Harmeet Dhillon resigns as Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights: sources
Harmeet Dhillon resigned Thursday as the Department of Justice’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, sources told Fox News. Dhillon, who assumed office in April 2025, ran the Civil Rights Division. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Alito reiterates he’s not retiring, is committed through end of current Supreme Court term
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed to Fox News that he has no plans to retire and is committed through at least the current term, which is set to end in late June. Alito made the statement Thursday amid speculation about the future of the Supreme Court after a disastrous GOP performance in the midterm elections. When the new congressional term begins in January, Democrats will be in firm control of the Senate, with predictions, including from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, that this will not change for at least six years. That would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for President Donald Trump to fill any potential vacancy with a conservative after this year. ALITO NOT EXPECTED TO RETIRE THIS TERM, COOLING SUPREME COURT VACANCY SPECULATION: SOURCES After Justice Clarence Thomas, 78, Alito is the oldest member of the Supreme Court at 76 years old. “Chance of confirming a worthy successor to Justice Thomas and/or Alito during President Trump’s term: Zero. Chance of confirming a worthy successor during a hypothetical GOP admin 2029-2033: probably zero (GOP won’t be able to recapture enough seats in 28),” DeSantis posted to X on Tuesday night. REPUBLICANS SOUND ALARM OVER HIDDEN MIDTERM STAKES THAT COULD RESHAPE SUPREME COURT FOR DECADES “Assuming Republicans lose the seats where prediction markets have the Democrats at 90+% to win, that would produce 55 Democrat Senate seats,” DeSantis added. JONATHAN TURLEY: SHERROD BROWN’S PLEDGE TURNS ADVICE AND CONSENT INTO A PUNCHLINE DEMS SEIZE THE SENATE AS BLUE TIDAL WAVE CRASHES DEEP INTO TRUMP COUNTRY, TOPPLES GOP STRONGHOLDS Ed Whelan, a conservative legal expert who clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, wrote on X that Trump is now effectively blocked from appointing federal judges or Supreme Court justices during the final two years of his term. “If a Republican is elected president in 2028, that president will not be able to appoint any justices or judges until Republicans regain the Senate,” Whelan wrote. “Given the deep hole, that might not happen until 2033. “ Whelan also explained that a justice resigning during the upcoming “lame duck” session is highly unlikely and Republicans would have a hard time securing 51 votes. “If Sherrod Brown wins Ohio seat, he gets sworn into Senate in early December, so Senate becomes 52R-48D,” Whelan wrote. “Collins and Murkowski would be unlikely to support anyone Trump would nominate. John Cornyn, Thom Tillis, and Bill Cassidy aren’t going to be eager to do Trump any favors. And there are other senators—e.g., John Curtis of Utah—who would be leery of anyone Trump would be eager to push through.” Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
House conservative emerges with 2028 presidential pick after GOP’s midterm massacre: ‘I am all in’
One of the original members of the House Freedom Caucus has made his decision on who to support in 2028 after Republicans’ historic losses in Tuesday night’s midterms. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital “I am all in” for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and called on fellow Republicans to begin thinking about how to rebuild in the wake of their election losses. “He can be a unifier,” Stutzman said. FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN DIAGNOSES GOP’S BLUE TSUNAMI LOSSES: ‘WE FAILED TO MAKE THEM THINK WE CARED ABOUT THEM’ He also told Fox News Digital that Republicans “have to do better at communicating” since they “can’t push policy” after losing the House and Senate majorities. Among those communication changes, he suggested changing the way Republicans discuss immigration. STATE OF PLAY: BLUE WAVE SWEEPS DEMOCRATS INTO POWER, WITH KEY RACES STILL HANGING IN BALANCE “We need to get off the deportation messages, take credit for closing the border, and now start finding a path forward for those here illegally obeying the laws,” Stutzman said. “No citizenship just work visas.” A blue tsunami swept both federal and state races on Tuesday night. In the House, both battleground districts and seats considered safe GOP strongholds saw upset Democrat victories. Dozens of races have yet to be called, but Democrats are projected to hold at least 54 seats in the Senate. In the House so far, they’re projected to win 240 seats, compared to 147 projected for Republicans. Democrats also scored upset victories in multiple governorships, namely in Texas and Iowa. FROM TEXAS TO KANSAS, 6 STUNNING MIDTERM RESULTS THAT UPENDED THE POLITICAL MAP And within hours of the writing landing on the wall, various GOP factions began publicly discussing how to rebuild and move forward. Vice President JD Vance quickly distanced himself from the war in Iran, which is thought to be one of the biggest drivers of voters moving away from the GOP. TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028 “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance posted on X in a lengthy statement. “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest. But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.” Vance is considered a top presidential contender for Republicans in 2028, as is Rubio. But it’s not clear yet whether their senior roles in the Trump administration will similarly sandbag their prospective bids.
