Trump’s Pentagon shake-up revives a presidential power play with a long history
Dan Driscoll’s departure as Army secretary has brought new scrutiny to the Trump administration’s sweeping changes at the Pentagon, with Democrats and some Republicans warning that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s approach is creating instability among the military’s top leaders. But the president replacing senior military leaders is nothing new. Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Harry Truman have removed commanders when they lost confidence in their leadership, disagreed over strategy or wanted a different direction. What stands out about the current moment is the pace of the turnover — and the debate over whether the administration’s changes are putting the military on a stronger footing or creating leadership gaps along the way. COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE US ARMY IN EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN THEATER IS UNEXPECTEDLY STEPPING DOWN North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Hegseth is “creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks” while ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, “Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished, and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.” Under Trump’s second term, at least 20 military leaders have departed over a combination of clashes, including over Hegseth’s leadership, military strategy, as well as disagreements over DEI, according to a CBS report. Parnell told Fox News Digital that the Pentagon is “unified behind” Hegseth’s vision. “Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War and, at President Trump’s direction, has ushered in a new era of Peace Through Strength. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” added Parnell. “Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.” Presidents dating back to Abraham Lincoln have removed senior military leaders when they believed a change in personnel was necessary — a longstanding feature of civilian control of the military, not a new invention of the current administration. Then-President Barrack Obama accepted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resignation in 2014 after the president concluded that new Pentagon leadership was needed amid disagreements over the administration’s strategy against ISIS, Syria policy and the management of the Defense Department. PENTAGON FIRES BACK AFTER MARK KELLY ACCUSES PETE HEGSETH OF TARGETING WOMEN AND BLACK MILITARY OFFICERS Reports at the time indicated the departure was a forced resignation. Following Hagel’s departure, Obama said the former Defense Secretary had “guided the department through this transition” and that it was “an appropriate time for him to complete his service.” He praised Hagel for helping modernize the military’s strategy and meet Obama’s concern for longterm threats such as China’s rise and Russian aggression. Harry Truman removed five-star Army general and one of the most prominent U.S. commanders of World War II Douglas MacArthur. The two men clashed over the Korean War with Truman wanting to avoid spreading conflict to China while MacArthur advocated for the opposite. One early example came during the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln removed Gen. George McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac after growing frustrated with his cautious approach to fighting Gen. Robert E. Lee. Lincoln later removed Ambrose Burnside after the Union’s defeat at Fredericksburg and replaced him with Joseph Hooker. RENEWED PATRIOTISM AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FUEL ARMY’S BIGGEST RECRUITING SURGE IN YEARS Trump named Adam Telle as acting secretary of the Army Thursday, calling him “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all” and saying he would assume the role immediately after Driscoll’s resignation. Telle previously was the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Driscoll’s exit comes after reportedly butting heads with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts. Vice President Vance said Thursday Driscoll was a “very good friend” of his and was a “great secretary of the Army.” Vance acknowledged that he agreed with Hegseth, that there is a need to “have a culture shift at the Department of War.” US ARMY HITS 2026 RECRUITING GOALS FOUR MONTHS EARLY, PETE HEGSETH ANNOUNCES AT WEST POINT COMMENCEMENT “Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. “The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” she added. Trumps entered his first administration with the message of peace through strength seeking to reinvent global perception of America while also modernizing the military such as creating the U.S. Space Force. During his first term, Trump had two Senate-confirmed defense secretaries, including Jim Mattis, who resigned in 2018 after Trump announced plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, and Mark Esper, whom Trump fired in 2020 after disagreements that included the military’s role in responding to domestic unrest. “Changes in civilian leadership at the military-service level aren’t unusual. During President Trump’s first administration alone, the Army had two Senate-confirmed secretaries, Mark Esper and Ryan McCarthy, while Robert Speer and McCarthy also served as acting secretaries during leadership transitions,” a senior Pentagon official told Fox News Digital. “There’s a reason the law is structured this way,” the official added. “The Department of the Army operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Army is specifically responsible for ensuring Army policy is consistent with the President’s and Defense Secretary’s national-security policies and that their decisions and instructions are implemented effectively and on time.” Trump came back during his second term with an aggressive approach to rebuilding the American military, tightening fitness requirements, axing DEI policies, overhauling weapons acquisition, building up recruitment and refocusing the force on combat readiness and lethality.
