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Instead of impeachment, Dems are using Article II challenges to impede Trump this time

Instead of impeachment, Dems are using Article II challenges to impede Trump this time

Democrats tenaciously working to thwart the second Trump administration seemingly have thrown out their playbook from the president’s first administration — abandoning repeated attempts to impeach President Donald Trump in favor of broadening their focus on leveraging Article II of the Constitution to impede MAGA policies.  Democrats, since the early days of Trump’s second presidency, have accused him of taking steps that amount to a “gross overreach of presidential authority” or launching “illegal power grabs,” most notably in response to some of the more than 200 executive orders the president has signed this term. Lawsuits challenging the administration also have focused language on claims Trump is exceeding his executive authority, sparking some policies to get tied up in the courts.  Article II of the Constitution lays out the foundation for the balance of power between the office of the president and other branches of the government, including establishing the executive branch. Section II of Article II details the duties and powers of a president.  WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ‘EGREGIOUS’ COURT ORDER BLOCKING TROOP DEPLOYMENTS AMID PORTLAND UNREST Political foes have turned to Article II in their legal battles against Trump, repeatedly claiming he has exceeded his authority. But the White House says that’s not true.  “Trump Derangement Syndrome takes on many forms — despite the Democrats’ failure to stop President Trump’s incredibly popular agenda in his first term, they’re trying a new strategy this time and failing again,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital Thursday when asked about the increase in claims and cases claiming Trump is overstepping his presidential bounds.  “The Trump Administration’s policies have been consistently upheld by the Supreme Court as lawful despite an unprecedented number of legal challenges and unlawful lower court rulings from far-left liberal activist judges,” she continued. “The president will continue implementing the policy agenda that the American people voted for in November and will continue to be vindicated by higher courts when liberal activist judges attempt to intervene.”  Trump’s first administration was underscored by two impeachment efforts, which landed Trump as the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Trump was acquitted by the Senate both times.  The first impeachment effort in 2019 accused Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to allegedly seeking foreign interference from Ukraine to boost his re-election efforts in 2020.  The focus of that impeachment focused on a July 2019 phone call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings in Ukraine, including Hunter Biden’s business dealings with Burisma holdings company. Biden was under federal investigation at the time.  NEWSOM WARNS AMERICANS ‘YOU WILL LOSE YOUR COUNTRY’ UNDER TRUMP AT CALIFORNIA SUMMIT The House impeached Trump on both articles of impeachment in December 2019, with the Senate voting to acquit Trump on both articles of impeachment in February 2020.  Months later, Democrats teed up another Trump impeachment after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  Trump notched another first, when the Senate tried a former president after the House voted to impeach him just a week before Joe Biden was inaugurated as the nation’s 46th president. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump in the case.  The second impeachment focused on the breach of the U.S. Capitol by throngs of Trump supporters when the Senate and House convened to certify Biden’s 2020 election win. Trump was accused of working to overturn the results of the election and that he incited an insurrection with rhetoric regarding the election ahead of the Capitol breach.  “I will never forgive the people who stormed the Capitol for the trauma that they caused in our young people, our members of the press who were covering that day, our staffers, the maintenance crew, the people who keep the Capitol neat and clean,” then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in an interview on MSNBC in 2022.   “This was a disgrace. And the president instigated an insurrection, refused to stop it and as those films show, would not, in a timely fashion, allow the National Guard to come in and stop it. And that is sinful,” she continued. The Senate acquitted Trump of the impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection in February 2021.  The impeachment efforts followed Democrats threatening and vowing to impeach Trump at various points throughout his first administration.  “I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to call for the impeachment of the President of the United States of America for obstruction of justice. I do not do this for political purposes, Mr. Speaker. I do this because I believe in the great ideals that this country stands for — liberty and justice for all, the notion that we should have government of the people, by the people, for the people,” Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green declared in May 2017 in regard to former FBI Director James Comey’s investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. TRUMP HAS NOW BEEN IN OFFICE FOR SIX MONTHS, FOR THE SECOND TIME. HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS “The time has come to make clear to the American people and to this president that his train of injuries to our Constitution must be brought to an end through impeachment,” Tennessee Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen said in November 2017 over claims Trump obstructed justice when he fired Comey in May 2017.  Trump’s four years after his first administration were riddled with a handful of civil and criminal cases, including standing trial in New York when he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May 2024.  District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office worked to prove that Trump falsified the business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged 2006 affair with Trump. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case, and was sentenced after his election win to an unconditional discharge, meaning he faced no prison time or fines.  Trump also was indicted

