Fetterman brands new socialist favorite ‘Pontiac Platner’ after ‘ogre’ dig
Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., branded Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdulrahman El-Sayed “Pontiac Platner” after the left-wing upstart called for the “ogre” to be put on a “pike” at a campaign event in comments widely understood to reference the Pennsylvania lawmaker. A recording from a Zoom call with donors obtained by Politico appeared to depict El-Sayed railing against those who have criticized his far-left policy platform, while singling out Fetterman and allegedly envisioning his head on a stake. Fetterman later responded to CNBC’s Joe Kernen by blessing El-Sayed with a new nickname. “I never worked out in male modeling. You know, you could call me ‘Senator Shrek’ — whatever — but this guy is really the Pontiac Platner, and now he’s really running to be, be the head of our emerging pro-Hamas wing here in the party,” Fetterman said of El-Sayed. DEM SENATE HOPEFUL UNDER FIRE FOR RESURFACED COMMENTS CALLING COPS ‘OPPORTUNISTIC COWARDS’ Pontiac is a well-known name in Michigan, stemming from the 18th century Odawa chief to his namesake city and the now-defunct General Motors brand that was discontinued following the 2008 financial crisis. El-Sayed has routinely criticized the Israeli government, and some of his policy positions overlap with those of Maine oyster farmer Graham Platner, who dropped his Senate bid after a series of allegations of sexual misconduct involving women. “Politically, some of the things that he said or done are unacceptable to me. I’m not really sure what I’ve really done or voted for that that has offended the little guy so much,” Fetterman added. BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS He added that Democrats are engaging in a “serious game” by allowing people in the “Bernie Sanders” wing of the party who “created the Platner disaster” some policy oxygen. During El-Sayed’s Zoom call, the millennial left-winger spoke out specifically against Fetterman. “In the interim need to be organizing downward and outward. So, a big pickup for us could be that John Fetterman seat [in Pennsylvania]. I’m like a lot of folks — they’re going to ‘F’ around and give me carte blanche to go take them out,” El-Sayed said. “Y’all came at me, so now I get to come at you and primary people like John Fetterman, and I have no problem with that. I’m looking forward to it.” El-Sayed dismissed the longstanding custom against primarying sitting senators, a norm recently broken in the GOP when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in their primary. “Then, what happens is, ideally, you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different,” El-Sayed said. The 6-foot-9 Fetterman took the insult in stride in his interview with Kernen, alluding to El-Sayed’s barb being his latest comparison to Mike Myers’ beloved green ogre that has cropped up in memes and elsewhere over the years. “It’s incumbent on us, Republican and Democrat [alike], to police your own ranks. So, that’s what I’m willing to do,” Fetterman said, adding he is warning fellow lawmakers against eliminating the filibuster in one example. El-Sayed and Platner also share several policy positions, including support for a single-payer, government-run Medicare-for-all system, anti-corporate housing policies, higher taxes on wealthy Americans and alignment with Sanders, a Vermont socialist. While El-Sayed says he is neither a Democratic Socialists of America member nor a democratic socialist, he has a history of speaking at DSA events. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Between 2017 and 2020, El-Sayed attended and spoke at six events held by the DSA, including a 2019 fundraiser he headlined. Despite the longstanding relationship, El-Sayed has distanced himself from the DSA when interviewed by the press and outright rejected being labeled a “socialist.” “I’m not technically or practically DSA,” El-Sayed told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month. In an interview with CNN, he similarly stated, “I am not somebody who is a socialist. I believe in capitalism. I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated.” Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman and El-Sayed for comment. Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.
