits. Among Republican voters, MAGA Republicans are more enthusiastic about AI than non-MAGA Republicans. Forty-five percent of MAGA Republicans believe AI will help the U.S. to compete with other countries, and another 4 in 10 feel AI will do more to help the economy. Among Democrat voters, supporters of democratic socialism and those who do not support the movement are similarly likely to feel AI will help aspects of American society. However, supporters of democratic socialism are more likely than other Democrats to feel AI will do more to hurt than help. Overall, 6 in 10 voters are extremely or very concerned about the effect of
Hegseth’s future draws ominous predictions from insiders after GOP losses, but Trump isn’t budging yet
President Donald Trump stood by War Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday, saying he was doing “a very good job” even as current and former administration figures continued to question how long the Pentagon chief could remain in his post after Republicans’ bruising midterm losses. “I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said Wednesday when asked by the media whether he was considering replacing Hegseth. The public support came a day after Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, setting the stage for a shift in power on Capitol Hill in January. The Iran war and its economic fallout loomed large in the election, with Hegseth among the administration’s most vocal advocates for the campaign. His future remains the subject of speculation among current and former administration figures despite Trump’s public backing. TRUMP PLEDGES TO VETO ‘INSANE’ DEM BILLS, PINPOINTS ISSUE PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR REPUBLICAN LOSSES A White House official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the election results “would have looked very different without the Iran War.” The official predicted Trump would ultimately hold Hegseth, a former Fox News host, accountable, saying, “That will play out in the lame duck.” “Hegseth is on the chopping block,” a former White House staffer told Fox News Digital later Tuesday of Hegseth’s future. An administration official said there were “signs” Hegseth could be ousted but added that “Trump can turn on a dime.” The official said the possibility had been discussed for some time, though “only Trump knows what he’s gonna do.” “It was clear Bessent became the go-to after Pete couldn’t deliver an Iran victory,” the source said, referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the sanctions campaign against Iran known as Operation Economic Outcast. Beyond the Iran war, Hegseth also championed a plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. The proposal drew bipartisan backlash before Trump ultimately scrapped the livestream, while leaving Hasan’s execution in place. A foreign policy source with ties to Hegseth expressed doubt to Fox News Digital that the secretary will remain in the job through the end of the year. The source said Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment push could force Republicans eyeing 2028 re-election bids to “saddle themselves with a pro-Hegseth vote.” GOP SEN THOM TILLIS URGES TRUMP TO REPLACE PETE HEGSETH, BLASTS PENTAGON LEADERSHIP Hegseth has faced criticism over his prominent role in the Iran war, which has continued to generate political and economic fallout long after the White House’s initial three- to four-week timeline. He was among the administration’s most vocal defenders of the campaign, declaring in March that the U.S. was carrying out “our retribution” against Iran. Although sustained U.S. strikes have ended, tensions with Tehran remain unresolved with lingering concerns about Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities and the possibility of renewed military action. Renewed U.S. military strikes against Iran remain under serious consideration by the White House, sources told Fox News Digital. That possibility could weigh against an immediate change at the Pentagon. Installing new leadership as the administration considers renewed military operations would create uncertainty at a critical moment, while Hegseth has already demonstrated a willingness to move quickly in carrying out Trump’s military directives. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital Hegseth remains “100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office.” “Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists,” Parnell said. “The Department of War has followed the law, and our secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops and protect America. We will continue to drive President Trump’s agenda at the Department of War despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats.” Democrats have signaled that Hegseth will be a focus of the incoming Congress. Before the election, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would “run Pete Hegseth out of town” if they won the House. Democrats have also discussed investigations into the Iran war and Pentagon leadership, with impeachment among the options. Scrutiny from Democrats could keep Hegseth and the war he has championed at the center of the administration’s political troubles. Massie, R-Ky., has separately vowed to force a vote on his impeachment resolution during the lame-duck session if Hegseth remains in office. DEM FLIPS KEY SENATE SEAT IN BATTLEGROUND NORTH CAROLINA AS COOPER DEFEATS TRUMP ALLY As war secretary, Hegseth pushed sweeping changes to military culture, including banning transgender service members; eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and imposing uniform combat fitness standards for men and women. He also sought to overhaul the Pentagon bureaucracy by consolidating Army commands, cutting senior military leadership and expanding the use of artificial intelligence and advanced weapons technology. His tenure has also been marked by controversy, including the sharing of sensitive details about planned strikes against Houthi militants in Signal chats that inadvertently included a journalist. Internal infighting, leak investigations and the dismissal of several top aides have fueled scrutiny, though Trump has repeatedly defended his leadership. The political pressure on Hegseth echoes a past moment when midterm losses and an unpopular war put a defense secretary’s future in question. On Nov. 8, 2006, President George W. Bush announced Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation, one day after Republicans suffered major midterm election losses amid growing criticism of the Iraq War.
