House Dems dodge questions on SCOTUS trans athlete ruling, shift blame to ‘culture wars’
House Democrats mostly sidestepped questions on the Supreme Court ruling that now allows states to ban student-athletes from competing on sports teams or in leagues that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. ” I think we spend far too much time obsessing over that,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital when asked for his opinion on the ruling. “And what people should be focused on right now is the dysfunction here in Washington.” ” I think the focus should be on this economy and getting us out of this war of choice and bringing down gas prices so that folks do not have to make real decisions about if they’re going to put food on their table or gas in their tank, to take their kids to the hospital or to school,” Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., said. DEMOCRATS STAY QUIET ON NEXT STEPS AFTER SUPREME COURT TRANSGENDER SPORTS RULING She continued, “I think that the culture wars that we allow to divide us don’t do anything to feed our kids.” The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision marked a major victory for supporters of laws restricting transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, upholding state laws challenged by transgender student-athletes who argued the policies violated the Constitution. But when asked about the landmark ruling, several House Democrats didn’t know about the decision or pivoted to talking about what they deemed as more important issues like the economy and dysfunction in Congress. “This place is a disaster,” McGovern said. “And, you know, and the incompetence here is… I’ve never seen this before. “ “I think what people should be focused on is that Washington is not working, and it’s really sad.” WHAT THE SCOTUS TITLE IX RULING COULD MEAN FOR LAWSUITS SEEKING DAMAGES FOR WOMEN IMPACTED BY TRANS ATHLETES Despite the ruling leaving the decision up to the states rather than a nationwide ban, Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., argued the issue should be dealt with at an even lower level — locally. “Let like the school athletic associations, let parents, let people at the local level decide which sports and which age groups should be co-ed or what the rules should be.” Like several of his Democratic colleagues, Magaziner quickly shifted the conversation to broader issues he said Congress should prioritize. NEWSOM’S OFFICE RESPONDS TO SCOTUS RULING ON WOMEN’S SPORTS AS CALIFORNIA FACES ONGOING TRANS ATHLETE WAVE “I frankly like don’t think that this is something that politicians in Washington should be involved in,” Magaziner said. “We should be focused on lowering inflation, we should be focused on ending the war, we should be focused on preserving our democracy.” “Congress should be focused on the big picture things,” he added. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., was among the few Democrats to offer a direct criticism of the ruling, calling it “unfortunate.” “Unfortunate for a lot of folks in across this country,” Elfreth said. “Like I said, they didn’t get a lot right today.”
Al Green responds to July 4 question with renewed call to impeach Trump
Democratic lawmakers said they believed the U.S. is still an extraordinary country despite expressing disagreements with President Donald Trump when asked by Fox News Digital if they were proud to be American citizens. “The freedoms that we have and the fact that anyone should be able to get ahead for them and their family based on the laws we have every now and then — in general, it’s sound,” Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., said. The answers, which came ahead of the country’s 250th Independence Day celebration, highlight the deep distrust Democrats have of the administration’s leadership even as they expressed confidence in principles that have made U.S. prosperity possible. Just one, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, declined to expand on why he was proud to be an American. WORLD CUP SOCCER FANS ARE DISCOVERING AMERICA’S GREATNESS. IT’S TIME AMERICANS DID, TOO “I am very proud to tell you that impeachment is an option to remove a reckless, ruthless, lawless president,” Green answered when asked if he was proud to be an American. “I’m proud that it exists,” Green added. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, echoed his thinking. “I believe Americans are ready to defend our democracy and oppose authoritarianism so that we can celebrate our 251st birthday in this country instead of turning all power over to a would-be king,” Doggett said. Despite his disagreements with the Trump administration, Doggett clarified that his views were distinct from his feelings about the nation itself. “We’re the greatest country on earth. We’re innovative, we’re smart, we make sure that we promote our values, our liberties and justice and freedom. We’re always trying to perfect our union, but at the same time, we were the great experiment of democracy and it’s been a rousing success,” Doggett said. Other Democrats, like Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., agreed with U.S. exceptionalism. “This is a great country. You know, we are a country of immigrants. Immigrants have contributed so much to our country, and you know this is the greatest country on earth. I am so proud to call myself an American citizen, although there are some concerns with the new administration,” Thanedar said. AMERICA WON’T LAST ANOTHER 250 YEARS BASED ON THE ‘CURRENT ADMINISTRATION,’ MS NOW GUEST WARNS Thanedar, who was born in India, immigrated to the United States in 1979. For their own part, Republicans, who readily affirmed their pride in the country, articulated that they believed the founding ideas were the reason for the country’s success. