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The Tennessee ‘waltz’: Republicans and Democrats dance around meaning of special election results

The Tennessee ‘waltz’: Republicans and Democrats dance around meaning of special election results

Democrats waltzed into Tennessee and tried to swipe the seat held by Former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., this week. Winning special elections for House seats is a delicate dance. But Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn by nine points. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noted that the Cook Political Report rates that district to favor the GOP by about 10 points. TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN TOUTS ‘GREAT TURNOUT FOR US’ IN MUST-WIN SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GOP “It’s not an R-plus-25. The President won it by 22 points. It’s actually rated to be a slightly Republican district. So, winning it by nine points is almost exactly on the nose of what we might expect,” said Johnson. In other words, Republicans won the special election by the precise margin expected. That’s even though Republicans fretted that a Democratic surge could serve as a weather vane as to how popular the party is, if there are dents in the Trump coalition and what the path looks like in the 2026 midterms. “Democrats put millions of dollars in. They were really trying to set the scenario that there’s some sort of wave going on. There’s not. We just proved that there’s not,” said Johnson. Maybe. Maybe not. Special elections are special. A snapshot of where a given district stands at a point in time — often without the benefit of the regular electorate, which shows up in November every two years. That’s why House special elections are sometimes closer than what can be expected in the general. And the party out of power often dumps truckloads of cash into these contests to win.  If nothing else, it forces the other party to burn lots of money too. But trying to make a race seem important gins up the base and concocts an illusion that things aren’t going well for the other side. Maybe people believe that voters are fed up and are demanding a change. A special election is kind of like checking the score of a football game partway through the second quarter. Maybe one team’s passing game is really clicking. That may dictate the outcome. But we haven’t yet seen the two fumbles in the second half. That’s to say nothing of the botched snap on the field goal and blocked punt. A lot can happen. MUSIC CITY MIRACLE: A LOOK AT AN UNUSUALLY CONTENTIOUS ELECTION IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE Frankly, flipping seats in House special elections is arduous. The party out of power in the House or opposite of who occupies the White House often makes a race of it. That can signal a weakness in the party in power or even the president as you approach the next election. One of the best examples of this came in 2017. House Democrats came close to flipping four special elections in solid Republican seats ranging from Montana to Kansas to South Carolina to Georgia. But Democrats didn’t capture any of those seats. However, Democrats did make a few of them closer than you might think. In fact, one of the best examples involved Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan. President Donald Trump tapped former Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., to serve as CIA director and, later, secretary of state. Estes ran to succeed Pompeo. Pompeo won his district with 61% of the vote in 2016. Estes held off a challenge from Democrat James Thompson, vanquishing his opponent by six points and scoring 52% of the vote.  Despite the defeat, Democrats and political observers noted the relative strength of Thompson in the special election. Many wondered if this was an omen about a 2018 Democratic wave. But the Kansas district is a Republican stronghold. Democrats gained control of the House in the 2018 midterms. However, Estes won re-election the next year by nearly 19 points. And despite the clamor surrounding special elections, there have truly only been four major “flips” in House special elections in the past 18 years. And one of those in a Hawaii special election was an anomaly where the Republican won in a three-way contest while two Democrats siphoned votes from one another. But back to Tennessee. Could Democrats have scored more success with a moderate candidate? Behn was progressive. A centrist may have had a better shot at winning a district like this, especially when one considers the success of Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., last month. DEMOCRATS’ SURGE IN TENNESSEE THROWS NEW UNCERTAINTY ONTO GOP’S 2026 HOUSE MAP Could a Van Epps win encourage other Republicans to quit? The House majority will be 220-214 once Johnson swears him in on Thursday. But some in the GOP are itching to leave. They may think there’s enough of a cushion, even though Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., departs in January.  Fox is told there are several House Republicans who want to head for the exits. Some are upset at the White House controlling the entire agenda and Johnson keeping the House at bay for weeks during the government shutdown. Another factor: President Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine. Moderate Republicans may look at the Tennessee result and insist on the party addressing healthcare in the coming weeks. That’s a looming factor considering that Democrats withheld their votes to fund the government over healthcare this fall. It’s also possible that moderate Republicans in California and New York might see the relative Democratic strength in this contest as a signpost that they face a tough re-election next year. As we said, Democrats flipped the House seven years ago after coming close in several special elections. Then there is redistricting and gerrymandering. The Van Epps win underscores the concept that drawing favorable lines for your party works.  But this redistricting took place several years ago. Tennessee Republicans drew former Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., a Blue Dog, and any other Democrat out of a Nashville-area district. The GOP trifurcated Nashville and the suburbs, diluting the Democratic vote among several GOP districts. That served as a safety valve to assure a GOP win Tuesday.

