Rep. Tom Kean Jr. says he expects to return to Congress ‘in the next couple of weeks’ after missing 100 votes
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., said Thursday that he expects to return to Congress “in the next couple of weeks” after missing 100 consecutive House votes during an extended absence tied to what his office has described only as a “personal health matter.” “My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” Kean, 57, told the New Jersey Globe in his first public comments since stepping away from Capitol Hill in March. “I understand the need for public transparency, and I appreciate the support of my constituents,” he added. “I anticipate that in the next couple of weeks, I’ll return to voting and to the campaign trail.” Kean last voted on March 5 and has missed every House roll call vote since then, according to GovTrack. His absence has drawn heightened attention because Republicans hold a slim majority in the House and because Kean represents one of the country’s most competitive congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. TOM KEAN JR’S PROLONGED ABSENCE PUTS PRESSURE ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY His office has repeatedly declined to disclose details about the illness, saying only that the congressman is focused on recovery and expected to return “soon.” Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Kean for additional comment. Last week, Kean’s father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., told NJ.com that his son was recovering from a “serious illness.” “You can’t say definitely, but their best guess is now he’ll be out in two or three weeks,” Kean Sr. said, referring to doctors treating his son. “Any time you’ve been through a serious illness, you can’t be 100% the day you get back. You’re gonna be able to do things, but gradually ramping up.” COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURE RULED AS CAUSE OF PAUSING EPISODE DURING HOUSE FLOOR SPEECH, DEM CONGRESSMAN SAYS Kean Sr. also said doctors expect his son to make a full recovery but declined to discuss the diagnosis. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters this week that he had spoken with Kean recently but was unaware of details surrounding the congressman’s condition. “We’re expecting him back here soon. He’s had a medical issue,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I don’t even know the details.” JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE The absence has become a growing political issue in New Jersey as Democrats target Kean’s swing district. Kean is running unopposed in the Republican primary on June 2, while several Democrats are competing for their party’s nomination. Earlier this month, a top Kean aide told The New York Times, “There’s no cameras where Tom is.” Kean consultant Harrison Neely said this week the congressman remains committed to seeking reelection. “What I can tell you is that the congressman is dealing with a personal health matter. He is focused on his recovery,” Neely told the New York Post. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.
Texas congressional candidate claims she never called for ‘internment camps’ after party leaders condemn her
A Texas Democratic congressional candidate who pledged to convert an immigration detention center near San Antonio “into a prison for American Zionists” clarified her position Thursday following sharp criticism from members of her own party. Maureen Galindo, who is running for a House seat in the newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, posted a video on Facebook days after criticizing wealthy supporters of Israel. She claimed that following her initial remarks, she received hundreds of “death threats” and other “vile” messages. “I never said I want Jews in internment camps,” Galindo said. “I said I want to close all ICE detention centers and put billionaire American Zionists who are funding the genocidal prison systems involved in trafficking into prison.” “If they committed a crime, do they not belong in prison?” she added. TEXAS DEMOCRAT MAUREEN GALINDO FACES BACKLASH FOR PLEDGING TO IMPRISON ‘AMERICAN ZIONISTS’ AT ICE FACILITY “I’m against all internment camps and would like to see them all shut down ASAP, starting with the many in South Texas,” Galindo said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. Galindo accused the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) of coordinating statements against her in an effort to back her primary runoff opponent, Johnny Garcia, a former hostage negotiator and public information officer for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. She also accused a local journalist, whom she claimed “literally wants me dead,” of fabricating the “internment camps” comment. The backlash began when Galindo stated in an Instagram post earlier this month that she would turn the “Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.” DEMOCRATS VOW TO VOTE ‘EVERY SINGLE DAY’ TO EXPEL FELLOW DEM FROM CONGRESS IF SHE WINS MIDTERM “It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles, which will probably be most of the Zionists,” Galindo wrote. In other social media posts, Galindo, a family therapist and housing advocate, accused Garcia of wanting “Jews and Mexicans in warehouses.” She also accused “billionaire Zionists” of controlling trafficking networks in San Antonio and South Texas. The condemnation was swift. Notable Democrats have distanced themselves from her, including Texas State Representative James Talarico, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. TEXAS DEM SENATE PRIMARY FRACTURES OVER RACE RHETORIC AS ‘MEDIOCRE’ JAB, ‘OPPRESSOR’ REMARKS IGNITE BACKLASH Additionally, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene issued a joint statement calling her rhetoric “vile” and “disqualifying.” Earlier this month, the DCCC accused “Washington Republicans” of secretly contributing to Galindo’s campaign through dark money spending. Galindo and Garcia, who has been endorsed by the DCCC, are set to face off in a runoff election next week. In their first matchup, Galindo had a narrow lead over Garcia, 29% to 27%, though neither candidate came close to clearing the 50% threshold required to win the nomination. Fox News Digital has reached out to the DCCC. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