Democrat poised to flip deep-red House seat without airing a single TV ad
Two years after losing to Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais by 43 points, Democrat Victoria Broderick is leading in his deep-red Tennessee district by just 280 votes in the state’s unofficial final results — despite spending under $100,000 and airing no paid TV ads. If her lead holds, the result would end DesJarlais’ 16-year congressional career. First elected in 2010, the Republican was seeking his ninth term in a district President Donald Trump carried by 24 points in 2024. The latest FEC figures available before Election Day show DesJarlais’ campaign spent $508,166 through Oct. 14, compared with just $90,062 for Broderick. His campaign also raised more than seven times as much as hers — $667,181 to $94,217 — yet the longtime incumbent is trailing in the deep-red seat. REDISTRICTING EFFORTS BLOW UP IN REPUBLICANS’ FACES AMID HISTORIC HOUSE LOSSES Axios reported, citing AdImpact, that Broderick’s campaign had no record of airing paid television ads. Instead, she credited a grassroots operation that had been building for more than two years. Broderick was not the only Democrat threatening to pull off a low-dollar House upset. Axios also highlighted a similar race in North Carolina, where High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson currently leads Republican Rep. Addison McDowell 51.1% to 48.9%. Axios reported, citing AdImpact, that Jefferson had no tracked advertising spending, although a separate tracker lists $2,000 in Google ads, including YouTube placements. LEE CARTER: THE 5 WORDS THAT EXPLAIN THIS ELECTION BETTER THAN ANY COMMERCIAL McDowell had won the district by 38.3 points in 2024, according to election results. Broderick told Axios that her apparent upset was not a surprise to her team. “I know it was a shock for the rest of the country, but it wasn’t a shock for our team,” she said. Jefferson similarly credited volunteers, saying, “You have to go engage them.” Wake Forest University political science professor John Dinan told local news outlet WFDD that challengers in such a Republican-leaning district would normally need “a lot of TV ads and a lot of money,” but “there wasn’t a whole lot of money spent.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The two races showed how grassroots organizing and strong local candidates can make traditionally Republican districts competitive despite major financial disadvantages. Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Associated Press has not yet called either race.
Alaska, Mississippi Senate races separated by razor-thin vote margins
Races between the candidates for U.S. Senate in Alaska and Mississippi are separated by razor-thin margins days after polls closed in the crucial midterm elections. In Mississippi, where 95.6% of the votes have been counted, according to the Associated Press, Democratic candidate Scott Colom leads incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., 464,926 votes to 463,788, as of Thursday morning. In Alaska, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, leads incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, by less than 700 votes. DOJ SET TO APPEAL RULING IN ALASKA SENATE RACE DISPUTE OVER ‘DECOY DAN’ While Alaska still has a quarter of its votes to count, according to the AP, if the gap between Peltola and Sullivan remains this slim, the introduction of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan will loom large in post-election analyses. In July, the U.S. Justice Department opened an investigation into Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who entered the Senate race in May. TRUMP PROSECUTIONS UNDER BIDEN SET PRECEDENT FOR DOJ’S ALASKA ‘DECOY DAN’ PROBE, EX-FEC CHAIR SAYS An October report from The New York Times said Daniel J. Sullivan had met with Democratic operatives and members of Peltola’s campaign staff to encourage him to run. Peltola has denied any involvement in the scheme. One voter interviewed after he cast his ballot Tuesday revealed that he believed he accidentally voted for the wrong Dan Sullivan. MARY PELTOLA’S CAMPAIGN, DEMS BACKED COVERT SCHEME TO FIELD SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT “I don’t remember seeing the other Dan Sullivan, I totally forgot to look for two Dan Sullivans,” the bewildered voter revealed. “I definitely intended to vote for the real Dan Sullivan.” As of Thursday morning, Daniel J. Sullivan, aka “Decoy Dan,” had garnered 3,600 votes from Alaskans, a number that’s more than five times larger than the 637-vote margin separating Sen. Sullivan and Peltola. PELTOLA CAMPAIGN’S ALLEGED DAN SULLIVAN SPOILER PLOT TAKES NEW TURN AS DOJ FACES MAJOR LEGAL HURDLE Under Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, if no candidate achieves a 50% share of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters who chose that candidate first will have their votes redirected to their second choice. President Donald Trump weighed in on the saga, demanding Daniel J. Sullivan’s votes be given to Sen. Sullivan. “The vote totals for the Fake Dan Sullivan, plus the other ‘slug’ that the Dems put on the Ballot, should