Trump declares victory in Dem-run city despite ‘extraordinary resistance’ from sanctuary politicians
President Donald Trump declared victory in Chicago after a weeks-long showdown with pro-sanctuary Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson over immigration enforcement operations in the city. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday night, Trump wrote, “I am proud to announce that Chicago, Illinois, despite all of the radical opposition and obstruction we have from the Mayor and the Governor, has seen Car Theft, Shootings, Robberies, Violent Crime, and everything else, drop dramatically.” Trump said that since the launch of the immigration enforcement push, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” by the Department of Homeland Security, “shootings are down 35%, Robberies are down 41%, and Carjackings are down almost 50%.” He noted that these numbers follow “just a small initial Federal Force, not the full ‘surge’” of federal resources. DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN “As we ramp up more assets, these numbers will continue to drop,” he added. All this, Trump said, “has been achieved despite the extraordinary resistance from Chicago and Illinois Radical Democrat ‘Leadership,’ and the constant Violent Leftwing Terrorism against ICE Officers and Federal Agents that Insurrectionist Democrat Officials refuse to stop or prosecute, including constant physical assault and attempted assassination.” Launched on Sept. 8, Operation Midway Blitz has seen federal law enforcement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and others flood the Chicago area, resulting in thousands of illegals being arrested, including violent criminals and gang members. The operation, however, has simultaneously been met with fierce resistance from Pritzker, Johnson and members of the public. There have been several instances of violent confrontations with members of the public attempting to interfere with operations, including people blocking ICE vehicles, ramming federal officials and shooting at Border Patrol agents. TRUMP SAYS CHICAGO MAYOR, ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ‘SHOULD BE IN JAIL FOR FAILING TO PROTECT’ ICE OFFICERS The shooting happened Saturday in the city’s Little Village neighborhood as federal agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations. An illegal immigrant with a criminal history has since been arrested in connection with the shooting. The unidentified suspect, a Mexican citizen, was in a Jeep that drove up near the agents and fired shots before driving away, federal sources told Fox News. At the time of his arrest, he was found with a firearm, sources said. “This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction,” a Department of Homeland Security statement said. “Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement.” Pritzker, meanwhile, has continued to criticize the federal agents conducting the operations. Commenting on a picture of Border Patrol officials posing in front of Chicago’s famous “Bean” sculpture, Pritzker said, “Making fun of our neighborhoods and communities is disgusting.” CHICAGO-AREA MAYOR, CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE BRAGS ABOUT LENGTHS HE’S GONE TO FLUMMOX ICE Pritzker said that U.S. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino “and his masked agents are not here to make Chicago safer” and “as children are tear gassed and U.S. citizens detained, they are posing for photo ops and producing reality TV moments.” Johnson signed a mayoral executive order in October establishing “ICE-free zones” by prohibiting the use of city parking lots and garages for civil immigration enforcement staging areas, processing locations or operations bases. Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker and Johnson for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Far-left firebrand spends eye-popping amount of campaign cash on luxury hotels, ‘top-tier’ limo services
FIRST ON FOX: Federal Election Commission filings show that progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, spent nearly $75,000 on luxury hotels, transportation and security this year in cities across the U.S. Crockett’s filings show luxury hotel and transportation expenses in Martha’s Vineyard, Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, among other major cities despite representing Texas’ 30th Congressional District, which includes Dallas. In total, Crockett’s filings show her campaign spending $25,748.87 since January on high-end hotels and limousine services. The hotel expenses include $4,175.01 at the Ritz-Carlton and $2,304.79 at The Luxury Collection. Other hotel expenses include $5,326.52 to the West Hollywood Edition in Los Angeles, $1,173.92 to the Times Square Edition in New York City, over $2,000 to the Cosmopolitan and Aria resort in Las Vegas and $2,703.14 to the Edgartown Inn and $3,160.93 at The Coco, both in Martha’s Vineyard. JASMINE CROCKETT DOWNPLAYS JAY JONES’ MURDEROUS TEXTS AS A ‘DISTRACTION’ Additionally, Crockett’s campaign paid Chicago-based limousine service Transportation 4 U $2,728.00 for travel, as well as $2,310.30 to DCA Car LLC, a premium car and limousine service, and $1,254.00 to Bay Area Limousine. In its client gallery on Yelp, Transportation 4 U, which says it specializes in providing “top-tier limousine experiences tailored to your needs,” posted a picture of Crockett with the caption: “We were honored to provide transportation services for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett during her visit to Chicago.” Crockett is pictured smiling and dressed casually in a red sweater. In that same time frame, Crockett’s campaign also spent nearly $50,000 on security expenses despite repeatedly calling for defunding the police. In 2021, while Crockett was serving in the Texas House of Representatives, she said, “The Defund movement seeks to actually bring about healing and finally invest in our communities to make them safer, addressing the root causes of crime and by allowing the professionals to do their respective jobs. Defund is about finally being smart on crime. Defund is about lightening the load for our offices of all things they didn’t sign up for. Defund is about finally being fiscally responsible when it comes to policing in this state.” Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett for comment on the expenses but did not receive a response by the time of publication. TEXAS REP JASMINE CROCKETT WEIGHS SENATE BID AFTER REDISTRICTING THREATENS HOUSE SEAT Crockett, one of the most recognizable and outspoken members of the Democratic Party, has said she is “seriously weighing” a possible run for the U.S. Senate against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Speaking with Politico in October, Crockett said, “I am seriously weighing it to the extent that I’m about to spend a lot of money to get data.” Crockett said she has already had conversations with a possible campaign leader and that her decision on whether to run will depend on what the data is and who the Republican nominee will be. Currently, Cornyn, who is running to serve a fifth term, is in a bitter primary battle against Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Houston-area Rep. Wesley Hunt. Crockett has been embroiled in several controversies this year, perhaps most notably her attacking Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels.” ‘VERY TALENTED’: HARRIS REVEALS JASMINE CROCKETT WAS PART OF ‘SECRET PROJECT’ OF LAWMAKERS SHE WAS MENTORING “Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there – come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey,” Crockett said. Crockett later said her statements were misinterpreted and that she was not mocking Abbott’s disability. She said in a statement posted on X, “I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable.” This statement surfaced as Crockett was already facing heavy criticism for other recent statements calling for Elon Musk to be “taken down” and for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to be “knocked over the head, like hard.” In addition to that comment, Crockett recently came to the defense of Jay Jones, the Democratic Virginia Attorney General-elect who ignited a firestorm after his texts that privately fantasized about murdering a Republican lawmaker surfaced. “And I was very excited to see that he was able to pull off the win. Not that I know him – I’ve never met him, I’ve never talked to him – but because it seems like people did not get caught up in the distractions,” Crockett told host Roland Martin. “Listen, there were still Democrats that were talking about it,” she continued. “And my deal was, say what you got to say, denounce what he did, but in this moment, do you trust this Republican attorney general to stand up when it is the state legislature that decides that they need to fight fire with fire and give us more seats out of Virginia to go to the U.S. House because they’re trying to balance out this power struggle that Trump is on?”
SCOTUS extends stay on SNAP benefits for now, impacting millions
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to extend its temporary stay of a lower court order that the Trump administration immediately pay the full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November, delivering a near-term win to the administration, just hours after it appealed the matter to the high court for emergency intervention. Trump officials had urged the Supreme Court in a supplemental brief Monday afternoon to keep in place an emergency stay handed down by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson last week. The new action keeps the stay in place through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer had asked the Supreme Court Monday to grant an emergency stay ordering them to resume full SNAP payments before the end of the government shutdown in Congress. At issue was whether the Trump administration must resume full SNAP benefit payments for the month of November, after they lapsed at the start of the month during the government shutdown. States sued last month to keep the benefits in place, arguing that suspending the aid would disproportionately harm some tens of millions of vulnerable and low-income Americans in their states. “Because of USDA’s actions, SNAP benefits will be delayed for the first time since the program’s inception,” they said. TRUMP, STATES BACK IN COURT OVER SNAP AS BENEFITS REMAIN IN LEGAL LIMBO Lower courts had sided with the states in ordering the SNAP benefits to be paid in full, prompting the Trump administration to appeal the issue to the Supreme Court for emergency intervention. In appealing the case, Trump’s legal team had argued that the lower court judges overstepped their powers, and urged the Supreme Court to keep in place an emergency stay handed down late last week by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. They cited the progress Congress has made toward