DHS eviscerates media for ‘absolute absurdity’ over concern about ‘worst of the worst’ activist judges list
A high-ranking Trump Department of Homeland Security official called out the “liberal media” for what he referred to as the “absolute absurdity” of its response to his series criticizing activist judges. James Percival, general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, posted a series on X last week, “Worst of the Worst, District Judge Edition.” In his posts, Percival pointed to the risks that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents face while enforcing the law, saying some judges are working to “sabotage” those operations and put officers “at risk.” GOP SENATOR UNVEILS BOASBERG ACT TO STOP ‘ROGUE’ JUDGES FROM HANDPICKING TRUMP CASES After his posts, Percival said DHS was contacted by a Chicago Sun-Times reporter about whether “a social media post like this risk[s] additional threats” in the context of “ongoing threats to federal judges.” In response, Percival blasted the outlet in an X post in which he told followers, “Witness the absolute absurdity of the liberal media response to my new series, Worst of the Worst, District Judges.” Percival emphasized that “legitimate fact based critiques of judges and their rulings is fair game in a free society.” He also noted that “the media has no issue with it if the judge is conservative.” Notably, conservative judges, including Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, have been the target of intense criticism from the left and, in some cases, violence. In 2022, Kavanaugh was the target of an assassination plot after an armed California man traveled to his home with a pistol, ammunition, zip ties, pepper spray, duct tape and burglary tools. Further, Barrett testified in a recent congressional hearing that she has had to wear a bulletproof vest in response to threats. In his Worst of the Worst activist judges series, Percival called out district judges in the sanctuary jurisdictions of Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland and California. JUSTICE NEIL GORSUCH BREAKS SILENCE ON VIOLENT THREATS AGAINST JUDICIARY, SUPREME COURT LEAKS Percival said that, earlier this month, Northern District of Illinois Judge Matthew Kennelly, a Clinton appointee, ordered a nationwide pause on the termination of temporary protected status for migrants from Burma. Percival wrote that Kennelly ordered the stay “even though these decisions are not subject to judicial review, even though we have been vindicated by the Supreme Court on TPS four times, and even though the Seventh Circuit summarily reversed him on the same issue only days before. “This is judicial sabotage.” Percival wrote that Central District of California Judge Hernán Vera, a Biden appointee, recently “entered an order micromanaging DHS’s use of force policy with respect to violent anti-ICE agitators in Los Angeles.” Percival noted that the judge “described the agitators as ‘protesters’ and ‘legal observers,’ while describing DHS’s actions defending its personnel and property as ‘violent.’” SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS Percival noted, “Agitators in Los Angeles have assaulted DHS employees, thrown objects at them, engaged in arson, and even tried to breech [sic] a federal facility. “Judicial micromanagement of use of force in these contexts puts our officers at risk.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In response, Sean Lewis, a spokesperson for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, told Fox News Digital that “the Code of Conduct calls on federal judges not to comment publicly on pending cases. It also requires them to decide each matter independently, based on the law and the facts — not political pressure, public reaction, partisan interests or fear of criticism.” Lewis added that “when someone disagrees with a ruling, the appropriate way to challenge it is through the appellate process.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Chicago Sun-Times and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for comment.
Red state governor pummeled online after defying Trump’s deportation orders
A Republican governor in a state that voted to elect President Donald Trump is facing intense backlash online after an interview arguing against the president’s order to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) migrants from the United States. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s state is home to an estimated 30,000 Haitian TPS holders. He told CBS earlier this week that the Haitians shouldn’t be sent back to their country of origin. “Haiti is hell today. So you’d be sending people … back to hell,” he said. “Very few of these Haitians will voluntarily go back to Haiti. If they have to leave, they’ll go someplace else. They want to work. They want to support their family. They don’t want to go back to Haiti.” BLUE STATE LEADERS ERUPT AFTER SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ENDING TPS PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS, SYRIANS Online detractors quickly seized on DeWine’s comments, mostly from users claiming that those responsible for Haiti’s conditions are the ones that the governor wants to allow to stay in the United States. “What makes Haiti hellish? Is it…the Haitians?” asked Sean Davis, co-founder of The Federalist, in response to CBS’ story about the interview posted on X. “Hey governor, what is it that makes Haiti so bad anyway?” The Blaze’s Logan Hall asked. “I think the real question here is, if Haiti is hell, why are we