Trump-backed incumbent loses primary after super PAC bankrolled by Dems meddled in race
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., was defeated in a primary challenge on Thursday evening by Republican challenger Charlie Hatcher, a farmer and the state’s former commissioner of agriculture. Although the primary was far from a top-watched contest coming into the 2026 primaries, it served as a microcosm of larger forces at play in the Republican Party. From a break in endorsements between President Donald Trump and Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee to millions being pumped into the district over environmental policy, the race attracted attention well beyond its borders. The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC had spent roughly $2 million opposing Ogles and supporting Hatcher. The group has raised $6.7 million this year, making Ogles a sizable portion of their spending this cycle. TOP TRUMP ALLY WARNS SUPER PAC BANKROLLED BY DEM BILLIONAIRE IS MEDDLING IN GOP PRIMARY The way that Ogles sees it, it’s an attempt to show Republicans what happens when lawmakers attempt to claw back government funding for renewable energy sources. Like many other Republicans, Ogles has called to scale back renewable energy investments made under the Biden Administration. “When you have a group spending roughly $2 million in a Republican primary, that tells you how much money they’re making off of government subsidies, and they’re upset that the government welfare has been taken away from them,” Ogles told Fox News Digital in an interview. A Fox News Digital review of FEC filings discovered that the super PAC is bankrolled by Chris Larsen, the California-based billionaire chairman of Ripple, a financial technology company that, according to its website, offers crypto solutions for businesses. Larsen is also a frequent Democratic donor, having contributed $5,444,975 to support Kamala Harris’s failed presidential campaign. More than just his opposition to government-backed renewable energy initiatives, Ogles thinks it’s his proximity to Trump that has made him a target. “It’s because I’m close to the president. It is because I am outspoken. And quite frankly, it is because I speak plainly on these issues,” Ogles said. GOP GOVERNOR ENDORSES CANDIDATE CHALLENGING TRUMP-BACKED CONGRESSMAN IN REPUBLICAN US HOUSE PRIMARY For his own part, Hatcher, a fifth-generation Tennessee dairy farmer, has pitched himself as someone unencumbered by the political scene and ensnaring interests. “I think there’s something missing in Washington. There’s a lack of farmer common sense. There’s a lack of work ethic. One of my strengths is problem-solving, looking for solutions, looking for collaborations and supporting the Trump Administration and Speaker Johnson on their agenda,” Hatcher said in a campaign video. Notably, Tennessee’s Republican governor put his weight behind Hatcher late on Tuesday evening, citing a personal relationship between them. “He served as my commissioner of agriculture; I know Charlie. I know his conservative values and how much he loves our country. Charlie has stood with President Trump since day one,” Lee said in a video. Trump, who has endorsed Ogles, reaffirmed his support for the conservative firebrand ahead of the primary. “Andy will be really enshrined as one of the best congressmen that you’ll ever see. He’s just fantastic,” Trump said. “Andy has always been there when we needed him and when I needed him. He’s been a great help. He’s been a source of inspiration to a lot of people in Congress,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social earlier this year. TENNESSEE PASSES NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP LIKELY TO FLIP FINAL DEM SEAT AS PROTESTS ERUPT INSIDE CAPITOL Having captured the Republican nomination, Hatcher now advances to a general election he’s heavily favored to win on Nov. 3. He won re-election in 2024 in a 56.9% to 39.5% victory over Maryam Abolfazli.
