Trump says first call with new UK PM Burnham went ‘very well,’ pledges US support
President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, shortly after he took office, calling the conversation “very good.” Trump added that he and Burnham plan to meet in the “not too distant future” to discuss issues of mutual interest. During the call, the leaders touched on the longstanding U.S.-U.K. relationship and the challenges facing Burnham as he begins his time in office, with Trump pledging American support. “We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK,” Trump said. ANDY BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS UK PRIME MINISTER, CALLS FOR ‘NEW POLITICAL MODEL’ “The Prime Minister has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it and, of course, the U.S.A. will be there to help!” The pair also discussed North Sea oil, trade, the U.S.-U.K. military alliance and efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said. Burnham’s office released a statement following the call, saying the prime minister looked forward to welcoming Trump to Manchester during a future visit. According to Downing Street, Trump updated Burnham on the situation in the Middle East, while Burnham reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to reopening the Strait of Hormuz safely. “The Prime Minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country,” the British office said. Burnham further emphasized that defense and security would remain the U.K.’s top priority alongside its allies. KEIR STARMER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN AS PM AND COULD ANNOUNCE TIMETABLE FOR DEPARTURE On the domestic front, Burnham emphasized that he will pursue reindustrialization efforts to drive economic growth across the country. Trump ultimately described the conversation as a major success. “The call was interesting, and went very well. I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!” Trump said. Burnham became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, vowing to reshape a country that has cycled through a series of leaders in recent years. He succeeds Keir Starmer, who served as prime minister for just over two years after taking office in the summer of 2024. The two leaders have previously traded criticism. Before Burnham took office, Trump labeled him “extremely liberal,” while Burnham has been openly critical of the American president.
Rand Paul releases docs that reveal FBI halted border inspection of virus researcher over Wuhan lab links
Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were preparing to question a British zoologist and disease ecology expert upon his return to the United States from the World Health Organization’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19, before the FBI intervened and asked agents to stand down, according to files released Monday by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “They told the public a COVID lab leak ‘wasn’t plausible,’” Rand wrote on X. “Their own private messages say otherwise. Today I’m launching The Reading Room where the public can review records related to my ongoing investigation – not just conclusions but the actual documents.” The documents show CBP’s National Targeting Center flagged Peter Daszak as “a high person of interest” ahead of his Feb. 5, 2021, arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Daszak, the former president of EcoHealth Alliance, was flagged because of more than 15 years of collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and his longstanding relationship with its lead researcher, Zhengli Shi, as well as his role as principal investigator on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants funding bat coronavirus research in China. RAND PAUL BRINGS CIA WHISTLEBLOWER TO SENATE HEARING ALLEGING ‘DEEP STATE’ COVID-19 CONSPIRACY Much of the funding Daszak received was put toward gain-of-function research, the documents state. The documents highlight that the NIH had asked Daszak to retrieve the original type-specimen used by WIV for genetic analysis and return it to the U.S., as well as to explain several aspects of his collaboration with the lab, including providing related cell phone data. CBP officials planned to question Daszak on his activities in China, his contacts at the WIV, and whether he illegally collected or carried biological samples. TOP 4 EXPLOSIVE MOMENTS FROM CIA WHISTLEBLOWER’S TESTIMONY ON ALLEGED COVID-19 LAB LEAK COVER-UP Internal communications highlighted concerns regarding Daszak’s involvement in gain-of-function research and potential conflicts of interest involving federal grants. However, three days before his arrival in New York, CBP received a request from the FBI’s New York Field Office to halt the stop, and the inspection never happened. “FBI New York requested we do not stop the subject below,” the request states, according to the documents. MISSING SCIENTIST SCRUTINY REACHES FBI AS PATEL’S PROBE OF MYSTERY DISAPPEARANCES SET FOR ‘FINAL REPORT’ The records include detailed flight itineraries, proposed interrogation questions, and internal emails documenting the interagency disagreement over the search. “This isn’t the whole story. It’s the start of one,” Paul wrote in a lengthy thread on X. “The Reading Room will be updated on a rolling basis as the investigation continues.” At the time of the planned interception, Daszak headed the now-defunct EcoHealth Alliance, an American-based nonprofit that conducted research and outreach on the causes of emerging pandemic diseases, such as those originating in bats. He was a member of the 10-person WHO team that traveled to China to investigate the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Daszak had received public criticism regarding a potential conflict of interest for being included on the WHO investigative team despite his financial and professional ties to WIV. Daszak now heads Nature Health Global, a non-profit scientific organization focused on ecological research, public health, and pandemic prevention. Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI and Nature Health Global.
