DNC Chair Ken Martin defends ‘Big Tent’ strategy when pressed on democratic socialists
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin defended his party’s big-tent approach Monday, arguing Democrats must continue expanding their coalition even as Republicans target the party over its ties to democratic socialists. Martin was pressed during an interview on MSNOW about whether the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a liability for the party ahead of the midterm elections. “So let me just say, I’ve always taken a big-tent approach to how you build a party,” Martin said. “That’s why I was successful for all these years in Minnesota. I believe you win through addition, not subtraction. You win by growing your coalition, not shrinking it.” NEWSOM TELLS DEMOCRATS TO BE IN THE ‘ADDITION NOT SUBTRACTION’ BUSINESS WITH SOCIALISTS “And sometimes, is there a middle ground, though, when Americans see that…” interjected MSNOW anchor Peter Alexander. “No, not at all, because that’s where the vast majority of Americans are at,” Martin replied. “Maybe right in the middle, or a little center-left, or a little center-right. But it doesn’t mean we can’t bring new voices into the party, right? Of course, we have to keep growing and we have to keep expanding this tent,” Martin reiterated. SEE IT: TOP DEM OPERATIVE DRAWS LINE AT ‘DEPLORABLE’ HASAN PIKER AFTER TOUTING PARTY’S ‘BIG TENT’ Fox News Digital has reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment. “Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin embraces far-Left radicals who want to abolish the police, prisons, and borders,” the Republican National Committee wrote on X. DSA CO-CHAIR MOCKED FOR PROUDLY CONFIRMING SOCIALISTS WANT TO ABOLISH THE SENATE, NATIONAL BORDERS, PRISONS The DSA has advocated far-left policies, including abolishing police, prisons and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as eliminating immigration restrictions and expanding public ownership. President Donald Trump and Republicans have frequently targeted the DSA ahead of the November elections. Earlier this month, Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers released a report estimating that adopting seven major DSA policies would add $49 trillion to federal deficits over 10 years, equivalent to more than $350,000 per American household. SEN MARK KELLY WARNS FAR-LEFT POLICIES THAT ‘DON’T MAKE SENSE’ COULD COST DEMOCRATS SEATS “Make no mistake, these are the Democrats’ policies,” a White House news release regarding the report stated. “They want to destroy our great, hard-fought nation, and plummet our economy and the very fabric of our nation into the ground.” Meanwhile, many mainstream Democrats have tried to distance themselves from the DSA label, pointing to their support for capitalism and social democracy.
Mamdani unveils sweeping NYPD use-of-force review, but stops short of fulfilling key campaign promises
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the launch of an internal review of the New York Police Department’s use of force on Monday, but the initiative falls short of fulfilling several of his campaign promises, including pledges to disband a controversial police unit and eliminate a database of suspected gang members. “When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard for accountability must be at its highest,” Mamdani said in a press release. “Every New Yorker deserves to know that force will be used lawfully, carefully and only when necessary.” More than nine months after taking office, Mamdani has yet to fulfill several campaign pledges, including disbanding the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, eliminating its database of suspected gang members and shifting police resources away from low-level offenses. NYPD COP FOUND GUILTY OF CHOKEHOLD IN FIRST CONVICTION SINCE RESTRAINT TACTIC BANNED AFTER GEORGE FLOYD DEATH The review comes after the May 2026 retirement of one of the officers involved in the 2024 shooting of 19-year-old Win Rozario — a development that came before any disciplinary trial could take place. Video footage of the confrontation, captured in March 2024, shows officers responding to a house call, placed by Rozario himself. An altercation ensued when Rozario, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, reacted adversely to the police presence, prompting the police to use Tasers on him. Unsubdued, Rozario then grabbed a pair of scissors and advanced on officers, who shot him at close range. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office declined to bring criminal charges against the officers in December 2025, concluding that prosecutors could not disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that their use of deadly force was justified under state law. The mayor framed his initiative as a way to strengthen and improve accountability. Mamdani’s initiative comes with an additional $2.6 million in funding for the Office of Inspector General for the NYPD. Additionally, the NYPD will also notify state authorities when officers facing disciplinary charges retire, allowing the state to consider decertification and helping prevent those officers from avoiding scrutiny by joining another law enforcement agency. Those changes will accompany a use-of-force review which, according to Mamdani, is the first of its kind in over a decade and will include a “robust community engagement process.” “We have an obligation to Win’s family and to every New Yorker who calls for help in a moment of crisis. This review is about making sure our policies reflect that responsibility,” Mamdani said. MAMDANI CLASHES WITH DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS’ PUSH TO ABOLISH POLICE AND PRISONS MAMDANI WALKS BACK PLAN TO INCREASE NYPD HEADCOUNT FOLLOWING DSA PRESSURE Notably, the proposed adjustments fall short of campaign promises that Mamdani made to eliminate certain policing activity. In particular, Mamdani called for an end to NYPD arrests on charges of lower–level crimes like public urination and open container violations, noting that such activity was making it harder for officers to tackle violent crimes. “The fact that every year we ask them to take on additional responsibilities – we are making it more and more difficult for them to respond to the very responsibilities that drew them to the job in the first place,” Mamdani said last fall. During his tenure, public urination summonses have gone up, climbing 18%, according to recent reporting. Mamdani also promised to end a database of suspected gang members. He also demanded an end to the Strategic Response Group (SRG), a policing task force that had received public attention for aggressive tactics in subduing protests. “As Mayor, I will disband the SRG, which has cost taxpayers millions in lawsuit settlements + brutalized countless New Yorkers exercising their First Amendment rights,” Mamdani said in a post to X shortly after announcing his bid for mayor. LETITIA JAMES’ TIMES SQUARE SHOOTING PROBE DRAWS GOP CRITICISM OVER NEW YORK’S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS In addition to keeping those elements in place, Mamdani also retained Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was appointed by Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams. Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether his police reform plans have taken a different path than the one he originally outlined before taking office.
ATF suspends federal registration and approval rules for certain firearms
Gun owners will no longer be required to federally register or seek advance approval to manufacture or transfer silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and “Any Other Weapons” (AOWs), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced Friday. The policy directive halts National Firearms Act (NFA) enforcement for items subject to zero-dollar tax rates under the updated guidelines. In a letter to federal firearms licensees, ATF Director Robert Cekada noted that the move follows a federal court decision invalidating key manufacturing and transfer provisions of the NFA. GUN RIGHTS GETS ‘GREATEST RESTORATION’ IN 100 YEARS WITH LATEST TRUMP DOJ MOVE, LAWMAKER HAILS “The direction from the President, Congress, and the courts is clear,” Cekada said. “ATF is now following suit with our enforcement posture while continuing to ensure we remain focused where we are needed the most: combatting violent crime in American communities.” The regulatory shift stems from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in which Congress reduced NFA manufacturing and transfer taxes to $0 for silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs. GUN RIGHTS GROUPS CAPITALIZE AFTER JUDGE REVERSES DECADES-OLD RESTRICTIONS: ‘MONUMENTAL’ Following that legislation, a federal judge in Texas issued an injunction in August, concluding that because Congress eliminated the underlying tax, the NFA’s mandatory registration and transfer provisions could no longer be justified under Congress’s constitutional taxing power. The ruling initially applied only to the plaintiffs, but the Justice Department subsequently extended its nonenforcement policy nationwide. John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association (NRA), praised the announcement, calling it a historic milestone. MAJOR APPEALS COURT DECLARES NEW JERSEY AR-15 BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN LANDMARK SECOND AMENDMENT RULING “This is what happens when all three branches of government are willing to follow the Constitution,” Commerford said in a statement. “Now the Trump administration has confirmed it will stop treating law-abiding Americans as if they still need special permission from the government to own hearing protection, rifles, or shotguns.” Although the specific NFA requirements and fees have been suspended, all transactions remain subject to the Gun Control Act. Licensed dealers are still required to perform standard background checks and maintain transaction records. Machine guns and destructive devices remain subject to NFA requirements, while federal approval is still required to transport short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns across state lines. The ATF noted it will continue to accept voluntary registrations for owners wishing to document their items, though future legal shifts could potentially reinstate prior regulations without automatic grandfathering protection.
