Newsom on courtroom collision course with Trump over ICE mask ban
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attempt to block authorities from wearing masks during immigration enforcement operations is facing legal scrutiny as critics push back on the governor’s effort to assert power over federal officers. Newsom, a Democrat, signed a bill over the weekend that bans state and federal law enforcement from wearing masks on the job, a move that Trump administration officials decried as illegal and vowed to ignore. The bill is set to take effect in January. “We don’t need to abide by this garbage,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said on social media. NEWSOM BANS LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM WEARING MASKS, TAUNTS ICE AGENTS: ‘WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?’ Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California said on “Fox & Friends” on Monday he did not think Newsom’s bill was enforceable. Essayli, who has been in lockstep with the Trump administration on its aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in California, predicted Newsom would sue. “I think what the governor might do is he might file a lawsuit,” Essayli said. “He might run to a judge to try to get some sort of order, but we’re very confident. The State of California does not and cannot have jurisdiction.” Newsom’s measure was part of a string of bills the governor signed to counteract the Trump administration, which has, since the summer, been carrying out controversial immigration raids across California. The Supreme Court recently temporarily cleared the way for ICE authorities to continue conducting immigration stops at farms, car washes and other places where they suspect illegal immigrants might be. But the high court did not weigh in on the authorities’ garb, which at times has included identity-concealing masks and neck gaiters, according to videos. “Unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing, no due process, no rights,” Newsom said, adding, “I’ll be signing a bill, the first in the nation, saying, ‘Enough, ICE, unmask, what are you afraid of?’” LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUSHES TO PROHIBIT LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM HIDING THEIR IDENTITIES WHILE ON THE JOB California-based attorney Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital that if courts end up weighing in on Newsom’s bill, they will likely raise the separation of powers and the supremacy clause, the part of the Constitution that says federal law trumps state law. Rahmani said that while states can impose “reasonable restrictions” on federal law enforcement, such as traffic violations, dictating what the officers wear is different. “You have the state imposing restrictions on the federal government, and those restrictions can really unduly interfere with their law enforcement functions, right?” Rahmani said. “The state is saying that unmasking these federal officials is necessary to restore public trust, but really it’s a safety issue, right? They can be doxed. Their families can be put at risk, so I can easily see this specific regulation being struck down by the courts.” Essayli accused the governor of using what he described as a “silly” bill to try to “inflame the public.” “You have this narrative that people are out there being kidnapped. It’s not true,” Essayli said. “They’re federal agents. They’re acting under federal law, and if he doesn’t like it he should change the law.”
Elon Musk wades into Virginia transgender bathroom clash, says Dem gov candidate wrongly ‘blaming’ Trump
Elon Musk amplified a post from Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, weighing in as transgender bathroom policies again take center stage in the state’s off-year election. Musk alleged Spanberger “tr[ied] to weasel out” of a question from ABC Washington reporter Nick Minock about whether the former congresswoman supports biological males using women’s locker rooms as the Department of Education scrutinizes five major school districts. “Spanberger obviously does shamefully support boys in girl’s sports and is trying to weasel out of the question by blaming the president,” Musk said, retweeting Spanberger’s response to Minock – who encountered her after she visited an early-voting poll. Minock mentioned the Trump administration is investigating potential Title IX violations in allowing students to use their desired restroom or changing facility, for which Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William County schools under scrutiny. VIRGINIA LEADERS REBUKE RACIST SIGN TARGETING GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WINSOME EARLE-SEARS: ‘REPULSIVE’ Spanberger replied that court cases brought on the matter of transgender students’ restroom use have already played out, including the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who challenged the local school’s bathroom policy in Grim v. Gloucester County School Board, arguing it violated equal protection and Title IX. In that case, the Richmond-based Fourth Circuit upheld a lower court’s judgment against the school district and ruled its biologically-based restroom policy led to discrimination against Grimm. “In fact, the argument is the assessment is there needs to be much clearer guidance in terms of what is an executive order’s binding assessment of Title IX versus what has been a decision of a court,” Spanberger said. “But ultimately, the real impact here is, once again, it is the Trump administration taking dollars away from Virginia. Threatening education dollars to our public schools is an attack on Virginia’s kids. It’s an attack on our economy. It’s an attack on Virginians.” POTENTIAL YOUNGKIN SUCCESSOR FOCUSED ON MESSAGE IN TOUGH RACE TO KEEP SWING STATE RED Spanberger said her priority is making Virginia schools the best in the country and painted President Donald Trump as an official who is “coming after Virginia.” When Minock asked again whether Spanberger specifically supported such policies, she did not respond. However, in comments to Fox News Digital, a Spanberger spokesperson rebuffed Musk, saying the Democratic nominee is a mother of three Virginia public schoolchildren and a former federal law enforcement officer who investigated child predators. “Nothing is more important to her than the safety of all of Virginia’s kids,” the spokesperson said. “Ultimately, Abigail believes that these are decisions between parents and local schools — and she believes that politicians need to stop politicizing Virginia’s public schools.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears – the Republican nominee for governor – for comment. In 2021, the issue of transgender bathroom policy in schools loomed large in the gubernatorial election. Current Gov. Glenn Youngkin was credited with pulling off an upset win against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe by making the overarching issue of “parental rights” front-and-center in the campaign. Many of the individual cases affected schools in heavily-Democratic areas like Loudoun County, where McAuliffe still won, but Youngkin mildly increased expected margins. A case in Loudoun involving a transgender student allegedly assaulting another student also made headlines during the campaign. At present-day, the issue – as well as Washington, D.C.-metro school systems like those mentioned are again front-and-center. Earle-Sears has called for requiring students to use the restroom assigned to their biological sex as “common sense,” and recently appeared alongside demonstrators outside a Loudoun school board meeting in Ashburn earlier this month. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Appearing at an Arlington school board meeting, where a protester held up a sign telling Earle-Sears – who is Black – she should not share her water fountain if people can’t share bathrooms, the Republican said the continuing trend is “dangerous, insane and has to stop.” “Here’s the truth. There are two sexes: boys and girls.” Musk’s former DOGE counterpart, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, headlined a rally on Friday to endorse Earle-Sears, lieutenant governor candidate John Reid and Attorney General Jason Miyares. Reid, who approached and embraced Spanberger at her recent appearance in Henrico, highlighted Musk’s comments and said both sides of the aisle “can and should be polite to each other – but also must clearly highlight the differences between the candidates…” “Abigail Spanberger is dodging the trans in the girls locker room issues because she’s smart enough to know it’s a big loser for her,” Reid said. “No boys in girls’ sports. No boys in girls’ locker rooms and vice versa. No medical engagement with minors without parental consultation and consent. No underage surgical or hormonal procedures on anyone,” Reid said. “We should do our best to let adults make their own decisions as long as they fully own the costs and consequences.”
