DNC chair demands Dems stop ‘bringing a pencil to a knife fight’ at fiery summer meeting
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – As Democrats hunger for more forceful pushback against sweeping and controversial moves by President Donald Trump and Republicans, the party’s national chair stressed that it’s time to “stand up and fight.” And in a fiery speech Monday, Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin argued that the president is acting as “a dictator-in-chief” and that Trump’s second administration is “facism dressed in a red tie.” “We are the only thing standing in his way,” Martin emphasized as he addressed the more than 400 elected party officials from all 50 states and seven territories, as the summer meeting kicked off at a downtown hotel in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Are you ready to take back our country from the wannabe-king in the White House,” he asked the audience, to loud cheers. AMID PLUNGING POLLS, ANEMIC FUNDRAISING, DEMOCRATS LOOK TO REBOUND AT PARTY’S SUMMER MEETING Martin, pointing to the forceful response by Democrats to moves this summer by Trump and Republicans to create more right-leaning U.S. House seats in states across the country through rare mid-decade congressional redistricting ahead of next year’s midterm elections, said that he’s “sick and tired of this Democratic Party bringing a pencil to a knife fight.” “We cannot be the only party that plays by the rules anymore,” he urged. Democratic Party leaders and officials face a multitude of problems as they try to escape the political wilderness. The party is trying to escape the political wilderness after last year’s elections, when Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate and fell short in their bid to win back the House majority. And Republicans made gains with voters who make up key parts of the Democratic Party’s base. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS PARTY HAS HIT ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ But the situation has only worsened for the Democrats in the 10 months since last year’s election setbacks. The Democrats’ brand is deeply unpopular, especially with younger voters, as the party’s poll numbers continue to drop to all-time lows in national surveys. The DNC faces a massive fundraising deficit at the hands of the rival Republican National Committee (RNC), fueled in part by major party donors cutting back their contributions as they express their frustrations with the national party committee. New voter data first reported last week by the New York Times showed Democratic Party registration plunging while GOP sign-ups were on the rise in the 30 states that register voters by party. “There’s no doubt that … we have work to do,” Martin acknowledged in a sit-down interview this summer with Fox News Digital. But seeing a silver lining, he added that “when you hit rock bottom, there’s only one direction to go, and that’s up, and that’s what we’re doing.” On Monday, amid talk that Democrats remain divided over a slew of policy and political issues, Martin highlighted that “in this big tent party of ours, we are unified towards one single goal, to stop Donald Trump and put this country back on track.” LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY TAKES OVER CHAIRING REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota took aim at talk of the party’s divisions. Klobuchar rejected the “we suck club” label and said “we’re not getting into it when they try to divide us on every single issue online. Complaining about each other to each other – it isn’t how we win again.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took aim at media reports of the party’s divisions, saying “it boggles my damn mind that in the midst of a military takeover of our cities and the attempt to go into others, the flaunting of the rule of law, the coolness and the unconstitutional nature of the way they’re attacking our neighbors, that the press finds the need to talk about, ‘oh, there’s a division in the Democratic Party.’” “There’s a division in my damn house, and we’re still married, and things are good,” Walz said. “That’s life. That’s life. We are strong. We are strong because we challenge each other.” Walz, who served as then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democrats national ticket last summer and autumn, slammed Trump as “petty as hell.” And he said Americans wake each morning to “a man child crying about whatever’s wrong with him.