Squatter nightmare turns DC apartment building into ‘drug haven’ as legal battle drags on: ‘There’s no help’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — FIRST ON FOX: As Washington, D.C., grapples with a persistent squatting problem, one resident in the nation’s capital is speaking out about how unwelcome tenants have turned her life upside down, terrorizing her neighborhood while the city stands by and does nothing. “I lived in several countries, including Third World countries, but it seems to me that I’m living in a Fourth World country in D.C.,” Tatyana Day Velasquez, who owns a small three-unit building in Columbia Heights, told Fox News Digital. “I’ve never seen something like it. There’s no accountability for what goes on. Everybody just throws the ball to each other, and there’s no help. So how can somebody resolve a problem like mine if you don’t get help?” For a tumultuous eight months, Velasquez said her property’s basement apartment has been overrun by strangers who refuse to leave and live rent-free with no consequences in sight. HOMEOWNERS TERRORIZED BY PRO SQUATTERS TURNING DREAMS INTO NIGHTMARES IN PALM-LINED PARADISE, EXPERTS SAY Hidden behind a makeshift barricade built with trash cans and bricks, Velasquez said the apartment has transformed into a “drug haven,” with unfamiliar faces pouring in and out in the night, constant fights breaking out, and a chemical odor seeping through the building. Photos and videos provided by Velasquez show a disheveled apartment littered with needles and drug pipes, as well as Narcan, fentanyl test strips, a machete and guns. “They don’t pay rent,” she said. “I mean they’re making money by drug dealing, obviously.” The dispute has since landed in D.C. Superior Court, where Velasquez is fighting to reclaim the basement apartment, arguing the courts are “overfilled with situations like mine.” Court documents show that Velasquez discovered other people had taken over her apartment after the previous tenant told her he moved out. Despite one of the men claiming the tenant gave him a key, the lease explicitly states unauthorized occupants, subletting and drug-related criminal activity are prohibited. FURIOUS RESIDENTS CONFRONT HOMELESS HOUSING LEADERS AS POPULAR BEACH COMMUNITY HITS BREAKING POINT Three separate tenants ultimately fled and vacated the building amid safety concerns, with one of the tenants telling Velasquez she “no longer feels safe enough to sleep here,” according to court documents. With the men never receiving approval and not paying rent, Velasquez argued this was enough reason to have them removed from the building. “How could that be possible?” she said. “They are not guests. They’re not invitees. This property is not a business. So, they are not implied consent to get inside, they are trespassers.” Police records tell a more complicated story. A June 26 Metropolitan Police Department report said one of the occupants had “established residency” by living with a tenant on the lease and therefore could not simply be removed, so police treated it as a landlord-tenant dispute and made no arrests. Under D.C. law, property owners generally cannot remove occupants themselves and instead must go through D.C. Superior Court, a process that can take months in some cases. D.C.’s Office of the Tenant Advocate says occupants must be given an opportunity to challenge a property owner’s claims in court before an eviction can be carried out. NEW YORK CITY LANDLORDS WARN AMERICAN DREAM IS SLIPPING AWAY UNDER SOCIALIST RENT POLICIES “I believe this is predatory tactics, and I also believe that by letting squatters have rights, it’s a violation of the Fourth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment because you no longer have private property,” Velasquez said. “The government decides what your property is going to be used as.” But the bills never stopped coming, according to Velasquez, including D.C. property taxes and trash violations connected to the debris left behind by squatters. “I’m not making any income from the property and, as a matter of fact, I’m still being charged taxes from the D.C. government,” Velasquez said. Velasquez has now taken it upon herself to manage the chaos, driving to the building daily to confront the alleged squatters as her cries for help fall on deaf ears. “I have to go there every day because, you know, I haven’t received much help from the police and the neighbors are tired of it,” she said. The confrontations with the squatter have turned physical multiple times, according to Velasquez, who said has received pushback from the police over her continued calls reporting the squatter. “I’ve been assaulted like a couple of times and there’s nothing I can do because I’m responsible for the property and for the safety of other tenants,” Velasquez said. NYC LANDLORD PLEADS FOR HELP AS ‘9-YEAR-SQUATTER’ CONTINUES TO DRAIN HIM DRY IN COURT SAGA: ‘TWILIGHT ZONE’ One neighbor said the incident sends a troubling message about D.C.’s priorities. “You say you want to protect women,” Lloyd, Velasquez’s neighbor who identified himself only by first name, told Fox News Digital. “You’re so against domestic