DHS touts millions of illegal immigrant departures as border crossings drop 94% under Trump
President Donald Trump’s first year back in office has seen more than 3 million illegal immigrants leave the United States, including an estimated 2.2 million “self-deportations,” according to figures shared with Fox News Digital by the Department of Homeland Security. DHS said the administration has also deported nearly 900,000 illegal immigrants and arrested more than 900,000 others as of May 17, framing the numbers as evidence Trump’s immigration crackdown is reshaping migration patterns after record illegal crossings during former President Joe Biden’s administration. “In President Trump’s first year back in office, more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The administration has increasingly promoted self-deportation through the CBP Home app, which allows migrants to voluntarily leave the country with travel assistance and financial support. DHS DEFENDS AD BLITZ AMID SENATE SCRUTINY, SAYS CAMPAIGN DROVE 2.2M SELF-DEPORTATIONS AND SAVED TAXPAYERS $39B DHS says the program costs significantly less than traditional deportation proceedings and is designed to encourage migrants in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. The figures come as the administration touts dramatic declines in illegal crossings and what officials describe as the end of “catch-and-release” policies at the southern border. Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Border Patrol had gone a full year without releasing illegal immigrants directly into the U.S. interior after apprehension at the border. SOUTHERN BORDER APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE MORE THAN 90% FROM YEAR AGO IN APRIL, CBP SAYS CBP said Border Patrol recorded 8,943 apprehensions at the southwestern border in April, a 94% drop from the Biden administration’s monthly average and 96% below the December 2023 peak. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week that “the days of catch and release are over,” arguing the administration’s enforcement policies are deterring migrants from attempting to enter the country illegally. The administration has also pointed to increased ICE operations, tighter asylum restrictions and expanded interior enforcement as factors contributing to what officials describe as a broader deterrence effect. Immigration analysts say the administration’s tougher enforcement posture has clearly reduced illegal crossings, though some dispute how DHS characterizes some of the figures tied to migrant releases and removals. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Democrats revolt over ‘biological’ wording in women’s history museum bill
House Democrats unanimously rebelled against legislation Thursday directing the construction of a new women’s history museum on the National Mall. Democrats sought to defeat the bill after Republicans limited the institution to biological women and excluded transgender individuals. The measure came up short in a vote of 204-216 after a handful of conservative GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in tanking the legislation that would secure a site for the forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on the grounds of the Mall. The defecting Republicans objected to the measure over concerns about whether a women’s history museum was necessary and because the bill did not include protections against left-wing content from appearing in the institution,” a source familiar told Fox News Digital. WATCH: DEMS GO SILENT, PULL WOMEN’S MONTH RESOLUTION AFTER GOP ASKS FOR SIMPLE DEFINITION “American women are already proudly honored across the Smithsonian—from pioneers and patriots to scientists and leaders,” the source said. “We don’t need another taxpayer-funded museum that risks becoming a shrine to abortion activists like Margaret Sanger or the latest progressive cause.” It was not immediately clear whether Republican leadership would attempt to bring the legislation up for a vote at a later date. Eight Republicans did not vote. Democrats’ widespread opposition to the legislation came after the Democratic Women’s Caucus issued a statement last month accusing Republicans of targeting “transgender women and girls” with an amendment defining the museum around biological women. The female lawmakers argued the anticipated museum is long overdue, but said they could not support the legislation with the biological women language added, which many characterized as a “poison pill.” “The Museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements and lived experiences of biological women in the United States,” the amended measure, authored by Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., states in part. The museum may not depict “any biological male as female,” it continues, which codifies language in a Trump executive order