resolving the ongoing shutdown, and added that, in their view, “the answer to this crisis is not for federal courts to reallocate resources without lawful authority.” “The only way to end this crisis — which the Executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government,” they added. DOJ ACCUSES FEDERAL JUDGE OF MAKING ‘MOCKERY OF THE SEPARATION OF POWERS’ IN SNAP APPEAL States, for their part, accused the Trump administration of playing politics with SNAP benefits, or the food aid that provides benefits to roughly one in eight Americans. “Any further stay would prolong that irreparable harm and add to the chaos the government has unleashed, with lasting impacts on the administration of SNAP,” they told the Supreme Court in a filing of their own Tuesday morning. “The government has offered no defensible justification for that result,” they added. “The administrative stay should be terminated, and no further stay should be granted.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a directive Saturday ordering that states “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits,” in compliance with the court order just 24 hours earlier, and to instead allocate only the partial 65% SNAP payments for the month that the administration had agreed to. Trump officials said that states that failed to comply would face steep economic penalties, prompting emergency intervention from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who agreed on Monday afternoon to pause the USDA guidance, citing confusion over the guidance. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin described the actions to reporters Monday as the “most heinous thing” he had seen while in office. “There are more children in New Jersey on SNAP than consists of the entire population of our state’s largest city,” he said in a press conference Monday, in an effort to contextualize the number of people in the Garden State alone who receive SNAP benefits. This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.
Ilhan Omar fires back after Trump’s Constitution dig: ‘Unlike you, I can read’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., struck back at President Donald Trump after he took a swipe at her understanding of the Constitution. While the two have gone head-to-head for years dating back to Trump’s first term, they have reignited their longstanding quarrel in recent weeks as Trump has suggested she should return to Somalia, where she was born. Omar’s comment comes a day after the White House shared an image on X of Trump waving goodbye through a McDonald’s drive-thru window in 2024, replying to a video of Omar saying she wasn’t uneasy about being deported. On Tuesday, Omar took a jab at Trump in response to a video where he questioned her Constitutional knowledge. “Unlike you, I can read and that’s why I know what the constitution says,” Omar said in a post on X. OMAR CELEBRATES CENSURE VOTE FAILURE, ALLEGES ‘EMERGENCY’ NEED TO GET MACE ‘HELP’ BEFORE SHE HARMS SOMEONE Although Trump did not mention Omar by name, Trump took a shot at Omar as he criticized other Democrats like Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas in a Monday interview with Fox News. “I look at somebody who comes from Somalia where they don’t have anything, they don’t have police, they don’t have military, they don’t have anything. All they have is crime,” Trump said in the clip. “And she comes in and tells us how to run our country. ‘The Constitution says this, the Constitution says that.’ The whole thing is crazy.” ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER, NANCY MACE CLASH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘YOU BELONG IN REHAB’ “I have no worry, I don’t know how they’d take away my citizenship and like deport me,” Omar said in the clip the White House responded to, which originally was made on “The Dean Obeidallah Show” in October. “But I don’t even know like why that’s such a scary threat. Like I’m not the 8-year-old who escaped war anymore. I’m grown, my kids are grown. Like I could go live wherever I want.” Trump has repeatedly indicated that Omar should return to Somalia, but told reporters in September that Somalia didn’t want her back. “You know, I met the head of Somalia, did you know that?” Trump said. “And I suggested that maybe he’d like to take her back. He said, ‘I don’t want her.’” ILHAN OMAR REFUSES TO CREDIT TRUMP FOR GAZA CEASEFIRE However, Omar said that the story was not true. “From denying Somalia had a president to making up a story, President Trump is a lying buffoon,” Omar said. “No one should take this embarrassing fool seriously.” Omar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. When asked for comment about Omar’s statement, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital: “President Trump is right.” Omar’s family fled Somalia for a refugee camp in Kenya during the Somalian Civil War in 1991. The U.S. granted her family asylum, and they lived in Arlington, Virginia, starting in 1995. The congresswoman obtained citizenship in the United States in the year 2000. She was elected to Minnesota’s House of Representatives in 2016 and then in 2018 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first Somali–American woman and one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump honors veterans at Arlington National Ceremony