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told the audience that he and fellow Democratic state attorneys general who’ve fought the Trump administration in court have “sued this dude 44 times and we’ll sue him 44 more and 44 more after that.” “We have sued Trump for gender-affirming care. We are not going to scapegoat the transgender community.” Ellison highlighted. While the 2024 election has faded in the rearview mirror, Republicans have been relentless in characterizing Democrats as extreme leftists. Former RNC chair Michael Whatley, who formally stepped down last week as he runs for the Senate, argued in a Fox News Digital interview last week that the Democrats “are moving further and further and farther to the left. They are walking away from Main Street right now. They are beholden to left-wing radical woke policies.” “They haven’t learned a single thing from their election losses in 2024,” Whatley claimed. RNC communications director Zach Parkinson, responding to Monday’s DNC session, told Fox News that “under Ken Martin’s leadership, Democrats have sunk to their lowest approval rating in 35 years, the DNC is still paying off millions in debt from Kamala Harris’ failed campaign, and Martin himself is actively supporting a communist for mayor of New York City. As Republicans, we think he is doing a fantastic job, and we fully endorse him to stay on as DNC Chair.” The “communist” reference points to Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Democrats’ nominee in this year’s New York City mayoral election. But despite all the problems and setbacks facing the Democrats, they have enjoyed some victories of late. Democrats have scored a slew of off-year and special election wins, ahead of next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its
Federal judge temporarily bars Abrego Garcia from deportation to Uganda
A federal judge in Maryland blocked the Trump administration on Monday from immediately deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials hours earlier, delivering a temporary blow to the government’s efforts to remove the Salvadorian migrant at the center of a months-long court fight. Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s attorney, said Monday that he filed the emergency motion after his client was taken into immigration custody at the ICE Field Office in Baltimore, after he appeared there as a condition of his pretrial release from criminal custody. The new filing asks a judge to block Abrego Garcia’s removal from the U.S. until his immigration case can play out via the proper channels, ensuring due process protections — including the right to a reasonable fear interview before being removed to a third country. Judge Paula Xinis said that she planned to move quickly in weighing the emergency request, telling both Justice Department lawyers and attorneys for Abrego Garcia to confer privately to hash out a proposed briefing schedule, with an eye towards Friday as a possible date for an evidentiary hearing. The judge said she would hold off on any decisions until after the hearing. ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL Xinis noted at the outset that she believed an extension of her current temporary restraining order might be “necessary,” in light of the administration’s stated plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda, even as she acknowledged that the information before her was preliminary. She also cited the daylight between the plea offer offered to Abrego Garcia late last week — which would allow him to be sent to Costa Rica as a free individual in exchange for pleading guilty to criminal charges against him — and the lack of stated assurances from Uganda, the East African nation agreed to accept migrants deported from the U.S. just days earlier. She noted there is not a known proffer from Uganda detailing what protections Abreo Garcia would have in the country, including the ability to travel freely throughout its borders, compared to what Costa Rica provided, which included assurances that he would live in the country freely, and would have residency papers or refugee status. Crucially, Uganda has not provided any known assurances that Abrego Garcia would not be befouled, or sent back to El Salvador, after being deported to the country. “There’s just nothing right now on the record in that regard,” Xinis said, noting that the silence from Uganda “is certainly taken in contrast” as to what Costa Rica has offered. JUDGE PRESSES TRUMP DOJ ON ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION; ANSWERS LEAVE COURTROOM IN STUNNED SILENCE Though Xinis stressed the information before her was preliminary, and that the Trump administration “can certainly right the ship” by providing evidence to the contrary, she said, “the contrast is significant,” at least for now. Before adjourning the court, she also ordered the Trump administration to keep Abrego Garcia in the same ICE detention center in Virginia, where he was moved after his arrest on Monday, after his attorneys cited concerns ICE would remove him again tonight. Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign did not immediately rule out that possibility, prompting her to order him to be kept there. She also reiterated, several times, that the government must comply with the court. “Your clients are absolutely forbidden at this juncture to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia from the continental United States,” she noted pointedly to Ensign, who agreed. “I’m going to take it from you, as an officer of the court, and on behalf of your clients, that there is the fullest intent to abide by those orders,” Xinis said, before following up again. “Is that accurate?” “That is accurate, Your Honor,” Ensign said.
