Clyburn, 85, bucks Democrat generational revolt with bid for 18th term in Congress
Longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina announced Thursday that he would run this year for an 18th two-year term in Congress. “In a few minutes, I am going to sign the paperwork that’s necessary in order to qualify for the Democratic nomination to run again,” the 85-year-old Clyburn said at an event in Columbia, South Carolina. The move by Clyburn, who was first elected to the House in 1992, bucks a push for generational change — fueled by serious questions over then-President Joe Biden’s physical and mental stability that led to his dropping his 2024 re-election bid that has seen other older congressional Democrats retire. LONGTIME HOUSE DEMOCRAT SWATS DOWN AD FROM MILLENIAL CHALLENGER Clyburn served for nearly two decades as the number three House Democrat in leadership, alongside 85-year-old former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and 86-year-old former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Pelosi and Hoyer are retiring at the end of 2026 rather than run for re-election. ANOTHER DEMOCRAT DROPS OUT OF 2026 RACE AS PARTY FACES GENERATIONAL RECKONING Addressing his age, Clyburn said he will soon “celebrate the 47th anniversary of my 39th birthday.” “If I were not up to it, I would not do it,” Clyburn said. “My health has been good.” Nearly a dozen House Democrats in their 70s and 80s are retiring when the 119th Congress concludes at the end of the year, but others are seeking another term. Republican Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, 88, and Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California, 87 — who are the oldest current members of Congress — are both seeking re-election. Clyburn long has been considered one of the most prominent Black political leaders in the nation, and a kingmaker among South Carolina Democrats. And thanks to South Carolina’s position for nearly a half century as the first southern primary in the race for the White House, Clyburn has played an influential role in the Democratic presidential nomination process. Clyburn’s support of Biden in the 2020 South Carolina primary helped boost the then-former vice president to a landside victory, which propelled Biden to the Democratic nomination and later, the White House.
ICE busts human smuggling ring that kidnapped family, sexually assaulted pregnant woman
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents busted a South Texas human smuggling ring, resulting in the arrests and sentencing of gangbangers who kidnapped a family and sexually assaulted a pregnant mother. Rodolfo Daniel De Hoyos, 22, a human smuggler who goes by the nickname “Rufles,” was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison on Monday for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas on Tuesday. De Hoyos is the fifth of nine human smugglers arrested in Kinney County, Texas, as a result of an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the cooperation of the Texas Department of Public Safety and several other law enforcement agencies. The investigation is part of the Trump administration’s Operation Take Back America. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, De Hoyos was involved in the kidnapping and attempted extortion of a family of illegal immigrants, consisting of a man, a pregnant woman and a seven-year-old child. The office said the smugglers sexually assaulted the pregnant woman and held the family for ransom. They obtained at least $1,000 from a relative and further threatened to kill the seven-year-old child and sell the unborn baby if additional payments were not made. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S TWO DECADES OF UNLAWFUL VOTES EXPOSE THE REAL ‘THREAT’ TO DEMOCRACY: EXPERTS De Hoyos was first arrested in 2021 by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who observed him transporting three passengers wearing dirty clothing, hiking boots and camouflage backpacks. At the time, De Hoyos admitted the three passengers were illegal aliens and that he was being paid $1,500 to transport them to Del Rio. He was arrested again in August 2023 in relation to the kidnapping of the family. Besides De Hoyos, four others have been sentenced. Texas man Juan Antonio Flores, 36, was sentenced to more than 17 years for his role in coordinating the smuggling trips. Two other co-conspirators, Tomas Estrada-Torres, 47, and Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya, received sentences of more than 12 years and 15 years, respectively. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Guatemalan national, Edwin Alfredo Barrientos-Mateo, nicknamed “Waches,” was sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with the smuggling ring. According to Simmons’ office, four other co-conspirators — Ambar Obregon, Pedro Ruiz Gonzalez, Armando Garcia-Martinez and Anthony Ballones Jr. — have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. EXCLUSIVE: ICE SAYS EL PASO DETENTION FACILITY WILL STAY OPEN UNDER NEW CONTRACTOR AFTER $1.2B DEAL SCRAPPED Besides ICE HSI and the Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Border Patrol, the Eagle Pass Police Department, the Austin Police Department, the Houston Police Department, and the Comal County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the investigation. In a word of caution to would-be illegal aliens, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin Simmons said that “alien smuggling organizations care nothing about the hopes and dreams of those they smuggle.” “When they look at an illegal alien, all they see is a dollar sign,” he went on, adding, “Do not trust them with your life because the only life they really care about is their own.” This week, Simmons’ office also announced that 36-year-old Mexican national Pedro Luis Martinez-Jaquez was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for his leadership role in a conspiracy to transport hundreds of illegal aliens, resulting in at least one death. Simmons called Martinez-Jaquez “one of the most prolific facilitators of alien smuggling in the last decade.” He said that over the course of an 18-month operation, Martinez-Jaquez made hundreds of thousands of dollars transporting illegal aliens into the U.S. BORDER PATROL CHIEF BOVINO SAYS CHICAGO EFFORTS ‘VINDICATED’ AFTER COURT REVERSES ORDER RESTRICTING OPERATIONS Both stings were the result of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative launched by the Trump administration last year to “achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.”
SCOOP: Democratic Virginia Gov Spanberger’s Republican cousin aims to flip key House seat red
EXCLUSIVE: The Republican cousin of Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia Thursday launched a campaign for Congress in California as she tries to flip a blue seat red. In an announcement shared first with Fox News Digital, entrepreneur Jenny Rae Le Roux declared her candidacy for the U.S. House in California’s 47th Congressional District, a competitive seat in Orange County that is held by first-term Democratic Rep. Dave Min, who is seeking re-election. The Orange County district is being targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of the House GOP, as the party works to protect its razor-thin majority in the chamber in the 2026 midterm elections. Le Roux is one of four Republican candidates running in the June 2 primary against Min. “I’m running because I love this district,” Le Roux told Fox News Digital. “I love California, and I don’t think that Dave Min has represented this district in a way that people are excited about.” DEEP-POCKETED CONSERVATIVE GROUP REVEALS PLAYBOOK TO DEFEND GOP’S CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITIES And she argued that Min, who succeeded former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in representing the district, which includes Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach and Seal Beach, “presented as a moderate” as he ran for Congress two years ago, but “he is governing and messaging as a progressive.” “A lot of my district is actually not that interested in progressive politics. They want schools that work, roads that operate, police that show up. They want the basic functioning of a governmental society that works,” Le Roux emphasized. That’s the same argument Le Roux makes about her second cousin, whom she calls Abby. “She really ran as a moderate in Virginia and is governing as a progressive, which I think is disenfranchising a lot of Democrat voters,” Le Roux claimed. CONSERVATIVES RIP VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S ‘MODERATE’ LABEL AFTER RADICAL LAUNDRY LIST OF DAY 1 MOVES Pointing to her cousin, a former CIA intelligence officer who served three terms in Congress before winning election in 2025 as Virginia’s first female governor, Le Roux said, “Abby and I grew up together. We spent a lot of time in the summers at family pool parties together. We actually graduated the same year from the University of Virginia together, and spend a lot of time [together], even in adulthood. She has three daughters. I