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., said he believed the Constitution had given citizens the latitude to thrive. “I guess our Constitution and all the freedoms we have that other countries don’t have, which results in us being so much wealthier than other countries — not that that’s the main thing. But you look at your average American with a front yard and backyard, they don’t even have that in Western Europe, they don’t have that in Israel, they have it in other top countries. We’ve got it here in the United States,” Grothman said. “So, I think the combination between the material wealth which impresses you and a Christian nation which is also so tremendous.” PUSH TO OUST TRUMP EXPOSES CRACKS AMONG DEMOCRATS ON STRATEGY, TIMING Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., said he believes it’s that success that has made Americans proud and zealous for protecting its interests. “We’re a nation who’s willing to understand peace through strength. And we’re a nation that has been willing to go ahead and pledge our lives to keep the freedoms that we have here that no other nation like ours has seen,” Mills said.
Trump grants pardons to ‘persecuted’ mechanics in right-to-repair crackdown: ‘I am setting them all free’
President Donald Trump on Friday announced full executive pardons for more than half a dozen people he claims were “persecuted” by the Biden administration for simply “fixing their car.” In a Truth Social post Friday afternoon, the president took aim at federal prosecutions he characterized as part of the “Weaponization and Stupidity” of the prior administration, saying, “I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!” Those who received clemency were charged after circumventing emissions control regulations that are no longer in effect, a White House official told Fox News Digital. They include: Joshua Davis; Matt Geouge; Jonathan Achtemeier; Tim Clancy; Ryan and Wade Lalone; Barry Pierce; Aaron Rudolf; and Mackenzie Spurlock. FORMER INDIANA REP STEPHEN BUYER RECEIVES FULL PARDON FROM TRUMP FOR 2023 INSIDER TRADING CONVICTION The pardons align with Trump’s broader push to defend the “right to repair.” Earlier in the week, he signed a presidential memo designed to make it easier for Americans to repair their own vehicles by protecting self-repair rights and opening up options for aftermarket parts. “It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car,” Trump said during an Oval Office news conference. “We rule by common sense.” The executive clemency follows the high-profile federal environmental case involving Elite Diesel Service Inc. and its owner, Troy Lake Sr. Lake received a full and unconditional pardon Nov. 7, 2025, wiping away his conviction in the case United States v. Elite Diesel Service, Inc. et al. WATCH: TRUMP EPA CHIEF SPARKS EXPLOSIVE HEARING SHOWDOWN OVER GLOBAL WARMING ALARM FROM DEMS: ‘I’M TALKING’ According to federal plea agreements, Elite Diesel had instructed employees to disable computerized on-board diagnostic systems on at least 344 heavy-duty commercial trucks between January 2017 and December 2020. The diagnostic systems are federally mandated under the Clean Air Act to monitor emissions control systems. Lake was sentenced on Dec. 5, 2024, to more than a year in prison and a $2,500 fine. The company was put on probation for five years, ordered to pay a fine of $37,500 and required to make a $12,500 payment to a Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment program designed to repair emissions systems for low-income drivers. REPUBLICANS DECLARE WAR ON ‘ORGANIZED THEFT’ WITH GOVERNMENT FRAUD CRACKDOWN Government prosecutors also argued that Elite Diesel’s co-conspirators, other diesel truck garages and fleets, hired Lake’s company to manipulate the computers so that emission system malfunctions would go undetected, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The EPA’s sprawling investigation ultimately swept up eight alleged co-conspirator garages and fleets across seven states, including Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma. The businesses were ordered to pay heavy fines and fund local community service projects, such as buying clean school buses or electric groundskeeping equipment to offset environmental impacts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. At the time, Biden administration officials defended the criminal prosecutions as essential for public health. EPA Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Lance Ehrig accused the defendants of leading a “large-scale conspiracy” that “diminished air quality.” A study cited by the prosecution claimed the tampered trucks collectively released more than 1,300 tons of excess nitrogen oxides and other pollutants into the air.