Fort Hood shooter should be executed ’13 times over’ — but not on live stream, survivor says
A survivor of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre says she wishes the mass shooter could be killed one time for every life he took that day – but even she is questioning the military’s decision to livestream his death. Nidal Hasan, 56, is scheduled to face execution by firing squad on Dec. 3, 2026, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that it will be made available to stream to the public. “Why would people want to see that?” Julia Wilson, a former Defense Department civilian employee who survived the shooting 17 years ago, told Fox News Digital. Wilson wants the mass shooter executed, and, as a victim, she wants to attend his execution and look him in the eye. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist at the time, walked into a soldier readiness center on Nov. 5, 2009, on the Texas Army post and opened fire, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others. Following a military court-martial verdict, Hasan was sentenced to death on Aug. 28, 2013. FORT HOOD SURVIVOR SHOT IN HEAD VOWS TO WATCH TERRORIST FACE HISTORIC FIRING SQUAD On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved the death sentence, and days later Hegseth announced it would be by a public firing squad. “Personally, I do want to be there,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “I do want to look him in the eye to let him know, ‘Look, I may have been your victim that day, but I’m not your victim anymore. I survived you. My child survived you, a lot of us survived you. You didn’t do as much damage as you thought you were going to.’” “You did what you did,” Wilson continued of Hasan’s attack. “Too bad we can’t kill you 13 times over.” But Wilson has reservations about the decision to broadcast Hasan’s execution to the public. “I’m kind of shocked that they’re going to go so far as to televise it,” Wilson said. “I don’t really know how to feel about that.” She fears broadcasting his death could pose a risk of exposing children to the kind of violence she has spent nearly 17 years trying to forget. “Unfortunately, some children may end up seeing that, that don’t need to see something like that,” Wilson said. “Seeing my soldiers murdered that day, that was the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that. And I can never wash it out of my mind.” “I don’t know why anybody would want to actually see something like that happen.” Wilson’s concerns echo objections raised by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. “Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., posted to X on Thursday. “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.” TEXAS EXECUTES JAMAAL HOWARD DESPITE CONCERNS OVER LETHAL INJECTION DRUG USED IN FAILED TENNESSEE EXECUTION Trump said Saturday that he will make the decision of whether or not to livestream Hasan’s execution, acknowledging that he knows “what the military would like to do” following Hegseth’s confirmation. Vice President J.D. Vance also said Friday that he was not sure that the federal government will be livestreaming the execution, also adding that he would not personally view the livestream. “As far as the execution, I have a lot of mixed feelings on it, to be quite honest,” Wilson said. “Yes, I’m glad that it’s moving forward. No, I…don’t ever want to see another human being die.” “But in the same fold, an eye for an eye.” Wilson was working at Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center when Hasan opened fire. At the time, she was nine months pregnant and had reached her due date. She recalled the moment when she first saw soldiers down and heard the gunfire after pulling into the parking lot upon returning to the center from a lunch break with her mom. “Before I got the chance to shut off my engine and really get out of the vehicle, that’s when the gunfire started,” Wilson said. “I had several things go through my mind. You know, they say that you have fight, flight or freeze. I kind of had all three. “ She recounted the chaos during the shooting after going into the center building for the first time since taking cover in her car, which she says her supervisor advised her to do. “Eventually he came back for me and I figured, ‘Okay, maybe… I’m a little bit out of the chaos.’ No, absolutely not,” Wilson said. THREE DEATH ROW INMATES EXECUTED BY LETHAL INJECTION IN RARE SAME-DAY STRING ACROSS US She continued, “I get into my building. Desks are tossed everywhere. It’s a total wreck. There’s blood on the wall, blood on the floor, people working on people. And I just kind of locked up.” “A wounded soldier came in the door opposite of me and said, ‘He’s in the building, he’s shooting, get the f–– out of here.” Wilson said that Hasan receiving the death penalty will still not bring full justice to the victims of the tragedy. She called out the federal government for classifying the shooting as “workplace violence,” urging the shooting to be reclassified as an act of domestic terrorism. “We’ve been betrayed by the government for 17 years,” Wilson said. “They left this as workplace violence. They never declared it domestic terrorism because it was all about, ‘Hey, we need to be politically correct and watch out for his rights.’ Well, what about my rights? And what about me? And what about my family? And what about those that were murdered? And what about those that were injured?” Wilson has written a letter to Trump calling for the reclassification of the shooting to be recognized as domestic terrorism. “It’s time for healing,” Wilson said. “And that healing cannot start until the situation is fully rectified, until there’s full justice.”