issued in 2025 barring the inclusion of transgender individuals in the forthcoming museum. “The addition of the word biological made them all run for the hills,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a news conference Wednesday. “If that’s controversial in the Democratic Party, we’re in serious trouble. The party that purports to support women, demanding that the museum include biological men.” Democrats’ decision to withdraw support for the museum measure comes as the party has continued to advocate for transgender rights despite questions over whether those views contributed to its poor performance in the 2024 election. Many Democrats also continue to face GOP scrutiny about providing a definition for “woman.” DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO DEFINE ‘WOMAN’ WHEN PRESSED ON CAPITOL HILL: ‘COMPLICATED QUESTION’ Democratic lawmakers also slammed amended language in the bill granting the president the authority to choose an “alternative site” within 180 days of the measure’s enactment. “They amended the bill to give Trump and his allies unregulated power over what content and which women can be included in the museum, and the museum’s location,” Democratic Women’s Caucus Chairwoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., said in a joint statement earlier this week with other female Democratic lawmakers. “A museum about women, fought for and supported by women, should not be controlled by one man.” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the sponsor of the museum measure, accused Democrats of “hiding behind” that rationale to avoid addressing the transgender provision. “A women’s history museum is supposed to be dedicated to women, period,” Malliotakis told Fox News. “And the fact that they’re going to pull their support after overwhelmingly co-sponsoring this bill because the word biological was inserted, to me, is ludicrous.” “They’re going to have to explain to their voters why they believe this museum should not be built and why they believe that there should be transgender exhibits in it,” she added. Congress previously authorized the women’s history museum in 2020, along with a museum for American Latinos. Some Democrats justified their opposition to the measure over objections that the women’s history museum is advancing without the planned Latino institution.
Fox News Poll: Voters see welfare fraud as common, still mostly favor protecting benefits over crackdowns
As federal authorities continue to crack down on welfare fraud, the latest Fox News survey finds voters are concerned about program abuse, but still also want to protect access for legitimate recipients. The survey was conducted before the Department of Justice announced charges against 15 defendants on Thursday in the ongoing Minnesota welfare fraud investigations, one of multiple inquiries into welfare abuse across the country. A majority of registered voters, 71%, believe fraud in government welfare and social service programs is extremely or very common, and nearly half, 45%, think it has increased over the past two years. Just 19% say decreased and 35% believe it has stayed the same. FOX NEWS POLL: 30% THINK RECENT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS STAGED Yet when weighing enforcement against access, voters prioritize eligible recipients: 56% say ensuring benefits for eligible people should be the higher priority, even if some fraud occurs, while 43% prioritize fraud prevention, even if some eligible people lose benefits. “The data demonstrates what populist candidates understand intuitively,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct the Fox News Poll with Democratic partner Chris Anderson. “Voters think corruption and incompetence are rampant in government, and stories of program fraud from Minneapolis and California reinforce this notion. And articulating this belief plays well with the public. The policy implications are trickier: do you risk restricting aid to the truly vulnerable to ensure taxpayers aren’t being ripped off?” Voters are split on who bears more responsibility for fraud: individuals misrepresenting eligibility or organizations and contractors misrepresenting costs (50% each). FOX NEWS POLL: AS ECONOMIC PAIN DEEPENS, DISAPPROVAL OF TRUMP HITS NEW HIGH On fraud prevention, more voters trust their state governments (60% a great deal or some confidence) than the federal government (51%). There is notable bipartisan consensus on the existence of welfare fraud. To varying degrees, Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree fraud is common, and it has increased in recent years. But beyond that, partisan divisions become much sharper. Majorities of Democrats are more likely to blame organizations and contractors for fraud and to prioritize ensuring eligible people receive benefits. By contrast, Republicans are more likely to blame individuals who misrepresent eligibility and favor stronger fraud prevention measures. Independents are split on whether individuals or contractors are more responsible for fraud (50% each) but more prioritize access to benefits (57%) than fraud prevention (43%). Confidence in state governments cuts across party lines, with majorities of Democrats (65%), independents (59%), and Republicans (56%) trusting their state to prevent fraud. Views of the federal government are more polarized. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans (63%) express confidence in the federal government’s ability to combat fraud, compared to 42% of Democrats and 47% of independents. Congressional Approval Only 3 in 10 voters approve of the job Congressional Democrats (30%) and Republicans (31%) are doing. Approval for Congressional Democrats is up 1 point since February (29%, a record low approval). Support for Congressional Republicans has fallen 5 points (36%), and much of that comes from a 10-point drop among Republican voters themselves. Still, more Republicans approve of their lawmakers (67%) than Democrats do theirs (58%). “Voters’ unfavorable views of Democratic lawmakers is one of the most fascinating and important factors affecting the midterms,” says Shaw. “Negative assessments of the Republicans are expected; they hold power at a time when the public mood is sour. But to capitalize on this, the Democrats must convince voters they might actually do better.” Redistricting Six in 10 voters are extremely or very concerned about redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms. More Democrats than Republicans are concerned (71% vs. 51%) and more than twice as many Democrats say they are extremely concerned (39% D vs. 15% R). Independents are split, with 50% concerned and 49% not concerned, including 22% extremely concerned. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE The Supreme Court Voters were also asked how they feel about increasing the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and 45% favor the idea while 55% oppose it. Support is unchanged from 2022 and up from a 35% low in 2021. Overall, voters have generally opposed packing the court. More than half of Democrats (55%) favor expanding the high court, while majorities of independents (56%) and Republicans oppose it (64%). Conducted May 15-18, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (109) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Trump admin pushes back on ‘slush fund’ attacks against Anti-Weaponization Fund and lays out who qualifies
The Trump administration says the $1.778 billion Justice Department “Anti-Weaponization Fund” will compensate Americans unfairly targeted by politicized federal investigations on a “case-by-case” basis, pushing back on critics who have portrayed the program as a taxpayer-funded payout for Jan. 6 rioters and Trump allies. Heated dispute over the fund centers on who will ultimately benefit from it, with Trump administration officials saying it is intended to compensate individuals harmed by “weaponized” federal investigations, such as pro-lifers targeted by the Biden administration, while critics in both parties fear it could allow politically connected figures or some Jan. 6 defendants to seek taxpayer-funded payments. “Republicans can apply for it. Democrats can apply for it,” Vice President J.D. Vance said during a Tuesday White House briefing in answer to the critics. “If Hunter Biden wants to apply for this particular fund, he is welcome to.” The Anti-Weaponization Fund is unusual because it emerged from a lawsuit settlement between Trump and the IRS, an agency he oversees as president, raising concerns among lawmakers and commentators about potential conflicts of interest. Its creation caught GOP lawmakers by surprise and has derailed Senate negotiations on a $72 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — with several Republicans joining Democrats in calling it a “slush fund.” REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was deployed to Capitol Hill on Thursday to smooth things over. But according to several sources, the meeting was contentious and more than one Republican senator blew up at the DOJ head. “The Acting Attorney General met with Senators today, and there was a healthy discussion on the settlement,” a DOJ spokesperson said after the meeting Thursday. “He made clear that the Anti-Weaponization Fund announced Monday has nothing to do with reconciliation, indeed not a single dime from the money the President is seeking in reconciliation would go toward anything having to do with the Fund. We will continue to work with the Senate to get critical reconciliation funds approved.” MS NOW contributor Joe Scarborough has alleged that the Anti-Weaponization Fund would be funneled to those convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. On his first day in office, Trump issued pardons and commutations to more than 1,500 people involved in the Capitol riots. “We got this billion-dollar ‘Marie Antoinette’ ballroom, now that they’re talking about funding and $1 billion plus slush fund for people who beat the hell out of cops,” Scarborough said. “It is a slush fund, a weaponization slush fund for supporters of Donald Trump, JD Vance and the Republican Party.” But the Trump administration’s grievances with the “weaponization” of the Justice Department extend far beyond Biden-era prosecutions of those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot. Biden’s Justice Department prosecuted more than 50 pro-life activists who were accused of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) between 2021 and 2024. Since returning to office, Trump pardoned dozens of pro-life activists, some of whom were serving jail time. The Trump Justice Department has also accused Biden-era officials of “zealously pursuing” prosecutions against Christians in its “2026 Report by the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias,” potentially opening the door for another category of people who could seek compensation through the fund. Still, Trump faces criticism over the fund even from his own party. Sen. John Thune, R-SD, the top Republican leader in the Senate, said he wasn’t a “big fan” of the fund’s creation and that he “was not sure exactly how they intend to use it.” BIDEN DOJ WEAPONIZED FACE ACT AGAINST PRO-LIFE