Sen. Bernie Sanders calls on RFK Jr. to resign following departure of CDC officials
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is demanding that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resign after multiple senior officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention departed the agency. The Trump administration announced the removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez earlier this week, less than a month after she was confirmed, after she refused Kennedy’s directives to adopt new limitations on the availability of some vaccines, including for approvals for COVID-19 vaccines. Four other senior CDC officials resigned in protest after Monarez’s ouster, pointing, in part, to anti-vaccine policies pushed by Kennedy. Hundreds of workers at the agency also walked out of the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta in support of their former colleagues. In response to the departures, Sanders wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that Kennedy is “endangering the health of the American people now and into the future” and accused the secretary of firing Monarez because she refused “to act as a rubber stamp for his dangerous policies.” BIPARTISAN FURY AT CDC: SENATORS DEMAND PROBE, REJECT VACCINE GUIDANCE AS ILLEGITIMATE “Despite the overwhelming opposition of the medical community, Secretary Kennedy has continued his longstanding crusade against vaccines and his advocacy of conspiracy theories that have been rejected repeatedly by scientific experts,” Sanders wrote in the piece published Saturday. “It is absurd to have to say this in 2025, but vaccines are safe and effective,” he added. “That, of course, is not just my view. Far more important, it is the overwhelming consensus of the medical and scientific communities.” Sanders also noted that vaccines for diseases like polio and COVID-19 have saved hundreds of millions of lives around the world. Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate’s health committee, opposed Kennedy’s confirmation earlier this year. The secretary was sworn in back in February. Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill was selected to be the acting director of the CDC after Monarez’s termination. CDC DIRECTOR SUSAN MONAREZ REFUSES TO BE FIRED AS OTHER OFFICIALS CALL IT QUITS The Trump administration has defended Monarez’s ouster, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Thursday the president has the “authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission.” “The president and Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring trust and transparency and credibility to the CDC by ensuring their leadership and their decisions are more public-facing, more accountable, strengthening our public health system and restoring it to its core mission of protecting Americans from communicable diseases, investing in innovation to prevent, detect and respond to future threats,” Leavitt told reporters. Sanders earlier this week called for an investigation into Monarez’s ouster, criticizing the move as “reckless” and “dangerous.” In the op-ed, he wrote that Kennedy “has profited from and built a career on sowing mistrust in vaccines,” adding that the secretary is now “using his authority to launch a full-blown war on science, on public health and on truth itself.” He also said it will become harder for Americans to obtain “lifesaving vaccines” with Kennedy leading HHS. “The danger here is that diseases that have been virtually wiped out because of safe and effective vaccines will resurface and cause enormous harm,” Sanders wrote, stressing that the U.S. needs to be better prepared in the case of another pandemic. “Secretary Kennedy is putting Americans’ lives in danger, and he must resign,” Sanders wrote. “In his place, President Trump must listen to doctors and scientists and nominate a health secretary and a C.D.C. director who will protect the health and well-being of the American people, not carry out dangerous policies based on conspiracy theories.” Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for comment. Reuters contributed to this report.
Gov. Brian Kemp endorses former football coach Derek Dooley outside Georgia stadium for 2026 US Senate bid
Standing outside Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, Saturday, Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed former football coach Derek Dooley, a fellow Republican, to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., in the state’s 2026 U.S. Senate race. Kemp made the announcement an hour before the Georgia Bulldogs kicked off their first game of the season, noting Dooley was the “one and only opportunity” to flip Ossoff’s seat. Dooley, who walked onto the University of Virginia football team and played four years as a receiver, later earned his law degree from the University of Georgia, where he started his 28-year coaching career as a graduate assistant. SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE FEVERISHLY RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES TO WIN BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS The former University of Tennessee coach and son of former UGA coach Vince Dooley coached in the NFL for almost a decade and in college football for nearly 20 years. He continues to work with Group of Five schools across the country. Following Dooley’s campaign launch, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle released a statement knocking his coaching career. “The latest addition to Georgia’s messy and chaotic GOP primary is a failed football coach who has only ever spoken out to cheerlead Medicaid cuts that hurt Georgians,” Coyle wrote. “As this primary gets even more crowded and devolves into a proxy war between President Trump and Governor Kemp, Senator Ossoff is fighting for working families in Georgia and will hold his seat in 2026.” REPUBLICAN DOOLEY JUMPS INTO GEORGIA’S SENATE RACE WHILE TOUTING SUPPORT FOR TRUMP AND TAKING AIM AT OSSOFF Dooley tackled the claims on