be immediately given to the REAL Dan Sullivan, and the Election is over – He easily wins,” Trump wrote in a Thursday morning post on Truth Social. “There is no other fair solution! President DJT” he concluded. GOVERNOR PROBING ‘DECOY DAN’ SULLIVAN ELECTION SCANDAL WARNS SYSTEM FLAW HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT In Mississippi, officials are still waiting to receive a batch of 3,600 mail-in ballots, according to a statement from Secretary of State Michael Watson. The state allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they’re received within five business days of the election, provided they were postmarked with a date of the election day or earlier. NBC News’ Decision Desk pegs the remaining ballots to be counted at 45,000. TIM SCOTT DECLARES ALLEGED ‘DECOY DAN’ PLOT A ‘CRIMINAL OFFENSE’ AS DOJ INVESTIGATION ROCKS ALASKA Mississippi has no formal process for recounts, making a legal fight over the results increasingly likely. “We will protect the process of this election, we’ll protect the integrity of this election,” Colom told reporters Wednesday, adding that he had “an army of lawyers” preparing for a court battle, Mississippi Public Broadcasting reported. ALASKA’S GOVERNOR ORDERS INVESTIGATION AFTER NYT REPORT ON ALLEGED DEM-LINKED SENATE ELECTION SCHEME Hyde-Smith’s team, meanwhile, remains assured that the sitting senator will prevail. “Our campaign is closely monitoring the remaining count,” campaign manager Scott Monssen told MPB in a statement. “We remain confident that when every legally cast vote is fully and accurately counted, Mississippians will have reelected Cindy Hyde-Smith,” he concluded. Fox News Digital reached out to all five campaigns for further comment.
Blue wave nearly swallowed some of America’s reddest states as election data exposes GOP’s close calls
Races in traditionally staunch Republican strongholds came incredibly close to flipping amid Tuesday night’s landslide Democratic victory, even in states where GOP candidates enjoyed overwhelming financial advantages. Signs of something going horribly wrong for the GOP appeared late in the election cycle when Fox News rated the Senate races in South Carolina and Kansas, two states with decades-long loyalty streaks for the Republican Party, as competitive. As results poured in on election night, however, it became clear that even states that practically nobody thought would be competitive, such as Louisiana and Tennessee, were coming within a razor’s edge of going blue. Mississippi, seen by most political forecasters as among the safest of GOP seats, remains undecided as of publication, with just dozens of votes separating incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and her Democratic challenger, Scott Colom. AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI In Tennessee, for instance, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerri Green spent just over $2 million, dwarfed by the nearly $13 million Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the GOP nominee, poured into the race. Outside groups burned through millions more to boost Blackburn’s candidacy. The result of outspending a Democrat by nearly 6-to-1 in one of the reddest states in the country was Blackburn defeating Green by less than three points in a state that favored Republicans by almost 30 points in 2024. Louisiana’s Senate race told a similar story. The Republican nominee, Rep. Julia Letlow, and her allies paid out approximately $9.4 million to win the seat, compared to the roughly $3.89 million Democrats spent on the race. Letlow ultimately won by just under two points in a state President Donald Trump carried by roughly 22 points in 2024, underscoring the dramatic erosion of the GOP’s advantage in one of its longtime strongholds. FROM TEXAS TO KANSAS, 6 STUNNING MIDTERM RESULTS THAT UPENDED THE POLITICAL MAP Many Democratic strategists and observers have lamented that the party didn’t spend more money on long-shot races that could have delivered even more commanding margins to liberals when the new class of lawmakers and governors take office early next year. Even Florida, a state that has become nearly synonymous with Republican ascendancy, saw the GOP come dangerously close to losing its grasp, an outcome that was avoided, in the telling of some, thanks to the political apparatus constructed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. FIRST MUSLIM SENATOR, FIRST BLACK FEMALE GOVERNOR: 2026 MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS MAKE HISTORY Republicans outspent Democrats by roughly five-to-one in their bid for the state’s governor’s mansion, ultimately winning by less than two points. In 2022, DeSantis carried the state by nearly 20 points. The GOP won its Senate race in the Sunshine State by a similar margin, also outspending the opposition by millions. Similar trends played out across the country, with multiple House and state legislative seats that Republicans won by double digits in 2024, flipping to Democratic control. The election night bloodbath for the GOP has ignited a brutal blame game within the party that could easily bleed into the 2028 Republican presidential primary.