Johnson’s strategy to bypass Democrats’ SAVE Act blockade survives key vote, handing GOP big win
Speaker Mike Johnson’s latest bid to skirt Democrats’ opposition to an election integrity bill backed by President Donald Trump survived a key hurdle on Monday evening. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has faced significant headwinds in Congress despite having Trump’s full-throated support. While it passed the House, the legislation has struggled in the Senate where at least several Democratic votes are needed to break a filibuster and advance to final passage. But the new plan by Johnson, R-La., which would allow key parts of the bill to skirt Democrats entirely, is one step closer to getting a House-wide vote sometime this week. TRUMP INTERVENES AS HOUSE GOP REVOLT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AT CENTER OF SPENDING SHOWDOWN Republicans would erase the need for any Democratic buy-in by putting key elements of the SAVE America Act into a larger budget reconciliation bill. The reconciliation process allows the party in power to pass sweeping fiscal policy reforms without input from their opposition by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to line up with the House’s simple majority requirement. But there are strict guidelines for what can be in a reconciliation bill. Such legislation must deal with yearly federal spending and revenues, meaning issues that do not directly affect fiscal policy are generally excluded. House Republicans are aiming to use this reconciliation bill to fund states’ election integrity efforts, replenish military funding amid the U.S. war with Iran, and dole out aid to American farmers. GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT In total, the legislation would set the stage for $95 billion in new federal spending across the next 10 years. The first chamber-wide step in the reconciliation process is to pass a framework that directs the relevant committees to then craft details dealing with their allocated budgets. Those details are then put back into a single sweeping bill that must pass the House and Senate before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature. Passing the House Rules Committee means the bill will see a chamber-wide test vote that, if adopted, will set the stage for lawmakers to debate the bill before a final vote. GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL That vote is expected to occur Tuesday afternoon, with the final vote taking place the following day at 3:30 p.m., according to a preliminary schedule obtained by Fox News Digital. Trump urged Republicans to advance the bill earlier Monday, arguing it would “get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military.” Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Republicans of trying to unfairly sway elections with their SAVE America Act push. “This is a phony issue that Donald Trump is creating. What’s amazing to me is that Donald Trump had the nerve to say to the Speaker of the House, who apparently didn’t object, that the most important thing that Republicans should focus on is voter suppression legislation, and that housing doesn’t matter, healthcare doesn’t matter, grocery bills don’t matter,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said earlier this year. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has repeatedly referred to the legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0.” “While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low income Americans and people of color,” he said in February. Republicans argue that the SAVE America Act — which would implement federal voter ID requirements and a proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process — would make American elections safer and more secure.