Squad 2.0: Meet America’s next wave of radical Democrats shaping the party’s future

Squad 2.0: Meet America’s next wave of radical Democrats shaping the party’s future

Galvanized by President Donald Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda, a new generation of progressive Democrats is working to redefine the party’s future. The original “Squad,” a group of young, left-wing lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 as a referendum on Trump’s first term.  Now, with Trump back in the Oval Office and Republicans controlling both the House and Senate, a new wave of progressive candidates is emerging across the country. ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR ACROSS FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK CITY Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic primary win shocked the political establishment in June when the self-identified democratic socialist handily defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral primary. The New York assemblyman has centered his campaign around affordability, successfully using social media to build a broad coalition of support among New Yorkers.  Mamdani’s platform includes ambitious campaign promises like freezing the rent, free childcare, fast and free buses, city-run grocery stores, raising the minimum wage and “Trump-proofing” New York City.  He plans to pay for his ambitious campaign promises by raising taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers.  YOUNG PROGRESSIVES LOOK TO ZOHRAN MAMDANI, AOC AS FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – UNDER ONE CONDITION Mamdani has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.  Trump has labeled Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and “My Little Communist,” but Mamdani has maintained that he is a democratic socialist.  Dubbed the “Mamdani of Minneapolis,” Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh is running for Minneapolis mayor this year.  Like Mamdani, Fateh is a self-identified democratic socialist and has been endorsed by the DSA.  Fateh, the son of immigrant parents from Somalia, has committed to raising the city’s minimum wage, increasing the supply of affordable housing and combating what he calls police violence.  Similar to Mamdani, Fateh has called for replacing some of the police department’s duties with community-led alternatives. He also wants to issue legal IDs to illegal immigrants. Kat Abughazaleh, 26, is the progressive Gen Z candidate running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District next year.  A viral video of an ICE agent shoving Abughazaleh to the ground outside the Broadview U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Sept. 19 has become a flash point in the divisive debate over Trump’s deportation rollout.  Abughazaleh is a former journalist and activist who frequents protests outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois.  She recently accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of perpetrating “crimes against humanity.” Abughazaleh garnered national attention earlier this year for questioning why it’s controversial that illegal immigrants should have access to taxpayer-funded healthcare.  “I don’t have health insurance, and I’m running for Congress,” the young progressive’s campaign website reads.  Aftyn Behn, a former healthcare community organizer and current Democrat state representative, on Tuesday secured the Democratic nomination to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. The Dickson County Democratic Party described Behn as “our very own AOC of TN,” referring to “Squad” member Ocasio-Cortez, according to The Tennessee Star. On her campaign website, Behn describes herself as a “pissed-off social worker,” who was inspired to run for the House of Representatives after Congress passed Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year.  Behn is running in the special election to replace Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., who retired from Congress earlier this year.  Mallory McMorrow has long been considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. She announced her bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan earlier this year, framing herself as an outsider and calling for a new generation of leaders in Washington ahead of next year’s midterm elections.  McMorrow has said she would not vote for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to continue as the party leader, adding that it is time for him to step back. The 38-year-old Michigan state senator garnered national attention for her viral speech to the Michigan state Senate in 2022, where she pushed back on allegations from a Republican lawmaker that she was “grooming” and “sexualizing” children.  “I am the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme,” McMorrow said, calling out Republican state Sen. Lana Theis for invoking her name in a fundraising email. “We will not let hate win.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic National Committee, Mamdani, Fateh, Abughazaleh, Behn and McMorrow but did not receive responses.  Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Trump heralds ‘golden age of the Middle East’ in address to Israeli Knesset hours after hostages come home

Trump heralds ‘golden age of the Middle East’ in address to Israeli Knesset hours after hostages come home

