Fox News Politics Newsletter: Bill Nye, Buttigieg boost Spanberger amid Jones scandal
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… -Winsome Sears responds to JMU fan telling her to ‘go back to Haiti’ after weekend of leftist invective -DOJ argues judge’s decision blocking Mahmoud Khalil’s removal was ‘indefensible’ –Charlie Kirk assassination sparks Senate hearing on ‘left-wing political violence,’ Schmitt vows action Former PBS host and ex-Boeing engineer Bill Nye “The Science Guy” will join former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to headline a rally with Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday in the hometown of their party’s forefather. Spanberger will rally with Buttigieg and Nye in Charlottesville – the city that birthed President Thomas Jefferson – while across town at the college founded by America’s third president, GOP lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Reid will headline a public “Dome Room” forum hosted by pollster Larry Sabato’s University of Virginia Center for Politics. Spanberger’s rally occurs as she tries to separate herself from scandal-plagued attorney general candidate Jay Jones…READ MORE. ‘CRAZY PLOT’: Trump says Schumer, Senate Democrats holding government ‘hostage’ with shutdown: ‘We will not be extorted’ HILLARY’S TANTRUM: Hillary Clinton fires up voters against Trump’s White House ballroom construction: ‘It’s your house’ SPEAKING HER MIND: Karine Jean-Pierre reveals she never thought Kamala Harris would win DRUG WAR DISPUTE: San Francisco mayor rejects Trump’s National Guard deployment plan over drug dealer arrest authority GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY: US military buildup in the Caribbean sees bombers, Marines and warships converge near Venezuela CYBER CLASH: China accuses NSA of cyberattack on national timekeeping system MEASURE OF SECURITY: Vance warns Hamas as Gaza peace plan’s Civilian Military Cooperation Center opens INFLUENTIAL: Dem senator says Melania Trump is America’s ‘secret weapon’ against Putin’s ‘war criminality’ MONEY TRAIL: National Dems bankroll campaign of ‘Fake Independent’ Senate candidate from Midwestern state LIAR EXPOSED: House Judiciary Committee refers former CIA Director John Brennan to the Justice Department for prosecution SENATE FLIP-FLOP: Fetterman calls out Dems’ flip: ‘We ran on killing the filibuster, and now we love it’ FISCAL FRICTION: Republicans push to renew Obamacare subsidies while rejecting Democrats’ shutdown tie-in LINKED BY LOYALTY: Blackburn says Trump support was ‘common thread’ among lawmakers reportedly targeted by Jack Smith RULES FOR THEE: Jay Jones murder texts latest case of Democrats circling the scandal wagons HONOR CODE BROKEN: ‘She lied’: Mikie Sherrill classmate says involvement in cheating scandal deeper than she claims POLITICAL KRYPTONITE: New Jersey Dems snub endorsing socialist candidate Mamdani as gubernatorial election looms OFF THE JOB?: Dem Rep Mikie Sherrill skips 145 House votes as NJ governor’s race heats up ‘I SAID NO’: Defiant Sliwa says ‘I am not dropping out’ of NYC mayor race: ‘Under no circumstance’ ‘DISOBEY’: Portland city council member calls on National Guard troops to defy deployment orders AUSTIN ATROCITY: Illegal immigrants arrested after woman found shot to death in Texas woods, 1 wanted by Mexican feds: police Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Schumer requests meeting with Trump ‘any time, any place’ as Democrat stalemate drags on
The top congressional Democrats want a meeting with President Donald Trump as the government shutdown stretches on. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that both he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., reached out to Trump on Tuesday to set up a confab with the president. The top Senate Democrat said the duo “urged” Trump to meet with them, and that they were open to setting up “an appointment with him any time, any place.” SENATE DEMS EMBOLDENED BY WEEKEND RALLIES BLOCK GOP PLAN TO END SHUTDOWN FOR 11TH TIME “Hakeem and I reached out to the president today and urged him to sit down and negotiate with us to resolve the healthcare crisis, address it and end the Trump shutdown,” Schumer said. “He should sit — the things get worse every day for the American people. He should sit down with us, negotiate in a serious way before he goes away.” Congressional Democrats, particularly Schumer and his Democratic caucus, have remained steadfast in their demands for an extension to expiring Obamacare subsidies. Though Senate Republicans have been open to holding a vote on the matter after the government reopens, Democrats want an ironclad guarantee that the subsidies will be extended well before their expiration at the end of this year. Should Trump relent to their request, it would mark the first meeting among the trio since Schumer, Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met in the Oval Office a day before the shutdown began. ‘GOOFBALLS’ AND HOSTAGES: GOP SENATORS SAY SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN TACTICS DESTROYING THE SENATE Lawmakers left that meeting with no agreement to avert the shutdown, which has now dragged on for 21 days. Senate Democrats have also blocked Thune and Republicans’ attempts to reopen the government 11 times. Another vote on the House-passed continuing resolution, which would reopen the government until Nov. 21, is expected on Wednesday. And like the many attempts before, that latest effort is expected to fail. