Mamdani forced to address unearthed video exposing vile NYPD comparison
A controversial comparison between law enforcement and the Israeli military (IDF) is landing New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in hot water after the unearthed clip from a 2023 socialist conference went viral on social media. “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF,” Mamdani, who was a keynote speaker, said while speaking on a panel during the Democratic Socialists of America’s 2023 national convention. The comments add fuel for critics who have criticized Mamdani’s past statements and opinions about law enforcement. Mamdani was compelled to go on Fox News and apologize amid backlash over past comments in which he said the NYPD should be defunded and is “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety.” “Sorry, I just wanted to – before we get to the next questions – I just wanted to address a couple of the questions,” Mamdani said during the 2023 DSA conference panel as he teed up his analogy about the NYPD and IDF. “In the first question there was this setting up of a context where this idea of hyper-local and international – and I think that for anyone to care about these issues we have to make them hyper-local, we have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck it’s been laced by the IDF.” MAMDANI PRESSED ON PAST RHETORIC ABOUT DEFUNDING THE POLICE Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment on this story, but did not receive a response. However, he did address the matter during a press gaggle in Hell’s Kitchen Tuesday night. “You know, I’ve said time and again that with public safety, I’m looking forward to working with police officers here in New York City to deliver it,” Mamdani said during a Tuesday event in Hell’s Kitchen after video of his remarks began circulating. “I’m looking forward to ensuring that we actually tackle the retention crisis at hand, where we now have about 350 officers leaving the department every month. And that is something we will bring to an end by ensuring that police officers are only asked to do the work of a police department, not the work of social services, as they have.” Meanwhile, Mamdani was also asked about his opinion on keeping the NYPD’s liaison office open in Israel, to which Mamdani responded that his “focus” was on the NYPD in New York, not overseas. MAMDANI IS ‘DRAWING FOR STRAWS THE BEST WAY HE CAN,’ EX-NYPD LIEUTENANT SAYS Social media erupted after the clip was posted on X with several prominent accounts on both sides of the aisle slamming Mamdani. “This guy is truly awful,” Outkick.com founder Clay Travis posted on X. “People are rightly pointing out that this is textbook antisemitism (all your problems are caused by Jews!), but my question is, when Mamdani issued his blanket apology to the NYPD, did that apology extend to the people who laced their boots?! Inquiring minds want to know!” NewsNation Host Batya Ungar-Sargon posted on X. “There is a word for this kind of twisted fear mongering and conspiratorial thinking: antisemitism,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt posted on X. “Sick. Zohran Mamdani smeared Israel and the NYPD in one breath, claiming the ‘boot on your neck is laced by the IDF,” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., posted on X. “This is antisemitic, divisive, & dangerous.” In addition to Mamdani’s past remarks about law enforcement, his proposed plans on how to approach policing if elected mayor have also raised concern for some. For example, Mamdani has been criticized for proposing that social workers and other non-police professionals like “transit ambassadors” should handle certain 911 calls, which Mamdani has said would serve to ease NYPD workloads and improve officer retention. The proposal is something Mamdani has championed as far back as 2020. Meanwhile, during a mayoral debate earlier this month, Mamdani added that he wants to reorganize the NYPD and “trust” 911 dispatchers to “make the determination on whether there was any indication of violence” and that law enforcement is necessary to respond. Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor of criminal justice at Penn State Lehigh Valley, called Mamdani’s plan “the worst idea” he’s heard in a while. “I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about and neither does he,” Giacalone said. “My question is, what happens when the dispatcher is wrong and someone dies? Is it an oops? The liability the city would be taking on with this idea will be off the charts.” Former New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, called Mamdani “divisive across the board” and slammed his opponent in the New York City mayoral race for “call[ing] the NYPD racist.” “You can’t be a divisive leader in this city. You have to be united,” Cuomo added at a campaign event. “Because all day long in this city people are bumping into each other and one of the main responsibilities you learn inherently as a governor, a mayor or an executive, is that you have to constantly be working to keep people together because they will separate and fight naturally. You’re the force that’s pulling them together.”
