Dozens arrested at Capitol while protesting Republican tax and spending cut bill
U.S. Capitol Police arrested dozens of demonstrators inside the Capitol rotunda and outside Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as members of the Senate continued to debate President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” The Associated Press said demonstrators were protesting the Republican tax and spending cut bill at two different sites. One of the sites was the Capitol Rotunda, and the other was at an intersection near the U.S. Capitol Building. U.S. Capitol Police told the AP those arrested face charges such as crowding, obstructing and incommoding. CAPITOL POLICE ARREST MAN WHO DISRUPTED SENATE DEBATE ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘YOU PEOPLE ARE AWFUL’ Fox News Digital has reached out to U.S. Capitol Police for additional information about the arrests. Images of the protests inside the rotunda showed demonstrators holding signs that read, “cuts to SNAP are policy murder.” One man participating in the demonstration had a shirt which read, “Poor People’s Campaign.” ABOUT 60 PEOPLE ARRESTED AFTER VETERANS’ ANTI-ICE DEMONSTRATION IN WASHINGTON, DC, POLICE SAY Outside the Capitol, some of the demonstrators carried black wooden coffins with red signs that read, “178,000 People In Florida Will Lose Medicaid,” “This Coffin Represents Policy Murder,” and “574,000 People in Florida Will Lose SNAP.” Other coffins had signs representing similar numbers, but in states like West Virginia, Illinois and Kentucky. WATCH: LEFTIST PROTESTERS FLOOD CAPITOL HILL OFFICE BUILDING AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ BUDGET BILL VOTE LOOMS Several people who were demonstrating wore religious attire as well. One of the groups at the protests was called Repairers of the Breach. In a statement obtained by the AP, the organization claimed to have led the effort, adding that the demonstration continues a tradition of nonviolent actions at the Capitol, confronting unjust policies and calling the nation to higher ground. The protests come as Republican lawmakers sprint to meet a July 4 deadline to pass a massive piece of legislation to advance Trump’s agenda. The budget reconciliation bill, if passed, will advance the president’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. The legislation is currently in the hands of the Senate. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Video surfaces of Mamdani using slogan rooted in communist revolutionary language
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate and self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over remarks made at a Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, where he urged attendees not to compromise on goals like “seizing the means of production.” During the appearance — which was part of a 2021 YDSA winter conference — Mamdani, then newly elected to the New York State Assembly, lamented that many socialist principles remain outside the political mainstream. “Right now, if we’re talking about the cancellation of student debt, if we’re talking about Medicare for all, you know, these are issues which have the groundswell of popular support across this country,” Mamdani says in a video to conference goers. “But then there are also other issues that we firmly believe in, whether it’s BDS or whether it is the end goal of seizing the means of production, where we do not have the same level of support at this very moment.” NEW YORK MAYORAL HOPEFUL ZOHRAN MAMDANI SLAMS CAPITALISM ON CNN, CITES MLK TO DEFEND SOCIALISM Mamdani went on to say that it was “critical” for people not to compromise on these less popular ideas, despite publicly asserting this week he is “not a communist.” “It’s critical, the way that we organize, the way that we set up our — you know, set up our work and our priorities, that we do not leave any one issue for the other, that we do not meet a moment and only look at what people are ready for, but that we are doing both of these things in tandem,” Mamdani continues in his conference address. “Because it is critical for us to both meet people where they’re at and to also organize for what is correct and for what is right, and to ensure that, over time, we can bring people to that issue.” On Monday, the video of Mamdani speaking at the 2021 YDSA conference began making the rounds on social media. EX-NYC MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO SAYS THERE’S ‘A LOT OF EXAGGERATION’ OVER MAMDANI FEARS “Mamdani’s socialism nomenclature is no joke or aspiration,” billionaire Bill Ackman said in response to the video as it began appearing on social media. “It is the business plan of a movement that he is leading and, for now, winning. Don’t rely on my summary. Listen to him speak his own words.” “Mamdani smiles like a crocodile as he says his end goal is to elect more socialists and seize the means of production,” President Donald Trump’s crypto and artificial intelligence czar added in response to the video. “Democrats have become the party of the Luigi Left, Tesla Terrorism, and Crocodile Communists.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for a response to these criticisms but did not receive a response in time for publication. Last week, Trump personally criticized Mamdani, who upset former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral primary earlier this month, as a “100% communist lunatic.” “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line,” Trump wrote. “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous.” Trump doubled down on the communist claim this week in an interview with Fox Business, adding that, if elected, Mamdani better “behave” or risk his city losing federal funding. In response to Trump’s criticism of being a “communist,” Mamdani directly refuted the claim to NBC News over the weekend. “No, I am not,” Mamdani responded when asked point-blank by NBC’s Kristen Welker. “I have already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. And I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed. “When we talk about my politics, you know, I call myself a Democratic socialist in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. [Martin Luther] King from decades ago, who said, ‘Call it democracy, call it Democratic-Socialism, there has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country.”
