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Vulnerable GOP senator breaks with Trump on 2 key issues as Vance makes stop without her

Vulnerable GOP senator breaks with Trump on 2 key issues as Vance makes stop without her

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a moderate Republican seeking re-election in a blue-leaning state, is not joining Vice President JD Vance on Monday as he stops in her home state of Maine. Collins, who at times has opposed President Donald Trump’s legislative priorities, is a top target for Democrats this year as she runs in a midterm race that’s among roughly a dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority. Vance’s stop in Maine comes as Collins opposes Trump’s move this past weekend to impose 50% tariffs on a range of goods from Canada, which shares a long border with Maine. And the senator is also opposed to new U.S. Postal Service rules that, if implemented, could rein in mail-in voting. The vice president on Monday delivers remarks in Brewer, Maine, at Compotech, a defense technology manufacturer. It’s the second stop this year by Vance in Maine and the second time that Collins has not teamed up with the vice president. SUSAN COLLINS DROPS BRUTAL REMINDER OF DEMOCRAT CHALLENGER ROCKED BY ACCUSATIONS “I am already scheduled on Monday, so I will not be able to join the vice president,” Collins told reporters on Saturday. The Senate was in session when Vance held an event in Bangor, Maine, in May, and Collins stayed in Washington. The senator holds a historic attendance record of casting over 10,000 consecutive roll call votes in the Senate dating back three decades. But Collins, speaking to reporters as she marched in the annual Madison-Anson Days parade, her seventh parade this summer, highlighted that she teamed up last week with Energy Secretary Chris Wright when he stopped in Maine to tour a federally funded battery storage project in Lincoln built on the site of a closed paper mill. “I really appreciated Secretary Wright’s presence,” Collins said. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL IN MAINE’S CRUCIAL SENATE RACE SHOWS Collins, who was one of a small group of Republicans who voted to convict Trump in a 2021 Senate trial after the House impeached him following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, has at times voted against the Trump administration’s wishes. “I still think imposing new tariffs on Canada is a mistake,” Collins said on Saturday. Collins also referred to the proposed U.S. Post Office rule to implement a Trump executive order to rein in mail-in voting by refusing to deliver absentee ballots in states that have not turned over their raw voter rolls to the Justice Department or Department of Homeland Security. “Mail-in ballots are very important to the people of Maine,” Collins said. “I do no support restrictions that make it more difficult for seniors to cast votes on Election Day via the mail.” WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Collins says she supports the House version of the federal SAVE America Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), which mandates documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID for federal elections. But she joined three other Republicans and all Democrats to vote against advancing a Senate version of the bill, which is a top Trump priority. Collins has also taken issue with the Trump administration over its crackdown on illegal immigration, and its aggressive deportation efforts. The administration received backlash following the fatal shootings by federal enforcement agents of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota who were protesting immigration operations. And the issue flared again this summer, after a fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford, Maine. Democrats, including her Senate challenger, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, have repeatedly linked her to Trump, and heavily criticized her for her past funding for ICE. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Collins is the only Republican senator running for re-election in a state then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 election. And highlighting her differences with the president and his administration may be beneficial to Collins as she woos independent voters and even some Democrats. Vance, during his May stop in Maine, said, “Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins.” “I almost wish that she was more partisan. But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent, because Maine is an independent state. And, frankly, if she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine,” Vance continued. Vance added, “Let’s give a shoutout to Susan Collins, who’s doing a great job.” Jackson’s campaign, in a social media post ahead of Vance’s visit, called the vice president “Susan’s pal.” “I’m sure JD Vance loves her because she’s doing everything.. that he wants for her, but she’s not doing it for Maine people,” Jackson argued in an accompanying video. The vice president’s office did not offer a statement regarding Collins ahead of his Monday stop in Maine. Vance will be joined in Brewer by former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is the GOP nominee in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. The most rural district, the largest in the eastern U.S., is a top flip opportunity for the GOP, with moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden declining to seek re-election this year.

