GOP handed new lifeline on biggest pocketbook fight of midterms
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans are being given a new playbook on an issue that is all but certain to be the biggest political lightning rod of the November midterms. Conservative group Club for Growth is sending a memo to Capitol Hill lawmakers on Friday arguing that Americans’ struggle with high living costs cannot be ignored — and that the fault lies with an expanding federal government. “Americans are not asking whether the inflation rate has slowed; they are asking why the same basket of goods is permanently more expensive,” the information packets being distributed to Republican lawmakers read. “[G]overnment made core costs higher through deficit spending, subsidies, mandates, and restrictions on supply.” It’s an argument that could be a lifeline for the GOP as it fights an uphill battle to keep control of the House and Senate. While Democrats attack Republicans for how Americans feel about prices today, Club for Growth’s memo is urging Republicans to point to the rapid federal expansion the Biden administration presided over during the COVID-19 pandemic. REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE The materials, a two-page memo for lawmakers and a more in-depth 76-page policy packet, also urge Republicans to push policies that Club for Growth says will actually lower those costs. AMERICA’S BROKEN PERMITTING SYSTEM IS QUIETLY RAISING YOUR COST OF LIVING The strategy would be a gamble, given the midterms are traditionally a referendum on how people feel about how they are doing under the party currently in power. But it gives Republicans a potential economic platform and a roadmap to pitch for lowering costs if they keep the majority for the next two years. “The free-market answer is structural cost relief: spend less, build more, produce more energy, make healthcare compete, let workers earn, and let families choose,” the memo said. BILLIONS SPENT BY KEY FEDERAL AGENCY HASN’T MADE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP ANY EASIER: REPORT It urged Republicans to resist calling for subsidies for areas of the economy where prices are skyrocketing, arguing that handing out taxpayer money would only increase costs in the longer-term. An example the memo used is Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which Republicans have long blamed for skyrocketing healthcare costs before the COVID-era subsidy expired at the beginning of this year. “Subsidies and regulation function as a back door for government control and involvement in private industry,” the memo argued. “The only way to address the affordability crisis properly is to undo misguided government intervention and stop pretending more of the same will suddenly work.” But it could put GOP lawmakers at odds with President Donald Trump and his promise to give each American adult $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms. Several GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital last week were hesitant to embrace the idea. Among the solutions offered are reforming Social Security, which fiscal hawks have long warned will soon run out of cash if changes are not made to current age requirements and other guidelines. GOP FISCAL HAWK SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ FEDERAL SPENDING, SAYING ‘BOTH PARTIES HAVE FAILED US’ On high housing costs, the memo urges lawmakers to increase supply by targeting land use and building regulations rather than offering subsidies to make existing housing more affordable. Energy costs, which were a flashpoint in the 2025 off-year elections as well, could be brought down by furthering the Trump administration’s goals to unleash U.S. energy sources rather than Democrats’ push for net-zero carbon emissions, the memo said. A focus on nuclear energy policies could also help drive down energy costs, which will be at the forefront of most Americans’ minds during the November election. And while Democrats have pushed free early childcare as a solution for struggling families, the Club for Growth memo is urging Republicans to find a more lasting solution in reforming regulations surrounding the industry. “Health and safety training in specific areas, adherence to building, fire, and health codes, and comprehensive background checks, including fingerprinting, are reasonable,” the memo said. “However, strict and complex rules about work-child ratios, rigid staffing mandates, and regulations on facility specifications, including equipment requirements and zoning classifications, increase operating costs without demonstrable improvements in child wellbeing.” The election is less than 50 days away, and both sides are working overtime to prove they are best positioned to help ease rising costs.