Is the VOA, DOA? With Kari Lake in charge of things, it might be
The VOA is perhaps DOA. At least that’s the interpretation of Kari Lake. Lake ran unsuccessfully for governor of Arizona in 2022. She ran for the Senate in 2024 and lost. So President Trump appointed Lake to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media. KARI LAKE DECLARES US AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA ‘ROTTEN TO THE CORE,’ SETS 2026 SHUTDOWN GOAL: ‘A BOONDOGGLE’ The worst thing in broadcasting is dead air. And that may be the goal of Lake – a former Arizona TV news anchor. “It’s really like a rotten piece of fish,” said Lake before a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. “And it’s best to just scrap the whole thing and start over.” She plans to edit the influence of VOA and other government media such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcast Networks. “We need to modernize. I don’t think doing 1990s television is effective anymore,” said Lake. The hearing marked the first time Lake testified before lawmakers since President Trump tapped her for the position. She told lawmakers that Chinese spies infiltrated the VOA’s Mandarin service. And Russian spooks nearly made the payroll at Radio Free Europe. “This is not the voice of America. This is the voice of America’s enemies,” said Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. Democrats say curbing VOA silences the U.S. from transmitting news and truthful information into enemy territory. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., was apoplectic at the Trump Administration’s plans to cancel many of the government’s radio and TV broadcasts abroad. “My God. It’s the worst and most stupid thing that we could do in foreign affairs,” fumed Sherman. “That’s our soft power. That’s our effort to bring freedom of information and hopefully democracy to the entire world. That’s how we explain ourselves in dozens of different languages. And for them to gut it? In terms of our influence in the world, Voice of America and its sister broadcasters is more important than an aircraft carrier.” EXCLUSIVE: KARI LAKE SAYS VOA’S PERSIAN NEWS SERVICE ‘RISING TO THE OCCASION’ AMID IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT Sherman reiterated his concerns about diminishing soft power at the hearing, adding that changes to the VOA lineup may appeal to a special audience abroad. “I think Putin would be very happy,” said Sherman about the Russian leader. “Bombs are powerful. Truth is more powerful.” But it’s not just Democrats who fret about the static on the government airwaves. Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., says unwinding Radio Free Asia cedes power to China and North Korea. “We have let go of journalists that have spent decades building their credibility and trust with our audiences,” said Kim. “Without reporting from the outside world through VOA and (Radio Free Asia), most North Korean civilians only see the United States as the bad guy.” Kim feared the U.S. couldn’t “win in the information domain.” Lake recently canned 639 Global Media employees. She says her orders come from the top. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, asked what sort of “review” she did to pare back VOA and other services. “What we’ve reviewed was an executive order March 14th by the man who’s in charge of the executive branch. Hs name is Donald Trump,” said Lake. APPEALS COURT BACKS VOA OVERHAUL KARI LAKE SAYS WILL ‘MODERNIZE’ AGENCY: ‘HUGE VICTORY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’ She then held up a photo of the president and showed it to lawmakers facing her on the dais. Democrats contend that’s exactly the problem as the president and Lake try to redesign American government broadcasters. “I see why Mr. Trump put you in this position. He doesn’t want a free press,” scolded Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Penn. “You are a propaganda machine for the Trump Administration.” Democrats piled on. “I’m also concerned about your ability to promote American democracy given your background backing dictators,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. Other Democrats highlighted Lake’s controversial political history and how she questioned the results of both races. “You have been