AMERICANS, 882-REPORT ALLEGES “I think that there are, and will continue to be, a lot of questions around that, that the administration is going to have to answer,” Thune said. Justice Department officials and some legal experts say the fund, while unusual and politically controversial, falls within the government’s legal authority and that payments aren’t guaranteed. The Anti-Weaponization Fund was born out of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service. Trump filed the lawsuit against the IRS in January over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax records. Claims will be determined by a five-person board appointed by the Attorney General, with at least one member selected with consultation with congressional leadership, according to a Justice Department press release. At any point in time, the president has the power to remove a member without cause. Under the settlement agreement, the Anti-Weaponization Fund will evaluate claims by looking at the “totality of the circumstances.” Those factors considered include how strong a person’s claim is and what evidence supports it, the financial harm they allegedly suffered — including legal fees — whether they spent time in prison and whether they have already received compensation or other relief elsewhere. The agreement also gives the board discretion to weigh “other factors” it considers fair and appropriate when deciding whether someone qualifies for compensation. “This is about seeking accountability for all Americans who were victims of law fare and weaponization: millions of Americans whose online speech was censored at the behest of the government, parents silenced at school boards, Senators whose records were secretly subpoenaed, churchgoers targeted by the FBI, and so on,” a Justice Department document stated. The Anti-Weaponization Fund will last until December 1, 2028. APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT Funding for the Anti-Weaponization Fund is coming from the Judgment Fund, which is a permanent Treasury account used to pay for settlements and claims against the government. While the Justice Department pointed to the Obama administration’s creation of “Keepseagle,” a $760 million fund for victims of racism by the federal government as precedent for the creation of the fund, legal experts say there are key distinctions between the two. For instance, payouts in Keepseagle were made out to people a part of a class action lawsuit against the government; whereas anyone can
Sanders caught on camera snapping at reporter over Platner’s posts: ‘Get a better job’
Sen. Bernie Sanders lashed out at a reporter for Fox News Digital when pressed on Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s resurfaced vulgar Reddit posts, telling the reporter to “get a better job.” “Who do you work for?” Sanders asked when questioned about Platner’s posts. When told Fox News Digital, Sanders replied, “Why don’t you talk to your owner Mr. Murdoch and ask him for a raise so you can get a better job.” Sanders endorsed Platner in August 2025. Several other Democratic senators also declined to weigh in on Platner’s resurfaced Reddit posts and what they could mean for his Senate bid. Some said they had not seen the posts, while others declined to comment altogether. BERNIE SANDERS DEFENDS MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE UNDER FIRE FOR REDDIT COMMENTS “I haven’t seen it,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “I’m not following it. Sorry.” “I’m not going to take any position in that election,” Sen. Angus King, R-Maine, said. “That’s my practice since I’ve been in the Senate.” “On whose?” Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said when asked to comment on Platner’s posts. “No, I’m not gonna get into that.” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore, said the viability of Platner’s candidacy should be left to Maine voters to decide. UNEARTHED POSTS SHOW DEM SENATE HOPEFUL PRAISING VULGAR GRAFFITI, MAKING CRUDE PORTA-POTTY ADMISSION “The people of Maine get to choose who they want to represent them in the U.S. Senate,” Merkley said. “And so I encourage you to interview the people in Maine, because that’s what a democracy is all about.” “I have not seen his post, so I’m not going to be able to be in a position to evaluate them.” Platner has faced increasing scrutiny after since-deleted Reddit posts resurfaced online, ranging from talking about masturbating in portable toilets to mocking a wounded Purple Heart U.S. soldier. These posts are among the newest discoveries from his past Reddit history, with previously exposed posts revealing him on rape victims to take responsibility and praising Hamas’ tactics. WATCH: COLLINS RIPS MAINE CHALLENGER PLATNER OVER RESURFACED REDDIT POST MOCKING WOUNDED US SOLDIER “I still have to jerk off every time I sit in a portas—-er… that blue water smell conditioned me,” Platner wrote in one resurfaced post. Platner has publicly addressed some of the posts in the past, attributing them to a troubling time in his life after being in the military and suffering from PTSD. He served three tours in Iraq for the Marine Corps and one tour in Afghanistan for the U.S. Army. The comments were made under the Reddit account “P-Hustle,” which Platner has acknowledged owning. The posts range from 2009 through as recently as 2021. The entire archive of more than 2,000 posts is available on the Maine Monitor database. “He’s explained his journey and his evolution and his PTSD from the war, and again, I think it’s a judgment that should be rendered by the people of Maine,” said Merkley.