Mamdani blasts ICE agents, Elon Musk and ‘supremacy’ in America 250 speech ahead of July 4 weekend
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took aim at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Elon Musk and what he described as the “arena of supremacy” in the United States during an immigration-themed America 250 speech on Friday ahead of Fourth of July weekend. Flanked by eight recently naturalized U.S. citizens, Mamdani invoked the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and America’s history of immigration before turning his rhetoric on elements of today’s U.S. Mamdani also blasted the “world’s first trillionaire,” a milestone Musk achieved with the long-awaited Initial Public Offering (IPO) of SpaceX last month. “We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry while the world’s first trillionaire hungers for more,” Mamdani said, without naming Musk. “We see monopolies that dominate every industry, and oligarchs who buy elections. We see masked agents terrorizing our streets, eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in unmarked vans. FETTERMAN WARNS MAMDANI RISKS ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS’ BY VOWING TO DEFY SCOTUS IMMIGRATION RULING “We see a nation whose immense wealth has been built by those with calloused, dirt-streaked hands, those who toil on factory floors and chisel into stone. And we see a nation that has allowed so much of that wealth to be held instead in the soft hands of a precious few.” Mamdani, who was sitting at George Washington’s desk during the remarks, also praised the legacy of immigrants, claiming they have overcome riots “aimed at their very existence,” to create lives in New York. “Over the years that followed, despite laws enacted by the federal government to bar their entry, despite sweatshop fires that killed hundreds of women, despite riots aimed at their very existence, immigrants made homes here in New York City, and they helped to make New York City,” the mayor said. “That legacy of every generation of Americans insisting that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness extends to them, too, is no relic of the past. It carried millions of Black Americans north during the Great Migration. It drew hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans to New York City after the Second World War. It invited countless others from the West Indies and South Asia and West Africa and across the world. And it is what brought my family to this city when I was seven years old.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI PRAISED FOR ‘FANTASTIC’ QUESTION-DODGING ON PRESIDENTIAL ELIGIBILITY Mamdani did not mention his own family’s wealth in the speech. His father was an elite Harvard academic, and his mother an acclaimed film director. “My family did not arrive by boat, although we saw the Statue of Liberty from the window of the plane. Even from the air, we could make out the promise of America, the promise of the beautiful patriotic work of rendering America, year after year, a little more faithful to its founding ideals,” he said. In his speech, Mamdani blasted those with “power and influence,” who he lamented have written American history. “There is a term so often used to describe our nation and those who have shaped it. American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism, the conventional wisdom tells us, makes our freedom a little more free. It is how we dug the Erie Canal and irrigated the West. (It) is why children in faraway lands grow up dreaming of one day moving here. And, yet, the irony is that the story of America has so often been written by those who were told by others with power and influence and wealth that they were anything but exceptional,” Mamdani said. “For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best. “It sent Puritans and Sikhs and Quakers and Muslims and Jewish people who were banished for praying the wrong way, worshiping the wrong gods, angering the wrong people. It sent peasants and serfs from slums and shuttles who were treated as less because they hardly owned clothes, let alone land. It sent immigrants from whom power was something someone else had,” he continued. “We are told that America is exceptional because we are richer, stronger, more powerful than everyone else. The truth, my friends, is that America is exceptional because here nothing is fixed into place.” Mamdani referenced how he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. Mamdani was born in Uganda in 1991 and moved to New York when he was 7. The mayor is a dual U.S.