Socialist insurgents force moderate Democrats into high-risk showdown over must-hold races
The Democratic Party’s ideological war is moving from deep-blue congressional districts to statewide contests in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, where progressive victories could reshape the party and endanger must-hold seats in November. After far-left and socialist candidates defeated more moderate contenders in deep-blue districts last month, upcoming Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary will test whether the movement can translate those wins into statewide power. Progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont and two-time Democratic presidential primary runner-up, touted on the campaign trail this past weekend, “Within the last year, we have won mayor’s races in New York City. We’ve won mayor’s races in Seattle. Washington, D.C. We have won congressional elections and Democratic primaries in Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Montana, Colorado, New Jersey and New York.” After victories by far-left and socialist candidates over more moderate contenders in deep-blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado last month drew outsized national attention, upcoming primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin are now the latest battleground in the high-stakes showdown. And the center is pushing back. MEET THE FAR LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS “Socialism has not worked anywhere on the globe,” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday in an interview on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria.” “Promises of free lunch, free buses, free bread, free everything. There’s no such thing as free. Someone always pays. This is a dream. This is nirvana. This is utopia. And they’re selling to young people who are buying it. It’s not going to work.” The former governor resigned amid multiple scandals five years ago and failed in his political comeback last year, losing New York City’s mayoral election to socialist Zohran Mamdani, The victories by a trio of far-left congressional candidates in New York City heavily supported by Mamdani, followed a week later by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed challenger and first-time candidate Melat Kiros’ defeat of 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado, have emboldened progressives as they wage a far-left national pressure campaign against the Democratic Party. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CIVIL WAR HITS DEBATE STAGE IN CRUCIAL PRIMARY SHOWDOWN “Only socialism can solve decades of capitalist mismanagement in the US. Our newly elected leaders will fight for the working class — not for crumbs,” the DSA proclaimed in a social media post celebrating the string of primary election victories. That view is far from universal. “I’m tired of being told that, to be a progressive, I now must swear allegiance to crazy ideas,” Democratic political analyst Van Jones, a veteran of then-President Barack Obama’s administration, lamented in a social media post. “Supporting Hamas is not progressive. ‘No police, no prisons, no borders’ is not progressive. Celebrating the murder of Israeli civilians is not progressive. These ideas are REGRESSIVE,” Jones wrote. Jamie Metzl, a technology and healthcare futurist who years ago served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, said in a Fox News Channel interview that it’s time for Democrats “to stand up” to what he called “the bigots and anti-Americans in our own party.” Metzl said the DSA and other far-left groups “who are trying to take control of our party and our brand” represent “a fundamental threat to our party and our country.” VAN JONES WARNS FAR-LEFT AGENDA IS ‘REGRESSIVE’ THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another progressive rockstar, parachuted into Michigan’s campaign trail this past weekend to boost Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left candidate they’re supporting in a crucial Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director who unsuccessfully ran an insurgent campaign for governor in 2018, is facing off for the party’s nomination in the Great Lakes battleground state against Rep. Haley Stevens, a more moderate lawmaker backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the establishment. https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/elections/republicans The winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary will take on former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination, in the key midterm Senate faceoff to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The rare open Senate seat is a top Republican target in the midterms, as well as a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim 53-47 margin. El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, has made support for Medicare for all a major component of his campaign. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations. Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point. The primary clash is combustible and expensive, with outside groups spending big bucks to flood the campaign trail with ads. The biggest spending, to boost Stevens and attack El-Sayed, is United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “I think we’re at an opportunity to show folks where the Democratic Party ought to go. Whether or not there are people who oppose that, that’s for them to decide. But if you’re opposing that on behalf of big corporations, folks like AIPAC, you’re going to find that their power is going to start to slip,” El-Sayed warned in a Fox News interview on Sunday. Sanders, speaking alongside El-Sayed and Ocasio-Cortez on