Biden-appointed judge with history of fiery Trump clashes erupts at DOJ: ‘You’ve lost all credibility!’
A Biden-appointed federal judge who previously drew a formal misconduct complaint from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department for alleged bias erupted at government lawyers again Monday, in a heated showdown over rapid tree removal at a historic golf course on national parkland. Judge Ana Reyes unleashed her latest rebuke during an emergency hearing over hundreds of trees removed from East Potomac Golf Links in Hains Point, D.C. Trump wants to transform the historic public facility into a championship-caliber golf course like his courses in the U.S., Ireland and Scotland – the latest courtroom collision between the administration and its political opponents. Journalist Scott MacFarlane, who live-tweeted from the hearing, described Reyes as “scream[ing]” at administration attorneys over the government’s late-Friday notification that tree removal would begin Saturday. A government lawyer acknowledged that approximately 430 trees had already been cut down, according to MacFarlane. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE TORCHES TRUMP ADMIN IN LATEST COURTROOM SHOWDOWN, REFERS ATTORNEY FOR BAR REVIEW “You’ve lost credibility!” Reyes told government attorneys, according to MacFarlane’s live courtroom reporting. The administration maintains that the removals implement a 2019 National Park Service landscape-restoration plan predating Trump’s redesign proposal for the links, which sit on an island connected to the city proper by the Jefferson Memorial and Francis Case Bridge at its western edge. BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP TO RESTORE SLAVERY, CLIMATE CHANGE REFERENCES AT NATIONAL PARKS Reyes, who was born in Uruguay and nominated by Biden in 2023, previously grilled a Trump administration attorney about his religious beliefs during litigation challenging Trump’s restrictions on transgender military service — an order she called “biologically inaccurate” according to the Washington Post. The judge questioned how Jesus Christ would respond to “telling a group of people that they are so worthless, so worthless that we’re not going to allow them into homeless shelters?” according to then-DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle’s complaint. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP’S DC JUDICIAL NEMESIS TARGETED IN MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT OVER ALLEGED BIDEN DOJ TIES In a 2025 case, Reyes ruled that Trump violated federal notice requirements when he fired several inspectors general but then declined to reinstate them, according to Reuters. Monday’s hearing brought another heated exchange, this time over when government lawyers learned of the tree-removal operation and why they waited until the end of the workweek to notify the court. “At 4:55pm on a Friday of a holiday weekend, the plaintiffs and I get [little] notice that hundreds of trees are going to be chopped down,” Reyes reportedly fumed at the government, according to MacFarlane. EXCAVATION SET TO BEGIN ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S 250-FOOT TRIUMPHAL ARCH AMID LEGAL BATTLE When government counsel reportedly acknowledged learning of the operation on Oct. 8 or 9 and said officials were awaiting details, Reyes demanded: “Do you have email or a cell phone?” MacFarlane tweeted that he had never heard a judge “scream at full-voice at a lawyer before,” while the UK Independent reported Reyes excoriated federal counsel for about 15 minutes. The uproar comes as preservationists and progressive interests challenge the administration, including former Obama ethics lawyer Norm Eisen — who has engineered a “broad legal resistance” to the president through his group Democracy Defenders Fund, according to its mission statement. Eisen tweeted a victory lap Monday after the court agreed to hear the case in an “emergency’ setting. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Preservationists argued the administration has not satisfied applicable environmental and historic-preservation requirements. The administration disputed that argument, maintaining that the tree removal is authorized NPS landscape management separate from Trump’s proposed links renovation.
