Judge grants Jack Smith’s request to dismiss Jan. 6 charges, appeal in classified records case against Trump
A judge has dropped the charges against President-elect Donald Trump in the D.C. case against him, following a request that Special Counsel Jack Smith made on Monday. The decision concerns the investigation into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach. Fox News Digital previously learned of Smith’s request earlier on Monday. “The Government has moved to dismiss the Superseding Indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in a decision. “Defendant does not oppose the Motion…and the court will grant it.” Smith also filed a motion to drop his appeal in his classified records case against Trump – a case that was tossed in July by federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Cannon ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY The moves come after Smith, earlier this month after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, signaled he would begin winding down his case against Trump. The filing went live on the Department of Justice docket on Monday afternoon. Smith had already filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a widely expected move, but one that stopped short of dropping the case against Trump completely. Smith had said his team planned to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing on the basis of presidential immunity. The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges, too. Trump’s attorneys have been seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. TRUMP’S LEGAL CASES LIKELY TO DIE OUT AMID IMPENDING WHITE HOUSE RETURN, EXPERTS SAY “The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from both of Smith’s investigations. Smith is expected to resign as special counsel before Trump takes office. Trump posted to his Truth Social Monday afternoon that the cases against him “are empty and lawless and should never have been brought.” “These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought. Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party’s fight against their Political Opponent, ME,” Trump posted. “Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before.” Trump said “state Prosecutors and District Attorneys, such as Fani Willis and her lover, Nathan Wade (who had absolutely zero experience in cases such as this, but was paid MILLIONS, enough for them to take numerous trips and cruises around the globe!), Letitia James, who inappropriately, unethically, and probably illegally, campaigned on ‘GETTING TRUMP’ in order to win Political Office, and Alvin Bragg, who himself never wanted to bring this case against me, but was forced to do so by the Justice Department and the Democrat Party.” Trump added: “It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Judge grants Jack Smith request to dismiss Jan. 6 charges against Trump, appeal dropped in Florida docs case
A judge has dropped the charges against President-elect Donald Trump in the D.C. case against him, following a request that Special Counsel Jack Smith made on Monday. The decision concerns the investigation into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach. Fox News Digital previously learned of Smith’s request earlier on Monday. “The Government has moved to dismiss the Superseding Indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in a decision. “Defendant does not oppose the Motion…and the court will grant it.” Smith also filed a motion to drop his appeal in his classified records case against Trump – a case that was tossed in July by federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Cannon ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY The moves come after Smith, earlier this month after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, signaled he would begin winding down his case against Trump. The filing went live on the Department of Justice docket on Monday afternoon. Smith had already filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a widely expected move, but one that stopped short of dropping the case against Trump completely. Smith had said his team planned to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing on the basis of presidential immunity. The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges, too. Trump’s attorneys have been seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. TRUMP’S LEGAL CASES LIKELY TO DIE OUT AMID IMPENDING WHITE HOUSE RETURN, EXPERTS SAY “The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from both of Smith’s investigations. Smith is expected to resign as special counsel before Trump takes office. Trump posted to his Truth Social Monday afternoon that the cases against him “are empty and lawless and should never have been brought.” TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ “These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought. Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party’s fight against their Political Opponent, ME,” Trump posted. “Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before.” Trump said “state Prosecutors and District Attorneys, such as Fani Willis and her lover, Nathan Wade (who had absolutely zero experience in cases such as this, but was paid MILLIONS, enough for them to take numerous trips and cruises around the globe!), Letitia James, who inappropriately, unethically, and probably illegally, campaigned on ‘GETTING TRUMP’ in order to win Political Office, and Alvin Bragg, who himself never wanted to bring this case against me, but was forced to do so by the Justice Department and the Democrat Party.” Trump added: “It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Denver mayor says he’s prepared to go to jail over opposition to Trump deportations of illegal immigrants