Top media networks put on notice after refusing to air Trump’s primetime address: ‘Serious concerns’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is asking the Federal Communications Commission to review ABC, NBC and CBS’ broadcast decisions after the networks either declined to air live or cut away from President Donald Trump’s July 16 primetime address. In a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital and sent Monday, Carter asked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to review whether the networks violated their obligation to “serve the public interest” and whether their actions should be considered in future broadcast license proceedings. “The public airwaves should inform the American people, not be used by corporate executives to decide which matters of national importance they are permitted to hear,” Carter wrote. Carter raised “serious concerns” in the letter, saying networks can disagree with President Trump’s remarks while still airing what he says. ABC, NBC, CNN AVOID AIRING TRUMP’S PRIMETIME ELECTION SECURITY ADDRESS LIVE “Broadcasters may criticize, analyze, or fact-check the President’s statements,” he wrote. “However, refusing to air a major presidential address because executives disagree with its content raises serious concerns that they intended to keep Americans in the dark about potential foreign interference in our elections.” Carter also argued that Americans should have been allowed to make up their own minds. “Regardless of political affiliation, the American people deserved to hear this information directly from their President and judge it for themselves,” Carter wrote. “Instead, ABC and NBC declined to broadcast the speech on their primary television networks, while CBS cut away before the President completed his remarks.” Carter added that airing the speech on streaming services was not an “adequate substitute for free, over-the-air television—particularly for Americans without reliable broadband access.” TONY DOKOUPIL CLASHES WITH MARK WARNER AFTER THE SENATOR RIPPED CBS FOR AIRING TRUMP SPEECH ‘AS NEWS’ The letter follows President Trump‘s Thursday night primetime address, during which he called for ABC and NBC’s broadcast licenses to be revoked, accusing the networks of being part of a “plot” to “continue this fraud” and “protect the radical left.” “In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech,” President Trump said. “They knew what it was about because they don’t like the topic, because they know how corrupt our system is and they don’t want to reveal it.” President Trump used the more than 20-minute address to announce the “immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence” documents he said revealed “shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure.” “America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed, because no country can be great without fair and honest elections,” President Trump said. “You have to trust your country, because if there can be no trust, there can be no greatness. And that’s very simple. No trust, no greatness.” ‘SHADOW GOVERNMENT’: TRUMP CLAIMS INTEL COMMUNITY BRAGGED ABOUT HIDING CHINESE MEDDLING According to the White House, the documents released during the address included files related to alleged voting system vulnerabilities, China’s alleged acquisition of U.S. voter data, a Michigan voter registration investigation and noncitizens on state voter rolls. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the contents of the documents or President Trump’s claims. “Just as disturbingly, this vital information has been covered up and hidden from you, the American people, our beautiful, great American people, for many years,” President Trump said. “But that all changes right now.” ABC News and NBC News streamed President Trump’s speech on their digital platforms before later airing special reports summarizing his remarks on their broadcast networks. CBS News initially aired analysis before joining President Trump’s speech several minutes after it began, then cut away after he criticized ABC and NBC. Carter said the issues raised during Trump’s address warranted live broadcast coverage, adding the “allegations concern both election integrity and national security. Fox News Digital reached out to the FCC, ABC News, NBC News and CBS News for comment.
Trump admin taunts left for ‘praying’ for World Cup disaster as DOT touts record numbers