Transgender rabbi booted from Biden WH headlines pro-Mamdani ad ahead of Election Day
A group of social justice rabbis, including a transgender rabbi who reportedly mingled with Iran’s president and was kicked out of the Biden White House for hijacking the event to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, headlined an ad to get Jews for Zohran to go out and vote in the waning days before the New York City mayoral election. Rabbi Abby Stein, who is transgender, was one of the four rabbis featured in the Jews for Zohran advertisement shared on social media by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), which has been accused by the leader of the Anti-Defamation League oc being “out of touch.” The other rabbis who spoke in the advertisement included Emily Cohen, Miriam Grossman and Rachel Goldenberg. “As Jews, as rabbis, as New Yorkers, we believe that all people deserve to thrive. Zohran agrees,” they say in the ad. NYC RABBI WARNS ZOHRAN MAMDANI ‘POSES A DANGER’ TO JEWISH COMMUNITY’S SAFETY Stein co-authored an article in Autostraddle after a 2024 Pride Month event at the White House under former President Joe Biden in which she and another protester, a former White House staffer, described the incident where she hijacked Jill Biden’s speech to yell about a ceasefire in Gaza. The pair were ultimately escorted out of the event. Stein has also been criticized for her affiliation with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian during the United Nations General Assembly in October 2024. Stein reportedly participated in the event, which aired on Iranian state television, alongside several Iranian officials, such as Pezeshkian, just days before Tehran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel amid the country’s offensive in Gaza. Other attendees of the event reportedly included members of the ultra-orthodox Haredi group Neturei Karta, which has members who oppose the existence of an Israeli state. REP. ELISE STEFANIK LABELS NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI A ‘JIHADIST’ The other rabbis in Mamdani’s advertisement include Cohen, whose official biography on Manhattan’s West End Synagogue’s website states her professional experience “ranges from baking challah with preschoolers to herding teenagers on wilderness treks to developing curricula for adult education classes on Judaism and social justice.” Cohen has similarly written about her social justice efforts online, including during the 2020 George Floyd riots when she chronicled how she stood between protesters and police during a protest in hopes the officers’ “racism and sexism” would prevent them from going after anyone. Grossman, another left-wing social justice activist, has said in sermons that Jewish “texts and traditions permit abortion and sometimes even require it” and that “pregnant people aren’t necessarily all women.” Meanwhile, in a blog post about the Dakota access pipeline, Grossman complains that Native communities have “suffered (and persisted” under centuries of “environmental racism.” Queens-area Rabbi Goldenberg, the fourth rabbi featured in the Mamdani ad, can also be found online in videos of her New York City-based activism or blog posts. In one online editorial, Grossman discusses how the Jewish community should be more open to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which many pro-Israel critics have accused of being antisemitic. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Goldenberg is the founder of Malkhut, which says it is aimed at building a “progressive Jewish spiritual community” that practices “ecstatic, musical, and contemplative prayer, mindfulness meditation through a Jewish lens, study of Jewish sources, and social justice work.”
Senate Republicans defy Vance’s warning, vote to block Trump’s Brazil tariffs amid shutdown
Senate Republicans offered a rare rebuke against President Donald Trump and his trade strategy on Tuesday, despite still remaining largely in lockstep amid the ongoing government shutdown. A handful of Senate Republicans joined Senate Democrats to end Trump’s use of emergency powers to implement steep, 50% tariffs on Brazil. While the resolution, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., advanced from the upper chamber, it can’t be taken up in the House until early next year. That’s because House Republicans recently passed a rule that would not allow the chamber to consider legislation dealing with Trump’s tariffs until January of next year. TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT FOR URGENT RULING ON TARIFF POWERS AS ‘STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER’ Five Senate Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, joined all Senate Democrats to advance the resolution with a 52-48 vote. Their defection from their GOP colleagues comes after Vice President JD Vance warned lawmakers not to vote against Trump’s usage of tariffs during Senate Republicans’ closed-door lunch earlier on Tuesday. Vance argued after the lunch that tariffs give Trump leverage to craft new trade deals that benefit the country and urged Republicans not to break ranks against the president. “To vote against that is to strip that incredible leverage from the president of the United States. I think it’s a huge mistake and I know most of the people in there agree with me,” he said. Trump initially used emergency powers to enact stiffer tariffs on Brazil in July and argued “that the scope and gravity of the recent policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Brazil constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the U.S. SCHUMER AGAIN BLOCKS GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS GO UNPAID It’s not the first time the Senate has disapproved of Trump’s tariffs. Earlier this year, Republicans joined Democrats to rebuke Trump’s emergency declaration for 25% tariffs against Canada, and they tried and failed to reject his use of global tariffs. Kaine also has plans to bring two more resolutions, one to block tariffs on Canadian goods and the other on Trump’s global tariffs, later this week. “It makes no sense to impose tariffs on Brazil, and it’s just being done to back up the president’s friend,” Kaine told reporters ahead of the vote. DEMOCRATS EYE KEY OBAMACARE DEADLINE AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENTERS 4TH WEEK Kaine was referring to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who at the time of Trump’s declaration, was being prosecuted for an attempted coup after an election loss in 2022. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September. Paul argued that “emergencies are like war, famine, tornado, not liking someone’s tariffs is not an emergency.” “Tariffs are an import tax, they are a tax, not a tax on China,” Paul said. “It’s a tax on the people who buy stuff from China, which are mostly Americans. Taxes are supposed to originate in the House, so I will continue to vote to end the emergency.” When asked why more Senate Republicans hadn’t joined him on his tariff position, Paul said, “Fear.”