sanctioned twice for providing false information to courts. Isn’t that true? Yes or no?,” asked Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., the former mayor of Phoenix. “I was brave enough to fight our shoddy elections. And the courts have not caught up,” fired back Lake. TRUMP ORDERS THE DISMANTLING OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED, ‘PROPAGANDA’-PEDDLING MEDIA OUTLET “The American people cannot believe a word you say,” said Stanton. “You lost, fair and square. Instead of conceding, you embarrassed yourself and our state by lying again and again for years, blaming everything under the sun for your loss except for your own toxic politics. You lie about that election to this very day.” After Lake’s dual political losses, Stanton had a request of Lake. “Will you do us all a favor and run it back and run again?” he asked. Lake encountered more friendly questioning from Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. He asked about potential messages U.S. Global Media could broadcast around the world. “What do you think some of the most important stories and tenants about America that need to be told that haven’t been getting told?” asked Huizenga. “I think that just the history of this country and what this country is about. Our freedoms. Our liberties. Our Bill of Rights,” stated Lake. “Maybe the founding of our country?” suggested Huizenga. “The founding of our country and especially this year with 250 years,” responded Lake, noting that July 4, 2025, is the semi-quincentennial of the U.S. “That would seem to me a pretty big story to tell,” added Huizenga. A BIG, BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND ON THE HILL: ‘EVERYBODY HAVING FUN YET?’ Congress commissioned VOA during the Cold War to beam news behind the Iron Curtain. But today, Republicans question its necessity. Especially when people now get news from their phone. “Goddangit, it’s not very efficient,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “It’s a relic,” declared Lake. “Yes ma’am. It’s a Cold War relic,” agreed Burchett. VOA fired dozens of staff in its Persian division. But restored some
Fox News Poll: 6 in 10 are proud of US today – the most in more than a decade
The largest number of voters since 2011 say they are proud of the country, according to a new Fox News national survey. Fifty-eight percent say they are proud of the country. That’s up 13 percentage points since June 2024 and the highest since 2011 when a record 69% were proud. By contrast, 41% are not proud. The survey was completed before recent events in the Middle East, including U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and President Donald Trump brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS THINK IRAN POSES A REAL THREAT TO US SECURITY, BUT SPLIT ON ISRAEL’S STRIKE The increase comes from an overwhelming majority of Republicans (85%) now being proud compared to last summer (36%). That makes Republicans 30 points prouder of the country today than Democrats were a year ago (55% of Democrats in 2024). In 2011, majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents were proud. The new survey shows 36% of Democrats are proud (61% not proud) while Independents held relatively steady with roughly 4 in 10 expressing pride. FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC PESSIMISM ABATES SLIGHTLY AS VOTERS REFLECT ON THE ECONOMY “Although pride in the U.S.A. seems like it should be above partisan wrangling, that’s only partially borne out by the data,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The reality is the out-party has become saltier in recent years when asked about the ‘land of the free.’ Democrats today (and Republicans last year) aren’t willing to express pride so long as the other side controls the White House.” Majorities across most groups are proud, especially MAGA supporters (92%), Republican men (88%), and White evangelical Christians (80%). A lack of pride is highest among women with a college degree (51% not proud), voters under age 30 (57%), and Democrats (61%). A 68% majority of voters also agrees the U.S. is the best country in the world to live in (30% disagree). While that’s roughly where sentiment has been for the last four years, it doesn’t match the 8 in 10 who felt the same in 2015 (83%) and 2011 (84%) when the question was first asked. In 2011, 89% of Republicans, 84% of Democrats, and 73% of Independents thought living in America was the best. For Republicans, that number held steady at 90% today, but has decreased by 34 points among Democrats (50%), and by 13 points among Independents (60%). Overall, one-third trust the federal government compared to nearly two-thirds who distrust it. The only time more voters trusted than distrusted the government was in 2002 (54% vs. 36%), and that was also the first time the question was asked on a Fox News survey. Most Democrats (73%) and Independents (80%) distrust the government, while Republicans are split (47% trust, 48% don’t trust). Even as more are proud of the country, more than 8 in 10 (85% extremely or very) are concerned about the future of the country, the highest in a list of eight concerns, albeit by one point. Almost as many say inflation is a huge concern (84%), followed by government spending (80%), Iran getting a nuclear bomb (78%), antisemitism (69%), illegal immigration (67%), domestic use of U.S. military troops (66%), and protests in U.S. cities (63%). The future of the country is the top issue for Democrats and Independents (90% each concerned). For Republicans, it comes in fourth at 79% behind illegal immigration, Iran getting a nuclear bomb, and government spending. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted June 13-16, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (149) and cellphones (566) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (288). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
Rep Dusty Johnson launches bid for South Dakota governor
South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, the state’s sole member of the House, has announced a run for governor. Johnson is chair of the House GOP’s Main Street Caucus and a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He has served in Congress since 2019, following a job as vice president at a South Dakota-based engineering and consulting firm. Prior to his role as an executive, Johnson also worked as South Dakota Public Utilities commissioner from 2005 to 2011, during which he was appointed chief of staff to former Gov. Dennis Daugaard. The announcement, deemed by local media as a “formality” after Johnson was already rumored to run, came Monday at a campaign event and was paired with a video the representative shared on social media. KEY HOUSE GOP MODERATE DON BACON WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION “I’s been such an honor to work for you in Congress. We rolled up our sleeves and got things moving in the right direction, cutting trillions in wasteful spending, standing with President Trump to secure our border and finally getting tough on China,” Johnson said. “Those were important fights to build a better country for our kids, but their future doesn’t begin in some far away place. It begins here, at home, in South Dakota. That’s why we need to hit the gas and give them a clear path to a bright future.” TRUMP REACTS TO TILLIS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, SENDS WARNING TO ‘COST CUTTING REPUBLICANS’ Following the announcement, criticism began popping up online that Johnson has not adequately supported President Donald Trump, and claims he is a “never-Trumper” are “lies of the desperate.” “Here are the facts,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Donald Trump has had me down to Mar-a-Lago. I’ve gone to the Super Bowl with President Trump. I donated $10,000 to his re-election campaign years ago. He endorsed me in my 2020 race. I was his state campaign chairman for his re-elect.” Johnson added that he is someone who has “a long-standing, multi-year history of being a partner” with Trump. Johnson also said he has proven to be a “key ally” of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., noting he was one of the members of Congress who “helped deliver the votes to get him elected speaker.” On the fight in the Senate over the Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Johnson said he supports the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives and expressed optimism it will get passed by the Senate by the GOP’s self-imposed July 4 deadline.