Mamdani repeatedly sidesteps questions on reported plan to revive tax hikes on wealthy New Yorkers
New York City democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly sidestepped questions Thursday about reported plans to launch a public pressure campaign this fall pushing tax hikes on wealthy New Yorkers and corporations. Mamdani reportedly plans to build public support after Labor Day for similar proposals that Gov. Kathy Hochul previously rejected in early 2026. The reported push is expected ahead of the New York Legislature’s return to Albany in January 2027 and Hochul’s re-election campaign this fall, according to The New York Post. During an interview with Fox 5 New York, Mamdani repeatedly declined to answer questions about the potential campaign before later saying such discussions would only come after the November election. Asked whether he had spoken with Hochul about the reported campaign, Mamdani did not answer directly, instead using the opportunity to tout the opening of 2,000 free child care seats for New Yorkers through their policy efforts. NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES ‘IMAGINED’ “The governor and I are in constant communication and, frankly, I appreciate her partnership because if it wasn’t for the governor, then we wouldn’t have been able to stand together to announce that we had more than 5,000 New Yorkers come forward to apply for these 2,000 free child care seats,” he said. “And I’m so excited about that, and the fact that we’re going to expand to 12,000, and the work that’s still to come.” The reporter then pressed Mamdani on whether the Democratic Socialists of America would join the potential campaign this fall, but he again declined to answer directly, saying his focus remains on the present. BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS “My focus right now is where we are, which is August, and ensuring that everything that we’re doing is keeping New Yorkers safe amidst a heat wave and preparing for the school year,” Mamdani said. “A lot of the conversation about what comes after November, I think, is a conversation for what comes after November.” “So you don’t plan to launch a campaign to tax the rich before the November election?” the reporter asked. “The conversations I’ve been having with the governor and with my team are about the here and now and there will always be time for the conversations that come after that,” Mamdani said. MAMDANI EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NYC HOMEOWNERS TO SEEK EXEMPTION FROM NEW PIED-À-TERRE TAX The reported campaign would revive a previous push by Mamdani to close the city’s multibillion-dollar budget gap through tax increases, a proposal Hochul previously rejected. Mamdani’s earlier plan called for raising the city’s personal income tax rate on filers earning $1 million or more, a move he projected could generate roughly $3 billion annually, while also increasing corporate tax rates. As an alternative, Hochul and Mamdani jointly advanced the state’s first pied-à-terre tax, an annual surcharge on certain high-value second homes, which passed in May 2026. State and city officials have projected the measure could raise about $500 million annually. Mamdani also said his May 2026 executive budget closed what his administration described as an inherited $12 billion budget gap, crediting aggressive savings, new investments, his partnership with Albany and new tax revenue, including the pied-à-terre tax. Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Squad-backed ‘Tennessee Three’ lawmaker wins House primary in newly redrawn district
Squad-backed Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, District 86, part of the trio of lawmakers in his state referred to as the “Tennessee Three,” won the Democratic primary Thursday in Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District. Pearson defeated state Sen. London Lamar, District 33, community activist Marion LaTroy Alexandria-Williams and attorney Jim Torino. He will face Brent Taylor, the Republican nominee who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, in November with his campaign warchest of millions of dollars he has raised throughout his campaign, significantly outpacing his Democratic opponents. The Memphis-area state lawmaker entered the primary with the backing of prominent Democrats who are part of the progressive group of lawmakers called “the Squad,” including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., who all joined Pearson at a campaign rally in Memphis last month. ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER’S COMEBACK BID THWARTED AS ESTABLISHMENT DEMS NOTCH VICTORY AGAINST SOCIALISTS Known for his fiery, preacher-style speeches, Pearson has also received support from national left-wing groups including Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, MoveOn and Indivisible. Pearson rose to national prominence in 2023 as one of the “Tennessee Three” lawmakers who participated in a gun-control protest on the state House floor following the Covenant School shooting in Nashville that killed three young kids and three adults. Republican lawmakers subsequently expelled Pearson and fellow state Rep. Justin Jones over the protest, though they later regained their seats. A third Democrat, Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, avoided expulsion by a single vote, according to local media reporting. ‘JUMPING SHIP’: HOUSE DEM FINDS EXIT STRATEGY AFTER SCOTUS RULING SHIFTS ADVANTAGE TO GOP The open-seat primary won by Pearson on Thursday followed a redrawing of Tennessee’s congressional map that divided Memphis among three Republican-leaning districts and prompted longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., to retire. Before the new map, heavily Democratic Memphis was largely kept together in the 9th District, giving Tennessee Democrats one reliable congressional seat in an otherwise deeply Republican state. Cohen has been the lone Democrat in Tennessee’s nine-member House delegation alongside eight Republicans since 2023, but the new map favors the GOP in all nine districts.
