Trump campaign insider reveals strategy behind midterm blitz that White House hopes pays off big
A veteran campaign strategist who worked for Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection bid told Fox News Digital that pundits are misreading the strategy behind the president’s 32-state pre-midterms rally tour, which includes stops in deep red states. Thursday, the president spoke in Denton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas before traveling to Oklahoma, a longtime bastion of conservatism that hasn’t been carried by a Democrat in a presidential election since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Trump on Friday will rally in Mobile, Alabama, another traditionally Republican-dominated state. While political analysts speculate Trump’s blitz signals doom for the GOP in November, Luke Ball, who knows intimately the inner-workings of how the 47th president operates on the campaign trail, has a different view. CAN THE ‘BEST SHOWMAN IN POLITICS’ DELIVER AGAIN? GOP BETS ON TRUMP AT HISTORIC MIDTERM CONVENTION “So for people who are maybe commenting and doing it from a perspective of ‘the president’s in trouble,’ I think that’s kind of a lazy analysis for you to just take it at surface value that he’s in red states,” Ball said. He added that Texas and Oklahoma go “hand in hand,” and that the appearing in both places can boost Republican midterm turnout in November across swing district or more competitive districts found in some deep red states. Though he admits the strategy is a “risk” for Trump, he says the month-long tour isn’t a fly-by-night operation. GOP FACES BRUTAL MIDTERM HEADWINDS AS REPUBLICANS PAINT ELECTION AS ‘COMPETITION WITH COMMUNISM’ “They keep saying — and it’s a risk politically for the president — but they keep saying that he is on the ballot and on the top of the ballot, but the reason they’re doing it is because the RNC the MAGA Incs, and the James Blair‘s of the world have the data that show who’s going to turn out for the president and nobody else,” said Ball. MAGA Inc. is a Super PAC that poured more than $375 million into electing Trump in 2024, and is now backing Republican congressional candidates nationwide. James Blair was Trump’s 2024 campaign political director, and is now the White House Deputy Chief of Staff. BLACK CONSERVATIVE REVEALS HOW GOP CAN LOCK DOWN MINORITY VOTERS WITHOUT TRUMP ON BALLOT “The next stop is in Mobile, Alabama, another media market that I worked in, which is going to encompass Pensacola, Florida — which always brings out the vote for the rest of the state,” Ball said. “So if you want to solidify your standing in Florida and show that you still are the kingmaker in that state that used to be purple a few years ago, and now Democrats don’t even bother spending in it, you’ve got to make sure that you lock that down.” “So, great optics in Alabama, great optics in Oklahoma, but in addition to that, you’re getting a red area of Texas motivated to turn out and a very, very red area of Florida to turn out for those elections.” Nationwide media coverage of the rallies is in itself part of the strategy, too. “Other traditional candidates would strategically target and fine-tune the principal’s time in various states, but people were saying Trump wasn’t going to go out on the campaign trail at all, and now it’s the total opposite,” Ball explained. “It’s, ‘why is he doing so much? Why is he hitting all of these deep red states?’ It’s also from a perspective too, when you have these major rallies in Mobile, Alabama, or Oklahoma or deep red states across the nation, that still gets major national coverage.” LARGEST-EVER US STEEL PLANT IS COMING TO A KEY RED STATE AS TRUMP UNVEILS $15B INVESTMENT In Denton, Trump toured a Peterbilt truck manufacturing plant, where he met with employees of the company and made brief remarks. Stops like that are part of a broader campaign strategy, according to Ball. “When we were on the campaign trail, I remember [former co-campaign manager] Susie Wiles saying that at every stop he goes to, she wants him at an off the record event, whether that’s going into the Bluebird Diner in Iowa or eating a hoagie in Buc-ee’s or whatever it might be, and I almost see a little bit of parallel here with the macro strategy behind the tour,” he said. Wiles is now Trump’s closely trusted White House Chief of Staff. “Instead of popping into a mom and pop show or store, he’s touring manufacturing, or he’s going to a specific industry in one state and then holding a rally that captures the media market in another. So you’re not just showing up and leaving,” Ball continued. “You always think about what’s the additional thing you can do to draw out voters in that state.”