Republican lawmakers break with Trump on diesel deal with Russia
President Donald Trump last week touted a diesel agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that prices for the fuel would swiftly fall, but some Republicans have responded by rebuking the president’s move. “I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter. Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel,” Trump declared in an Oct. 9 Truth Social post. “Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announcement on Russian Energy, Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST! Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority. This is a very big and important announcement. Additionally, it must be understood, that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon!” Trump declared. The announcement sparked blowback from some Republicans, including outgoing Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who declared in a post on X that Trump’s “policies towards Russia and Ukraine are failures.” ZELENSKYY ACCUSES PUTIN OF DEFYING TRUMP’S CEASEFIRE PUSH, SENDS POINTED MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE “Propping up Putin’s war economy is morally wrong as he uses that money to bomb cities,” Bacon asserted. “We need moral clarity not moral ambiguity.” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., declared in a post on Saturday, “We will be introducing bipartisan legislation to block any and all purchases of Russian oil. It will be called the ‘Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act.’ It will be forced to the Floor via discharge and it will pass overwhelmingly.” Bacon shared Fitzpatrick’s post and noted, “I’ve already agreed to be an original cosponsor. Congress must make a stand.” A bipartisan group of senators — including Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Ron Wyden of Oregon, as well as GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Curtis of Utah — joined together in a statement pressing the administration to “reverse course.” “Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine. Congress was clear: The U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO Allies,” the statement declares. TRUMP RUSSIA DEAL COULD FUEL PUTIN’S WAR, EX-NATO COMMANDER WARNS AS ZELENSKYY SAYS ‘NYET’ “President Trump’s decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law. The Administration has also failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute. The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course,” the statement adds. Tillis, an outgoing senator who is not seeking re-election, is the author of the recently released book, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents.” Shaheen is also not seeking another term. Former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette explained during a Monday appearance on FOX Business that he does not expect the agreement to cause the price of diesel to decline significantly. He said that he believes “it’s important for Americans to realize that … we may not be talking about brand new barrels to the marketplace. So, if there’s an expectation that prices are gonna come down dramatically as a result of this agreement, I’m a bit skeptical of that.” TRUMP CALLS FOR UKRAINE TO REPLACE ZELENSKYY AFTER CLASH OVER RUSSIA DIESEL DEAL: ‘GET A NEW PRESIDENT’ Brouillette said that if the aim is to decrease “prices in the long term,” then it is “challenging to see how this is going to help. What we’re in essence doing is rearranging the barrels,” Brouillette explained, “we’re moving the barrels from one customer to another customer. We’re not producing new barrels of diesel, which is really what the market is expecting and wanting.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Monday.
US attorney warns Chinese espionage is ‘extremely pervasive,’ says Beijing ‘playing the long game’
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Chinese espionage is “extremely pervasive” in the U.S. following the arrest of an alleged Chinese agent in Los Angeles this month. Essayli told Fox News Digital in an interview that his office has pressed charges against several alleged Chinese spies in recent months, saying Beijing is brazen in its attempts to build their access inside the U.S. “I think it’s extremely pervasive,” Essayli said of Chinese spying. “China is one of our biggest adversaries, and they’re committed to advancing their interests. And they’re playing the long game, and so they are willing to put a lot of resources into developing sources, recruiting people within the U.S. to advance their interests. CHINA EXPERT WARNS BEIJING WANTS AMERICANS — NOT THE CCP — TO SPREAD ITS MESSAGE “They’re willing to steal our technology; they’re willing to engage in espionage here. So, there’s no limit to what China is willing to do. It is a huge, huge concern. We have to be vigilant, and we have to disrupt these operations on our soil,” Essayli said. “We have to protect our sovereignty.” “If you look at just the cases we brought this year, just in my office, I mean, you had cases where the woman from Irvine was engaged in espionage against the Taiwanese president’s family member. I had a guy last week we arrested, he sold more than $300 million in SI chips, formerly known as AI chips, to China,” he continued. “You had a mayor of a local city that we charged for serving as an unregistered agent of China as well, pushing out their propaganda and taking orders from China.” FORMER CALIFORNIA MAYOR ADMITS TO SECRETLY WORKING FOR CHINA, SPREADING BEIJING PROPAGANDA IN US “So, it’s extremely pervasive. It’s a huge problem, but the FBI is on it,” he said. “They have entire squads dedicated to combating this, and we’re committed here at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to supporting those investigations and bringing criminal charges to disrupt these operations.” Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly working with an associate to photograph and record the family outside their Seattle-area home, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. CHINA-LINKED HACKERS INFILTRATED US GOVERNMENT NETWORKS BEFORE FBI TAKEDOWN Authorities nabbed Zhang, who goes by “Heather” in the U.S., at the Los Angeles airport as she attempted to board a plane to China. Essayli said FBI Los Angeles agents arrested Zhang on a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China. CALIFORNIA MAYOR ACCUSED OF SECRETLY WORKING FOR CHINA, SPREADING PROPAGANDA WHILE IN OFFICE: FEDS She allegedly traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, videos and license plate information. “She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection,” Essayli wrote. “She never notified the attorney general she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense.” GOOGLE ENGINEER STOLE AI SECRETS FOR CHINA, SENATE HEARS IN EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY Speaking on “The Big Weekend Show” Sunday, Essayli said Zhang is a naturalized U.S. citizen and confirmed the alleged surveillance targeted a relative of Taiwan’s president. “She was conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government. She was acting as a foreign agent,” Essayli said. “And she was spying on a relative of the president of Taiwan here in the U.S.” The alleged target was Ting-Yu Lai, the U.S.-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, CBS News reported, citing law enforcement sources. The complaint does not name him. “Saw him. Young male. It’s that young one,” Zhang allegedly messaged a Chinese government contact while outside the home. “I am video recording,” she allegedly added before sending two license plate numbers.