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… -Marine-turned-psychologist’s brain breakthrough is helping veterans still fighting inside -NYC lawmaker dares Mamdani to make good on ‘pipe dream’ pledge by inviting Netanyahu -Senate reaches temporary truce to end record shutdown, but January battle looms President Donald Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day and honor the nation’s fallen service members. He was joined by Vice President JD Vance and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. “This morning on these hallowed grounds where generations of American heroes rest in eternal glory, we gather to fulfill the sacred duty of every free man and woman. On Veterans Day, we honor those who have worn the uniform, who have borne the battle, who have stood to watch, and whose ranks have formed the mighty wall of flesh and blood, bravery and devotion that has defended our freedom for 250 years,” Trump said at the Memorial Amphitheater…READ MORE. VETS CLEAN HOUSE: DHS salutes veterans turned ICE agents after major arrests across the country HOUSE OF CARDS: Trump’s 50-year mortgage may burden Americans with more debt, experts say TRUMP WAS RIGHT: Russia’s gas gamble backfires as Trump’s energy vision reshapes Europe SPIES IN CLASS: Trump doubles down on 600,000 visas for Chinese students DEMS DIVIDED: Democrat lawmaker blasts Senate colleagues for caving in shutdown deal FAMILY FEUD: Family rift: Top Democrat’s own daughter publicly opposes her on shutdown deal GEARING UP: Call to duty: In battle for House, Republicans and Democrats looking to veterans CHUCK’S LAST STAND: Democrats, left empty-handed in shutdown, turn fury on Schumer INCREASED COSTS: ‘Woke lawfare’ exposed: Lawyer admits massive climate suit is attempt at backdoor carbon tax PUMP THE BRAKES: NY governor pours cold water on Mamdani free bus plan ‘FULL FORCE’ OF LAW: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Latino voter group Jolt for allegedly registering illegal immigrants DRAWING THE LINE: Red state judge chooses new congressional map in fight that could reshape House control POLITICAL FIGHT: From combat boots to the campaign trail: Army veteran marches into Michigan congressional race PRICED OUT!: Top 3 reasons housing has become so unaffordable in the US and it’s not what you think Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Newsom claims Trump is ‘handing the future to China’ at Brazilian climate confab that WH skipped
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was the most prominent American official to attend the COP30 global climate conference in Belém, Brazil, this week — using the platform to criticize the absent Trump administration. The White House mocked the trip, noting California’s continued rank among the highest in U.S. energy costs. Newsom’s office put out a summary of his visit to the conference, saying it shows California is “leading by example” and proving that “climate action and economic growth go hand in hand.” “As Donald Trump abandons American climate leadership, California continues and accelerates its climate action, urging global investors to embrace the technologies and infrastructure driving the clean energy future,” his office said in the release. NEWSOM SET TO RALLY TEXAS DEMS WITH VICTORY LAP DAYS AFTER PROP 50 PASSES: ‘CALIFORNIA STEPPED UP’ On Tuesday, Newsom was scheduled to deliver remarks in his role as co-chair of America Is All In, which describes itself as a broad coalition of non-federal actors in the U.S. committed to ambitious climate action. Later, he was scheduled to attend a state-governor’s coalition called U.S. Climate Alliance, and then travel into the Amazon rainforest to meet with “community stewards.” “While Donald Trump is handing the future to China, California is proving that climate action, business growth, supporting workers, and good-paying jobs go hand in hand,” Newsom said. “We’re not turning backwards to the failed policies of the past — California is fighting for a clean-energy future, even as President Trump bends the knee to his Gulf-State patrons and takes a nap as the world burns.” NEWSOM SAYS TRUMP HAS ‘RELENTLESS, UNHINGED’ OBSESSION WITH CALIFORNIA DURING STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS Newsom made the case during remarks at the coinciding Milken Institute Global Investors Symposium in Sao Paulo that California has proved it can balance climate and environmental stewardship with economic growth. “We’re running the fourth-largest economy in the world [on] 67%; two-thirds clean energy,” he said. Newsom claimed that nine out of 10 days this year, California operated on 100% non-fossil-fuel energy for at least part of the day: TRUMP OFFICIALS URGED TO BOYCOTT UN CLIMATE SUMMIT AS TRUMP SEETHES CLIMATE CHANGE IS A ‘CON JOB’ “I don’t know if there’s another jurisdiction in the world that can lay claim to that.” “We are proving the paradigm: The genius of ‘and,’ not the tyranny of ‘or’,” he said in remarks to Milken CEO Rich Ditizio. Meanwhile, back in Washington, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers cited California’s consumer energy costs, and claimed that Newsom would not be attending such a summit if he was sincere about the issue as thousands of acres reportedly had to be cleared for a “special purpose highway” into the rainforest. NEWSOM WARNS AMERICANS ‘YOU WILL LOSE YOUR COUNTRY’ UNDER TRUMP AT CALIFORNIA SUMMIT Belem officials denied the highway, Avenida Liberdade, was built expressly for the summit, according to reports. “Governor Newscum (sic) flew all the way to Brazil to tout the Green New Scam, while the people of California are paying some of the highest