Saturday, claiming “leadership matters,” FOX 5 Atlanta reported. “I could tell you in the locker room right now, right down the road, it doesn’t matter what your race is, what your income level is, what your politics [are], what your religion is,” Dooley said. “It was about bringing people together. Leadership matters. “I mean, look at our state. That’s what great leadership looks like. And you look at our country right now. You took a guy who was an outsider, President [Donald] Trump, who came in and didn’t accept business as usual.” TRUMP ALLY MIKE COLLINS LAUNCHES KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT Kemp, a two-term governor, described Dooley as a “true political outsider,” adding Ossoff’s voting record does not reflect the state’s values, leaving room for an upset. “You cannot run from that kind of record, and that is why I think we have an opportunity to win this race,” Kemp said. Dooley said in a statement to Fox News Digital he is deeply honored to have the governor’s support. “Governor Kemp has led this state with strong leadership, integrity, and achieved historic accomplishments during truly unprecedented times in our state and nation,” he wrote. “Georgians know him and trust him. I hope to bring that same leadership style focused on conservative results to the U.S. Senate by defeating Jon Ossoff next November. “The Governor’s support gives our campaign incredible momentum as we continue to earn support from hardworking Georgians all across our state.” Kemp’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
White House advances plan for Department of War as Trump looks to restore historical military title
The White House is pushing to rebrand the Pentagon, confirming Saturday plans to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The Department of War was established by Congress in August 1789 to oversee the operation and maintenance of the military branches. After a brief name change to the National Military Establishment after World War II, it was changed to the Department of Defense. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Fox News the change comes amid a restoration of U.S. military values. “As President [Donald] Trump said, our military should be focused on offense — not just defense — which is why he has prioritized warfighters at the Pentagon instead of DEI and woke ideology,” Kelly wrote in a statement. “Stay tuned!” RENAMED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COMING ‘SOON,’ TRUMP SAYS The announcement comes days after Trump said the name change would happen “over the next week or so.” “You know, we call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name,” the president said at the White House earlier in the week. “You want to know the truth, I think we’re going to have some information on that, maybe soon.” SEN. ROGER WICKER: THE PENTAGON NEEDS MAJOR REFORM. NOW IS OUR CHANCE Trump noted the historical importance of the department’s name during both world wars. “We won World War I [and] World War II. It was called the Department of War. To me, that’s really what it is,” he said. “I’m talking to the people. Everybody likes that. We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense.” SENATE MOVES TO REIN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FLUCTUATING UKRAINE POLICY Congress creates federal executive departments by law, so an amendment would be required to change the name legally. “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that. But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along,” Trump said. “Defense is too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too if we have to be. So, it just sounded to me like a better name.” The president can recommend legislation to make the change official or rebrand it informally without approval. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
White House security footage reveals Rose Garden stone damage allegedly caused by subcontractor equipment
President Donald Trump shared security footage on social media Saturday, slamming a subcontractor accused of cracking the “most beautiful marble and stone available anywhere” in the recently renovated White House Rose Garden. In a post to Truth Social, Trump said he discovered a “huge gash” in the limestone three days ago, extending more than 25 yards. “Surfaces are very important to me as a Builder,” the president wrote in the post. “As everyone knows, I built many GREAT Buildings, and other things, over the years. … [The limestone crack] was deep and nasty! I started yelling, ‘Who did this, and I want to find out now!’—and I didn’t say this in a nice manner.” TRUMP WARNS HE WILL TAKE ‘FEDERAL CONTROL’ OF WASHINGTON, DC AS YOUTH VIOLENCE CONTINUES Trump said he questioned whether the damage was caused by vandalism or “stupidity” and credited White House security equipment with cracking the case. “They brought back the stupid people, with their boss watching (in sunglasses!),” Trump wrote in the post. “It was a subcontractor that was installing heavy landscaping on a steel cart that was broken and tilting badly, with it rubbing hard against the soft, beautiful stone.” DC LAUNCHES ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ CAMPAIGN WHILE NATIONAL GUARD PATROLS STREETS, PICKS UP TRASH Security footage shared along with the post showed two workers pushing a yellow cart, carrying an apparent shrub over the newly installed stone. At least two other men appeared to be watching the operation unfold. TRUMP CAPS OFF 29TH WEEK IN OFFICE WITH PEACE DEAL, CELEBRATING 200TH DAY OF SECOND PRESIDENCY Noting his “love and respect” for workers and contractors, the president reiterated the damage was unacceptable and said the stone would be replaced. “Now, I’ll replace the stone, charge the contractor, and never let that contractor work at the White House again—But, how great is the video equipment? We caught them, cold,” Trump wrote. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
What’s behind widespread unrest in Indonesia?
