Kansas mayor hit with criminal charges for allegedly voting as noncitizen in several elections
Kansas leaders brought criminal charges Wednesday against Joe Ceballos, the mayor of a small city in rural Kansas, alleging he voted in several elections but is not a U.S. citizen. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, both elected Republicans, announced they filed six charges in Comanche County against Ceballos, a lawful permanent resident from Mexico, for voting in elections in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Ceballos is the mayor of Coldwater and previously served as a city councilman. MAINE VOTERS DEFEAT VOTER ID BALLOT INITIATIVE, APPROVE ‘RED FLAG’ GUN RESTRICTIONS States are required by law to have mechanisms in place to regularly clean voter registration lists, also known as voter rolls. The process includes using external databases to screen for noncitizens, which Kobach, a longtime immigration hawk and ally of President Donald Trump, said is not error-proof. “Noncitizen voting is a real problem. It is not something that happens once in a decade. It is something that happens fairly frequently,” Kobach said, echoing the broader sentiments of Republicans who say voter fraud is a pressing issue. Ceballos’ charges, which include perjury and voting without being qualified, according to the complaint reviewed by Fox News Digital, carry a maximum penalty of more than five years in prison. Ceballos did not respond to a request for comment. Kobach, who previously served as Kansas secretary of state, has a long history of pushing for tougher immigration enforcement and stricter voter ID laws. In 2018, he lost a high-profile federal lawsuit after attempting to enforce a state law that required voters to provide physical documentation of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. A court found it exceeded the necessary requirements to confirm citizenship, in violation of federal election laws. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS LAUNCH VOTER ID BALLOT PUSH, NEED 875K SIGNATURES BY DEADLINE The court said at the time that the state law could not “be justified by the scant evidence of noncitizen voter fraud before and after the law was passed.” Kobach did not detail how state officials came to learn that the mayor and former city councilman is allegedly a noncitizen, but he said investigators had “unassailable evidence” against Ceballos. Kobach said city officials, such as mayors, are also required by law to be U.S. citizens, which the attorney general said was “worth noting” but not a criminal offense. Ceballos was on the ballot for re-election on Election Day, but the official results have not been certified yet. “In large part, our system right now is based on trust, trust that when the person signs the registration or signs the poll books saying that he is a qualified elector or that he is a United States citizen, that the person is telling the truth,” Kobach said. “In this case, we allege that Mr. Ceballos violated that trust.” Kobach and Schwab said they recently began taking advantage of a federal government database that helps cross-check voter rolls with immigration records that they expect will lead them to identify more voting violations. Ceballos’ first court appearance is Dec. 3.
Hakeem Jeffries dodges question on whether Mamdani is future of Democratic Party
Following Zohran Mamdani’s decisive mayoral victory in New York City Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., dodged a question on whether the self-proclaimed democratic socialist is the future of the Democratic Party. “You had record turnout in New York City for this election. Would you say that Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party?” a reporter asked Jeffries during Wednesday’s press conference on Capitol Hill. “Well, what Democrats have done all across the country is lean into the issue of affordability because of the fact that America’s too expensive costs are too high, and Donald Trump and Republicans, not only have they not done anything about it, they’ve made it worse as a result of the Trump tariffs as a result of them detonating the clean energy economy,” Jeffries responded. “That’s why electricity bills are skyrocketing. And now, of course, they’re forcing these dramatically increased health care premiums to be visited upon the American people.” SOCIALIST SHOCK WAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI STUNS NYC AS VOTERS HAND POWER TO DEMOCRATS’ FAR-LEFT FLANK Jeffries was also asked whether he is personally comfortable having the city he represents, the most populous city in America, run by a socialist. In response, Jeffries simply answered that Mamdani “is the mayor-elect of the City of New York. It’s incumbent upon everyone to make sure that he’s successful.” Although Mamdani was quickly endorsed by some of the country’s most progressive leaders, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the Democratic Party’s top leadership was slower to give its blessing. Jeffries did not answer whether he would be endorsing Mamdani until just before early voting began Oct. 24. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., never issued an endorsement of Mamdani. However, he called his electoral victory “historic.” Mamdani, a 34-year-old immigrant from Uganda, is the first Muslim mayor of New York City. WILL ELECTION DAY 2025 BE REMEMBERED AS THE RISE OF THE SOCIALISTS? Despite dodging these questions, Jeffries received an identical question earlier in the week about whether Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party, prompting him to say, “I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall, as far as we‘re concerned, relative to the House Democratic Caucus and members who are doing a great work all across the country as it relates to our need to both take back control of the House.” Jeffries called Tuesday night’s election a “big night for the American people” and a “big night for the Democratic Party.” Besides New York City, Democrats notched major victories in California, Virginia and New Jersey. Jeffries called the election results “a decisive repudiation of Donald Trump and failed Republican policies.” This comes as the government shutdown over expiring Obamacare subsidies and healthcare benefits enters day 36, becoming the longest closure in U.S. history. Senate Democrats have voted 14 times to reject a House-passed continuing resolution budget bill that would reopen the government. Despite this, Jeffries indicated he believes Tuesday’s election showed the country is blaming President Donald Trump and Republicans for the shutdown and that more Democratic victories are in store in 2026. VANCE DELIVERS POST-ELECTION REALITY CHECK, CONTENDS GOP MUST MAKE LIFE AFFORDABLE OR GET WALLOPED IN 2026 “We’re going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. So, let’s be very clear about that,” he said. “Based on the environment that we know exists, which, as Democrats, we’ve been telling you for the last several months, is the reality. But now it’s been confirmed by the American people.” He also praised the passage of a California redistricting proposition, which was backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying it will further help Democrats retake the House. “Stay tuned because more is coming,” he said. “Republicans are going to be unable to gerrymander their way into rigging the midterm elections. That scheme is over. Buried dead in the ground. And, so, we’re going to take back control of the House and fight for every inch of territory.”
Mamdani taps party insiders to steer transition despite vowing to ‘turn the page’ on old-guard NYC Dems
Zohran Mamdani vowed Tuesday night during his victory address to “turn the page” on old-guard New York City Democrats. But within less than 24 hours, the mayor-elect of New York City announced a transition team comprised of folks with ties to the administrations of Bill de Blasio, Eric Adams, Michael Bloomberg and Joe Biden. “Let tonight be the final time I utter [Andrew Cuomo’s] name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few,” Mamdani said Tuesday evening as he touted a new political order for New York City at his victory address at the Brooklyn Paramount theater. The next morning, Mamdani named an all-female transition team comprised of four co-chairs and an executive director. The co-chairs are Maria Torres-Springer, a former top aide under former mayors de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg and soon-to-be former Mayor Adams; Lina Khan, the Biden administration’s Federal Trade Commission chair; Melanie Hartzog, a former New York City budget director who served as the deputy mayor for Health and Human Services under de Blasio; and Grace Bonilla, a former Bloomberg and de Blasio aide appointed to lead the former’s task force on racial equity and Inclusion. Elana Leopold, a former senior aide to de Blasio, was tapped to be the transition team’s executive director. WILL ELECTION DAY 2025 BE REMEMBERED AS THE RISE OF THE SOCIALISTS? Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment but did not get a response in time for publication. “The polls have barely closed, and already the incoming mayor is breaking one of his core promises to shake up the status quo and usher in a new day. New York City started a downward spiral under the de Blasio administration, and now some of its main players are returning to the halls of power,” said Republican strategist Colin Reed. “And former FTC Chair Lina Khan became synonymous with her hostility toward businesses large and small during the Biden administration and one of the ringleaders of Bidenomics.” Khan, in particular, has been accused of sidelining career staff in favor of fresh blood from a cadre of dark money nonprofits, which coincided with a forceful antitrust strategy that mirrored the organizations’ goals. The FTC, under Khan’s leadership, credited individuals brought up from these nonprofits for help in crafting policy and messaging in posts on its website and in a report to Congress in 2022. FLASHBACK: WILDEST MOMENTS MAMDANI OVERCAME ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO BECOME NYC’S NEXT MAYOR Mamdani, a New York state assemblymember who ran as the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, defeated former Empire State Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the Big Apple’s mayoral contest. “My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,” Mamdani said in his victory speech Tuesday night. “Tonight you have delivered a mandate for change. A mandate for a new kind of politics. A mandate for a city we can afford. And a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.” During Mamdani’s victory speech Tuesday night, the mayor-elect also slammed corporate interests, telling his supporters New Yorkers have