Conservative firebrand who went viral with anti-CCP ad survives key primary
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., cruised to victory in a GOP primary on Thursday evening in a race to replace outgoing Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. With the nomination in tow, Blackburn is likely to become the next governor in the Volunteer State — a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to its top executive role since 2006. Lee, who has served in the role since 2019, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. He last won reelection in a 64.9% to 32.9% victory over Democratic challenger Jason Martin, a businessman and doctor. DEMS RALLY AROUND BEST HOPE TO DEFEND GOVERNOR’S MANSION FROM GOP TAKEOVER Notably, Lee did not endorse anyone in the three-way Republican race for the 2026 nomination but noted that he had a close relationship with Blackburn when she announced her candidacy. “I’ve been friends with Marsha for a long time, and she served as my congressman and representative in the General Assembly. I’m proud we have really good people running for governor in this state,” Lee told local outlets. Blackburn, for her own part, promised to continue focusing on issues that Republicans have made centerpieces to the GOP platform in Washington, D.C. She highlighted immigration as one such issue. “As governor, I’ll deport illegals, stop the flow of drugs and drug money. We will crack down on Cartels, restrict cash transfers to drug havens and hit criminals and illegals where it hurts — in their wallets,” Blackburn said in a campaign video. Blackburn also promised to prevent China from buying up Tennessee land, punctuating her commitment with a viral ad where she crushed a fortune cookie. “It doesn’t take a fortune cookie to figure it out. Here in Tennessee we’re going to stop communist China and protect Tennessee land,” she remarked. President Donald Trump also did not issue an endorsement in the race, saying that he had ties to one of Blackburn’s challengers: Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn. TRUMP MAY HAVE ENDORSED DARLINE GRAHAM, BUT GOP SENATE HOPEFULS AREN’T BACKING DOWN Rose, an 8th-generation farmer and the millionaire founder of Transcender Corp., an IT certification company, has served in the Tennessee legislature since 2019. In his gubernatorial campaign, he pitched himself as a homegrown candidate focused on local solutions to local problems. “I know that anything is achievable in Tennessee because I have lived it. Now, I’m asking for you to give me the chance to bring opportunity to all Tennesseans,” Rose said in a campaign video. On his website, Rose highlighted five key areas of focus, including education, infrastructure, healthcare, energy and economic and community development. A third candidate, State Rep. Monty Fritts, had run on a more aggressive, small-government platform. “My number one priority is leaving more money in your pockets, in your purses and in your country bankrolls rather than sending it to Nashville,” Fritts said in a campaign video. On his website, Fritts touted positions like shrinking the size of Tennessee’s budget, protecting citizen rights against encroaching government power and increasing parent input in education. Fritts attracted controversy earlier this year when, as part of his campaign, he called for a ban on mosques and other “pagan religions.” 5 MEXICAN CARTEL BOSSES CHARGED IN WEAPONS, DRUG TRAFFICKING, TIMESHARE FRAUD SCHEMES, DOJ SAYS “Islam is a little different story than perhaps other religions are, in that it’s not necessarily a religion; it’s a political movement,” Fritts said. “It’s that movement that, if you don’t submit, perhaps you are executed. I feel that Islam is incongruent with both our U.S. and Tennessee Constitution,” Fritts told local outlets. Having cleared the primary, Blackburn will run in the state’s general election on Nov. 3 against her Democratic opponent, Memphis City Councilwoman and Chief Public Defender Jerri Green.