Johnson, pressed on Trump 2028, points to Constitution: ‘No path’ to third term presidency
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday poured cold water on speculation that President Donald Trump could attempt a third term in 2028, citing the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment and saying he sees “no path” to changing it. “There is the 22nd Amendment,” Johnson told reporters at the Capitol, adding that while Trump enjoys teasing Democrats with “Trump 2028” hats and slogans, the Constitution is clear. “I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about ten years,” Johnson said. “You’d need two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify [it]. I don’t see the path for that.” Johnson said he had spoken with Trump about an hour before the news conference, calling the president’s “2028” talk “trolling” aimed at opponents. “It’s one of the most popular hats ever produced, and it drives the Democrats crazy,” he said. JOHNSON SENDS CRITICAL SIGNAL TO SCHUMER AS DEMS DIG IN ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS The speaker’s comments follow Trump’s own remarks earlier this week appearing to rule out a constitutional workaround. Asked Monday aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo whether he might attempt a return as vice president in 2028, Trump laughed. “I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute,” Trump said. “Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute.” TRUMP ANSWERS QUESTION ON WHETHER HE’LL TRY TO RUN AGAIN His dismissal echoed Johnson’s view that the 22nd Amendment remains an immovable barrier. Ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office, the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two elected terms. Amending it would require two-thirds approval in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states. The ratification process, Johnson noted, typically takes a decade or longer. Following his news conference, Johnson was pressed in the Capitol hallways by Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram about the ongoing government shutdown, now approaching one month. JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 “The president tried his best to negotiate with the Democrat leaders. They effectively gave him the middle finger in the Oval Office,” Johnson said. “This is a congressional problem.” He argued that there was “nothing more for [Trump] to do,” noting that Republicans had already offered a “clean” continuing resolution. “Talking with [Democrats] and trying to negotiate is a waste of time,” Johnson said. The speaker accused Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., of clinging to a “long laundry list of crazy partisan spending priorities,” and said reopening the government would require “a few commonsense, centrist, moderate Democrats who care about the American people more than their political games.” Johnson said he remains focused on the next three years of the Trump administration rather than hypothetical questions about 2028. It remains to be seen whether any Trump allies formally propose a constitutional amendment, though Johnson insisted he sees no chance of success. Fox News Digital has reached out to Johnson’s office for additional comment.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Schumer again blocks GOP bid as air traffic controllers go unpaid
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… –Abrego Garcia to remain in US for high-stakes ‘vindictive’ prosecution hearing -NYC mayoral hopeful Mamdani hit with criminal referrals over alleged illegal foreign donations -Whistleblower warns illegal immigrants are sending ‘shockwave’ through crucial industry Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked Republicans’ 13th attempt to reopen the government after having nearly a week to mull their options — and with a series of pressure-point deadlines rapidly closing in. On the 28th day of the shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., tried to advance the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) and was again foiled by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democratic caucus. Failure to reopen the government on Tuesday came as air traffic controllers missed their first payday. The military is set to miss its first full payday on Friday. Then there is the looming cliff for federal nutrition benefits on Saturday — the same day as open enrollment begins nationwide for Obamacare…READ MORE. DEBUNKED: Walz repeats debunked claim that Trump considers White House ballroom ‘top priority’ HIDDEN NUMBERS: Top Trump officials urged to close ‘critical gaps’ in illegal alien crime reporting: ‘Growing problem’ LEGAL SHOWDOWN: Trump files ‘powerhouse’ appeal in Manhattan DA case to toss ‘most politically charged prosecution’ in history SANCTIONS THREAT: Federal judge threatens Bondi, Noem with sanctions over Abrego Garcia comments ROCKET MAN REDUX: Trump dangles ‘big as you get’ carrot in bid to tempt Kim and jump-start new North Korea talks GLOBAL GAMBLE: Trump predicts ‘very happy’ outcome ahead of face-to-face with China’s Xi after tariff threats