Macron stakes anti-Trump global role with Gaza initiative at UN summit
French President Emmanuel Macron opened his week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with a dramatic announcement that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state, seeking to reset the diplomatic agenda on Gaza and signal France’s role on the world stage. As world leaders gather in New York for UNGA, Macron is seizing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stake out global leadership — and, critics argue, to position himself as a counterweight to President Donald Trump. Renewing his call for recognition of a Palestinian state, Macron has also put forward a proposal for a multinational force to take over from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “the day after” the Gaza war, according to The Times of Israel. For Macron, the United Nations General Assembly is a stage to project France as an alternative power. “Macron’s policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict reflects his broader ambitions on France’s foreign policy, that is, the idea that the country, as a middle European power, can offer an alternative to the U.S.-China competition,” Jean-Loup Samaan, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital. “In this specific case, Macron believes that his push for a Palestinian state will increase French credibility in the Arab world and the so-called ‘Global South.’” MACRON STRUTS ON WORLD STAGE AS REVOLT OVER FRANCE’S SOARING DEBT PUTS HIS PM ON THE BRINK “We have to recognize the legitimate right of Palestinian people to have a state,” Macron said in an interview broadcast Thursday on Israel’s Channel 12. “If you don’t give a political perspective, in fact, you just put them in the hands of those who are just proposing a security approach, an aggressive approach.” He went further, denouncing Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City as “absolutely unacceptable” and “a huge mistake.” The comments infuriated both Israel and the United States, which argue that recognition emboldens extremists and rewards Hamas, the group responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. Macron, however, insists recognition is the only way forward, reviving the long-stalled two-state solution. More than 145 countries already recognize Palestine, and European allies, including the U.K., Canada, Australia, Portugal, Malta, Belgium, and Luxembourg, are expected to follow France’s lead in the coming days. Yet analysts warn Macron’s track record suggests otherwise. “If you want to know how UN-sponsored peacekeepers do with terrorist groups in the region, we have a 20-year case study in UNIFIL, which enabled rather than denied Hezbollah the ability to grow into a massive military threat,” Richard Goldberg, senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. “Macron is certainly driven by his beleaguered domestic political situation and the large French Muslim population, but in his own mind he’s also been down this road in Lebanon, where France has historic equities. The record is pretty clear: Macron has never delivered on anything; security improvements have only come through U.S. pressure and Israeli military might,” Goldberg said. Just days before Macron’s push, Trump met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jared Kushner to discuss Gaza’s future — and is set to hold a meeting tomorrow with Arab leaders on “the day after,” sources confirm to Fox News Digital. The overlap has fueled speculation that Macron is maneuvering to outshine Trump and claim the mantle of statesman-in-chief. TRUMP WHISPERS ‘CRAZY’ PUTIN DEAL THEORY TO MACRON IN HOT MIC MOMENT Goldberg added bluntly: “He may perceive himself that way, but I don’t think many in Washington spend a lot of time thinking about him.” Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, called Macron’s maneuvering “a blatant power-grab.” She told Fox News Digital: “The fact is that would-be Emperor Macron has no clothes. The promise he is waving around of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ ‘promise’ to soon hold elections and abandon dictatorship and terror screams ‘scam.’” “At home, foreign policy topics are not driving the current political troubles, which are primarily focused on France’s need to reduce its fiscal deficit,” Samaan noted. “I think Macron’s initiative on Palestine has more to do with his personal aspirations in terms of legacy. He’ll leave office in 2027.” The proposed Gaza force, modeled on UNIFIL in Lebanon where France has long played a role, would demand French resources and likely face opposition in parliament from both the far left and far right, and without U.S. endorsement, Israeli buy-in, or domestic consensus in France, the initiative could stall before it begins.
From Kirk to Kimmel: Fiery NJ debate spotlights political violence and free speech
Republican Jack Ciattarelli said it was “wrong” for Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill to criticize Charlie Kirk after voting “yes” on a U.S. House resolution condemning his assassination — a clash that escalated when Sherrill invoked Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension over remarks about Kirk during their first debate Sunday. During their first debate of the general election in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, on Sunday, moderators asked the candidates if they would support legislation designating political violence as a hate crime in the state of New Jersey. “My opponent on Friday went down to Washington, voted yes on a resolution to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s life, but then within minutes sent out a statement that basically condemned him. I think that was wrong,” Jack Ciattarelli said, while affirming his support for the New Jersey bill. When pressed about her disagreement with Kirk, Sherrill said, “I think it’s fair to have free speech, but I think it should go to everyone, to Jimmy Kimmel and to myself as well.” WATCH: LAWMAKERS WRESTLE WITH HOW TO APPROACH HATEFUL POLITICAL RHETORIC IN WAKE OF KIRK ASSASSINATION ABC on Thursday suspended the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host indefinitely following controversial comments he made about Kirk’s assassination. 58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK Questions about political violence seeped onto the New Jersey gubernatorial debate stage on Sunday night as mourners gathered more than 2,000 miles away to honor Kirk’s life and legacy. After voting “yes” on the resolution condemning Kirk’s assassination, Sherrill released a statement criticizing Kirk’s character. “Charlie Kirk was advocating for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people — this flies in the face of every value I hold dear and that I fight for. But the Constitution protects free speech, even for those I vehemently oppose,” she said. While ripping his opponent for her comments about Kirk, Ciattarelli also criticized Sherrill for not answering the moderator’s question about the state legislation. “My direct answer is I voted to protect free speech. I voted to end political violence. I also think it’s fair, Jack, to speak up when you disagree with something,” Sherrill said. “In this nation, we should be able to have free speech,” Sherrill said. “I vow to defend and fight for free speech my entire life, but it should never devolve into political violence.” Kirk’s assassination less than two weeks ago on Utah Valley University’s campus reignited a fierce debate about the rise of political violence in the United States. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I think it is the responsibility of any public official and candidate for office to engage in rhetoric that doesn’t divide us,” Ciattarelli said Sunday. “My campaign has been about uniting us, not dividing us. I do think we need to take down the temperature a whole lot.”