Violence spreads after police vehicle kills delivery driver on motorcycle. Violence has broken out on the streets of Indonesia after a motorcycle taxi driver was run over and killed by police. The president has apologised and appealed for calm, but protests continue. What’s driving the anger, and how will the government respond? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Abigail Limuria – Cofounder of What Is Up Indonesia?, a digital media platform that unpacks Indonesian sociopolitics Vedi Hadiz – Professor of Asian studies at the University of Melbourne Wirya Adiwena – Deputy director of Amnesty International Indonesia Published On 30 Aug 202530 Aug 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Right to know’: Advocates renew calls for justice for Syria’s disappeared
Syria is marking its first International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, as the country grapples with lingering questions over the fate of the many thousands who disappeared during the country’s civil war. In a report released on Saturday to coincide with the annual commemoration, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said this year holds “particular significance” as it received a major increase in the number of cases since al-Assad was toppled in December. Desperate families flocked to former detention centres, prisons, morgues, and mass grave sites to try to find their missing relatives after al-Assad’s removal, and investigators gained unprecedented access to government documents, witness accounts and human remains. “A limited number of detainees were released alive, while the fate of tens of thousands remained unknown, rendering them forcibly disappeared,” SNHR said on Saturday. “This revealed a major tragedy that affected Syrian society as a whole.” The rights group said in its report that at least 177,057 people, including 4,536 children and 8,984 women, were forcibly disappeared in Syria between March 2011 and August 2025. It estimated that the former government was responsible for more than 90 percent of those cases. “Al-Assad’s regime has systematically adopted a policy of enforced disappearance to terrorize and collectively punish society, targeting dissidents and civilians from various regions and affiliations,” SNHR said. This year’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances comes just months after a new Syrian government was established under the leadership of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Advertisement Al-Sharaa has pledged to address the enforced disappearances, issuing a presidential decree in May that established a National Commission for Transitional Justice and a National Commission for Missing Persons (NCMP). The bodies are tasked with investigating questions of accountability, reparations and national reconciliation, among other issues. Al-Sharaa has also pledged to punish those responsible for mass killings and other violations. On Saturday, Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said enforced disappearances would remain a “national priority” for the country. “It can only be resolved by providing justice to the victims, revealing the truth, and restoring dignity to their families,” the ministry said. The head of the NCMP, Mohammad Reda Jalkhi, also said that while “Syria faces a daunting task … [the] families of the missing have the right to full and effective investigations”. Independence and resources Rights advocates have welcomed the Syrian government’s early steps on enforced disappearances, including the establishment of the NCMP. But they stress that the commission must be independent and get all the resources it needs to be effective. “Truth, justice and reparations for Syria’s disappeared must be treated as an urgent state priority,” Kristine Beckerle, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said in a statement this week. The NCMP must have “adequate resources and the highest levels of cooperation across all state institutions”, Beckerle said. “With each day that passes, the torment of families waiting for answers about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones grows.” The Syrian Network for Human Rights also said the new commissions’ effectiveness “depends on their actual independence and full access to information and documents”. “The legal frameworks regulating their work must be formulated to ensure the representation of victims and civil society, and to consolidate the comprehensiveness of justice, from truth-telling to accountability, reparations, and prevention of recurrence,” the group said. On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the disappearance of a family member was “not just a personal tragedy, but one of the deepest and most prolonged human wounds of the Syrian conflict”. “The families of the missing deserve unwavering support and compassion to help them search for answers about the fate of their loved ones and put an end to their suffering,” Stephane Sakalian, head of the ICRC delegation in Syria, said in a statement. Advertisement “Their right to know is a fundamental humanitarian principle.” Meanwhile, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported that an interactive website titled “Syria’s Prison Museum” was launched on Saturday to collect witness accounts of those detained in al-Assad’s detention centres, including the infamous Sednaya prison. The platform, put together by journalists and activists, aims to be both a memorial and forensic archive to facilitate the push for accountability. The United Nations estimates that al-Assad’s government ran more than 100 detention facilities and an unknown number of secret sites. Under al-Assad, Syrian state officials used several techniques to punish real and perceived opponents, including whipping, sleep deprivation and electrocution. Adblock test (Why?)