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says that he is prepared to go to jail over his opposition to President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan – even as he walked backed comments predicting a “Tiananmen Square moment.” Johnston had been asked last week about his opposition to the Trump plan to significantly ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants when he enters office next year. Johnston predicted police deployment and a “Tiananmen Square moment” if federal immigration officials attempted to do their job. “More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Johnston said. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. DENVER MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON SAYS TRUMP’S MASS MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS WILL CREATE ‘TIANANMEN SQUARE MOMENT’ “And you do not want to mess with them.” But in a subsequent interview on Friday with 9News, he walked back those comments. “Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn’t have used that image,” Johnston said. “That’s the image I hope we can avoid. What I was trying to say is this is an outcome I hope we can avoid in this country. I think none of us want that.” But he said he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is “illegal or immoral or un-American” in the city – including the use of military force – and was then asked if he was prepared to go to jail for standing in the way of policies enacted by the administration. “Yeah, I’m not afraid of that, and I’m also not seeking that,” Johnston said. “I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people how to solve hard problems.” He expressed support for limited deportations of those convicted of “serious crimes.” He also said they would be a “ready partner” if the plan was only to focus on violent criminals. TRUMP’S ICE NOMINEE DECISION COULD BE IMMINENT AS DEPORTATION PLAN TAKES SPOTLIGHT “I think our line is clear,” Johnston said. “We think if you are a violent criminal that is committing serious crimes like murder or rape in Denver, you should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and you should be deported. We support that, we have always supported that, we’ll continue supporting that. We’ve worked with previous administrations on that; we will do it going forward.” The incoming administration’s plan to ramp up deportations has already brought opposition from Democratic officials in a number of states. The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts have said they won’t assist the administration in the operation. Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said her state will not be helping in what she called a “misguided” plan. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those,” Hobbs said. But some Republican states have offered support, with Texas offering more than 1,400 acres of land to stage mass deportations near the border. “I am 100% on board with the Trump administration’s pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate those deportations of these violent criminals,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told Fox News Digital last week.
NY Dem Rep. Ritchie Torres dubs Gov. Kathy Hochul ‘the new Joe Biden,’ warns of potential 2026 election loss
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., referred to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as “the new Joe Biden,” warning that Democrats could lose the 2026 gubernatorial election just like they lost the 2024 presidential contest. “Kathy Hochul is the new Joe Biden. She may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities as a Democratic nominee. A Democratic incumbent who is less popular in New York than Donald Trump is in grave danger of losing to a Republican in 2026 – an outcome not seen in 30 years,” the congressman said in a post on X. “Waiting until it’s too late gave us a Republican President in 2024 and could give us a Republican Governor in 2026. Let’s avoid repeating history and avoid sleepwalking toward impending disaster and defeat,” he suggested. NYC DEMOCRAT DEMANDS FIRINGS AFTER VIOLENT CRIMINAL IS RELEASED EARLY, THEN ARRESTED IN TRIPLE SLASHING Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the offices of Hochul and Torres, but neither immediately responded. Torres told Spectrum News NY 1 that he is considering a gubernatorial bid, and noted that he plans to do a “listening tour” beginning in December and January. The congressman, who won re-election to the House of Representatives earlier this month, said in “mid-2025” he will make his “final decision.” NEW YORK DEM WARNS ‘VILIFYING VOTERS OF COLOR AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ PUSHES ‘THEM FURTHER INTO TRUMP’S CAMP’ The lawmaker has accused the “far left” of turning people off from the Democratic Party. “Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx,’” the congressman opined in a post on X earlier this month. “There is more to lose than there is to gain politically from pandering to a far left that is more representative of Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok than it is of the real world. The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling,” he added.
