Trump rally exposes surprising cracks in MAGA base as Republicans face midterm test
President Donald Trump’s rally in South Carolina Wednesday revealed mixed feelings among his supporters as frustrations over the economy, immigration and the war with Iran collide with the stakes of November’s midterm elections. While some rallygoers urged fellow Republicans to look past their frustrations and turn out in November, one Clemson University student who once proudly wore a Trump hat said he was considering voting Democratic. “I was a big Trump supporter,” Grant Frady explained. “But, recently, I didn’t support him for the 2024 election. I feel like there’s too many special interests involved. I feel like what he said to the public was that he was anti-war. He was wanting to boost the economy. He said that he was just going to put America first, and I just feel like we haven’t.” Trump traveled to South Carolina to rally support for Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who faces an unexpectedly competitive challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews in a state that has long favored Republicans. TRUMP REAFFIRMS ICE ARREST POLICY AFTER CONFUSING GUIDANCE SPARKS ALARM AMONG AGENTS “And he also, he said he was going to deport all the illegal immigrants. We haven’t seen enough to really say that. I feel like he’s just overstating. I feel he’s causing too many problems for what he’s really benefiting. We haven’t gotten that many illegal immigrants out, and look how much problems we have with ICE.” The economic concerns come as Americans continue to grapple with the cost of living, while the conflict with Iran has added pressure to energy markets and heightened uncertainty about the economy. A recent Fox News survey found that six in 10 voters say the cost of living is their top economic concern, followed by government spending (15%), jobs and income inequality (7% each), tariffs (6%) and taxes (5%). FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC GLOOM, TRUMP RATINGS SIGNAL TOUGH GOP MIDTERM PATH Frady wasn’t the only Clemson student who arrived at the rally with mixed feelings about the president’s record. James, another Clemson student, said he had supported Trump in the past but was frustrated with aspects of the administration’s foreign and immigration policies. “I’ve supported him [Trump] in the past, but some things have went off the edge,” James stated. “I definitely think foreign policy should be enforced a little better than we’ve just been letting it go. And, also, I feel like he hasn’t been doing enough for illegal immigrants getting in this country. So, that’s also a standpoint I like. “I think you should be more aggressive than not joining in with these [foreign] countries,” he continued. “‘Cause I don’t think that’s America first, and it’s causing us to have a lot of debt.” Frady said doubts about Graham’s conservative credentials have prompted him to consider voting for Andrews, a Democratic pediatrician, while other rallygoers argued that frustrations with Trump’s record were not enough to justify sitting out November’s election. REPUBLICANS FACE TICKING MIDTERM CLOCK AS IRAN FALLOUT KEEPS PRESSURE ON GAS PRICES “You may not be thrilled with Trump, but you’ll get the alternative,” Mike Korb of Greenville told Fox News Digital, warning that Democrats would also reverse the administration’s immigration-enforcement policies if they regained power. Korb argued that Trump’s rally could help energize Republican voters, though he expressed doubts about the GOP’s prospects of retaining the House. Summer Frost of Aiken argued that Americans should be willing to endure higher energy prices tied to the conflict with Iran, describing the economic burden as “short-term pain for long term gain.” She wasn’t alone in viewing Iran as a long-term threat to America that had to finally be dealt with. Scott Hines, a military veteran from Greenwood, recalled serving during the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, an attack that shaped his views on confronting Iran. “I was in the military when they bombed the Marine barracks. And we should have already hit Iran,” Hines told Fox News Digital. Hines and wife Margaret live not far from the Georgia line, where student Laken Riley was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging in February 2024. “Nobody wanted a young girl … who couldn’t jog on her own college campus to end up like that. I mean, that’s for any college campus, just not for someplace close to home,” Margaret said about the tragedy, which occurred in nearby Athens, Georgia. The president’s rally also faced repeated disruptions from protesters, several of whom were escorted from the venue. During one disturbance, an attendee reportedly punched a protester, drawing praise from Trump, who compared the person who threw the blow to former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield. The local sheriff’s office said Thursday that an assault report had been filed after the altercation. A deputy observed minor bruising on the person who reported being assaulted, according to the report. The case remained under investigation, with no suspect publicly identified. The disruptions underscored the tensions surrounding Trump’s visit just 13 days before the midterm elections, when Republicans will be looking to mobilize voters in a state where a Senate seat once considered safely Republican has become more competitive. For Republican voters interviewed at the rally, the question was whether frustrations over Trump’s record would ultimately change their votes or whether the prospect of Democratic victories would be enough to keep them behind the GOP.
