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Harris accuses Trump allies of trying to ‘rig’ 2026 midterms after Virginia court tosses redistricting measure

Harris accuses Trump allies of trying to ‘rig’ 2026 midterms after Virginia court tosses redistricting measure

Former Vice President Kamala Harris accused President Donald Trump and Republicans of trying to “rig the 2026 elections” after the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved redistricting referendum, a ruling she said would “give a boost” to that effort. “Today, the Virginia Supreme Court ignored the will of the people and overturned those democratically chosen maps,” Harris wrote on X on May 8. “This ruling gives a boost to Donald Trump’s effort to rig the 2026 elections and the Republicans’ long game to attack voting rights,” she added. The ruling marked a significant victory for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms and escalated an already intensifying national battle over redistricting and control of Congress. VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT RULES ON NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP “We hold that the legislative process employed to advance this proposal violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia,” the state’s high court said in its decision. “This constitutional violation incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy.” The measure, which passed by a narrow 51% to 49% margin, would have temporarily shifted redistricting authority from Virginia’s nonpartisan commission to the Democrat-controlled legislature through 2030 and was expected to yield a 10-1 Democratic advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. Trump praised the decision in a post on Truth Social, calling it a “Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia.” ‘JUSTICE’: CELEBRATION, MOCKERY ERUPT AFTER SPANBERGER ‘GERRYMANDER’ IS BLOWN UP IN BLOCKBUSTER DECISION “The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander,” he wrote. Democrats sharply criticized the ruling. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said “a group of unelected judges on the Virginia Supreme Court chose to put partisan politics over the will of the people.” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones also pushed back, saying the decision “silences the voices of the millions of Virginians who cast their ballots” and that his office is evaluating “every legal pathway forward.” ERIC HOLDER ACCUSES GOP OF ‘STEALING SEATS’ WHILE DEFENDING ‘FAIR’ DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING PUSH Harris echoed that sentiment in her post, writing, “We are rightfully outraged, but we will not give up. We must continue our fight to restore the power of the people.” Her comments come as she has stepped up attacks on Trump in recent appearances while facing renewed questions about her political future. At a recent event in Las Vegas, Harris said, “For far too many people in our country, the American dream, is not real. And in fact, for many people in their lived experience, it’s what they would consider an American myth.” KAMALA HARRIS’ TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO 2028 She also declined to downplay Trump, saying, “I’m not going to dismiss him as being an idiot. He’s dangerous.” At the same time, top Democrats have been reluctant to weigh in on whether Harris should lead the party in 2028. “I have no idea,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked about her future. “I have no idea who’s running, and we’ll focus on 2028 after 2026,” Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said the decision ultimately rests with Harris but added he believes Democrats should have “a wide-open Democratic primary.” The Virginia ruling is the latest flashpoint in a broader redistricting fight as both parties position themselves ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Harris, for her part, signaled she intends to remain engaged. “I firmly and strongly believe that when you feel powerless, you are powerless,” Harris said. “And when you feel powerful, you are powerful. And we are powerful and we are powerful. And so let’s just show ourselves, each other, our power around the midterms and every day.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Leo Briceno, Olivia Palombo, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this reporting.

Trump warns college sports could be ‘lost forever’ as committee pushes changes, Congress urged to act

Trump warns college sports could be ‘lost forever’ as committee pushes changes, Congress urged to act