EXCLUSIVE: Oversight Project sues to block Maryland Democrats’ redistricting measure backed by Gov Moore
EXCLUSIVE: A new lawsuit set to be filed in Maryland seeks to block a redistricting amendment backed by Democrat Gov. Wes Moore from appearing on the November ballot, arguing state officials advanced the measure after the state’s own legislative analysts concluded the statutory deadline for certifying ballot questions had already passed. The complaint, filed Thursday night in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court by the conservative watchdog group Oversight Project and reviewed by Fox News Digital, argues HB 2100 could not lawfully reach voters because Maryland’s July 1 deadline for certifying statewide ballot questions expired more than a month before lawmakers convened a special session to approve the proposal. The Oversight Project, which filed the lawsuit with Republican lawmakers, argues approval of the amendment could pave the way for an 8-0 Democratic congressional delegation. SUPREME COURT DEALS BLOW TO VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS IN FIGHT OVER STATE COURT ELECTION MAP RULING HB 2100 would ask voters to amend the Maryland Constitution so state constitutional standards governing compactness and boundaries would no longer apply to congressional districts. The Oversight Project describes itself as working “to expose and root out corruption in government, among elected officials, and in our most influential organizations to ensure power resides with the American People.” Its filing points to a Department of Legislative Services fiscal note stating that “the new statutory deadline of July 1 for certification of ballot questions” had already passed. The fiscal note also states that election officials were required to publicly post the full text of a proposed constitutional amendment at least 90 days before Election Day. According to the complaint, lawmakers then added the phrase “notwithstanding any other provision of law” to HB 2100 less than an hour before the joint committee hearing began. The plaintiffs argue the language was intended to override Maryland’s certification, notice and public comment requirements after those deadlines had already elapsed. The complaint further alleges Democratic sponsors characterized the amendment as merely “technical” in the House, while Senate debate reflected that lawmakers understood the statutory timeline could no longer be met. The filing cites remarks by Democratic state Sen. Cheryl Kagan during floor debate. VIRGINIA DEMS ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY ‘STEAMROLLING’ STATE LAW THAT COULD UPEND REDISTRICTING CRUSADE “There is no time to comply with the plain language of the law with our new law because July 1st is in the rearview mirror,” Kagan said, according to the complaint. “There’s no time to have the Secretary of State draft language, to have it published, to have a comment period, to have it modified. It’s just not an option.” Maryland GOP Delegate Matt Morgan, one of the plaintiffs, told Fox News Digital the disputed language was introduced at 11:08 a.m. for a noon committee hearing. “They have the law. They’re supposed to follow it. They didn’t,” Morgan said. “And now we’re going to take it to court and see what the judges have to say about it.” DEMS CIRCLE THE WAGONS BY BLAMING GOP FOR THEIR GERRYMANDERING RESPONSE AHEAD OF MIDTERMS: ‘VERY DESPERATE’ Morgan said Democratic leadership later described the amendment as “technical” on the House floor. “The truth is that that was their way of trying to get around them missing all these statutory deadlines,” he said. Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga, another plaintiff, said legislators had only hours to review the revised language while the public had no opportunity to comment. “The public got absolutely no time to look and weigh in on the amended language,” Szeliga told Fox News Digital. “So, it just reeks of a naked political, partisan power grab on the Democrats’ behalf.” According to the complaint, the proposal is intended to overturn the practical effect of a 2022 state court ruling holding that those constitutional standards applied to congressional redistricting. Democrats hold seven of Maryland’s eight U.S. House seats. REDISTRICTING WAR INTENSIFIES AS GOP SUFFERS SETBACKS IN TWO STATES Moore has publicly defended the amendment as a response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states, saying it would ensure “Marylanders — and no one else — have the final say over their representation.” The lawsuit asks the court to bar state officials from certifying, printing, distributing, tabulating or canvassing votes on the amendment and requests expedited review because of the approaching election calendar. Moore’s office, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and the Maryland State Board of Elections did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Primary showdown: Polls close in Tennessee as conservative firebrand eyes governor’s office
The polls have closed in Tennessee as conservative firebrand Sen. Marsha Blackburn aims to change her work address from Washington D.C., to Nashville. The former longtime congresswoman and two-term senator with a robust national profile thanks to her regular cable news appearances is considered the front-runner in Thursday’s Republican gubernatorial primary, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Bill Lee. The Republican face-off for governor of Tennessee, where Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial election in two decades, takes top billing as the red-leaning southeastern state holds nominating contests for state and federal offices. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Blackburn is running in a race that also includes four-term Rep. John Rose, who like Blackburn is a staunch Capitol Hill supporter of President Donald Trump, and state Rep. Monty Fritts. Even though the president handed out endorsements in other GOP gubernatorial primaries this cycle, Trump remained neutral in the Tennessee contest. “Unfortunately, she’s running for governor. She’s running for governor of Tennessee. I’d love her not to, I begged her,” Trump said in January. “‘I said, ‘Marsha, don’t. We don’t want to lose you in the Senate.’” But the president has said Blackburn would be a good governor, and also noted that Rose has been a staunch loyalist. Even though she didn’t land Trump’s endorsement, Blackburn has showcased her support for him. “As President Trump sends power and authority back to the states, I’m ready to deliver for the people of the Volunteer State and make our state America’s conservative leader,” she wrote on the eve of the primary in a social media post that included a photo of her and Trump. Five Democrats, including Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green, are bidding for their party’s gubernatorial nomination. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Tennessee’s other U.S. senator, Republican Bill Hagerty, is unopposed in the GOP primary as he seeks a second six-year term in the Senate. Five Democrats are vying to challenge Hagerty in the general election. Then-Sen. Al Gore’s re-election 36 years ago was the last time a Democrat won a Senate contest in Tennessee. In U.S. House battles, Memphis voters will cast ballots for their Democratic and Republican nominees using a new GOP-drawn congressional district map that created an extra right-leaning seat and forced longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen to not seek re-election. Meanwhile, two-term Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, a major Trump ally in the House who is backed by the president, is facing a stiff primary challenge from Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, who was endorsed earlier this week by Lee. The race has seen a large infusion of money from outside groups.
