WATCH: Tim Kaine rejects claims Karmelo Anthony verdict was racist
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he has a “hard time understanding” claims that the guilty verdict in Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial was unfair or racially motivated, distancing himself from some Democrats and activists who have criticized the outcome of the case. “I have a hard time understanding why they would say that,” Kaine said when asked about claims from some Democrats that Anthony’s guilty verdict was unfair or racially charged. The Virginia Democrat’s comments come after protests and online criticism emerged following Tuesday’s verdict. Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of intentionally stabbing and murdering Austin Metcalf. Kaine’s comments stand in contrast with remarks from Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who has publicly described Anthony as a “scared Black boy” and argued he was not shown enough “mercy” following the verdict. AUSTIN METCALF’S DAD EXPRESSES EMPATHY FOR KARMELO ANTHONY AS KILLER’S PARENTS SAY ‘THEY DID A NUMBER ON US’ Fox News Digital asked Kaine his thoughts on Democrats, like Crockett, claiming the trial was unfair because of the belief that the verdict was racially motivated or that Anthony was not given a fair trial because of his race. “I know what they’re saying, but I have a hard time understanding,” Kaine reiterated. KARMELO ANTHONY TRIAL BEGINS WITH NO BLACK JURORS IN RACIALLY-CHARGED CASE OVER TRACK MEET STABBING Crockett took to her podcast, “Clock it with Crockett,” 19 hours after Anthony was found guilty in court. During the episode, she criticized the racial makeup of the jury and claimed the knife that Anthony used to stab Metcalf to his death was “not a deadly weapon.” “I would argue the size of it alone, you wouldn’t even think it’s a deadly weapon,” Crockett said about the murder weapon that was discovered and confirmed to be the knife used to pierce Metcalf’s heart, leading to his death on the scene. She claimed the jurors were all “White folk,” and sources close to the trial told Fox News Digital that there were three jurors who were racial minorities. They said that of the 18 total jurors, including alternates, six were minorities. Crockett also said on her podcast that if she were in Anthony’s position, referencing the altercation that led to Metcalf’s death, she would have done the same thing in self-defense. KARMELO ANTHONY STAYS SILENT AS ANALYSTS WARN DEFENSE FACES UPHILL BATTLE IN TRACK MEET STABBING TRIAL She also claimed the victim’s family had never experienced living in the “fear and agony” that Black people live with every day. While Crockett is the only member of Congress to publicly make such claims since the guilty verdict was given, many activists agree with Crockett’s take, claiming Anthony’s actions were made in self-defense, often noting the 38-pound size difference between Anthony and Metcalf. Protests broke out outside the courthouse on Tuesday, and criticism of the verdict and claims that Anthony did not receive a fair trial continue to circulate online. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
Abbott turns up heat on Talarico, Soros-backed DAs over Texas crime
As Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico works to brand himself as a “law and order Democrat,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is rolling out a sweeping public safety agenda that could force the left’s rising star to defend parts of his legislative record on crime, bail reform and policing. Abbott, who is pushing to remove so-called “rogue” prosecutors, create a statewide prosecutor and deny bail to illegal immigrants accused of violent crimes, told Fox News Digital the proposals are necessary. “Texas Democrats have consistently sided with criminals over the citizens they were elected to protect,” Abbott told Fox News Digital, adding, “Keeping dangerous offenders behind bars is one of the most important responsibilities of government.” While Abbott’s proposals still need approval from lawmakers, they are already shaping a broader debate over crime and public safety in Texas ahead of the midterm elections. TRAVIS COUNTY DA FACES RENEWED ‘SOFT ON CRIME’ CRITICISM AFTER CAREER CRIMINAL CHARGED WITH MURDER Talarico has highlighted endorsements from law enforcement figures, including former Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno, to bolster his public safety record, but Abbott’s allies argue his voting record and absences from key public safety votes tell a different story. Talarico was absent for a vote on a bill named after slain Houston preteen Jocelyn Nungaray that would have automatically denied bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent crimes. Talarico’s campaign defended the missed vote, telling Fox News Digital Talarico had an excused absence. The bill ultimately failed to pass, but Abbott is seeking to revive the measure. Among the public safety