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans met with Trump for lunch at the White House Tuesday afternoon. THUNE SLAMS SCHUMER’S ‘KINGMAKER’ POLITICS, REFUSES TO ‘KISS THE RING’ IN SHUTDOWN TALKS Speaking to reporters afterward, Thune reiterated that Senate Republicans were united in their war of attrition strategy to continue putting the same bill on the floor again and again. He noted that Trump would likely agree to meet with Schumer and Jeffries, but only after Senate Democrats unlocked the votes needed to reopen the government. “We have negotiated. I don’t know what there is to negotiate. This is about opening up the government,” Thune said. “We have offered them several off-ramps. Now, the Democrats want something that’s totally untenable. I mean, they want $1.5 trillion in new spending. They want free healthcare for people who are noncitizens in this country. That is just a flat nonstarter. It doesn’t pass the Senate. It won’t pass the House. It won’t be signed into law by the president.” Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ and the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Blackburn says Trump support was ‘common thread’ among lawmakers reportedly targeted by Jack Smith
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., was one of nearly a dozen Senate Republicans allegedly probed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, an investigation she wasn’t aware of until earlier this month. She was one of several Senate Republicans that Smith allegedly surveilled as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. But it was only revealed earlier this month by the FBI — thanks to an oversight request by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — that Smith allegedly requested phone records on her and others. Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that until the documents from Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation were revealed, she had no idea that her phone records were being surveilled. JACK SMITH INVESTIGATORS NEED TO ‘PAY BIG’ FOR JAN. 6 PHONE RECORDS PROBE, WARNS SEN. GRAHAM She believed the “common thread” behind the former special counsel’s probe, which was carried out in 2023, was because “the eight of us are all Republicans. We all support President Trump.” Blackburn and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Wyo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., were all reportedly part of Smith’s investigation. In response, Blackburn and many of the others that were allegedly surveilled by Smith want to see him disbarred. “This is about making certain we have one tier of justice, and that we stop this two tiers of justice,” Blackburn said. “And if they can do this to eight sitting U.S. senators, what could they possibly — I mean, think about how, what they must be doing to conservatives in this country.” Last week, she and Graham, Tuberville, Sullivan and Kelly sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding an investigation into Smith, and that he be referred to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Professional Responsibility. HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE The end goal of the investigation is to see Smith disbarred from both New York and Tennessee, two states where he holds a license to practice law. Blackburn argued that Smith’s alleged spying on her and others was a “First Amendment and Fourth Amendment violation.” Her latest push against the former special counsel came on the heels of another letter sent to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon demanding why the cellphone carriers allegedly allowed Smith and the FBI under the Biden administration to track their communications. “You would have thought that, because of the Stored Records Act and the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and the Speech and Debate Clause, that at least Verizon, who’s my wireless carrier, would have informed me that there was a request on my records,” she said. JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS “But of course, there was nothing given to us, and it’s the reason that we sent the letter to Verizon and then followed it with a letter … to the DOJ on Jack Smith,” she continued. Smith is one of a handful of former officials that have been targeted by the DOJ under the Trump administration. He is currently under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for alleged Hatch Act violations, which bars government employees from participating in political activities. Then there are federal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing justice, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Blackburn was one of many Republicans that railed against so-called political witch hunts against President Donald Trump when he was out of office. When asked what the difference between the indictments against Trump and his allies compared to the latest crop of former officials, she said it was about accountability. “These need to be investigated so that this kind of stuff stops,” Blackburn said. “And one of the differences, I think you see between Democrats and Republicans, is Democrats repeatedly circle the wagons, and they push things under the rug, and then they want two tiers of justice. And with Republicans, the focus is on accountability and transparency, and I think that is a major, major difference.”