EXCLUSIVE: Michigan House speaker calls for answers over $300M taxpayer-funded Rx Kids program
The Republican leader of Michigan’s House says a state-funded maternal health initiative has become something far different than lawmakers were promised, accusing Democrats of using more than $300 million in taxpayer funding to advance a broader guaranteed-income agenda. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall made the remarks in an interview with Fox News Digital as House Republicans continue scrutinizing Rx Kids, a taxpayer-funded program that provides unrestricted cash payments to pregnant women and new mothers. Hall argued lawmakers believed they were funding a maternal and prenatal health initiative, not what he described as a broader experiment in guaranteed income. GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM TARGETS LOW-INCOME HOMES LED BY BLACK MOMS AS CASH HANDOUTS SURGE NATIONWIDE “I think the Democrats kind of slipped this in here under the idea that it was for prenatal care,” Hall told Fox News Digital. “Lawmakers did not have the complete picture.” Rx Kids launched in Flint in 2024 and provides expectant mothers with a $1,500 lump-sum payment during pregnancy, followed by $500 monthly payments after the child is born. According to materials provided to Fox News Digital by Hall’s office, the program has expanded to communities across Michigan with more than $300 million in taxpayer funding. Rx Kids has promoted the initiative as a maternal and infant health program designed to reduce financial stress for new families. According to podcast interviews and program materials, its leaders have also discussed expanding the model to communities across Michigan and beyond. EXCLUSIVE: VIDEO SHOWS MICHIGAN LAWMAKER TOURING DAYCARE IN $1.1M TAXPAYER FUNDING PROBE Hall argued the program lacks the eligibility requirements found in traditional public assistance programs. “We have a lot of social safety net programs in our country that are working very well,” Hall said. “They have eligibility checks. They look at citizenship. They look at income verification. “Rx Kids, by design, is given to anyone that has a child,” he continued. “They don’t look for citizenship. They just pay out anyone that has a child.” Hall’s office also provided Fox News Digital with video of legislative committee testimony in which program officials acknowledged payments had been made to individuals who were not legally present in the United States. CALIFORNIA ‘BASIC INCOME’ EXPERIMENT FAILS TO PROVIDE ‘FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE,’ STUDY FINDS Hall argued taxpayer-funded cash assistance should include income and legal status requirements similar to those used by existing public assistance programs. “What we prefer are the traditional welfare programs like Medicaid, the food stamp program and the WIC program,” Hall said. “They make sure you’re here legally, they make sure you’re not making a lot of money and then they give you the benefit. That’s not what Rx Kids is.” Hall also criticized the program’s unrestricted cash payments, noting recipients are not required to spend the money on diapers, formula, housing or other expenses related to pregnancy or caring for a newborn. “They give you this free cash and there are no strings attached by definition,” Hall said. MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP Hall said caseworkers had told him they had seen recipients use the money for alcohol, drugs and gambling. Fox News Digital has not independently verified those claims. The speaker also pointed to public comments from Rx Kids leaders that he said reinforced Republican concerns that the initiative is intended to become something larger than a maternal health program. Hall’s office also shared podcast interviews in which Rx Kids co-founder Luke Shaefer discussed the expanded Child Tax Credit and the role he believes Rx Kids can play following the expiration of those federal payments. In a separate interview, Dr. Mona Hanna, the leader of Rx Kids, discussed her vision of expanding the initiative into a government-scale public program. DEM SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED RECOUNTS SMASHING VODKA BOTTLE AFTER BEARD CRITICISM Hall said those remarks aligned with his assessment of Rx Kids. “This is a progressive left-wing experiment toward basically a universal income,” Hall said. “They’re trying to move the welfare state down that lane.” Hall also questioned the program’s advisory network. Hall’s office also shared archived versions of the Rx Kids website that listed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Secretary of State and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson’s husband Ryan Friedrichs and Community