DOJ moves to boot federal judges from immigration cases over NYT interview
The Justice Department wants several Minnesota federal judges removed from immigration cases after accusing them of crossing an ethical line by publicly criticizing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The complaint argued the judges improperly commented on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement while related cases were still pending, undermining public confidence in their impartiality. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Wednesday that the Justice Department filed a judicial misconduct complaint with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals against seven Minnesota federal judges over their participation in a New York Times interview published last September. “These judges talked to the media, or at least The New York Times, about cases, some of which are ongoing, in a manner which the Department views as a clear violation of their ethical duties,” Blanche said. ‘UNPRECEDENTED’: JUDGES REVEAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES COORDINATION ON TRUMP IMMIGRATION CASES The complaint specifically names Judge Patrick Schiltz, appointed by President George W. Bush, and Judge John Tunheim, a Clinton appointee, along with unnamed district judges who also participated in the interviews. The Justice Department asked the Eighth Circuit’s Judicial Council to investigate the judges’ conduct and order Schiltz and Tunheim to recuse themselves from Department of Homeland Security immigration cases, arguing that their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. But, whether that happens, however, is not up to the Justice Department. Under the federal judiciary’s judicial misconduct process, complaints are reviewed within the judicial branch. The chief judge of the circuit — which for the Eighth Circuit is Steven Colloton, a Bush-appointee — would first determine whether a complaint should be dismissed or referred to a special committee for further investigation, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. If a committee is appointed, it submits findings to the circuit’s Judicial Council, which decides whether any corrective action is appropriate. The judiciary also notes that the misconduct process “cannot be used to obtain automatic disqualification of a judge presiding over a case” or simply challenge a judge’s legal rulings. OBAMA, BIDEN JUDGES DRAW FRESH FIRE AS TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION COURT CLASHES HEAT UP: ‘ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE’ The Justice Department’s complaint stemmed from a Sept. 17, 2026, New York Times article in which Judge Schiltz and Tunheim and six other Minnesota federal judges discussed the wave of immigration litigation that followed the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge.” The judges described an unprecedented influx of habeas petitions and reflected on how the cases strained court resources, while also expressing concerns about aspects of the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. Both Schiltz, who sat for a nearly 90-minute interview, and Tunheim made remarks that were specifically cited in the DOJ complaint. BLANCHE TORCHES TRUMP FOE BOASBERG AFTER APPEALS COURT BLOCKS JUDGE AGAIN IN DEPORTATION FIGHT The Department argued those interviews crossed an ethical line because they addressed issues involved in active litigation. The complaint cited comments attributed to Schiltz describing the administration’s actions as threatening “the constitutional order” and “the rule of law,” as well as remarks from Tunheim criticizing the administration’s immigration arrests. The Justice Department alleged that those statements violated the Code of Conduct for United States Judges by commenting publicly on ongoing matters and creating the appearance that the judges had prejudged issues that were likely to come before them. “The Framers insulated judges so they would exercise judgment, not will,” Chad Mizelle, chair of Litigation for America First Policy Institute, wrote on X. “What we have now is the inverse: a bench enslaved to its own political ideology. When judges become politicians in a robe, the system starts to collapse.” Mizelle pointed out that, in the past, judges have been removed from cases due to their conversations with the press, which “created an appearance of bias.” “In 2001, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson gave embargoed interviews, including to the Times, while handling United States v. Microsoft,” Mizelle wrote on X. “The D.C. Circuit called that conduct ‘deliberate, repeated, egregious and flagrant’ and removed him from the case. That standard still applies. What has changed is the willingness of sitting judges to ignore it.” Meanwhile Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison chalked the complaint up to be the Trump administration’s attempt to intimidate judges. “This complaint has nothing to do with judicial ethics and everything to do with political punishment,” Ellison said in a statement. “Blanche and Trump are trying to punish the judges who ruled against federal government actions during Operation Metro Surge — including the Administration’s undisputed non-compliance at the time with hundreds of court orders — even though sometimes the court ruled with the government.”