-Ugandan citizen. “Nearly a decade ago, I too felt what you feel the joy of no longer being just a New Yorker but an American too. You each hold a special power. The power to determine what America means,” the mayor said, speaking to the recently naturalized citizens by his side. “The powerful have always known their answer. America, in their view, is an arena of supremacy where only a select few are allowed freedom,” Mamdani said. “Where not all are created equal. America, if you ask them, becomes less the more people it welcomes. America, they will tell you, belongs only to those with the right accent or the right shade of skin. The rest of us, they insist, should be grateful for merely being allowed to visit. How small they are, how weak, how unoriginal. At every moment in our past, those who led through exclusion and isolation have tried to win power and enrich themselves by turning us against one another.” Mamdani also claimed ICE was invading New York neighborhoods. “We see America each time neighbors link arms with neighbors without asking how long they have lived here or what papers they have as ICE invades our neighborhoods,” he added. “We see America each time those young and old stand in the beating rain or the stifling heat to cast their ballots. We see America each time working people demand more, not just for themselves, but for their fellow Americans.” “There are some
Trump calls out NATO ahead of summit, calling it ‘ridiculous’ for US to persist on ‘one sided path’
President Donald Trump targeted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), venting frustration about the alliance in Thursday’s social media posts. “The United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit from so doing: U.S. 999 Billion Dollars, United Kingdom, 90.5 Billion Dollars, France, 66.5 Billion Dollars, Italy, 48.8 Billion Dollars, Poland, 44.3 Billion Dollars. Others, including Germany, are MUCH LOWER. (2014-2025) Ridiculous!” the president asserted in a Thursday morning Truth Social post. A NATO release, which explains that the “cut-off date for information used in this report was 3 June 2025” and that “figures for 2024 and 2025 are estimates,” listed the estimated 2025 U.S. defense expenditure as $980 billion, the United Kingdom’s as $90.508 billion, France as $66.531 billion, Italy as $48.8 billion, and Poland as $44.314 billion. MOST TRUMP SUPPORTERS STILL BACK NATO DESPITE YEARS OF TRUMP’S CRITICISM, NEW POLL FINDS America’s commander in chief also called out NATO in a post on Thursday night. “Ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal. They were not there for us!!!” Trump exclaimed in the post. The president’s vocal complaints about NATO came ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara, Turkey, next week. Trump is scheduled to attend. NATO SECRETARY MARK RUTTE PRAISES TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY, ADDRESSES PRESIDENT’S FRUSTRATION WITH ALLIES Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House last month. Trump has been critical of NATO amid the U.S. war with Iran. TRUMP ‘RIGHT TO BE OUTRAGED’ BY EUROPE’S BETRAYAL ON IRAN, SAYS FORMER THATCHER ADVISOR “Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!” Trump asserted in a mid-April Truth Social post.
Cruz pushes bill to hold tax-exempt sponsors accountable as DOJ probes Singham network
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is doubling down on his bill that would strip the tax-exempt status of individuals and organizations that funnel funds to nonprofits engaging in political violence as the Justice Department probes the finances of far-left financier Neville Roy Singham. Fox News Digital learned that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized the investigation by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton into the financial workings of a network of nonprofits funded by Singham. “I’ve long said that Democrat billionaires are funding left-wing political violence to push anti-American and foreign-aligned interests through tax-exempt entities,” Cruz told Fox News Digital. “The DOJ is absolutely right to investigate Neville Roy Singham’s funding network, which has been critical in bankrolling those efforts.” PROBE INTO ‘SUBVERSIVE’ ANTI-AI SINGHAM NETWORK IS ‘ENORMOUS,’ FORMER TREASURY ADVISOR SAYS In March, Cruz introduced the Stop Proxy Organizations Nurturing Subversive Operations and Riots Act, or SPONSOR Act, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code to expand the liability of 501(c)(3) nonprofits for the groups they fund or sponsor. Under the legislation, such nonprofits would be criminally and civilly liable for violations of the law by their sponsored entities. Critics allege that nonprofits in the Singham network use fiscal sponsorships so projects can avoid detection by law enforcement agencies and tax authorities. Cruz said he introduced the SPONSOR Act to “give law enforcement the tools they need to follow the money, close these loopholes and enforce accountability.” According to a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham, a U.S. tech tycoon now living in Shanghai, has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017. The nonprofits regularly mobilize agitators for demonstrations across the country, including anti-ICE protests and anti-Israel protests, Fox News Digital has reported. ISRAEL, JEWS TARGETED WORLDWIDE AS WELL-FUNDED LEFTIST, ISLAMIST GROUPS JOIN FOR ‘NAKBA 78’ PROTESTS Singham hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment that Fox News Digital has sent him over the past several months. Singham routed his financial contributions through Goldman Sachs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc., a donor-advised fund, including $22.44 million to The People’s Forum Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hub for far-left activity in Manhattan. The People’s Forum is connected to a slew of proxy organizations, such as Venceremos Brigade, a controversial organization that has worked with Cuban government officials for decades to bring American activists to Cuba for political and labor solidarity work. The donation page for the Venceremos Brigade identifies it as a fiscally-sponsored project of the People’s Forum. FEDS SAY ARIZONA SUSPECT VANDALIZED ICE FACILITY AND ATTEMPTED TO IGNITE LOBBY AREA ICE Out of New York, which is known for rallying agitators to protest ICE operations, also hosts events at The People’s Forum and has participated in a number of demonstrations with The People’s Forum coordinators. Cruz chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights, which oversees grants to the Justice Department and is responsible for the regulation of the court system. The committee regularly holds hearings with Justice Department officials. “Loopholes in the Internal Revenue Code allow radical groups to use tax-exempt funds to bankroll violent, anti-American activity opaquely and therefore with impunity,” Cruz said in a statement when the bill was introduced. “The violence that has spread in recent years in our cities and on our college campuses is not organic. It is enabled by funding from well-resourced organizations that exploit such loopholes, including and especially through fiscal sponsorships.” The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, and the House version was introduced by Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas. “Congress has a duty to safeguard the integrity of our nonprofit system and ensure our tax laws are not exploited by extremist or radical groups operating in the shadows,” Moran said in a statement when the legislation was introduced. Cruz is joined by a host of GOP lawmakers who have criticized Singham’s pro-CCP influence in the U.S., with Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, going as far as to call Singham a “traitor.” Banks sat down with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, when he said that Singham’s nonprofit network poses a threat to the country. He highlighted CodePink, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that Banks said has targeted and confronted him directly on Capitol Hill. Fox News Digital has identified direct funding from Singham to CodePink, which Singham’s wife Jodie Evans co-founded. “Neville Singham is a traitor to our country. He has ties to the CCP,” Banks said. “He is an American citizen, but all of his loyalties lie with the Chinese Communist Party. And when you begin to untangle the web of his massive fortune and his philanthropic activities, the money that he sends to left-wing groups in America, and not just groups that espouse ideologies, but espouse violence.”