Singham-linked nonprofits defy House ultimatum, blast ‘MAGA-led witch hunt’
Two nonprofits linked to Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham have rejected a congressional ultimatum to turn over financial records, accusing lawmakers of using a foreign-influence investigation to target their political views and violate their First Amendment rights. The People’s Forum Inc., a New York City-based activist hub, and BreakThrough News, a far-left nonprofit media outlet, fired back in letters to Tuesday the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which threatened to depose their leaders — and Singham personally — if the organizations failed to comply with earlier subpoenas for financial records. The People’s Forum blasted the latest congressional crackdown as a “MAGA-led witch hunt.” BreakThrough News and its supporters accuse the committee of targeting the outlet over its coverage of Israel and immigration enforcement, while lawmakers maintain the probe concerns the organizations’ finances and structure. HOUSE PANEL WARNS SINGHAM-LINKED NONPROFITS: COMPLY WITH SUBPOENAS OR FACE CONGRESS The showdown comes as the Republican-led committee, headed by Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., investigates whether millions of dollars flowing through Singham’s network of tax-exempt nonprofits are being used to advance Chinese Communist Party interests in the United States. “This approach is tantamount to holding the staff of BreakThrough News hostage,” attorneys for BreakThrough News wrote in their Oct. 20 response, accusing the committee of threatening seven newsroom employees with depositions unless the outlet abandons its constitutional objections. The attorneys also challenged the committee’s foreign influence allegations, pointing to its reference to Singham, who lives in Shanghai, alongside foreign principals. “Mr. Singham is a U.S. citizen,” the attorneys wrote. The standoff raises the prospect of Singham being personally deposed by congressional investigators after the committee identified him among 21 potential witnesses, including nonprofit executives, activists and journalists associated with the two organizations and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, a Massachusetts-based Marxist think tank that has not publicly released a response to the latest demands. The People’s Forum similarly condemned the committee’s latest demands in its Oct. 20 response, accusing lawmakers of using the threat of depositions against eight staff members as retaliation for asserting its First Amendment rights. The committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. SUBPOENAED PRO-CHINA OUTLET DEFENDS ITSELF ON DEMOCRACY NOW!, WHICH PAID SINGHAM-FOUNDED COMPANY MILLIONS On their websites, BreakThrough News and The People’s Forum also urged supporters to donate to help fund their legal defenses against the probe. “This is an escalation of the same MAGA-led witch-hunt,” The People’s Forum wrote in an Oct. 21 statement beneath a black graphic declaring, “We won’t surrender our First Amendment rights.” Both organizations also accused the committee of repeatedly changing its rationale and ignoring their legal objections but said they remained open to narrower requests. The responses come as BreakThrough News has also been accused of sympathetically amplifying recent protests and unrest across Europe, including demonstrations in France that descended into violent riots, with protesters torching cars and clashing with police. The Singham-funded outlet advertised an online discussion, “Europe’s Youth Uprising,” declaring that “a rebellion is sweeping Europe” and portraying the demonstrations as a youth uprising against rising living costs, austerity and military spending, according to a Fox News Digital report. Ten press freedom and civil liberties organizations, including PEN America, the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists, have also backed BreakThrough News, accusing the committee of targeting its political views and warning that forcing journalists to testify could threaten press freedom. “Rep. Smith’s shameless targeting of BreakThrough News for editorial viewpoints that he dislikes shows a complete disregard of the First Amendment,” Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement published by BreakThrough News. In their Oct. 20 letter, the groups called on the committee to abandon its investigation into the outlet and refrain from issuing further subpoenas. ‘MCCARTHY TRIALS’: HASAN PIKER, FAR-LEFT FIGURES ERUPT OVER SUBPOENAS IN $39M SINGHAM PROBE The committee alleges that Singham routed money through shell companies and donor-advised funds, obscuring the original source of contributions to the three nonprofits. Singham, an American-born Marxist tech tycoon who now lives in Shanghai, sold his software company, ThoughtWorks, for an estimated $785 million in 2017. A previous Fox News Digital investigation traced at least $278 million from Singham into six core U.S. nonprofits that served as funding hubs within a broader international network of activist groups, media organizations and think tanks promoting socialist, communist and pro-China causes. Of that funding, $22.44 million flowed to The People’s Forum, $16.76 million to Tricontinental and $1.098 million to BreakThrough BT Media Inc., the parent organization of BreakThrough News. The three received approximately $40.3 million combined, according to Fox News Digital’s investigation, which the committee cited in its earlier correspondence. The committee said it is examining whether existing tax laws adequately protect against foreign influence in the nonprofit sector and whether Congress should strengthen those laws. “Shanghai Singham has poured millions of dollars into these groups to take advantage of America’s nonprofit sector and promote Chinese Communist Party propaganda. That much is public. What these groups are fighting to keep hidden is even more concerning,” Smith said in an Oct. 13 statement. “Either these organizations turn over the documents, or their leaders will answer the Committee’s questions under oath.” The committee has not publicly identified evidence showing the organizations are concealing information related to foreign influence. Fox News Digital sought an update from the committee following the Oct. 20 deadline but had not received a response as of publication.