importing Haitians?” questioned internet personality Larry Sanger. TRUMP’S ‘THIRD WORLD’ TRAVEL BAN COULD BECOME PERMANENT IF FIREBRAND REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER GETS HER WAY Others referenced the liberal media’s freakout when, in 2018, Trump referred to Haiti and some other nations as “s—hole” countries. Meanwhile, TV personalities and talking heads, comedian Conan O’Brien chief among them, defended Haiti for its natural beauty. “Still reeling from [Trump’s] very negative Yelp review of Haiti, which means I’ll love it,” O’Brien said at the time, announcing a trip to the country. “I have no idea what the president has against the people of Haiti, but if the president doesn’t like them, they must be lovely people.” DEM-LED PUSH TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS FACES OUTRAGE AFTER BRUTAL HAMMER KILLING One X user specifically blamed Haitians for DeWine’s characterization that the country is “hell.” “Or is it a paradise like so many celebrities have said?” the user asked. “I was reliably informed by democrats [sic] and hollywood [sic] celebrities that Haiti is utopia,” said another user. “What a tragedy it would be for Haitians to live in Haiti,” said another X user. DeWine argued in the CBS interview that sending Haitians back to Haiti would be a “mistake” that would endanger the lives of the TPS holders. He also specifically mentioned Springfield, his hometown, which has a large population of Haitian TPS holders. “These are people who have helped Springfield really come back,” DeWine said. “The Haitians who are living there and employed there, they came there to work, and they came there because there were jobs that were not being filled by other people.” TPS was officially terminated Monday after Trump’s order survived a Supreme Court review. “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary. For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Fox News Digital earlier this week. TPS was created as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, and was designed for people facing serious emergencies like armed conflict or severe natural disasters. Critics claim it has been abused to give status to those in the U.S. for non-emergent reasons. DeWine’s office declined to comment on “statements made in online comment sections,” when reached by Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back at time of publication. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
WATCH: Fauci attorney ejected from Senate hearing after chaotic exchange: ‘You are not recognized!’
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s hearing with Anthony Fauci on Capitol Hill got off to a rocky start Wednesday morning when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ordered one of Fauci’s lawyers removed after he repeatedly refused to stop disrupting the proceedings. Fauci refused to respond to questions from Paul, repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment. The hearing then took a turn when attorney David Schertler, whom Paul identified as one of Fauci’s “half a dozen” lawyers, attempted to speak without being recognized. “You are not recognized, you’re not recognized. If you are unruly, you will be removed from the proceeding,” Paul warned. FAUCI PRIVATELY TOOK CREDIT FOR COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS DESPITE PUBLIC DENIAL, NEWLY EXPOSED DIARY ENTRIES REVEAL Despite this, Schertler, who was seated beside Fauci, continued to speak. This prompted Paul to admonish him, saying, “You will respect these proceedings. You were told not to sit at the table. You insist on sitting at the table. And we told you would not be recognized. You are not invited here for testimony, sir. You are being disruptive. Would you behave this way in a courtroom? No, because the judge would put you in jail. I can’t do that today. But I can have you escorted from the premises. So, I would say, sir, sit quietly and don’t say another word.” “Another word and you’re gone,” Paul added. SLACK MESSAGES RELEASED BY RAND PAUL APPEAR TO SHOW AUTHORS OF KEY COVID-19 ORIGIN PAPER HELD PRIVATE DOUBTS Ranking Member Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., cut in, saying, “I’d like to hear what the the attorney has to say.” However, Paul responded, “This testimony is from Anthony Fauci. This is not a game with his lawyers.” “His lawyers can give him advice. He’s got a half dozen here. They’re all allowed to talk to him, alright? But the attorneys are not recognized. In fact, the attorney was told not to sit at the table, and he’s not obeying that recommendation. There’s a row behind you, sir. That’s where you were told to sit, and you’re not. And now you’re disrupting the proceedings,” said Paul. “This is the way Anthony Fauci wants to be remembered for a lawyer not listening to the rules. That’s the way you want to be remembered, and that’s what you’re going to do.” Despite these warnings, the man continued speaking, prompting Paul to ask security to “please remove him from the room.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER As Paul said this, several people in the gallery broke into applause. FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED As the man was removed, Paul stated, “Let the record state that Dr. Fauci will still have the advice of the other half a dozen attorneys that he brought along today.” Though former President Joe Biden issued an unconditional preemptive pardon to Fauci, Senate Republicans have emphasized that the pardon will not protect Fauci if he lies to Congress on Wednesday.