San Francisco mayor rejects Trump’s National Guard deployment plan over drug dealer arrest authority
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard to The City by the Bay after days of touting his administration’s public safety progress. Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that the National Guard is headed to San Francisco next as the Trump administration continues to crackdown on crime across the U.S., including in Chicago, Memphis and Portland. “I am deeply grateful to the members of our military for their service to our country, but the National Guard does not have the authority to arrest drug dealers — and sending them to San Francisco will do nothing to get fentanyl off the streets or make our city safer,” Lurie said. Lurie announced his rejection of the National Guard deployment in an Instagram Reel on Monday. He ousted a more than six-year incumbent when he was elected mayor in 2024 and has since made strategic use of social media to communicate his agenda, which has public safety at the forefront. NEWSOM SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT ORDER TO OREGON “As your mayor, my top priority every single day is keeping San Francisco safe. With the support of local law enforcement, community leaders, and the appropriate federal law enforcement partners, we’re achieving that goal without compromising our values or our laws,” Lurie said, touting that violent crime is down and the “city is moving in the right direction.” TRUMP’S IMPENDING SAN FRANCISCO CRACKDOWN SPARKS BACKLASH FROM NEWSOM, MAYOR Lurie said the city welcomes stronger coordination with government agencies to arrest drug dealers and disrupt drug markets, but since the National Guard “does not have the authority” to arrest drug dealers, he said their presence will do nothing to stop the flow of fentanyl. In a statement shared exclusively with Fox News Digital on Monday, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said San Francisco Democrats should “welcome the President in to clean up their city.” “America’s once great cities have descended into chaos and crime as a result of Democrat policies that put criminals first and law-abiding citizens last,” Jackson said Monday. “Making America Safe Again — especially crime-ridden cities — was a key campaign promise from the President that the American people elected him to fulfill.” Without addressing the National Guard deployment plan directly, Lurie has been pointing to his administration’s public safety progress for the past several days. “Since January, I have said that public safety is my number one priority,” Lurie said during a public safety briefing Friday. “Over the last nine months, we have backed that up, rebuilding the ranks of our public safety agencies, strengthening coordination across departments and strategically deploying technology. It’s working.” But the White House urged California Democrats to recognize the progress made in Memphis, Tennessee, and in Washington, D.C., where fellow Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser has acknowledged the Trump administration’s success cleaning up the nation’s capital. “We’re going to go to San Francisco,” Trump said on Sunday. “The difference is, I think they want us in San Francisco. San Francisco was truly one of the great cities of the world, and then 15 years ago, it went wrong. It went woke.” Newsom was quick to fire back in a social media post Sunday, writing, “Fact check: Nobody wants you here. You will ruin one of America’s greatest cities.” Newsom criticized Trump in August for “militarizing American cities” after the president deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to fight crime in the nation’s capital. The California governor, a frequent Trump critic who is considered a likely 2028 presidential candidate, deployed California Highway Patrol “crime-suppression teams” across the Golden State in August to prevent crime and promote public safety. “While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them and delivering real results. With these new deployments, we’re doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down,” Newsom said in a statement in August, seemingly to deter another National Guard deployment to California. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles this spring during protests rejecting deportations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in line with another Trump mandate.