Former Detroit mayor blows governor’s race wide open in surprise move
Former Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan announced he is suspending his independent campaign for Michigan governor, turning the three-way contest to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer into a typical partisan race in the blue-trending state. Duggan was a popular mayor of the Motor City who garnered sizable support in his first unsuccessful write-in campaign and forged relationships with key city stakeholders like Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford Jr., an early backer of his gubernatorial bid. As a former Democrat, conventional wisdom held that his presence hurt Democratic nominee Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, while his moderate positioning was also considered attractive to Republicans who otherwise might support GOP nominee Rep. John James. NBC News reporter Henry Gomez said on X that Democrats had been “hitting him almost as hard as John James” and that the move was likely “welcome news” for the left in the Great Lakes State. SWING STATE GOVERNOR’S RACE GETS CURVEBALL AS TOP DEM RUNS INDEPENDENT, SPARKING CALLS FOR BUTTIGIEG TO ENTER “Dear Michigan, I’ve decided to suspend my campaign,” Duggan announced via public letter Thursday. “We knew the independent route was filled with challenge. Even against those odds, the excitement for real change carried this campaign upward for more than a year,” he said. Duggan dismissed claims he was trying to be a “spoiler” for either side and instead aimed to change the tenor of national politics. “I’m still hopeful our campaign will prove to have a real long-term impact,” Duggan said. “I will never be able to express the gratitude I feel for all your support and encouragement. I wish I could have done better for you.” When he announced his run, Duggan pointed to his family history and his own political evolution as evidence a change is needed in government. MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT QUITS POLITICS, SAYS PARTY’S AGENDA BETRAYED HER FAITH He told BridgeDetroit his late father supported former President Ronald Reagan but wouldn’t recognize the Trump-led GOP — while Duggan himself admitted the Democratic Party he once knew to be an ally of the working class is sliding in that regard. In one such instance, Democrats piled on Duggan for referring to people illicitly present in America as “illegal immigrants” instead of “undocumented.” “If there was ever a time to give people a third choice, this would be the year,” he told the outlet. Benson told Fox News Digital in a statement that Duggan brought civility to a body politic greatly needing it. “I want to thank Mayor Mike Duggan for what he brought to this race and for his years of service to Detroit,” she said, noting how divided politics has become. “I welcome Mayor Duggan’s ideas, his supporters, and everyone who believes Michigan’s future is bigger than division — and that it can be a place where anyone can afford to live, work, and thrive.” REPUBLICANS HAVE CHANCE TO SECURE GOVERNORSHIPS IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES NEXT YEAR “We may not always agree on everything, but we share a commitment to building a stronger Michigan. And that work continues in this campaign,” Benson concluded. Fox News Digital also reached out to James’ campaign. In a statement on social media, the Republican said he wanted to thank Duggan for years of service to Michigan and its largest city. “I respect anyone willing to step into the arena and serve something bigger than themselves. While we have real disagreements on policy, we both recognize Michigan is headed in the wrong direction,” he said, opening the door to working with the former Democrat if he so desired. “Our state has endured too much decline and political dysfunction. I’m ready to work with anyone willing to deliver real solutions, reject the politics of division, and fight for safer communities, stronger families and economic growth — our state’s future is too important for anything less.” While Trump narrowly won Michigan in breaking the proverbial “blue wall” for the second time in three attempts in 2024, the state has reliably chosen Democrats in other statewide races, including Whitmer, Sen. Elissa Slotkin — who won former Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s open seat in 2024 — and the state’s other upper-chamber incumbent, retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