Donalds rips opponent’s ‘complete 180’ as Dem’s own 2016 words come back to haunt him in tightening gov race
Florida gubernatorial candidate, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, is taking aim at his Democratic opponent David Jolly over his shifting political positions and party affiliation, in a contest that is resurfacing themes from the 2016 congressional race between Jolly and Charlie Crist. “You were pro-choice, then you were pro-life, then you were pro-choice. It was only after you switched parties that you switched your position. This was not a matter of conviction for you; it was for political convenience,” Jolly said about Charlie Crist when Jolly was a Republican running against Crist, a Democrat, for Congress in 2016. Ten years later, Jolly is now a Democrat running for Florida governor and facing the same criticism for allegedly changing his positions for political gain, this time, in his race for governor against Donalds. “The shift in positions by David Jolly is not because of personal conviction, it is purely because of political convenience,” Donalds told Fox News Digital, referencing that 2016 exchange. DESANTIS ENDORSES FLORIDA GOP SLATE INCLUDING BYRON DONALDS IN GOVERNOR’S RACE Some of the shifts in Jolly’s positions include issues like abortion, immigration and drilling off the coast of Florida. As a Republican, Jolly said he believed “life begins at conception,” authored legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and co-sponsored fetal-personhood legislation. He also voted for a federal 20-week abortion ban. Now running as a Democrat, Jolly calls himself “pro-choice,” supports codifying the Roe v. Wade framework and says he would veto legislation restricting abortion access as governor. Jolly’s immigration views have also shifted sharply as he attempts to run for governor in a state that voted for Trump each of the last three presidential cycles by wide margins, with many voters motivated by Trump’s immigration policies. As a Republican, he campaigned on securing the border, supported tighter screening for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and voted for the American SAFE Act. Today, he says the country should have “wide gates” for people coming to work or seek asylum, argues that crossing the border without legal status should not necessarily be treated as a crime in those circumstances and has called the Republican link between immigration and crime “gross,” “immoral” and “wrong.” As voters consistently say that affordability is a top-of-mind concern, Donalds is also hitting Jolly’s record on healthcare as an example of inconsistency that shows a lack of credibility on the issue. NEVER-TRUMP REPUBLICAN IS TOP DEM CHOICE IN CRUCIAL FLORIDA PRIMARY “When David Jolly was in Congress, he opposed Obamacare,” Donalds said. “Now trying to run for governor, he wants to expand Obamacare in Florida. I mean, these are just some of the complete shifts that we’ve seen in what he stands for.” Another issue Donalds is taking issue with involves the period after the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which sent oil and tar balls washing ashore along roughly 178 miles of Florida coastline, contributed to an estimated loss of 1.88 million planned recreational visits in northwest Florida and cost the region $1.3 billion in visitor spending, $2.04 billion in economic output and more than 20,000 job-years. Within a year of the spill, Jolly’s lobbying firm represented a client that publicly advocated for legislation that could have expanded offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Three Bridges Advisors listed H.R. 909, the Roadmap for America’s Energy Future, among the subjects of its 2011 lobbying activity for the Free Enterprise Nation, which supported the bill. Jolly also wrote a post on the group’s website stating that Free Enterprise Nation was “advocating for” the legislation. BYRON DONALDS SHUTS DOWN BILL MAHER’S CLAIM ON GOP PRIMARY RACISM, SAYS ‘FLORIDA IS A MERITOCRACY’ Jolly said he had “never lobbied for offshore drilling,” but PolitiFact rated that claim “Mostly False” after finding that Jolly acknowledged attending a meeting where the bill was discussed, which lobbying experts said technically counted as lobbying. Donalds cited the controversy to Fox News Digital saying, “Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of America, David Jolly went and became a lobbyist for more oil drilling off the coast of Florida, that is a fact and so, what we’re seeing is a history of somebody who does everything possible, will say whatever, will be paid by whomever that are only in the interest of David Jolly.” With polls showing a tightening race, the RealClearPolitics average gives Donalds a nearly 4-point lead. The candidates are also sparring over debate scheduling: Donalds has agreed to three proposed debates, while Jolly, who previously accepted two other debate invitations, has now ruled out participating in debates this cycle. “Now he’s ducking debates,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “He won’t debate me because he knows that on a debate stage, I will hold him accountable for these things.” Jolly has hit Donalds on the campaign trail on a variety of issues as he tries to become the first Democrat to win a governor’s race in Florida since Lawton Chiles won re-election in 1994. Primarily, Jolly has focused on data centers and labeled Donalds as a candidate more interested in partisan culture-war battles than addressing Florida’s rising housing, insurance and healthcare costs. Fox News Digital reached out to the Jolly campaign for comment. Donalds told Fox News Digital that Jolly’s flips on both party registration and the issues are things his campaign will continue to focus on. “What you find with David Jolly is somebody who’s done a complete 180 simply to run for office again and to gain relevance again and the people of Florida simply cannot trust David Jolly because we cannot afford David Jolly’s flip-flopping when it comes to the great state of Florida,” Donalds said.