been betrayed by those elected officials who care more about their own enrichment. “We refuse to let them dictate the rules of the game anymore,” he said. “They can play by the same rules as the rest of us.” Mamdani’s election victory was being cheered by Alex Soros, the son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who has helped fund left-wing campaigns stretching from district attorneys to federal elections. In 2022, the younger Soros succeeded his father as chair of the board of directors of the massive $25 billion Open Society Foundations he runs his activism through. Alex Soros’ support of Mamdani is not a surprise, with the Open Society Foundations reportedly donating $37 million in the last decade to left-wing groups that promoted Mamdani’s nomination this year, such as the Working Families Party, the New York Post reported in July.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: David Hogg calls on Dems to reignite ‘American Dream’ after Mamdani win
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Supreme Court to weigh Trump tariff powers in blockbuster case -NYC fire chief announces resignation after Mamdani wins mayoral race -Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey wins re-election after fending off socialist challenger As Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York City, former DNC vice chair David Hogg told Fox News Digital that Democrats heading into the midterms should focus on restoring voters’ faith in the American Dream. After losing up and down the ballot in 2024, Democrats secured victories in the most-watched races of this off-year election cycle — from a socialist shockwave in New York City, Democratic-led redistricting success in California and gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia. “No other city is like New York City,” Hogg said Tuesday night. “No other state is like Virginia or New Jersey. The lesson that will be learned here tonight is not that every policy in New York should be replicated around the country. It’s that listening and telling voters what you are actually going to do to lower prices works.”…READ MORE. JUSTICES REVOLT: Barrett and Sotomayor tag-team interrogation of Trump lawyer on tariff powers ‘SO EASY TO WIN’: Trump appears to jab defeated Republicans, saying it’s ‘easy’ to win elections ‘when you talk about the facts’ MIDTERM MATH: Vance delivers post-election reality check, contends GOP must make life affordable or get walloped in 2026 FEELING BLUE: Vulnerable House Dem criticizes ‘extreme’ left in shocking 2026 announcement CAPITOL SCRUTINY: Pentagon faces bipartisan criticism over lack of communication with Congress BERNIE’S REVOLT: Bernie Sanders crashes Schumer news conference, criticizes Democratic Party leadership DEMS DIG DEEPER: Senate Dems emboldened in shutdown strategy after election sweep ELECTION PROTECTION: Texas passes constitutional amendment explicitly prohibiting noncitizen voting MISSING MARGINS: Inside Jay Jones and the Democrats’ late surge to upset wins across Virginia, from the suburbs to the shore CAMPUS RADICALS: Top university hit with scathing federal complaint calling for probe into ‘unsafe’ and ‘unlawful’ DEI agenda ACCOUNTABILITY CALL: Jewish groups issue post-election warning to Mamdani as he prepares to lead New York City ‘CONGRATS, MAYOR’: Heir to billionaire Soros fortune cheers Mamdani election with penthouse photo DOG WHISTLE: Mamdani victory speech draws concern as NYC mayor-elect vows ‘no problem too large for government to solve’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
UFC legend endorses pro-law enforcement pick for California governor: ‘We need his strength’
EXCLUSIVE: Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer and legend Royce Gracie has endorsed a pro-law enforcement candidate who is running for governor in California. One of the biggest names in mixed martial arts and the first UFC champion, Gracie made a name for himself by taking down much larger opponents through precision and skill. Now he is weighing into the political sphere in the race to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and widely rumored to have 2028 presidential ambitions. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Gracie said he is endorsing sheriff Chad Bianco’s long-shot bid to replace Newsom in 2026. Gracie, a three-time UFC champion, called Bianco a “fighter” who is “exactly who we need.” KATIE PORTER SAYS SHE REGRETS VIRAL OUTBURSTS AT REPORTER, STAFFER “When Gavin Newsom closed businesses, schools, and churches, one person stood against him, Sheriff Chad Bianco,” Gracie told Fox News Digital. “Chad Bianco didn’t fold. He’s a fighter, and a fighter is exactly who we need as Governor of California,” he added, saying, “We need his strength to turn this state around after the mess Gavin Newsom has created.” Bianco, who is a vocal Trump supporter and the sheriff of Riverside County, just east of Los Angeles, announced his gubernatorial candidacy back in February, saying, “Californians deserve better.” He has framed his candidacy around restoring safety and a better quality of life to California. “This campaign will not be about the divide between Republicans and Democrats. It will be about the common goal we all have for a better California,” Bianco emphasized at his campaign launch. “As Californians, we want leadership that actually cares about the cost of living …and leaders who will do