Trump to reveal medical finding he calls ‘answer to autism’ in major announcement
President Donald Trump is poised to unveil a “significant” medical and scientific finding for U.S. children Monday — and said Sunday he believes there may be an “answer” to autism now. The Trump administration said in April it would kick off a massive research initiative to understand the cause of autism by September. “Tomorrow we’re going to have one of the biggest announcement(s) … medically, I think, in the history of our country. I think you’re going to find it to be amazing,” Trump said Sunday at the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “I think we found an answer to autism.” RFK JR ATTRIBUTES RISE IN AUTISM TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, WHILE CDC POINTS TO IMPROVED DIAGNOSTIC PRACTICES No additional details were immediately provided, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the announcement was related to the “childhood autism epidemic.” “This will be a powerful display of how the entire Trump administration is committed to addressing root causes of chronic conditions and diseases, embracing full transparency in government and championing gold standard science,” Leavitt said. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is expected to announce that it will caution pregnant women against using Tylenol during pregnancy except if they have a fever, the Washington Post reports, as the administration studies if use of the drug might be tied to autism. Tylenol maker Kenvue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, Kenvue recently said in a statement that acetaminophen, the generic name for Tylenol, is the safest pain reliever for pregnant women. “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy,” Kenvue said in a statement Sunday. “Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives.” MEDICAL GROUP GOES AGAINST CDC, RECOMMENDS COVID SHOTS FOR YOUNG KIDS The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a survey in April that found that autism prevalence is on the rise and said the increase “might be due to differences in availability of services for early detection and evaluation and diagnostic practices.” Specifically, the survey found that one in 31 8-year-old children were diagnosed with autism in 2022 — up from one in 36 in 2000. TRUMP DEMANDS DEFINITIVE ANSWER AMID ONGOING DEBATE OVER COVID-19 VACCINES Meanwhile, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to environmental factors as the root cause of autism. “This is coming from an environmental toxin, and somebody made a profit by putting that environmental toxin into our air, our water, our medicines, our food,” Kennedy said in April at an event related to the CDC’s report. “And it’s to their benefit to say ‘Oh, to normalize it, to say all this is all normal, it’s always been here.’ That’s not good for our country.”