violence, you’re against this and that, but then you turn around and do something like this.” The disturbances have even spread beyond the property, Lloyd said, with neighbors passing by also being antagonized. “The way I see it, it’s a domino effect, and it’s an entitled domino effect, and it is an audacity thing,” Lloyd said. The ongoing legal battle is shining a spotlight on D.C.’s controversial approach to alleged squatters, with property owners left with few options while eviction proceedings play out in court and bills continue to pile up. Lloyd said the effects of squatting can ripple through entire neighborhoods. “It’s like one negative thing permeates another negative thing, so you become a fungus in the neighborhood with nuclear waste attached to you,” Lloyd said. A D.C. police spokesperson told Fox News Digital MPD’s authority is limited once someone has established residency at a property, adding that officers can respond to calls, investigate alleged crimes and make arrests when they find probable cause, but they cannot simply remove an established resident because a property owner considers the person unauthorized. Evictions and questions about possession have to go through D.C. Superior
Missouri AG files petition asking Supreme Court to revive Trump-backed redistricting map
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Friday filed an emergency appeal urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the new congressional map backed by President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders to be used in November’s midterm election. The appeal comes after Missouri’s high court blocked the redistricting map and ordered a statewide vote in November on whether to keep it. Hanaway asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the state high court’s decision immediately. “We have just appealed yesterday’s catastrophic ruling to the Supreme Court of the United States. We look forward to the Court’s prompt review of this critical matter, as our ability to hold timely and lawful congressional elections hangs in the balance,” Hanaway, a Republican, said in a statement. MISSOURI HIGH COURT BLOCKS GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS; TRUMP BLASTS ‘RIDICULOUS’ RULING State law sets a Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who hears appeals of cases from the region and can decide alone or refer to the full court, asked opponents of the new map to respond to the appeal by Monday. The Missouri high court ruling on Thursday was among the latest rulings in a national redistricting battle backed by Trump. The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House majority. The state Supreme Court ruled that the referendum petition, filed in December after opponents submitted more than 300,000 signatures, prevented the new districts from taking effect unless approved by voters. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary Election Day last month to reject the petition, arguing that Missouri’s constitution does not allow referendum petitions on congressional redistricting. A lower court sided with Hoskins, but the state Supreme Court overturned his decision. “The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,” the court said in its ruling. The measure with the new districts “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.” Missouri’s new districts were used in the primaries last month, but the state Supreme Court said they cannot be used again unless voters first uphold the new districts passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe last September. Now, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census “remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election,” the court said. Five of the seven current justices on the Missouri Supreme Court, including the chief justice, were appointed by Republican governors. Hanaway said no other court has ordered congressional maps after a primary but before a general election. “No court in American history has ever given such an extraordinary remedy, which inflicts unprecedented chaos on Missouri,” her office wrote in the appeal. “Looking forwards, the State is genuinely unsure whether it can switch its governing congressional map in time to run a timely federal election.” DEMS DERIDED TRUMP’S MIDTERM GAMBLE — UNTIL HE ENDED UP WINNING BIG Congressional districts are typically redrawn at the start of each decade, based on new census data, but Trump’s mission to tip the scales in favor of Republicans in the midterm election sparked a mid-decade redistricting battle that spread to more than a dozen states across the nation. Trump called Thursday’s ruling “ridiculous” and argued it was unconstitutional, saying there will not be enough time to change the map before November’s elections. Missouri’s governor said he is “extremely disappointed” in the decision “by unelected judges and their lack of respect for the legislative process.” The new Missouri map targeted longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The map was intended to make Cleaver’s district more favorable to Republicans, who hoped it would produce a 7-1 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. “More than 305,000 Missourians demanded a say in who will represent them in the halls of Congress,” Cleaver said on Thursday. “Despite the cynical and deeply shameful attempt to silence many of our neighbors, the people fought back and won. This reaffirms that the people should choose their politicians, not the other way around. Democracy prevails.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DOJ ordered to freeze antitrust work with Canada as trade tensions intensify