Newsom breaks with socialists over billionaire tax, and California voters appear poised to reject it
In the lead-up to the November midterms, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) put its support behind California’s Proposition 40, a measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state. Although the secretary of state’s election results show it on the path to defeat as of Wednesday afternoon, the DSA’s support for the policy has created a flashpoint for larger discussions about socialism’s redistributive aims and the capital flight critics say could follow. “In their mind, every tax they do is some attempt to get money from people who create wealth and move it to the state,” Richard Stern, an economics scholar with Advancing American Freedom (AAF), said in an interview with Fox News Digital. The DSA’s stance on Proposition 40 has also brought it into conflict with other Democratic figures, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who opposed it. SHOCKING PERCENTAGE OF DEMOCRATS IDENTIFY AS ‘DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS’ ACCORDING TO NEW POLL: ‘TOXIC POLICIES’ The proposition would have applied a 5% tax on assets like businesses, securities, art, collectibles and intellectual property while excluding select pensions, real estate and retirement accounts. To prevent billionaires from simply leaving the state, Proposition 40 was designed to retroactively apply to billionaires who were residents of California on Jan. 1, 2026. On the website for its California chapter, the group offered a PowerPoint slideshow supporters could use to argue its merits. “We have the money in California to pay for the quality schools and healthcare that we need. It just needs to be transferred from the wrong pockets to the right ones. We can do that by taxing the rich,” the slideshow reads. The DSA argued the policy would help cover up to a projected $100 billion shortfall in federal funding for the state’s Medi-Cal program that provides health insurance for low-income individuals, seniors and people with disabilities. The proposition also outlined that 90% of the generated revenue would go to healthcare, while the remaining 10% would be set aside for education, food assistance and administration of the tax. As part of its argument in favor of the policy, the DSA framed it as a scaled-up version of something that already exists: a progressive tax, a kind of tax that scales relative to income. “It calls for a temporary 5% wealth tax on just 250 Californians — the very richest people in the state — who together own $2 trillion in wealth,” its materials explain. “Let’s be clear: if the Billionaire Tax passes, none of the billionaires will actually lose money. They have been averaging a growth rate of 7 or 8 percent per year in their wealth. Thus, a 5% hit doesn’t even cut into what they have; it just slightly slows down the growth of that wealth.” But to experts like Stern, the AAF economist, the policy reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of wealth. “The left looks at a billionaire, and they assume that they’re sitting on $10 billion, $100 billion in cash. I hate to break it to them: There’s no cash,” Stern said. “They have no idea that we’re talking about a trillion-dollar company, we’re talking about a trillion dollars’ worth of factories and warehouses and delivery trucks and machinery.” LET SOCIALISTS ROB FROM THE RICH 100%, AND YOU STILL WON’T BE ABLE TO PAY THE BILLS Notably, Newsom has said he is opposed to the measure, arguing it would put California at a competitive disadvantage. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Newsom cited opposition from a number of different groups. “The firefighters opposed it. The teachers opposed it. Planned Parenthood opposed it. The vast majority of labor opposes it. I think the majority of Californians oppose it. So, we all have our reasons why,” Newsom said ahead of the election. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to do [it] at a state level. It’s a badly written initiative. It focuses just on one part of the state’s budget. It’s one-time money and the impact is already being felt. People have left the state.” Instead, Newsom called on voters to adopt a poison pill countermeasure. Proposition 42 was designed to prohibit new state taxes on personal property and restrict certain retroactive taxes. That measure looks to be on track to succeed. Even so, Newsom noted that his views on a 5% tax might change if implemented at the federal level. “Looking at that from a national prism, very different conversation than a state-by-state prism. That’s been the debate in California. I think the majority of Californians see that distinction even though they absolutely believe that we need a new tax bracket in this country,” Newsom said. Stern noted that Newsom’s openness to considering such a policy nationally comes with many of the same difficulties, but on an international scale. ‘CASTRO’S PLAYBOOK’: EX-AG WARNS DOZENS OF CONGRESSIONAL BILLS ARE PUSHING SOCIALIST IDEAS “You can more easily leave California, but you could give up American citizenship and move abroad,” Stern said. “[It] gets back to the old half-joke about communism and the wall in Berlin, which is, as Reagan said, they build walls that keep people in where normally we build walls to keep people out.” When asked what distinguishes Proposition 40 from a simple tax increase, Stern pointed back to the policy’s implications for businesses, in his view, the main source of most billionaires’ wealth. “We’re taking the means of production out of the hands of people that built those businesses, that manage those businesses, and giving them to Bernie Sanders and AOC and politicians to run them,” Stern said, referring to two of the country’s most well-known congressional figures who have received backing from the DSA in the past. “That’s socialism.”