have three sons.” “I’ve watched her bent toward public service, which is something that we both share. I think both of us grew up in a strong family with a love for community and a love for our country and a really strong sense of patriotism,” Le Roux added. Le Roux said Spanberger’s career path into politics motivated her to get more politically involved. So did the COVID-19 pandemic. “What really activated me into politics was COVID,” she said. “I had a farm, a family and a business, and all of those came under attack during COVID.” Le Roux, pointing to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, said, “I felt like our governor was doing an incredibly poor job, both with everything related to school closures and also related to everything else happening in the state, homelessness and crime and other issues.” SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHIEF REMAINS OPTIMISTIC DESPITE ROUGHER MIDTERM CLIMATE Le Roux ran for governor as a Republican in the 2021 recall election and again in the regularly scheduled 2022 gubernatorial election, coming in fourth in the primary. She currently serves as director of CAL DOGE, an initiative launched by California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News contributor and host, and state controller candidate Herb Morgan. Le Roux said that her decision to run for Congress was a direct result of the work she’s done with Cal DOGE to uncover the waste, fraud and abuse in government. “Cal DOGE has been eye opening. Washington enables the same dysfunction and corruption that is hurting California,” Le Roux said in a statement. “We can’t fix what is broken in our government unless outsiders who haven’t been part of the problem step up to serve.” And she told Fox News Digital, “I think we need to have full transparency of where the money is going, who it is going to. I think that we have a unique opportunity to do that now with technology that wasn’t available in the past.” Le Roux said her views largely have “been shaped by watching all of the failed policies in California and wanting to reverse them, which is one of the reasons why I’m not just a Republican, but a staunch conservative Republican, a fiscal conservative, and I’m passionate about really bringing government back toward local control.” As for her cousin, Le Roux said: “I love her … I congratulate her when she wins races. And I pray for her. I believe that we should pray for all of our leaders, regardless of party, and I absolutely believe we should keep conversation lines open. But Abby and I don’t agree right now on much politically.” “We’re in an interesting place as a family right now,” she added. Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Spanberger’s office for any comment.
US destroys aging Iranian warplanes, video shows
As the American military continues bombarding Iran amid the ongoing war against the Islamic Republic, U.S. Central Command shared video footage of strikes against aircraft sitting on the ground. “The Iranian regime is losing air capability day by day,” CENTCOM wrote in a late Wednesday post on X. “U.S. forces aren’t just defending against Iranian threats, we are methodically dismantling them,” the post added. TRUMP SUDDENLY SEEMS ANXIOUS TO END THE WAR AS AMERICAN CASUALTIES MOUNT AND IRAN FINDS WAYS TO HIT BACK No American fighter planes have been downed by Iran, according to CENTCOM. “An IRGC leader has claimed that a U.S. F-15 was shot down today south of Tehran. LIE,” CENTCOM indicated in a Wednesday post on X. “No U.S. fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran. U.S. forces continue to exercise air superiority over vast swaths of Iran. TRUTH,” the post added. DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO GRIND SENATE TO A HALT TO FORCE PUBLIC IRAN HEARINGS The Wall Street Journal indicated in a report last week that while the U.S. and Israel are operating modern aircraft like the F-35, the age and weakness of Iranian aircraft mark a vulnerability that requires Iran to rely on the ballistic missile program targeted by American and Israeli strikes. ISRAEL SAYS FIGHTER JET TOOK DOWN IRANIAN WARPLANE, THE FIRST SHOOTDOWN OF ITS KIND Earlier this month CENTCOM reported that three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets had been downed in “an apparent friendly fire incident.” “During active combat — that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the March 2 press release. “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.” The release noted that the six aircrew members safely ejected and were recovered.