Hegseth unleashes Trump’s ‘Arsenal of Freedom’ with warning to defense giants
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth put weapons manufacturers on notice Thursday as the Trump administration pushes to cut Pentagon red tape, expand competition and accelerate American weapons production as part of its “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative. In a video shared on X, Hegseth highlighted Washington’s drive to overhaul defense procurement, expand private-sector competition and speed up production of advanced weapons systems. “The Arsenal of Freedom has been UNLEASHED,” Hegseth posted. AMERICA FACES A CRISIS IN OUR MILITARY ARSENAL THAT TRUMP IS RACING TO FIX The video features missile launches, naval weapons systems firing, ammunition production lines and workers signing munitions for U.S. forces. Hegseth also stressed that performance, not a contractor’s name, should determine which companies supply America’s military. “I don’t care what company is on the side of the rocket. Don’t care. The only thing we ask ourselves is, is it the best?” Hegseth said in the video. “The technology that you build for our missiles, interceptors and hypersonic weapons is what allows the War Department to achieve peace through strength,” Hegseth continued. “And that mission comes with a non-negotiable mandate straight from the Resolute Desk and President Trump: build more and build faster.” MORE THAN HALF OF SOME US WEAPONS STOCKPILES USED IN IRAN WAR, RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT CHINA THREAT Hegseth framed the manufacturing push as central to strengthening American military readiness and deterring foreign adversaries. “When we unleash industry—when we at long last unleash the raw, competitive, and patriotic spirit—the United States of America always wins,” he said. “When we compete, we win. When we innovate, we win. When we go fast, we win. We’re equipping our warriors for the future right here and right now, made in the United States of America, and we’re doing it at light speed.” The “Arsenal of Freedom” campaign echoes America’s World War II-era “Arsenal of Democracy,” when U.S. factories dramatically expanded weapons production to supply American and Allied forces. TRUMP TURNS TO EMERGING TECH GIANT IN MULTI-BILLION BID TO RAMP UP US SUBMARINE PRODUCTION The administration’s defense industrial strategy is to streamline Pentagon procurement, reduce bureaucratic barriers and bring more private companies and technology startups into the military supply chain. The effort emphasizes commercial technology, faster production and greater competition among defense contractors and manufacturers. Hegseth launched the nationwide tour earlier this year with a stop at a shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, and has since visited defense manufacturing facilities across the country. On Oct. 20, Hegseth toured Riverside Machine and Engineering in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, alongside Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and local lawmakers. KEY AMERICAN INDUSTRY SEEING BLUE-COLLAR JOBS BOOM AS TRUMP’S RE-SHORING POLICIES PAY OFF There, he touted what he called a “golden age of American manufacturing,” highlighting domestic supply chains and defense industry jobs. The manufacturing push comes as the Pentagon seeks to strengthen U.S. weapons stockpiles and sustain military readiness amid threats from adversaries, including the almost eight-month war with Iran. Following visits to U.S. Central Command operations in the Middle East, Hegseth emphasized the importance of expanding production of precision missiles, air defense interceptors and other critical weapons systems. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for further comment.