Alaska Senate race’s absurd name problem gets even harder to untangle

Alaska Senate race’s absurd name problem gets even harder to untangle

Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan is taking sides in Alaska’s unusual same-name Senate fight, endorsing incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan over a third Dan Sullivan, whose candidacy has already triggered legal challenges and allegations of an effort to confuse voters. The intervention from Dan A. Sullivan adds another twist to a potentially competitive race in which Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and his Republican allies have accused teacher Dan J. Sullivan of running as a GOP candidate to siphon votes from the incumbent. Dan J. Sullivan has denied those accusations and says he is a legitimate moderate Republican challenger. “As the OG Dan Sullivan, I urge Alaskans to vote for Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. He’s been great for Alaska,” the former mayor wrote on social media. DAN SULLIVAN ACCUSES SAME-NAME CHALLENGER OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ ALASKA SENATE RACE Republicans have attempted to use legal mechanisms to remove Dan J. Sullivan, who is himself running as a Republican, from the ballot. They point to the fact that he has worked with a Democratic-aligned consultant as evidence that he is part of a liberal plot to mislead voters. Dan J. Sullivan has defended himself from the accusations by arguing that he is genuinely a moderate Republican that has real dissatisfactions with Dan S. Sullivan’s representation of the state. It is unclear how many Dan Sullivans live in Alaska. Alaska has a unique electoral system, something Republicans have argued could further contribute to confusion when voters head to the polls in November. GOP SENATOR, EX-HOUSE DEM EMERGE FROM ALASKA’S ‘JUNGLE PRIMARY’ DESPITE FAR-LEFT MEDDLING The state holds a nonpartisan primary where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation. Once the four candidates are chosen and Election Day arrives, Alaskans use ranked-choice voting. Under the system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. When their first choice is eliminated, their support passes to their next choice and so on until one candidate is victorious. Advocates of the system argue that it gives voters greater control over who ultimately wins office as well as more options to choose from. Critics, meanwhile, argue the system could cause confusion in November. Dan S. Sullivan and Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola have advanced to the general election, though it is unclear whether Dan J. Sullivan will join them as votes are still being counted, according to the Associated Press. JUDGE RULES REPUBLICAN WITH SAME NAME AS SEN DAN SULLIVAN CAN STAY ON ALASKA PRIMARY BALLOT Following a Republican legal challenge, the Alaska Supreme Court held last month that Dan J. Sullivan could remain on the ballot after he was initially removed by the state’s Division of Elections. Now, federal and state prosecutors are reportedly investigating whether he is part of a conspiracy to confuse voters. The Sullivan campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Fla Dem Sen-nominee Angie Nixon backed abolishing Electoral College, ranked-choice voting in resurfaced clips

Fla Dem Sen-nominee Angie Nixon backed abolishing Electoral College, ranked-choice voting in resurfaced clips

Resurfaced clips show Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon supporting abolishing the Electoral College, embracing ranked-choice voting and allowing voters to register on Election Day in a series of comments Republicans are seizing on as the democratic socialist begins her general-election campaign. In one March 14 clip with the Clay County Speaks podcast, Nixon was asked about eliminating the Electoral College. “Abolish the Electoral College, I’m fine with that,” Nixon said. “I believe one vote, one person. We would have a different country right now if that was the case.” She then supported abolishing the Senate filibuster, which gives the minority party a block on the majority’s agenda. 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM FLORIDA SENATE PRIMARY: GOP SEN ASHLEY MOODY WILL FACE DSA’S NIXON Nixon also rejected nonparty voters participating in Democratic primary elections, saying it “marginalizes” the voter’s voice — echoing a rationale historically advanced for the Electoral College’s protecting smaller states from being drowned out by more populous ones. Asked separately about ranked-choice voting, Nixon responded, “I’m totally fine with that.” Nixon expressed the same positions publicly during a June online question-and-answer session with voters. WATCH: DEMOCRATS ADMIT WHEN THEY’D ELIMINATE THE FILIBUSTER AS SAVE ACT FIGHT HEATS UP On the same Clay County Speaks podcast, Nixon also advocated same-day voter registration. “I also believe that,” she said, “you can register same day and vote that day.” Florida currently closes voter registration ahead of Election Day rather than permitting voters to register at the polls. WHO IS ANGIE NIXON? BULLHORN-WIELDING SOCIALIST UPSETS ESTABLISHMENT FAVORITE IN SUNSHINE STATE STUNNER “Far-left socialist Angie Nixon isn’t running to protect our elections — she’s running to dismantle them,” RNC Election Integrity Communications Director Ally Triolo told Fox News Digital in a statement. “From abolishing the Electoral College and embracing ranked-choice voting to attacking voter ID and commonsense election safeguards, Nixon’s radical agenda is a direct threat to American election security. Anyone determined to tear down this sacred pillar of our nation is unfit for public office.” Fox News Digital reached out to Nixon’s Florida state representative’s office and her campaign for comments and an interview, but they did not immediately respond. Nixon, a Florida state representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, stunned the Democratic establishment last week when she defeated heavily funded former national security official Alexander Vindman for the party’s U.S. Senate nomination. She will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in November. The RNC is rebuking Nixon’s views about how elections should be run as the Jacksonville Democrat makes the jump from the state legislature to a campaign that is expected to draw national attention and potentially big dollars from Democrats in a bid to flip the Senate majority this November. CARVILLE TELLS DEMOCRATS TO ‘JUST QUIT FIGHTING’ AGAINST VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS, WARNS IT POLLS AT 75% Nixon has also sharply criticized election integrity measures enacted by Florida Republicans under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. A 2021 law signed by DeSantis shortened the duration of standing vote-by-mail requests, required voters to provide additional identifying information when requesting ballots and placed new restrictions on ballot drop boxes and third-party ballot collection. Republicans enacted additional mail-voting requirements in 2023. The fight comes as voter identification requirements continue to draw overwhelming support nationally, despite the Senate failing to move the Save America Act that requires voter ID nationwide. A Fox News poll conducted July 17–20 found 83% of registered voters supported requiring photo identification to register to vote, while 77% backed requiring photo ID to cast a ballot. Support crossed party lines, including 72% of Democrats who supported an ID requirement for registration and 62% who supported one for voting. FOX NEWS POLL: SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR BOTH VOTER ID LAWS AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS Nixon’s rhetoric has extended beyond election rules to Republican officials and the state’s judicial system. “What it’s going to take is voting these fascists out of office,” Nixon said, repeatedly applying that label to Florida DeSantis. “We have a governor that continually cheats,” Nixon told a podcast in 2024. “At the end of the day, he’s a fascist, he’s a dictator.” Nixon also accused Florida courts of protecting DeSantis and his political allies because of the governor’s role in judicial appointments. DAVID MARCUS: WHY DEMOCRATS’ HAREBRAINED POPULAR VOTE SCHEME MIGHT BACKFIRE “When you have courts that have been chosen by a fascist, of course they’re gonna look out for the fascists,” she told that same podcast. Nixon now faces Moody in the Nov. 3 special election for the Senate seat formerly held by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Birth tourism scams draw sweeping crackdown as visa revocations climb