measures Talarico voted against were House Bill 1900, which prevented Texas cities from defunding their police departments; House Bill 20, which tightened bail restrictions for violent offenders; and Senate Bill 4, which established mandatory prison sentences for human smuggling and stash house operations. Abbott later signed all three measures into law. “James Talarico’s disastrous record on public safety is indistinguishable from the Texas Democrats who have repeatedly opposed common-sense measures to support law enforcement and keep violent criminals off the streets,” Eduardo Leal, press secretary for Abbott’s campaign, told Fox News Digital. “He’s led his Democrat colleagues to vote against legislation that prevented cities from defunding the police and twice failed to show up for votes to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent crimes.” Talarico’s campaign has pushed back on Abbott’s characterization, pointing to Talarico previously voting in favor of Abbott’s sweeping bail reform measure passed last year and voting for billions of dollars in funding for Texas law enforcement. “This baseless attack is a flat-out lie. James opposes defunding the police, has voted to deny bail for violent criminals, supports prosecuting violent felons, and has a proven track record of sending billions of dollars to support law enforcement,” Talarico’s campaign spokesperson JT Ellis said in a statement. But as crime continues to dominate headlines nationwide, Texas has not been immune, with Abbott blaming what he describes as soft-on-crime district attorneys for failing to hold offenders accountable. Abbott’s campaign team pointed to the release of two murder suspects in Austin on reduced bonds after Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza’s office missed the 90-day deadline for securing indictments last year. Meanwhile, Garza’s office has secured the indictments of 21 police officers over allegations of misconduct in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON SUED OVER NEW RULE TO REIN IN ‘ROGUE’ DAS BY ALLOWING HIM ACCESS TO THEIR CASE RECORDS And in court Monday, a judge dismissed two motions targeting the Travis County District Attorney, first assistant and several prosecutors, meaning they are no longer facing allegations of criminal wrongdoing. Abbott’s office says concerns about district attorneys such as Garza are driving its push to create a Texas statewide prosecutor, a new office that would operate separately from the attorney general’s office and focus on prosecuting the state’s most serious crimes. The proposal to create a Texas statewide prosecutor would require approval from the Texas Legislature, which would need to establish and fund the new office through statute. Unlike some of Abbott’s other public safety initiatives, the measure would not require a constitutional amendment. An official from Abbott’s campaign team told Fox News Digital that creating this new office is necessary because current state statutes provide that the attorney general’s office has no general prosecutorial authority. Criminal prosecutions are generally handled by locally elected district and county attorneys, and the Attorney General may intervene only when authorized by statute, requested by local prosecutors, or otherwise permitted by law. Under the proposal, if a district attorney does not pursue an indictment within 90 days, the statewide prosecutor would be authorized to intervene and take over the prosecution. GOV ABBOTT UNVEILS NEW CAMPAIGN EXPOSING HORRIFIC DANGERS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Police departments would be required to send reports involving certain serious crimes to both local district attorneys and the statewide prosecutor, enabling the office to track cases from the beginning. Garza dubbed Abbott’s sweeping criminal justice reform proposal to be a “distraction from the governor’s litany of failures.” “Under his leadership, Texans are paying more for groceries, public schools are losing funding, and too many Texans lack access to healthcare and mental healthcare,” Garza said. Abbott’s other two legislative requests — ending bail for illegal immigrants and making it possible to impeach district attorneys — would require a statewide vote by Texans. Last month, Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to expand the Texas Repeat Offender Task Force from the Houston area into the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin regions, saying the effort will help target violent repeat offenders and improve public safety. Since launching in October, the task force has arrested 728 repeat offenders, including 455 high-threat suspects; seized large quantities of drugs and weapons; encountered 155 known gang members; and recovered 25 stolen vehicles. “The choice in this election is clear,” Abbott said. “Republicans will protect communities and prosecute criminals, while Democrats stand with the very people who threaten public safety.”