Trump planning to lift Biden’s LNG pause, increase oil drilling during 1st days in office: report
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to focus heavily on two policy changes to boost natural energy production during his first days in office, according to a new report. As his second-term agenda takes shape, the president-elect is eyeing immediate changes to current policies on liquefied natural gas (LNG) permits and oil and gas drilling leases, sources familiar with the transition plans told Reuters. President Biden initiated a pause on new LNG export permits in January, a move which has been widely criticized by the oil community and bipartisan lawmakers in the House. The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a study on the ban that found nearly 1 million jobs would be threatened by the LNG pause over the next two decades if the restriction remains in place, Fox News Digital previously reported. However, Trump reportedly “plans to go strong on the issue” of LNG exports when he assumes office, sources told Reuters. BIDEN ADMIN’S LNG EXPORT BAN PUTS NEARLY 1 MILLION JOBS AT RISK: STUDY The Republican president-elect plans to lift Biden’s pause and allow permits for new LNG exports next year, fulfilling a promise he made frequently while on the campaign trail. Trump will also seek to increase lease sales for drilling along the coast, expedite permit approval, and expand drilling on federal land, the outlet learned. TRUMP TAPS LIBERTY ENERGY CEO CHRIS WRIGHT FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: ‘LEADING TECHNOLOGIST AND ENTREPRENEUR’ The latest report comes as several of Biden’s climate-focused initiatives appear to be in jeopardy under the incoming Trump administration. Trump has talked for months about his plans to roll back Biden’s green policies, such as the tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. He also plans to withdraw from the Paris climate accord for the second time, expand fracking, and revive the Keystone XL pipeline, which was canceled on Biden’s first day in office. “It’s a breath of fresh air. We’re running on cloud nine,” former Keystone Pipeline worker Bugsy Allen said on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” on Sunday – amid news of Trump’s potentially reviving the pipeline that transported crude oil from Canada to the U.S. “It will make a big difference as far as your energy cost, your food cost, your gas that you put in your cars. It is actually going to be the primary start of bringing everything … down for the American people that we have suffered so much in the last administration.”
ICE group praises Trump for Homan, Noem picks to lead immigration team: ‘Fired up’
FIRST ON FOX: A law enforcement association made up of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees is backing President-elect Donald Trump’s choices to head his immigration team next year as it seeks to launch an ambitious mass deportation plan — with the group saying ICE agents and officers are “fired up.” In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, the Executive Board of the National ICE Officers Association said it offers its “strong support” for the appointment of former acting ICE Director Thomas Homan as border czar, and the nomination of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security. “Former Director Homan is one of us and knows exactly what it takes to do the job and make our communities safe,” the statement said. TRUMP’S ICE NOMINEE DECISION COULD BE IMMINENT AS DEPORTATION PLAN TAKES SPOTLIGHT The group is a newly established law enforcement association for members of ICE who serve in the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) branch. It was established this year and is in the process of seeking to become the exclusive union for the agency. The group similarly praised the selection of Noem as the Department of Homeland Security nominee. WHO ELSE COULD BE ON PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ‘DREAM TEAM?’ “As one of America’s toughest governors and someone who has kept her citizens safe, we have complete and total confidence that Gov. Noem will bring about the changes we desperately need to do our jobs and protect the American people,” the group says. “The men and women of ICE ERO are fired up and ready to go get to work.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS ICE will be in the spotlight next year as the Trump administration moves to ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants across the U.S. The transition team has already been eyeing a significant expansion of detention in order to facilitate the operation, with an increase in beds and expanded detention capacity near major metropolitan areas. Those efforts are already drawing significant opposition from Democratic officials in some states. The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts have said they would not assist the administration in the operation. However, some Republican states have offered support, with Texas offering more than 1,400 acres of land to stage mass deportations near the border. Fox News Digital reported last week that an announcement of who President-elect Trump will pick to lead ICE is expected imminently. The transition team is understood to be looking for someone with a deep law enforcement background to lead the agency.