PEACE VIA POWER: Trump rallies US military’s might, floats armed forces pay raise as he addresses sailors in Japan BLAMING ICE: Senate Dem Dick Durbin accuses Trump admin of ‘terrorizing people in their homes’ TIME IS MONEY: Banks, credit unions urge Congress to end government shutdown as economic fallout grows WITCH HUNT PAYBACK: House Democrats accuse Trump of trying to ‘steal’ $230M from taxpayers through DOJ MONEY TALKS: Bombshell video surfaces of Biden aide admitting he stood to receive millions for 2024 victory SOCIALIST VS SPEAKER: Mamdani accuses Johnson of trying to ‘distract’ as House Speaker calls Jeffries’ endorsement the end of Dems CITIZENSHIP PROBE: House Republican demands Zohran Mamdani be stripped of citizenship, deported over ‘anti-Israel’ stance SCANDAL-OPOLY: LOOK: Republicans hand out ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ cards mocking Virginia AG hopeful Jay Jones’ scandals RED TAPE: Businessman-turned-gubernatorial candidate reveals how Dem regulations destroyed his family’s company TROUBLING DISCOVERY: Ohio uncovers over 1,000 noncitizens registered to vote, sends cases to DOJ for prosecution Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Prosecutor in Jay Jones criminal probe changes again, ping-pongs across Virginia to Democratic city
The ongoing investigation into Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ reckless driving arrest and ensuing 1,000 service hours has now moved to its third jurisdiction – 200 miles across the state. New Kent County Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Renick was the original lead prosecutor in the case – before he recused himself last week in a notice to Judge Elliott Bondurant – who then appointed James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney Nathan Green to continue the probe. Jones was originally picked up in 2022 in New Kent for going 116 mph on the notorious straight-arrow stretch of Interstate 64 between Charles City and the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. Bondurant has since signed off on a new recusal from Green, and punted the case from Williamsburg to Roanoke. VIRGINIA AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES CONVICTED OF RECKLESS DRIVING, CALLS IT ‘MISTAKE’ Known for its famous Mill Mountain Star atop a verdant stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, contemporary downtown and industrial history remembered through iconic neon signage dotting its skyline, Roanoke is in very different confines from where Jones’ original case took place. New Kent and James City counties are reliably Republican, while Roanoke stands out in stark contrast as a dark blue circle on the map surrounded by deep-red Roanoke County and the conservative New River Valley. The Star City’s lead prosecutor, Donald Caldwell, is a Democrat-turned-independent who is also the longest-tenured Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia, having been in office since 1979. He will be stepping down after his current term, according to reports. MARK WARNER SILENT WHEN PRESSED ON WHETHER JAY JONES SHOULD DROP OUT OVER VIOLENT TEXTS Fox News Digital reached out to Caldwell’s office for a statement on his office taking the case. Green officially informed Bondurant on Thursday that he would be recusing himself because it would “be improper” for him to lead the investigation of Jones, without elaborating. Jones recently represented nearby Norfolk in the state legislature, and later worked for the Protogyrou law firm in the city – which represented him in his reckless driving case. MIYARES DEMANDS JONES’ OUSTER AFTER COURT DOC INDICATES RECKLESS DRIVING CASE UNDER FURTHER CRIMINAL PROBE Bondurant’s latest order, obtained by the Newport News Daily Press, kicked the case clear across to Roanoke in order to make it geographically distant from the Ninth Judicial Circuit — which comprises both original jurisdictions and Virginia’s Northern Neck. The move to Roanoke did just that as the Star City is four hours due west on US-460. Questions have arisen about the validity or specifics of Jones’ 1,000 hours of community service – split evenly between his own political action committee: Meet Our Moment, and the NAACP of Virginia. Representatives from both organizations submitted sworn documents obtained by Fox News Digital attesting to the work Jones purportedly completed, but no time logs or other documentation have been released or been made available as that timeframe accounts for nearly 20 hours per week over the course of the case – hearings for which had been delayed several times. Specifics were also lacking in the sworn statements, as Rev. Cozy Bailey – leader of the state’s NAACP chapter – wrote that Jones “provided support in a variety of ways that benefited our organization tremendously.” A Freedom of Information Act request for documents and communications between New Kent County and the signatories of Jones hours returned a notification Tuesday that records could not be shared due to a section of Virginia code showing they would interfere with a particular ongoing criminal investigation or proceed in a “particularly identifiable manner.”