Comer accuses Oversight Dems of ‘cherry-picking’ Epstein Island files: ‘Chasing headlines’

Comer accuses Oversight Dems of ‘cherry-picking’ Epstein Island files: ‘Chasing headlines’

EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is accusing Democrats on his panel of selectively releasing information related to Jeffrey Epstein. It came hours after committee Democrats released photos and videos capturing what they called “never-before-seen” views of Epstein’s private compound in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But Comer told Fox News Digital that many of those images published by Democrats were already released by Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe, now the head of O’Keefe Media Group. EPSTEIN ISLAND COMPOUND SEEN IN PHOTOS RELEASED BY HOUSE DEMS “Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Democrats on the Oversight Committee continue to embarrass themselves,” Comer said on Wednesday. “Throughout the course of our investigation, Democrats have cherry-picked documents and doctored some of them, and now they are chasing headlines by slapping ‘never-before-seen’ on images and video that were reported by O’Keefe Media Group months ago. The only thing ‘never-before-seen’ is such a reckless Ranking Member.” It came after Oversight Democrats publicized images from Epstein’s island, Little Saint James, including images that appear to show a room with a dentist’s chair and a chalkboard that has words like “power,” “deception,” and “appear” written on it. JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA CONTINUES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM RECESS O’Keefe himself accused committee Democrats on X of publishing the images with redactions while claiming he himself posted similar photos without information blotted out. Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said in a press release when that first crop came out, “These new images are a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island. We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes…It’s time for President Trump to release all the files, now.” Roughly 18 minutes after Fox News Digital reached out for a response to Comer’s statement, House Oversight Committee Democrats posted on X that they were releasing “an additional 150+ photos and videos sent to our committee from Epstein Island.” The tranche includes images of a framed photo of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell meeting the pope.  Another image of a framed photo appears to show two different people’s hands latched together, while others show works of art — including a lamp whose base resembles a naked woman’s torso. One photo shows a Samsung computer that appears to reflect several different security camera angles, only three of which look functional and which show the outdoors. Another image appears to show a nightstand that holds a sleeping mask and a box of tissues, among others. A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee majority pledged the panel will release more files soon while criticizing Democrats for what they called a selective release. ‘STONE-COLD LIAR’: TOP HOUSE DEM LASHES OUT AT COMER FOR ACCUSING HIM OF SOLICITING EPSTEIN DONATIONS “The House Oversight Committee has received approximately 5,000 documents in response to Chairman Comer’s subpoenas to J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, as well as his request to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Majority is reviewing these materials and will make them public soon, just as the Committee has already done with the more than 65,000 pages produced during this investigation,” the spokesperson said. “It is odd that Democrats are once again releasing selective information, as they have done before. The last time Democrats cherry-picked and doctored documents, their attempt to construct yet another hoax against President Trump completely collapsed.” Comer has already released thousands of pages’ worth of documents related to his committee’s Epstein investigation. Democrats have accused him of running cover for President Donald Trump, who was previously friends with Epstein but has denied and never been implicated in any wrongdoing related to the late pedophile. Republicans in turn have accused Democrats of sabotaging a bipartisan probe in order to create a false narrative about Trump.