DOJ moves to boot two federal judges from immigration cases over remarks to media: ‘Extraordinarily imprudent’
Two Minnesota federal judges who took the unusual step of publicly criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown to the New York Times are now fighting the administration’s efforts to disqualify them from cases involving immigration enforcement. One of those judges, Patrick Schiltz, is overseeing the Justice Department’s effort to strip U. S. citizenship from Salah Osman Ahmed, a Somali-born man who pleaded guilty in 2009 to providing material support to terrorists after joining al- Shabaab. The other, John Tunheim, is presiding over the prosecution of a South African national accused of falsely claiming U. S. citizenship and illegally voting in the 2024 election. The Justice Department filed separate motions asking Schiltz and Tunheim to recuse themselves, arguing that their participation in the New York Times report criticizing President Donald Trump’s Operation Metro Surge has raised questions about whether they can fairly preside over the cases. “Impartiality is imperative to ensuring public trust in our Nation’s judiciary,” the Justice Department said in a statement posted to X this week. “Judge Schiltz’s and Judge Tunheim’s on-the-record participation in a recent highly partisan New York Times Article, along with Judge Schiltz’s subsequent public comments, unquestionably calls into doubt whether they can be impartial in these cases.” OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE AT CENTER OF TRUMP’S ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND CASE HIT WITH MISCONDUCT CLAIM The Justice Department’s formal recusal demand follows reporting by Fox News Digital last month detailing unusual behind-the-scenes coordination among Minnesota’s federal bench as judges confronted a massive influx of immigration cases stemming from the administration’s enforcement operation. The report came after Schiltz and Tunheim were among seven Minnesota federal judges who spoke with the Times in September about Operation Metro Surge. Schiltz sat for a roughly 90- minute interview during which he described the administration’s handling of the operation as having created a “grave threat to the rule of law,” while Tunheim suggested to the Times that agents carrying out the administration’s immigration crackdown were not primarily apprehending dangerous criminals. DOJ had already raised the prospect that judges who publicly discussed the administration’s immigration cases might need to step aside when the Times report was released in September. Last month, DOJ filed a judicial misconduct complaint against Schiltz, Tunheim and other Minnesota judges who participated in the Times report, accusing them of violating judicial ethics rules and asking the Eighth Circuit to investigate. Attorney General Todd Blanche said their conduct had “undermined public confidence in an impartial judiciary in Minnesota.” “It is remarkable that sitting federal judges are giving on-the-record interviews attacking this Administration’s policies rather than ruling from the bench,” a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in September. “Judges who have made public comments on pending or related matters should consider whether recusal is warranted going forward.” ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ JUDGES ARE SABOTAGING TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION AGENDA, TOP DHS OFFICIAL SAYS The Times report in question revealed that Schiltz, Tunheim and the other Minnesota judges handling the flood of Operation Metro Surge cases regularly met, communicated through running email threads and used an informal spreadsheet created by court clerks to identify judges to consult about recurring legal questions. Chief Judge Eric Tostrud previously told Fox News Digital that the judges nevertheless independently decided every case assigned to them. “The bottom line is that each of us made an independent decision with respect to the merits of each and every petition we were assigned,” Tostrud said at the time. The Justice Department, however, has accused Schiltz and the other judges of “publicly” taking sides in the ongoing battle over Trump’s deportation agenda. “A judge who has publicly taken sides on the political issue of immigration enforcement cannot then preside over a case concerning one of the Justice Department’s key immigration initiatives: pursuing the largest denaturalization effort in Department history to restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward wrote. Schiltz declined to comment on the Justice Department’s new effort to disqualify him when reached by Fox News Digital this week. But when Fox News Digital asked him about the possibility of recusal in September, Schiltz argued there was no basis for him to step aside — and pointed to the fact that DOJ had not asked him to do so. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY “I have seen suggestions from the Administration that I might have to recuse in immigration cases, but no one has yet identified any basis for my recusal, which is presumably why the Justice Department has not asked me to recuse,” Schiltz said at the time. “Neither in the New York Times article nor anywhere else have I commented on the merits of a particular case,” he continued. “Instead, I have spoken in defense of the rule of law, a component of which is compliance with court orders. That is not a cause for recusal.” Tunheim did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Charles “Cully” Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who previously served as a federal prosecutor and military judge, told Fox News Digital that judges ordinarily avoid publicly commenting on matters that could intersect with cases before them. “These judges did something extraordinarily imprudent, and that is to talk to any newspaper, much less the New York Times,” Stimson said. “That was a big no-no.” STATE’S LARGEST MOSQUE LEADER’S DEPORTATION FIGHT TAKES DRAMATIC TURN AS TRUMP ADMIN SCORES MAJOR WIN Asked what he would do if the New York Times interviews were the only facts at issue, Stimson said he would step aside. “If we were to just go off of the New York Times interview … I would recuse myself,” Stimson said, noting the recusal would only be from the particular case at issue as opposed to all future cases adjudicating the same principles. Stimson cautioned, however, that recusal motions put judges in the unusual position of effectively judging their own impartiality and said it would be inappropriate to predict how either motion should ultimately be resolved
Supreme Court justice turns on her own court with dire warning about American democracy
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan made the case that recent rulings from the conservative-majority high court are destabilizing democracy, suggesting that it isn’t working “as well as it should.” The remarks from the liberal justice came during a closed discussion before faculty and students at Catholic University’s law school in Washington, D.C. The discussion between Kagan and law professor Joel Alicea Alicia, who previously clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, comes just weeks after the Supreme Court began its new term, during which it’s expected to rule in major cases that will determine the scope of gun rights and state election integrity laws, among other issues. The conversation also comes less than two weeks before the midterm elections as President Donald Trump and Republican state lawmakers have pushed for new congressional maps drawn to favor Republicans and bolster their chances of maintaining control of the House. Democratic-led states have responded by redrawing their own maps, fueling ongoing lawsuits and court battles. SUPREME COURT KICKS OFF NEW TERM WITH FRESH QUESTIONS OVER ITS LEGITIMACY AND ITS FUTURE Kagan pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause, in which she dissented, as the beginning of a “race to the bottom.” She argued that the decision, which barred federal courts from invalidating maps solely because they unfairly favor one political party, deprived “masses of citizens” of their “rights to voting equality.” Kagan suggested that the influx of gerrymandered maps is “driving people away from the center toward the wings, toward the extremes. “Making what I think is, unfortunately, a too polarized country even more so,” Kagan said. Kagan also criticized rulings from the previous term, including the court’s decision limiting campaign finance restrictions and its ruling that made it more difficult to draw majority-minority congressional districts under the Voting Rights Act. “Part of the reason why the court got it wrong was a kind of lack of the appropriate concern or understanding of the consequences of their decisions,” Kagan said. “I do think in all these areas the court has blinded itself to the very deleterious effects of their rulings on how the political system works and has created a democracy that doesn’t work as well as it should.” DESANTIS SIGNS FLORIDA REDISTRICTING MAP TO POTENTIALLY FLIP 4 HOUSE SEATS RED Last term, the Supreme Court struck down federal limits on how much state and national political parties could spend in coordination with their candidates. Meanwhile, Kagan argued in dissent that the limits were necessary to prevent wealthy donors from working around direct contribution caps and that striking them down effectively allowed a political party to become an “alternative checking account” for a candidate. “The people of America look around this political system and think that all this money chasing all these political candidates is a nightmare,” Kagan said. “And they’re right.” Kagan, who was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama in 2010, argued that it was in a much better position when there was greater ideological balance. “There was a period of time where the court was in a better place, and the country was in a better place because the court was more balanced, and it was unclear whether the court could push through anybody’s program.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Nobody in America thought that the court was in the pocket of any one group or any one party,” she said. “And the court had a kind of legitimacy. When the court has a legitimacy of that kind, it helps to create a stable country.” However, Kagan pushed back against the characterization that the conservative-leaning court simply rubber-stamped Trump’s entire agenda. She pointed to previous rulings by the high court rejecting birthright citizenship restrictions, tariffs and Trump’s restrictions on mail-in voting. “It’s why the president sometimes really has not very nice things to say about the court’s decisions and some of my colleagues,” Kagan said.