Powell’s behind-the-scenes move after Trump’s DOJ opened its criminal probe
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell moved quickly behind the scenes after the Justice Department opened a criminal probe into his statements to Congress, with his calendar showing a burst of outreach to U.S. lawmakers. The entries don’t reveal what was discussed, but they show Powell made 13 calls to senators and House members shortly after he accused the DOJ of using subpoenas as a “pretext” to ramp up pressure on the central bank to cut rates. The rapid-fire calls ranged from 10 to 15 minutes each. The Fed releases Powell’s monthly schedule with about a two-month lag, which is why the scope of that outreach is only now coming into view. TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEETS GOP SENATOR HOLDING UP HIS CONFIRMATION Powell’s calendar lists calls with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; John Kennedy, R-La.; Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; James Lankford, R-Okla.; and Tim Scott, R-S.C., as well as Reps. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio; Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; Steny Hoyer, D-Md.; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Powell’s schedule also lists a breakfast meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Jan. 15, four days after the investigation was disclosed. Working Capitol Hill has long been central to Powell’s playbook, with the Fed chair regularly logging more one-on-one time with lawmakers than any modern predecessor. DOJ’S CRIMINAL PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL SPARKS RARE GOP REVOLT ON CAPITOL HILL Still, the week of Jan. 11 stood out even for Powell. The last time he reached more lawmakers in a single week was February 2025, ahead of his semiannual testimony, when he typically schedules a run of prehearing calls with key members. This burst was different, though it followed Powell’s Jan. 11 disclosure that the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation tied to his congressional testimony on the Federal Reserve’s two historic main buildings on the National Mall. Powell, in a rare video statement, called the probe “unprecedented” and described it as another salvo in what he described as President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign on the central bank to cut rates. The unusually public response followed days of private consultations with advisors and stood out for a Fed chair known for a measured approach. The investigation centers on Powell’s June 2025 testimony to lawmakers, an unusual development for a sitting Fed chair. TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell said: “There’s no new marble. There are no special elevators. They’re old elevators that have been there. There are no new water features. There are no beehives, and there’s no roof garden terraces.” Powell added that no one “wants to do a major renovation of a historic building during their term in office,” and said cost overruns were driven in part by unexpected construction challenges and inflation. The renovation is estimated to cost $2.5 billion and is being funded by the central bank itself, not by taxpayers. The Fed is self-financing and does not rely on congressional appropriations to cover its operating expenses, which include employee salaries, facilities maintenance and the current renovation. Its primary income comes from interest earned on government securities and fees charged to financial institutions. Trump has repeatedly targeted the project, threatening legal action and mocking the renovation’s cost and design. “They’re building a basement into the Potomac River. I could have told them. That’s very tough to do, and it doesn’t work, and it’s very expensive,” Trump said. “But they’re up to $4 billion, headed by this clown,” he added in November, referring to Powell. Powell, a Trump nominee first tapped to lead the Fed in 2017, is expected to finish his term at the end of May. Trump has picked former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, but the nomination is effectively stuck after Sen. Thom Tillis vowed to block any Fed nominees while the DOJ probe remains open. The Federal Reserve declined to comment on Powell’s calendar.
Four-time deported Honduran arrested after allegedly shoving elderly Air Force vet onto NYC subway tracks
A four-time deported illegal immigrant from Honduras with 15 prior criminal charges allegedly shoved two victims onto the tracks at a New York City subway station this week, including an 83-year-old Air Force veteran who remains in critical condition, according to reports. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated Wednesday evening that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer against Honduran national Bairon Posada-Hernandez, 34, after he was arrested for allegedly shoving two men – unprovoked – onto the train tracks inside the NYC subway system. The older male, 83-year-old Air Force veteran and grandfather Richard Williams, is reportedly still fighting for his life at a New York City hospital. Posada-Hernandez first entered the country in 2008, and was subsequently deported four separate times, the last time being in July 2020, before reentering later for a fifth time at an unknown location and date, Fox News Digital has learned. At the time of the subway incident this week, Posada-Hernandez had a lengthy criminal history as well, including at least 15 prior charges for crimes such as aggravated assault, domestic violence, possession of a weapon, obstruction of police, simple assault and drug possession. SPARKS FLY AS GOP SENATOR REACTS TO BIDEN ADVISOR’S ‘I DON’T KNOW’ ANSWER ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW “Bairon Posada-Hernandez is a serial criminal, and four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras who should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans,” said DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We are praying for the victims and their families. DHS is calling upon New York sanctuary politicians to commit to this ICE detainer and not release this heinous criminal back into New York communities.” Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City Department of Correction, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, and the New York Police Department (NYPD) to inquire about whether there were plans to honor ICE’s detainer against Posada-Hernandez. The Department of Corrections responded, but did not directly answer any of Fox News Digital’s questions, instead pointing Fox News Digital to the publicly available information located on its “Person in Custody Lookup” database. Questions about Posada-Hernandez’s charges and future court dates were also left unanswered. ICE HOUSTON TOUTS OVER 400 ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD SEX OFFENDERS ARRESTED DURING TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR BACK IN OFFICE According to NYC’s custody database, reviewed by Fox News Digital, Posada-Hernandez was given $100,000 bail following his arrest on Wednesday for first-degree assault, a Class B felony. However, other public reports have indicated that he was charged with attempted murder. Cellphone footage from the younger male victim involved in the Wednesday incident surfaced following the subway attack this week, which showed Posada-Hernandez walking calmly away after allegedly pushing him. A passerby could be seen in the video trying to help the younger victim after he was first pushed. Then, Posada-Hernandez allegedly proceeded to spontaneously shove the older Williams onto the tracks as well. The younger victim suffered minor injuries, but Williams is reportedly in critical condition in the hospital. While it is unclear when Posada-Hernandez returned to the United States after his fourth deportation in July 2020, what is known is that, under President Joe Biden, 5% of the entire population of Honduras entered the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In February, DHS condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for signing an executive order “turning New York City into a shield for violent criminal illegal aliens to reoffend and create more innocent victims,” which also came not long after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s legislative proposal barring local police departments from cooperating with ICE. As of February, there were more than 7,110 illegal aliens in New York custody with an active ICE detainer, per DHS. This includes 148 criminal illegal aliens accused of homicide, 717 accused of assault, 134 accused of burglaries, 240 accused of burglaries or robberies, 235 accused of dangerous drug offenses, 152 accused of weapons offenses, and 260 accused sexual predators, according to DHS.
SEE IT: Nancy Mace says she ‘jumped in to assist’ as Americans airlifted from war zone amid Iran conflict
While House Republicans gathered in South Florida to map out their strategy ahead of November’s midterm elections, one GOP lawmaker said she “jumped in to assist” with evacuation efforts overseas amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital that she traveled to the Middle East on Sunday after she learned a South Carolina family was trapped in the wake of the conflict. “When your people are stranded in a war zone, the only answer worthy of the office, worthy of our state, worthy of our country, is to get them out,” Mace, who is running to be South Carolina’s next governor, said in a statement. After the family made it safely back to South Carolina, Mace said she stayed in the region and partnered with Grey Bull Rescue, a Tampa-based crisis response group led by military veterans, to evacuate more Americans. Tens of thousands of U.S. citizens have scrambled to leave the Middle East following widespread flight cancellations and airspace closures due to Iranian counterstrikes. PRIVATE SECURITY FIRM HELPING AMERICANS EVACUATE THE MIDDLE EAST AMID WAR WITH IRAN Mace said she worked with the State Department to charter a flight for the stranded Americans while the private nonprofit supplied logistics for the rescue mission. On Wednesday night, Mace and dozens of American families on the flight landed in Greece. Mace said 155 Americans — including 11 infants — were evacuated from Israel as part of Grey Bull Rescue’s 808th mission. The group says it has rescued 591 Americans from the region since the outbreak of the conflict. “They had the people but didn’t have the plane. I jumped in to assist,” Mace said. “Tonight I am grateful. And I will never forget what I saw. What I learned. And the Americans who volunteered and who are serving our nation patriotically tonight.” “Congresswoman Mace was fully embedded with our team, not to watch, but to work to save lives,” Bryan Stern, founder and chairman of Grey Bull Rescue, told Fox News Digital. “While a core value of Grey Bull Rescue is to be absolutely apolitical we are always PROUD AMERICANS to see our elected officials fighting for their constituents.” WNBA’S TIFFANY MITCHELL AND FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS STUCK IN ISRAEL AMID STRIKES Grey Bull Rescue has been operating in the Middle East since 2023, during which the volunteer organization evacuated more than 300 Americans from Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. The group recently helped Americans escape cartel violence in Mexico, following the killing of a notorious drug lord in February, and also facilitated the extraction of Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from her home country in 2025. Over 43,000 Americans have departed the Middle East since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, according to the State Department. Over 27,000 of those individuals received direct assistance from the U.S. government in evacuating the region, a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. The Trump administration advised Americans in 14 countries across the Middle East to “depart now” on Feb. 2, following a rise in security threats. Some Americans initially stranded in the region have criticized the State Department for failing to clearly communicate and distributing insufficient evacuation guidance.