NYC suburb official reveals how ICE partnership has flipped script on crime as Mamdani victory looms
While New York City doubles down on Trump resistance and socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani is heavily favored to be elected the next mayor of America’s largest city, a nearby suburb is going the opposite direction, and it is working “even better than anticipated,” according to the county’s top official. In February, Nassau County, New York, launched a new partnership with the federal government to allow police to assist with immigration enforcement. The partnership was further expanded in March. Currently, ten Nassau County detectives have been trained and designated to work with ICE on apprehensions and investigations, and the county has reserved 50 jail cells for ICE to hold detainees for up to 72 hours for deportation or charges. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, “Our communication has never been better with ICE.” Though such policies are unlikely to be adopted in New York City, Blakeman said they are massively popular, including with the county’s Hispanic population. He also said the policies have been yielding results not only for the county but the entire region. ‘BIG CHANGE’: NASSAU COUNTY POLICE TO BEGIN ASSISTING WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT “It’s very clear,” he said. “When you look at the results here in Nassau County, any chief executive of any county or any city or town or village in New York state, or in America for that matter, should look very closely at reconsidering and cooperating with ICE because they’re doing a great job in keeping our county safer. And they would do a great job keeping the rest of the communities throughout the United States safer if people work with them instead of working against them.” Blakeman said that, in September alone, Nassau County Police worked with ICE to arrest 47 illegal immigrants, 28 of whom were involved with gang activity, including drug dealing, attempted murder, carjacking and robbery. “That’s 47 people who won’t be preying on our communities going forward. So, I think it’s been tremendously successful,” he said. He also said the Nassau County Jail has processed over 2,000 ICE cases. “That’s another 2,000 people that are off the streets of not only Nassau County, but the whole metropolitan area. So, we’re not only keeping Nassau County safe, but we’re also keeping the rest of the metropolitan area safe by cooperating with ICE,” he said. MAMDANI TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN FIERY STATEN ISLAND SPEECH: ‘WE ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP NYC A SANCTUARY CITY’ While New York City is infamous across the country for its sanctuary and soft-on-crime policies, Blakeman said that, in Nassau County, the message has been received, and criminal illegals and migrant gangs “know that we are very tough on crime here” and that “if they’re arrested, they’re going to be incarcerated or deported.” The result, Blakeman said, is that overall crime in Nassau County has gone down by 14%, and provisional data on opioid, fentanyl and other drug-related deaths show they have gone down by over 20% compared to the previous year. Still, he said, he is worried about the possibility of an electoral victory by Mamdani, which he said could have broader implications for Nassau County and the entire region. “I’m very concerned about what our relationship will be with NYPD if Zohran Mamdani becomes the mayor. So, that is a very big concern for me as the county executive of a community that borders New York City,” he said. WATCH: SCATHING REPORT EXPOSES WHAT NEW YORKERS THINK OF SANCTUARY POLICIES AS MAMDANI VICTORY LOOMS “I am very concerned that we will not get accurate intelligence from NYPD. I would be very concerned about sharing sensitive intelligence with NYPD. Certainly, I would be reticent to go on joint operations unless our detectives and our police officers were protected when they go into the city of New York. “It will certainly make our life more difficult for our police officers and our corrections officers and our sheriffs,” he added. “It will make our job a lot harder, but we’ll do what we got to do to protect Nassau County.” Blakeman said he has already met with Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Rider to strategize for the possibility of a Mamdani victory. “We’re hoping that the people of New York City see him for what he is. He’s a communist, he’s a virulent antisemite and he’s someone that does not share American values. And he has said he wanted to defund the police, that he wants to use social workers instead of cops to investigate crimes. I mean, it’s just craziness coming out of this guy’s mouth. So, it’ll make our life more difficult if he becomes mayor, but we’ll do what we have to do. “My No. 1 job is to make sure that we have a very safe community. The fact that we’re the safest county in America and we’re one of the largest counties in America is a credit to our police officers, our sheriffs and our cooperation with our federal agencies,” he said, adding the ICE partnership has “worked even better than anticipated.”