Change official Dorian Warren as members of the program’s advisory circle. MICHIGAN’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL WINS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR, ADVANCES TO BATTLEGROUND RACE The advisory circle page was removed from the organization’s website days after lawmakers questioned program leaders during a June 2 Michigan House Oversight Committee hearing. The timing of the removal does not establish why the page was taken down. “Our secretary of state’s husband is on the advisory board. Abdul El-Sayed is on the board,” Hall said. “It’s like a who’s who of radical left Democrats.” Hall’s office also pointed to an Rx Kids white paper examining voter turnout among recipients and the program’s promotion of Vot-ER, a physician-backed voter registration organization powered by TurboVote. Materials provided by Hall’s office also identified Hanna as an adviser to Vot-ER. Hall said those connections and the program’s research into voting behavior deserved additional scrutiny. “We’re trying to understand why are you so interested in the voting pattern of the people that are receiving your no-strings-attached welfare,” Hall said. “We aren’t getting good answers.” Hall said House Republicans did not include additional funding for Rx Kids in Michigan’s newly signed budget, though the program still has access to previously appropriated funds. TRUMP ADMIN PAUSING OVER $1B IN MEDICAID PAYMENTS TO MINNESOTA, CALIFORNIA OVER FRAUD, COMPLIANCE CONCERNS “The good news is that we cut off funding to this program in the new budget,” Hall said. “In the future, we’re going to try to put guardrails around it so that it goes to the people that truly need it.” Rather than eliminating assistance for struggling families, Hall said he wants taxpayer dollars directed toward existing programs that assess financial need and place restrictions on how certain benefits can be spent. “I think people support
Trump signs executive orders targeting birthright citizenship, birth tourism after Supreme Court setback
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders targeting birthright citizenship and birth tourism, saying his administration is taking a new approach after what he called a “very unfortunate” Supreme Court ruling. “We’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair,” Trump said. “They’re building businesses around birthright citizenship. That’s not the way it was supposed to work. It’s a disgrace. They’re buying their way in, and we’re not going to let it happen.” The moves come after the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s earlier executive order seeking to limit automatic birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. BIRTH TOURISM CRACKDOWN EXPANDS AS HOUSE CHAIRMAN RAISES CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY CASE White House officials said the new directives rely on existing executive and immigration authorities and are intended to narrow eligibility for automatic citizenship in certain cases while cracking down on foreigners who travel to the United States to give birth. White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller said the first order expands the categories of people the administration considers ineligible for birthright citizenship, including “alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organizations, and large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments.” Miller said the second order was issued “for the first time ever in American history to ban birth tourism.” He said the administration will deny visas to people who seek to enter the United States “to have a child, to make that child an automatic citizen” as well as those who organize such trips. Citing Section 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Miller called birth tourism “by definition, a fraud on the American system” and “a fraud against the American government.” TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FIGHT COMES ROARING BACK WITH ‘INVADERS’ PLAY AFTER KAVANAUGH ROADMAP Asked how the administration plans to enforce the order, Trump said, “We’re cracking down very big, very big, big crackdowns. … This will give us the right to do it in a much more forceful manner.” When asked whether the orders would survive court challenges, Trump replied, “I think it will.” Will Scharf, White House staff secretary, said the orders target organized birth tourism operations through visa denials and law enforcement, arguing the administration was relying on “legally validated means” that do not conflict with the Supreme Court’s ruling. The White House had not yet released the text of the executive orders as of publication time. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.