‘We are on the streets’: Palestinians flee Israel’s assault on Gaza City
Published On 30 Aug 202530 Aug 2025 Hundreds of Palestinians have fled Gaza City, piling their few remaining possessions onto pick-up trucks and donkey carts as Israel’s deadly bombings and forced displacement campaign intensifies in the area. Families fleeing the Israeli military’s relentless bombardment have begun setting up makeshift tents amid miserable conditions in an area west of central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, to the south of Gaza City near Deir el-Balah. Most of them have been forced to leave their homes more than once. “We are thrown in the streets, like what would I say? Like dogs? We are not like dogs. Dogs are [treated] better than us,” Mohammed Maarouf, 50, told The Associated Press news agency, standing in front of his tent. Maarouf and his family of nine had already been displaced from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. “We have no homes. We are on the streets,” he said. Another displaced Palestinian, Mohammed Abu Warda, told Al Jazeera that he had fled Jabalia, also in northern Gaza, and was heading towards the western side of Gaza City. But he said he didn’t know exactly where to go. “We left our area because the situation there was very dangerous,” Abu Warda said. “Hopefully I can find a place to set up a tent … Everything here is useless and everywhere is unsafe. The Israelis attack every single place.” Israeli forces have carried out a sustained bombardment on Gaza City since early August as part of a deepening push to seize the city and displace about one million Palestinians living there. Advertisement On Friday, the Israeli military said it had begun the “initial stages” of its offensive, declaring the largest urban centre in the territory a “combat zone”. The new operation could forcibly displace one million Palestinians to concentration zones in southern Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned. At least 71 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Saturday, hospital sources told Al Jazeera. Of that, 41 people were killed in Gaza City alone, including at least 11 Palestinians who were killed while queueing for bread from ovens serving communities of displaced people. At least seven Palestinians also were killed in a series of Israeli attacks on a residential apartment block in a densely populated area of the city. Rescuers were seen digging through the rubble to retrieve bodies and try to find any survivors. “The Israeli army has been intensifying its attacks across Gaza City. Homes and community centres have been reduced to rubble, eroding the foundations of civilian life in the area,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported. “This is happening while people are going through famine, enforced starvation and dehydration. Things are leading to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.” The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday also questioned Israel’s plans for a forced mass expulsion. “It is impossible that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could ever be done in a way that is safe and dignified under the current conditions,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said in a statement, describing the plan as “not only unfeasible but incomprehensible”. Trucks and vehicles move along the coastal road in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza [Eyad Baba/AFP] Yet while Israel’s push to seize Gaza City has drawn international condemnation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has shown no signs of halting the military offensive. Gideon Levy, a columnist with Israeli news outlet Haaretz, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s overarching plan for Gaza amounts to ethnic cleansing. “The plan is to push all the inhabitants of Gaza out of their houses, then lock them in those concentration camps and then give them two choices, either to live in those camps forever or to leave the Gaza Strip,” Levy said. Describing the Israeli government’s policy as “outrageous”, Levy added that Israel will only halt its offensive if US President Donald Trump decides that “enough is enough” and applies pressure on the country. The US has provided Israel with billions of dollars in military assistance since its war on Gaza began in October 2023. Washington has also shielded its top ally from calls for accountability at the UN and other international arenas. Advertisement In February, Trump suggested removing all Palestinians from Gaza – a plan that would amount to ethnic cleansing, a crime against humanity. Adblock test (Why?)