Dem Senate hopeful calls for civility, despite past warning of ‘radicalized White men’
FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic hopeful running for U.S. Senate is building a brand of civility in politics, but four years ago he argued that “radicalized White men” were the nation’s greatest domestic terrorist threat. Texas state Rep. Jame Talarico, D-Texas, threw his hat into the Democratic primary in the Lone Star State to run against former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas. Talarico launched his campaign earlier this month with a message that he wanted to restore unity and quiet the divisive noise that comes from social media and cable news. Both are vying for the Democratic nomination to run for Sen. John Cornyn’s, R-Texas, seat. Cornyn is currently engaged in a tough primary challenge against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. RISING DEMOCRAT STAR JAMES TALARICO JUMPS INTO KEY SENATE RACE IN TEXAS In the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Talarico condemned his murder and, despite a wide difference in their politics, said he found a middle ground in their shared faith. “I am tired of being pitted against my neighbor,” Talarico said in the hours following the news of Kirk’s death. “I am tired of being told to hate my neighbor. People across the political spectrum in this state and in this country are hungry for a different kind of politics, not a politics of fear, not a politics of hate, not a politics of violence, but a politics of love, a love that can heal what’s broken in this country.” But four years earlier, he was using fiery rhetoric online. “Black Americans in a church. Mexican Americans in a store. Asian Americans in a spa,” Talarico said. “Radicalized White men are the greatest domestic terrorist threat in our country,” he continued. TOP GOP SENATOR REVEALS HE’S CLOSING GAP IN HEATED PRIMARY AMID OPPONENT’S ALLEGED AFFAIR SCANDAL Talarico’s post that day was in response to a mass shooting at three spas in Atlanta on March 16, 2021, by suspect Robert Aaron Long that left eight people dead. He went on to write in the same thread, “As a White man, I’m susceptible to the same radicalization,” and he said he planned to draft and file diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) legislation in the Texas legislature. Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), charged that “in the last few years, Democrat James Talarico has falsely accused Republicans of trying to create an ‘authoritarian, Christian Nationalist state’ and a ‘Christofascist theocracy.’” “He is one of many extremist, far-left Democrats that will vilify Republicans at any cost because it gets him praise from the woke mob and Texas voters will never elect him to statewide office because of it,” she said in a statement to Fox News Digital. JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson for Talarico, fired back, “For years, James has called out the billionaire-run algorithms that often radicalize young men in dark corners of the internet.” TEXAS DEMOCRAT WHO LOST TO TED CRUZ 8 MONTHS AGO JUMPS INTO 2026 SENATE RACE “As a young man himself, James feels a responsibility to speak out against this for-profit rage economy that’s destroying our youth — recently addressing this crisis in his widely circulated comments calling for a politics of love in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “That’s how we turn down the temperature.” There are other instances in that same year when Talarico used fiery rhetoric against prominent Texas politicians, notably Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas. On Jan. 6, 2021, Talarico posted, “You sacrificed your country for your ambition. You’re not a senator, you’re a traitor,” in response to Cruz’s calls for people “storming the Capitol” to stop. And on Nov. 19, 2021, Talarico blasted Abbott for celebrating Kyle Rittenhouse’s not guilty verdict after being charged for fatally shooting two people during a night of civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. “Are you our governor or a white supremacist troll?” he asked at the time. Ennis also defended Talarico’s rhetoric in those moments. “Texans need leaders who fight for their principles — like calling out those who promote insurrection and violence — while also working across the aisle to deliver bipartisan legislation that gets things done for working people,” he said. “James is that kind of leader.”