something about it,” Bianco said in his address. “We want homes we can afford. We want air conditioning when it’s hot, not rolling blackouts. We want water for the crops and animals that feed us. We want the opportunity to achieve the California Dream, not be prevented from it because of red tape and regulation from government. We want honesty and transparency from our elected officials. We want lower taxes and less government waste. We want sanity restored and common sense to prevail.” PELOSI SPOKESMAN SIDESTEPS RETIREMENT RUMORS AS DEM PRIMARY THREATS WAIT IN WINGS Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. A vocal critic of Newsom and soft on crime policies, Bianco was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections. The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes. In response to Gracie’s endorsement, Bianco told Fox News Digital that “Californians are waking up, and we are going to clean up this state.” “Gavin Newsom has been chasing away Californians in record numbers,” he said, adding, “I’m grateful for the support of patriots like Royce Gracie.” Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not receive a statement by the time of publication. Bianco is facing a steep uphill battle to win as a Republican in deep blue California. It has been nearly two decades since a Republican won a statewide race. Though still early, the current frontrunner to be Newsom’s successor is former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a progressive who has made resisting President Donald Trump a central theme of her campaign. CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS TOLD TO IGNORE SIGNS OF A FIRE: REPORT Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary under the Biden administration and former California attorney general, is also running for the Democratic nomination. The Democratic and Republican primaries will be held on June 2 next year and the general election will be on Nov. 3.
Virginia slammed for ‘truly demonic’ election that excused political violence to spite Trump, critics say
Many political observers nationwide equated an upset win by Virginia Attorney General-elect Jay Jones and the Democratic ticket as a “demonic” example of the left putting politics ahead of decency. A majority of Virginia voters ignored scandals that roiled Jones’ campaign, including his envision of murdering a top Republican lawmaker and their children, to put him in office and unseat more than a dozen GOP state delegates. “They overlooked it because they hate Trump more than they care about what … the Virginia attorney general[-elect] said,” Outkick founder Clay Travis told Fox News on Wednesday. “Miyares did an incredible job. This is an example of outrage at Trump motivating the turnout,” Travis said on “America’s Newsroom.” LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER Travis said Trump was clearly a driving force and that there were some Spanberger voters who split tickets in favor of outgoing Attorney General Jason Miyares, but that Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ losing margin was too much in an era of rare ticket-splitting. He said one key observation is that Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger received 600,000 fewer total votes than Trump himself did in the president’s losing battle in Virginia one year prior. When Trump is off the ballot, Republicans also don’t appear to turn out to vote, he said – as figures from heavily conservative southwestern Virginia bore that out Tuesday night. JAY JONES INVOKES TRUMP NEARLY 50 TIMES DURING VIRGINIA AG DEBATE, TIES MIYARES TO ‘MAGA’ WTAR radio host Kerry Dougherty, who co-hosts an AM dial show in Hampton, wrote on X that Virginia needs to “buckle up.” “Democrats last night installed a deranged sociopath in the attorney general’s office. A man who may find his law license suspended over chicanery with community service hours. Yep, they preferred him to a moderate, smart and successful Republican. We’re in deep trouble.” Elsewhere, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, argued that the political left shows little concern for victims of political violence, calling Jones’ victory the latest proof. “A deranged lib murders Charlie Kirk, and Democrats respond by electing a sociopath who – in his own words – wants his political opponents and their children dead. Truly demonic,” Gill, wrote on X. “Truly evil,” added Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS HAVE A VIOLENCE PROBLEM Uthmeier tried to help Miyares in the closing days of the race, appearing with him, Earle-Sears and now-outgoing Dels. Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, and Ian Lovejoy, R-Warrenton, at a closing-days rally in New Baltimore. Virginia Republican voters were also vocal the morning after – as one wrote that it’s clear his neighbors would be alright if he was dead. “At least I now know that all of my neighbors with Jay Jones signs up are okay with political violence,” the voter wrote on X. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER DISGRACED DEM NOMINEE LEANS ON TRUMP ATTACKS IN VIRGINIA AG DEBATE “I can no longer in good conscience be associated with them. They obviously want me dead too.” Conservative commentator Benny Johnson played out the scenario such Jones voters may have thought through before voting: “Democrats in Virginia saw these texts from Jay Jones and decided ‘yup, he has my vote’,” Johnson said. JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE “Truly evil. You can’t live in a country with people that want you dead.” Jack Posobiec, a conservative commentator and editor at Human Events, responded to Jones’ post-scandal win with his own recollection of political violence: “I saw a leftist murder Charlie Kirk and I saw them celebrate it,” Posobiec said. “While conservatives have spent the last few weeks arguing with each other, Democrats just elected an Attorney General who openly fantasizes about murdering us and watching our children die in our arms,” added commentator Matt Walsh. “These people are the enemy. What more do you need to see? Seriously. What more do you need to see?” “Ruthless” podcast producer Leigh Wolf wrote on X that the election results in Virginia are the “first empirical evidence” in the public sphere that proves Democrats writ-large support political violence as a tool to achieve power. “They saw with their own eyes this absolute psycho go into graphic detail about the need to murder children as a means of achieving political outcomes, and they voted yes,” Wolf said. “You can’t hand wave away violence as the actions of a few fringe radicals when you affirmatively vote in favor of those tactics.” In their responses to Jones’ victory, voices on the left steered clear of the question of condoning violence, including one of the attorney general-elect’s top backers, Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth. Lucas posted a clip drawn from Fox News video of Jones greeting voters in Norfolk, which an official at the Republican Attorney General’s Assocation trimmed down to show the Democrat appearing to try to kick a dog in a potentially playful manner. Lucas re-envisioned that clip as a GIF of Jones making the kicking motion toward the dog – but instead hitting Attorney General Jason Miyares, whose avatar went flying upward toward the sky. Elsewhere, Democratic state Sen. Mamie Locke of Hampton commented that Democrats wins instead showed that her party won because “Republicans cannot govern, do their jobs and would rather shut the government down than feed people or provide them health care.” “And, Trump, you were on the ballot. Maybe not literally, but your failed policies were,” Locke said. “Voters told you how they felt about those failures. Your efforts to distract, distort, discourage, discredit, and destroy this country has Virginians and citizens all over America fighting back. This is just the beginning.” Anti-Trump commentator Tim Miller also commented on X about those observers expressing fears as some conservatives have. After conservative commentator Megyn Kelly said that “God save Republicans and their children in VA,” Miller called it “the first known case of Spanberger Derangement Syndrome.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi
Trump torches NYC’s new ‘communist’ mayor Mamdani, says he’ll ‘help them a little bit’
President Donald Trump on Wednesday cast New York City’s mayoral result for democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as a hard left turn, telling a business audience in Miami that Democrats had “installed a communist” to lead the nation’s largest city and adding that he still wants the Big Apple to succeed. “But the communists, Marxists, socialists and globalists had their chance, and they delivered nothing but disaster. And now let’s see how a communist does in New York. We’re going to see how that works out,” Trump said. Trump’s comments came during a wide-ranging speech marking the one-year anniversary of what he called the “single most consequential election victory,” referring to his 2024 presidential win. He used Tuesday’s outcome in New York to sharpen a broader contrast with his administration’s agenda, saying voters face a choice “between communism and common sense.” At one point, he quipped that Miami could become a refuge for “those fleeing communism in New York City.” DESANTIS BLASTS NYC’S ‘BALLISTIC PODIATRY’ AFTER ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS MAYOR’S RACE AND FLORIDA EXPECTS EXODUS In his remarks, Trump touted what he described as strong economic momentum, renewed manufacturing investment and tighter border enforcement. He argued that America is entering a “golden age,” saying his administration has “the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military” and claiming “trillions and trillions of dollars” are flowing back to the country. Trump, a native New Yorker who rose to prominence through his real estate and branding ventures across Manhattan, built and managed landmarks, including Trump Tower and the Wollman Ice Rink renovation in Central Park. MAMDANI SAYS HE WON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY ANY TRUMP THREATS ABOUT DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD He moved his primary residence to Florida in 2019 but has frequently pointed to his decades in the city to show what he calls its decline under Democrat leadership. Trump also praised Miami’s growth and acknowledged local officials and guests in attendance during his remarks Wednesday. Returning to New York near the close of his remarks, Trump repeated that he wants the city to do well despite its new direction. “We’ll help them a little bit,” he said. “Every day my administration will fight, fight, fight, and America will win, win, win.” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.