New Jersey Dems snub endorsing socialist candidate Mamdani as gubernatorial election looms
Zohran Mamdani‘s mayoral race to lead New York City as a self-described democratic socialist has emerged as one of the most high-profile elections of the 2025 off-year cycle. But across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Mamdani’s race has stayed out of the spotlight, as the Garden State’s gubernatorial election takes center stage and Democrats in the state sidestep endorsing or even mentioning the progressive candidate. “I am not getting engaged in that race, because I’m completely focused on New Jersey,” New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor, said earlier in October of Mamdani’s race. “I’m going to let the people of New York decide that race.” The off-year election cycle mainly has focused on four elections: California’s ballot measure to redistrict congressional lines; New York City’s mayoral election; and the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections. DEMOCRAT IN KEY GOVERNOR RACE KEEPS DISTANCE FROM NYC’S MAMDANI Mamdani is a self-described democratic socialist, with critics identifying him more as a “communist” despite the candidate pushing back that he does not hold communist ideologies. Fox News Digital previously has reported that Mamdani has backed radical Marxist and communist principles, such as supporting the seizure of the “means of production,” endorsing a tax plan aimed at “taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers,” and openly calling for a communist mayor of New York City in 2020. The New Jersey gubernatorial election and Democratic lawmakers hailing from the state have overwhelmingly avoided the Mamdani race as other lawmakers and Democratic leaders — from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to New York Attorney General Letitia James to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — have thrown their support behind the candidate. Back in July, Sherrill said she likely would support Mamdani’s nomination as the Democrat’s candidate for mayor before sidestepping months later. “If he’s the Democratic candidate, which it sounds like he is, I assume I will (support him),” she told NBC Philadelphia in July. “If he’s going to be working on efficient government, that’s something very interesting to me.” Mamdani, however, said he would “absolutely” support the New Jersey Democrat during a local interview with New York media in August. New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker also has evaded answering whether he endorses Mamdani in an August CNN interview. “I have learned a long time ago: Let New York politics be New York politics,” Booker said when pressed if he would support Mamdani. “We’ve got enough challenges in Jersey. I got a governor’s race. I’m supporting Mikie Sherrill. I got legislative races. That’s where my energy is going to go going into November.” “New York City, I love you,” Booker added. “You’re my neighbor. You’re about 10 miles from where I live. You guys figure out your elections. I’m going to focus on mine.” NY STATE DEM BOSS REFUSES TO ENDORSE MAMDANI, CAUSING HUGE RIFT IN PARTY Current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim have not publicly weighed in on Mamdani’s race, a Fox News Digital review of recent past remarks found. One of Sherrill’s primary challengers, Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer, however, repeatedly has slammed Mamdani as “a job-killing socialist.” “You will hear no ambiguity out of my mouth,” Gottheimer said in July. “We do not need a job-killing socialist who wants to raise taxes and supports antisemitic rhetoric. Right? In a city with the highest taxes in the country and the largest Jewish population.” Gottheimer also teamed up with a Republican colleague from across the Hudson River, New York Rep. Mike Lawler, to slam Mamdani in September, after the socialist candidate said he would scrap a Holocaust remembrance group’s definition of “antisemitism” if elected mayor. EX-MAYOR DE BLASIO TOUTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI AS NEW YORK CITY’S ANSWER TO TRUMP POLICIES “Zohran Mamdani’s reckless attempt to roll back New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism is shameful, dangerous, and completely disgusting,” the pair of lawmakers said in a joint statement in September. Lesser known New Jersey elected officials have endorsed Mamdani, including left-wing Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Baraka found himself in the crosshairs of the Trump administration’s deportation efforts when he was arrested and charged in May for trespassing at a federal immigration detention center while attempting to hold an oversight tour of the facility. The charge was later dropped, with Baraka later suing interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for false arrest and malicious prosecution. Baraka is listed on Mamdani’s endorsement page, with the Newark mayor posting an endorsement video to his social media accounts in June celebrating that the New York City candidate would be “strong on Democratic values” and defend the Constitution if elected. The New Jersey election is highly anticipated following President Donald Trump’s inroads with voters in the deep blue state in the 2024 election, sparking renewed enthusiasm to flip the state red. New Jersey, as expected, backed former Vice President Kamala Harris as president in the 2024 race, but post-election data showed Trump and the GOP flipped five counties red, with Trump specifically cutting his 2020 loss from 16 points to six in 2024. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill’s campaign and the offices of Murphy, Booker and Kim for additional comment on the lack of support for the socialist candidate in New York City but did not immediately receive replies. Fox News Digital also reached out to Mamdani’s campaign about the lack of high-profile support from New Jersey Democrats.