Slotkin’s viral ‘threat’ to conservatives takes new twist as student moves to hold her accountable: ‘Shocking’
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is facing an ethics complaint filed to the United States Senate over comments she made earlier this month that many characterized as a “threat” to conservatives who are thinking about working for the Trump administration. During an Oct. 13 University of Chicago event, Slotkin drew criticism after a clip went viral showing her saying she wants to pursue “signature cases” against people who “enabled” President Donald Trump and push a “deterrence message” for young people. “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration? Like, that sounds fun, I might get an opportunity.’ I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that,’” she said. “I want that deterrence message sent,” Slotkin said. Slotkin is now facing an ethics complaint filed Thursday by Michael Bicksel, a University of Chicago student who first reported her remarks. The complaint was submitted to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and argues that Slotkin proposed using congressional investigations and potential prosecutions to frighten young people away from serving in a Republican administration. FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY VIOLENCE CAN BE JUSTIFIED TO STOP HATE SPEECH, POLL FINDS “Recently at an event at my college, the University of Chicago, Senator Slotkin laid out a legislative-oversight agenda that involved using the legal process to terrorize members of the Trump administration in order to âdeterâ young people from going to work for it,” Bicksel wrote. The complaint asks the committee to determine whether Slotkin’s comments amounted to “improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate,” a standard described in the Senate Ethics Manual as applying to conduct that may be unethical even if it does not violate a specific law or Senate rule. “As a college student and a conservative, this was a shocking thing to hear,” Bicksel’s complaint reads. “A prominent U.S. Senator came to my college and laid out a goal that I and my peers should be afraid to serve our country in the executive branch. This is well below the standard of conduct expected of a U.S. Senator and deserves investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and appropriate subsequent disciplinary action.” ELISSA SLOTKIN TELLS STUDENTS LIKE ME NOT TO WORK IN GOVERNMENT. DON’T LISTEN TO HER Bicksel argued that Slotkin’s comments were directed at students considering government service, rather than exclusively at people who commit crimes or engage in unethical conduct. “The substance of the âdeterrence messageâ is clear as day,” Bicksel wrote. “Her target was âyoung people coming out of schoolâ (like me and my classmates) who are debating whether they should âgo work for the Trump administration.â” “We are obviously not debating â as she subsequently tried to clarify â whether to go commit crimes or behave unethically,” he continued. “Those who commit crimes should be punished for doing so. No one disagrees with that. All we are debating is public service, pure and simple, and Senator Slotkin says we should think twice about doing so because it might provoke the full power of the United States Senate.” Slotkin, when pressed on the response to her comment on CNN, referred to the controversy as “manufactured outrage.” “I think the thing that I’ve heard from my own Republican colleagues and peers, including interns and folks who work around the Hill who come to our events, they’ll tell you, âI was worried,â” Slotkin added. “My parents were worried, you know. It’s really messy. I’m not sure what to get involved in.’ Politics, in general, has become messy.” The Justice Department is currently facing calls to investigate Slotkin over her remarks, Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday. Slotkin’s communication director pointed Fox News Digital to a statement made by the senator on Tuesday when reached for comment. “Now, if you take a breath, this is all pretty crazy. A president from the Oval Office is weaponizing our justice system against an American who clearly gets under his skin. And if he can do it to me, he can do it to anyone,” Slotkin said. “His supporters use a coordinated play to threaten, intimidate, and silence anyone who speaks up. It’s a play to distract us from his failed economy, high gas prices, and the disastrous war he started with Iran. But if I’ve learned one thing from this past year, it’s that you have to push back.”
Leavitt opens up on helping Trump find new press secretary after Zacharia debacle: ‘Was not for her’
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says she is helping President Donald Trump choose his next press secretary after his first pick for the job lasted just five days. “I’ve offered my help to the president to help him select someone who can serve him and the country well,” Leavitt said Wednesday evening in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. Leavitt served as Trump’s press secretary from the start of the president’s second term until Aug. 27, when she stepped down from the demanding role to spend more time with her two young children, including a daughter who was born in May. Her successor, political commentator Katie Zacharia, took over earlier this month, but lasted just five days in the role, making her the shortest-serving White House press secretary in U.S. history. TRUMP’S NEW PRESS SECRETARY OUT OF A JOB JUST DAYS AFTER ROCKY DEBUT “White House press secretary is a tough job. I know that because I did it, obviously for almost two years, and many people say it’s one of the hardest jobs in politics,” Leavitt emphasized. She noted that the job “takes a lot of preparation and sometimes you don’t know how someone will perform until they go out there.” “We wish Katie the best. The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well,” Leavitt added. When it comes to whom Trump will choose next for the position, Leavitt said the president “is continuing to look over options. There’s a lot of people who want that job. It’s an amazing job. It provides you with incredible opportunities.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Asked what advice she’s offered to Trump, Leavitt said, “I’ll keep my private counsel to the president private, but I do obviously talk to him about what the job entails, and he knows it very well.” “Nobody understands the press better than Donald Trump. He knows he needs someone who is tough, who is smart, who understands his policies, who is loyal, and who can go out there and put up a fight,” she added. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, served as an intern in the Trump White House after graduating from Saint Anselm College in 2019. She later became an assistant White House press secretary at the end of Trump’s first term. After Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Leavitt worked as communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. She then served as spokeswoman for the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. before taking over as press secretary for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. After being named White House press secretary following the 2024 election, Leavitt made history as the youngest person ever in the role. DEMOCRACY â26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Leavitt also ran for Congress in 2022, winning a heavily contested GOP nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st District before losing the general election to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Asked if she might make another run for public office in her home state when Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan is up for re-election in 2028, Leavitt quickly said, “No, I’m all set. I don’t have any plans to run for office in the near future at all, or in the future at all.” “I am home with my family, and we’re really excited about that,” she explained. “Right now I’m really focused on being a wife and a mother to my two very young children. That’s why I made the decision to leave Washington. So we’re just happy to be home and enjoying the ride.” Leavitt officially becomes a Fox News contributor at the start of November.