Multibillion-dollar healthcare fraud scheme included giving people ‘unnecessary’ skin grafts: DOJ
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced sweeping charges Monday against more than 300 defendants, alleging they misled patients into paying for, and sometimes receiving, medical care that they did not need. In turn, DOJ Criminal Division chief Matthew Galeotti said, the defendants also attempted to swindle Medicare and other taxpayer-funded and private health insurance programs out of about $14.6 billion. The announcement marked the “largest coordinated healthcare fraud takedown in the history of the Department of Justice,” Galeotti said during a press conference. In a press release, the DOJ said 29 of the defendants were charged with alleged involvement with transnational criminal organizations and submitting over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs. FEDS BUST ARMENIAN FRAUD RING ACCUSED OF STEALING $30M IN COVID, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS Another 74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases with allegedly illegally distributing 15 million prescription pill opioids and other controlled substances. For instance, five of the defendants at a Texas pharmacy are accused of unlawfully distributing over 3 million opioid pills, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and carisoprodol, which were later trafficked by drug dealers on the streets. The DOJ said 49 defendants were charged with submitting over $1.17 billion in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare, while an additional 170 defendants were charged with various other fraudulent schemes amounting to $1.84 billion in claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits and unnecessary treatments, sometimes for kickbacks and bribes. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” 5.4 MILLION PATIENT RECORDS EXPOSED IN HEALTHCARE DATA BREACH One set of charges included, for example, an indictment against three defendants in Arizona who allegedly conspired to purchase and give elderly Medicare recipients skin grafts known as “amniotic wound allografts.” The defendants allegedly reaped millions of dollars from the practice. One of the defendants, a nurse practitioner, applied the grafts to patients even though they were “medically unreasonable and unnecessary,” the indictment said. The nurse allegedly applied them to terminally ill patients in hospice, including some who were days away from dying. While that specific medical practice is typically non-invasive, Galeotti noted it was part of a $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme that stripped patients of “dignity and peace” in their final days. TEXAS DOCTOR SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IN ONE OF THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT’ CASES OF PATIENT HARM “That conduct is exactly as callous and disturbing as it sounds,” Galeotti said. “Patients and their families trusted these providers with their lives. Instead of receiving care, they became victims of elaborate criminal schemes.” One DOJ official said in response to a question from Fox News Digital that skin grafts were an “emerging area” of healthcare fraud, “especially given the significant amount of money that they can bill for sometimes in excess of $1,000 a square centimeter.” The healthcare fraud cases, all of which were shared publicly online, spanned the country and globe. Defendants included medical supply company owners and medical professionals, including 25 doctors. TEXAS DOCTOR SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IN ONE OF THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT’ CASES OF PATIENT HARM An FBI official announced at the press conference that one scheme, called “Operation Gold Rush,” resulted in at least 20 members of a transnational criminal organization, including defendants based in Russia, being charged as part of a $10 billion Medicare and money laundering operation that centered on catheters. The group behind the scheme, authorities said, used foreign straw owners to secretly buy dozens of medical supply companies before using stolen identities and confidential health data to create and file false $10.6 billion in claims with Medicare. The DOJ said 19 defendants were arrested for their involvement in the scheme, 12 of whom have been arrested. Of the 12, four were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement. Seven of the defendants were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border. The DOJ Criminal Division’s healthcare fraud unit led the effort. Galeotti said Monday the DOJ also launched a “fusion center” in which it would join forces with other agencies to consolidate healthcare data as part of its investigations into fraud. Galeotti and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, also used the press conference to make a plea for more tips. “We need your help, the American people,” Oz said. “Why? Over half of the whistleblower tips that we get are for healthcare fraud and over half of the fraud against our government is in healthcare.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump slams LA with lawsuit over ICE operations
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – Americans weigh in on Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill: polls – Trump may look to his daughter-in-law to defend Senate seat in key battleground – Mamdani’s public grocery stores may have devastating effects on the city’s food supply FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration is suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging that the policies interfere with federal immigration authorities from doing their jobs. “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in an exclusive statement. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump,” Bondi added… READ MORE. UNPOPULAR: Americans weigh in on Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill: polls ‘CHERISH OUR FARMERS’: Trump urges ‘temporary pass’ from immigration crackdown for key industries: ‘I cherish our farmers’ FAMILY IN THE FRAY: Trump may look to his daughter-in-law to defend Senate seat in key battleground ‘CIRCLE OF PEACE’: Trump pressures Israel to end Gaza conflict as he eyes Abraham Accords expansion MIDDLE EAST SHAKEUP: Trump to sign order lifting sanctions on Syria FREE SPEECH FIGHT: Supreme Court to hear Republican challenge that could shake up US elections RETAIL RISK RISING: Mamdani’s public grocery stores may have devastating effects on city’s food supply Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump may look to his daughter-in-law to defend Senate seat in key battleground