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is claiming victory over the left after a successful FIFA World Cup tournament that saw record-shattering numbers of fans moving through the U.S. Several million FIFA fans flocked to American stadiums this year, putting an enormous strain on federal, state and local transportation networks. However, aided in part by a more than a $100 million DOT infrastructure investment to World Cup host cities, the tournament went off without any major incidents, prompting Duffy to taunt doomsayers who predicted the country would fall on its face. “The Left was praying for an American transit disaster as we hosted the most important international sporting event in modern history,” Duffy told Fox News Digital. “They were wrong, and President Trump was right.” FBI BOSS KASH PATEL DETAILS HOW AGENCY AND PARTNERS SECURED RECORD-SHATTERING FIFA WORLD CUP Among the naysayers was Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who in April accused the Trump administration of endangering FIFA fans by “systematically dismantling security agencies, delaying critical security assistance, and initiating a war with Iran.” All this, Gallego said, made the country’s top security agency, the Department of Homeland Security, “woefully unprepared to accomplish its mission.” Gallego remarked that “if state and local officials do not trust that federal employees will coordinate in lockstep and operate as partners, they will be unable to protect their communities—increasing threat risk and compromising Americans’ safety in the process.” He added that “this self-imposed chaos extends to the Trump administration’s management of federal departments and agencies.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took a similar tone, asserting ahead of the tournament that “Trump cares more about being on international TV at midfield on match day than actually hosting successful games.” In May, The Atlantic published a piece titled “Another Way America Will Choke at the World Cup,” in which the author predicted that “in the coming months, America’s patchwork railway system will be similarly challenged—and its weaknesses exposed—across all 11 U.S. sites of World Cup matches.” Nathaniel Sizemore, a spokesperson for the agency, told Fox News Digital that it was “the Left’s TDS [Trump derangement syndrome]” that “put them in the absurd position of praying for an American transit disaster.” PRESIDENT TRUMP STEALS PART OF SPOTLIGHT AS SPAIN CELEBRATES WORLD CUP TITLE OVER ARGENTINA However, with the World Cup officially concluded, the results are in and, according to DOT, they are conclusive. The department said that, aided by its $100.3 million in federal funding to host cities, local transit systems accommodated record-breaking numbers. During the World Cup, Atlanta saw more than 2 million riders use public transit to get to matches, fan fests, and other events, with match-day ridership reaching up to three times the typical average. In Seattle, DOT said that more than 1.1 million combined riders used city public transit during the first two matches alone. On July 6, the city’s light rail system accommodated 309,000 riders, blowing well past the system’s single-day record of 220,000 riders. Meanwhile, Philadelphia, which also hosted this year’s MLB All-Star Game, saw an average of 27,000 riders using public transit per match. The city’s PHLASH bus service recorded a 500 percent increase in ridership. Even cities not previously known for their public transit systems accommodated record numbers. Kansas City saw a one-day record for streetcar riders at 48,260 on June 27. Los Angeles saw a 598 percent increase in rider taps on World Cup match day compared to a typical Friday. To put it further in perspective, DOT said that in San Francisco, an average of more than 38,000 fans moved to and from World Cup matches using public transit, exceeding Super Bowl LX’s numbers by nearly 8,000. DOT is not the only one that noticed the U.S. public transit system performing. At the start of the tournament, Vox ran a piece titled “The World Cup has a Trump problem.” In the piece, the outlet accused Trump of “actively hindering” the World Cup and other sporting events, especially through the president’s “hostility to all immigrants … especially to non-white ones.” Yet, ahead of the final match, Vox wrote that “the nation’s widely expected World Cup public transit meltdown has simply not materialized.” RILEY GAINES: WORLD CUP VISITORS ARE REMINDING AMERICANS WHAT MAKES THIS COUNTRY GREAT The outlet said that “to the surprise of pretty much everyone, US cities have managed to absorb the influx of fans with relative ease, even under the pressure of record ridership en route to stadiums, watch parties, and fan zones.” Duffy, however, was not surprised. “Whether they flew, took passenger rail, hopped on public transit, or hit the open road, Americans and visitors alike saw the best of our nation over the last month,” he told Fox News Digital. He added that “from the FTA’s investment into local public transit to the FAA’s work keeping our skies safe, we were proud to help FIFA fans get to the games safely and on time.” Fox News Digital reached out to Gallego, Schumer, The Atlantic and Vox for comment.
Retired Lt. Col. running for Congress backs Trump Iran strategy: ‘He’s ending a 47-year conflict’