Education chief urges colleges to punish faculty who cheered Charlie Kirk’s death
EXCLUSIVE: More faculty members on college campuses who have celebrated the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk should be penalized, according to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. McMahon’s comments come as tributes to Kirk on campuses have been defaced, and as higher education institutions have dropped employees for controversial statements regarding Kirk’s death. “I’ve seen some of those college presidents who have fired or suspended teachers or other faculty members that have spoken out really incredibly poorly and celebrated Charlie’s death — I would like to see more of that, quite frankly,” McMahon told Fox News Digital Thursday in Washington at the Reagan Institute Summit on Education. 58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK For example, Fox News Digital first reported that an administrator at George Washington University is no longer employed by the school after posting on social media “no thoughts, no prayers” following Kirk’s death. Likewise, Fox News Digital reported that students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington painted over a rock Tuesday that Kirk supporters had crafted to honor his memory. The rock on campus is typically painted to promote various movements or causes on campus, Reagan Faulkner, president of UNCW’s chapter of College Republicans, told Fox News Digital. “That is really, in and of itself, is a crime of personal integrity, when those kinds of things happen,” McMahon said about ruined tributes to Kirk on campuses. Kirk, 31, was killed after suffering a gunshot wound in the neck during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University Sept. 10. The shooting suspect, Tyler Robinson, was charged Monday with aggravated murder, along with other charges. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR WHO CALLED KIRK’S ASSASSINATION ‘FAIR’ NO LONGER EMPLOYED The assassination comes a year after two attempts to take the president’s life. Meanwhile, McMahon said that Kirk’s death will prompt greater appreciation around the country for civil discourse — even among those with differing opinions. “Charlie’s legacy is going to be more and more people are going to understand how important civil dialogue is, and freedom of speech on campuses around the country,” McMahon said. “Charlie was a very forthright speaker about his faith, about his beliefs, about his principles. He didn’t shy away from challenging people who had different beliefs, but not in a way to to be an affront to them, but a way to ask them to share why they believe what they believed, and he would share why he believed what he believed.” CELEBRATORY, DISMISSIVE REACTIONS TO CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH PUTTING EDUCATORS UNDER SCRUTINY “And I think that that’s going to be a great part of his legacy that will live on,” McMahon said. “And I think we’ve opened many more doors and many more opportunities for that civil discourse with the incredibly unfortunate and sad tragedy of his assassination.” Meanwhile, the Trump administration has vowed to take action against those who have cheered for Kirk’s death on social media, and cast blame on the “radical left” for recent political violence. “The radical left has done tremendous damage to the country,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. “But we’re fixing it.” Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Charlie Kirk vote splits Democrats, prompting hypocrisy outcry from House GOP: ‘Americans won’t forget’
Republican lawmakers are accusing Democrats of playing politics over a resolution honoring the “life and legacy” of Charlie Kirk, which passed the House along bipartisan lines last week. The Friday vote split Democrats – 95 voted to approve the measure, 58 voted in opposition, 38 voted “present” and 22 did not vote. House Republicans have been hammering those 58, and several pointed out the fractured vote was much different from an earlier resolution condemning an attack on state lawmakers from Minnesota who were shot earlier this year. That resolution passed the House in a unanimous 424-0 vote in late June. HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “In June, House Republicans voted unanimously to condemn the attacks on Democratic Minnesota lawmakers,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote on X late Sunday. “Last week, not even half of House Democrats voted to condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk.” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., recounted the tragedy in Minnesota with more detail, writing in a statement, “When Minnesota Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered, and State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were wounded, the U.S. House unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attack and political violence.” “But after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, 58 Democrats voted against denouncing political violence,” Mace wrote. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said he believed the decision by dozens of Democrats to oppose the measure would reflect negatively on the party as a whole in the coming midterm elections. “58 House Democrats refused to condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Every House Republican voted to condemn the attack against the Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota. This is why Democrats continue to lose,” Steube wrote on X. “Americans won’t forget in 2026.” Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., also criticized those who voted “present.” “Every single House Republican voted to condemn the murders in Minnesota. Meanwhile, 58 House Democrats refused to condemn the murder of Charlie Kirk. Another 38 put their hands in their pockets. Those 96 need to be held accountable,” Fine wrote. The Minnesota resolution condemned “the June 14, 2025, attacks on Minnesota state legislators” and called “on all people in the United States to reaffirm our commitment to a safe, civil, and peaceful democracy.” The resolution honored “the lives of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, who were killed, Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, who were critically injured, and the law enforcement officers who rapidly responded to the attacks and apprehended the suspected perpetrator.” GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM Republicans’ measure memorializing Kirk went into comparatively more detail on the slain conservative activist as a person, lauding him as “one of the most prominent voices in America, engaging in respectful, civil discourse across college campuses, media platforms and national forums, always seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding and strengthen the Republic.” It also said Kirk “personified the values of the First Amendment…and did so with honor, courage, and respect for his fellow Americans,” while calling on all Americans to condemn political violence. Several Democrats who opposed the measure said they were uncomfortable with its praise of Kirk. “Political violence should never be tolerated. However, empathy is not celebration, and I do not have to call Charlie Kirk a hero. He was no such thing. He repeatedly disparaged minorities, especially Black Americans,” Rep. Shri Thandear, D-Mich., wrote on X Friday. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a written statement, “Condemning the depravity of Kirk’s brutal murder is a straightforward matter – one that is especially important to help stabilize an increasingly unsafe and volatile political environment where everyday people feel at risk.” “It then only underscores the majority’s recklessness and intent to divide by choosing to introduce this resolution on a purely partisan basis, instead of uniting Congress in this tragedy with one of the many bipartisan options to condemn political violence and Kirk’s murder, as we did with the late Melissa Hortman,” she continued. “His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans – far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ as asserted by the majority in this resolution.”