At 26, Sean Duffy’s son-in-law is headed to Congress as its youngest member
Michael Alfonso is set to become the youngest member of Congress at 26 years old after winning a key Wisconsin House seat. Alfonso, a Republican, will head to Washington this January after running a campaign focused on delivering on affordability and restoring the American Dream, two priorities he emphasized throughout his campaign. “As the youngest member of Congress and a new dad, I have a personal stake in our future, and I’m going to Washington with one job: put Wisconsin and America first by making life affordable, restoring the American Dream, and putting the prosperity of American citizens above all else,” the congressman-elect told Fox News Digital. WATCH: DUFFY FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM SENATORS WITH POINTED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN CAMPAIGN CASH Alfonso, who is married to Duffy’s daughter Evita, defeated Democratic challenger Fred Clark, a former Wisconsin state lawmaker, in Tuesday’s election to represent Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, a seat previously held by his father-in-law, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Alfonso will succeed Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., who opted against seeking re-election to pursue the Wisconsin governorship. Alfonso, who received endorsements from President Donald Trump and Duffy, has vowed to champion policies aimed at helping first-time homebuyers and reducing healthcare costs, protect individual freedoms and bring a new generation of conservative leadership to Washington. Alfonso has also pledged to introduce legislation strengthening Title IX protections by restricting transgender women and girls from using facilities designated for women. BERNIE SANDERS ADMITS DEMOCRATS FAILED WORKING-CLASS VOTERS ON ECONOMICS, DRIVING THEM TO DONALD TRUMP Duffy, who previously represented the district in Congress, publicly supported his son-in-law’s campaign, highlighting his working-class background and construction experience. “I think it’d be great to have someone who knows how to put on a pair of jeans and a pair of boots and a hard hat and work his butt off 12 hours a day,” Duffy said during an August appearance on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.” Alfonso, who was born in February 2000, works as an accountant for the Diocese of Superior and lives in Hayward, Wis., with his wife and their 5-month-old daughter. Before entering politics, Alfonso worked in the construction and concrete industry while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also spent time in Florida, where he worked as a producer for “The Dan Bongino Show.” Trump endorsed Alfonso in May, describing him as a “MAGA warrior” and a “young ‘STAR.’” LAURA INGRAHAM: RICHER, SAFER AND STRONGER: WHY THE TRUMP AGENDA DESERVES TO KEEP GOING Alfonso celebrated the president’s endorsement as the “greatest honor” and pledged to support Trump’s agenda in Congress. During an Election Day interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Alfonso pushed back against concerns about his age and lack of political experience, arguing that longtime politicians have failed to deliver results for Americans. “What has experience gotten us at the congressional level? Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, I mean, Joe Biden was a senator for a long time … we tried that already,” Alfonso told the outlet. “It’s not working.” During his primary race, Alfonso faced criticism from his Republican opponents about his family connections, as they raised questions about nepotism and his campaign donors.