Navy SEAL who killed Bin Laden rips Platner for ‘barbaric’ post trashing soldier under fire: ‘Out of line’
FIRST ON FOX: Robert O’Neill, the U.S. Navy SEAL who is credited with killing Osama bin Laden, is weighing in on the unearthed social media posts from Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner that have caused an uproar in recent days. “Mr. Platner was way out of line talking about a soldier that way,” O’Neill told Fox News Digital days after a resurfaced Reddit post showed Platner trashing a soldier seen in a viral video that was wounded in a clash with Taliban fighters saying, “Dumb motherf—– didn’t deserve to live.” “This is completely barbaric,” O’Neill said. “I don’t understand. If you swear an oath to the country, it doesn’t even matter what the politics are. Every single time you fight it’s for the man next to you, it’s for the person next to you. Politics goes out the window. And to wish ill on someone like that under fire is just, you know, like I said, it is the opposite of everything I’ve ever been raised to believe.” Platner has leaned into his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to explain the bevy of incendiary social media posts that have surfaced since he announced his Senate run. O’Neill described Platner’s post as “vile hatred” and said that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) isn’t an excuse. LEFT-WING DEM SENATE HOPEFUL CHEERED ON ANTIFA VIOLENCE IN UNEARTHED RANT: ‘KILL A MOTHERF—ER’ “PTSD shouldn’t do that to you, especially if you do it again and again, which he’s done on this and then on Reddit and things like that,” O’Neill said. “Just the vile hatred. I don’t even know why, instead, you know, he should be seeking to get some of the Ibogaine therapy that I’ve done for PTSD, if it’s that bad that you’re out there wishing American soldiers to die under fire.” Platner, a combat veteran, has also faced recent criticism over a resurfaced video disparaging “American Sniper” Chris Kyle and suggesting he killed civilians to inflate his numbers. “That would just stem from jealousy, maybe because Chris Kyle’s name became famous for a whole bunch of confirmed kills,” O’Neill said. “The jealousy is there. I’ve seen the jealousy too, but professional jealousy, stuff like this is really, really rare between veterans.” UNEARTHED POSTS SHOW DEM SENATE HOPEFUL PRAISING VULGAR GRAFFITI, MAKING CRUDE PORTA POTTY ADMISSION In recent days, Fox News Digital has reported on Democrats in Congress ducking questions on the Platner controversy as more and more inflammatory posts continue to trickle out into the public, something O’Neill took issue with. “He’s obviously been picked by someone and he’s being groomed by the same group of people because you’ve seen even with the other Democrats right now, as this stuff comes out, they refuse to condemn it because they do not care about the American people,” O’Neill said. “They care about votes for their party. I cannot say that enough. That’s all this is about. Can he get a seat in Congress somewhere for the Democrats? That’s why you won’t hear stuff from Chuck Schumer. You won’t hear stuff from Elizabeth Warren. You’re not hearing anything from Hakeem Jeffries. They’ll pretend they didn’t see it.” NEW WEBSITE PUTS PLATNER ON NOTICE BY AMPLIFYING SCANDALS: ‘ONE RED FLAG AFTER ANOTHER’ Some of the controversial posts from Platner have been brushed off by his allies as “locker room talk” and O’Neill acknowledged some of that is legitimate but said ultimately, he believes Platner has shown overall through the resurfaced posts that he’s not qualified for the U.S. Senate. “Everything from the Nazi tattoo on his chest and wishing a soldier would die under fire, no, I don’t think he’s fit for the Senate,” O’Neill said. O’Neill did defend Platner as someone who is possibly personally struggling and said “some of the stuff he might have been saying to get attention” and “some of the stuff he might’ve said because he was drinking some alcohol.” “I’ve been there,” O’Neill said. “I’ve had drinks and said some dumb stuff, too. That’s part of the reason I quit. So some of that’s there, and he is moving forward, and so, for the benefit of the doubt, I would personally like to see how he handles himself from here on out… I am a believer in forgiveness.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.