Obama-appointed judge at center of Trump’s anti-weaponization fund case hit with misconduct claim
FIRST ON FOX: A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama is being accused of “misconduct” in a case involving President Donald Trump. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is demanding an investigation into U.S. Judge Kathleen Williams of the Southern District of Florida after she sanctioned Trump’s lawyers over his case against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Jordan wrote to the Judicial Conference of the United States that “there is evidence that Judge Williams abused her judicial authority and violated fundamental tenets of judicial impartiality in connection with an unusual and unsupported order that imposed sanctions after the plaintiffs voluntarily had dismissed the underlying action.” The letter is being co-led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the panel’s subcommittee on courts. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT Trump, his adult sons Eric and Donald Jr., and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against the IRS in early 2026 seeking $10 billion in damages after a contractor with the agency leaked the president’s tax returns to the press. The contractor, Charles Littlejohn, was sentenced to five years in federal prison. APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED âWEAPONIZATIONâ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT Trump, who filed the lawsuit in his personal capacity, had it voluntarily dismissed in May. Shortly after, however, the administration announced a settlement agreement that included $1.776 billion for an “anti-weaponization fund” for victims of “lawfare” by the Biden administration. Trump himself would receive no compensation, but would get a formal apology from the federal government and bar the IRS from ever auditing Trump or his family. Williams, however, then accused the plaintiffs of purposely manipulating the courts to achieve the settlement and sanctioned two of the president’s lawyers in a July order. Her order referred lawyer Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar for potential disciplinary action and prevented lawyer Daniel Epstein from practicing under her jurisdiction for at least a year. LIBERAL LAW PROFESSOR BREAKS WITH OBAMA JUDGE OVER TRUMP LAWYER CRACKDOWN: âI REFUSE TO TEACHâ IT Jordan’s letter called the timing of Williams’ order “suspect” for coming after the case was voluntarily withdrawn. He also accused Williams of basing the action on an amicus brief submitted by left-wing judicial activist group Democracy Defenders Action. The brief, which the group said was submitted on behalf of 35 former federal judges, called on Williams to reopen the case despite the dismissal by the involved parties and accused both sides of “fraud” over the settlement. GOP SENATOR UNVEILS BOASBERG ACT TO STOP ‘ROGUE’ JUDGES FROM HANDPICKING TRUMP CASES “Judge Williams issued her July 13 order after the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the case, ending the dispute between the parties,” Jordan and Issa wrote. “Although Judge Williams invoked the court’s inherent authority to impose sanctions, the Committee is not aware of Eleventh Circuit precedent applying inherent sanctions authority after a plaintiff has voluntarily dismissed a case based on briefing by partisan nonparties on an unrelated question the court never decided.” They concluded, “Judge Williams’s conduct risks undermining public confidence in the federal courts. Accordingly, we respectfully ask that the Judicial Conference review this matter, including whether it warrants referral to the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit or other appropriate action, and that you inform the Committee of steps taken no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 5, 2026.” CLINTON JUDGE INDEFINITELY BLOCKS TRUMP’S $1.776B ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND Issa told Fox News Digital in his own statement, “The rogue federal judges who make up the Trump Resistance in Robes continue to disappoint but never surprise. Judge Williams hasn’t only shown her liberal contempt for President Trump â but crossed a bright ethical line by going after his attorneys.” Trump allies, particularly in Congress, have clashed with federal judges on multiple fronts so far this term. Republicans have accused what they call “activist judges” of weaponizing their courts to block Trump’s agenda. Democrats, meanwhile, backed up Williams’ skepticism of Trump’s settlement. The anti-weaponization fund proposal, which has since been blocked by other courts, has received bipartisan pushback.