Republican AGs stand ready as ‘last line of defense’ against leftist policies after dismal midterms for party
Republican attorney general candidates outperformed other midterm GOP hopefuls in several key races, according to a post-election analysis from the Republican Attorneys General Association, which urged colleagues to view their role as the “front line” against leftist policies following results that were likened to a “category-five political hurricane.” “America needs Republican Attorneys General now more than ever,” RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper wrote in a late-night memo to colleagues shared with Fox News Digital. “With an emboldened Democrat Congress, Republican AGs are both America’s front line and is the last line of defense when it comes to their left-wing wish list – such as court packing, the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Second Amendment restrictions, and abolishing ICE.” Piper, who has worked in Virginia and on the staff of South Carolina Gov.-elect Alan Wilson, noted midterm election results showed Republican attorneys general candidates holding up slightly better on ballots despite a difficult Tuesday night for the party. AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI “Last night was the worst election night for the Republican Party in 50 years,” Piper’s memo began, acknowledging a difficult midterm “environment” that was ultimately made worse. “Last night, voters, regardless of party, preferred Democrat candidates by a mean of D +13.8 compared to D +7.9 in 2006 and D +8.4 in 2018. “Today, we are dealing with the aftermath of a category-five political hurricane. It will take years to fully rebuild.” As Republicans are picking up the pieces and evaluating the map overcome with blue, even along wide swaths of Texas’ southern border, the party is looking to the slight holds in Florida and any other silver linings. Attorneys general might have something in the way of a pep talk for the party from Piper’s memo. GOP AG candidates ran an average of 4.62 percentage points ahead of GOP Senate candidates in comparable states and 2.12 points ahead of Republican gubernatorial candidates, according to the returns as of the late Wednesday night memo. Republican AG candidates posted better margins than GOP Senate candidates in nine of 10 comparable states and outperformed Republican gubernatorial candidates in nine of 13 states, Piper wrote. STATE OF PLAY: BLUE WAVE SWEEPS DEMOCRATS INTO POWER, WITH KEY RACES STILL HANGING IN BALANCE Still, Piper made clear that “there are no moral victories.” Republicans did lose five AG seats to Democrats in these midterms, compared to a projected net loss of 51 in the House and a potential net loss of nine Senate seats. Iowa, Ohio and Colorado were among the widest outperformers. The Republican attorney general candidates in those states ran 9.3, 7.3 and 10.3 points ahead of their party’s gubernatorial candidates, respectively. In Colorado, the GOP attorney general candidate also outpaced the Republican Senate candidate by 7.7 points. FLORIDA’S DESANTIS DESCRIBES GOP MIDTERMS WIPEOUT AS ‘CLOSE TO AN EXTINCTION-LEVEL EVENT’ FOR REPUBLICANS In Florida, now the largest red state with the handing over of Texas to the Democratic Party, Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier won by 1.8 percentage points, outperforming Gov.-elect Byron Donalds, who won by 1.3 points. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers won re-election by 12.6 points, compared with a 6.7-point win for Republican Senate candidate Pete Ricketts and an 8.4-point victory for Republican Gov. Jim Pillen. RAGA spent more than $40 million on these midterms, nearly twice its spending in 2022, and was on track to raise more than $50 million, according to Piper. “No amount of outperformance can make up for the historical Republican losses,” his memo concluded. “RAGA will start to candidate recruit for 2027 and 2028 now and has set the expectation that we will continue to overperform, no matter the environment.”