Democrats see new chances to flip red states — but a $400M GOP spending advantage could derail their plans
With just over three weeks to go until Election Day, more and more red states and congressional districts appear in reach for the Democrats, as they work to win back House and Senate majorities from the Republicans in the midterms. But a massive Republican spending advantage threatens to complicate those ambitions. Republican campaigns, committees and aligned groups have outspent their Democratic counterparts by $400 million so far this election cycle, according to AdImpact, a leading political advertising tracking firm. The disparity is forcing Democrats to make difficult decisions about where to invest and how much to spend as the party tries to expand the electoral map. “We are being outspent by the Republicans. That’s just a fact,” Lauren French, communications director at the Senate Majority PAC, told Fox News Digital. “In many of these states, they have really transactionalized elections, so they have monopoly money to play with, whereas we are working with real resources.” DEMOCRATS THINK A BLUE WAVE IS FORMER – HERE ARE THREE FACTORS THAT COULD STOP IT The latest Fox News Power Rankings shifted GOP-dominated South Carolina from Solid to Likely Republican. The Senate showdown in reliably Republican Kansas is Lean Republican, while the races in red-leaning Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas are rated toss-ups. “Senate Majority PAC has resources to compete, and we are very happy that we’re able to be in 9 battleground states,” French said. The super PAC is the leading outside group supporting Democratic Senate candidates and incumbents and is aligned with longtime Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer. French highlighted record-setting fundraising over the past three months, but added, “of course, more recess resources would be helpful.” With the latest polls from Fox News and other organizations showing Democrats increasingly competitive across the Senate map, the party is pleading for more money. “Last month a pro-Trump PAC reserved $10 million in New Hampshire advertising, and we’re being outspent 3-to-1,” reads a fundraising pitch to supporters by Rep. Chris Pappas, the Democratic Senate nominee in swing state New Hampshire. WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM POWER RANKINGS Senate Majority PAC is rushing some of its record fundraising into the newly competitive battlegrounds. And American Bridge PAC, a Democrat-aligned group, recently pumped over $20 million into South Carolina and Kansas, as well as competitive races in two other red states, Florida and Mississippi. But the Democratic groups are being outspent by their Republican-aligned counterparts, thanks to major expenditures by Senate Leadership Fund, the President Donald Trump-allied MAGA Inc. and a super PAC bankrolled by Elon Musk. “The hard reality is there isn’t enough funding to protect the toss-up states and also heavily invest in the red-leaning states where we’re playing offense,” a veteran Democratic Senate operative who requested anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital.” French told Fox News Digital “This is the time in the campaign season where everyone really has to make some of those belt-tightening decisions, and that’s why we’re looking at every race really closely to make sure we have enough resources to get to the majority, but we’re also not leaving anyone shortchanged.” House Democrats are facing a similar predicament. A memo from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) shared with donors warned that Republicans “are now flooding districts across our battlefield with MAGA Inc. and Trump super PAC money that we simply cannot match.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The memo, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, requested an additional $17 million that was needed by Oct. 22 “to close the sale” in what they described as “winnable races.” The GOP is fighting political history, which has traditionally seen the party in power in Washington lose congressional seats during midterm election years. Add to that a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation Americans see at the grocery store, high gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s negative approval ratings. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER But the Republicans’ financial advantage has allowed GOP campaigns and allied groups to spend more on political advertising nationally. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of Leader John Thune, Senate Leadership Fund has amassed a financial advantage that neither party has had before. SLF will continue to invest unprecedented resources across the map to maintain the Republican Senate majority,” Senate Leadership Fund communications director Chris Gustafson told Fox News Digital. Veteran GOP strategist Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital that “Republican outside groups will have played a decisive role in positive Republican performance if they have a good election night despite what is strong headwinds working against them.” “This is not an advantage Republicans typically have and it’s definitely a contributing factor to a lot of candidates on the ballot right now keeping their races close,” Hunt emphasized.