DHS torches sanctuary Fairfax after accused child predator released despite immigration detainer
Homeland security officials blasted Fairfax County, Virginia after DHS arrested an illegal immigrant convicted of pedophilic crimes, including aggravated sexual battery of a parent with a child and illicit filming of a naked minor, following the Democrat-led municipality’s refusal to honor an ICE detainer. The dispute comes as DHS and Republicans in Congress remain at odds with county leaders, including Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid, over what they describe as a lax approach to prosecuting illegal immigrants and cooperating with federal authorities. “Another criminal illegal alien has been taken off the streets by the brave men and women of ICE, with no help from sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. Fox News Digital reached out to Kincaid’s office — which handles the jail — and a Fairfax County spokesman for comment but did not hear back by press time. ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING CHILDREN AFTER FAIRFAX COUNTY RELEASE: DHS ICE’s Washington field office arrested Honduran illegal immigrant Oscar Evaristo Nunez more than a year after Fairfax County corrections officials released him without cooperating with federal authorities. Nunez was previously arrested in Fairfax on Aug. 27, 2025, on charges including aggravated sexual battery of a parent with a child ages 13 to 17, two counts of nonconsensual videotaping of an undressed minor and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13. He was released two days later from the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center after corrections officials declined to honor a detainer lodged by ICE. “This illegal alien from Honduras had been arrested for child sex crimes in August last year, but Fairfax County refused to honor ICE’s detainer and let this creep back out onto the streets,” Mullin said. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA A ‘HOTBED’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME, DHS SAYS AFTER LATEST RAPE CHARGE “Once again, ICE did the job that these heartless sanctuary politicians won’t do: enforce the law and protect American lives. DHS is calling on Governor Abigail Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians to stop putting the needs of illegal aliens over the safety of the American people.” Nunez remains in ICE custody, but his criminal proceedings continue in absentia in Fairfax, a spokesperson for Descano told Fox News Digital. The spokesperson said a Descano prosecutor objected to the release. Nunez’s plea hearing was scheduled for Friday but has been continued to Nov. 5. A Descano spokesperson said ICE “stalled our ability to seek justice in this case and further delayed the [victim’s] family’s ability to get the closure they deserve” by taking him into custody “during an active prosecution.” Robert Guadian, director of ICE’s Washington field office, said in a statement issued before the spokesperson’s comments that when local officials refuse to honor ICE detainers, they prioritize politics over the safety of their communities. The incident occurred before incumbent Gov. Abigail Spanberger took office in January, but ICE pointed to several other recent cases of denied detainers and the like that they say have created an unsafe environment across Virginia. The agency has previously cited her executive directives undoing Youngkin-era cooperation with ICE at the state level and the passage of a law restricting cooperative agreements between local authorities and DHS, which a George H.W. Bush-appointed judge temporarily blocked last month. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Spanberger spokesperson said the Democrat “strongly believes violent criminals who are in the United States illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and deported.” “Under Governor Spanberger’s leadership, the Virginia Department of Corrections continues the long-standing practice of notifying ICE when individuals born outside of the United States are in state custody,” they said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The spokesperson also cited Spanberger’s history as a CIA officer prosecuting crimes involving minors as particularly sensitive to Nunez’ case. “As a former federal law enforcement officer who went after child predators, Governor Spanberger will always prioritize the safety and well-being of Virginia families and kids.”
California mayor accused of drunken behavior, racial slur, harassment in chief of staff’s claim
Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken has been accused of repeatedly appearing intoxicated during city-related events, making racially derogatory remarks and asking intrusive questions about sexuality, according to a newly released 25-page government claim. Berenice Ballinas, who has worked in Aitken’s office since December 2022 as her chief of staff, alleges harassment, discrimination and retaliation based on her perceived sexual orientation, Mexican heritage and Catholic faith. The filing also accuses the city of failing to adequately respond after concerns were raised. Ballinas outlines a number of alleged incidents involving Aitken, including accusations about the mayor’s conduct while drinking. SMALL-TOWN VIRGINIA MAYOR REPORTEDLY ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SHOWING UP DRUNK TO TRAIN DERAILMENT She alleges that Aitken arrived at a City Council meeting in April 2025 appearing “visibly impaired by alcohol.” After a closed session at the meeting, Ballinas says she ultimately drove Aitken home in then-City Manager Jim Vanderpool’s city vehicle. During the roughly 15-minute ride, the claim alleges Aitken began searching through Vanderpool’s vehicle and personal belongings and taking photographs with her cellphone. Ballinas says she objected and told the mayor to delete the photos because Vanderpool’s information was private. Aitken is also accused in the claim of making racially derogatory remarks. Ballinas alleges that Aitken made multiple derogatory comments concerning her Mexican heritage and referred to her as a “dirty Mexican.” During a separate incident at Disneyland in May 2025, Ballinas said she offered to drive Aitken after believing the mayor was too intoxicated to drive home safely. However, Aitken allegedly declined the offer because she refused to have “a Mexican” drive her, according to the claim. Aitken has directly denied using the racial slur attributed to her and said the allegations deserve to be investigated. REPUBLICANS TURN ON HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER ACCUSED OF LATE-NIGHT TEXTS, LAVISH GIFTS TO FEMALE STAFFERS “These allegations are extremely serious, and they deserve to be investigated. I did not use the racial slur attributed to me, and I have always been a champion of the LGBTQ community,” she said in a statement posted last month on Facebook. Fox News Digital has reached out to Aitken’s office for comment. Ballinas also described alleged conduct during a team dinner, where she said she observed Aitken becoming “physically affectionate” with another person, including touching and grabbing him, resulting in the mayor’s husband removing her from the event. While walking back toward the hotel, Ballinas alleges Aitken became angry and knocked or pushed over a bicycle, damaging its mirror, before later falling in the street. Aitken then fell in the street, according to the claim. When Ballinas told the mayor’s husband that Aitken was not OK and needed help, he allegedly responded, “Don’t we all?” ANOTHER TOP SEATTLE MAYORAL AIDE EXITS AS KATIE WILSON ADMINISTRATION FACES CONTINUED STAFF TURNOVER The filing says Aitken’s husband later asked Ballinas to make a Venmo payment to compensate the bicycle’s owner. Ballinas also makes several allegations concerning questions about her perceived sexual orientation. She said Aitken took her to Disneyland’s Club 33 for a birthday lunch on June 10, 2026, where the mayor consumed alcohol and repeatedly questioned whether Ballinas was a lesbian. Later at the 1901 Lounge, Aitken allegedly questioned a Disney cast member about whether he was gay or straight and about his dating life. Disney later sent written correspondence to the Club 33 member whose membership was used for the visit, saying cast members had reported “rude, insensitive, and inappropriate remarks” during the outing. The government claim says Ballinas was forced to take leave beginning around July 31 and alleges retaliation after she reported or opposed conduct she believed violated laws or workplace rules. Anaheim has said a review of the allegations is underway. Aitken has pledged to participate in the process. She is currently seeking another term as Anaheim mayor in the Nov. 3 election.