Democrats skip Charlie Kirk Arizona memorial after 58 vote against House resolution
The Dems’ disdain for Charlie Kirk showed, even on the day of his memorial. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, slammed others in her party for not opposing the resolution honoring him, saying it “hurt [her] heart” that only two White Democrats voted no. She claimed Kirk’s rhetoric targeted people of color. In total, 58 House Dems voted against it. President Trump fired back: “It tells you that they’re deranged.” THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GAMBITS TO AVOID A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS Despite calls to deescalate, Dems still labeled Trump a fascist and skipped Kirk’s memorial in Arizona, and only six attended the earlier Capitol vigil. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who are among Kirk’s harshest critics, also didn’t hold back. Omar claimed Kirk’s legacy belongs “in the dustbin of history.” REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS FAILS TO LOWER POLITICAL TEMPERATURE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION Ocasio-Cortez previously called Kirk’s views “ignorant [and] uneducated.” At the memorial, former Trump administration official Ben Carson appeared to fire back: “I’ve seen him run circles around people with college degrees.”
Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Routh to defend himself as prosecution rests case
The prosecution rested its case in the federal trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024. Beginning Monday, Routh — who is representing himself — is expected to begin his defense by calling three witnesses to the stand. On Friday, the government’s final witness, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kimberly McGreevy, walked jurors through phone data, license plate records, bank transactions and surveillance footage that prosecutors say tie Routh to Trump’s movements in the weeks before the alleged attempt. PROSECUTORS TO REST CASE IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT TRIAL, DEFENSE PREPS WITNESSES McGreevy testified that Routh’s “home base” between Aug. 14 and Sept. 15, 2024, was the Marathon truck stop in South Bay, Florida, where receipts showed he paid cash for overnight parking. Body-cam footage from a welfare check at the truck stop showed Routh wearing madras shorts later found in his Nissan Xterra and seen in airport surveillance on Sept. 7, when he was recorded watching Trump’s plane lift off. Jurors also saw evidence of extensive online searches and surveillance. Reports from Routh’s phones included searches for Trump’s campaign schedule, rally tickets, and golf course properties, as well as live airport feeds and plane-tracking websites. One exchange presented to the jury included an aerial image of Trump’s plane. A contact named Vladmir texted, “Palm Beach, yours?” and Routh responded, “Trump’s plane. He gets on and off every day.” EXPLOSIVES EXPERT DETAILS DEVICES AS TRUMP ASSASSINATION TRIAL NEARS CLOSE Financial records presented showed large deposits and transfers through accounts in Routh’s daughter Sara’s name, some of which were then moved to Routh. Text messages and PayPal activity also reflected exchanges around money transfers, including a March 29, 2024 message to his son Oran: “Got a real phone… in West Palm Beach… Can you Western Union the rest of the money….” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Prosecutors ended their case Friday after introducing dozens of witnesses, including Secret Service agents, FBI experts and former associates. Starting Monday, the jury will hear from Routh’s defense, which is expected to include a firearms expert and character witnesses.