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Flippo knows a thing or two about winning a fight. During his military career he deployed around the world, including serving as a maintenance and logistics officer in Iraq during the lead up to the 2003 invasion. Currently, he’s locked in a tough battle in a Republican-leaning open swing district comprising an enormous chunk of northern Nevada. Nevada may be the best bellwether state west of the Mississippi. It’s a hotly contested state with a booming economy and an exploding population marked by a familiar theme in politics: a stark divide between its rural and urban populations. JOE LOMBARDO CRUISES PAST SIX GOP CHALLENGERS TO SECURE NEVADA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION Trump won Nevada by a modest margin in 2024, and Governor Joe Lombardo defeated a Democrat incumbent in 2022. Yet three of its four congressional districts are blue, as are both of its Senate seats. The Democrats hold both chambers of the state legislature by large margins. Flippo won the Republican nomination despite having a well-known establishment-backed primary opponent in the Nevada legislature: “Well, up in the north, it’s an R+7 district, and Trump won that district by 14. It’s a conservative district. And running against the establishment versus a conservative candidate who had been endorsed by Turning Point, Club for Growth, President Trump endorsed me. Obviously, the conservative people in the northern Nevada area wanted a conservative in this seat.” Having never held elected office, Flippo presents his newcomer status as an advantage, rather than a liability: “I beat the establishment. I think people are tired of the establishment politicians, the politicians that…are there just to be a moderate, be that middle ground. I think we need fighters in Congress. “I think we need people in Congress that are ready to stand up, stand up for the American people, and here in Nevada, stand up for Nevadans.” Flippo spent much of his military career in the Middle East. He argues that Trump’s Iran policy is ending a war, not starting one: “What President Trump is doing with the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, this has been a 47-year conflict. Some in the media have been saying that Trump is starting a forever war, but in my opinion, he’s ending it. “Most all of my career was in the Middle East, fighting because of Iran and what they’re doing with Israel and with Hezbollah and Hamas and the Houthis. What Iran has done is over, and things are going to change, and President Trump sees that. “I fully support what President Trump is doing. We need to open up the strait, it needs to be a clear waterway. We need the flow of oil to start again.” The voters of northern Nevada want a constitutional conservative, Flippo argues, and he is prepared to deliver results on budgetary issues, as the exploding national debt approaches $40 trillion. “We have to get to a balanced budget. We have to get this deficit under control. What are we, $39 trillion in debt now and it keeps climbing? Something has to be done. We have to stop spending money that we don’t have. “We need to stop expanding government. And that’s what’s been happening over the years. We just keep expanding and expanding. You know, I’m a constitutional conservative: government has four purposes and if you go beyond those four purposes, it belongs to the states. “And the government has taken on so much now that we just keep getting more and more in debt. And it’s time that we have representatives in Congress that are ready to stop that.” Illegal immigration is a signature issue for Flippo, who paints the problem in economic terms, and is concerned about its impact on a variety of pressing public policy issues. “lllegal immigration is a problem in the United States. And if you look at what’s happened in the last six years under Biden and the open borders policies and the 20 to 30 million people that were allowed to come in, what has that done? It’s caused housing costs to go up. NEVADA LT GOV: ELON MUSK COULD MAKE SPACE TOURISM STATE’S NEXT BIG INDUSTRY “That’s a supply and demand issue. 20 million people. That’s 20 cities the size of Las Vegas, right? What does that mean? That means all those schools, the police departments, the fire departments, all those social service programs. All that has to be paid for by tax dollars, by taxpayers. 20 cities the size of Las Vegas, 40 cities the size of Reno. That’s a lot. That’s a lot to ask for the taxpayers to come in all at once.” While the district leans Republican, the Democrats believe they have fielded a formidable candidate in former Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson. Flippo is not taking anything for granted, but believes the contrast between his conservative outlook and her left-wing voting record will play to his advantage. “She’s a big government [supporter], big spender. She’s voted to raise taxes 12 times here in Nevada. She voted for the largest tax increase in Nevada’s history. She voted for Planned Parenthood funding. She voted for drivers licenses for illegals. I mean, she has a voting record that she says she’s very proud of. And I don’t believe that’s something to be proud of.” Finally, Flippo believes that Trump’s support is a net asset in his district, and believes that support, along with the backing of Gov. Lombardo, will carry a lot of weight. “My district in northern Nevada, District 2, is an R+7 that Trump won by 14. So Trump obviously carries some weight in northern Nevada. It’s a conservative part of this state, which is different than the southern part. “Getting on a team with the governor being united, getting the vote out is going to be critical. And having Trump on my side up in the north is going to be a huge factor in winning this.”