New study finds DEI initiatives creating ‘hostile attribution bias’
New research from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers University reveals that some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training methods may cause psychological harm. The study, released on Monday, shows significant increases in hostility and punitive attitudes among participants exposed to DEI pedagogy covering subjects like race, religion and caste. This hostile attribution bias may contribute to increased intergroup hostility and authoritarian behavior in the long run, according to study co-author and NCRI Chief Science Officer Joel Finkelstein. “What we did was we took a lot of these ideas that were found to still be very prominent in a lot of these DEI lectures and interventions and training,” said Finkelstein in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And we said, ‘Well, how is this going to affect people?’ What we found is that when people are exposed to this ideology, what happens is they become hostile without any indication that anything racist has happened.” TRUMP’S CHOICE FOR FCC CHAIRMAN SAYS AGENCY ‘WILL END ITS PROMOTION OF DEI’ NEXT YEAR A Pew Research Center study from 2023 found that 52% of American workers have DEI training events or meetings at work and, according to Professor Iris Bohnet with the Harvard Kennedy School, $8 billion is spent annually on such programs. As DEI programs have become a major area of investment in recent years, their actual effectiveness remains a topic of debate, with NCRI’s study suggesting they may exacerbate tensions rather than alleviate them. The study measured “explicit bias, social distancing, demonization, and authoritarian tendencies” with both the DEI materials and control materials. CONSERVATIVE WATCHDOG RELEASES ‘TOOLKIT’ TO HELP PARENTS FILE COMPLAINTS WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Their study included sharing anti-racist DEI materials from thought leaders like Ibram X. Kendi and “White Fragility” author Robin DiAngelo with participants involved. Specifically, the NCRI focused on materials which emphasized awareness of and opposition to “systemic oppression,” popularized by texts such as Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.” Those exposed to anti-racist materials were linked to heightened perceptions of racial bias in the study. Participants were also more likely to support punitive measures against perceived offenders of so-called “microaggressions,” even in the absence of evidence. TRUMP’S CABINET PICKS LOOK TO DITCH DEI IN THE MILITARY “And when people are supposed to see anti-racist material in the ideology, it looks like what happens is that they become more likely to punish for any evidence of wrongdoing,” said Finkelstein. “That includes protesting people, calling for dismissal, demanding public apologies, receiving people calling for their relocation. These punitive measures are, in some cases, costing people their jobs.” DEI programming psychological harms go beyond race according to NCRI’s study, spanning to religious identities as well. According to the study, anti-Islamophobia training led participants to detect bias against Muslims in neutral scenarios. The NCRI used materials from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which “provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making,” according to its website. IBRAM X. KENDI’S ANTIRACISM CENTER SAW POOR FINANCIAL ADMIN DECISIONS, FORMER STAFFERS SAY: REPORT These results suggest that anti-Islamophobia training inspired by ISPU materials may cause individuals to assume unfair treatment of Muslim people, even when no evidence of bias or unfairness is present. This effect highlights a broader issue: DEI narratives that focus heavily on victimization and systemic oppression can foster unwarranted distrust and suspicions of institutions and alter subjective assessments of events. One key takeaway from Finkelstein in the NCRI study is that the authoritarianism that comes from hostile attribution bias looks different in the 21st century. According to Finkelstein, those who are likely to carry hostilities are “people who are higher in what’s called left-wing authoritarianism. This is now a steady phenomenon. We the people have been studying right-wing authoritarianism since World War II. It’s really only in the past 10 or 15 years that people have started saying, ‘Wait a minute, this is on the left, too.” Across all groupings, instead of DEI materials reducing bias, the study discovered they engendered a hostile attribution bias amplifying perceptions of prejudicial hostility where none was present. “They’re bad ideas, because they’re hurting people; and that appears from research and appears to be far more prevalent and is shockingly public, these harms can be extremely widespread,” said Finkelstein. “So I think that is grounds to believe that from this research, and it suggests that we need to be focused on this data, and we need more data like it. [But we can] start evaluating what’s happening here, and I don’t think this is about speech. I certainly think it’s about people’s civil rights.” Representatives DiAngelo did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When reached for comment, Kendi slammed both Fox News and the study, calling it “pseudoscience.” “It comes as no surprise that Fox News would broadcast this pseudoscience that isn’t peer-reviewed, misrepresents my work, and is based on anchoring bias,” Kendi said. “This so-called study will end up in the historic landfill of pseudoscience alongside other attempts to bring scientific legitimacy to racist propaganda that anti-slavery and civil rights then, and DEI and antiracism now have been harmful.” Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