California accused of blocking federal voter roll audit as DOJ escalates probe of election fraud claims
The Justice Department is escalating its clash with California over voter-roll access, accusing state officials of blocking a federal audit — though Golden State officials warn the demand threatens voter privacy and oversteps federal authority. The dispute centers on voter roll maintenance and access to registration records, not any publicly identified allegation of impropriety in a specific California race. “If California genuinely wants voters to trust its elections, it should open its records, not fight to keep them closed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in a lengthy post on X that included a copy of a letter U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ office enforcing federal voting-rights laws, sent to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber last year demanding the state’s voter rolls for inspection. “What are they afraid of?,” Essayli questioned. MORE THAN 500,000 CALIFORNIANS DEMAND VOTING OVERHAUL, BACK ‘STRAIGHTFORWARD’ ID LAW Dhillon’s letter followed an Aug. 8 response from Weber’s office raising concerns about privacy protections that could be implicated by the state voter-registration data sought by the federal government. A spokesperson from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital that “every federal court to consider the issue has ruled U.S. DOJ’s demands violate federal law,” adding that “unlike this federal administration, we don’t do things that are illegal.” Weber’s office offered to let DOJ inspect a redacted voter-registration database by appointment in Sacramento, arguing that satisfied their legal obligations, but Dhillon rejected that proposal and demanded an electronic copy of the statewide voter list “with all fields,” according to legal filings from the ongoing dispute taking place in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. “We also have serious concerns about how California maintains its voter rolls,” Essayli wrote in his X post, calling out California Democrats for blocking the federal audit of their voter rolls. “There are open questions about whether the state is promptly removing deceased voters, people who have moved, and individuals convicted of disqualifying felonies.” Essayli also highlighted how California’s rules allow certain first-time voters who do not provide a Social Security number or driver’s license when registering to verify their identity with documents including gym membership cards, employer IDs, credit or debit cards, prescription labels and insurance cards — a policy his office says warrants scrutiny. NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS IN DEMOCRAT-RUN STATE EXPOSED AS RNC CHAIR PLEDGES SECURE ELECTIONS “On top of that, California allows third parties to collect and turn in ballots on voters’ behalf (a practice known as ballot harvesting) with few restrictions,” Essayli added. “This makes it difficult to track who actually received, completed, and submitted each ballot.” The California Attorney General’s office pushed back on Essayli’s framing, noting that DOJ had already lost the case at the district court level and that the pending Ninth Circuit fight stems from the federal government’s appeal of that dismissal. A U.S. District Judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit in January, with the presiding judge writing that the department was seeking “an unprecedented amount of personal information” from California’s unredacted voter rolls, including names, Social Security numbers, home addresses, voting history and other sensitive information from nearly 23 million Californians. The judge also wrote that DOJ could not use federal election laws in a way that “wholly disregards the separation of powers provided for in the Constitution.” FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP ADMIN LAWSUIT SEEKING MICHIGAN VOTER ROLLS A spokesperson for Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office highlighted in a statement to Fox News Digital that the DOJ has brought approximately 30 voter roll lawsuits nationwide and has lost all eight voter roll cases that have been decided to date. The fight for federal access to California’s voter rolls comes as voter roll maintenance has been a concern of President Donald Trump and Republicans nationally. “If fraudsters do it right, it can be many, many more votes like this,” Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan told Fox News Digital two weeks ago after a Democratic city official in his state turned herself in for allegedly using her dead mother’s name to vote. Grogan expressed particular concern with mail-in balloting, even though he did recognize its necessity in some cases. TRUMP-APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE TOSSES DOJ LAWSUIT SEEKING ARIZONA VOTER DATA “Mail ballots are especially vulnerable, which is why they should be secured, should never be mailed without a specific request from the voter, and should always be verified before they are tabulated. This case also shows how essential it is to maintain clean voter rolls,” Jason Snead, who runs the Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital about the Illinois case. “Had the list maintenance process been slower, it is possible this illegal vote would have been counted before the fraud was discovered. Unfortunately, too many states — particularly blue states — actively resist commonsense safeguards, which begs the question: how many other illegal votes have slipped through the system?” Dead registrants have also fueled broader scrutiny of voter roll maintenance nationally. North Carolina election officials said in April they identified roughly 34,000 deceased people still listed on the state’s voter rolls after a federal database comparison, while other recent local controversies have included allegations or investigations involving deceased voters appearing on registration lists or absentee-ballot records. Republicans have argued cases such as these show why states should be more transparent about how they maintain voter lists. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital that the New Jersey records were “eye-opening” and said the party has sought voter roll maintenance information from nearly every state. DOJ has already pursued a similar records fight inside California, suing Orange County’s registrar last year for allegedly refusing to provide records to help remove noncitizens from its voter-registration list. At the time, Dhillon said removing noncitizens from California’s voter rolls was “critical” to ensuring the state’s rolls are accurate and that elections are conducted without fraudulent voting.