WATCH: Wesley Hunt flips script on Dems’ ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ attacks amid heated SPLC racism hearing
A Black Republican congressman excoriated Democrats and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for allegedly perpetuating racist tropes he said had long faded while recounting how his father endured true bigotry in ways far worse than what Americans experience today. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, joined a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday examining the role the SPLC allegedly played in “distorting civil rights policy” by funneling money to racist and extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and whether that funding elevated extremist threats in America. Hunt began his remarks by noting the idea du jour in the “Democrat hive” is that “Jim Crow 2.0 is alive and well in America” as he sat beside a split image of a Black man standing near a “Colored” sign and a person handing over identification to poll workers. “I’m sure some of the SPLC’s actions have helped them make this argument,” he said before turning to retired Vanderbilt law and political science professor Carol Swain — who is also Black — and asking her if she experienced any true “Jim Crow” treatment when she last voted in Tennessee. PATEL, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST RIP SPLC AFTER DOJ ALLEGES GROUP FUNDED THE ‘VILLAINS’ THEY CLAIMED TO FIGHT “Were you intimidated in any way with baseball bats, fire hoses or dogs?” Hunt asked, as Swain replied that the only nervousness she felt was when asking for a Republican ballot in a Democrat-heavy precinct. Hunt thanked Swain for her testimony and turned to the contrasting image beside him. “For all my Democrat colleagues, everyone on the left screaming ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ ad infinitum — let’s take a moment to revisit what actual Jim Crow was. Jim Crow was a time when Black Americans could not sit in classrooms with White Americans. It was colored-only water fountains; it was beatings in the streets; it was lynchings.” Hunt said true Jim Crow was when his father had to go to the back door of restaurants growing up in New Orleans in order to get a sandwich because he could not go in the front like Whites. “That is precisely why it is so offensive to compare that era of legalized discrimination and racial terror to showing a photo ID at the voting booth.” “And it is offensive that… groups like these manufacture faux hate,” Hunt said of the SPLC. WHITE HOUSE KNOCKS CHUCK SCHUMER OVER JIM CROW CLAIM: ‘PROFESSIONAL GASLIGHTER’ During the hearing, which did not feature the SPLC itself, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights CEO Maya Wiley defended the group, saying attacks from Republicans are “nothing more than part of a larger, broader, coordinated attack on civil rights organizations.” When it was his turn to speak, Hunt alleged that Democrats who tout the phrase “Jim Crow 2.0” to condemn political policies they disagree with do so because it is the only way they can stay relevant. “The Democrat Party survives on manufacturing grievance. Democrats invoke the pain of the past because they have nothing to offer for the present. They don’t want an honest debate. They want emotional manipulation. They want outrage. They want division, as evidenced by our discussion in this very hearing today.” Hunt said that he and the other sitting Black Republicans in the House — Reps. Burgess Owens of Utah, John James of Michigan and Byron Donalds of Florida — all represent White-majority districts, which he said disproves notions from the left on the matter. “Nobody cares about what we look like. We are being judged not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character because we’ve come a long way from this,” he said, pointing to another split image of a segregation-era scene transposed next to a voting scene. “I want to continue on the path that America has set forth in the name of Jesus Christ,” he said. “This is not 1960 anymore, it’s 2026. And the fact that groups like these are willing to stroke the flames of hate by funding the KKK.” He then yielded back to Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Several recent election integrity and related policies enacted by Republicans at the state and federal level have been accused of being newfound Jim Crow roadblocks for minorities. SCHUMER FACES BACKLASH AFTER CALLING SAVE ACT ‘JIM CROW’ DESPITE PREVIOUS ALLEGATION FALLING FLAT The most memorable is likely Georgia’s Election Integrity Act, in which Democrats and Major League Baseball sought boycotts of Atlanta for the legislature passing such a bill. After a 1960s-era segregationist tenor failed to materialize, proponents of such policies, including Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, noted the Democratic din suddenly dissipated. “These voices have gone strangely silent now that their dire predictions have proved false. Two weeks ago, Georgia held its first election primaries since the new election law took effect, and far from ‘suppressing’ the vote, there was record turnout,” Wicker said in a 2022 statement. SCHUMER DOUBLES DOWN ON GOP VOTING BILL ‘JIM CROW 2.0’ DESPITE DEMOCRATIC VOTER SUPPORT “Early voting increased nearly threefold from 2018 and more than doubled from 2020, a presidential election year. Minority early voting soared as well, with African American voters casting over 100,000 more early ballots than in 2018. All of this must have come as a surprise to voters who had been fed misinformation,” Wicker added. At the hearing, ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., however, defended SPLC’s “informant program” at issue, which he said shared information about racially charged terror plots with law enforcement and added that he has seen no proof the group’s donors were being deceived. “Where is the fraud? Where are their lawsuits?” he asked. The fact the phrase Jim Crow 2.0 continues to be bandied about shows that the divisions cited by Hunt still resonate in some political corners, portending uncertainty into the future on the matter.