SC Dem Senate candidate claims she will stand up to her party as Graham ties her to ‘socialist Democrats’
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews clashed on Sunday night during the South Carolina U.S. Senate debate, which also included Libertarian candidate Kasie Whitener. Graham said she is “concerned about the socialist Democrats,” asserting that after Hamas terrorists slaughtered Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, Democrats in New York cheered “over the death of over a thousand people.” “Annie Andrews will not stand up to the socialist Democratic Party. She’s only going to join them,” Graham declared. DARLINE GRAHAM’S ‘EMBARRASSING AND INEXCUSABLE’ NATIONAL SECURITY STUMBLE SPOTLIGHTS BREAK FROM LATE BROTHER Andrews fired back, claiming that she is willing to stand up to her party. “I told you my opponent was going to call me a socialist and there she’s done it again. She’s been told to come out here and call me Bernie, Ocasio, Mamdani. That’s what’s in her script,” Andrews said, referring to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “But the truth is my name is Annie Andrews. And there shouldn’t be any confusion about that because unlike my opponent, I haven’t changed my name recently,” she said. DEMOCRATS ARE CHANGING THEIR TRANSGENDER MESSAGE. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’RE JUST FLIP-FLOPPING “The real difference between me and Sen. Graham is that I will stand up to my own party and I will always put South Carolina first. She seems to believe the job she has right now is to be the White House’s ambassador to South Carolina. The job is to represent South Carolina. She considers the job to be to read their scripts and do their bidding. And we can do better,” Andrews asserted. Graham fired back, saying that her “legal name is Graham” and “has always been Graham.” She explained, “I lost my parents when I was a little girl, and I kept the name Graham so that I felt connected to them. So my name, every document I have ever signed, has Graham on it.” After the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tapped the late lawmaker’s sister Darline to serve the remainder of her brother’s Senate term. DEM SCRAMBLES TO CHANGE TUNE ON TRANS ATHLETES AS TRUMP TARGETS PAST RECORD: ‘ANNIE TRANNIE’ President Donald Trump is backing Sen. Darline Graham for election to a full six-year Senate term.
Drag queens, trans pastor, abortion rallies: Inside Dem governor hopeful’s progressive church
In one of the most hotly contested governor’s races in the country, the Democratic nominee has been working overtime to cultivate a moderate image — while reportedly attending a church that openly embraces some of the progressive causes dividing voters in Iowa. Rob Sand, Iowa’s state auditor and its Democratic nominee for governor, regularly attended Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, located in the state’s capital, as of late 2025, according to a local journalist. Over the years, Plymouth has hosted and promoted drag queen performances, invited a transgender pastor to serve as a guest pastor and openly supported abortion. Sand has emphasized his faith on the campaign trail, repeatedly referencing Christianity and quoting scripture, at times successfully appealing to otherwise conservative Iowans. In addition to leaning on his faith, Sand has repeatedly described himself as independently minded, claimed to have voted for Republicans in the past and said that he sometimes prefers working with the GOP over Democrats, calling political parties “poison.” “I am a Christian. I’m a conservative. But I’m not a party-based person,” one voter is quoted as saying in a Sand press release. “I like to vote for the person as opposed to the party. And to me, (Sand) just seems really honest and down to earth. And I enjoyed him.” IOWA GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL ZACH LAHN TELLS ‘RUTHLESS’ DEMOCRATS ARE HIDING THEIR BAD POLICIES Sand’s reported church attendance, however, connects him to a congregation whose progressive religious and political positions stand in contrast to the moderate image he has emphasized on the campaign trail. Sand’s church is open about its progressive slant, with its “about” page featuring an image of churchgoers at a gay pride parade, noting that the church does not take the Bible literally and stating that it “has been an LGBTQ+ Open