WATCH: Mike Lee explodes on voting error that ‘keeps happening’ as huge number of noncitizens found on rolls
Firebrand conservative Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, slammed both Democrats and Republicans who have resisted passage of the SAVE America Act after a report found that 30,000 noncitizens were “mistakenly” registered to vote in states across the country since 2000. Reuters reported on Wednesday that more than 30,000 self-declared noncitizens have been added to U.S. voter rolls since 2000. The outlet attributed the erroneous registrations to “software glitches and clerical errors” and said that its review suggested “inadvertent bureaucratic failures, rather than organized efforts to register immigrants illegally.” The outlet said that this raised “questions about whether legislative efforts to require proof of citizenship for voter registration would eliminate the issue.” However, while speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Lee, who introduced the SAVE America Act earlier this year, said that “even though we have laws that prohibit things like noncitizen voting, those laws have been rendered difficult and essentially impossible to enforce.” “That thing that they claim never happens, voter fraud or noncitizen voting, just keeps happening over and over and over again,” he railed. ‘RAW MATERIAL FOR ELECTION FRAUD’: EXPERT FLAGS VOTER-ROLL PROBLEMS FAR BEYOND ONE STATE Reuters reported that the errors occurred in California, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The outlet said it was unable to determine how many noncitizens actually cast ballots and further noted that the numbers are not precise because “state data is often tentative and subject to revision.” This follows New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s disclosure that 6,600 self-identified noncitizens were registered to vote and fewer than 400 of those individuals cast ballots. Lee attributed problems with ineligible voter registration and voting to reliance on the “honor system” for self-attestation of voter eligibility. MORE THAN A QUARTER-MILLION NONCITIZENS MAY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 4 KEY STATES, DHS ALLEGES Referencing an all-you-can-eat deal at a popular chain restaurant that requires customers to show I.D., Lee said that “it should not be any easier for someone to get away with voter fraud at a polling location on voting day than it is to cheat Olive Garden through its never-ending pasta pass.” “And yet, that’s exactly where we are today,” he said. Lee presented his SAVE America Act as a solution. President Donald Trump supports the bill, which passed the House but has stalled in the Senate. RNC SUES NEW JERSEY ELECTION OFFICIALS OVER ALLEGED WITHHELD VOTER ROLL RECORDS Lee argued that the bill would address both ineligible voter registration and fraudulent voting by requiring registrants to verify citizenship and eligibility at the time of registration and requiring voter ID and photo identification at the polls. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Don Palmer, senior legal fellow for election integrity at the Heritage Foundation, said that “this story really provides proof that one way forward is to simply upgrade and sort of help the driver’s license agencies across the country improve their verification of citizenship while they’re providing those services to voters.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “All joking aside with the Olive Garden scenario, I love their food, and I’m more than happy to show the ID. I think the issue is I wish that the driver’s license agencies and state agencies would take voter registration as serious as Italian food,” he quipped. “I think that that would be a bipartisan way of improving that verification of citizenship with databases, and I think there’s some bipartisan support for that. And so that might be a way forward, not necessarily, showing documentation of citizenship, but let’s improve the driver’s license agencies to verify citizenship, and let’s improve REAL ID,” he said.
New Jersey Gov Mikie Sherrill calls on lieutenant governor to resign after sexual harassment investigation
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on handpicked Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign by Friday after an independent investigation substantiated sexual harassment and two ethics violations. The investigation found Caldwell told a female staffer that “you young women are looking for young sperm” after she told him her younger friend was not interested in a romantic relationship with him. Investigators concluded the sexually charged remark constituted sexual harassment and said Caldwell’s denial that he made the comment was not credible. The staffer said she subsequently attempted to distance herself from Caldwell at work and avoid traveling with him when possible. REPUBLICANS TIGHTEN SCREWS ON SHERRILL AS NONCITIZEN VOTER PROBE ENTERS NEW PHASE “I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so,” Sherrill said Thursday, calling the substantiated sexual harassment finding “extremely troubling.” The report also substantiated two ethics violations, finding Caldwell brought personal guests to ticketed events without advance ethics clearance or payment and repeatedly attempted to secure a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship. Investigators found Caldwell continued bringing unpaid guests to events despite repeated training and warnings, including on May 23, one day after he was formally notified of the investigation. SHERRILL ESCALATES TRUMP FIGHT OVER VOTER FIASCO DAY AFTER MULLIN PRAISES NJ COOPERATION Four days after receiving notice of the investigation, Caldwell also used his state email account to recommend his romantic partner for a leadership position in another executive branch department, referring to her as “my friend” and forwarding her resume and letter of interest. Investigators said Caldwell did not disclose their romantic relationship while advocating for her promotion. Caldwell denied wrongdoing in a May response to investigators, calling the allegations false and misleading and saying he believed the facts would exonerate him. He denied hitting on or asking women out while conducting official business. Fox News Digital reached out to Caldwell for comment on the report and Sherrill’s resignation demand. Sherrill said the violations reflected “a pattern of behavior” that persisted despite warnings and training. “The lieutenant governor’s resignation is necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents,” the Democrat said. Sherrill also took aim at President Donald Trump in announcing her decision, saying the president “continues to undermine confidence in public service at the federal level” and that she would not accept “a culture that sweeps misconduct under the rug” in New Jersey. The investigation began after the state’s chief ethics officer received an anonymous complaint in May alleging inappropriate behavior toward women and ethics violations. Caldwell was formally notified of the investigation May 22.