New York Times torched for ‘FALSE’ reporting on ICE investigations, outlet fires back
The Department of Homeland Security and The New York Times are going toe-to-toe after the agency accused the outlet of “false” reporting alleging that federal agents across the country were told that the FBI would not be investigating confrontations with ICE officers. “This is FALSE,” DHS posted on social media. The agency said that “the relationship between DHS and [the Justice Department] in investigating assault on federal officer cases has NOT changed, and [the FBI] will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy.” “This administration has been clear, anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS added. In response, Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for The New York Times, said the outlet stands by its reporting, telling Fox News Digital, “We’re confident in the accuracy of our reporting, which revealed that Federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the F.B.I. would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents.” TRUMP BLASTS NEW YORK TIMES, CNN FOR ‘SEDITIOUS’ COVERAGE OF IRAN WAR Rhoades Ha pointed out that the story “included a joint statement from the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security denying that such a change would be enacted.” The outlet reported that federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the FBI would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents, cases that The New York Times wrote, “Sometimes yield evidence that could be used to prosecute Department of Homeland Security agents implicated in violent encounters.” The Times wrote that if such a policy were enacted it would “sharply limit law enforcement scrutiny of immigration agents” and be “effectively leaving the agency to investigate itself.” FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL, NEW YORK TIMES CLASH OVER PAPER’S CLAIM ITS REPORTER WAS ‘INVESTIGATED’ The outlet added that this comes as the Trump administration “draws mounting criticism over killings at the hands of federal officers.” ICE officers were involved in two fatal shootings this month in Maine and Texas. This has led to renewed protests against immigration enforcement operations. DHS, meanwhile, has called attention to significantly increased attacks on federal law enforcement officers in the line of duty. In response to The New York Times, DHS and DOJ doubled down that the report is categorically false and that the relationship between the two agencies has not changed. HARRIS CALLS FOR ICE PROBE AFTER MAINE SHOOTING AMID RENEWED ‘BORDER CZAR’ CRITICISM In a joint DHS-DOJ statement shared with Fox News Digital, the agencies reaffirmed they are “partners in addressing crime and upholding the rule of law, while securing the safety and security of American communities.”
Warren’s latest ‘kiss of death’ endorsement sparks mockery over disastrous political picks
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is drawing conservative criticism over several recent endorsements after backing progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed ahead of the state’s August Democratic primary. “After Graham Platner’s implosion, Warren’s endorsement should be viewed as a kiss of death by any Democrat who actually wants to win. Pocahontas clearly has not learned her lesson with toxic socialist candidates and by shamelessly endorsing El-Sayed continues to drag her party straight into electoral oblivion,” RNC National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre told Fox News Digital. Warren, one of the Senate’s most progressive Democrats, has long championed policies favored by the party’s left flank as socialist and democratic socialist ideas gain traction among some Democratic voters. WARREN DEFIES SCHUMER AS DEM CIVIL WAR EXPLODES OVER MUST-WIN SENATE RACE The Massachusetts Democrat had previously endorsed Platner, calling him her “kind of man” from the campaign trail. He later withdrew from the race after a rape allegation, which he denied, and also faced criticism over a chest tattoo resembling a Nazi-era symbol that he apologized for and covered. “Abdul is the only candidate in this race not taking corporate money, and he’s fighting to get money out of politics altogether. Abdul’s studied to be a doctor, and he is fighting for every single American to have affordable, high-quality healthcare,” said Warren on X. Critics swiftly seized on Warren’s endorsement record while attacking El-Sayed over his views on Israel and support for socialist policies. Among Warren’s endorsements this cycle were Katie Porter in California’s gubernatorial race, Mallory McMorrow in Michigan’s Senate race and Zach Wahls in Iowa’s Senate race. Porter and Wahls lost their respective primaries, while McMorrow suspended her campaign before Michigan voters cast primary ballots. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE “From the same person who said Nazi Tattoo-wearing Graham Platner was ‘My kind of man’ before dropping out in disgrace,” wrote the Republican Jewish Coalition. “Elizabeth Warren is a complete and total joke.” “The hate America Red/Green alliance, embodied,” wrote Fox News Contributor Paul Mauro. “The kiss of death. Now he’s doomed,” said conservative commentator Robby Soave. MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS “You say that taking ‘corporate money; is forbidden but you are OK with him taking Super PAC contributions from radical Islamists,” wrote former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. “I would simply not listen to any of the people who spent nearly a year ignoring Graham Platner’s red flags,” wrote one X user. Fox News Digital reached out to Warren’s office on Monday.