President Donald Trump calls Sen. Thom Tillis’ announcement that the two-term Republican senator won’t see re-election next year in battleground North Carolina “Great News.” And with Tillis — who Trump torched this past weekend for not supporting his so-called “big, beautiful” spending and tax cut bill in a key test vote — now out of the picture in the midterms, it’s likely the president and his political team will be the kingmakers in the selection of the 2026 GOP nominee in North Carolina. “It’s the president’s choice. The president and his team will have those conversations,” a Republican operative, pointing to Trump’s immense sway over the GOP, told Fox News. TILLIS DENOUNCES TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL ’ HOURS AFTER SURPRISE RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT “Does he have great choices? Absolutely,” said the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. Likely at the top of the list is Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law who served last year, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). TRUMP REACTS TO TILLIS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, SENDS WARNING TO ‘COST CUTTING REPUBLICANS’ Lara Trump, who grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and attended undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University, is married to the president’s son, Eric. She stepped down from her post at the RNC late last year and currently hosts “My View with Lara Trump” on the Fox News Channel. The Republican strategist highlighted that Lara Trump “has the name, but beyond that she is a fundraising powerhouse, and she has the discipline to be an incredible candidate and senator if she chooses to.” “She’s probably the only person who should have ‘considering’ in the same sentence because she is the president’s daughter-in-law and that will be a consideration,” the operative added. Four years ago, Lara Trump considered making a bid for an open Senate seat in North Carolina in the 2022 midterm elections. “It would be an incredible thing. It’s my home state, a state I love so much, and look, I think we need some strong Republicans in Washington, D.C.,” she told Fox News at the time. She ultimately decided against launching a campaign, citing her two young children as the main reason for her decision. But she did leave open the possibility of a future run for office in her home state. Lara and Eric Trump own a home in Florida, and Lara Trump’s name was briefly mentioned late last year as a potential successor to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who was nominated by Trump to serve as Secretary of State in his second administration. “After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate, she said in a statement near the end of December. Another name being floated in North Carolina is RNC Chair Michael Whatley. Whatley served five years as chair of the North Carolina GOP before Trump early last year picked him to succeed Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair. “Chairman Whatley is honored to have been asked by President Trump to serve as Chair of the Republican National Committee following a hugely successful 2025, and is focused on grown Republican majorities in Congress,” an RNC adviser told Fox News when asked about the North Carolina Senate race. WHAT MIKE WHATLEY TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL Another name that comes up is Rep. Richard Hudson, who for a second straight cycle is chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Along with Whatley, Hudson, who for over a decade has represented a congressional district in the central section of North Carolina, is a strong Trump ally. A source familiar told Fox News that Hudson “is tight with Trump world, and if they really wanted him to run, he wouldn’t tell them no.” A trio of first-term Republican congressmen in North Carolina may also have interest in the race to succeed Tillis. Sources confirmed to Fox News that Rep. Pat Harrigan is eyeing a bid. Reps. Tim Moore and Brad Knott may also have interest. And four-term GOP Rep. Murphy may consider a run. SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICAN EYES BID FOR THOM TILLIS SENATE SEAT AFTER TRUMP ATTACK Some national Republicans are relieved that Tillis isn’t seeking re-election. Tillis, who has long been an independent thinker who crossed the political aisle to seek compromise, doesn’t poll well with the MAGA base. Some Republican operatives familiar with Senate races suggested that the GOP would have an easier time energizing base voters in a smaller midterm electorate with a more conservative candidate than Tillis on the 2026 ballot as the GOP’s nominee in North Carolina. And Trump loyalists saw the Tillis announcement as further proof of the president’s immense hold over the GOP. Tillis, in a statement, noted that “in Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.” In the race for the Democratic Senate nomination, former Rep. Wiley Nickel, a trial lawyer and former state senator, launched a bid earlier this year. But all eyes are on former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is mulling a run. Cooper is viewed as the most formidable and prominent potential Democratic candidate for a seat his party is aiming to flip from red to blue. But no Democrat has won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008. Hours after Tillis’ announcement on Sunday, a top non-partisan political handicapper shifted their rating on the North Carolina Senate race from Lean Republican to Toss Up. “The surprise move from Tillis moves this race into the Toss Up category and officially makes the Tar Heel State Democrats’ top pickup opportunity,” the Cook Report’s Jessica Walter said.