Providence police violated city ordinance by assisting ICE operation, investigators find
Police in Rhode Island’s largest city are in hot water with municipal investigators over their alleged presence and behavior at an immigration enforcement operation. Providence’s External Review Authority, or PERA, found Friday that police in the Ocean State’s capital acted in violation of a city ordinance against cooperating with ICE while present at a July operation involving federal agents. PERA found police “impermissibly assisted” ICE agents in conducting civil immigration enforcement operations,” according to WLNE, which obtained a copy of the report. PERA’s report claimed police wrongfully established a perimeter, gathered intelligence and generally aided ICE’s response to the pursuit of Honduran national and alleged fentanyl trafficker Ivan Rene Mendoza-Meza. FLORIDA OFFICIAL CONFRONTS NEWSOM OVER CRASH TIED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER The civilian board, which requires part of the police’s budget be allocated to its own, singled out one sergeant who had allegedly helped ICE confirm Mendoza-Meza’s location when speaking with a landlord. The report suggested Providence Police put out clearer operational guidelines for situations involving federal agencies and hold training sessions with all officers. Providence Police told WLNE in a statement that it reviewed PERA’s report and confirmed it is creating training materials as recommended. “The Providence Police Department remains dedicated to fairness, accountability and building trust with all members of our community.” Mendoza-Meza was listed as a “worst of the worst” candidate by ICE in a statement identifying him as a “documented MS-13 gang member” who goes by “El Negro.” AMERICA’S ORIGINAL SANCTUARY STATE REBUKES BONDI’S WARNING, DENIES OBSTRUCTION OF ICE On July 13, federal agents were chasing Mendoza-Meza when he crashed his vehicle. Mendoza-Meza reportedly hit a parked car, and Providence Police responded to “ensure public safety” at the accident scene, according to a Boston Globe report. However, the Globe further reported that video from the scene showed police allegedly assisting ICE by speaking with the landlord, reviewing photos taken by federal agents of a figure seen inside the dwelling and an exchange in which one officer told an agent “I want your people grabbing him; we’ll help you.” Mendoza-Meza had faced a prior charge of fentanyl trafficking in Rhode Island in 2023, according to the paper, and indictments in two other instances, according to WLNE. City Council President Rachel Miller asked for an external review at the time, remarking, “What is this if it’s not cooperation,” and claimed the perception of police working with the feds is “damaging to the overall community safety.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2017, then-Mayor Jorge Elorza signed the Providence Community-Police Relations Act into law, which is what the police in Mendoza-Meza’s case are accused of violating. The ordinance prescribes that police are prohibited from complying with interagency requests to assist in operations conducted “solely for the purpose of enforcing federal civil immigration law.” Examples given by the law include traffic perimeters solely meant for immigration enforcement, providing documentation on inmates and allowing feds access to police premises without a warrant.
Cuomo calls NYC mayoral rival ‘dangerous,’ warns socialism would be ‘death knell’ for city
Zohran Mamdani is “dangerous,” and socialism would be a “death knell for New York City,” former Gov. Andrew Cuomo told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.” The leading mayoral candidates represent the political divide that has been brewing in the Democratic Party since President Donald Trump reclaimed the White House last year. Cuomo said this “internal debate” should come as “no surprise,” tying Mamdani to fellow self-described democratic socialists, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., both of whom have endorsed Mamdani’s campaign. “The primaries get the most active, often on the Democratic side, the most far-left people to come out to vote, and he mobilized the 20- to 30-year-olds, the socialists. The socialist organizations across the country sent volunteers, sent funding,” Cuomo said, rationalizing Mamdani’s Democratic primary win. NYC OFFICIAL WARNS BUSINESSES WILL FLEE ‘IN DROVES’ IF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WINS MAYORAL RACE The former governor, who is running as an independent candidate after losing to Mamdani in June, said the general election electorate is “much different.” CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC’S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR “New York City people are not socialists,” Cuomo said. “They’re not anti-business people. They’re not anti-corporate people. They want jobs. They want growth.” “It’s antithetical to New York City to be anti-corporate,” Cuomo said on Fox News on Sunday, criticizing Mamdani and his fellow “socialists” who believe in government freebies, taxing the rich and seizing the means of production. New York City was “built on capitalism,” Cuomo said. Mamdani plans to pay for his ambitious policy agenda, which includes free buses, no-cost healthcare and city-run grocery stores, by raising taxes on the 1% and corporations. His plan includes raising the corporate tax rate to 11.5% and taxing the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers 2%, according to Mamdani’s campaign website. “New York City corporations are already high-taxed, as are the individuals,” Cuomo said. “I think it would be a death knell for New York City, and he is dangerous, frankly, for New York City.” Meanwhile, Cuomo explained that his “pro-growth development strategy” focuses on attracting and building businesses and is central to Cuomo’s campaign. “Too many businesses, as you know, have moved out of New York. So, number one, get more businesses here and grow the businesses that are here,” Cuomo explained. A Bloomberg study found that 158 companies managing $993 billion in assets moved their headquarters out of New York between 2020 and 2023. In addition to building businesses in New York City, Cuomo said he is focused on public safety and affordable housing. “Crime is a real problem in New York City as it is in cities across the country, and New York City exacerbated it. A few years ago, the socialists went through this ‘defund the police,’ this anti-police movement,” Cuomo said. According to Cuomo’s campaign website, the former governor wants to add 5,000 new police officers to the New York Police Department (NYPD). He told Fox News that he plans to add 1,500 officers to the patrol subways. And to provide more affordable housing, Cuomo said he plans to add 50,000 new units per year, which will “add to the supply and meet the demand.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for a response to Cuomo’s comments but did not immediately hear back.