Democrat compares ICE to ‘domestic terrorists’ as 111 House Dems demand Texas detention center close
A House Democratic lawmaker compared actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to domestic terrorism after a visit to a Texas detention facility on Tuesday. Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., said that seeing ICE’s actions was personal for her as the daughter of Mexican immigrants and argued that “for the people of the United States, we don’t want to see our government, or ICE officials, acting like domestic terrorists,” she said in Spanish during a press conference. She said her Los Angeles district saw more ICE raids than anywhere else in her county. Rivas was among a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, on a visit to an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas, which over 100 House Democrats have demanded to be shut down. TRUMP ON VERGE OF SECURING $70B ICE FUNDING VICTORY AFTER HOUSE CLEARS HURDLE The lawmakers accused the Trump administration of holding families, including a child as young as 2 months old, in inhumane conditions. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the left-wing “Squad,” also attacked President Donald Trump as a “dictator.” SOMETHING TO HIDE? ICE UNDER FIRE FOR SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AT FOR-PROFIT DETENTION CENTER “It’s so important that we not acquiesce to this, this fascist administration, this dictator in the Oval Office,” Pressley said. “History has shown us time again, appeasement does not work. The only way to beat a dictator is with defiance. The only way to beat fascism is to refuse to accept this segregated, divided, dark, dystopian view that they have for our country, is to reject it as an inevitability.” She called on Americans to “resist, reject, condemn at every turn.” But it’s that kind of rhetoric that Republicans have argued is responsible for sending tensions across the U.S. skyrocketing. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in response to Rivas’ comments, “Attacks and demonization of ICE law enforcement are wrong. Because of smears like this our ICE officers are now facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. ICE law enforcement is arresting criminals and saving countless American lives.” “Rep. Luz Rivas should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these dangerous criminals from her state—NOT vilifying law enforcement,” the spokesperson said. SPANBERGER’S ICE ROLLBACK TO BLAME FOR TODDLER KILLING, VIRGINIA ‘HOTBED’ OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME: DHS GOP allies of the president have accused Democrats of encouraging violence and resistance against ICE agents, drawing a line between encouragement to resist federal immigration officers and the slate of violent incidents involving those officers this year alone. But Democrats are accusing ICE of acting as a rogue agency outside the bounds of the law. “We have to abolish ICE. And then I’m going to take it one step further and say any of those agents that have contributed to and caused the injury, the harm, and even fatalities, they must also be held accountable,” Pressley said. “And we should abolish qualified immunity for these federal law enforcement officers.” In a letter sent earlier this month, 111 House Democrats accused the administration of harming children and families with the conditions at the Dilley detention center. “Parents describe horrendous conditions at Dilley, leading to severe depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation amongst their children. Children have reported that their food is often contaminated with worms and mold and that they feel sick after drinking tap water,” the letter said. “Families also report not being able to sleep at night because the lights are kept on in their rooms throughout the night. … Medical care provided by CoreCivic staff is delayed, denied, and in many cases outright dismissed, even when children are suffering life-threatening medical emergencies.” DHS did previously accuse Democrats of lying about conditions at Dilley, which it said in a press release was specialized to hold families and care for children specifically. “The Dilley facility is retrofitted for families. Children have access to teachers, classrooms, and curriculum booklets for math, reading, and spelling. They have access to age-appropriate books, toys, and outdoor activities. All of this is generously funded by the U.S. taxpayer,” DHS said. “Infant care packages include formula, baby food, bottles, diapers, wipes, and hygiene items. The facility also provides sippy cups and cribs. Adults with children are housed in facilities that provide for their safety, security, and medical needs.”