Hakeem Jeffries declares bid for House speaker after GOP’s midterm massacre
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is officially running to be Speaker of the House in the next Congress. It comes after Democrats made historic gains in Tuesday night’s midterm elections, taking back both the House and Senate for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. Jeffries sent a letter to fellow House Democrats on Wednesday afternoon congratulating them on their victories and adding, “I write to humbly request your support in connection with my candidacy to serve as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.” Jeffries told reporters that he intended to run for the top job in the House during a press conference with his top deputies on Wednesday, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. DEMOCRAT SEIZE HOUSE CONTROL IN STUNNING BLUE TSUNAMI, VOW RETRIBUTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN Clark and Aguilar also signaled they would run for the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in the House. And despite a small group of far-left socialists elected to Congress who are expected to pose a headache for Jeffries and other establishment Democrats, he will likely have little trouble winning the speaker’s gavel given the wide majority his party won on Tuesday. At the time of writing this story, Democrats were projected to win 237 seats compared to 139 for the GOP. But 59 races are still too close to call, and Jeffries told reporters earlier that he anticipated a total of 255 or more Democrats in the House next year. In his lengthy letter to colleagues on Wednesday, Jeffries touted past victories and outlined his vision for the next two years. He pledged to “try to find bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible” on the issue of affordability while also criticizing the right’s handling of high cost-of-living. “Donald Trump and House Republicans promised to lower costs on Day One. They failed. Instead, toxic GOP policies like the Trump tariffs and war in Iran have done the exact opposite,” he wrote. AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI Jeffries also vowed “accountability” for the Trump administration, writing the House “will assume its place as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch.” He suggested Democrats would seek to undo Republicans’ Medicaid cuts, extend enhanced Obamacare tax credits that expired at the beginning of this year, and end Trump’s war in Iran. “Finally, we must restore classic American values like liberty and justice for all, equal protection under the law, the unfettered right to vote in a representative democracy and our heritage as a nation of immigrants. To that end, I look forward to drawing upon the insights and perspectives of every single part of the Caucus in the days and weeks ahead. House Democrats must deliver dramatic change,” Jeffries wrote. House Democrats are slated to hold their leadership elections in mid-December. Meanwhile on the right, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., will be vying for the role of minority leader in the next Congress.
Appeals court hands Mamdani legal win on NYC luxury second-home tax
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani scored a legal victory Wednesday after a state appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had ordered his administration to redo the rollout of a tax on high-end second homes. The four-judge panel unanimously dismissed the homeowners’ lawsuit, finding that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing. The decision overturned a September ruling by a Staten Island judge who had ordered the city to restart the tax’s implementation. The ruling allows Mamdani’s administration to continue implementing the surcharge — also known as a pied-à-terre tax — a key part of his agenda to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and help close the city’s budget gap. The tax still faces separate legal challenges. NYC JUDGE ORDERS MAMDANI TO REDO SECOND-HOME TAX ROLLOUT The surcharge, approved by the New York state Legislature in May, applies to qualifying second homes valued at $5 million or more for one- to three-family properties and $1 million or more for condos and co-ops. The city’s Department of Finance sent initial determination notices to approximately 17,000 property owners in July. A Staten Island judge ruled Sept. 29 that the city had mishandled the rollout and ordered officials to restart the process. The city appealed while continuing to implement the tax. The appellate judges found that receiving an initial tax notice or appearing on the city’s property valuation list did not establish sufficient harm to bring the lawsuit. The court also rejected the homeowners’ arguments that the process caused concrete injuries through privacy concerns or the costs of seeking exemptions. MAMDANI’S LUXURY-HOME TAX ROLLOUT DERAILED FOR NOW AS JUDGE DELIVERS WIN TO NYC HOMEOWNERS OVER MASSIVE LIST Mamdani welcomed the ruling, accusing wealthy property owners of trying to avoid paying additional taxes. “From day one, those with the most have attempted to use every legal avenue available to shield their wealth and avoid contributing more to our city,” Mamdani said. Randy Mastro, an attorney representing the homeowners, criticized the court for dismissing the lawsuit without addressing the merits of their challenge. “It’s a shame that, after the City admittedly botched the rollout of this surcharge, the court today took the procedural offramp of standing to avoid addressing the merits of this case,” Mastro said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “What the City has done here is unconscionable — trying to ensnare thousands of people who don’t owe this surcharge into having to prove they live in their own homes or else have to pay it. “But now, this lawless and chaotic data collection scheme will go unremedied.” Mastro said the surcharge faces another legal test next month over its constitutionality. Mamdani said his administration would continue defending the law against separate challenges in Suffolk County.