China accuses US of yearslong cyberattack on national time service
China’s spy agency accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of hacking its national time service, alleging a yearslong cyberespionage campaign that targeted the system keeping official Beijing Time — a backbone for China’s telecommunications, finance and defense sectors. The Ministry of State Security claimed the NSA began the operation in 2022 by exploiting a text-messaging vulnerability to gain control of employee cellphones at the National Time Service Center, then used stolen credentials to access servers and implant covert tools. The alleged breach, if true, could have allowed attackers to tamper with national timekeeping — a move that experts say could disrupt communications, banking and satellite navigation across China. The NSA said in a statement it “does not confirm nor deny allegations in the media regarding its operations. Our core focus is countering foreign malign activities persistently targeting American interests, and we will continue to defend against adversaries wishing to threaten us.” MASSIVE TELECOM BUST IN MAJOR CITY IS ‘WAKE-UP CALL’ AS FOREIGN ADVERSARIES THREATEN US SECURITY: EXPERTS Chinese investigators allege the hackers deployed 42 “specialized cyberattack weapons” to implant sabotage capabilities. The attackers allegedly forged digital certificates, bypassed antivirus software and used strong encryption to erase traces to conceal activity. Tampering with the National Time Service could disrupt financial transactions, communications and satellite timing. China’s national security agency said it countered the operation by cutting off the attack chain and upgrading defenses. The Beijing statement claimed that in recent years, the U.S. has pursued “cyber hegemony,” launching hacking operations against China and across the globe. FIDDLING WHILE ROME BURNS: AMERICA IGNORES CHINA’S RISING RED TIDE But for years, U.S. officials have said the nation needs to take a more offensive approach to cyber espionage, given China’s frequent intrusions into U.S. systems. In a media statement, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said China “is the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector and critical infrastructure networks.” The latest claim fits into years of mutual accusations of state-sponsored cyber activity between the world’s two largest powers. Beijing has frequently accused the U.S. of hacking Chinese systems, while American intelligence and private cybersecurity firms have repeatedly attributed massive data-theft campaigns – from the Microsoft Sharepoint breach to Operation Salt Typhoon – to Chinese state-linked groups. In April, Chinese authorities accused the NSA of launching attacks against networks linked to the Asian Winter Games held in February.
Dem Rep Mikie Sherrill skips 145 House votes as NJ governor’s race heats up
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., has the greatest number of missed votes of any lawmaker in the House of Representatives by a wide margin as she wages a tightening bid to become New Jersey’s next governor. Sherrill has no entry in 145 of the House’s votes since the 119th Congress began on Jan. 3, accounting for 53% of the measures put to the chamber. The second-closest member, Donald Norcross, D-N.J., has missed 83 votes. The record of absences stands out — even when stacked up against other candidates who have pursued statewide office in recent years. When asked about that record, Sean Higgins, communications director for Sherrill’s campaign, said the congresswoman is working to represent the state wherever possible. “Mikie Sherrill is out there every day fighting for New Jersey on critical issues, like the Gateway Tunnel Project, which Trump ‘terminated’ and said ‘is going to be dead,’” Higgins said, referring to the Trump administration’s recent freeze of billions of dollars allocated to infrastructure projects in urban centers across the country. FINAL FACEOFF: DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN NOMINEES IN KEY RACE FOR GOVERNOR BLAST EACH OTHER ON DEBATE STAGE Although Sherrill’s high number of missed votes isn’t unprecedented, it stands out as one of the only examples in recent years when a sitting member of the House has visibly dropped participation in the chamber amid the heightened scrutiny of a competitive bid for statewide office. To Matthew Green, director of graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, it speaks to a surprisingly tight race — in a state that has solidly voted blue in years past. “It certainly suggests that it’s a close enough race that Sherrill has to spend as much time as she can in New Jersey and that can lead to missing votes in Washington. It’s not uncommon to miss votes. But if you do that too much, your opponent can say, ‘Oh, you’re not doing the job you have now, why should the voters trust you with a new job?’” Green said. “But you only campaign once. I could see candidates saying, ‘I can miss a lot of votes, and that’s not going to hurt me when I’m running for office.’” According to polling by Fox News last week, Sherrill leads Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli narrowly by four points, 48%–44%, among registered voters. Her lead has shrunk over the past few months, having boasted a seven-point lead over her opponent just one month before in September. Chris Russell, a strategist for the Ciattarelli campaign, noted that Sherrill’s absences have become more acute as the November election draws near. He pointed out that Sherrill missed 87% of votes in the last three months, having only participated in eight of the 63 votes in that window. “She ran for re-election to Congress in 2024 knowing full well she had no intention of doing her job. And when she did show up, the two most consequential votes she cast were to raise taxes on working people and shut down the government,” Russell said. “That Sherrill missed nearly 90% of the votes she was supposed to cast over the last three months is shameful.” Sherrill joined her Democrat colleagues in voting against a short-term spending package last month and Donald Trump’s signature tax and border security package in July. TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS OF LEAKS AND DIRTY TRICKS AMID IMPROPER MILITARY RECORDS RELEASE In the years since proxy voting was eliminated in 2023 that had been in place to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic, only one member of the House running for a statewide election has missed a comparable number of votes to Sherrill. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who ran for the Senate in 2024, participated in only 52% of the chamber’s votes. But unlike the New Jersey lawmaker, Schiff enjoyed a dominant lead over his opponent; he won his election by a commanding 17.8% margin. On the other side of the coin, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who also ran for Senate that year, won her election by just 0.3% but managed to participate in 99% of the chamber’s deliberations. Aside from Schiff, the six other members pursuing a Senate bid that year had a voting participation record of 80% or higher. Notably, the only other member pursuing a governorship in 2025, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, R-Va., decided not to pursue re-election last year as she launched a bid to become the next governor of Virginia. NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR’S RACE: DEMOCRAT SHERRILL LEADS REPUBLICAN CIATTERELLI BY SIX POINTS IN 2026 BELLWETHER Green, the professor from Catholic University, said there’s no hard and fast rule in American politics when it comes to expectations about resigning office for a campaign. He pointed to candidates who made news for unexpectedly resigning seats to pursue a different post. “We don’t have a norm in this country about people resigning an office to run for another office. In the 1996 presidential election, Robert Dole, who was running against [Bill] Clinton, said, ‘I’m going to leave the Senate while I’m running for president,’ and that got national attention. I wouldn’t have expected Sherrill to do the same thing. But of course that’s a risk.” Despite a gap that’s closed in recent months, Russell, the Ciattarelli strategist, emphasized that Sherrill still leads the race with just three weeks to go until Election Day on Nov. 4. “Jack Ciattarelli doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to his boss in the White House. No wonder Jack continues to trail, even in Fox News’ polling, where he can’t break through the mid-40s, and voters are rejecting him on healthcare, costs, taxes and utilities. Sad!” The early voting period for the governor’s race begins on Oct. 25 and runs through Nov. 2.
With legacy on the line, Obama hitting campaign trail to boost Democrats in key governor elections
With Election Day in New Jersey and Virginia’s very competitive and combustible races for governor just two weeks away, Democrats are bringing in one of their party’s best campaign trail closers. Former President Barack Obama will headline rallies in New Jersey and Virginia — the only two states in the nation to hold gubernatorial contests the year after a presidential election — on Nov. 1, the Saturday before Election Day. For Democrats, who are aiming to escape the political wilderness after last year’s stunning election setbacks when they lost the White House and Senate majority and fell short in winning back the House, the 2025 ballot box showdowns are their first major shot at redemption, and they hope that Obama’s two-state swing will energize their base voters. But for the former president, whose crowning domestic achievement — the Affordable Care Act, which is better known as Obamacare — is front-and-center in the current federal government shutdown and a top issue on the 2025 campaign trail, his return to the campaign trail is also about protecting his legacy. BATTLE FOR GOVERNOR IN THIS CLOSELY WATCHED RACE MAY BE HEADED FOR A PHOTO FINISH “President Obama reminds us what we can accomplish when we leaders are unafraid to take on big challenges to deliver,” New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement. “He led historic efforts to insure millions of Americans and lower healthcare costs.” And taking aim at the GOP nominee in the race, Sherrill argued, “The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Jack Ciattarelli is supporting Trump’s attacks on New Jersey, from terminating the Gateway Tunnel Project to kicking hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans off their healthcare. I am so grateful to have President Obama’s support and endorsement in this race as we harness our momentum to mobilize New Jerseyans to vote.” Sherrill, who appears to be barreling toward an Election Day photo finish with Ciattarelli, announced on Tuesday that Obama will headline a rally with her in Newark on Nov. 1. And former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee in Virginia who’s facing off against Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears, announced that the former president would headline a rally with her that same day, in Norfork. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS “Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year, and I am proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger for Governor. Republican policies are raising costs on working families so billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” Obama said in a statement. Spanberger and Earle-Sears are running to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. State law in Virginia bars incumbent governors from serving a second consecutive four-year term. In New Jersey, polls suggest Ciattarelli is closing the gap with Sherrill in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. FIVE KEY RACES TO WATCH WITH TWO WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY Ciattarelli’s campaign claimed that Obama’s upcoming appearance on the New Jersey campaign trail is a sign of weakness for the Democrats. “National and New Jersey Democrats are in full-blown panic. At this point, we expect them to import anyone they think can excite Democrats because Mikie Sherrill excites no one,” Ciattarelli campaign chief strategist Chris Russell argued in a statement to Fox News Digital. Ciattarelli, who’s making his third straight run for Garden State governor and who nearly upset Murphy four years ago, has good reason to be optimistic he can pull off a victory in blue-leaning New Jersey. In a state where registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans despite a GOP surge in registration this decade, three public opinion polls released last week — from Fox News, Quinnipiac University and Fairleigh Dickinson University — indicated Ciattarelli gaining ground. The Fox News poll conducted Oct. 10–14, put Sherrill at 50% support among likely voters, with Ciattarelli at 45%. Sherrill’s 5-point advantage was down from an 8-point lead in Fox News’ September survey in New Jersey. While Democrats have long dominated federal and state legislative elections in blue-leaning New Jersey, Republicans are very competitive in gubernatorial contests, winning five out of the past 10 elections. THE POLITICAL BOMB TRUMP EXPLODED IN THE NEW JERSEY SHOWDOWN FOR GOVERNOR And President Donald Trump made major gains in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, losing the state by only six percentage points, a major improvement over his 16-point deficit four years earlier. Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that Trump will hold a tele-rally with Ciattarelli ahead of Election Day. Trump, on Monday night, took to social media to tout that “Jack is a man who will bring costs and prices down, rapidly, but in particular, energy costs, because he knows that everything else will follow.” Last week, Ciattarelli was joined at a jam-packed diner stop in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, by Vivek Ramaswamy, the MAGA rock star who is running for governor next year in his home state of Ohio. And this week another well-known Republican politician in MAGA world is headed to New Jersey. Fox News learned that Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a top House ally of the president who has Trump’s backing as he runs next year for Florida governor, will team up with Ciattarelli on Wednesday. The stops by the high-profile surrogates and Trump’s tele-rally may help Ciattarelli energize MAGA supporters, many of whom are low propensity voters who often skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years. It’s the same story for the Democrats. Sherrill had plenty of company on the campaign trail this past weekend from major Democratic Party surrogates, including two of the biggest names in the party — Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Wes Moore of Maryland — who are considered potential 2028 White House contenders. And with Obama, Sherrill and Spanberger are landing the most popular and most well-known Democrat in the nation. According to a Gallup poll conducted in January, Obama had a 59% favorable rating among Americans, higher than any other living former president. And
Defiant Sliwa says ‘I am not dropping out’ of NYC mayor race: ‘Under no circumstance’
Republican New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa rejected calls for him to withdraw from the race on Tuesday. Sliwa was defiant during a morning press conference outside a Manhattan subway station, after many political observers called on him to withdraw from the race in order for Andrew Cuomo to defeat the Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani. “So let’s be very clear. I am not dropping out. Under no circumstance. I’ve already been offered money to drop out, I said no. Distant from that, with threats against Nancy and myself, I now have to have armed security with me, former NYPD officers. Never had that in my life,” Sliwa said Tuesday. One commuter walking by the press conference yelled, “Drop out already!” BILL ACKMAN JUMPS INTO NYC MAYORAL FIGHT, SAYS SLIWA MUST DROP OR ‘WE ARE TOAST’ Sliwa lashed out at Cuomo, arguing the independent candidate was not putting real effort into his campaign. Instead, he said, Cuomo was simply relying on Sliwa to drop out of the race. DAVID MARCUS: IT’S NOT CURTIS SLIWA’S JOB TO SAVE THE DEMOCRAT PARTY FROM ITSELF Several prominent figures have called on Sliwa to withdraw, including billionaire John Castimatidis, who is CEO of WABC Radio and Red Apple Media. Catsimatidis, a Republican who launched his own mayoral campaign in 2013, cited concerns “that Sliwa’s continued candidacy could split the vote and inadvertently help another candidate.” “Catsimatidis said the move is essential to consolidating support behind a ‘viable alternative’ and avoiding what he described as a potentially damaging outcome for the city if the vote remains divided,” a press release from his office said. Sliwa rejected the push at the time, telling Fox News Digital, “The billionaires can conspire to pick their candidate… I trust the people. They will make the decision. I will not drop out.” Sliwa is currently on a leave of absence from WABC Radio, where he has worked for decades, while running for NYC mayor. Mamdani has appeared amused by the situation, however. “I never thought I would say this, but here we are, where the only candidates who agree that billionaires shouldn’t control the future of this city are the Republican nominee and the Democratic nominee,” the democratic socialist said.