Former Biden ambassador considered running against him over border mess, bashes Kamala in new book
Ken Salazar, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Joe Biden, considered running for president against his former boss in 2024, he revealed. “I should run for president,” Salazar told himself, after Biden’s disastrous July 2024 debate performance, according to a book excerpt obtained by Politico. Salazar also claimed that he begged for a border czar and early on advised Biden to refer to the U.S. border situation as a crisis. “There was political failure to understand the reality of the crisis at the border, and the political consequence it would have on Democrats in the 2024 election. HOW IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY DOMINATED 2024 AND DECIDED AN ELECTION Salazar claimed that within the administration, officials used the word “crisis” all the time, “even if at that time the White House refused to acknowledge it as such.” When Salazar advised then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to use the word, Mayorkas apparently told him: “Ken, I have a lot on my plate already. I’m about to be impeached for all this border stuff. The Republicans have it out for me.” Salazar never ended up declaring himself as a candidate despite recruiting a team and drafting a presidential platform, Politico reported. BIDEN AIDES WARNED DONORS DROPPING OUT AND RUNNING KAMALA HARRIS WOULD BE A MISTAKE: BOOK He had planned to throw his name into consideration when Biden dropped out, but the Democratic Party never held open primaries, instead choosing to coronate Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate unilaterally, a decision Salazar called “a mistake,” per Politico. Salazar criticized Harris’ action, or lack thereof, on the border after she was tasked with stemming the flow of migration. Harris was dubbed the border czar, a position Salazar had pushed for the Biden White House to create, but he was unhappy with the nature of her work in the position. “But sadly, her designation in this position was having no effect on migration flows,” he wrote. HOW HARRIS WAS DOGGED BY ‘BORDER CZAR’ LABEL, PAST RADICAL IMMIGRATION VIEWS DURING FAILED CAMPAIGN “[Harris] had been placed in charge of getting at the ‘root causes’ of migration, but many felt she had been ineffective,” he continued. “For whatever reason, she had been unable to help with the border and migration crisis, even though she’d sat next door to the Oval Office for almost four years.” Salazar, a Colorado-born lawyer of Mexican descent and his state’s first Hispanic senator, praised Biden’s eventual decision to effectively shut down the border in 2024, but acknowledged it was too late. MARK KELLY EYES 2028 WHITE HOUSE RUN WHILE FIGHTING TRUMP DEMOTION THREAT “This should have been a moment of vindication — after all, American voters were demanding action on the border — but it was too late, and images of an out-of-control border would dominate the closing months of the presidential election,” he wrote, per Politico. Salazar also revealed in his book, titled “Borderlands: My Fight For An Inclusive America,” that he’s been giving out advice to potential Democratic presidential candidates, pitching them on his “borderlands platform,” an immigration policy that he says acknowledges the U.S. immigration system is broken and “must be fixed,” according to Politico. He has already met with Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, both Democrats, and plans to meet with Illinois’ Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, Politico reported. Fox News Digital contacted Salazar, Pritzker, Gallego and Kelly for comment.
Mamdani touts massive taxpayer-funded investment for trans healthcare: ‘First step’
As part of the Pride Month celebration on Tuesday evening, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani touted the work his administration has done to expand services for LGBTQ+ communities, calling New York City a “haven” for people with alternative gender identities. In particular, Mamdani doubled down on promises of $15 million in funding for trans communities. “The threats will continue and so will our relentless protection of trans people across this city,” Mamdani said, referring to challenges he said LGBTQ+ communities face. “As a first step, my administration has made a $15 million investment in gender-affirming care over the next two years, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to make sure every trans and gender non-conforming New Yorker can live with the dignity, safety and freedom they deserve.” MAMDAMI MARKS PRIDE MONTH, SAYS HONORING ‘QUEER AND TRANSGENDER’ CONTRIBUTIONS WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 30 DAYS Mamdani’s speech builds on similar efforts in other cities and looks to follow through on campaign promises Mamdani made on the road to his mayoral victory. It’s unclear where, exactly, the $15 million request is being allocated from or how it will be disbursed as New York City Council members continue consideration of the 2027 budget, but taxpayer dollars will be on the hook for the investment. Progressive-led subsidized transgender initiatives have also advanced in San Francisco. Like New York, San Francisco established an Office of Transgender Initiatives and, through its Department of Public Health, has funded guidance for hormone therapy, surgery and mental health case management. MASSACHUSETTS TOWN VOTES TO BECOME A TRANSGENDER ‘SANCTUARY CITY’ AFTER WILD CITY COUNCIL MEETING If implemented, Mamdani’s initiative would go further, directly funding procedures. Despite pushing the envelope on city-led programs for trans services, the New York funding falls short of the vision Mamdani painted while on the campaign trail. “The Mamdani administration will budget $65 million in funding to explicitly support and expand access to Gender Affirming Care (GAC) in NYC,” Mamdani’s campaign website read. That plan detailed that up to $57 million would go to public hospitals, community clinics, health centers and nonprofits that could perform procedures. Although Mamdani’s plan for the $15 million remains hazy, he said his support of the LGBTQ community was proven — and would only grow. GRAMMY-WINNING MUSICIAN FIGHTS TRUMP’S TRANS EXECUTIVE ORDER BY DONATING TO PEOPLE SEEKING GENDER SURGERIES “As your mayor, I was proud to establish New York City’s first-ever office of LGBTQIA+ affairs within the first 100 days of our administration,” Mamdani said. “This office focuses on the well-being of queer New Yorkers so that you know you have a champion and advocate within city government.”