The U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust division was directed earlier this week to pause all work with the Canadian government as the trade dispute between the neighboring nations intensifies, according to a report. The chief of the antitrust division’s international section, Lynda Marshall, ordered officials on Wednesday to halt all cooperation on cases and engagement on policy issues with Canadian authorities, without providing a reason for the directive, according to emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal. Section chiefs in the antitrust division were also instructed in another email on Friday to provide lists outlining areas of cooperation with Canada by the end of the day, according to the newspaper. NEW YORK GOV HOCHUL REJECTS TRUMP’S ‘LAKE AMERICA’ RENAMING WITH BLUNT MESSAGE The DOJ disputed the report, saying in a statement that the “alleged direction was never given to anyone.” The division was asked to “temporarily hold off on a scheduled meeting on a specific investigation until the DOJ’s antitrust team had more time to prepare,” the department said. This comes as the U.S. and Canada, which have been close allies for decades, continue to spar over President Donald Trump’s trade war against Ottawa and subsequent targeting of the U.S.’s northern neighbor, which most recently included the president’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” Although the renaming only applies to the U.S. federal government, while Canada, other international bodies and U.S. states are not forced to follow the rebranding, the order adds to the ongoing tensions between the two countries that arose following Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. The trade war has led to tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade. TRUMP RENAMES LAKE ONTARIO ‘LAKE AMERICA’ AMID INTENSIFYING US-CANADA TRADE DISPUTE The Canadian government said it would impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. beginning Sept. 8 in response to the Trump administration’s new 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, which took effect last month. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada “will match Washington’s new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses.” The Wall Street Journal and Reuters contributed to this report.
WATCH: Illegal alien busted in battleground state after allegedly committing voter fraud
EXCLUSIVE: Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows federal agents executing a sweep linked to a multi-state Department of Justice (DOJ) probe that has resulted in criminal charges against individuals for illegal voting, falsifying citizenship status and other election fraud related charges in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. The charges arrive as part of a highly publicized nationwide surge by the Trump administration to hunt down election-related crimes ahead of the 2026 midterms. Over the past year, the Justice Department has filed lawsuits against nearly 30 states to force the surrender of confidential voter rolls, while simultaneously repurposing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)—an agency historically focused on cartels and terrorism—to spearhead a search for unlawfully registered non-citizens. “Despite the media and Democrats claiming it never happens, the evidence of non-citizens registering to vote in our elections continues to pile up,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. “Any non-citizens found registering to vote and voting in our elections will be held accountable. Only Americans should be electing American leaders.” ‘RAW MATERIAL FOR ELECTION FRAUD’: EXPERT FLAGS VOTER-ROLL PROBLEMS FAR BEYOND ONE STATE The Justice Department announced Friday that five people—including two illegal immigrants and two non-citizens with legal status—had been federally charged with unlawfully casting ballots, falsifying citizenship status, fraudulently registering to vote and aiding and abetting during the 2022 and 2024 elections. Some of the arrestees, according to a DOJ press release, could face up to more than a decade in prison if found guilty of providing a false statement of citizenship in order to vote and other election fraud charges they are facing. Fox News Digital obtained footage of the arrest of one of those individuals, Katya Rodriguez, 30. An illegal alien from Mexico living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Rodriguez was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to illegally voting as an alien in the 2024 election. In particular, she is facing allegations of providing a false statement of citizenship to