Democratic senate candidate called for mass release of criminals during prison abolition webinar
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat running for Senate in Michigan, has stated that “we need to be investing” in “any and all efforts to get people out of jails and prisons,” in a recording reviewed by Fox News Digital. El-Sayed joined a convicted murderer and a registered sex offender in September 2020 to speak at a webinar hosted by the University of Michigan’s Carceral State Project where he argued that the incarceration of criminals was a sign that “society has failed to deal with real problems” and, to address this, criminals should be set free. While part of El-Sayed’s argument hinged on the notion that overcrowded prisons posed a public health risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, he endorsed continuing to let people out of correctional facilities even after the pandemic passed. His comments came at the height of the defund the police movement, when violent crime spiked and Democratic-led cities made moves to cut their police forces. El-Sayed, who has aligned himself with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, is a leading candidate in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. On the campaign trail, he has promised to be critical of Israel and expand welfare programs if elected. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS LOOK TO TAKE NEW YORK PLAYBOOK NATIONWIDE AFTER PRIMARY VICTORIES “There are so many ways that society has failed to deal with real problems and has used policing and jails as a stopgap for all of these failures,” El-Sayed told the panel. “We’ve got policies … which basically force people into jail because they’re poor … we’ve got to think about all of them systematically but any and all efforts to get people out of jails and prisons and to keep people out of jails and prisons is policy that we need to be investing in particularly right now … this doesn’t end when the pandemic’s over.” The American Friends Service Committee, which was also involved in hosting the webinar, advertised it as an opportunity to discuss “the road to decarceration and abolition with Abdul El-Sayed,” using the hashtags #FreeThemAll and #AbolishPrison to promote the event. The Washington Free Beacon first reported on the resurfaced comments. El-Sayed appeared alongside a sex offender and a woman convicted of second-degree murder, according to the Free Beacon. “When I was asked to participate in the webinar you’re writing about I did not know Dr. El-Sayed and I still don’t, except for what I see on TV,” Martin Vargas, the sex offender, told Fox News Digital. “I don’t follow him nor am associated with his political campaign.” Vargas stated that he was almost certain El-Sayed was unaware of his past before agreeing to appear on the webinar. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED TAKES HEAT FOR KHAMENEI COMMENTS, HASAN PIKER EVENT El-Sayed is locked in a heated Democratic primary to win the Democratic nod to run for Michigan’s open Senate seat in November. He is widely viewed as the most progressive of the three major candidates, raising electability concerns with some leaders in the party, NOTUS reported. “Abdul El-Sayed cannot win a general election in Michigan, full stop,” a longtime Democratic strategist previously told Fox News Digital. “This is a candidate who spent years calling police ‘standing armies we deploy against our own people,’ posted more than a dozen times in support of defunding the police, and then deleted his entire social media history the moment he decided to run statewide, hoping Michigan voters wouldn’t notice. They will notice. And so will Mike Rogers.” MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE CLAIMS ISRAEL ‘JUST AS EVIL’ AS HAMAS As alluded to by the Democratic strategist, El-Sayed deleted social media posts he made during the COVID-19 era in which he endorsed defunding the police, an idea once in vogue among Democrats that has since become far more controversial. “The last thing we have to remember is that jails and policing in America are like the ‘duct tape’ that people bring out to fix all the other broken systems,” El-Sayed said near the end of the webinar. “If we’re serious about fixing policing and, or rethinking policing, and fixing the mass incarceration system then we’ve got to fix all the broken problems that lead to them, right, where we’re then applying the ‘duct tape’ that is so corrosive to the lives of so many people.” El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.
Republican unveils Declaration of Independence bill ahead of America’s 250th birthday
A newly elected Republican lawmaker is putting America’s founding principles back before Congress ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday, arguing the country must recommit to them as socialist ideas gain traction on the left. Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., unveiled legislation reaffirming the Declaration of Independence — a move he said follows a congressional tradition of marking major national anniversaries with the founding document. “Congress did this in America 100 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary,” Van Epps told Fox News Digital in an interview. “We felt like this was the right time to do it so that generations forward understand that we love our country at America 250.” The Tennessee Republican, who was elected in a December 2025 special election, said he filed the bill in response to socialism’s rise in the Democratic Party, with the far-left attempting a major power grab ahead of November’s midterm elections. AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN Van Epps specifically referenced a slate of socialist candidates poised to serve in Congress after winning primaries in deep-blue districts anchored in New York City. Democratic congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old activist who won an upset victory against an establishment Democrat, has argued that the deportation of any illegal migrant is wrong, voiced support for the prison abolition movement and questioned Israel’s right to exist. She also co-founded a pro-Palestinian organization at Columbia University that called for “the total eradication of Western civilization.” “These folks that are supported and endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America are antithetical to the founding,” Van Epps told Fox News Digital. “We’ve got to fight against that.” “Socialism, Marxist, leftist ideas have failed every time they’ve been tried in the history of the world,” he continued, adding that those ideas are “not America at its core.” “What the founders set out to do 250 years ago … We’ve got to continue so that the next generations know about that freedom and liberty and pursuing that greatness.” It is unclear when the House will consider the resolution, as lawmakers left Washington early for the July 4 recess after a group of conservative Republicans effectively froze the floor in protest over the SAVE America Act and border security priorities. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST IN HOT SEAT AGAIN OVER DELETED POSTS PRAISING COMMUNISM, MARXISM: ‘CRAZYPANTS’ Earlier this month, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., also put the Declaration of Independence on the floor in the Senate, where it easily passed in the upper chamber. Both Schmitt and Van Epps agreed to put forward companion legislation after playing in the annual Congressional baseball game ahead of America’s 250th birthday. For Schmitt, it was to reinvigorate Americans’ pride in their country, which over the years, he contended, has steadily declined. “A generation ago, American pride was nearly universal,” Schmitt said on the Senate floor at the time. “After 9/11, more than 90% of Americans said they were proud to be an American. Today, Gallup puts that number at 58%.” He described the idea behind the document as an inheritance passed down through the generations to remind Americans why the founding fathers opted to wrench control of the colonies’ future from England, and carve their own path as a new nation. “That inheritance now rests in our hands, and too many powerful voices in this country teach the next generation to receive it with suspicion instead of gratitude,” Schmitt said. “We are done being ashamed of America. We love our country. We honor the men who built it. We give thanks for the inheritance they placed in our hand, and we intend to keep it.”
We asked Americans to grade the economy. Then we asked if it would change their vote.
As Americans gather in the nation’s capital to celebrate the Fourth of July and kick off the nation’s 250th anniversary festivities, Fox News Digital asked attendees at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall whether the economy will influence how they vote in November. While most respondents gave the U.S. economy a passing grade — most commonly a “B” — many said their ballots won’t hinge on inflation, jobs or economic growth alone. Instead, they pointed to values, leadership and party affiliation as the factors that will ultimately decide their vote. The responses offer a snapshot of how some voters are weighing one of the nation’s top political issues ahead of the 2026 midterms. TRUMP’S MANUFACTURING PROMISE IS DELIVERING IN ONE OF AMERICA’S OLDEST FACTORIES Although respondents expressed cautious optimism about the economy’s direction, several said improving conditions would not be enough to change their political preferences, underscoring the role that broader ideological and cultural issues continue to play in shaping voter decisions. “I would probably give the economy, compared to what it was, I would give it a B for sure,” Jay Miller of Lafayette, Louisiana, told Fox News Digital. “I think we are on the verge of an economic boom like we’ve never seen in our nation. And I’m glad that I’m living at this point and this time to witness it firsthand.” Miller said he believes lawmakers should work more closely with President Donald Trump to advance the administration’s agenda, arguing that doing so would help unlock further economic growth. Donna Festinger from Greenfield, Massachusetts, also gave the economy above average marks, grading it a “B-plus.” “I think it’s on the rise, and we’re getting more and more jobs, which I think really helps everyone in America,” the retired schoolteacher told Fox News Digital. “I think this administration is working hard to help everybody earn more money and to be able to save more money, which will circle back into a better economy.” But not everyone in Washington, D.C. this week was as upbeat. FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS Bonnie from Hollister, California, gave the economy a “C,” citing ongoing concerns about prices, but said she’s hopeful conditions will continue improving. “I don’t think it’s great right now,” she said, citing high gas prices in her home state of California. “I would say maybe a C, but I’m hopeful that it’s going to turn around and be getting up to a B soon.” Dan Cuda, 72, landed somewhere in the middle, saying the economy still has “a lot of upside potential” despite inflation. “Groceries are pricey. I’m an Air Force veteran, and I’m still shopping at the military commissaries, and it’s noticeably up,” Cuda, a Maryland resident, told Fox News Digital. Military commissaries are grocery stores on military installations that offer discounted prices to eligible service members, veterans and their families. Despite higher food costs, Cuda still said, “I’d call it a… B economy.” TRUMP VOTERS SAY COSTS ARE CRUSHING THEIR WALLETS — BUT LOOK PAST PRESIDENT FOR BLAME When the conversation shifted from the economy to politics, several Americans said economic conditions weren’t the deciding factor in how they plan to vote. “It doesn’t really factor into my vote,” Cuda said, adding, “I’m voting R no matter what.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Miller echoed that sentiment, saying character and values outweigh economic performance when it comes to casting his vote at the ballot box. “Give me good people,” he said. “Give me conservatives. Give me somebody with a little faith, a little family, a little value. And that’s got my vote.” Bonnie also said the economy matters, but won’t change her support for her preferred candidate. “It does matter, but it’s not gonna keep me from voting for who I wanna vote for,” the Californian said.