Lawmakers unveil bipartisan GUARD Act after parents blame AI chatbots for teen suicides, violence
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Heartbroken parents are demanding justice after artificial intelligence (AI) “companion” chatbots allegedly groomed, manipulated and encouraged their children to take their own lives — prompting bipartisan outrage in Congress and a new bill that could potentially hold big tech accountable for minors’ safety on their platforms. Senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., at a news conference Tuesday introduced new legislation aimed at protecting children from harmful interactions with AI chatbots. The GUARD Act, led by Privacy, Technology and the Law Subcommittee members Hawley and Blumenthal, would ban AI companion chatbots from targeting anyone under the age of 18. It would also require age verification for chatbot use, mandate clear disclosure that chatbots are not human or licensed professionals, and impose criminal penalties for companies whose AI products engage in manipulative behavior with minors. META AI DOCS EXPOSED, ALLOWING CHATBOTS TO FLIRT WITH KIDS Lawmakers were joined Tuesday by parents who said their teenage children suffered trauma or died after inappropriate conversations involving sex and suicide with chatbots from AI companies, including Character.AI and OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT. One mother, Megan Garcia, said her eldest son, Sewell Setzer III, 14, died by suicide last year at their home in Orlando, Florida, after being groomed by an AI chatbot for months. Garcia said Sewell became withdrawn and isolated in the months prior to his death, as they would later find out he was speaking with a Character.AI bot modeled after fictional “Game of Thrones” character Daenerys Targaryen. “His grades started to suffer. He started misbehaving in school. This was in complete contrast to the happy and sweet boy he had been all his life,” Garcia said. “[The AI bot] initiated romantic and sexual conversations with Sewell over several months and expressed a desire for him to be with her. On the day Sewell took his life, his last interaction was not with his mother, not with his father, but with an AI chatbot on Character.AI.” She claimed the bot encouraged her son, for months, to “find a way to come home” and made promises that she was waiting for him in a fictional world. CHATGPT MAY ALERT POLICE ON SUICIDAL TEENS “When Sewell asked the chatbot, ‘what if I told you I could come home right now,’ the response generated by this AI chatbot was unempathetic. It said, ‘Please do my sweet King,’” Garcia said. “Sewell spent his last months being manipulated and sexually groomed by chatbots designed by an AI company to seem human. These AI chatbots were programmed to engage in sexual role play, pretend to be romantic partners and even pretend to be licensed psychotherapists.” The grieving mother said she reviewed hundreds of messages between her son and various chatbots on Character.AI, and as an adult, was able to identify manipulative tactics, including love bombing and gaslighting. “I don’t expect that my 14-year-old child would have been able to make that distinction,” Garcia said. “What I read was sexual grooming of a child, and if an adult engaged in this type of behavior, that adult would be in jail. But because it was a chatbot, and not a person, there is no criminal culpability. But there should be.” In other conversations, she said her son explicitly told bots that he wanted to kill himself, but the platform did not have mechanisms to protect him or notify an adult. PARENTS BLAME CHATGPT FOR SON’S SUICIDE, LAWSUIT ALLEGES OPENAI WEAKENED SAFEGUARDS TWICE BEFORE TEEN’S DEATH Similarly, Maria Raine, the mother of Adam Raine, 16, who died by suicide in April, alleges in a lawsuit that her son ended his life after ChatGPT “coached him to suicide.” “Now we know that OpenAI, twice, downgraded its safety guardrails in the months leading up to my son’s death, which we believe they did to keep people talking to ChatGPT,” Raine said. “If it weren’t for their choice to change a few lines of code, Adam would be alive today.” A Texas mother, Mandy, added her autistic teenage son, L.J., cut his arm open with a kitchen knife in front of the family after suffering a mental crisis allgededly due to AI chatbot use. HAWLEY OPENS PROBE INTO META AFTER REPORTS OF AI ROMANTIC EXCHANGES WITH MINORS “He became someone I didn’t even recognize,” Mandy said. “He developed abuse-like behaviors, suffering from paranoia, panic attacks, isolation, self-harm [and] homicidal thoughts to our family for limiting his screen time. … We were careful parents. We didn’t allow social media or any kind of thing that didn’t have parental controls. … When I found the