President Donald Trump thanked Israeli lawmakers for their enthusiastic welcome in the Knesset on Monday as the nation celebrated the release of all 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity. “After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families,” Trump said. “Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time. And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace.” The president’s comments came as reports emerged that only four of the 28 bodies held in Gaza are expected to be returned on Monday, which could risk the stability of the ceasefire and its ability to progress to the second phase, which would see the disarmament of Hamas and the further withdrawal of Israeli forces.  “This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of an age of terror and death, the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God,” Trump said.  HAMAS ACCEPTS TRUMP PEACE PLAN ENDING 2 YEARS OF WAR IN GAZA, RETURNING HOSTAGES TRUMP UNVEILS 20-POINT PLAN TO SECURE PEACE IN GAZA, INCLUDING GRANTING SOME HAMAS MEMBERS ‘AMNESTY’ Trump used his speech at the Knesset to tell Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President – why don’t you give him a pardon?” Trump said, prompting a standing ovation from many in the forum.  Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges that included bribery, fraud and a breach of trust, though he has denied the accusations.  It is unclear if the president would agree to such a move, or if the majority of the Israeli parliament would support the decision given the prime minister’s previously waning support as the war continued and hostages remained in captivity for more than two years.  Trump, during his speech, emphasized his support for Israel as the hostages continue to be returned and said, “Please know that America joins you in those two everlasting vows. Never forget and never again,” Trump said. “As we celebrate today, let us remember how this nightmare of depravity and death all began two years ago, on the eve of the Simchat Torah holiday, thousands of innocent Israeli civilians were attacked by terrorists in one of the most evil and heinous desecration of innocent life the world has ever seen,” he added.  Trump described the ceasefire with Hamas “as a very exciting time for Israel and for the entire Middle East” and said “the forces of chaos, terror and ruin that have plagued the region for decades now stand weakened, isolated, and totally defeated.” Trump, who is also set to depart for Egypt on Monday, suggested a peace deal with Iran could be next as he looks to enfold more Middle Eastern nations into the Abraham Accords, which saw the normalization of relations with several Arab nations during his first term. The president thanked Netanyahu for “having the courage” to end the war with Hamas, and in turn seize the opportunity to make Israel stronger and stabilize relations in the Middle East. Trump received a warm welcome from the Israeli Knesset, with the body declaring him “the greatest friend Israel ever had in the White House.” Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana vowed to rally with House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislative leaders across the globe to submit Trump’s candidacy for Nobel Peace Prize in 2026. “You, President Trump, are a colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history. Thousands of years from now the Jewish people will remember you. We are a nation that remembers,” Ohana said, comparing Trump to Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland. Ohana hailed Trump’s efforts to rescue hostages held by Hamas as well as combat Iran’s nuclear program and influence across the Middle East. He also praised Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. “Donald Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. No American president has ever done more for Israel than this one, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu also nominated Trump to receive the Israel Prize, Israel’s highest honor. Trump would be the first non-Israeli citizen to receive the award.

Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi shot dead in Gaza City clashes

Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi shot dead in Gaza City clashes

Sources say the 28-year-old was killed by members of an Israel-linked ‘militia’ fighting Hamas in the Sabra neighbourhood. Published On 12 Oct 202512 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi has been killed during clashes in Gaza City, just days after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the 28-year-old, who had gained prominence for his videos covering the war, was shot and killed by members of an “armed militia” while covering clashes in the city’s Sabra neighbourhood. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency verified footage published by reporters and activists showing his body – in a “press” flak jacket – on what appeared to be the back of a truck. He had been missing since Sunday morning. Palestinian sources said clashes were taking place between Hamas security forces and fighters from the Doghmush clan in Sabra on Sunday, although this has not been confirmed by local authorities. A senior source in Gaza’s Ministry of Interior told Al Jazeera Arabic that the clashes in Gaza City involved “an armed militia affiliated with the [Israeli] occupation”. The source said security forces imposed a siege on the militia, adding that “militia members” killed displaced people as they were returning from southern Gaza to Gaza City. Despite the recent ceasefire, local authorities have repeatedly warned that the security situation in Gaza remains challenging. ‘I lived in fear for every second’ Speaking to Al Jazeera in January, several days before the start of a temporary ceasefire in the war at the time, Aljafarawi talked about his experiences being displaced from northern Gaza. “All the scenes and situations I went through during these 467 days will not be erased from my memory. All the situations we faced, we will never be able to forget them,” Aljafarawi said. Advertisement The journalist added that he had received numerous threats from Israel due to his work. “Honestly, I lived in fear for every second, especially after hearing what the Israeli occupation was saying about me. I was living life second to second, not knowing what the next second would bring,” he said. In the deadliest-ever conflict for journalists, more than 270 media workers have now been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s war in October 2023. Aljafarawi’s death comes as the current ceasefire in Gaza has held for a third day, ahead of an expected hostage-prisoner exchange. United States President Donald Trump is set to gather with other world leaders on Monday in Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for a Gaza summit co-hosted by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. It aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”, according to the Egyptian president’s office. During the “historic” gathering, a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” is set to be signed, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Neither Israel nor Hamas will have representatives at the talks. Adblock test (Why?)