White House says Mamdani would ‘crush’ New York City if elected mayor
President Donald Trump is confident that democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani would “crush” New York City if he is elected mayor, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says. Leavitt made the statement during a Monday press briefing while fielding multiple questions from reporters about Mamdani’s victory in the democratic mayoral primary. Fox News’ White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Leavitt about recent calls for Mamdani to be deported, citing calls from one lawmaker who said Mamdani should be denaturalized. “I haven’t heard him say that. I haven’t heard him call for that. But certainly he does not want this individual to be elected. I was just speaking to him about it and [Mamdani’s] radical policies that will completely crush New York City, which is obviously a city that the president holds near and dear to his heart,” Leavitt responded. HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS NYC HOPEFUL MAMDANI NEEDS TO ‘CLARIFY’ HIS POSITION ON ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ Leavitt went on to say that Trump would be willing to work with Mamdani if he is elected, though she predicted that the relationship would be difficult. “Look, the president is always willing to work with everyone. He’s working with Democrats across the country, Democrat governors. And he said he’ll work with people on the far left. He works with Republicans. He works with people in the middle. He wants to do what’s right for America,” Leavitt said. “But surely someone who holds these values and is quite literally a communist and condemns every value that makes this country great: common sense, law and order, low taxes, working hard, and earning your keep in this country. He’s against all of that. And I think the president would find it difficult to work with someone like that, if he is elected. I’m sure you’ll hear more from the president on that, but we’ll have to see. Hopefully, the voters of New York City choose wisely,” she finished. Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, defeated establishment favorite and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a crowded field of other candidates, in the Democratic mayoral primary last week. Liberal podcast host Donny Deutsch called out Mamdani on Monday for refusing to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during an appearance on MSNBC. “I’m outraged that we have a candidate for mayor of New York, Mr. Mamdani, that cannot walk back or cannot condemn the words ‘globalize the intifada’ and his nuance of, ‘Well, it means different things for different people.’ Well, let me tell you what it means to a Jew — it means violence,” Deutsch said, citing the October 7 terrorist attacks, as well as the Boulder, Colorado, attacks. SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND URGES ZOHRAN MAMDANI TO DENOUNCE ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ RHETORIC “That’s the connotation. That’s the essence of it, and that’s what it means to Jewish people. And if any other group came forward and said, ‘You know these words are offensive to us. It means violence. It frightens us,’ I think there would be a response, but for some reason, if Jewish people find it offensive, it’s not offensive,” Deutsch continued. Mamdani had several opportunities to condemn the “globalize the intifada” phrase during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, but he refused. Fox News’ Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
“Don’t see any solution” soon for Haiti violence
While the media and intl community focus on other conflicts, Etienne Cote-Paluck discusses the ongoing violence in Haiti While the media and international community are focused on other conflicts, Etienne Cote-Paluck, editor-in-chief of Haiti Magazine, shines a light on the ongoing violence in Haiti. Adblock test (Why?)