and Affirming congregation for more than 30 years.” An image of the church included in a profile compiled by the United Church of Christ shows it flying a pride flag on its grounds, noting that the church “is a progressive powerhouse in the region.” “Rob Sand goes to church weekly and does so in Iowa, unlike Zach Lahn. Rob’s faith is deeply important to him, and like many, he has never found a church where he agrees with everything, but does prefer traditional services with liturgy and classic hymns,” a spokeswoman for his campaign told Fox News Digital. “Rob has always been independent-minded, and he isn’t going to take lessons in morality from a sex toy salesman who lives in Kansas.” The mention of sex toys was a reference to FirmTech, a company that manufactures wearable sexual wellness devices and once counted GOP gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn as an investor. Lahn maintains that the product was originally developed to monitor cardiovascular health and that he divested before the company shifted toward more sexually suggestive marketing. Sand has also pointed to Lahn’s regular flights to Kansas, arguing that they betray tenuous ties to the state he’s seeking to govern. Lahn, meanwhile, says that he lives full-time in Iowa, explaining that the flights are a product of him needing to shuttle children from a previous marriage between the two states. Lahn’s campaign did not divulge where he attends church when asked by Fox News Digital. LGBTQ GROUP REVEALS WHICH DEM NOMINEE IS SPONSORING HALLOWEEN EVENT FEATURING DRAG SHOWS Plymouth’s progressive reputation is well-earned. In May 2025, Plymouth hosted drag queen “Flamy Grant” for a concert, according to advertisements for the event, bringing an artist whose broader catalog includes sexually explicit lyrics to the progressive Des Moines congregation. In one song, titled “Take a Chance on Me,” not to be confused with the ABBA classic of the same name, Grant sings, “I’m a patient lover unless I finish first. And I expect you [to] finish me if the roles are reversed. I maintain the mystery of my sexual history.” In another song, the drag queen complained about his childhood church, stating that “I guess the lesson there was God would only hear a prayer If it came from a person with a c—.” The song continues to state that “secretly most men just fear the snatch” and praises Eve for disobeying God by eating the forbidden fruit. POWERFUL LGBTQ+ GROUP’S ENDORSEMENTS COULD TANK VULNERABLE DEMS OVER RADICAL YOUTH TRANS AGENDA About a year later, Plymouth promoted a drag event on its Facebook page at a nearby church billed as a “family-friendly karaoke fundraiser” headlined by drag queen “Tess Tura.” Tura hosts a podcast where, among other topics, unprotected gay sex is discussed. In a similar vein, Plymouth invited transgender pastor Paula Stone Williams to serve as a guest pastor for one weekend in 2023, according to a local media report. At the time, Williams had recently published a book titled “As a Woman: What I learned about power, sex, and the patriarchy after I transitioned.” VULNERABLE DEM’S CAMPAIGN PITCH CLASHES WITH ‘RADICAL’ VOTING RECORD ON TOP CULTURE WAR ISSUE Some of Plymouth’s pro-LGBTQ advocacy is directed at young children. Plymouth disclosed in a 2025 job posting that it partners with the Rainbow Faith Coalition, a group that says “LGBTQ+ identities are God-given, honored and celebrated,” and that “[f]ully living into these identities in name, pronoun, relationship and gender expression is not a barrier to participation … in any areas of the faith community,” including children’s programming and education. The church also offers Our Whole Lives programming, a sexuality education curriculum co-published by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ, with classes beginning in first grade that address topics including sexuality, relationships, gender identity and sexual health. Similar to its theology, the church’s politics are decidedly liberal. TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP UNVEILS FULL-COURT PRESS IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE TO EXPOSE ‘SHOCKING’ DEM PLATFORM In February 2025, for example, Plymouth’s pastors joined a protest in Iowa’s statehouse “to pray and stand up for our trans and gender nonconforming friends and neighbors,” per a post on the church’s Facebook page. A few years prior,