‘DSA jihadi’: LA mayoral candidate torched after defending ‘genocide’ comment during Jewish forum
Nithya Raman, the far-left Los Angeles mayoral frontrunner, defended her appearance on controversial streamer Hasan Piker’s program and stood by her use of the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza when pressed by a Jewish audience Tuesday night, raising alarm among some Jewish voters. Raman’s appearance before hundreds of attendees at a Jewish community mayoral forum quickly turned into a series of pointed exchanges over Israel, antisemitism and her past comments on the war in Gaza. Pressed over her appearance on Piker’s show, Raman said candidates need to “meet people where they’re at” and rejected the suggestion that appearing on his platform signaled an endorsement of his views. She also reaffirmed her use of the word “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying she relied on unnamed “experts” who have used the same terminology. Both Raman and current Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass attended a candidate forum hosted by several Jewish organizations Tuesday evening, during which they were questioned on a range of topics but largely about antisemitism, public safety, homelessness, Israel and other issues of particular concern to the Jewish community ahead of the Nov. 3 election. FAR-LEFT STREAMER HASAN PIKER CALLED OUT BY MS NOW HOSTS IN FIERY EXCHANGE OVER HIM BEING A DRAG FOR DEMOCRATS “Nithya Raman’s remarks should alarm every Jewish voter in Los Angeles,” StopAntisemitism founder and Executive Director Liora Rez told Fox News Digital, arguing that “‘meeting people where they’re at’ is not a defense” for appearing on Piker’s program. The Wednesday night forum’s moderator noted that many in the audience viewed Raman’s appearance on Piker’s show as “deeply hurtful,” citing the streamer’s past remarks about Jews and praise for groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and al Qaeda. Asked why she chose to appear and whether she worried it could be perceived as an endorsement of his views, Raman said she has consistently spoken out against antisemitism but believed candidates should engage voters across different platforms. ABDUL EL-SAYED DISMISSES QUESTIONS ABOUT HASAN PIKER TIES ON ‘FACE THE NATION,’ PIVOTS TO GROCERIES “I do believe that as an elected representative who’s seeking higher office, you have to go and speak to voters,” Raman said. “I think it’s important for us as elected officials and as people running for office to go and speak to them even when you disagree with parts of those individuals… and meet them where they’re at.” Raman’s explanation echoes a rationale Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed offered when defending his own appearances with Piker, arguing candidates should engage audiences on platforms where voters already are. DEM SENATE NOMINEE APOLOGIZES TO JEWISH VOTERS AFTER ‘GENOCIDE’ REMARK SPARKED BACKLASH The moderator then shifted to Raman’s broader views on the Israel-Gaza war, noting that she had repeatedly described Israel’s actions as “genocide” and asking her to define the term and address Jewish voters who viewed the language as deeply inflammatory. Raman acknowledged that “the word ‘genocide’ is a deeply painful word” and said she understood its historical significance, but maintained she used the term because other experts had done so and because she felt compelled to speak out after seeing “the targeting of hospitals” and “the deaths of children.” FAMILY MEMBER OF LAWYER WHO COINED ‘GENOCIDE’ SEEKS TO STRIP NAME FROM GROUP ACCUSING ISRAEL OF ATROCITY “I have used that term, and I’m not an expert on these issues, and so I have looked to experts on these issues — international experts, Israeli experts — who have used that language, and that is what guided me in using that term in describing what’s happening in Gaza,” Raman said. But, in comments to Fox News Digital, Rez said “that charge is not supported by the facts,” arguing “casualty figures supplied by Hamas-controlled authorities, often presented without distinguishing civilians from combatants, do not establish a deliberate campaign to destroy the Palestinian people.” LA MAYORAL RACE HEADS TO NOVEMBER RUNOFF AS KAREN BASS FACES MAMDANI-STYLE SOCIALIST During the Tuesday night forum, Bass offered a sharply different view on the term and rejected its use in regard to the war in Gaza when pressed on the matter. Meanwhile, when asked where she differed from the anti-Israel positions of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose Los Angeles chapter has endorsed her mayoral campaign, Raman defended the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, as “a legitimate form of peaceful protest” before arguing that Israel-related issues were not part of her municipal platform and pointing to disagreements she has had with DSA on other issues. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA BACKS ‘OUR TWITCH STREAMER’ HASAN PIKER, RIPS ANTI-SOCIALISM HOUSE RESOLUTION Rez rejected Raman’s characterization of BDS as “a legitimate form of peaceful protest,” arguing the movement “is a discriminatory movement that singles out the world’s only Jewish state for isolation and elimination.” Local Los Angeles activist and Jewish mother of two, April Silverman, slammed Raman’s appearance at the forum on X, arguing the mayoral frontrunner is not aware of “the concept of knowing your audience and reading the room.” ABDUL EL-SAYED PLAYS DOWN HASAN PIKER TIES AFTER STREAMER’S VIRAL ANTISEMITISM FIRESTORM “Nithya Raman couldn’t even pretend in front of a room full of Jewish Angelenos to be anything other than an antizionist radical,” said Shana Meyerson, a podcast host who has a show called “The Unapologetically Jewish Podcast.” “She also doubled down on her ‘genocide’ accusations despite admitting she ‘isn’t an expert,’ and could not define what genocide is,” Meyerson added. “Another DSA jihadi laughing in the face of Jewish Americans.”