Cornyn predicts Trump midterm ‘disaster,’ then ‘the most miserable two years of his life’
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas predicted “disaster” in the upcoming midterms and thinks that President Donald Trump will then face “the most miserable two years of his life” during the final stretch of his White House tenure, The New York Times reported. Cornyn lost the Texas Republican U.S. Senate primary runoff to President Donald Trump-endorsed Lone Star State Attorney General Ken Paxton last month. The contest was not even close — Paxton shellacked the long-serving incumbent senator in the race. Cornyn has served in the Senate since late 2002. MAGA TRIUMPH: TRUMP ALLY KEN PAXTON DEFEATS JOHN CORNYN IN BITTER TEXAS GOP PRIMARY WAR Trump backed Paxton a week before the May 26 contest, as early voting was already underway. “I had really thought that we’d gone on so long with no endorsement that he was just going to stay out of it,” Cornyn said, according to the Times. “But he couldn’t resist.” “If he would do that to me, he would do that to anybody,” Cornyn said, according to the outlet. “There’s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100 percent, you know, slavish adherence to whatever he wants. But obviously that’s not what the senator’s role is supposed to be, especially in terms of checks and balances.” TRUMP FLEXES MAGA MUSCLE IN TEXAS SENATE RUNOFF CLASH BETWEEN CORNYN AND PAXTON In a May 27 Truth Social post, Trump said Cornyn “will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is respected by all.” “If that’s the way friends treat you, you wonder about his enemies,” Cornyn said, according to the Times. KEN PAXTON DIDN’T NEED TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT TO BEAT CORNYN, TEXAS VOTERS SAY “It’s going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country,” Cornyn said, predicting the president will eventually regret his actions, according to the Times. “I don’t say that with any sort of desire for vengeance; I just think that’s the way it’s going to be. He’s going to have the most miserable two years of his life in the last two years of his term, I think, because I think November is going to be a disaster.”