Trump says US will ‘beat the f—— s— out of them’ after Iran launches surprise missile strike
President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning issued a profanity-laced threat against Iran after the Islamic regime launched a surprise missile strike on U.S. forces in Jordan overnight. “We’re going to beat the f—ing s— out of them,” Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. “We’ll be hitting them hard,” the president said of Iran. “They’re going to get a beating.” ARMY IDS 2 VICTIMS KILLED IN JORDAN AIR BASE ATTACK; TRUMP: IRAN WILL PAY ‘MANY TIMES OVER’ Trump said the American forces in Jordan had just minutes to respond and shoot down the incoming Iranian ballistic missiles. The president added that he reviewed video showing U.S. personnel calling out coordinates in real time during the interceptions. U.S. Central Command said all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command in Jordan, the paramilitary force said in a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. Jordan’s military said five Iranian missiles had been intercepted and destroyed. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. RUBIO ACCUSES IRAN OF FLYING IRGC PERSONNEL INTO YEMEN AS HOUTHI THREAT ESCALATES The U.S. military later announced that American and Saudi fighter aircraft had struck multiple Iran-backed Shiite logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq in response to alleged drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Defense Ministry warned that it “does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression.” Trump told Fox News that the overnight U.S.-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq were coordinated with the Iraqi government. He called the militias a “cancer on the world” and said additional warnings against Iranian proxies were under consideration. Despite the flare-up, Trump said that talks with Iran will continue. “We’re going to let them keep talking,” he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump’s evolving China rhetoric raises eyebrows over TikTok strategy amid scorching election meddling warning
President Donald Trump is striking a noticeably softer tone toward China just days after delivering a public address to the nation accusing Beijing of “sinister election meddling.” The fresh set of accusations levied on July 16 raised new questions about the Trump administration’s posture towards China, especially as it moves to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. while warning against the hostility of the world power against America. “President Trump just told the nation that China tried to influence the 2020 election and weaken his presidency. During that same year, the intelligence community identified TikTok as a primary vector of CCP influence in the United States,” Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik, who specializes in U.S.–China relations, told Fox News Digital. “Beijing still controls the algorithm, which means that the very dangers Trump raised persist today,” Sobolik added. TRUMP’S ELECTION INTEGRITY SPEECH: 7 TAKEAWAYS EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW Trump has long taken a hard line on China, using tariffs, trade pressure and national security warnings to frame Beijing as one of America’s chief adversaries. In his recent address to the nation, the president accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of running a “sinister” campaign to interfere in U.S. elections and influence Americans and undermine his presidency. Yet just five days later, on July 21, Trump suggested “China is maybe a little bit different today.” It struck a softer tone that falls more in line with the president’s backing of a deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S., despite seeking during his first term and at the start of his second to force the app out over national security concerns. “The CCP hasn’t changed. Xi Jinping hasn’t changed. But President Trump has,” Sobolik detailed. “He’s much more conciliatory toward China in his second term than he was in his first. He risks telegraphing significant weakness to Xi by letting China off the hook.” Trump downplayed Beijing’s past election interference, suggesting both countries engage in similar tactics and indicating he was more focused on future negotiations than revisiting China’s actions. TRUMP’S UPBEAT CHINA MESSAGE COLLIDES WITH DEEPENING BEIJING RIVALRY “It took place a long time ago. I think China is maybe a little bit different today than it was then,” Trump conceded. “But look there, they do things and we do things to them. I’ll be honest — do we do things to them too? It’s not a one-way street, but we’ll be talking to them,” said Trump when speaking about Chinese election meddling days after his “free and fair elections” televised remarks. Sobolik argued the softened rhetoric could embolden Beijing to continue attempts to influence U.S. politics in the future. In his first term, Trump sought to ban TikTok, saying it posed a national security risk. Then, during his second term, Trump joined the app, and in recent weeks, so have his top Cabinet members. “President Trump has saved TikTok for its millions of American users — yet another promise made, promise kept,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. “With the new TikTok under the control of U.S. investors, Americans can continue to enjoy TikTok with their data fully protected.” TikTok’s ownership deal was reconstructed