Inside the House GOP’s 4-week battle plan to save its majority
FIRST ON FOX: House GOP leaders are quietly laying their battle plans for the final month ahead of the November midterm elections. A new memo being sent to Republicans across the country, first obtained by Fox News Digital, reveals four key topics that the House GOP is focusing on in the final four weeks before the election: the border, fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars, the economy, and public safety. “I think these are the points that the voters actually care most about,” House GOP Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who leads Republicans’ messaging strategy, told Fox News Digital. “[Democrats] want open borders. They want to defund the police, they want to take more money out of your pocket and give it to somebody else. They believe in bigger government. We believe in people… So those are the things that we’re really hammering home during this election.” It comes as Republicans fight an uphill battle to keep control of Congress for the latter half of President Donald Trump’s final term. REPUBLICANS FACE BRUTAL MIDTERM HEADWINDS. SIX FORCES COULD HELP THEM DEFY HISTORY. A recent Fox News poll found Democrats have a wider path to victory than Republicans in the House. Democrats are projected to win 215 seats compared to 201 for the GOP, meaning the left only needs three more victories out of the 19 possible toss-up races to clinch a majority. Republicans would need to win at least 17 of those races. 10 DEMOCRAT-HELD HOUSE SEATS REPUBLICANS COULD FLIP TO SAVE THEIR MAJORITY Republicans are also seeing political opportunity in the far-left insurgency that’s gripped the Democratic Party during its primary cycle, warning that socialists are pushing the party further left than the majority of Americans. On the economy, which is a focus of week two in the GOP memo, Republican incumbents and candidates are encouraged to talk about “putting more money back in Americans’ pockets and creating more opportunities to get ahead through hard work, ownership, and economic freedom.” HOUSE CONSERVATIVES UNLEASH MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR MIDTERM BLITZ AGAINST DEM ‘SOCIALIST’ INSURGENCY The economy, including high grocery and gas prices, has become a central issue in the 2026 election cycle. Democrats have seized on Americans’ struggle with cost-of-living as a political cudgel against Republicans, particularly using Trump’s tariffs on allies like Canada and his war in Iran as arguments against the GOP. McClain acknowledged Americans’ concerns, urging Republicans to be forthright with their voters but warning that Democrats’ high-tax policies would worsen the situation. She also pointed to the low poverty rate and Trump’s new trade deals as positives the GOP could highlight. “What we’re not going to do is gaslight the American people, right? That’s what the Democrats did, and it didn’t work well for them,” she said, referencing former President Joe Biden’s handling of high inflation during his term. “But you have to take a look at the alternative. The alternative is absolutely terrifying.” “We had a massive hole that we were digging out of under Biden. We have more work to do, of course we do, but do you want our trajectory, or do you want to go back to 9% inflation, open borders, and, and higher taxes? Because I tell everybody, every single Democrat voted to raise your taxes. They want more of your money.” She echoed Trump’s assurances that gas prices would drop when the conflict with Iran ended, adding, “We also don’t want the number one state sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon, and we have to protect Americans from that.” Meanwhile, Trump’s polling is underwater, with the most recent Fox News survey from mid-September finding his disapproval rating at 61%. Trump’s favorability remains a high 79% with Republican voters, however, meaning the GOP could still prevail by turning out the base on Nov. 3. One of the most decisive issues of his 2024 victory proved to be illegal immigration and the border, a fervor Republicans are hoping they can harness again come November. The memo encouraged Republicans to discuss “protecting America by stopping illegal immigration, enforcing our laws, and knowing who is entering the country.” McClain pointed to policies promoted by far-left Democrats like abolishing police — and some mainstream Democrats’ backing of sanctuary jurisdictions — as a contrast point for the election, while arguing Republicans were still supportive of legal immigration. “They tell you they want to defund the police. They tell you they want sanctuary cities. These are their words, not mine. These are the policies… they want,” McClain said. “The Republicans, we want immigration, we believe in immigration, but we want people to come in the right way, and we darn sure want to make sure we know who’s coming across.”