PETA protests Biden turkey pardon with ‘Hell on Wheels’ display, subliminal messaging to make people go vegan
An animal rights group will bombard the streets of D.C. with visceral cries of distressed turkeys and subliminal messages urging people to go vegan as the White House participates in its annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon tradition on Monday. The distressing animal cries and subliminal messaging are part of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) “Hell on Wheels” turkey truck, which has been traveling to 30 different states across the country since as early as October, stopping at grocery stores, busy downtown areas and eventually the presidential turkey pardon. The truck, which is intended to look like a realistic turkey transport truck covered with images of birds crammed into crates, was posted on Sunday evening outside the Willard Hotel, where the birds were housed ahead of the ceremony. On Monday, the truck set up shop outside the White House. THIS THANKSGIVING, NEARLY 35% OF AMERICANS SURVEYED ARE TURNED OFF BY TURKEY “It’s a life-sized Turkey transportation truck, and it’s covered with images of real sickly turkeys. And if people listen very closely, they will hear a subliminal message to go vegan every 10 seconds. And that’s because we want people to listen closely and watch closely, because every turkey is an individual,” Amanda Brody, assistant manager in PETA’s international grassroots campaigns department, told Fox News Digital. “No one needs to eat meat, dairy or eggs to be healthy, and everyone can help stop this needless suffering by simply going vegan today or enjoying a vegan roast at their Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday.” DR. SIEGEL’S FOOD SAFETY TIPS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER Earlier this month, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk sent a letter to President Biden urging the “lame duck president” to cancel what she described as the “wretched” turkey pardon tradition. Newkirk argued the tradition is “a humiliating meat-industry stunt that uses the White House as its public relations backdrop.” “Turkeys are devoted parents who purr to their chicks, and whose skin changes color to express their emotions, yet in the meat industry, they’re treated as unfeeling objects, crammed into filthy sheds, and slaughtered, often while they’re still conscious,” Newkirk said Monday. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is sending a strong signal that it’s beneath the Oval Office to shill for the meat industry and appealing to the public to please give birds a break by choosing vegan this Thanksgiving and beyond.” The history of the presidential turkey pardon is a little murky, with some believing it first began when President Abraham Lincoln granted “clemency” to a turkey in 1863. Others have suggested the tradition began much later with President Harry S. Truman. Meanwhile, according to NPR, the turkey pardoning tradition was formalized in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush.
Trump urges Florida Republican to mount congressional bid: ‘RUN, RANDY, RUN!’
President-elect Donald Trump urged Florida state Sen. Randy Fine to run for Congress, pledging to endorse the Sunshine State lawmaker if he opts to throw his hat into the ring. “I am hearing that America First Patriot Randy Fine is considering launching his Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!” Trump urged. FLORIDA STATE REP FILES BILL TO ELIMINATE DISNEY’S SELF-GOVERNING POWER In a post on X, Fine shared a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post and said it would be an honor to help him carry out his agenda. “Mr. President, G-d saved you on that day in Butler so that you could save the world. It would be the honor of my life to be one of your footsoldiers. Your confidence is overwhelming and I will have news to share soon!” Fine posted. FLORIDA IMAM AND DENTIST CALLS FOR ‘ANNIHILATION’ OF JEWS, SAYS ISRAELI MILITARY ‘WORSE THAN THE NAZIS’ Earlier this month, Trump tapped another Floridian, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as national security adviser. Waltz just won re-election to Congress this month. After he resigns from Congress to take on his new role in the Trump administration, there will be a special election held to fill the vacancy. TRUMP CONFIRMS MIKE WALTZ AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER PICK Fine won election to the Florida state Senate this month after previously serving in the state House of Representatives.