Pro-reparations progressive Democrat who wants ICE abolished mounts long shot Senate bid to succeed McConnell

Pro-reparations progressive Democrat who wants ICE abolished mounts long shot Senate bid to succeed McConnell

Former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker — a progressive Democrat who has advocated far-left policies, including “Medicare for All” and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — has launched a U.S. Senate bid to succeed outgoing Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced earlier this year his current term will be his last. “Now more than ever, we need leadership that is committed to the work of ending generational poverty and uprooting structural racism, delivering on system-changing policies like Medicare for All, Universal Basic Income, Reparations, and Universal Childcare,” Booker asserted in part of a lengthy statement on his campaign website. “We need leadership that will drive the charge for bold policies like 40 for 40, so that anyone working a 40-hour work week will make a guaranteed minimum of $40,000 a year,” he declared. ‘AMERICA FIRST’ ATTORNEY GENERAL DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM MCCONNELL — HIS FORMER BOSS — AS KENTUCKY RACE DEFINES GOP FUTURE Booker declared in an X post last month that “ICE really does need to be abolished.”  In another post, he wrote, “It really is a damn shame that we still don’t have universal healthcare in the U.S. of America. We need Medicare for All.” His latest bid may be a long shot. Kentuckians have not had a Democrat representing them in the Senate so far during the 21st century. It is Booker’s third run for Senate. DEM SHELLACKED BY MCCONNELL IN 2020 MOUNTS NEW SENATE BID: ‘COWARDS IN WASHINGTON ARE BOWING TO DONALD TRUMP’ In 2022, Booker was decisively defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Rand Paul.  Booker lost the 2020 Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the Bluegrass State to Amy McGrath, who lost to incumbent Republican Sen. McConnell in the general election later that year.  McConnell, 83, has served in the Senate since 1985.  FINAL SENATE CANDIDATE CHARLIE KIRK ENDORSED BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION: ‘WE HAVE TO WIN’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In September, Booker announced, “For over two years, I have had the distinct honor of serving the people of Kentucky in the office of Governor Andy Beshear.  “I am humbled and excited to announce that today was officially my last day.” The Booker campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Federal probe targets alleged Minnesota Somali fraud ‘network’ as COVID-aid crime rings persist

Federal probe targets alleged Minnesota Somali fraud ‘network’ as COVID-aid crime rings persist

The Small Business Administration is investigating a network of Somali groups in Minnesota that it says is tied to a massive COVID fraud scandal highlighting alleged systemic failures by Gov. Tim Walz’s team to properly audit public funds. Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, has become embroiled in a scandal that has already led to charges against dozens of people – mostly Somali – and prompted allegations from civil servants in his administration who have spoken of retaliation against whistleblowers and institutional negligence. “Numerous individuals and nonprofits indicted in the $1 billion Minnesota COVID fraud scandal, including Feeding Our Future, received SBA PPP loans in addition to other state and federal funding,” Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced on X. “I have ordered an investigation into the network of Somali organizations and executives implicated in these schemes.” ‘DOGE’ SENATOR SEEKS TO ENSURE FEDS CAN CONTINUE PURSUING COVID FRAUDSTERS, DEBTORS, AS IG SOUNDS ALARM She added: “Despite Governor Walz’s best efforts to obstruct, SBA continues to work to expose abuse and hold perpetrators accountable, full stop.” An SBA spokesperson confirmed the probe to Fox News Digital, saying the agency is “investigating all individuals and organizations indicted as part of the $1 billion Minnesota COVID fraud scheme to identify any that may have also fraudulently obtained PPP loans – evaluating their citizenship status, the legitimacy of their nonprofit work, and other requirements for eligibility.” “The agency will provide additional details as the scope of fraud across these Somali networks are uncovered – and remains committed to clawing back all funding that was illegally obtained on behalf of American taxpayers,” SBA spokesperson Maggie Clemmons said. GOP LEADERSHIP UNLEASHES FURY ON DEM GOVERNOR AHEAD OF BLOCKBUSTER CONGRESSIONAL HEARING President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Somali community in Minnesota was “garbage,” eliciting sharp responses from local officials including Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman – who claimed that “everyone knows that our president is racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic.” Walz did not reply to a Fox News Digital request for comment about Loeffler’s announcement.  Previously, the governor said he would “welcome” a Treasury Department probe into whether his administration enabled millions of taxpayer dollars to reach Somali terror group Al Shabaab. “If they want to help us, I welcome that,” Walz said. “Do an investigation, find out. But I don’t think anybody really believes their motive or timing is about actually doing something about this.” SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER FAR-LEFT MAYOR GIVES VICTORY SPEECH IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE: ‘HUMILIATING’ A separate report from City Journal, which also broke the Walz story, noted a 2015 study by a House Homeland Security Committee task force found more foreign-fighter terrorism-related travelers came from the Land of 10,000 Lakes than any other state. Of those charged with seeking to join ISIS at the time, the outlet reported that they were “sophisticated users of social-welfare benefits.” Two suspects had allegedly used federal financial aid to pay for their travel as they were preparing to depart Howard Beach, N.Y., for Syria. HOUSE GOP DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BILLIONS IN MEDICAID COSTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Minnesota, however, is far from the only state with PPP troubles. Federal authorities in 2020 arrested a group of New York nail salon owners near JFK Airport in a scheme that allegedly combined smuggling Vietnamese immigrants for low-wage labor with misappropriating COVID-19 relief funds, according to the New York Post. Dat Ho, Peter Nguyen and Victoria Ho were charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud after allegedly inflating payroll to secure $13 million in PPP loans, according to the New York Post. BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO RECOUP $200B IN FRAUDULENT COVID LOANS, HOUSE COMMITTEE SAYS In May, an Iowa man – who was alleged to be a former Cuban military officer who entered the U.S. 20 years ago by crossing the border after a denied visa application – was arrested as a figurehead of an Iowa COVID-benefit fraud ring, according to an indictment statement from the Justice Department. Yovany Ciero of Mason City was convicted on dozens of counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity. Prosecutors said Ciero and co-schemers stole an estimated $2.4 million, which entailed more than 100 Cuban immigrants who obtained PPP loans under false pretenses as “self-employed businesspeople” while they worked at the same meatpacking plant. Authorities say Ciero recruited people for the scheme, and then passed that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to the feds. He faces up to life imprisonment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