Foreign drunk drivers could face swift boot out of country under Trump’s ‘America first’ crackdown
The Trump administration is framing visa revocations as a national security measure, arguing that removing foreign nationals who commit crimes, including under the influence driving, is essential to protecting the American public. “Every visa decision is a national security decision,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital. “Of course, when we think of border security, we think about the Southwest border, but visa security is border security. It’s who we’re allowing into the country legally, and if they operate in a way that is grounds for revocation, we’re going to protect the American people.” The Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach to revoking visas, announcing in January that more than 100,000 foreign nationals’ visas were revoked in 2025 — more than double the number revoked during President Joe Biden’s final year in office. While a majority of those visas were revoked because travelers overstayed their visas, Pigott said many others lost their visas because of criminal activity, with drunk driving arrests accounting for many of those revocations. DHS BLASTS MINNESOTA BOARD FOR UNANIMOUSLY PARDONING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF 3 ASSAULTS “Fundamentally, if you break the law, that is grounds for revocation,” Pigott said. “If you break law, you break terms of your visa, or you undermine the national security of the United States, that’s grounds for a revocation of your visas.” Pigott cited recent examples of visa revocations involving DUI offenses, including a foreign national who injured someone while driving drunk and another who showed up intoxicated to a court-mandated DUI program. “Driving drunk on streets is incredibly dangerous,” Pigott continued. “It’s part of a broader initiative from the Trump administration to make sure that our streets are safe. And that includes illegal immigrant drivers, that includes foreigners here on visas that are driving drunk on our streets. We’re not going to tolerate that. We are going to protect the Americans.” In May, Oklahoma authorities charged 27-year-old Michael Rosario-Cruz, who was living in the U.S. under DACA protections, with four counts of second-degree murder, alleging he drove drunk the wrong way and crashed into another vehicle, killing four young people. Authorities reported finding empty beer bottles inside Rosario-Cruz’s car. He also faces multiple DUI, firearm and other charges. ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF TRYING TO DISARM VIRGINIA POLICE OFFICER The four victims were all between the ages of 18 and 20. “These young men and women had their whole lives ahead of them. This tragedy was completely preventable,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “This illegal alien should has never been in our country. Join me in praying for the families, friends, and loved ones of these victims.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Rosario-Cruz, who is currently being held at the Canadian County jail in Oklahoma. The State Department revoking visas is just the first step in the process to remove a foreign national, according to Pigott. “When that visa is revoked, there’s a couple different elements that can happen,” Pigott told Fox News Digital, explaining that whether a foreign national is deported depends on whether the Justice Department pursues criminal prosecution. TRUMP ADMIN INVOKES 30-YEAR DORMANT TERROR COURT AS IT SEEKS TO DEPORT AFGHAN WOMAN TIED TO ELECTION DAY PLOT “You could see someone leave the country after serving a prison sentence, for example,” Pigott said. “Ultimately, DHS then makes the termination about the next step of appropriate action, whether that’s deportation, whether that is deportation after serving prison sentence, so it really is a case-by-case basis.” “But what the revoking of the visa does is that allows us to take appropriate action as a government to remove an individual from our nation based off of the conditions that they may be in currently and taking into other considerations such as the playing out of the judicial process,” Pigott continued. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Pigott said the administration’s visa policy is centered on continuous vetting and enforcement even after the visa is first issued. “We’re going to do what’s necessary to protect the American people, we’re going to enforce our immigration law and we’re gonna make clear when it comes to this visa process we are going to continuously vet people here on visas — we’re going to have an America first visa policy,” Pigott said.