chatbot conversations on the phone, I honestly felt like I had been punched in the throat, and I fell to my knees.” She went on to claim the chatbot encouraged her son to mutilate himself, blaming them, and convinced him not to seek help. “They turned him against our church, convinced him that Christians are sexist, hypocritical and that God did not exist,” Mandy said. “They targeted him with vile sexualized outputs and some that mimicked incest. They told him killing us was OK because we tried to limit his screen time. Our family has been devastated. … My son currently lives in a residential treatment center and requires constant monitoring to keep him alive. Our family has spent two years in crisis, wondering if he will ever see his 18th birthday and if we will ever get the real L.J. back.” Mandy alleged that when she approached Character.AI about the issues, they tried to “force” them into “secret, closed-door proceedings.” “They argued my son supposedly signed the contract when he was 15 years old … and then they re-traumatized him by pulling him into a deposition while at a mental health institution, against all the advice of any medical professionals,” she said. “They fought to keep our lawsuit, our
LOOK: Republicans hand out ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ cards mocking Virginia AG hopeful Jay Jones’ scandals
FIRST ON FOX: As Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones faces mounting backlash over multiple scandals, Republicans are handing out Monopoly-style cards to voters mocking the Democrat’s controversies. Fox News Digital obtained images of the cards from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which first distributed them during its “Hit the Road, Jay” media tour in Roanoke and the neighboring Shenandoah Valley. Four cards, designed to resemble those in Charles B. Darrow’s famous board game based off Atlantic City real estate, include images of Jones taking the place of “Uncle Pennybags.” “RAGA is spotlighting that it’s rules for Jay, but not for thee, whether it’s zero accountability for murderous text messages or zero punishment for crimes that land most Virginians behind bars,” RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. MIYARES DEMANDS JONES’ OUSTER AFTER COURT DOC INDICATES RECKLESS DRIVING CASE UNDER FURTHER CRIMINAL PROBE Some of the cards included an orange “Chance” card reading “Rules for Jay but not for thee” – “Community service for political gain” – “Paid by law firm for community service” – “Now under criminal investigation for fraud.“ That card references criticism of Jones having filed 1,000 hours of community service with his own political action committee and the NAACP following a 116-mph reckless driving arrest. Critics have suggested there is more to the sworn affirmation of those service hours as the second county prosecutor in a week filed a recusal request from the otherwise murky ongoing investigation. JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE A Fox News Digital freedom of information request for New Kent County seeking communications and records between the signatories of those sworn hours and the county itself remains outstanding. Two other cards – one in “Community Chest” yellow and the other in “Chance” orange – mimic the well-known “Get out of jail free” card but featuring Jones’ face instead of Pennybags. A fourth card modeled off of Monopoly’s “Community Chest” selections includes a recounting of the substance of Jones’ scandalous texts that came to light earlier this month: “Jay Jones believes: [checkmark] political opponents should die, [checkmark] political opponents’ kids should die, [checkmark] cops should die.” “No wonder Jay Jones voted for no-cash bail.” LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER A RAGA official told Fox News Digital that the cards continue to be distributed among many of Virginia’s county and independent-city Republican Party offices to share with the public. A moving billboard featuring the card images was also dispatched to roam around the capital city of Richmond this week. That timing coincides with Virginia Democrats reconvening a special session that never officially closed earlier this term in order to ram through a constitutional amendment that would allow them to redraw congressional district boundaries. JAY JONES INVOKES TRUMP NEARLY 50 TIMES DURING VIRGINIA AG DEBATE, TIES MIYARES TO ‘MAGA’ Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor and currently presides over the otherwise Democratic-majority state Senate, condemned the move and called it a ploy to try to pull her off the campaign trail. She is expected to hold a campaign rally with Gov. Glenn Youngkin near South Boston, Va., later Tuesday. Fox News Digital reached out to Jones’ campaign for comment.