Hegseth’s leadership questioned by GOP military veteran as Democrats talk impeachment
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital that the Department of War should not be led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, criticizing his leadership and questioning his judgment. Bacon, who questioned Hegseth’s “moral compass,” made his remarks after Democrats reclaimed control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, raising the possibility of impeachment proceedings against members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in the 120th Congress. “I don’t think he was a good choice to begin with,” Bacon told Fox News Digital. “I wouldn’t have voted to confirm him.” Bacon, a 30-year Air Force veteran, argued that Hegseth’s personal conduct would have resulted in disciplinary action for other members of the military. GOP SEN THOM TILLIS URGES TRUMP TO REPLACE PETE HEGSETH, BLASTS PENTAGON LEADERSHIP “Anybody that got caught having affairs would’ve gotten fired,” Bacon said before pointing to the controversy surrounding the administration’s use of the Signal messaging app to discuss sensitive military operations. HEGSETH FIRES TOP PENTAGON STRATEGIST ACCUSED OF LEAKING CLASSIFIED IRAN, UKRAINE WAR INFORMATION “He didn’t take any responsibility for it, though it was his fault. And things like that bother folks who’ve served a lifetime in the military, have a moral compass and take responsibility,” Bacon continued. GOP REP THOMAS MASSIE INTRODUCES 8 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH Bacon also suggested that Hegseth lacks substantial support among lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where a Democratic-controlled House could pursue impeachment proceedings against the war secretary. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to Bacon’s remarks in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying Hegseth “will not back down” or “be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists.” Without mentioning Bacon by name, Parnell added that Hegseth “will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America” on behalf of President Donald Trump, “despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats — and Secretary Hegseth is 100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office.” Toward the end of the 119th Congress, a group of Democrats backed legislation introduced by Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., seeking to impeach Hegseth. ‘LAWYER UP’: DEMS IMMEDIATELY PUT TRUMP ON NOTICE AMID REPUBLICANS’ MIDTERM BLOODBATH “Hegseth doesn’t have a lot of friends on the Hill,” Bacon said while discussing whether Trump should replace the war secretary before possible impeachment proceedings. “I do think we could have more qualified leaders.” Trump told reporters Wednesday that he intends to keep Hegseth in his Cabinet, despite speculation about the war secretary’s future. DEMOCRAT SEIZE HOUSE CONTROL IN STUNNING BLUE TSUNAMI, VOW RETRIBUTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN The president’s comments came after other Cabinet departures during his second term, including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who were asked to resign. During his interview with Fox News Digital, Bacon addressed the future of the Republican Party following its midterm defeat, arguing that the GOP must distance itself from Trump to regain congressional majorities, win governorships and remain competitive in the 2028 presidential election. Bacon did not dismiss the idea of running for president himself when asked by Fox News Digital, and has previously said in podcast interviews that he would “love” to. MIKE JOHNSON’S NO 2 LAUNCHES GOP TAKEOVER BID AS HOUSE FALLS TO DEMOCRATS “I do think we should have a big debate in our party,” Bacon said, leaving open the possibility of playing a role in the party’s future leadership. “I’d like to fight for the soul of our party. And I want to be a part of that discussion, that debate.” “If somebody steps up and wants to take on the little more of the Reagan mantle and the sort of things I think need to get done to the country,” the retired one-star Air Force general continued. “I’m glad to support them. But somebody’s got to be speaking out against illegal immigration, cost of healthcare, and national security policy, and they got to be able, we’ll work across the aisle to get things done. You can’t solve this from all your Democrats only.” Bacon argued that Republicans should return to the principles championed by former President Ronald Reagan, including “the basic principles of economic freedom, free markets and free trade, peace through strength, stand up to the bully, which in this case, is Russia.” He also emphasized the importance of “federalism and the pro-life movement” as priorities for the party moving forward. The Nebraska Republican criticized Trump’s approach to traditional U.S. allies, arguing that the administration has been “very bad towards our allies,” including Canada and Greenland, amid disputes over tariffs and the president’s threats involving Greenland. Bacon suggested that Trump’s foreign policy decisions and military involvement overseas contributed to Republican losses in down-ballot races across the country. “They only got beat because they had an R next to their name,” Bacon said, accusing congressional Republicans of having “rubber-stamped” the president’s agenda since he returned to the White House for a second term.