Major county sheriff rejects ICE detainer on illegal immigrant who allegedly killed young boy in hit-and-run

Major county sheriff rejects ICE detainer on illegal immigrant who allegedly killed young boy in hit-and-run

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office rejected an immigration detainer by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a criminal illegal immigrant allegedly responsible for a felony hit-and-run that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy Thanksgiving morning. In a statement Dec. 2, the Department of Homeland Security said it had filed a detainer request for Mexican illegal Hector Balderas-Aheelor, after his arrest for a felony hit-and-run that killed 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz. A spokesperson for the San Diego Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital it received the detainer request for Balderas-Aheelor, also known as Hector Amador Balderas, on Nov. 29. The spokesperson said, in accordance with California law, “a review of the criminal history was conducted, and the Immigration Detainer was rejected.” It added that the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office “complies with the California Values Act” and directed Fox News Digital to an information page on the law that said, “The Sheriff’s Office does not hold individuals based on federal detainer warrants.” NEWSOM’S OFFICE REVEALS BLUE STATE WILL COMPLY WITH ICE AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S EARLY RELEASE PLANS EXPOSED ABC San Diego reported that Balderas-Aheelor was arrested Saturday in the death of Torres De Paz in Escondido. The outlet said the child had run into the street to retrieve a soccer ball when he was hit, and the driver sped off. Torres De Paz died in the hospital from his injuries on Thanksgiving Day. Balderas-Aheelor was previously removed from the United States four times, according to DHS. Commenting on the case, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Thanksgiving should be a day of celebrating family and giving gratitude, but instead the family of Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz mourned this beautiful child’s death because a criminal illegal alien stole his life. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN AFTER 2022 BORDER CROSSING “Hector Balderas-Aheelor was previously removed FOUR times before he chose to commit a felony and illegally reenter the country a fifth time,” she continued. “Now, sanctuary laws threaten to put this killer back onto California’s streets.” McLaughlin called on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom “to do the right thing and honor ICE’s arrest detainer.” In response, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom, told Fox News Digital “nothing prohibits the federal government from doing its job in this case,” and “this driver needs to be held responsible for the tragic hit-and-run.” CHICAGO SUBURB SLAMMED FOR REHIRING POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED BY ICE: ‘CRAZY AS HELL’ “Unlawfully returning to the United States after deportation is a federal criminal offense and California honors federal criminal warrants,” Crofts-Pelayo added. “The federal government admits a failure to apprehend the suspect when he unlawfully entered the U.S. California law does not prevent them from acting now.”