FBI says source of its jobs portal breach still unknown as hackers allege employee data compromised
The FBI is working to determine whether a breach involving its jobs website originated within the bureau or through a third-party provider after a criminal hacking group claimed it obtained FBI employees’ personal information. “The FBI is aware of a cyber-criminal enterprise group claiming a compromise of the FBIJobs.gov portal and alleged impact to FBI employee personally identifiable information (PII),” the organization wrote in an X post Thursday. “While the point of breach is still undetermined — whether a third-party or the FBI’s enterprise — we are actively and aggressively investigating this matter and working closely with those third-party providers that support FBIJobs.gov to mitigate any and all risk.” Jason Pack, CEO of Media Rep Global Strategies and a retired FBI supervisory special agent, said the distinction between a personnel data breach and access to the FBI’s classified systems is critical as investigators determine the scope of the incident. FBI INVESTIGATES AFTER SHINYHUNTERS HACKERS CLAIM THEFT OF AGENTS’ PERSONAL DATA “There is a meaningful difference between somebody obtaining personnel information and somebody gaining access to classified investigative systems,” he told Fox News Digital. “Based on what we know right now, there is no indication they have the keys to the kingdom.” ShinyHunters, a criminal hacking and extortion group, has taken responsibility for the breach and said it stole information belonging to nearly all FBI agents and people who applied to work for the bureau, Reuters previously reported. A sample of data shared with Reuters contained agents’ names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, assignments and, in some cases, names of family members, according to the outlet. DMV BREACH CONFIRMED AS HACKERS CLAIM 200,000 RECORDS STOLEN Pack said combining personal information with information about an FBI employee’s work could create additional security risks. “If an adversary knows who somebody is, where they work and what they do, they can build a much more believable scam around that person,” he said. Pack said assignment information could also carry counterintelligence implications if it falls into the hands of a foreign intelligence service. “There is also a counterintelligence concern. If a foreign intelligence service can associate particular people with certain assignments, it can help them identify individuals they may want to learn more about, approach or potentially assess for recruitment,” he added. “That does not mean that is happening here. It simply explains why assignment information can have value to an adversary.” CHINA-LINKED HACKERS INFILTRATED US GOVERNMENT NETWORKS BEFORE FBI TAKEDOWN Pack stressed that the hackers’ claims remain separate from what the FBI has confirmed, and said the bureau still needs to determine what information was accessed, how the breach occurred and who may have been affected. “The danger from stolen personal information does not necessarily end when the computer vulnerability is fixed,” he said. “Criminals may hold onto that information and use it weeks or months later.” The FBI said it is working with third-party providers supporting FBIJobs.gov as investigators seek to determine the source of the breach and mitigate potential risks.