DOJ calls for tips on employers favoring foreign workers in hiring practices
The Department of Justice is asking people to report illegal visa practices that could come at the expense of American workers. Citizens are being urged to flag “discriminatory” advertisements for jobs, especially ones that state that the employer prefers people on a seasonal or H-1B visa. “Are you an American citizen who has been harmed by inappropriate preferences for foreign workers, eg H1-B or other? Follow the link. It’s also a place to report human trafficking of immigrant workers, and Title VII employment discrimination,” Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the DOJ, posted to X Friday. OVER 55 MILLION VISA HOLDERS SUBJECTED TO CONTINUOUS VETTING AMID TRUMP ADMIN CRACKDOWN The DOJ is also allowing people to send in tips for possible human trafficking violations related to temporary visa programs. H-1B visas were the subject of debate earlier this year, and many opponents argued they hinder American talent in key sectors like technology, whereas others believe they bolster the economy. “The main function of the H-1B visa program and other guest worker initiatives is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, posted to X in January. “The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make.” RUBIO’S STATE DEPARTMENT YANKS MORE THAN 6K STUDENT VISAS DUE TO ASSAULT, BURGLARY, SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM H-1B visas for fiscal year 2026 have already hit the legal petition limit with 65,000 that are standard, and an additional 20,000 for those with advanced degrees, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The visas are primarily meant for skilled workers, including “architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts,” according to the agency’s website. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said the program has “become a total scam” in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Laura Ingraham on Tuesday. “These companies game the system. You have some of these companies that are laying off large numbers of Americans while they’re also getting new H-1Bs and renewing existing H-1Bs,” DeSantis said. KEY IMMIGRATION PROPOSAL VOWS TO END ‘BACKDOOR HIRING PRACTICES’ IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES “A lot of times people used to say, ‘Well, you know, we’re getting the cream of the crop from all around the world.’ The reality is that’s not actually what H-1Bs are. Most of them are from one country, India. There’s a cottage industry about how all those people make money off this system,” he continued. Major visa reform is already underway in the U.S., and the Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million visas to make sure people who are in the country are following the law. “The department’s continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid U.S. visas,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital last week. A visa could potentially be nixed by the department if there have been “overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity or providing support to a terrorist organization.”
Epstein estate to hand over ‘birthday book’ to lawmakers, House Dem says
Lawmakers could soon have Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous “birthday book,” which could potentially give insight into the disgraced late financier’s social ties. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who serves as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, told MSNBC on Friday that Epstein’s estate “is actually going to actually now get us that book and a bunch of other documents that they have that’s not actually been reported yet.” He added that the lawmakers expect to receive the book and the documents on Sept. 8. Garcia also told MSNBC that “many of the victims” of Epstein would speak to lawmakers on Capitol Hill next week to “highlight their stories.” He did not name the lawmakers or accusers expected to meet. EPSTEIN ESTATE HIT WITH NEW HOUSE SUBPOENA FOR ‘CLIENT LIST,’ CALL LOGS The release date is confirmed in the subpoena signed by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. The specific deadline listed in the subpoena is Sept. 8 at 12 p.m. “The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is reviewing the possible mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell, the circumstances and subsequent investigations of Mr. Epstein’s death, the operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the federal government to effectively combat them, and potential violations of ethics rules related to elected officials,” Comer stated in a cover letter that accompanied the subpoena. TRUMP DOJ HANDING EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY AS SUBPOENA DEADLINE LOOMS “Recent reporting indicates the estate of Mr. Epstein has access to documents relevant to the Committee’s investigation, including the alleged ‘birthday book’ prepared for Mr. Epstein by Ms. Maxwell… It is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer added. BILL BARR, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY GENERAL, TO FACE HOUSE INVESTIGATORS IN EPSTEIN PROBE House Oversight Democrats released a statement Monday supporting the subpoena for the book and calling on former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Trump Labor Secretary Alex Acosta to testify before Congress. He is expected to appear for a closed-door transcribed interview next month. With a federal probe of the case under way, lawmakers have sought the testimony of several former high-ranking officials, such as former Attorney General Bill Barr. While Barr testified before lawmakers, Democrats, such as Reps. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, were not pleased with Republicans’ questions. Comer, who argued those accusations were baseless, implored Democrats not to politicize a bipartisan investigation. Divisions deepened after Comer said Barr had no knowledge of, nor did he believe there were any implications of wrongdoing on President Donald Trump’s part related to Epstein. Garcia disagreed. Though he did not attend the deposition, he said in a statement that Barr did not clear Trump. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
DNC’s summer showdown: Infighting exposes cracks in Democrats’ unity narrative against GOP agenda