Illegal immigrant who murdered Michigan woman sues Trump, demands $75M, public apology, US citizenship
An illegal immigrant serving a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of a Michigan woman is suing President Donald Trump, alleging he faced humiliation when his case was used as a political talking point, and is demanding $75 million, a public apology, and U.S. citizenship. Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, who was previously deported from the United States, is serving a sentence of 39 to 102 years in prison for killing Ruby Garcia in March 2024. Garcia’s body had several gunshot wounds and was found dumped along a road in Grand Rapids. The pair were in a romantic relationship and were engaged in an argument at the time of the slaying. EXCLUSIVE: DHS SEEKS CUSTODY OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER TRUMP DEPORTATION, BIDEN RELEASE In a handwritten complaint filed in federal court, Ortiz-Vite named Trump and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung as defendants. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. Ortiz-Vite’s case garnered national attention and was highlighted when Trump, who made combating illegal immigration a large part of his campaign, visited Grand Rapids in 2024. During his remarks, Trump labeled Ortiz-Vite as “America’s problem.” FAMILY SHATTERED AFTER 3-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALLEGEDLY BLEW THROUGH STOP SIGN, ROILING HOUSE RACE He also featured Ortiz-Vite’s mugshot in commercials as an example of the “murderers, rapists , and drug traffickers” who resided illegally in the United States, The Midwesterner reported. He was mocked by prison staff and other inmates, he said. “I was put into a category. Who I was as a person no longer mattered! What only mattered was my race,” Ortiz-Vite wrote. “My case and immigration status! Once again, it belittled me, shattered my dignity and what I was as a person.” “The shame it brought to my family name is a reality I have to live with now,” he added. “I took full responsibility for my actions but for them to use my case for political gain on TV was unjust. Humiliating. When I thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. I was center stage in front of a nation, public scrutiny at its finest!” Ortiz-Vite, who acted as his own attorney, said his case came under intense media coverage, resulting in him living in a “nightmare”. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANS NEW ICE HOLDING FACILITY NEAR LOUISIANA DEPORTATION FLIGHT HUB “It all became clear to me when I first met with my court-appointed attorneys. They explained how my case had now gotten blown out of proportion and was now a high-profile case!” he wrote. “The shock in their eyes and the tears from mine were a reaction to my realization that I was living everyone’s worst nightmare! To be publicly infamous—a target! To the United States of America, from here everything went downhill. I was now labeled a cold-blooded murderer in the eyes of the people of this nation.” “The anxiety and despair I felt compares to no other,” he added. Matthew Borgula, a criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, said the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, citing a range of factors, including presidential immunity. “Federal law requires courts to screen prisoner suits before anyone is served. This complaint will likely not survive that screening,” Borgula told Fox News Digital. “Also, Presidential immunity covers official acts, and campaign statements can fall outside it — but this suit fails for more basic reasons.” Borgula noted that Trump’s statements on the Ortiz-Vite’s case were “substantially true, and being publicly embarrassed by a politician isn’t a constitutional violation. This case should end before it begins.” Tudor Dixon, a former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate, called the lawsuit an example of arrogance and entitlement. “As long as we have Democrats jetting to other countries to coddle criminal illegal aliens over margaritas, this level of arrogance and entitlement from convicted murderers will continue,” Dixon told Fox News Digital. “It’s time lawmakers stand with the Ruby Garcias of the world instead of her killer.” After entering the U.S. illegally, Ortiz-Vite remained under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until his status expired on May 10, 2019, MLive.com reported. He was deported following a 2020 arrest for driving while intoxicated. It was unclear when he re-entered the U.S. illegally. The complaint didn’t cite any legal violations, instead blaming Trump for labeling him as an example of the Biden administration’s border policies. Ortiz-Vite eventually said he “stood tall” and took responsibility for his actions. “Because I was remorseful for my actions on the 26th, I turned myself in and confessed to the murder of my partner at the time,” he wrote. “Knowing the consequences it would bring, I stood tall and was respectful when asked about the actions that took place on the night of March 24th, 2024.” He is seeking $75 million, a public apology, and “naturalization to this beautiful country.” Despite its lack of merit, Borgula, the lawyer, noted that the lawsuit appears to be a window into what it’s like to become a talking point in a national campaign. “While the plaintiff may feel aggrieved, I don’t see that a federal court can offer a remedy,” he said. “He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Once you’ve done that, absent overturning the conviction, I don’t see a legal avenue for collecting damages on a theory that your conviction was unfair.”