energy prices in the country: Embarrassing,” Rogers said. “It’s time for Newscum and other countries to drop the climate façade. President Trump will not allow the best interest of the American people to be jeopardized by the Green Energy Scam. These Green Dreams are killing other countries, but will not kill ours thanks to President Trump’s commonsense energy agenda,” she added. NEWSOM UNVEILING CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING EFFORT TO COUNTER TRUMP-BACKED PUSH IN TEXAS At the conference, former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee claimed to the COP30 conference that the U.S. has not pulled out of the Paris climate accords. “One part of the United States has, and that’s the federal government,” he told Germany’s Deutsche Welle. At a business conference in Greece this week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright commented on the Trump administration’s absence, calling the confab “essentially a hoax.” “It’s not an honest organization looking to better human lives,” Wright said, adding that he may drop in on the 2026 conference to deliver some “common sense.”
Trump lays wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day
President Donald Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day and honor the nation’s fallen service members. He was joined by Vice President JD Vance and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. The president is scheduled to deliver remarks. This is a developing news story; check back for updates.
Democrats, left empty-handed in shutdown, turn fury on Schumer
Frustration is boiling over among Democratic ranks against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after walking away from the longest government shutdown on record largely empty-handed. Some argue that Schumer squandered key leverage and failed to steer his caucus through the chaos to victory. “I think that people did what they could to get us out of the shutdown, but what has worked in the past isn’t working now,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “And so, we need to meet the moment, and we’re not doing that.” Slotkin, like others in the Senate Democratic caucus, “wanted something deliverable on the price of healthcare.” The core of their shutdown strategy was to force Republicans and President Donald Trump to make a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, but that didn’t happen. SENATE VOTE TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IGNITES DEMOCRAT CIVIL WAR Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., argued that getting rid of Schumer would be difficult. “Chuck Schumer is part of the establishment,” Sanders told MSNBC. “You can argue, and I can make the case, that Chuck Schumer has done a lot of bad things, but getting rid of him — who’s going to replace him?” Other Democrats weren’t so resigned. Graham Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate running to replace Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, placed the collapse of Senate Democrats’ unified front squarely on leadership. “The Democratic Party at the leadership level has become entirely feckless,” Platner said in a video posted by Our Revolution, a political action organization started as an offshoot of Sanders’ presidential campaign. “What happened last night is a failure of leadership in the most clear terms,” he said after the Senate passed the bipartisan deal Monday, sending it to the House. “Sen. Schumer is the minority leader. It is his job to make sure his caucus is voting along the lines of what’s going to be good for the people of the United States. He could not maintain that.” Schumer and congressional Democrats walked away from the shutdown stalemate in the Senate largely empty-handed, save for some victories on ensuring furloughed federal workers would receive back pay, the reversals of firings made by the Trump administration during the shutdown and future protections for workers. Still, they fell far short of their goal to extend the expiring subsidies, which are set to sunset at the end of this year. Those subsidies, initially passed as an emergency response to COVID-19 in 2021, were always supposed to be temporary. But Democrats fear that their sudden expiration could leave millions of policyholders with substantially higher premiums overnight if allowed to expire. But as mounting pressure grew — and no sign of Republicans wavering on the subsidies — eight Democrats voted to put the government on the path to reopening. To some onlookers, Schumer had held the party line for as long as possible. SENATE DEMOCRATS EYE EXIT FROM RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN AS PRESSURE INTENSIFIES Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., one of the eight Democrats who voted with Republicans to reopen the government, said she respected Schumer’s leadership. “He’s done a good job,” Masto said. “He kept us in the loop and was open to our conversations.