Ex-Biden aide dubbed ‘Baghdad Bob’ reemerges with Jill Biden spat, new gig
A former Biden White House aide, who has been slammed by conservatives online for years for his aggressive defense of then-President Joe Biden’s mental and physical fitness, has reemerged into the news cycle over the last couple of weeks for speaking out against former First Lady Jill Biden’s comments during her book tour and joining the communications staff for Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. Andrew Bates, who currently serves as the managing director of Orchestra’s public relations advisory service where he often uses his X account to fire back against GOP messaging and the Trump administration, promotes himself as a “seasoned communications strategist” with a “reputation for tenacity and an ability to navigate complex challenges with precision,” according to the website of his WolfPack Strategies advisory firm that he launched during the first week of the Trump administration last year. While Bates was often praised by some of his colleagues as one of the most “loyal” defenders of the Bidens during his administration, Jill Biden recently lashed out at him when pressed on a quote he gave to the New York Post about her book tour. “We had a duty to win and we didn’t,” Bates said, referring to Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate and him dropping out. “I think about that all the time. But I don’t see why that painful conversation for the party needed to be publicly reopened right now.” When pressed on the quote, the former first lady told a reporter, “I want to say to Andrew: Call me up, and say it to my face, buddy.” While they appeared to have made up in a phone call shortly afterward, social media erupted with conservatives and Democrats weighing in on the exchange, including Tommy Vietor, a former National Security Council staffer for then-President Barack Obama. “No one was more loyal to the Biden family and fought harder for them than Andrew Bates. S—ty to see that loyalty was a one-way street,” Vietor wrote in a post, scolding the former first lady. “The former first lady would still be known as the former second lady without Andrew Bates,” a source told Axios reporter Alex Thompson, referring to the Bidens’ role in the Obama administration. “Just a whole lot I could say about this, but I will leave it at being so, unbelievably disappointed,” former top Biden White House aide Rob Flaherty said. However, Jill Biden’s former spokesperson Michael LaRosa ripped Bates on X, saying, “He is one of the LEAST sympathetic former Biden staffers, a notorious liar, stonewaller and gaslighter.” “This is who the Bidens are. Andrew Bates KILLED himself for the Bidens to the point of damaging his own reputation and appearing at times like a Baghdad Bob,” journalist Yashar Ali said, referring to Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, who was notorious for pushing propaganda and giving false statements to the media. Conservatives also weighed in, with many taking shots at the former first lady, including Targeted Victory’s chief communications officer Matt Gorman, who said, “The Bidens are pathetic, self-serving, and loyal only unto themselves.” “Jill Biden vs Andrew Bates is the fight we’ve all been waiting for,” Sen. Bernie Moreno’s, R-Ohio, chief of staff Philip Letsou posted on X. Newsbusters news analyst Jorge Bonilla said, “Not the first loyal comms person the Bidens throw under the bus.” BIDEN CRASHES JILL’S BOOK TOUR WITH AWKWARD ‘LOVE’ QUESTION THAT LEAVES VIEWERS CRINGING Bates’ reemergence isn’t just limited to the viral spat that took off on social media. News that Bates had joined Gallego’s team as a communications advisor broke earlier this week in an Axios report following revelations earlier this year that Gallego, who would later distance himself from disgraced gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell and denied knowledge of his sexual misconduct, had a close personal friendship with him for over a decade. Swalwell abandoned his campaign — and ultimately resigned his seat in mid-April — when testimony from several women surfaced chronicling instances of sexual misconduct and alleged abuse. Gallego’s communications director, Jacques Petit, told Fox News Digital that the Arizona senator hired Bates because Gallego has been planning “to help Democrats take the majority in 2026 and is weighing all options for his political future” and that he “brought on Andrew to help navigate those processes.” However, a number of onlookers online haven’t seen it that way. The hire, which occurred in late April, quickly drew accusations that Bates had been brought on to mask more political liabilities ahead of Gallego’s potential presidential campaign — just as he had helped navigate Biden’s cognitive decline and helped push the narrative that the videos of Biden walking around confused were “cheapfakes.” Bates, who became a punching bag for many Trump campaign operatives and would often spar with them on social media, went viral a couple of weeks after the disastrous June 2024 debate performance that many believe was the beginning of the end of Biden’s presidential campaign. The X post, which amassed over 5 million views, was widely mocked and has resurfaced several times. “To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs,” Bates said. “He’s just that f—ing good.” The X post came during a critical press conference two weeks after the disastrous debate performance. Less than two weeks later, Biden announced he was dropping out of the race. The campaign account for Kari Lake, a former challenger for Gallego’s Senate seat, ripped Bates and Gallego in a post. “You don’t hire a political fixer and Biden regime hatchet man like Andrew Bates unless the walls are closing in and the skeletons are about to tumble out of the closet. Rotten Ruben Gallego is VERY worried,” the account wrote. “He’s the lawyer you hire when everyone already knows you’re guilty,” Jim Geraghty, a political commentator, wrote in a post to social media. “Who is the most expensive, least talented person we can find to make sure I don’t get Swallwell’d? Is Ian Sams available? Okay, how
Top US ally’s defense chief quits, warns military lacks resources for rising threats