Inside Trump’s fight against cartels: White House official details Homeland Security Task Force crackdowns
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump may be briefed on sprawling cartel networks and massive drug seizures, but sometimes it’s the story of a single American crime victim that captures his attention, a White House official told Fox News Digital. The official described how Trump can shift from discussions about major criminal organizations to an individual harmed by crime, pressing officials about what more the federal government can do to protect everyday Americans. “I could be talking about very grand cartel stuff, which he’s very interested in,” the official said, explaining that the president may instead focus on one person hurt by criminal activity. WHITE HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS ‘STEEPEST’ EVER DECLINE IN US CASUALTIES FROM CARTELS AMID BOAT STRIKES The official said Trump receives regular briefings that include photographs of narcotics seized by federal agents. While the president takes pride in successful enforcement operations, the official described his reaction as quickly turning to the amount of work still ahead. The president’s response to the photographs, according to the official, is to ask what more can be done to stop the flow of drugs into American communities. Trump also pressed for federal agencies to work together as the administration seeks to dismantle entire criminal organizations rather than simply arrest their leaders as agencies have done in the past. That approach is at the center of a campaign that has brought together more than 20 federal agencies under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. According to figures provided by the White House, the task forces made nearly 12,000 arrests during fiscal year 2026, seized approximately 161 metric tons of drugs, $482 million in criminal assets and nearly 13,000 weapons. ICE ARRESTS MORE THAN 100 ALLEGED GANG MEMBERS IN SINGLE WEEK, INCLUDING VIOLENT MS-13, TDA SUSPECTS: DHS The administration also reported 676 criminal organizations disrupted in figures provided to Fox News Digital. The task forces have 6,585 active investigations, including more than 1,000 targeting major drug kingpins and 814 targeting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The task force operates nationwide, bringing together federal law enforcement agencies with hundreds of state, local and international partners. Its public website, HSTF.gov, outlines the initiative’s mission, participating agencies and enforcement efforts targeting cartels, transnational gangs and other criminal organizations. Behind those numbers, the official described an effort to break down longstanding divisions among federal law enforcement agencies that previously pursued overlapping investigations with varying degrees of cooperation. DOJ TOUTS HUNDREDS OF GUN, DRUG ARRESTS AS ST LOUIS SURGE OPERATION ENDS: ‘VIOLENCE IS NOT INEVITABLE’ The official said more than 1,800 cartel-related narcotics task forces previously operated across the country, with varying degrees of coordination. Agencies including the FBI, DEA and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) could pursue overlapping targets, occasionally competing to bring indictments first. Interagency disagreements sometimes left investigations stalled for years, the official said. Under the new approach, the National Coordination Center brings together the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, with support from military and intelligence partners, to resolve conflicts and coordinate investigations across jurisdictions. DRUG CARTEL KINGPIN AMONG TARGETS IN SWEEPING TRUMP CRACKDOWN ON ALLEGED MEXICAN CORRUPTION NETWORK “Now we’re all indicting together,” the official said. Rather than focusing exclusively on high-value targets, investigators are pursuing the transportation networks, distributors, collectors and money launderers that keep criminal enterprises operating. The official explained that taking down a cartel leader does not necessarily dismantle the organization because others can quickly assume leadership. “There’s five more people ready to step up as soon as we take out one,” the official said. A sweeping federal investigation into the Trinitarios gang in Massachusetts illustrates the kind of coordinated law enforcement effort the administration is pursuing. In June, federal prosecutors announced racketeering conspiracy charges against 26 alleged gang leaders, members and associates in connection with five murders and 19 attempted murders. The announcement brought the total number of Trinitarios members charged in related investigations over two years to 56. Prosecutors alleged the gang’s involvement in 11 murders and 30 attempted murders since 2017. Court documents describe chapters operating in the Boston area whose members allegedly engaged in drug trafficking, kidnappings and witness intimidation. Investigators also alleged the gang recruited minors attending local schools, sometimes using younger members to conceal weapons or serve as lookouts. The investigation involved HSI, the FBI, DEA, ATF and state and local law enforcement partners. The investigation began before the HSTF initiative, and the charges remain allegations against defendants who have not been convicted. The task force’s reach also extends to drug trafficking operations moving narcotics across state lines. In Louisiana, federal prosecutors announced five cases involving more than a dozen defendants and hundreds of kilograms of narcotics. Near Breaux Bridge, investigators discovered approximately 147 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside modified ice cream freezers. In another case near Lafayette, authorities found approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside an 18-wheeler’s cab. The White House official also pointed to Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan criminal organization that drew national attention during the 2024 presidential campaign, as an example of the administration’s broader strategy. Fox News Digital extensively covered allegations of Tren de Aragua activity at apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado, including accounts from local officials and residents who described violence and intimidation. Trump subsequently made Aurora a recurring focus of his criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies. The official recalled Fox News Digital’s reporting on the controversy and argued that the administration’s coordinated enforcement campaign has weakened the gang’s ability to operate openly in the United States. “I’m not saying they’re completely gone here, but they are so on their heels because we have this concerted effort taken,” the official said. “You don’t see them bragging in the social media anymore,” the official added. In May, the Justice Department announced charges against more than 25 defendants in a nationwide Tren de Aragua crackdown spanning six federal judicial districts. Authorities reported seizing more than 80 firearms, approximately 18 kilograms of narcotics and more than $100,000. The official described the crackdown as an example of the administration’s effort to pursue