Trump’s first-year government overhaul delivers change Washington hasn’t seen since the 1960s
The Trump administration has reduced the federal workforce to the lowest point in roughly 60 years, according to newly released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of August, just 2.67 million people were employed by the federal government, down from just over 3 million when President Donald Trump took office, marking the lowest headcount since 1966, per the BLS. The administration has estimated those cuts will produce significant savings, with OPM projecting that its Deferred Resignation Program alone will save more than $20 billion a year. But the reductions have also come with costs. Revenue collected from IRS examinations fell 35%, from about $10 billion in fiscal 2024 to $6.5 billion in fiscal 2025, as the agency was undergoing steep workforce reductions that ultimately cut examination and collection staffing by nearly 10,000 employees, according to a Treasury watchdog. APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS ORDER BLOCKING IRS FROM SHARING TAXPAYER DATA WITH ICE Former President Joe Biden secured nearly $80 billion in 2022 for the IRS over 10 years to upgrade its systems, improve taxpayer service and hire more staff, including enforcement personnel. The Trump administration has proposed further IRS cuts for 2027. Not all agencies have been hit the same by the Trump administration’s cuts. The Departments of Education, Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development have been cut particularly hard, whereas headcount at the Department of Homeland Security, which has been responsible for carrying out much of the president’s immigration agenda, has remained largely unchanged. TRUMP’S $5K CHECKS COULD JOIN STACK OF PAST UNFULFILLED PROMISES, FORMER CONGRESS BUDGET CHIEF WARNS Not included in the BLS’ count of government employees are the roughly 1.35 million members of the armed services or the approximately 100,000 people employed by intelligence agencies. Cutting the size of the federal workforce, a project that was eventually spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Personnel Management, was a major campaign promise during Trump’s 2024 run as he vowed to slim down what he said was a bloated government. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT UNCOVERS $500M IN FRAUD AND WASTE IN FEDERAL HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAMS GAO found that agencies spent about $6.7 billion paying employees who took part in the Deferred Resignation Program, which allowed many of them to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until they officially left government. The Partnership for Public Service also estimated the government spent $12.1 million rehiring workers who had previously been fired during the administration’s workforce reductions. Despite the cuts, most of which happened during the president’s first year in office, the Trump administration spent 3% more on federal salaries during its first year in power than the Biden administration did during its initial year. If Republicans win the midterm elections, the president has promised to cut $5,000 checks to all adult American citizens, a long-shot promise that, if followed through on, would cost the nation between $1.2 trillion and $1.35 trillion. The White House did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.