El-Sayed win kicks Democrats’ Midwest ideological battle into high gear — and some Dems fear November fallout
The battle between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the ideological future of the Democratic Party is staying put in the Midwest. After far-left candidate Abdul El-Sayed narrowly edged out more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens this week in battleground Michigan’s high-stakes Democratic Senate primary, the spotlight now shifts to nomination showdowns next week in Wisconsin and Minnesota. At stake: a top-tier Senate showdown in Minnesota that’s among a dozen races nationwide that will determine if the Democrats can win back control of the chamber from the GOP, and a gubernatorial face-off in crucial swing-state Wisconsin where Republicans are aiming to flip the governor’s mansion. “Michigan proved that working people are ready for something different, and Wisconsin is next,” Democratic candidate for governor Francesca Hong wrote following El-Sayed’s victory. EL-SAYED’S VICTORY GIVES DEMOCRATS’ LEFTWARD LURCH MORE LEGS Hong, a state representative and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member, is the polling frontrunner in a Democratic gubernatorial nomination showdown that’s been rocked this summer after two major contenders dropped out and another candidate re-entered the race. The primary winner will likely face off in the general election with Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, the overwhelming polling and fundraising frontrunner for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who decided against running for a third term. Hong, a former chef, is backed by top nationally known progressives, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender. She is running on a platform that includes guaranteed paid leave and a one-year moratorium in Wisconsin on building AI data centers. Hong has faced scrutiny over years-old social media posts calling for defunding and abolishing the police. Hong says she no longer supports cutting police budgets or abolishing police departments. MEET THE FAR LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS But Hong’s made national headlines in recent days over a resurfaced 2020 social media post that the country should “cancel Thanksgiving” in order to “stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indegenous folx [sic.] and women.” It’s a comment she has since walked back amid backlash, and now says that Thanksgiving is her “favorite holiday.” There’s a growing number of moderate Democrats who worry that if Hong captures the gubernatorial nomination, as many expect, it will give Tiffany a big boost in his bid to flip the governor’s office. A Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely argued with Hong at the top of the ticket, “it will hurt Democrats down ballot, in key congressional and legislative races” in the Midwestern battleground. In Minnesota, which also holds primaries next Tuesday, the Democratic Party’s civil war is also on display as progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and more moderate Rep. Angie Craig are the top two contenders battling for the party’s nomination. The current senator, Democrat Tina Smith, is retiring at the end of this year. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB A primary victory by Flanagan, who is backed by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, may boost the GOP hopes of flipping the seat in a blue-leaning but competitive state. Michigan’s primary came in the wake of left-wing victories in Democratic primaries this spring and earlier this summer in deep blue congressional districts across the country, including in New York City and Denver, and in the extended race for Maine’s Democratic Senate nomination. More than $80 million was spent on the Michigan Senate primary, making it the most expensive Democratic Senate nomination contest in history. Much of the money came from outside groups supporting Stevens or opposing El-Sayed. The largest spender was United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is best known by its acronym AIPAC. Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), a leading group on the left, referred to El-Sayed’s narrow margin over Stevens and told Fox News Digital that “any win against $60 million dollars of outside spending by AIPAC and corporate interests is a giant win and sets us on a path of proving our case in November to shake up the system.” El-Sayed’s razor-thin win was accompanied by two other progressive victories. William Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement climate advocacy group, edged out two more moderate Democrats in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, a Republican-controlled swing seat that is among roughly two dozen races expected to help determine control of the House. Lawrence, who was backed by Sanders and El-Sayed as well as several prominent progressive groups, will face Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in the general election. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER And in Michigan’s heavily Democratic 13th Congressional District, Rep. Shri Thanedar, who was supported by top House Democratic leaders, was narrowly defeated by state Rep. Donovan McKinney. McKinney was backed by Sanders, El-Sayed and “Squad” members Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania. There was a setback for the far-left: DSA member and former Squad member former Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri was crushed by Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell in their rematch, as she unsuccessfully tried to win back her old seat in Congress representing St. Louis. But El-Sayed’s victory and the potential wins by the left next week are further fueling the ongoing Republican push to characterize all Democrats on the ballot in the midterms as far left radicals, or as President Donald Trump calls them, “communists.” ONLY ON FOX DIGITAL: MIKE ROGERS ARGUES ABDUL EL-SAYED IS ‘A SPECIAL SAUCE OF CRAZY’ Vice President JD Vance, in an interview Wednesday on Fox News “The Ingraham Angle,” argued that “the base of the Democratic Party just wants radicals. It wants these DSA types, it wants people who hate even the idea of private property ownership.” Whether the GOP messaging is effective will be answered on Election Night, in November’s