James Carville breaks with famous ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ slogan because of Trump
James Carville, the architect of President Bill Clinton’s 1992 victory over President George H.W. Bush and industrialist H. Ross Perot, said this week that President Donald Trump has forced him to break with the catchphrase that many believe helped win that election and made him a political household name. Carville originally coined “It’s the economy, stupid,” as an internal reminder to campaign staff at Clinton’s Little Rock headquarters to stay on-message amid Bush’s rising approval ratings connected to his handling of the Gulf War. But this week, Carville suggested allegations of corruption involving President Donald Trump have supplanted the idea that the economy should remain top of mind during election season. During a discussion on his “Politicon” podcast network, former Mount Holyoke Dean Joseph Ellis mentioned “It’s the economy, stupid” before the Ragin Cajun cut him off. FOX NEWS POLL: AS ECONOMIC PAIN DEEPENS, DISAPPROVAL OF TRUMP HITS NEW HIGH “So, professor, I thought about that recently – about ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ – it’s a great catchphrase. It’s maybe one of the most oft-repeated things in politics,” Carville said. “I now have come to detest the fact I said that.” Without mentioning Trump by name, Carville — who has repeatedly accused the incumbent of corruption in recent months — compared him with the more genteel Bush. “I’ll listen to people who say, ‘people don’t care about corruption, they care about the economy — As long as their incomes are up, they don’t care what he does’ – and I’m afraid that’s right.” JAMES CARVILLE SAYS SOCIALIST DEMOCRAT SHOULDN’T BE IN THE PARTY, CALLS HER VIEWS ‘A BRIDGE TOO FAR’ “But I said it in 1992, and say what you want about George H.W. Bush, he was not… a corrupt man at all; decent man too. We have now the breathtaking, staggering — I understand if people say, ‘Yeah, you know, you’re right, that’s all people care about is the economy, and I won’t do it, I don’t say anything, I’m nice’,” he said, appearing to envision voters preferring to focus on the economy over other personality issues. “I want to punch him in the f—ing face. OK? Yes. I’m serious… Because the phrase actually haunts me today.” Asked about the invective, White House spokesman Davis Ingle called the Ragin’ Cajun a “stone-cold loser.” “[Carville] suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it has rotted his peanut-sized brain,” Ingle said. During an earlier discussion with his co-host, former Wall Street Journal Washington bureau chief Al Hunt, Carville said that “we are drowning; we’re suffocating in corruption” before accusing Trump of increasing his net worth by $2 billion since becoming president. “I’m just really fearful for the United States,” he added. In February, Carville directed one of his segments at Trump as though the president was watching, telling the president that his inner circle “hates” him and that he is a “fat, sorry, sack of s—.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Since then, he has continued criticizing the president and recently said he is proud to have the proverbial “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Carville has been a mainstay in Democratic politics ever since helping engineer Clinton’s 1992 victory, alongside other notable campaign aides, including ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, whom Trump also spars with on occasion. Clinton’s 1992 campaign produced several enduring touchstones, from Carville’s “It’s the economy, stupid,” to Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit “Don’t Stop,” which became the de facto theme song for his successful bid. Carville’s comments about his old slogan also come as he recently rebuked socialist nominees taking over his party. Fox News Digital reached out to Carville via his “Politicon” podcast for further comment.