vote, fraudulent registration and voting as an alien, according to a DOJ press release, and could serve a maximum 11 years in prison, a term of supervised release, and be forced to pay a fine. SPANBERGER FACT-CHECKED AFTER TRUMP MAIL-VOTING WARNING RAISES MILITARY BALLOT FEARS The Trump administration’s federal enforcement action comes just weeks after New Jersey officials disclosed a massive state software error that mistakenly registered nearly 6,600 non-citizens to vote, with roughly 400 casting ballots. Meanwhile, Homeland Security announced earlier this summer that an audit of public voter rolls had identified more than 250,000 registered noncitizens in just four states: California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada. Just days ago, internal directives revealed by CNN showed Homeland Security Investigations launching a coordinated “voter fraud surge” into nine key states—including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—to hunt down non-citizens suspected of election interference. The handful of arrests announced Friday are among the latest enforcement actions. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to safeguarding the integrity of our nation’s election systems and ensuring that allegations of unlawful voting, fraudulent registration, and other election-related crimes are thoroughly investigated,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. “The American people deserve confidence that our elections are protected from fraud and criminal exploitation, and that those who seek to undermine the law are held accountable,” he continued. “As reflected in these cases, HSI special agents worked alongside our federal partners to identify alleged criminal conduct, follow the evidence, and support prosecutions that reinforce public trust and uphold the rule of law.”
Trump lawyers target what Letitia James won’t say about evidence in $450M case
President Donald Trump’s legal representation is demanding an answer to a key question in the civil suit that almost cost him $464 million. In a letter filed with the New York Supreme Court on Thursday, Trump’s representation is arguing that New York Attorney General Letitia James failed to comply with a court order that required her to present “the preservation practices” and “its preservation efforts.” The demand is the latest objection Trump’s attorneys have used to argue that the case, which is being reconsidered, is full of errors. Trump’s attorneys believe James may have key evidence she hasn’t turned over — communications with Michel Cohen, a former attorney for Trump. DELETED EMAIL DETAILS ALLEGED TRUMP-TARGETING PUSH INSIDE LETITIA JAMES’ OFFICE: ‘FIND AND PURSUE CRIMES’ “In seeking the discovery, defendants rely on a January 16, 2026 article by Cohen, published on the online platform Substack in which he asserted that, in meetings with lawyers from [James’s] office, he had ‘felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government’s desire to build the cases against and secure a judgement and convictions against President Trump,” a court filing reads. Cohen was a star witness in the civil suit. During trial, he helped build the case that Trump had routinely misrepresented the value of his properties and testified that Trump had given him target net-worth numbers to meet. Although the judge denied the request for additional discovery, the process where parties disclose relevant information about the case, he did require James to detail the process it has used to maintain and preserve information. Trump’s attorneys maintain James failed to do so. “[New York Attorney General’s Office] also carefully avoids representing one way or the other whether any requested materials in fact exist, and, if they do, whether NYAG has confirmed that they are being preserved,” they wrote. “Instead of actually complying with the Order, NYAG has simply recited in general terms that her ‘standard litigation hold procedures’ have been in place since the investigation phase of this matter.” The back-and-forth is the most recent development of the civil suit James brought against Trump in 2022, accusing him of habitually inflating the value of his property to a fraudulent extent. LETITIA JAMES FACES SCRUTINY AFTER NEW YORK CITY SPENDS $81,700 PER HOMELESS PERSON AMID SHELTER SCANDALS After being found liable, Trump was ordered to pay $355 million plus interest in disgorgement and was banned from applying for loans from any New York bank or financial institution for three years. He was also banned from serving as an officer or director of any New York company for two years. Although an appeals court later vacated the monetary penalties, James has appealed to reinstate them. Trump, for his part, has argued the case is fundamentally flawed and that it should be thrown out in its entirety Earlier this month, Trump’s lawyers cited five key disqualifying weaknesses. They argue that Attorney General James lacked the authority to bring the case, noting that the case involves private commercial transactions rather than harm to the public. They also contend that Trump’s valuations reflected subjective estimates that lenders independently