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., argued that the problem wasn’t Schumer, it was his colleagues. “Sen. Schumer didn’t want this to be the outcome, and I pressed hard for it not to end like this,” Murphy said. “He didn’t succeed, let’s not sugarcoat that. But the problem is, the problem exists, inside the caucus. The caucus has to solve it.” Republicans, however, spent much of the shutdown arguing that Schumer had waged the shutdown to appease his base — a base that had wanted to see some sort of resistance to Trump. “This is how it always would end,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on Monday evening. “Chuck Schumer has a political problem. He’s afraid of being primaried from the left. And so, the Democrats inflicted this shutdown on the American people in order to prove to their radical left-wing base that they hate Donald Trump.” “I think a lot of Americans have suffered as a result of this political stunt,” Cruz added. SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON On the other hand, many Democrats made it clear they believed Schumer had failed to effectively mount resistance to Trump’s agenda on healthcare. CNN data analyst Harry Enten compiled polls dating back to 1985 comparing the popularity of Democratic leaders among Democratic voters. Schumer, he found, was the least popular of them all. “Chuck Schumer — his days are over. If he cannot keep his caucus together, he needs to go,” Sunny Hostin, a co-host of “The View,” told audiences on Monday. “Chuck Schumer has not met this moment, and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership,” Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom summed up his thoughts in a one-word post to X. “Pathetic,” Newsom said.
Red state judge chooses new congressional map in fight that could reshape House control
In a blow to Republicans, a Utah district judge rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans currently control all four of the red state’s congressional districts, but Utah District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled late Monday that a map drawn up by GOP lawmakers “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.” Utah is the latest battlefield in the high-stakes redistricting showdown between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats to shape the midterm landscape in the fight for the House majority. The faceoff over redistricting in Utah, a state Trump carried by nearly 22 percentage points in last year’s presidential election, was triggered by a lawsuit by the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, which prompted Gibson to throw out the state’s current congressional map. NEWSOM TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER LANDSLIDE REDISTRICTING VICTORY IN CALIFORNIA Gibson’s move required state lawmakers to draw a new map, which the legislature approved last month. The judge had ordered lawmakers to draw a map in compliance with a 2018 ballot measure approved by Utah voters that reformed redistricting standards, in order to prevent the drawing of districts to favor a political party, which is a practice known as gerrymandering. Gibson rejected the Republican lawmakers’ map and instead ruled in favor of one of two presented by the plaintiffs. It keeps nearly all of heavily populated Salt Lake County in one congressional district. The current congressional map divides the Democratic-dominated county among all four of the state’s districts. The judge had said she would rule by Monday, which was the day Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said any new congressional map must be in place to be used in next year’s elections. Democrats have not controlled a congressional seat in Utah since the current map went into effect at the beginning of the decade. “The DNC applauds the decision to choose a fair, impartial map that reflects the diversity and ideological makeup of the state. Utah Republicans gerrymandered the maps because they knew they were losing power in the state. Republicans doubled down when they chose to submit another gerrymandered map, but today, they were once again thwarted by impartial Courts,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin argued in a statement. And Martin vowed that “Democrats will continue to fight for fair maps in Utah, regardless of what Donald Trump and Utah Republicans try next.” TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND Republicans, who have argued that Gibson does not have legal authority to enact a map not approved by the legislature, criticized the ruling. “Judge Gibson has once again exceeded the constitutional authority granted to Utah’s judiciary. After stretching the law to justify taking control of redistricting, she has now rejected Map C — the only option that respected the Legislature’s constitutional role — and imposed a map of activists who are not accountable to Utahns,” Utah Republican Party chair Robert Axson argued. And Axson charged, “This is not interpretation. It is the arrogance of a judge playing King from the bench.” The ruling in Utah comes six days after California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative which will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature. That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which would counter the passage earlier this year in the reliable red state of Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats. “California stepped up. Now, we are taking this fight across the country — helping Democrats in other states push back against Trump’s election rigging,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement to Fox News Digital last week, as he pointed to the push by Trump and Republicans for rare mid-decade redistricting. It’s part of a broad effort by Trump’s political team and the GOP to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, where Democrats control the legislature, are moving towards redistricting or are seriously considering, as are the red states of Indiana, Kansas, and Florida.