US military buildup in Caribbean sees bombers, Marines and warships converge near Venezuela
The United States has significantly increased its military presence across the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of an expanded campaign targeting drug-trafficking and so-called “narco-terrorist” networks operating near Venezuela. In addition to seven strikes on boats believed to be carrying narcotics, the Trump administration has built up thousands of troops in the region. War Secretary Pete Hegseth this month announced the creation of a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force operating near Southern Command, saying it was established “to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe.” The task force will coordinate air, maritime and special-operations missions across the region — marking the largest U.S. military effort in the Caribbean in decades. U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers and Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighters recently conducted a bomber attack demonstration over the region — a show of force captured in War Department imagery. For four hours on Wednesday, B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana patrolled near Venezuela’s coast in a display of military might aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. TRUMP UNLEASHES US MILITARY POWER ON CARTELS. IS A WIDER WAR LOOMING? At least seven U.S. Navy warships and one nuclear submarine are believed to be patrolling the region. The USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is also operating in the Caribbean Sea. Ship spotters photographed the flagship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) off the coast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Friday. The group includes USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), based at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. The 22nd MEU comprises Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Battalion Landing Team 3/6. Three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers — USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), USS Gravely (DDG-107) and USS Stockdale (DDG-106) — are currently deployed in the Caribbean, joined by the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and the littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13), which has been operating near Cuba. Open-source reporting indicates that a U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine has been deployed near Venezuela, although the exact number of nuclear vessels and their precise locations have not been confirmed by the Pentagon. WAR DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES NEW COUNTER-NARCOTICS TASK FORCE UNDER TRUMP DIRECTIVE TO CRUSH CARTELS In Puerto Rico, the U.S. has deployed ten F-35 fighter jets and at least three MQ-9 Reaper drones, transforming the island into a key logistics and surveillance hub for operations in the region. Reuters imagery from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, shows the drones staged for use. Recent photos also show that Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, a major U.S. facility closed in 2004, has been reactivated. Satellite images and on-site photos reveal aircraft and personnel operating from the base, including at least one AC-130J Ghostrider gunship equipped with Hellfire missiles parked at José Aponte de la Torre Airport, which serves the installation. Special-operations aviation has increased as well. In early October, MH-6 “Little Bird” light-attack helicopters — typically used by U.S. Army Special Operations Forces — and MH-60M Black Hawks were spotted training off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, according to images first published by The Washington Post. The Pentagon has not detailed how long the buildup will last, but a New York Times report estimates about 10,000 U.S. troops are currently operating in the theater — the largest American presence in the region in decades. U.S. defense officials have linked the deployments to ongoing counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism missions tied to recent strikes on vessels accused of trafficking drugs from Venezuela. The moves come as tensions escalate following Colombia’s claim that one of the U.S. strikes killed a fisherman, not a trafficker — an accusation the White House has denied. SECRETARY OF WAR HEGSETH LANDS IN PUERTO RICO AS US RAMPS UP CARIBBEAN CARTEL FIGHT WITH NAVAL FORCES Analysts say the combination of heavy bombers, stealth fighters, Marines and Navy surface combatants underscores a shift from law-enforcement interdiction to a broader show of force aimed at deterring state-linked trafficking networks. “This is a posture we haven’t seen in the Caribbean since the early 2000s,” said one defense analyst familiar with U.S. operations in the region. “It’s clearly meant to send a message — not just to traffickers, but to governments accused of enabling them.” Experts generally agree the U.S. buildup does not suggest preparations for all-out war. Mark Cancian, a senior defense adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital that such a campaign would require between 50,000 and 100,000 U.S. troops — far more than the roughly 10,000 currently in theater. “What I think they’ve put in place is the capability to launch strikes at either the cartels or the Maduro regime,” Cancian said. “If I had to bet, it’s probably against the cartels — but I wouldn’t rule out something against the regime.” That limited but flexible posture reflects what some experts describe as a modern form of coercive diplomacy. “It sort of looks like we’re in the throes of a 21st-century version of gunboat diplomacy,” said Brandan Buck, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute. “The Trump administration is doing what it can to force some sort of transition [of] power — out of Maduro’s hands and into someone else’s — without a classic invasion.” Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the current deployment gives Washington strike options without committing to a major ground war. “The force posture currently in the southern Caribbean is consonant with the potential for precision strikes using Tomahawk missiles or other weapons, but without risking the lives of U.S. service personnel,” Berg said.