Birth tourism scams draw sweeping crackdown as visa revocations climb

The State Department is cracking down on a popular form of visa fraud through a sophisticated worldwide operation that has already revoked hundreds of visas. The department’s spokesman, Tommy Pigott, told Fox News Digital that under the direction of President Donald Trump, the American government is partnering with agencies across the globe to halt the practice of birth tourism. Birth tourism refers to travel to the United States for the primary purpose of giving birth so a child can obtain U.S. citizenship. The practice has been linked to visa-fraud schemes in which applicants conceal or misrepresent the purpose of their travel, often while seeking entry on visitor visas. A U.S.-citizen child may also create future immigration options for family members, including the ability to petition for a parent after turning 21. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS TARGETING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, BIRTH TOURISM AFTER SUPREME COURT SETBACK It has also become a for-profit industry, where facilitators of the fraud market their services for helping women break America’s laws through “birth in the U.S.” services, including arranging visa scams to get women into the country. “The first step in that is identifying them,” Pigott said. “We have consular officers around the world that work with international partners, that work for law enforcement officials to identify patterns that indicate a birth tourism network, and then when that is identified, we take actions such as revoking their visas, which was the recent announcement that we made, to make sure that we’re dismantling those networks.” ABBOTT ORDERS PROBE AFTER TEXAS HOSPITAL ADVERTISES ‘BIRTH PACKAGES’ IN MEXICO: ‘CITIZENSHIP IS NOT FOR SALE’ Earlier this month, the State Department announced that it was launching a Birth Tourism and Prevention Task Force. “We’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair,” Trump said. “They’re building businesses around birthright citizenship. That’s not the way it was supposed to work. It’s a disgrace. They’re buying their way in, and we’re not going to let it happen.” Through the task force, government officials are now analyzing in real time travel trends by visa holders around the world that are indicative of the practice. TEXAS GOV ABBOTT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON ‘BIRTH TOURISM,’ SAYS US CITIZENSHIP NOT FOR SALE In one recent case, a woman who came to the United States on a tourist visa under the impetus of a weeks-long vacation, continuously received visits from her partner, who lived outside the country. That pattern raised officials’ suspicions, who understood the partner’s movements as visits to the United States to support the woman in the latter stages of her pregnancy and possibly present in the country during the child’s birth. “That was an indication that this was actually a birth tourism effort here, and we were able to take action to revoke those visas,” said Pigott. “So we’re able to analyze those travel patterns, analyze those instances that indicate fraud, look into those, and the task force we have allows us to take that action. Pigott provided some examples of the blatant fraud. BIRTH TOURISM COULD SOON CARRY A SEVERE NEW CONSEQUENCE FEW WOULD RISK: ‘EXISTENTIAL CRISIS’ “There were some advertisements that were being published talking about a world without borders or automatic guaranteed citizenship in their advertisements while they were pretending to offer health care services,” he said. “In reality, that is fraud, and the fraud actually doesn’t just end when it has to do with the birth tourism example of lying to the consular officer.” “These networks are set up in the United States and then further coach these individuals on how to not pay their medical bills,” he continued. “So you have fraud when you enter the United States and then the American taxpayer is left footing the bill. It comes down to the fundamental principle: we’re gonna protect the sacred privilege of American citizenship and not allow this fraud to happen.” TRUMP DOJ UNLEASHES LARGEST DENATURALIZATION EFFORT IN DEPARTMENT HISTORY — AND SAYS IT’S ‘ONLY THE BEGINNING’ The task force, officially launched on Aug. 12, has already revoked more than 750 visas tied to suspected birth-tourism activity. The State Department expects that number to increase dramatically in a very short period of time. Pigott added that under the Trump administration, visa security is an important part of a much broader overall effort to secure the border, adding that the Biden administration, “did everything they could to allow for the abuse of our legal immigration system and allowed for the unprecedented border crisis that we saw.” Under President Joe Biden, an estimated 10 million people crossed the border into the United States illegally.