at the beginning of this year to have majority U.S. ownership while still giving Chinese technology company ByteDance a 19.9% stake – 0.01% below the threshold required under U.S. law. CHILL COMING FROM TRUMP’S SUMMIT WITH XI IS PROOF OF A NEW COLD WAR WITH CHINA While the app is based in the U.S., Sobolik said that TikTok’s algorithm remains under ByteDance’s control via a licensing regime. “The fact that it’s training on U.S. data stored on servers in America doesn’t change the fundamental reality that a Chinese Communist Party-controlled company still controls the algorithm itself,” said Sobolik. “The administration hasn’t directly addressed the possibility that Beijing could calibrate the app’s algorithm in concerning ways.” Trump visited China in May for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping on several of the biggest pressure points in the U.S.-China relationship — from trade and Taiwan to AI and human rights. Those meetings appeared to end without firm public breakthroughs. In his final meeting with Xi at the summit, Trump touted what he called “fantastic trade deals.” Sobolik said Trump “wants what he’s always wanted with China,” which is a trade deal. “He needs to think broader and bigger. Economic competition is one part of the larger new cold war that’s playing out between Washington and Beijing,” he said. Sobolik said Trump is placing too much emphasis on trade while overlooking other important areas of competition with China. “Xi will have the advantage,” he added. Trump said Xi will be visiting the U.S. on Sept. 24, with artificial intelligence expected to be a key topic during their talks.
Fauci pleads Fifth with ‘zero legal justification’ as critics erupt and demand contempt charges
Former National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci repeatedly refused to answer substantive questions from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul, leaving the Kentucky Republican frustrated and critics enraged. Fauci and Paul previously engaged in heated exchanges during an earlier hearing, when the lawmaker warned the immunologist against lying to Congress about his role in the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and his support for gain-of-function research. “I served at the NIH for over 54 years, 38 of those as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Over that period, I proved that I believe in and respect the value of legitimate congressional oversight,” Fauci began his opening statement. “In fact, I testified before and or briefed Senate and House congressional oversight, Senate and House committees well over 200 times over those 38 years during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Fauci, who was appointed to his NIAID role by President Ronald Reagan. RAND PAUL BLASTS FAUCI AS ‘UNCONCERNED WITH LIBERTY’, ‘NOT BEING HONEST WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ Fauci said that because Paul has an “obsession” with demanding his prosecution and allegedly “slander[ed]” him, he felt he was going to be put in a trap to “vindicate [Paul’s] public pledges” that he “end up behind bars.” When Paul began a series of in-depth questions, Fauci began repeatedly pleading his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Paul argued that Fauci did not have that ability during a congressional investigation conducted under a lawful subpoena, noting that it is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 to knowingly make false statements to Congress. When Fauci finished, Paul reiterated that point before Fauci’s lawyer began speaking out of turn and was eventually ejected by the chairman. WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS TEHRE’S ONE THING AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM FAUCI Reaction was swift as Fauci’s refusal to answer questions drew sharp rebuke from conservatives and other critics: “Anthony Fauci is a monster and pleading the 5th is grotesque and every mainstream platform outlet that put him on a pedestal should be ashamed,” said Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla. “The Fifth Amendment is not legitimate,” added conservative author and attorney Ann Coulter. “The Fifth is for past crimes — for which Fauci has already been fully pardoned. I don’t think the Biden admin thought this through,” she said on X. Conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck commented on Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, being ejected by Paul after refusing to return to his seat and leave the witness dais. Schertler kept interrupting Paul’s commands until the chairman had enough and asked Capitol Police to remove him. “Is anyone surprised that Fauci hired someone who broke the rules and shows contempt for American taxpayers? I’m not,” Starbuck said on X. READ THE DIARIES: DOCUMENTS UNVEIL FAUCI’S THOUGHTS ON LAB LEAK DEBATE, MASK DOUBTS, TESTING FAILURES “Perfect attorney for the evil elf.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., later claimed Schertler had been wrongly “gagged.” Investigative journalist Gerald Posner shared a clip of Fauci invoking the Fifth, criticizing the immunologist for doing so. “This is not the transparency Americans seeking answers about COVID’s origins and the policies that upended the world wanted to hear,” Posner tweeted. “The Fifth Amendment exists to protect the innocent from government overreach. It should never become a shield against the truth.” “I called the shot this morning. Fauci will plead the fifth,” White House adviser Peter Navarro said in a separate message. Meanwhile, calls mounted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. Federalist founder Sean Davis said Congress should do just that, noting former President Joe Biden gave him a “blanket pardon” for all activities occurring prior to January 2025. “There is zero legal justification for him pleading the Fifth Amendment on questions related to his conduct during the period covered by the pardon,” Davis said. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich questioned why Fauci would do so, suggesting congressional testimony is intended to inform the public. “Interesting. It’s about COVID, public health, & the public’s right to know,” Blagojevich said. Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that Fauci’s actions permanently harmed children affected by his pandemic policy recommendations: “Parents were forced to live with the consequences of Dr. Fauci’s decisions every single day. Our kids lost years of learning, friendships, milestones, and opportunities they’ll never get back,” Justice said. “Now, when it’s time for accountability, he refuses to answer questions under oath. That’s infuriating. The American people deserve answers now.”
WATCH: Battleground Democrat called Iowa a ‘backwater’ over transgender athletes ban
A Democrat hoping to flip one of the country’s most competitive House seats called her state a “backwater” over Republican efforts to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, according to unearthed footage obtained by Fox News Digital. House candidate Christina Bohannan made the comments during a 2021 legislative forum while opposing a GOP proposal barring biological males from competing on female sports teams. Bohannan’s comments could provide fresh ammunition for Republicans as the repeat candidate seeks a third bid against Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, in a swing district that President Donald Trump carried by more than eight points in 2024. “They’re introducing these bills and making these comments to try to make a point,” Bohannan, who previously served in the Iowa state legislature, said, referring to her GOP colleagues. “And I think even that is really damaging to people and sends a very bad message about our state that’s going to make the state look like a backwater.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: DEMOCRATS LEAD IN THE HOUSE, BUT REDISTRICTING KEEPS THE GOP IN THE GAME Iowa, under Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, enacted a transgender athletes ban in 2022. Bohannan voted against the measure. The comments are the latest instance of Bohannan torching Iowa for rejecting left-wing policies. Bohannan also said in 2021 the Hawkeye State would be seen as “backwards” if lawmakers approved a bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training at public schools and universities. Reynolds signed the legislation later that year. “I think that it’s going to send a very bad message about Iowa and that it is going to seem like…this backwards state that doesn’t understand there are things like systemic racism,” the Democrat hopeful said on the “Under the Dome” podcast in 2021. Bohannan notably served as chairwoman of the University of Iowa College of Law’s DEI committee, where she urged students to support the Black Lives Matter movement, Fox News Digital previously reported. In that role, she sent students a letter encouraging them to financially contribute to several activist funds, some of which supported defunding police. Bohannan lost to Miller-Meeks by fewer than 800 votes in 2024, making it the closest House race in the nation. She also launched a failed run for the seat in 2022. BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRAT FLIP-FLOPS ON CONVERSION THERAPY AFTER LEFT-WING BACKLASH The nonpartisan Cook Political Report says the rematch contest is a “toss-up.” The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is aggressively working to re-elect Miller-Meeks to a third House term, sharply criticized Bohannan’s remarks in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Liberal Christina Bohannan didn’t just vote against protecting girls’ sports, she mocked Iowans for standing up for women and girls,” NRCC spokeswoman Emily Tuttle said. “Bohannan has made it clear she’s for they/them, not Iowa families,” Tuttle continued, invoking Trump’s signature attack line against former Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News Digital reached out to Bohannan for comment. Bohannan’s remarks come as transgender issues continue to split Democrats, while public polling has shown broad support for limiting girls’ and women’s sports to biological females. A New York Times/Ipsos poll released in 2025 found that nearly eight in 10 Americans opposed biological males participating in women’s sports. Roughly 70% of Democrats or Democrat-leaning respondents held the same position, according to the survey. Miller-Meeks cheered the Supreme Court in June upholding state-level bans on biological males participating on female sports teams. “Today’s Supreme Court decision is a win for girls’ sports,” the Iowa lawmaker said in a statement following the ruling. “I have and will continue to fight to ensure every female athlete has a fair chance.” Bohannan, by contrast, did not appear to publicly comment on the ruling. Fox News Digital’s Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.