Ohio congressman vying to replace JD Vance in the Senate says Trump’s agenda must be priority on ‘Day One’
Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, is among a crowded list of contenders vying to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance when he formally resigns from the U.S. Senate. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Carey, a former coal lobbyist and combat veteran who won Ohio’s 15th congressional district for the third time, touted his experience working with President-elect Trump in the private sector. Carey argued that whomever Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine chooses to replace Vance will need to be ready on “day one” to help implement the new administration’s agenda. Vance has yet to formally resign. With three endorsements from Trump under his belt, Carey said the president-elect “needs somebody in the Senate that will make sure that we get his agenda through.” “I think that’s the most important thing, because I want the president to be successful. I think the American people want the president to be successful,” Carey told Fox News Digital. “And I think that’s what we need from a senator from the state of Ohio. And so I’d be honored to help him move his agenda forward in the U.S. Senate.” “I think you need to have somebody that’s able to start on Day One, hit the ground running as a U.S. senator,” Carey, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and Committee on House Administration, said. “You don’t want to have somebody coming in from the great state of Ohio who has to be on the job training. And so we’ve had a track record of success here in the, you know, in the 15th Congressional District. I can easily parlay that into the Senate.” DEMOCRATIC OHIO REP. KAPTUR NARROWLY WINS RE-ELECTION, KEEPING REPUBLICAN MAJORITY AT 218 SEATS Through his work on the House Committee on Administration, Carey said he helped secure bipartisan support for and ultimately President Biden’s signature on the bill that launched the Congressional Election Observer program. That program deploys congressional poll watchers to hotly contested House races. Carey also said the next senator has to be cognizant of the diverse nature of the state. “I’ve spent a lifetime in Ohio. Born and raised in Ohio. But I think the senator has to understand we are a unique state,” Carey said. “There is a reason why Columbus, Ohio, is the test market for any product as it relates to food services, because we are a microcosm of the United States, and that is really Ohio.” Similarly, Carey said that his district, which has an approximately 22% minority population and stretches from urban Columbus west across suburban areas and smaller towns and rural farmland, “is really a microcosm of the state of Ohio.” Carey said he outperformed Republican Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno in his district by over 18,000 votes. Moreno, a Trump-backed Cleveland businessman, garnered 50.18% of the vote, defeating incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in a significant flip earlier this month. Carey, meanwhile, secured re-election in the House, receiving 56.52% of the vote. “In an R-5 district, we won by 13 points. So, you know, I think I have a track record. And I also think, you know, if people look at my voting record and the things that I have done, I brought back over $60 million in three years. I mean, I’ve only been in office for three years,” Carey said. “I was in the private sector before that. So I’m not a career politician. But the opportunity to serve the state that I love, you know, I grew up in Cincinnati and Sabina and served in the military up at Camp Perry. My family’s from Cleveland and spent my career in Appalachia. So there’s nobody that knows the state any better than me. An opportunity to serve all the people of Ohio would be the honor of my life.” NEW CANDIDATE EMERGES IN CROWDED FIELD AS POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR VANCE’S OHIO SENATE SEAT On the campaign trail, Trump highlighted two issues Carey said he worked on personally: tax credits for caregivers and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Most of the 27 bills Carey introduced in the House have had at least one Democratic co-sponsor, the congressman said, including the Credit for Caring Act, which provides aa $3,000 tax credit for home health care providers who want to stay at home to take care of their loved ones. Over the past several months, Carey said he has also been working on a tax credit for Americans “who simply just can’t afford IVF.” “If somebody wants to have a child, we should do everything possible to give them the opportunity to have a child,” Carey told Fox News Digital. “So, again, both very, I think, bipartisan ideas that the president has pushed forward. I’d be honored to work on those in the Senate and, you know, honored to work on them now in the House.” DeWine indicated that his selection must be well positioned to stave off Democrats’ chances of reclaiming a spot in the Ohio Senate delegation in November 2026, when a special election will be held for the remaining two years of the six-year term. Besides Carey, other members in Ohio’s congressional delegation vying to replace Vance include Reps. Jim Jordan, David Joyce and Warren Davidson. But choosing a member of the House would temper the GOP’s already slim majority in the lower chamber, and DeWine could weigh how House vacancies take months to fill under Ohio’s election protocols. The vast number of GOP candidates who competed in Ohio primaries in 2022 and 2024 makes for an even wider field of potential replacements for Vance. Contenders include former Ohio Republican Chair Jane Timken; two-term Secretary of State Frank LaRose; and state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns baseball’s Cleveland Guardians. Two-term Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican attorney and strategist Mehek Cooke, a frequent guest on Fox News, are also reported to be under consideration. “The governor is somebody who I’ve admired since I was in grade school. He was a state senator. He was a congressman. He went