Britain’s defense secretary resigned Thursday after accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of failing to adequately fund the military despite rising threats from Russia and growing NATO demands, delivering a major political blow to the prime minister ahead of July’s alliance summit. In a sharply worded resignation letter, John Healey said the government had failed to commit the resources needed to execute Britain’s long-term defense strategy, arguing the country’s armed forces risk being left short of the money, personnel and industrial capacity needed to meet mounting security challenges. “This new era for defence required further investment through the Defence Investment Plan,” Healey wrote. “Since then, you have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.” While European governments have pledged major increases in defense spending and warned that Russia poses a long-term threat to the alliance, many continue to struggle with the political and fiscal realities of rebuilding armed forces after decades of post-Cold War cuts. The debate has taken on added urgency as Trump pushes European nations to assume a greater share of responsibility for their own defense. UK DEFENSE MINISTER WARNS PUTIN OF ‘SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES’ AFTER COVERT UNDERWATER MILITARY OPERATION Healey’s departure appears to stem from a dispute over the pace and scale of future defense spending. In his letter, he argued that Britain should commit to spending 3% of gross domestic product on defense by 2030 and criticized a government funding plan that he said would reach only 2.68% by the end of the decade. “The Government cannot warn about Russia, Iran and China, then produce a Defence Investment Plan that leaves the Armed Forces short of the money, people, stockpiles and industrial capacity needed to meet that threat,” retired British army Major Andrew Fox, senior associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital. “For Keir Starmer, this is now a test of seriousness. A Defence Secretary resigning over national security tells our allies, our enemies and our own troops that Britain’s defence ambitions are not being properly funded.” Healey had been one of Starmer’s most loyal cabinet allies, publicly defending the prime minister during recent internal Labour Party unrest. LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY The resignation intensifies pressure on Starmer, who already is battling questions about his political future after a series of electoral setbacks and growing unrest within his own Labour Party. The dispute arrives at a pivotal moment for NATO. Alliance leaders recently agreed to significantly increase defense spending targets amid continued concerns about Russia’s military ambitions and growing pressure from President Donald Trump for European allies to assume a greater share of the burden for their own defense. Healey himself had been telling Parliament that Starmer was determined to publish the Defence Investment Plan before the upcoming NATO summit July 7. Healey learned the final details of the spending settlement only days before his Monday resignation, according to the Guardian. EUROPE’S $116B FIGHTER JET ‘FAILURE’ RAISES FRESH DOUBTS ABOUT ABILITY TO DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US In recent weeks, Europe’s flagship Future Combat Air System sixth-generation fighter project collapsed after years of disputes between France and Germany, raising fresh doubts about the continent’s ability to execute major defense initiatives despite repeated pledges to strengthen its military posture. Robert Jenrick, now one of Reform UK’s most prominent figures, praised Healey and directly blamed Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves. “Good on Healey. Shame on them. Reeves and Starmer should go too.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey likewise argued the resignation demonstrated the need for the government to devote greater resources to national defense, saying Labour must “get serious about funding our armed forces properly.” Britain remains one of NATO’s most important military powers, but there is growing debate about whether its armed forces are large enough and adequately funded to sustain the leadership role successive governments have promised. Britain’s own parliamentary defense committee recently warned that while the UK remains a leading European military power, its ability to maintain that position is under pressure.
Talarico’s move to swap out ‘woman’ resurfaces amid backlash over similar bill in NY: ‘Insane individual’
James Talarico, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, once swapped out the term “woman” with “pregnant individual” in a bill that would have created protections for abortion in the Lone Star State. The bill would have prevented “the prosecution of a pregnant individual on whom an abortion is performed or induced” and eliminated any Texas law that would have regulated or prohibited an abortion. It never made it past consideration in committee. Despite its stalled progress, the 2023 bill runs counter to Talarico’s efforts to paint himself as sufficiently conservative to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate as he wages an uphill campaign to defeat Republican challenger Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general. ‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY “I’ve called out the extremes in both parties,” Talarico said in an interview with CBS last month. When asked about his position on gender and previous comments that there were as many as six sexes, Talarico clarified his stance. “I know there are two sexes, men and women. I also know there’s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.” When asked about the bill, Talarico’s campaign emphasized the abortion-related aspect of the bill, leaving the gender wording unaddressed. “James agrees with a majority of Texans that women should make decisions about their own bodies. While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texas families,” JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. The bill’s resurfacing coincides with a very similar bill making its way through the New York legislature. JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’ That bill would “adjust language in the law to a more inclusive and gender-neutral form.” Among other changes, it swaps out the term “mother” for “gestating parent.” Having cleared the New York General Assembly and the New York Senate, it is poised to receive Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature to become law. Although Talarico’s bill falls short of similarly reframing the state’s entire legal language, his opponents believe the very attempt to pass a bill using the same kind of terminology is emblematic of someone out of step with Texans’ principles. “James Talarico’s entire career has been dedicated to replacing the Christian and family values of Texans with his transgender-for-all agenda,” RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said. BILL REPLACING ‘MOTHER’ AND ‘FATHER’ WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL’S DESK “He is a threat to Texans’ way of life and a truly insane individual who has been fully broken by the woke mind virus.”