‘Bold’ general who led US’ ‘Midnight Hammer’ strikes on Iran ends Middle East reign
Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the military officer who oversaw the execution of the Iran strikes in June, has retired from military service and has handed over the reins following three years leading U.S. troops in the Middle East. Kurilla, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, became commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2022, and oversaw planning and execution of at least 15 major combined combat operations, according to the command. Among those, two occurred during his final months leading the command: Operation Rough Rider targeting the Houthis in Yemen in March and April, and Operation Midnight Hammer striking Iran nuclear sites in June. KURILLA WARFARE: MEET THE GENERAL LEADING US MILITARY FORCES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AMID IRAN CONFLICT Operation Midnight Hammer targeted Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. Likewise, a guided-missile submarine also launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key Iranian targets. “General Kurilla is a bold, dynamic, and inspiring leader who strikes fear into the hearts of America’s enemies,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a June statement to Fox News Digital. “He’s a warrior through and through who always puts his country, mission, and troops first. It has been an honor to serve alongside him in defense of our great nation.” Kurilla spent an extensive amount of his career focusing on operations in the Middle East. From 2004 to 2014, the general oversaw conventional and special operations forces during consecutive tours that fell under the CENTCOM purview. During that span of time, Kurilla completed tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Kurilla is known for his involvement in a Mosul, Iraq, firefight in August 2005, where he sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The encounter earned him a Bronze Star with valor and one of his two Purple Heart awards. TRUMP SAYS ‘SOMETHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN VERY SOON’ WITH IRAN AS HE PUSHES TO NEGOTIATE NUCLEAR DEAL Notable figures who’ve previously led CENTCOM include former defense secretaries, retired Gen. Jim Mattis, who served during Trump’s first term, and retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, who served during former President Joe Biden’s administration. As of early August, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper is now leading CENTCOM, one of the U.S. military’s 11 combatant commands, with 21 nations in the Middle East in its area of operations — including Iraq and Afghanistan. Like Kurilla, Cooper is no stranger to the Middle East. Previous assignments include serving as deputy commander of CENTCOM and overseeing U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in the Middle East, where he spearheaded efforts to employ unmanned service vessels into the fleet. TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN Cooper officially took over leading CENTCOM Aug. 8 during a change of command ceremony in Tampa, Florida, where CENTCOM headquarters are located. Kurilla’s retirement ceremony occurred on the same day, a spokesperson for CENTCOM confirmed to Fox News Digital. “U.S. Central Command and the entire joint force have performed exceptionally well under the leadership of Gen. Kurilla, helping to bolster partnerships, increase lethality of U.S. forces, and defend Americans and civilians abroad,” Cooper said in a Navy statement. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead America’s sons and daughters as we support the important mission of enhancing regional security and stability in the Central Command region.”