Newsom solicits cash as Biden’s former election lawyer mobilizes legal team for Mississippi Senate race
Democratic heavyweights Gavin Newsom and Marc Elias are mobilizing behind Scott Colom as the Mississippi Senate race remains too close to call, with the California governor soliciting emergency donations and Elias’ law firm preparing for a legal fight over the final count. In an overnight fundraising email obtained by Fox News Digital, Newsom’s campaign told supporters, “Please help asap,” warning that the race was entering “a phase of ballot curing and possible legal fights.” Elias said his firm is “leading the legal effort to ensure” Colom wins. “As you read this, Scott leads the Republican incumbent by just a couple hundred votes,” the email said. “There is no way Republicans are giving up this Senate seat without a fight. The job is not finished!” DEMS SEIZE THE SENATE AS BLUE TIDAL WAVE CRASHES DEEP INTO TRUMP COUNTRY, TOPPLES GOP STRONGHOLDS The Mississippi Senate race between Colom and incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., remained uncalled Wednesday because thousands of ballots had yet to be processed. Colom led Hyde-Smith by just 43 votes in incomplete, unofficial results, while an estimated 44,000 ballots remained outstanding, including absentee, affidavit and provisional ballots. “Scott Colom is going to be the next Senator from Mississippi. I am proud that Elias Law Group is leading the legal effort to ensure that happens,” Elias wrote on his Bluesky account. SCHUMER, DEMS ARE QUIETLY BETTING BIG ON ONE SLEEPER RACE IN THE DEEP SOUTH Elias is a longtime Democratic election lawyer who served as general counsel to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and led a Perkins Coie legal team representing Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. He later founded Elias Law Group, which has represented Democratic campaign committees and candidates in high-profile election disputes. Fox News Digital reached out to Elias for additional details about his planned involvement in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race but did not receive a response in time for publication. Mississippi law allows absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive within five business days — through Nov. 10 — and permits voters to cure certain ballot problems during that period. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The Mississippi Democratic Party has also filed a court challenge alleging delayed polling-place openings, long lines and ballot shortages in DeSoto County.
Top union boss drops 2028 warning on Democrats amid blue wave celebration: ‘Wake-up call’
DETROIT — As results poured in from across the country Tuesday night and a blue wave began to form, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain told Fox News Digital that Democrats’ sweeping midterm victories were no guarantee that working people would stick with the party in 2028. “It makes me confident that the working class will back whoever supports them, who they see getting behind their issues. I say this all the time, look, we’re not Republicans, we are not Democrats, we aren’t independents. We support people that back us,” Fain said, speaking to Fox News Digital at the Michigan Democratic Party’s election night watch party. “I just believe, you know, it’s a wake-up call to everyone that they better get behind workers and start supporting people because they’re tired of seeing, you know, $10 billion, $20 billion buyback deals for corporate leaders and for Wall Street while the people that create those profits can’t afford to live,” he continued. FOX NEWS POLL: MICHIGAN VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND ROGERS Democratic Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed‘s victory in Michigan stood in contrast to the GOP’s performance in the state during the 2024 general election, when President Donald Trump won voters without college degrees by approximately 10 percentage points, according to exit polling. A pillar of the political realignment of the Trump era has been the defection of working-class Americans, particularly the White working class, to the GOP. In 2024, the Teamsters made national headlines by declining to endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris amid polls suggesting that rank-and-file union members would break for Trump. UNION BOSS STUNS WITH MAJOR REPUBLICAN ENDORSEMENT AS ELECTION NEARS These shifts have been particularly pronounced in Rust Belt states such as Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin — all three of which saw significant Republican defeats on election night, including major Democratic victories in Senate, gubernatorial and legislative races. Fain argued that Democrats’ focus on kitchen-table issues facing working people helped propel them to commanding victories in Michigan and across the country. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: HOW DEMOCRATS TOOK CONTROL OF THE SENATE “I think it’s just a testament to Michigan here as a microcosm of what’s going on in this country right now. Working-class people have been left behind… these are some of the best times in the history of our nation… corporations are doing well, the rich are taking all the profits… and people are struggling to be able to afford to pay the bills,” he told Fox News Digital. “People come in, outside groups come in, they try to buy seats in Congress, they try to buy our electorate, and I think working-class people woke up to that and they’re fed up with this.” For Fain, the focus on healthcare, living wages and retirement assistance helps explain the Democratic Party’s sweeping victories on Tuesday night. “Whatever party gets behind those things and supports those initiatives to take care of people, they’ll be in power for a long time,” said Fain.