evaluated rather than fraudulent misrepresentations. “The only supposed ‘victims’ here are a handful of ultrasophisticated banks and insurers that have never claimed to be injured, were eager to do business with President Trump and his family, and made over $100 million from these transactions,” the appeal states. They further argue that the prosecution’s premise of overvaluation is based on the misguided idea that real estate has one objective value and that deviations from that value must be fraud. “Under that breathtakingly broad theory, NYAG can second-guess any business transaction in this State on almost any imagined grounds,” attorneys wrote. And, on the penalties, Trump’s representation argues that the $450 million disgorgement is excessive, unlawful and even unconstitutional. Finally, the appeal argues that the politically charged nature of the case, on its own, should have been enough to halt its consideration. “NYAG cannot point to a single Section 63(12) enforcement action against similarly situated developers (or any other type of defendant) based on practices comparable to those alleged here,” the filing states, referring to the state law Trump was accused of violating. On the matter of its disclosures, James’ office pointed to its own letter in response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital, contending that it had met its disclosure requirements. TRUMP BACKS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TO OUST LETITIA JAMES AMID ONGOING MORTGAGE FRAUD FEUD “Insofar as Defendants have sought or are seeking more information about OAG’s specific preservation efforts, OAG objects to the demand for this extrajudicial discovery,” the letter reads. “Moreover, OAG has completely satisfied its obligations under the Court’s Order for OAG to identify the preservation practices that existed and applied and continue to exist and apply.”
‘Fiesta Mexicana’: El-Sayed campaign plans festive 9/11 while remembrance is missing from public schedule
While Americans prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Abdul El-Sayed’s public campaign schedule for that day makes no mention of a remembrance event, but includes a Mexican festival, a farmers market and a county fair. As of Friday morning, El-Sayed’s campaign website listed staff and volunteers for Grand Rapids’ Fiesta Mexicana, a nearby farmers market and the Allegan County Fair, while El-Sayed himself was scheduled to make a stop on his “Shouldn’t Be This Hard” tour. After Fox News Digital asked about the lack of a 9/11 remembrance on the public schedule, El-Sayed’s campaign said the Democrat nominee “will be attending a 9/11 remembrance memorial event that day,” though the event was not listed on his campaign website. FOX NEWS MEDIA ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE 9/11 ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE FROM GROUND ZERO, PENTAGON AND SHANKSVILLE The events listed on the campaign schedule have a notably more festive tone. Fiesta Mexicana, for instance, describes itself as “three days of mariachi, folklórico and forty-some vendors” that uses “music, food, dance and good company” to “make sure Mexican culture is known, understood and celebrated in West Michigan — on our own terms.” El-Sayed’s campaign instructs supporters to “bring some Mexican swag” and “go inside to enjoy the music and get some food.” The Allegan County Fair, meanwhile, features live entertainment, food, games and rides. El-Sayed’s campaign pointed out, that of the four events flagged by Fox News Digital — Fiesta Mexicana, the farmers market, the county fair and the candidate’s tour event — the Senate candidate would not be attending two of them, though would not specify which ones. The campaign did not explain why El-Sayed’s website did not list the 9/11 remembrance memorial event on his list of upcoming events, but it did underscore in a comment to Fox News Digital that El-Sayed views 9/11 as a horrific moment in history. “The September 11th terrorist attacks were an evil attack on America’s freedom and he will be joining Michiganders in remembering the 25th anniversary,” El-Sayed’s spokeswoman told Fox News Digital. BIDEN-WORLD VETERAN ISSUES STARK WARNING ABOUT ABDUL EL-SAYED AS HE CROSSES PARTY LINES The Michigan Senate hopeful has a complicated relationship with 9/11. Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, whom El-Sayed had campaigned alongside, caused him a headache early in the campaign when a clip of the streamer saying that America “deserved 9/11” resurfaced. El-Sayed called the statement “dumb,” though did not disavow Piker. Later, old blogs and social media posts where El-Sayed made controversial statements about the terrorist attacks began to surface. SANDERS-BACKED DEM BLISTERED FOR MAKING ‘EXCUSES FOR TERRORISTS,’ SLAMMING ‘HIGH AND MIGHTY’ AMERICANS Fox News Digital previously reported that El-Sayed equated 9/11 with Jan. 6 and President Donald Trump with Osama bin Laden on a now private blog. In social media posts, he called on Americans to bring the same outrage to the COVID-19 pandemic that they felt for 9/11 and mourned the deaths of those killed in America’s War on Terror.