Democrats opposed John Bolton for years — until they sought him as an ally against Trump
When federal agents raided the home and office of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday as part of a classified documents investigation, some Democrats and liberal commentators framed the development as another example of what they claim is President Donald Trump’s political weaponization of the justice system. The reaction marked a striking contrast with Democrats’ long history of opposing Bolton. For years, they denounced him as a hardline foreign policy hawk who manipulated intelligence and pushed the U.S. into war. But when Bolton broke with Trump, Democrats began citing him as a key witness and relying on his public comments to bolster their case against the former president. Democrats first sought to block Bolton’s 2005 nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. Then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., accused him of being untruthful in a Senate questionnaire, noting that he had been interviewed as part of a joint State Department and CIA investigation into Iraq’s pursuit of nuclear materials from Niger. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., alleged that Bolton played a role in the disputed claim that Iraq had attempted to purchase yellowcake uranium — an accusation that appeared in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address but could not be confirmed by U.S. intelligence agencies. JOHN BOLTON BLASTED BY TRUMP ALLY ROGER STONE, WHO FACED BIDEN FBI RAID: ‘KARMA IS A B—-‘ That same year, Carl W. Ford Jr., then head of intelligence at the State Department, described Bolton as a “serial abuser” of power who pressured analysts to alter assessments. One analyst, Christian Westermann, reportedly resisted including claims of Cuban biological weapons in a 2002 speech Bolton wanted to deliver. Senate Democrats delayed Bolton’s nomination for months, citing concerns that he sought to shape intelligence findings to fit administration policy goals. When Trump appointed Bolton as national security adviser in 2018, Democrats again criticized him, citing his past support for the Iraq War and his calls for a hardline approach towards Iran and North Korea. “Bolton is a dangerous radical,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., accused him of politicizing intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq conflict. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., argued Bolton had been consistently “wrong on security” throughout his career. Trump himself later grew frustrated with Bolton’s hawkish approach, including his opposition to peace talks with the Taliban and advocacy for military action in Iran. The two split in 2019, with Trump announcing Bolton’s departure on social media and Bolton insisting he had already offered to resign. TRUMP–BOLTON FEUD BACK IN FOCUS AFTER FBI RAID: ‘NEVER HAD A CLUE … WHAT A DOPE!’ Following Bolton’s break with Trump, Democrats began highlighting him during Trump’s first impeachment trial over Ukraine. “There’s no denying the central relevance of John Bolton’s testimony,” then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said as House impeachment managers pressed for him to appear. Bolton’s memoir later claimed Trump sought to withhold military aid from Ukraine, a move Bolton privately described as a “drug deal.” At the time, MSNBC commentators suggested his testimony could have been decisive in the outcome of the trial. Ultimately, Bolton declined to testify, angering some Democrats who accused him of reserving details for his book rather than presenting them under oath. Since leaving the Trump administration, Bolton has become a regular guest on networks such as CNN and MSNBC, where he continues to weigh in on foreign policy and national security. Although many Democrats once opposed his nomination and criticized his record, they have at times pointed to his comments when they align with their critiques of Trump and other Republicans. The latest raid underscores how Bolton remains a polarizing figure — one Democrats long opposed but have also leaned on in moments when his testimony or commentary could be used against Trump.