WATCH: Rand Paul says there’s one thing Americans have never heard from Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci ran point as the COVID-19 explainer-in-chief under two different administrations, steering policy and messaging on the virus that rattled the country and world for years. But there is one thing in all of his media appearances, profiles, interviews and congressional hearings that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., contended Fauci never said that he was sorry. “I mean, I’d like to hear him say he’s sorry,” Paul said. “Can he say he is sorry for funding — the research was dangerous research in China? Almost everybody agrees with that.” EXCLUSIVE: BIDEN PARDON WON’T SHIELD FAUCI IF HE LIES TO CONGRESS, COMER SAYS “Now he says, ‘Oh, well, it didn’t meet this definition or this definition, it was dangerous research,” he continued. “It was a judgment error. It was a profound judgment error.” Paul and Fauci are set to square off Wednesday morning in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the panel that Paul leads, in a clash that has been years in the making. In the lead up to Wednesday’s hearing, Paul unveiled over 1,000 pages of Fauci’s diary, providing his own color commentary online about Fauci’s motivations leading up to and during the pandemic. WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS FAUCI LOBBIED FOR $1M PRIZE WHILE LEADING COVID RESPONSE The lawmaker has had his sights set on Fauci since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and accused him of funding research in China that led to the eventual outbreak of the virus. And though Fauci has been out of the public spotlight since 2022, when he stepped down from his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the two will finally get the chance to square up and settle the feud. “I think he actually could do better in the hearing if he’d come forward and apologize for funding this research,” Paul said. “No one’s ever heard an apology from him. All they hear is sort of the idea that he never did anything wrong and that there’s nothing wrong with that.” HARVARD TOPS NATION IN FOREIGN CASH HAUL AS COTTON DEMANDS PROBE INTO CHINA FUNDING Paul has said that the former chief medical advisor to the president deserves to be in prison for his alleged role in funding gain-of-function research, and warned that his pardon from former President Joe Biden wouldn’t hold up. Notably, Fauci’s former top advisor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. David Morens, was indicted by the Justice Department earlier this year on charges of allegedly conspiring to evade public records laws, hide communications regarding the origins of COVID-19, and destroy federal records. Gain-of-function research, or work that enhances a virus’s transmissibility or lethality, and Fauci’s alleged role in funding that type of research through his position at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China has been Paul’s focal point for years in his crusade against the former COVID-19 czar. And he argued that the issue of researching the spread of a virus, or its killing potential, predates the pandemic. Paul charged that in 2010, research conducted by Ron Fouchier, a Dutch virologist, produced a version of H5N1, commonly known as bird flu, that was transmissible “through the air between mammals.” “And half the scientific community said, ‘Oh my God, this could be the end of the world. We’re doing this s—,’” Paul said. “And Fauci was on the other side, and he said at the time in a Washington Post op-ed that even if a pandemic should occur from a scientist being bitten or somehow infected, the knowledge is worth the risk,” he continued. “That needs to be debated by the country. Is the knowledge of creating viruses that could kill the world worth the risks? And I don’t think it is.”