Iraq sounds alarm on terror threat from Syria one day after US troops leave
Iraq is preparing for the possibility that Islamic State fighters could spill across the border from Syria, the country’s foreign minister said Thursday. It comes just one day after the U.S. military formally ended its counter-ISIS mission in Iraq. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that Baghdad is closely watching recent ISIS activity in neighboring Syria, and warned that fighters crossing into Iraq could once again pose a threat to the country’s security. “We are worried about ISIS activities inside Syria,” Hussein said, adding that Iraqi forces were preparing to confront any movement toward the border. Still, he stressed that Baghdad believes its military can now handle the terrorist group without the large U.S.-led coalition presence that helped defeat ISIS’s self-declared caliphate. ISIS POISED TO EXPLOIT HISTORIC US IRAQ EXIT, TERROR GROUP ‘ACTIVELY WAITING IN THE GAPS,’ EXPERT WARNS “If they would be capable to cross the border, that would be once again a threat to our security,” Hussein said. “We are preparing ourselves – if there will be any movement from inside Iraq — to fight them and to defeat them.” The warning came just after the departure of the final U.S. forces under Operation Inherent Resolve on Wednesday. US FACES ANOTHER MAJOR MIDDLE EAST TROOP WITHDRAWAL, BUT THREAT REMAINS Trump hailed the withdrawal as a victory over ISIS, saying the terrorist group had been “completely decimated.” “We came to fight a caliphate, and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home,” Trump said. “This day is a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory over ISIS.” But Hussein’s warning came four days after Syrian authorities said they dismantled an ISIS cell operating across four provinces, arresting four of its leaders and seizing explosives that had been prepared for attacks. The cell had carried out kidnappings and was involved in assassinations and planting explosive devices, according to Syrian security forces. U.S. officials assess that ISIS has been severely degraded and no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq, but the terrorist group maintains scattered cells across Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon has said Iraqi forces are capable of suppressing the remaining threat themselves, while U.S. forces continue counter-ISIS operations in Syria aimed at preventing the group from reconstituting. The withdrawal marked the end of a U.S. military mission in Iraq that, in different forms, stretched across more than two decades and reshaped American foreign policy. The 2003 invasion toppled Saddam Hussein but gave way to years of insurgency and sectarian violence. Nearly 4,500 U.S. service members were killed before American forces withdrew in 2011. Three years later, U.S. troops returned as ISIS swept across large parts of Iraq and Syria, seizing Mosul and declaring a self-styled caliphate. The U.S. launched Operation Inherent Resolve in 2014, leading an international coalition that helped Iraqi forces reclaim the territory ISIS had captured. After the withdrawal, Iraq intends to pursue a bilateral security relationship with the U.S., though discussions on what that will look like have not yet begun. He said Baghdad and Washington had discussed the principle of a future security relationship while negotiating the coalition’s departure, but still need to work out the details, including what kind of training, intelligence sharing or other military cooperation could continue. At the same time, Baghdad is moving to bring Iran-backed militia groups operating outside the regular security forces under government control, another longstanding source of friction between Iraq and the U.S. Iraq had originally set a Sept. 30 deadline — coinciding with the U.S.-led coalition’s withdrawal — for armed groups to lay down their weapons or come under state authority. That deadline has since slipped to June 2027 as some powerful factions resist disarmament. Hussein said one group had issued a statement Thursday backing the government’s plan and another was expected to follow within a day, while negotiations continued with others. “A single group will not be allowed to take the decision in their hands and attack other countries,” Hussein said. That question has taken on new urgency as Iraq tries to contain the fallout from the war between the U.S. and neighboring Iran. Hussein confirmed that a recent attack on Saudi Arabia originated from Iraqi territory near the Iranian border, prompting an investigation by Baghdad and consultations with both Riyadh and Tehran. Hussein said he had been in contact with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan over the attack and planned to visit Riyadh to discuss the matter further. The investigation remains ongoing, he said. More broadly, Hussein described Iraq as caught in the middle of the U.S.-Iran conflict, saying Iraqi territory had been struck by both sides. “We became a victim of this war,” Hussein said. Baghdad has pressed both Washington and Tehran to resolve the conflict through negotiations, Hussein said, while seeking to keep Iraq from being drawn further into the fighting.