President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Congress to overhaul college sports, warning the system could be “lost forever” as a White House-backed committee pushes sweeping changes to rein in athlete pay, transfers and soaring costs. The proposals include creating a task force to examine pooled media rights, limits on coaching salaries, rewritten eligibility rules and changes to the transfer portal, according to a draft document obtained by Yahoo Sports and reported by The Associated Press. The push builds on a recent executive order from Trump, which described college athletics as an “out-of-control financial arms race” fueled by loosening rules around player compensation, transfers and eligibility — and urged federal action before the system destabilizes further. The White House said the current model is “driving universities into debt,” threatening women’s and Olympic sports and undermining student-athletes’ educational opportunities. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REGULATE THE BUSINESS OF COLLEGE SPORTS “Further delay is not an option given what is at stake,” the order states, citing roughly 500,000 annual educational, athletic and leadership opportunities and nearly $4 billion in scholarships. Trump has also raised alarms about the direction of college sports, saying during a White House roundtable last month that “crazy things are happening” as players stay in school longer and earn more through NIL deals, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting. The draft proposal calls on Congress to quickly pass legislation creating a task force with an antitrust exemption and authority to override individual state laws, a major priority for NCAA and college sports leaders seeking national standards. I PLAYED DIVISION1 VOLLEYBALL — NIL CHAOS IS OUT OF CONTROL. THE SCORE ACT WILL SAVE SPORTS Among the most divisive ideas is pooling media rights across conferences, a move opposed by the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten but backed by a group led by Texas Tech regent Cody Campbell, who has argued it could add billions in value, according to AP. The draft also calls for rules targeting “salary-cap circumvention,” an apparent reference to schools using third-party NIL deals to get around current limits on direct payments to athletes. That issue is already at the center of an arbitration case brought by Nebraska football players whose NIL deals were rejected by the College Sports Commission, which reviews third-party contracts. NCAA SETTLEMENT CHAOS: NEW LEGAL MOVE COULD TRIGGER MASSIVE INCREASE IN NIL SPENDING Trump’s executive order also directs agencies that contract with or give grants to higher education institutions to evaluate certain violations of college athletics rules, including eligibility limits, transfers, revenue sharing and “improper financial activities.” The order defines those activities to include fraudulent NIL schemes, use of federal funds for NIL or revenue-sharing payments and interference with contracts between student-athletes and other schools. The White House also urged college athletics governing bodies to clarify rules before Aug. 1, including limits on eligibility, transfer rules, medical care for athletes and protections for women’s and Olympic sports. HOUSE VOTE ON NIL REGULATION ACT CANCELED DESPITE TRUMP’S BACKING AS SOME REPUBLICANS STILL NOT ON BOARD Congress has been stalled for more than a year on legislation codifying parts of the House settlement that put revenue-sharing into place, according to AP. The draft committee document calls for lawmakers to act before Congress leaves for its traditional August recess. Without a national solution, the administration has warned, the financial pressure created by football and basketball could force schools to cut other sports or reshape college athletics entirely. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik contributed to this reporting. The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

Duffys fire back after Pete Buttigieg, husband attack new road trip TV series: ‘Radical, miserable left’

Duffys fire back after Pete Buttigieg, husband attack new road trip TV series: ‘Radical, miserable left’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his wife, “Fox & Friends” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, fired back on Friday after former Sec. Pete Buttigieg and his husband launched a barrage of attacks against the Duffys’ upcoming “Great American Road Trip” reality TV series. The feud ignited Friday after the couple announced the new show on “Fox & Friends.” Chasten Glezman Buttigieg quickly took to X to bash the project, accusing the Duffys of taking a “multi-month, taxpayer-funded family road trip” while gas and grocery prices soar due to “Trump’s war of choice.” He went on to call the couple “unfocused, unserious, and out of touch,” and aired old grievances about the Duffys’ past criticism of Pete Buttigieg working from his son’s ICU bedside. DUFFY BLASTS BUTTIGIEG, ACCUSING BIDEN-ERA OFFICIAL OF ‘MISMANAGEMENT’: ‘MAYOR PETE FAILED FOR FOUR YEARS…’ Pete Buttigieg joined in on the attack on X, adding, “I love a good road trip, but this is brutally out of touch: a Trump Cabinet member making a documentary about himself while regular families can’t afford road trips anymore, because Trump and his war put gas prices through the roof.” Rachel Campos-Duffy replied to Chasten Buttigieg’s post, telling him to “stand down,” and clarifying the production was funded entirely by a nonprofit, The Great American Road Trip, Inc. She said her family participated for free to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and noted the series was filmed in short one- and two-day stops over seven months. SEC SEAN DUFFY: ‘ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IS DOWN PAYMENT ON A NEW, MUCH-NEEDED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM “You and I both know that my husband has done more in one year to transform the DOT and ATC than your husband did in over 4 years on the job,” Campos-Duffy said. Sean Duffy waited until Saturday to deliver a blistering response, claiming the “radical, miserable left” hates the series because it is “too wholesome,” “too patriotic” and “too joyful.” He confirmed career ethics and budget officials at the Department of Transportation fully reviewed and cleared his participation in accordance with federal rules, emphasized zero taxpayer dollars were used, and said filming took place strictly during short windows like weekends and his children’s spring break. DOT CRACKS DOWN ON THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKERS, AS AGENCY LOOKS TO HOLIDAY TRAVEL: DUFFY He also defended his fast-paced record at the DOT, highlighting modernized air traffic control, the removal of illegal truck drivers and a 20% annual increase in hiring controllers compared to his predecessor. Following the Duffys’ corrections, Chasten Buttigieg pivoted his line of attack, reposting multiple creators on X Saturday who took aim at the road trip’s corporate sponsors, which include DOT-regulated entities like Boeing, United Airlines, Toyota and Shell. The reposted critics alleged a conflict of interest, claiming the companies funded an “extended vacation” for the secretary. The posts also attempted to tie the sponsorships to claims that Duffy has halted safety standards, pardoned airlines that violated consumer laws, and hasn’t fined a single airline in over a year. Despite the political mudslinging and moving goalposts from critics, the Duffys continue encouraging families to ignore the “haters” and explore America’s national parks and monuments ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. “Our message is really simple: to love America is to see America,” Sec. Duffy said. “So put the phone down, hit the open road, and rediscover what makes America great.”