DNC leaders look to rebound at summer meeting amid plunging polls, fundraising
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – As the Democratic National Committee (DNC) holds its annual summer meeting, party leaders and officials face a multitude of problems as they try to escape the political wilderness. “There’s no doubt that … we have work to do,” DNC chair Ken Martin acknowledged in a sit-down interview this summer with Fox News Digital. Martin, who was elected DNC chair in February, noted that the party has continued to “lose ground with many parts of our coalition.” Martin will address the more than 400 elected party officials from all 50 states and several territories, as the summer meeting kicks off at a downtown hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday morning. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS PARTY HAS HIT ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ The party is trying to escape the political wilderness after last year’s elections, when Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate and fell short in their bid to win back the House majority. And Republicans made gains with voters who make up key parts of the Democratic Party’s base. But the situation has only worsened for the Democrats in the 10 months since last year’s election setbacks. The Democrats’ brand is deeply unpopular, especially with younger voters, as the party’s poll numbers continue to drop to all-time lows in national surveys. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS ‘WE WANT EVERYONE’ INCLUDING ‘LEFTISTS’ LIKE MAMDANI The DNC faces a massive fundraising deficit at the hands of the rival Republican National Committee (RNC), fueled in part by major party donors cutting back their contributions as they express their frustrations with the national party committee. New voter data first reported last week by the New York Times showed Democratic Party registration plunging while GOP sign-ups were on the rise in the 30 states that register voters by party. And while Democrats appear energized to fight the sweeping and controversial moves by President Donald Trump during his first seven months in office, they seem to be divided on how hard to push back against the new administration. There’s also a party divide over Israel’s nearly two-year-old war with Hamas in Gaza, with dueling resolutions being the latest sign of the Democrats’ once unshakeable support for the Jewish State fracturing. LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY TAKES OVER CHAIRING REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE Despite the DNC chair admitting they have issues, he saw a silver lining. “When you hit rock bottom, there’s only one direction to go, and that’s up, and that’s what we’re doing,” Martin said. Former RNC chair Michael Whatley, who formally stepped down last week as he runs for the Senate, argued in a Fox News Digital interview that the Democrats “are moving further and further and farther to the left. They are walking away from Main Street right now. They are beholden to left-wing radical woke policies.” “They haven’t learned a single thing from their election losses in 2024,” Whatley claimed. But despite all the problems and setbacks facing the Democrats, they have enjoyed some victories of late. Democrats have scored a slew of off-year and special election wins, ahead of next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its majorities in the House and Senate as the party in power will likely face historical political headwinds. Democrats have also landed some top recruits – former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, in two of the most crucial 2026 Senate races. And while the Democratic Party’s poll numbers are in the gutter, the approval and favorable ratings for Trump and the GOP are nothing to brag about. Plus, polls indicate that the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which is the Trump-inspired massive Republican domestic policy, tax cuts and spending law, remains unpopular with Americans. Despite the poll numbers, new RNC chair Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital last week that “we have the momentum on our side, we have the issues on our side, and we have a president who cares about every single American. And we’re gonna take that vision and push it all the way through the midterms.” But as he looks ahead to next year’s midterm elections, Martin sees the GOP agenda as ammunition. “We welcome the debate because this is the debate that’s going to actually help us, as a Democratic Party, build our coalition again and win elections,” the DNC chair insisted.
Top GOP senator defies Trump demand to bend Senate rules for his court picks
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee is again standing firm against President Donald Trump’s demand that Senate tradition be changed to ram through his district court and U.S. attorney nominees. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, came under fire from Trump again late Sunday night over the Senate’s “blue slips,” a longstanding practice in the upper chamber that the president wants to be done away with. A blue slip effectively gives Senate Republicans and Democrats the ability to veto district court and U.S. attorney nominees in their home states. TRUMP TELLS GRASSLEY TO TELL DEMOCRATS ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER BLOCKED JUDICIAL NOMINEES IN SENATE But Grassley argued in a response on X Monday that without blue slips, none of Trump’s nominees would pass muster in the Senate. “A U.S. Atty/district judge nominee without a blue slip does not [have] the votes to get confirmed on the Senate floor & they don’t [have] the votes to get out of [committee],” Grassley said. “As chairman I set [President] Trump noms