From combat boots to the campaign trail: Army veteran marches into Michigan congressional race
On the heels of a nine-month deployment to Iraq, Army Veteran Captain Michael Bouchard told Fox News Digital that he is ready to take the fight to Washington, D.C. Last week, Bouchard announced his campaign to represent Michigan’s 10th Congressional District in the race to replace Rep. John James, R-Mich., who is retiring from Congress to run for governor next year. Ahead of Veterans Day, the Army veteran, paratrooper and Bronze Star recipient shared his vision for Michigan with Fox News Digital. “This race, it’s gonna be tough,” Bouchard said. “I’m ready for that fight. I just got back from fighting a war abroad, and I didn’t take a vacation. I’m here. I’m ready to go right now for the people of this district and for everyone who loves this country.” Throughout his military career, Bouchard said he felt the impact and ramifications of the decisions made in the nation’s capital. SCOOP: COMBAT VETERAN LAUNCHES CONGRESSIONAL RUN IN BID TO FLIP LONGTIME DEMOCRAT-HELD SEAT RED “I spent about nine years in the Army, most of it was active duty,” Bouchard said. “I was an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division, and I did intel for the 82nd. And then after that, I got out and joined the National Guard. And as soon as I got back, they asked me to go to Iraq, so I spent the last nine months in Iraq. I got back from Iraq two weeks ago, and we’re hitting the ground running.” FIRST ON FOX: RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL WHO PILOTED LAST FLIGHT OUT OF AFGHANISTAN REVEALS NEW MISSION After former President Joe Biden completed the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, when 13 U.S. service members were killed in the Kabul airport bombing, Bouchard said he expected Russia, China and North Korea to become “more aggressive in their spheres of influence.” About six months later, Russia invaded Ukraine. “Peace through strength isn’t just a slogan to me,” Bouchard told Fox News Digital. “I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. I’ve led soldiers on the frontline that serve under what those decisions mean.” Bouchard said his military background has been central to his decision to run for Congress. The Michigander said he has witnessed first-hand what happens when leaders step up and “stand for this country,” as well as what happens when they don’t. “I’ve led soldiers at the ground level. I’ve led negotiations at the strategic level. And I’ve made life and death decisions to hunt down our enemies abroad. And then the other part is, I have served at our border here. So I’ve faced down terrorists abroad, and I’ve defended our country here,” Bouchard said. Speaking to Fox News Digital ahead of Veterans Day, Bouchard said he is committed to supporting military families, expanding career resources and improving healthcare efficiency at the Department of Veterans Affairs. “When someone’s in the military, their whole family serves,” Bouchard said before adding, as someone who just returned from serving in Iraq, “I can tell you those systems are really hard to go through, that they’re not efficient and available to everyone who gets out, so that needs to be reformed a little bit, and I want to help pass some policy that addresses that.” Bouchard is a third-generation Michigander and the son of Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. His grandfather served in the Army during World War II before working for General Motors for 33 years. “I love this state. I grew up here. I was born here. I live in this district, and this is home to me,” Bouchard said. Bouchard described the residents of Michigan’s 10th Congressional District as the “salt of the earth,” explaining that Michiganders ultimately want to work hard, raise a family, send their kids to good schools and live their lives without politics coming into play. “I want to rebuild this economy to, not just win future wars, but to prevent them. I think if we truly stand up this economy to what it can be, we won’t have the future war that everyone keeps talking about because we have built the best equipment in this district,” he said. Given his background, Bouchard said security is his number one priority, but housing affordability is also top of mind. “Right now, housing costs are through the roof,” he said. “The interest rates are too high, and people can’t afford to buy the home that they want. There are a lot of things that we can do at the federal level to reduce that regulation, cut red tape and make it easier for people who are starting families to buy a house, move into the house that they want and own that home.” Bouchard emphasized that maintaining Republican control of the House runs through Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. “This race has national ramifications,” he said. “If we lose this seat and a couple others, we will lose the House. If that happens, I’m worried that the Democrats are gonna impeach the president for the next two years, so I want to stand with him and prevent that from happening.”