Barrett and Sotomayor tag-team interrogation of Trump lawyer on tariff powers
Justice Amy Coney Barrett had pointed questions Wednesday about the law Donald Trump invoked to impose global tariffs, joining several other justices on the right and left in voicing skepticism about the president’s ability to use a tool he has deemed critical to carrying out his economic agenda. Solicitor General John Sauer repeatedly argued during the lengthy 2½-hour oral arguments that the emergency law Trump used to enact the tariffs for nearly every U.S. trading partner contained language about regulating imports, which Sauer said included using tariffs. The relevant statute permits the president to “regulate … nullify [and] void … importation,” but it does not use the word “tariff.” Barrett pressed Sauer on this point. “Can you point to any other place in the code or any other time in history where that phrase together, ‘regulate importation,’ has been used to confer tariff-imposing authority?” Barrett, a Trump appointee, asked. SUPREME COURT PREPARES TO CONFRONT MONUMENTAL CASE OVER TRUMP EXECUTIVE POWER AND TARIFF AUTHORITY Sauer noted one other trade law that had served as a precursor to the emergency law in question, but Barrett appeared unconvinced, repeating her question as Sauer failed to offer direct responses. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an Obama appointee, interjected, asking Sauer to “just answer the justice’s question.” Sotomayor at one point noted that no president has ever used the emergency law, known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to impose tariffs, though Sauer argued that President Richard Nixon’s tariffs were used that way even if the IEEPA did not exist at that stage. “It’s a congressional power, not a presidential power to tax,” Sotomayor said. “And you want to say tariffs are not taxes. But that’s exactly what they are. They’re generating money from American citizens, revenue.” The liberal justice noted that Congress has always used the phrase “regulate and tax” together, suggesting that the absence of any mention of tariffs or taxes in a law’s language was deliberate and that Congress purposely did not grant that power to the president. “Are you telling us that, with respect to its use of ‘regulate’ in other statutes, the taxing reference is superfluous? They didn’t need to do that?” Sotomayor asked. TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT FOR URGENT RULING ON TARIFF POWERS AS ‘STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER’ Both Barrett and Sotomayor also drilled down on other verbs in the statute, underscoring the absence of tariff powers. “To me, things like ‘nullify’ and ‘void’ have definite meanings. I agree with you that ‘regulate’ is a broader term, but those words, I think, are powerful,” Barrett said. Sotomayor was more blunt: “The verbs that accompany ‘regulate’ have nothing to do with raising revenues in the form of taxes.” The case has become one of the most closely watched of the term and has presented a novel question to the high court that Trump framed this week as “life or death.” “Our Stock Market is consistently hitting Record Highs, and our Country has never been more respected than it is right now,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “A big part of this is the Economic Security created by Tariffs, and the Deals that we have negotiated because of them.” Sauer told the justices that Trump views the trade deficit and opioid epidemic as “country killing and not sustainable” and that he has chosen to address them by using the IEEPA to impose tariffs. Sauer highlighted the success of the trade agreements Trump has made with top foreign competitors, like China, because of the president’s tariff choices. “Unwinding those agreements, [Trump] warns, would expose us to ruthless trade retaliation by far more aggressive countries and drive America from strength to failure with ruinous economic and national security consequences,” Sauer said. Sauer argued the emergency law gives the president the power to regulate importation and that “the power to tariff is a core application of that,” even if not explicitly stated in the law. In addition to the liberal justices and Barrett, other Republican-appointed justices conveyed skepticism, including Chief Justice John Roberts, who questioned how far presidential emergency powers go under the law. “The exercise of the power is to impose tariffs, and the statute doesn’t use the word tariffs,” Roberts said.