Virginia state senator indicted, accused of leading a marijuana distribution enterprise
Virginia state Senator Lillie Louise Lucas was indicted Thursday on five charges that include drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and firearms charges after being accused of running a marijuana distribution enterprise, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Lucas is among seven indicted in the sprawling racketeering scheme, a group that includes her two daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and her grandson Ryan Eichelberger, Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Thursday press conference. “Louise Lucas has served in a position of public trust in the Commonwealth of Virginia for over three decades,” Blanche said in a DOJ statement. “The charges alleged in this indictment reveal the behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve. Our federal prosecutors will continue to be guided by the facts and evidence that led a grand jury to indict Ms. Lucas and her alleged co-conspirators.” DEMS BLAST TRUMP OVER VIRGINIA FBI RAID BUT PROBE STARTED UNDER HIS PREDECESSOR The 82-year-old Lucas has served as a Virginia state senator since 1991, and as the president pro tempore of the state’s Senate since 2020. As president pro tempore, she is the presiding member of the state senate in the absence of the state’s lieutenant governor. She has also served as chair of the state’s Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee since 2024. “Through her elected office, Senator Lucas has been a public servant of the people of Virginia. Her first duty should have been looking out for her constituents before herself, but the charges listed in the indictment reflect the alleged behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve,” Blanche said Thursday. The DOJ said Lucas led the Lucas Enterprise with a close-knit group of friends and family that included her two daughters and a grandson. “[They] orchestrated a multi-year scheme to enrich their own criminal marijuana enterprise, ‘the Lucas Enterprise,’ using Lucas’ position as Chairwoman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to insulate the enterprise from criminal scrutiny and influencing legislation to financially benefit themselves,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in the statement. Lucas was directly involved in a wide range of activities within the enterprise, including the acquisition and distribution of 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and for the laundering of the drug sales proceeds, the DOJ said. The state senator opened The CBD Shoppe and The Cannabis Outlet in 2019, according to the indictment. The pot shops’ openings came nearly two years before Virginia officially legalized marijuana for recreational use on July 1, 2021. In 2021, Lucas and her daughter Lisa Lucas-Burke, who is currently running for mayor in Portsmouth, Virginia, also opened The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth. SPANBERGER REFUSES TO HONOR ICE DETAINER IN MURDER CASE, ESCALATING SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP DHS During a conversation with an unindicted co-conspirator, Lucas pushed for favorable language in a Virginia state bill on marijuana reform, telling the co-conspirator, “This is our last chance at generational wealthâ¦I’ve got too old to not be greedy,” the indictment stated. The FBI raided Lucas’ office and businesses in May. Lucas responded to the indictment Thursday morning with a post on X. “Today, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the full weight of the federal government have been wielded against an 82-year-old great-grandmother,” she wrote. “I grew up under Jim Crow. I’ve seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them. I spent my life fighting back, and I’m not stopping now,” she continued. “I’m not new to this. I’m true to this. I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down,” she concluded. Four other co-conspirators were charged in the indictment: Prince Albert William Hudson III, Theresa Lucas-Lamb, Carlton Upton Jr. and Tameka Johnson. Lillie Louise Lucas and Lisa Lucas-Burke’s mayoral campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital for comment.
Ilhan Omar issues stunning admission when confronted with brother marriage rumors
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., denied Wednesday that she married her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to commit immigration fraud and pushed back against claims that they are related. But when asked if there’s any familial relation with her ex-husband, Omar admitted, “Not to my knowledge.” The interview marked the Somali-born congresswoman’s first time speaking with the media since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence on Oct. 12. The congresswoman’s office has not responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated requests for comment regarding the investigations and raid on her home earlier this month. ILHAN OMAR BELIEVES TRUMP RAID ON HOME WAS MEANT TO ‘INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE’ FROM VOTING “It all started with the Somali blog,” Omar told MS Now host Chris Hayes regarding longstanding rumors that they are siblings. “Somebody put it there, that he had to have been my brother or something to that effect.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into possible false statements in Omar’s immigration and naturalization documents. The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the allegations. FEDERAL AGENTS RAID ILHAN OMAR’S DC HOME AMID IMMIGRATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia approved the warrant, according to court-related reporting. Omar has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated. She appeared publicly for the first time since last Monday’s raid with a video posted to social media from the back of a car where she asked supporters to keep sending her money. Federal authorities issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to members of Omar’s family, and seized her cellphone during the investigation, according to The Associated Press. Fox News Digital reported that Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, spoke with federal investigators last week in the wake of the raid. ILHAN OMAR RAID SPARKS OMINOUS PREDICTION FROM WATCHDOG: ‘THEY PROBABLY GOT THE GOODS’ A separate inquiry from the immigration fraud investigation is examining Omar’s campaign finances and financial disclosures. That investigation reportedly began during the Biden administration in 2024. The complaint about her massive wealth disparity in her disclosures was dismissed by congressional ethics hawks but is now being investigated by authorities outside the Capitol, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced last week. Both investigations remain ongoing.