Platner campaign rocked with damning allegations from another ex-lover as Senate race heats up: report
A day after Graham Platner became the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, a woman took to social media to allege that she briefly dated Platner in 2021, recounting stories of having met him on the Tinder dating app, his infidelity and how Platner’s story about his infamous Nazi tattoo had changed over time. “I am stepping forward as a person who has experienced lying and manipulation by his hand to lend my voice to what is a growing number of women who have been wronged by this man in one way or another,” a female streamer with the X handle, 420mercymain69, wrote in a long X statement on Thursday. “It is hideous,” the woman, who claimed she was attracted to Platner’s Tinder profile because he was “hot and he was a leftist,” said in her X statement. The new details add another layer to Platner’s allegedly deceptive conduct towards romantic partners and grows the pile of scandals that have trailed his campaign. SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT Platner, who officially became the Democratic nominee to challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, earlier this week, has grappled with his resurfaced past — receiving criticism for making off-color remarks on sexual abuse, race and terror and allegedly threatening behavior toward women. According to 420mercymain69, a native of Maryland who considered herself a “well-informed leftist,” the two of them started talking on Tinder in Feb. 2021 and started dating until mid-July 2021. When approached about his Totenkopf tattoo, a symbol used by the Nazi SS, the author claims Platner said that he had gotten it in ignorance but that he had kept it as a reminder that the U.S. were “the bad guys” in many parts of the world. “A sob story of monumental proportions that only further solidified my perception of his ideology,” the author remembered. “But surprisingly enough not the one he gave to the people of Maine,” she continued. “And I do mean genuinely surprising because from the moment he announced his campaign, that is exactly what I expected to hear when the truth inevitably came out.” DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY When the tattoo surfaced late last year, he had said he wasn’t familiar with its Nazi associations. “Graham’s repeatedly said he picked a skull-and-crossbones tattoo off a wall in Croatia to commemorate surviving Ramadi and his friends who were killed there,” a spokesperson from the Platner campaign told Fox News. “Graham has also since covered up the tattoo, and answered countless questions about it.” “Unlike Susan Collins, who refuses to take questions on her disastrous vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, gut rural hospitals, and supported every foreign war of the last thirty years,” the spokesperson continued. Aside from the tattoo, 420mercymain69 also accused Platner of several instances of relational infidelity. Platner and the post’s author parted ways after she discovered from a mutual friend that he was allegedly seeing someone else while the two were still dating. “He was talking about a woman he had blown it with, saying she was ‘the love of his life.’ I was naïve and probably a little too starry-eyed from my own good, but as a person who had only been on a handful of dates with him and f—– around a bit, I was smart enough to know he wasn’t talking about me,” the woman claimed. “I took the hint,” she continued. She claimed that, after leaving the relationship, she discovered Platner had been engaged to a woman named “Jen” when the two began conversing. She was also told that Platner was allegedly cheating on her with a third woman. “She had walked in on him having sex with another person at a wedding they were at in D.C. That mutual friend also advised that he was trying to repair things with this woman and asked me if I was going to seek her out to tell her,” she said on X. In summarizing her experience, which was reportedly confirmed by The New York Post, the author said she did not intend to derail Platner’s campaign, but that she shared concerns about his character. Fox News Digital could not independently confirm the claims from the alleged ex-girlfriend. PLATNER SUPPORTER KHANNA CALLS SENATE HOPEFUL’S PAST RELATIONSHIPS ‘TOXIC,’ BUT SAYS HE DESERVES ‘REDEMPTION’ “There will be more information that comes out,” she claimed. “If I were a Maine voter seeing the things I’m seeing, I wouldn’t have voted for him, personal experience notwithstanding, because I do not trust him. Why, after all that has come out, would I?” “People that I have admired are brushing this off, discounting women’s experiences, attacking other journalists,or allowing people in their comment sections to do so. Especially with regard to domestic violence. It is hideous,” she concluded.