EXCLUSIVE: 128 GOP lawmakers call for federal probe into Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of 128 Republican lawmakers is pressing the federal government to scrutinize Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding and potentially launch an investigation into the organization and its affiliates. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., led the bicameral effort, asking Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General T. March Bell to review Planned Parenthood‘s federal funding and determine whether the organization and its affiliates have complied with federal laws and funding requirements. “We write to request that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) review and, if appropriate, initiate an investigation into the activities of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. and the organization’s affiliates,” the lawmakers wrote. READ: DR. OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD Their request casts a rather wide net. The lawmakers want the OIG to scrutinize funding flowing through HHS programs, grants, contracts and sub-awards and determine whether evidence exists of fraud, waste, abuse, misrepresentation or other violations affecting federal health programs. If misconduct is uncovered, they want the watchdog to consider consequences ranging from administrative remedies and suspension to exclusion from federal healthcare programs or referrals to other authorities. “Planned Parenthood and its affiliates have faced serious allegations involving the use of federal funds and compliance with federal law. Those allegations deserve a thorough review,” Lankford said. WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD “The HHS Inspector General should follow the facts, determine whether federal laws and funding requirements have been violated, and hold accountable anyone who has misused taxpayer dollars,” he added. The push comes as the Small Business Administration (SBA) separately reviews more than $88 million in COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans received by 38 Planned Parenthood affiliates. The lawmakers cited the SBA action in their letter, characterizing it as an investigation into whether Planned Parenthood affiliates “illegally received $88 million” in pandemic loans. SBA has described its action as a review of whether the affiliates were eligible for the loans. The review itself is not a finding that the affiliates violated the law. But the lawmakers want federal scrutiny to go well beyond the pandemic loans. PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFERED HORMONES BUT HAD NO ANSWERS WHEN DETRANSITIONER SOUGHT HELP, UNDERCOVER PROBE FINDS They are asking the OIG to examine Planned Parenthood’s broader HHS funding and coordinate with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on what they described as a “comprehensive review” of the organization’s activities. HHS-OIG told Fox News Digital Wednesday evening that it had not yet received the letter. “We have not received the letter and will review it for appropriate action once received,” HHS-OIG said. Smith, co-chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said the scrutiny was “long overdue,” citing allegations involving federal funding, reporting requirements, sexual exploitation and fetal tissue. FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP ADMIN OPENS NEW FRONT IN FRAUD CRACKDOWN TARGETING HEALTH INSURERS, DRUG MIDDLEMEN “It is long overdue for a comprehensive investigation and review, and I urge the HHS OIG to look closely to determine whether it has violated federal standards for federal funding recipients,” Smith said. The congressional letter also points to reports alleging failures to comply with mandatory reporting requirements involving suspected child abuse or neglect. The lawmakers are asking federal officials to examine those allegations. They have not been established as findings by HHS-OIG. “Given the significant taxpayer resources that flow through federal health and human services programs, it is critical that recipient organizations operate with transparency, integrity, and full compliance with federal standards,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers closed by asking OIG to coordinate across the federal government to conduct a “comprehensive review” of Planned Parenthood’s activities. “Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health programs and safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” they wrote. Planned Parenthood did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
A must-win midterm state is the real loser of Trump’s Canada trade war
President Donald Trump’s escalating trade fight with Canada could deliver an economic blow to one of the country’s most closely watched battleground states, potentially raising costs for automakers and prices for consumers. Michigan, home to a fiercely contested U.S. Senate race this November, is particularly vulnerable because its auto industry depends heavily on a cross-border supply chain with Canada. America’s northern neighbor received roughly $21.2 billion worth of Michigan exports in 2025, about 36% of the state’s total, mainly vehicles and parts, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. David Clement, policy director of the free market nonprofit Consumer Choice Center, warned the costs of tariffs could ultimately reach Michigan drivers. “How you see this as a Michigan consumer is higher prices on the dealership lot,” Clement told Fox News Digital, describing tariffs alongside already-elevated living costs as a “double whammy.” 5 STATES COULD BE THE BIGGEST LOSERS IN TRUMP’S TRADE WAR WITH CANADA, EXPERT WARNS Those concerns come as Trump has intensified his trade dispute with Canada. He imposed an additional 50% tariff on certain Canadian products earlier this year, and the administration has since barred certain Canadian products from entering the U.S. beginning Sept. 29. Clement said Michigan ranks among the states most exposed to the dispute. “Michigan, in terms of ranking all of the states in their export vulnerability in the trade war, sits at around seventh,” he said, pointing to equipment, machinery and the auto industry as areas of concern. REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE That vulnerability is compounded by how frequently auto parts cross the border before a vehicle is completed. “Most Americans don’t know that a single component on a U.S.-assembled vehicle can cross the border upwards of eight times before it’s actually completed,” Clement said. “When you are tariffing automotive parts going across the border each way, that is where the exposure numbers start to tick up,” he added, warning that tariffs and retaliation can “really gum up the very intertwined supply chain for cars between Michigan and Ontario.” The economic stakes come as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers compete for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. Even as the trade fight creates potential political risks in Michigan, the Trump administration has defended its actions as necessary to protect American businesses and workers and level the playing field with Canada. THE FED JUST THREW A WRENCH IN TRUMP’S MIDTERM ECONOMIC MESSAGE Clement, however, argued the dispute could put pressure on American businesses at a politically sensitive time. “It would appear that Donald Trump’s original escalation against Canada has somewhat backfired in terms of the midterms,” Clement said. He warned that businesses dependent on Canadian goods could feel the effects just as voters head to the polls. “American manufacturers or American businesses who rely on Canadian inputs are going to start to feel the pain right in the lead-up to going to the ballot box,” Clement said. “Cost of living, cost of goods, cost of doing business is such an important factor for Americans who are going to be casting a ballot.”