Trump says ‘we’ve got our eyes on’ Iranian sleeper cells in US
President Donald Trump hailed the swift prosecution of the military campaign against Iran, but acknowledged there are terrorist “sleeper cells” in the U.S. that have to be watched and dealt with. Trump said during a press gaggle Wednesday that he has been briefed on terror alerts and threats, including reported plans to conduct a drone attack in California, but he warned that any terrorists present in the country now might be the result of former President Joe Biden’s “stupid open border.” “A lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border, but we know where most of them are: We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think,” Trump said. “They came in through the open-border policies of Sleepy Joe Biden, one of the worst — the worst president in the history of our country — and we’ve got our eyes on all of them,” the president added. TOP IRANIAN CYBERCRIMINAL ON FBI MOST WANTED LIST REPORTEDLY KILLED IN US-ISRAELI STRIKE “But the war itself is being prosecuted at a level that nobody has seen before,” Trump continued. “It’s pretty — it’s pretty amazing to watch.” When asked about a leaked law enforcement bulletin put out about a possible Iranian revenge plot in California where a potential offshore boat might launch a drone swarm, Trump replied, “It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come.” US DESTROYS 16 IRANIAN MINE BOATS AS STRAIT OF HORMUZ OIL SHOWDOWN ESCALATES “The war itself is being prosecuted as well as anybody has ever seen, and this is other countries telling me too,” he continued. “Big countries, powerful countries, they said they’ve never seen anything like it. And they also agree with what I’m doing. They say it’s an evil country, and it’s been for 47 years that way.” The warning of a California drone swarm attack is not new, having originated in February, but law enforcement has re-upped the monitoring amid Iran’s threats to retaliate against Israel and the U.S.
GOP billionaire trying to woo Trump’s support in key Georgia race bankrolled his 2024 presidential rivals
FIRST ON FOX: One of the top Republican contenders for governor in Georgia hyped that he would “be Trump’s favorite governor” and is vying for President Donald Trump’s endorsement, but his Federal Election Commission records reveal he financially backed multiple GOP rivals of Trump during the 2024 presidential race. In particular, two top contenders, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare entrepreneur Rick Jackson, have been sparring over who is more aligned with Trump. “This Primary Election is very simple,” Jones says on his campaign website. “There is one authentic conservative who has fought for President Trump.” Meanwhile, Jackson has assured voters that he would “be Trump’s favorite governor” after donating $1 million to the president’s political action committee, MAGA Inc. less than two months before he jumped in the race last month. However, Jackson and his network of companies and investment groups have a history of donating funds to Trump’s rivals, including during his 2024 presidential bid prior to him obtaining the Republican Party nomination, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings. Jackson gave at least $150,000 to Nikki Haley and $100,000 to Vivek Ramaswamy, who were both running against Trump at the time. TRUMP ALLY CLAY FULLER ADVANCES IN GEORGIA FIGHT FOR MTG’S FORMER SEAT Jackson Investment Group, an entity that Jackson has controlled for decades, according to a 2024 SEC filing, spent at least $150,000 supporting Nikki Haley through the SFA Fund, INC., and Team Stand for America. The SFA Fund, INC. received three separate donations from the Jackson Investment Group totaling at least $140,000 between 2023 and 2024, including $40,000 weeks before Haley suspended her campaign in early 2024. Jackson also directly gave $10,000 to Team Stand for America, a joint fundraising committee that was supporting Haley. The $100,000 donation from the Jackson Investment Group to Ramaswamy’s super PAC occurred in July 2023, months before he suspended his campaign in Jan. 2024. Jackson has also donated across the last decade to other Trump rivals like former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and over $1 million in support of Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign against Trump, FEC filings show. Jackson also contributed funds against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., when she was fully on the MAGA train in 2020, and donated to Sen. Lindsay Graham’s, R-S.C., 2016 presidential bid shortly after he dropped out and endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The $2,700 donation to Cheney’s leadership PAC, The Great Task, came weeks after she joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump after they said he incited the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jackson, the wealthy founder of Jackson Healthcare who is seeding his own campaign with at least $50 million, shook up a primary field that many had expected was set in stone between Jones, the Trump-endorsed front-runner, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Attorney General Chris Carr. The newcomer to the race has brushed off attacks that he is not sufficiently loyal to Trump, comparing himself to people serving in Trump’s orbit who were once skeptics of the president, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. When reached for comment about his previous donations to Trump rivals, a Jackson campaign spokesperson pivoted to Jones. “Self-dealing Burt Jones is recycling old attacks to distract from his failing campaign. From shielding doctors who perform sex change surgeries on minors to protecting Chinese vape manufacturers for campaign cash and family profit, the more Georgians learn about Burt Jones, the more they realize he operates like the kingpin of the Atlanta political mob. That’s why even with the endorsement, Burt Jones is losing,” Dave Abrams, a Jackson campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital when reached for comment. “To be clear, President Trump endorsed Burt Jones for governor,” a former senior Trump White House official told Fox News Digital. “Rick Jackson claiming he is Trump’s ‘favorite’ is downright dishonest.” Kayla Lott, a campaign spokesperson for Jones, contested the claim from Jackson’s team that he has worked to protect Chinese vape manufacturers, arguing the Lt. Gov.’s efforts on a bill that would have created a directory of authorized nicotine vapor products was about preventing monopolization and promoting free-market solutions. Lott also pointed to Jones’ support for House Bill 54, preventing minors from obtaining sex-change surgeries or drug treatment. TRUMP FOE FANI WILLIS BLOCKED YET AGAIN FROM COLLAPSED RICO CASE AS PRESIDENT PUSHES TO CLAW BACK MILLIONS “Never Trumper Rick Jackson bankrolled candidates running against President Trump and the America First agenda,” Lott said. “Now he’s lying to voters to try and cover it up. As the only Trump-endorsed candidate in this race, Lt. Governor Burt Jones will always stand up for Georgians and stand with our President. Not even Slick Rick can buy his way out of his own record.” Even before his support for Bush in 2016, Jackson supported Romney, another Trump rival who has described the president as a “phony” and a “fraud.” FEC filings show that Jackson spent over $100,000 supporting Romney’s presidential campaign and his political action committee, Romney Victory Inc. Trump repeatedly said Romney “choked” in 2012 and “let us all down.” Jackson, Jones, Carr and Raffensperger will duke it out in their upcoming primary on May 19, with the general election to follow in early November.
Nancy Pelosi endorses former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn in second congressional bid
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has endorsed former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, one of the candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. Dunn was serving on the police force during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. “My friend Harry Dunn is a true American hero and exactly the right person to represent Maryland in Congress,” Pelosi asserted in a release, according to The Hill. “On January 6, 2021, Harry Dunn bravely defended our democracy from Donald Trump’s violent MAGA mob. Since then, Harry’s been called to do everything he can to protect Marylanders and all Americans from extremists like Donald Trump. I’m proud to endorse Harry Dunn for Congress.” Pelosi is not seeking re-election. NANCY PELOSI DOUBLES DOWN ON DEFENDING OBAMA’S STRIKES ON LIBYA WHILE ATTACKING TRUMP: ‘READ THE LAW’ Dunn said in the release that Pelosi “stood firm when our democracy was under attack and helped lead the country through one of the most difficult moments in our history,” according to the outlet. “I’m grateful for her support and proud to have her in this fight,” he noted. Fox News Digital reached out to Dunn’s campaign on Thursday morning. FORMER CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICT THAN FAILED 2024 BID Pelosi previously endorsed Dunn in 2024, but Dunn ultimately failed to win the Democratic Primary that year in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, who currently represents Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, is not seeking re-election. HOYER WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION, SAYS HOUSE HAS STRAYED FROM FOUNDERS’ VISION The congressman has endorsed his former campaign manager, Maryland Delegate Adrian Boafo, for the U.S. House seat.