up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE.” Trump argued that it was his constitutional right to appoint judges and U.S. attorneys, but the right had been “completely taken away from me in States that have just one Democrat United States Senator.” GRASSLEY REBUKES TRUMP’S PRESSURE TO ‘HAVE THE COURAGE’ TO SPEED UP NOMINATIONS “This is because of an old and outdated ‘custom’ known as a BLUE SLIP, that Senator Chuck Grassley, of the Great State of Iowa, refuses to overturn, even though the Democrats, including Crooked Joe Biden (Twice!), have done so on numerous occasions,” Trump said. “Therefore, the only candidates that I can get confirmed for these most important positions are, believe it or not, Democrats! Chuck Grassley should allow strong Republican candidates to ascend to these very vital and powerful roles, and tell the Democrats, as they often tell us, to go to HELL,” he continued. TRUMP TELLS SCHUMER TO ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER SENATE NOMINEE DEAL FUNDING DEMANDS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE Senate Democrats have indeed used the blue slip tradition this year to block some of Trump’s picks for the bench as part of their broader log jam of his nominees. For example, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., used his blue slip privileges to nix Trump’s U.S. Attorney nominees for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. And Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats from New Jersey, used the blue slip to object to Alina Habba’s nomination to U.S. Attorney in the Garden State. Habba was tapped by Trump to serve in the role on an interim basis, but after her term expired a panel of judges opted to not extend her position. A replacement was chosen but then fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump then withdrew his nomination for Habba and restored her interim status. “Habba was withdrawn as the President’s nominee for New Jersey U.S. Atty on July 24,” Grassley said. “[And] the [Judiciary Committee] never received any of the paperwork needed for the Senate to vet her nomination.” Trump’s renewed ire comes after he singled out Grassley last month for not nixing the longstanding tradition, which is not a law, and demanded that he “have the courage” to change the practice. It also comes after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a deal on ramming through many of the president’s nominees before leaving Washington for all of August. Finding a pathway forward, including a likely change to the Senate’s confirmation process, is expected to be a top priority for Republicans when they return to the Hill after Labor Day.
FIRST ON FOX: Texas’ Ken Paxton endorses candidate to succeed him as attorney general
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican who is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn, is endorsing Aaron Reitz for attorney general, Fox News Digital has learned. Paxton is throwing his support behind Reitz, who previously served under him as Texas deputy attorney general for legal strategy, just days after U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who previously served under Paxton as first assistant attorney general of the Lone Star State, announced a run for the attorney general post. “One of the most frequent questions Texans ask me is: ‘Ken, who should succeed you as Attorney General?’ My answer is now definitive: Aaron Reitz,” Paxton said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. Paxton described Reitz as “the only candidate who is fully vetted, battle-tested, proven, and ready to be Attorney General,” calling him, “loyal, fearless, trusted, and relentlessly committed to the Rule of Law.” TEXAS REP CHIP ROY ANNOUNCES RUN FOR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REPLACE KEN PAXTON “Aaron Reitz absolutely must be Texas’s next top lawyer,” Paxton asserted in the statement, included in a Reitz campaign press release. “For that reason, I am giving him my complete and total endorsement to succeed me as Attorney General.” Reitz briefly served as assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy earlier this year. In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump called Reitz “a true MAGA attorney” and “a warrior for our Constitution” in a Truth Social post announcing that he was nominating him to helm the DOJ office. While Reitz and Roy have both previously served as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the senator is backing Roy for the job. “There are several excellent candidates right now in the race for Texas Attorney General. All of them are friends of mine, and all of them have been strong supporters of mine for many, many years. Texas is blessed to have an abundance of strong conservatives stepping forward to lead, in such a time as this,” Cruz said in a statement. “I am proud to endorse Chip Roy for Attorney General of Texas. As my very first chief of staff, Chip has been a close friend and ally of mine for over 12 years. We have been in more fights together than I can count, and I know Chip will always, always, always fight for conservative values,” Cruz asserted, adding later in the statement, “There is no one better equipped to lead the Office of the Texas Attorney General, and I know that he will ferociously fight and protect the Lone Star State.” Republican Texas state Sens. Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman are also running to succeed Paxton in the post. On the other side of the aisle, Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski are vying for the job. TED CRUZ ENDORSES CHIP ROY FOR TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: ‘NO ONE BETTER’ Roy, the policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, announced his entry into the attorney general race last week, explaining his decision to shift his attention to the state role rather than remaining in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has served since early 2019. “I am particularly proud of our work to deliver on President Trump’s agenda and fight to drain the swamp. I could do it forever and be fulfilled professionally. But representatives should not be permanent. And my experience watching Texans unite in response to the devastating Hill Country floods made clear that I want to come home. I want to take my experience in Congress, as a federal prosecutor, and as First Assistant Attorney General to fight for Texas from Texas,” he said in a statement included in a campaign press release. “Texas is under assault – from open-border politicians, radical leftists, and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety, and our way of life,” he asserted. “As Attorney General, I will fight every single day for our God-given rights, for our families, and for the future of Texas. No more Soros-funded judges and DA’s putting criminals on our streets. No more judge-made mandates that Texans pay for illegals in our public schools. No more communities built on Sharia law.” Reitz has since made it crystal clear that he is not dropping out of the contest by sharing a clip from the film “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in which actor Leonardo DiCaprio declares, “I’m not leavin’. I’m not f***in leavin’!’” In the press release obtained by Fox News Digital, the candidate noted that he is “honored” to receive Paxton’s endorsement. FIRST ON FOX: BORDER PATROL UNION ENDORSES EX-TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR STATE AG “Serving as Ken Paxton’s ‘offensive coordinator’ was the crusade of a lifetime. I am deeply honored to have his support in my campaign for Attorney General,” Reitz said the statement. “Under Ken Paxton, Texas has been a shining example for the conservative movement on how to fight and win against the enemies of Law, Order, and Liberty. My promise to Texans is that I will keep my foot on the gas and energetically carry on Paxton’s legacy. That is the only way to defend Texas from the radical left. As the only pro-Paxton candidate in this race, I am unequivocally the best person to lead the Office of the Attorney General of Texas into battle,” he added. In a statement in 2020 responding to allegations Paxton had engaged in wrongdoing, Roy said that Paxton should resign. The Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton in 2023, but he was later acquitted by the state Senate the same year. During a radio interview on “The Mark Davis Show” last week, Roy said that he and Paxton are “friends,” noting, “I wish Ken all the best,” and stating that they have “overlapping belief systems.”
FIRST ON FOX: Retired Air Force colonel who piloted last flight out of Afghanistan reveals new mission
EXCLUSIVE: A retired U.S. Air Force colonel who commanded the final American evacuation flights out of Afghanistan four years ago on Monday launched a Republican campaign in South Carolina’s First Congressional District. Alex Pelbath, who describes himself as a “Trump Conservative,” is running in the 2026 race to succeed three-term GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who is bidding for governor rather than seek re-election in the right-leaning coastal district in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. “In combat, mission is everything. My mission is clear: provide President Trump the reinforcements he needs, deliver leadership that makes the Lowcountry proud, and bring an outsider’s perspective to Washington,” Pelbath said in a statement shared nationally first with Fox News Digital. FIRST ON FOX: NANCY MACE LAUNCHES BID FOR SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR Pelbath spent 22 years in the Air Force, flying over 4,000 hours—including more than 1,000 in combat. During the much-maligned U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan during former President Biden’s first year in the White House, Pelbath served as Air Mission Commander for the final evacuation from Kabul, overseeing all aircraft involved. And he personally flew the last American plane out of Afghanistan. “I was the last one out. But the mission’s not over,” Pelbath said in his statement and an accompanying video. The release from Pelbath’s campaign highlighted that he helped shape two defense budgets and advised the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during his service at the Pentagon. “I witnessed the devastation caused by career politicians’ weak leadership,” Pelbath argued in a statement. “I never planned to run for Congress, but I can’t stand by while Washington puts politics before the mission. America needs leaders who will stand with President Trump and deliver on his effort to Make America Great Again—by ending the flow of illegal immigrants, stopping the woke nonsense in our schools and military, and fighting for an economy that works for Lowcountry families.” HOUSE GOP TAKES AIM AT THESE DEMOCRAT-HELD SEATS IN 2026 MIDTERMS Pelbath, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, lives in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina with his wife and their two children. He becomes the second Republican candidate to jump into the race, following businessman and politician Marvin “Mark” Smith, a state lawmaker in the South Carolina House from the 99th District. Mace, who was first elected to the district in 2020, is one of five major candidates running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who is the Palmetto State’s longest-serving governor. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Rep. Ralph Norman, and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell are also seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the reliably red state.