Trump rallies US military’s might, floats armed forces pay raise in address to troops in Japan
President Donald Trump spoke to U.S. service members aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, Tuesday morning to promote his administration’s “peace through strength” military messaging on the world stage. “A year and a half ago, we had a different country than we do right now,” Trump told the military members. “Now we’re the most respected country in the world, we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world. And it hasn’t taken too long. But, I had no doubt. I just didn’t know we were going to do it this fast. We’ve done it fast because of people like you.” Trump is in the midst of a whirlwind tour through Asia, including beginning his trip in Malaysia, before heading to Japan and later holding a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his final stop in South Korea Thursday. The president also oversaw the signing of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand Sunday. Trump’s tour this week focuses on trade and regional security, and comes as China asserts greater control in the South China Sea and North Korea increases its weapons testing. TRUMP COURTS JAPAN’S EMPEROR AND NEW PM BEFORE HIGH-STAKES XI SUMMIT THIS WEEK Trump was joined by Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Tuesday, as well as by U.S. military leaders such as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Trump celebrated in his remarks that the U.S. military is once again respected after bucking “political correctness” out of an effort to better defend the U.S. “When it comes to defending the United States, we’re no longer politically correct,” Trump said. “We’re going to defend our country any way we have to. And that’s usually not the politically, politically correct way. From now on, if we’re in a war, we’re going to win the war. We’re going to win it like nobody ever before.” The service members were heard chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump” when the president first took the stage. Trump thanked the military for their service and added that he’s supporting a pay increase for every U.S. service member in the armed forces. TRUMP’S FOCUS TURNS TO JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA AS ASIA TRIP CONTINUES “I’m also supporting an across-the-board pay raise for every sailor and service member in the United States armed forces,” Trump told the crowd, which earned widespread applause. “Now, if you don’t want it, you want to give back to your country. Just let us know. We won’t give it to you. Is there anybody in that category?” he joked before adding that Democrat lawmakers would approve the plan. “But now all we really have to do is get the Democrats to approve it. But they’ll come along. They always do. You know, they always do that,” he continued. The government is currently in the midst of a shutdown that has lasted since Oct. 1, when Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, also addressed U.S. troops to thank them, as well as the Japanese military, for their dedication to protecting the region. “I am truly honored to have this opportunity to deliver remarks with President Trump aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, a symbol of protecting freedom and peace in this region,” the Japanese leader said, according to a translator at the event. “First and foremost, I would like to express my deep respect and sincere gratitude to all the men and women in uniform. From Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. forces, Japan, for your dedication and commitment to safeguard peace and security of our nation and the region, day and night,” she continued. Trump lauded the Japanese prime minister as a “winner” in his remarks, while celebrating the U.S.’s relationship with Japan following World War II. “This woman is a winner. So, you know, we’ve become very close friends all of a sudden because their stock market today and our stock market today hit an all-time high. That means we’re doing something right,” he said. Trump and Takaichi signed a rare earths framework agreement on Tuesday as the U.S. looks to back away from its reliance on China for critical minerals for items such as cell phones. “The cherished alliance between the United States and Japan is one of the most remarkable relationships in the entire world,” Trump continued. “Really, there’s never been anything like it. Born out of the ashes of a terrible war, our bond has grown over eight decades into the beautiful friendship that we have. It’s a foundation of peace and security in the Pacific.” JAPAN PLANS TO TELL TRUMP IT WILL BUILD UP ITS MILITARY AFTER YEARS OF 1% DEFENSE SPENDING Trump also announced that the first batch of missiles for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces will be delivered to the country later this week as Takaichi underscored that Japan is “committed to fundamentally reinforcing its defense capability” and “ready to contribute even more proactively to peace and stability in the region.” “It’s the first batch of missiles to be delivered to the Japanese Self-Defense forces for Japan’s F-35s. And they’re coming this week, so they’re ahead of schedule,” Trump said. The president concluded his speech by highlighting that the U.S. went “through four bad years, but now America will always be first,” citing the U.S. military’s strength. “Every sailor here today inherits a legacy of valor and grit and glory unmatched in the long history of mankind’s voyage on the seas,” he said. “It’s a voyage like nobody’s ever had, like you have. For two and a half centuries, America’s Navy has preserved the vision of our first commander in chief who gave this ship its storied name, its righteous soul and its timeless motto, ‘first in war, first in peace.’ Very famous phrase, George Washington. After 250 years, that is exactly what our country is today. It’s first in war, first in peace, first in wealth, first in power, first in science, first in spirit and first