Trump appears to jab defeated Republicans, saying it’s ‘easy’ to win elections ‘when you talk about the facts’
President Donald Trump appeared to take a swipe at Republican candidates who lost on Tuesday while addressing the America Business Forum in Miami, Fla., on Wednesday. After listing a series of his accomplishments, Trump said it’s “so easy to win elections when you talk about the facts.” “Almost 2 million American-born workers are employed today, more than when I took office. That’s nine months ago. Can you imagine?” Trump said. “And I tell Republicans, if you want to win elections, you gotta talk about these facts. You know, it’s so easy to win elections when you talk about the facts.” He then added that, “These are things you have to talk about. It doesn’t just happen, you got to tell them. It’s wonderful to do them, but if people don’t talk about them, then you can do not so well in elections.” OPIONION: ARE YOU BETTER OFF SINCE DONALD TRUMP TOOK OFFICE? On Tuesday, Republicans lost several major races, including gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as the mayoral race in New York City. While Trump backed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for mayor over Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, he still made the jab at Republicans generally. “One year ago, we were a dead country. Now we’re a country that’s considered [one of] the hottest countries anywhere in the world,” Trump said, crediting his administration with getting 600,000 Americans off of food stamps and creating jobs for 1.9 million Americans. He highlighted the supposed increase in jobs, saying that nearly 2 million more Americans were employed than when he entered office less than a year ago. SOCIALIST SHOCKWAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI STUNS NYC AS VOTERS HAND POWER TO DEMOCRATS’ FAR-LEFT FLANK While Trump touted his achievements for the working class, Zohran Mamdani, hot off his victory in New York City, gave a different analysis earlier Wednesday. During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Mamdani contrasted himself and Trump. Mamdani argued that, unlike the president, he is ready to solve the “cost of living crisis” for Americans who are struggling. Mamdani also said that Trump is “someone who ran an entire presidential campaign on the promise of cheaper groceries and is now, as the president, making it harder for Americans to afford those groceries by cutting SNAP benefits.” Trump, who was marking the anniversary of being elected for a second presidential term, did not shy away from taking a swipe at Mamdani as well. “We lost a little bit of sovereignty last night in New York, but we’ll take care of that. Don’t worry about it,” he told the crowd in Miami on Wednesday. Republicans have largely blamed the lapse in SNAP benefits on Democrats as the parties battle it out in D.C. amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Vulnerable House Dem criticizes ‘extreme’ left in shocking 2026 announcement
A House Democrat representing a district that President Donald Trump won in 2024 is not seeking re-election next year. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, announced his plans in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News on Wednesday, a day after Democrats’ sweeping electoral victories in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York City. “I have never loved politics. But I find purpose and meaning in service, and the Marine in me has been able to slog along through the many aspects of politics I dislike by focusing on the good work that Congress is capable of producing with patience and determination,” Golden wrote. “But after 11 years as a legislator, I have grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community — behavior that, too often, our political leaders exhibit themselves.” HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS ELECTION 2025 COVERAGE Golden has represented Maine’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019. He’s managed to hold on to the seat through his constituents voting for President Donald Trump in both 2020 and 2024. The moderate Democrat — also a Marine Corps veteran — has been known to frequently break from his own party, including on the recent government shutdown vote in September. He shared more of his concerns with the left in his retirement announcement, criticizing both Republicans and Democrats for the current state of politics in the country. “We have seen mainstream Republicans stand by as their party was hijacked first by Tea Party obstructionists and then by the MAGA movement and its willingness to hand much of Congress’ authority to the president,’ Golden wrote. “I fear Democrats are going down the same path. We’re allowing the most extreme, pugilistic elements of our party to call the shots. Just look again at the shutdown. For as long as I can remember, we have opposed shutting down the government over policy disputes. We criticized Republicans for taking hostages this way. But this year, reeling from the losses of the last election, too many Democrats have given into demands that we use the same no-holds-barred, obstructionary tactics as the GOP.” And despite his seat being a prime target for Republicans every two years, Golden said that did not factor into his decision. “I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning. Simply put, what I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son,” he wrote. “I have long supported term limits and while current law allows me to run again, I like the idea of ending my service in Congress after eight years — the length of term limits in the Maine Legislature.” SOCIALIST SHOCKWAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI STUNS NYC AS VOTERS HAND POWER TO DEMOCRATS’ FAR-LEFT FLANK Golden’s seat had been ranked a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which also rated his district slightly in favor of the GOP at R+4. House Republicans’ campaign arm wasted no time in seizing on Golden’s announcement, releasing its own statement shortly after his op-ed was published. “Serial flip-flopper Jared Golden’s exit from Congress says it all: He’s turned his back on Mainers for years and now his chickens are coming home to roost. He, nor any other Democrat, has a path to victory in ME-02 and Republicans will flip this seat red in 2026,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a release to reporters. Beyond his frustration with partisan politics, however, Golden also revealed that the heightened political environment also pushed him to re-consider his congressional career. Golden said earlier this year that he and his family had to spend Thanksgiving in a hotel room after receiving a bomb threat at their home. House Democrats’ campaign arm thanked Golden for his service in its own statement upon his retirement. “I sincerely commend Jared for all the work he has done for Mainers, from lowering costs to protecting lobstermen’s jobs and fighting for veterans,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said. “He has devoted his life so far to service, first as a Marine, then in the Maine legislature, and in Congress since 2019. He embodies Maine’s independent spirit and I wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.”