Comer indicates McConnell staffers aiming for lawmaker to return to Senate later this month
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., indicated on Thursday that he has been in contact Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., staff, who have indicated that the aim is for the lawmaker to return to the Senate later this month. “I expect that. I sure hope so,” Comer said after being asked if McConnell was expected to join his Senate colleagues on Sept. 14. Comer said he had talked to McConnell staff, who have “said it’s their goal for senator McConnell to be here… when the Senate” returns. MCCONNELL IS OUT OF REHAB, BUT HIS ABSENCE HAS STUNTED A KEY REPUBLICAN PRIORITY Fox News Digital reached out to McConnell’s office on Friday. Senators are slated to return to work in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 14. “Other than pro forma sessions on Tuesday September 8th at 1:15 p.m. and Thursday September 10th at 3:00 p.m. the Senate stands adjourned until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14th. There is one vote that evening at 5:30 p.m.,” according to the U.S. Senate Press Gallery website. KENTUCKY GOVERNOR CALLS ON MCCONNELL TO PROVE HE IS FIT TO SERVE OR RESIGN: ‘ADDRESS THE PEOPLE’ McConnell, 84, suffered a fall in June. In a statement nearly a month ago, the lawmaker noted that he had been released from a rehabilitation center. SEN MITCH MCCONNELL HOSPITALIZED, ‘RECEIVING EXCELLENT CARE,’ HIS OFFICE SAYS The lawmaker, who has served in the Senate since 1985, is not running for re-election this year.
Non-citizen police officers approved after Dem says ICE ‘invasion’ ‘sends a message’
After a week of ICE raids, the Democrat-dominated City Council of Danbury, Connecticut, voted nearly unanimously to approve non-citizen legal residents serving as police officers. Under the new guidance, approved in an 18-2 vote, non-citizen legal residents and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients living in Danbury are allowed to serve as police officers in Danbury. One city council member, Democrat Joe Britton, remarked that the vote “sends a message to our immigrant community at large that you are welcome in Danbury.” ICE operations in the area resulted in more than 60 arrests, according to local reports. The arrests prompted public outrage in the community, including from city officials such as Britton, who called the raids “frightening.” BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN FIRES BACK AFTER DEMOCRAT CHRIS MURPHY CLAIMS ICE IS ‘TERRORIZING LITTLE KIDS’ The only two council members to vote against the measure were Republicans, while the council’s 17 Democrats and one Republican voted in favor. Before the vote, Britton said that “what we have here is an opportunity.” He noted that “though this definitely wasn’t planned to be on the agenda on the end of a federal invasion of immigration officials in Danbury … I do think it’s timely.” “There is no reason to vote against this, and if you do vote against this, I truly question your moral compass,” he added. Britton emphasized that this change “is legal, it’s allowed” and said it has been recommended. Britton told Fox News Digital that “Danbury is an immigrant city, and I believe someone who is lawfully here, committed to our community, and willing to raise their hand and take an oath to protect and serve should have the opportunity to do so.” He added that “this change does not lower Danbury’s standards for becoming a police officer. It simply allows otherwise qualified lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply and compete for these positions.” He noted that “every applicant must still satisfy the same training, background, character, and certification requirements required of any other officer,” saying, “This was about expanding the pool of qualified applicants while maintaining the same high standards our residents expect from their police department.” Similarly, Taylor O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Danbury city government, told Fox News Digital that council “amended its ordinance in accordance with Connecticut’s Police Officer Standards and Training Council, allowing legal permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply to become officers in the Danbury Police Department.” DEM SENATE NOMINEE CHANGES TUNE ON ICE AFTER VOWING NOT ‘ONE MORE DIME’ FOR AGENCY O’Brien said that “this standard is followed by over 30 municipalities in Connecticut and several states across the country” and that it “opens Danbury’s applicant pool to otherwise qualified candidates, including legal Danbury residents, who are currently applying to be police officers in other communities.” In 2020, the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council “partially waived” the citizenship requirement, extending eligibility for law enforcement candidates in Connecticut to lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients, according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. O’Brien added that Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, a Democrat, “ensures Danbury maintains a rigorous hiring process for our Police Officers,” adding that “this amendment should encourage qualified residents from the Danbury community to apply to serve the City they call home.” According to the Danbury News Times, Alves himself immigrated to the U.S. as an “undocumented child” and gained citizenship in 2017. The outlet quoted Alves saying he is “glad the City Council approved” the measure. Alves emphasized that “the standards are not being lowered” and that “every applicant still has to meet the same rigorous background, training, fitness and professional standards required of any Danbury police officer.” “What we are doing is giving qualified people an opportunity to compete for the job,” said Alves. “For a diverse city like Danbury, it strengthens our recruitment pool and gives us another opportunity to hire talented people who understand and care about the community they want to serve.” Fox News Digital reached out to Britton for additional comment. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Last year, ICE arrested two illegal immigrants who were serving as police officers. On July 25, 2025, Jamaican national Jon Luke Evans, who was serving as a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Police Department, was arrested on charges related to unlawfully attempting to purchase a gun. Then, on Oct. 15, Radule Bojovic, of Montenegro, who was serving as a police officer with the Hanover Park, Illinois, Police Department, was arrested during Operation Midway Blitz. Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Pelosi, Omar join Trump and Schiff as unlikely alliance pushes to onshore key industry
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump has gained several unlikely allies, including the man who led his first impeachment trial, in a major push to bring motion picture production back to California from other countries. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who represented studio-heavy Burbank in Congress, was joined by Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in echoing support for Trump’s federal tax incentive plan to draw major film projects back to where it began. “We’ve been promoting that for a long time. I’m glad he finally arrived at it,” Pelosi told Fox News Digital when asked about the plan on the Capitol grounds. PARAMOUNT ESCALATES THREAT TO LEAVE CALIFORNIA AS DEM AG’S ANTITRUST LAWSUIT STALLS WARNER BROS MERGER Schiff tweeted earlier this week that he is “in strong agreement with the president.” The Democrat, who has accused Trump of colluding with Moscow to win the election and whom the president has responded to by calling him “pencil-neck,” said it is time for Republicans and Democrats to “work together… get this done and bring the movie magic back to America.” SCHIFF ATTACK ON TRUMP’S DC INDYCAR RACE BACKFIRES AFTER DRIVER POINTS OUT CONTRADICTION “Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries.” Omar told Fox News Digital a similar refrain, adding that she has worked separately to attract film projects to Minneapolis. FILM PRODUCER SAYS ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ MOVIES CAN HELP REVIVE HOLLYWOOD’S STRUGGLING INDUSTRY She referenced “Fargo,” the 1996 Coen Brothers comedy starring William H. Macy as an example of Minnesota’s ability to host large projects. The “Mighty Ducks” series starring Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson also filmed heavily in the Twin Cities during its 1990s run. “When I was in the Minnesota House, I was very supportive of Minnesota having subsidies so we can have more movies being made inside Minnesota like the movie ‘Fargo’,” she said. She said the end of subsidies from St. Paul recently “made it less fun trying to run into people who were actually doing the production.” “It could be a really cool thing [and] also bring us money to states that can use it.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Trump appointed legendary actors Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone special envoys to Hollywood. Gibson previously told Fox News that for a recent film, it was cheaper to fly the entire crew to Europe for three days than to shoot for one day in Los Angeles. “There’s something really wrong there,” he said, adding that another actor, ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, tried to assuage the problem while in office but was met with “obstacles.” Last year, another Trump foil also got on board with the idea of Washington bolstering Hollywood. “California built the film industry – and we’re ready to bring even more jobs home… Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.