France’s Macron unveils new government ahead of budget deadline

France’s Macron unveils new government ahead of budget deadline

The new government, led by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, must present a 2026 draft budget on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a new government after holding marathon talks with newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ahead of a fast-approaching deadline to present next year’s budget to parliament. In Lecornu’s new cabinet, Jean-Noel Barrot remains as foreign minister, while outgoing Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin takes on the defence portfolio, according to a lineup published by the president’s office on Sunday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Roland Lescure, a Macron loyalist, will serve as economy minister. There were also new faces. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez will take over the interior ministry, replacing Bruno Retailleau of the right-wing Republicans (LR) party. Monique Barbut, the former France director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), was to head the ministry of environmental transition. Gerald Darmanin, however, stayed on as justice minister. And Rachida Dati, the culture minister who is set to stand trial for alleged corruption next year, also retained her post. In a post on X, Lecornu wrote: “A mission-based government has been appointed to draw up a budget for France before the end of the year.” “I would like to thank the women and men who have freely committed themselves to this government, putting aside personal and partisan interests. Only one thing matters: the interests of the country.” Macron reinstated Lecornu late on Friday, just four days after the premier had resigned and as his first government collapsed, leading to outrage and pledges from opponents to topple any new cabinet at the first chance. Advertisement The former defence minister was tasked with assembling a government to present a 2026 draft budget on Monday, giving parliament the constitutionally required 70 days to scrutinise the plan before the year’s end. But the LR, a key political ally, complicated matters on Saturday by announcing that the party would not take part in the new government but only cooperate on a “bill-by-bill” basis. Other allied and rival parties wrestled all weekend over whether to join Lecornu’s new government or vote to topple it. The premier had pledged to work with all mainstream political movements and to select cabinet members who are “not imprisoned by parties”. A Macron loyalist, Lecornu agreed after he had quit to stay on for two extra days to talk to all political parties. He told the French weekly La Tribune that he had resigned “because the conditions were no longer met” and said that he would do so again if that remained the case this time around. The French president, facing the worst domestic crisis since the 2017 start of his presidency, has yet to address the public since Lecornu’s first government fell. On Monday, Macron is due to travel to Egypt to support a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by the United States, a trip that could delay the presentation of the draft budget. Lecornu’s reappointment comes as France faces political deadlock and a parliamentary impasse over an austerity budget against a backdrop of climbing public debt. The country faces pressure from the European Union to rein in its deficit and debt, with the fight over cost-cutting measures toppling Lecornu’s two predecessors. Lecornu has pledged to do “everything possible” to give France a budget by the end of the year, saying that restoring the public finances was “a priority” for the future. But he is under pressure from parties across the political spectrum, including the Socialists, who have threatened to topple his government unless he backs away from the 2023 pension reform that pushed the retirement age from 62 to 64. Lecornu said on Saturday that “all debates are possible” over the pension reforms, and that his “only ambition is to get out of this situation that is painful for everyone”. If Lecornu fails to secure parliamentary support, France would need emergency stopgap legislation to authorise spending from January 1 until a full budget is adopted. French politics has been deadlocked ever since Macron gambled last year on snap polls that he hoped would consolidate power, but that instead ended in a hung Parliament and more seats for the far right. Adblock test (Why?)