MINNEAPOLIS — Democrats came ready to fight as they huddled this week at the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) annual summer meeting. Despite repeated talk that the party is unified as it aims to exit the political wilderness following last year’s election setbacks, Democrats fought among themselves multiple times during the three-day confab, which was held in Minnesota’s largest city. As Democrats hunger for a more forceful response to counter President Donald Trump’s sweeping and controversial agenda, DNC Chair Ken Martin targeted the president, arguing Trump’s acting as “a dictator in chief” and that his second administration is “fascism dressed in a red tie.” Martin pointed to pushback by Democrats against moves this summer by Trump and Republicans to create more right-leaning U.S. House seats in states across the country through rare mid-decade congressional redistricting ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Martin said he’s “sick and tired of this Democratic Party bringing a pencil to a knife fight.” TRUMP, DEMOCRATS, MULL HOLDING PRESIDENTIAL-STYLE CONVENTIONS AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS “We cannot be the only party that plays by the rules anymore,” he urged. And DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta, in a Fox News Digital interview on the sidelines of the meeting, urged that Democrats “have to engage in a level of fight, not power for power’s sake, but we have to fight hard because we understand what’s at stake for working people and working families.” DNC CHAIR DEMANDS DEMOCRATS ‘STOP BRINGING A PENCIL TO A KNIFE FIGHT’ Echoing Martin, he said, “We’ve been playing checkers. They’re playing Grand Theft Auto.” He was referring to the long-running and popular action-adventure video game series that revolves around shooting, driving and stealing cars. Amid talk that the party remains divided over a slew of policy and political issues, leaders preached unity. “We do not have the luxury to fight amongst ourselves while that thing sits in the White House,” 2024 Democratic Party vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz emphasized, referring to Trump. And Martin highlighted that “in this big tent party of ours, we are unified towards one single goal: to stop Donald Trump and put this country back on track.” At several smaller panel discussions during the confab, a leader from the donor portal for Democrats known as ActBlue shared what was described as a fight song to energize party members. The song and the lyrics, which were reported by Semafor, were mocked by conservatives on social media. While unity was a top theme in Minneapolis, divisions did flare during the summer meeting. There was plenty of disagreement as the DNC’s Resolutions Committee considered two dueling resolutions on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The panel voted down a symbolic resolution calling for an arms embargo and suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel, which has long been the top American ally in the Middle East. A separate resolution introduced and supported by Martin that called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as unrestricted access to humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, was unanimously passed by the panel. But the defeat of the second, more forceful resolution, which was introduced by 26-year-old Allison Minnerly, a new DNC member from Florida, sparked opposition among some members on the panel. DEMOCRATS DIVIDED: TENSIONS FLARE OVER WAR IN GAZA “It’s not enough,” Sophia Danenberg, a DNC committee member from Washington, D.C., said as she pointed to Martin’s resolution. “People want to hear a louder, stronger statement.” Danenberg emphasized, “I do fear that we’re losing our future as the Democratic Party by not being courageous on this issue.” Minutes later, after a private conversation between Martin and Minnerly, the DNC chair asked the committee to “withdraw my resolution so we can move united today and have the conversation.” “We need to keep working through this. We have to find a path forward as a party, and we have to stay unified,” the chair added. Martin’s move, which was embraced by the committee, may buy a little bit of time, but the party remains divided on the issue. Joe Salas, a DNC committee member from California and a Muslim American, told Fox News after the defeat of Minnerly’s resolution, “I think there is a disconnect between the people on the committee and the average lock-stock-and-barrel voters who identify with the Democratic Party.” The showdown over the resolutions came as the Democratic Party’s once nearly unshakable support for Israel has fractured amid the bloodshed. And concerns over the growing death toll among Palestinians by many in the party’s progressive base have soared this spring and summer amid what many describe as a famine in Gaza. Recent polling indicates support for Israel’s continued military actions in Gaza is plummeting among Democrats. Democrats are aiming to rebound after last year’s elections when the party lost control of the White House and the Senate. Democrats also fell short in their bid to win back the House majority, and Republicans made gains with voters who make up key parts of the Democratic Party’s base. But the situation has only deteriorated for the Democrats in the 10 months since last year’s election setbacks, according to key metrics. The Democrats’ brand is deeply unpopular, especially with younger voters, and the party’s poll numbers continue to drop to all-time lows in national surveys. The DNC continues to face a massive fundraising deficit at the hands of the rival Republican National Committee (RNC), as well as concerns over lagging party registration. But Martin was optimistic. While he acknowledged “that our cash on hand seems to be low by comparison to the Republicans,” he touted at Wednesday morning’s Executive Committee meeting that “we have raised $70 million so far this year, which is a record.” And Martin pointed to a special election victory Tuesday night in red state Iowa, where the Democrats flipped a GOP-held state Senate seat. “This is now 40 key elections this year that we’ve won or overperformed in,” Martin touted. “I want you to think about that for a second.