Mamdani-backed socialist arrested at anti-Netanyahu protest outside UN
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist House candidate in New York, was arrested Thursday while protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to New York City during the United Nation’s General Assembly meeting, according to photos shared on social media by her campaign and public media reports. Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 13th Congressional District, was among dozens of demonstrators taken into custody after protesters blocked a roadway near the United Nations General Assembly meeting Thursday ahead of Netanyahu’s address at the event. “Darializa was just arrested while peacefully protesting Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations,” a Thursday afternoon post from the candidate’s social media account said. “Our government has unlimited funds to arm a genocide against Palestinians but tells us there’s nothing left to feed and house our own people. Stop arming Israel!” ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR SAYS NYC’S MAMDANI IS ‘SOWING CHAOS’ AHEAD OF NETANYAHU’S UN APPEARANCE The demonstration Avila Chevalier was reportedly arrested at drew around 250 protesters to the corner of 1st Avenue and 39th Street in Manhattan, according to City & State New York. Police began making arrests after protesters sitting in the roadway refused to move. Avila Chevalier defended her participation following the arrest. “Netanyahu belongs at the Hague, not in the streets of New York City, and certainly not addressing the United Nations General Assembly,” she said in a statement reported by Bloomberg. Avila Chevalier was not the only New York political figure taken into custody. City Council members Chi Ossé and Alexa Avilés were also arrested during the demonstration, according to City & State, while the Daily Mail reported actress Susan Sarandon was among those detained at the protest. Outlets reported that roughly 80 to 100 protesters who refused orders and remained at the demonstration were arrested. RISING SOCIALIST STARS ON TRACK TO CONGRESS: WHO ARE DARIALIZA AVILA CHEVALIER, BRAD LANDER AND CLAIRE VALDEZ? Avila Chevalier, 32, pulled off a major Democratic primary upset in June when she defeated five-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the heavily Democratic 13th District, which covers Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. Fox News Digital previously reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Avila Chevalier in late May during an appearance on MS NOW, praising her commitment to working-class New Yorkers and saying he looked forward to fighting alongside her for their shared affordability agenda. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and received backing from the group’s New York City chapter during her congressional campaign. Avila Chevalier has been a prominent pro-Palestinian activist as well, with Fox News Digital previously reporting on how she led anti-Israel protests at Columbia University and said she helped launch Columbia University Apartheid Divest’s (CUAD) boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign. CUAD later drew scrutiny for social media posts, including “Death to America” and a call for the “eradication of Western civilization.” Fox News Digital reached out to Avila Chevalier’s campaign for additional information about the arrest but did not immediately receive a response. The NYPD directed Fox News Digital to its public information phone line but declined to provide additional information when reached by phone.
Xi can’t escape protesters’ cries at deafening dinner demonstration
Audible protests blared over President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House Thursday night, at times drowning out the state dinner event. “Free Hong Kong,” “Xi Jinping, you’re not welcome” and “Freedom for political prisoners” were among the chants shouted. Protesters gathered across the Northern portico in Lafeyette Park to stand against the communist leader’s visit, during which the two leaders are expected to discuss artificial intelligence and intellectual property theft, trade practices and rare-earth minerals. TRUMP-XI REUNION COMES WITH UNFINISHED BUSINESS — AND A BIGGER BATTLE LOOMING The chants could be heard clearly before the Marine Corps band began playing and remained audible, though less prominently, throughout the performance. Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong democracy, Chinese pro-democracy and Falun Gong groups gathered in Washington this week to call attention to the Chinese government’s alleged human rights abuses. President Trump has previously referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as “Pooh Bear,” a nickname rooted in an online meme comparing Xi to Winnie-the-Pooh. Protesters leaned into the comparison Thursday, dressing as the cartoon bear during a demonstration outside the White House. The dinner welcomed 134 guests, including the two leaders and prominent tech CEOs, such as Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Tim Cook of Apple, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. TRUMP SHOULD PRESS XI ON CHINA’S PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS AT HOME AND ABROAD Many demonstrators have called for the release of political prisoners. So has House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has called for the release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas. Abbas is a retired Uyghur doctor who disappeared from her home in China Sept. 10, 2018. Chinese officials later sentenced her to 20 years in prison on terrorism-related charges that her family calls fabricated. XI PREPARES CHINA ‘FOR BATTLE’ AS EXPERT WARNS OF GRAVE DANGER FACING US AHEAD OF DC SUMMIT Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to see if her release, or others, are on the negotiating table during this visit. Famous American tenor Christopher Macchio, who was featured at the Republican National Convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, will entertain for the evening along with military musicians from the Army and the Marine Corps. After the dinner, both presidents are expected to retire for the evening ahead of their visit to the National Archives Friday.
Unearthed clip exposes clash between El-Sayed and ex-GOP rival: ‘Muslims definitely hate you’
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, once fired back at accusations he might have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that advocates implementing Muslim code, known as Sharia law, as a legal framework. “Now, you may not hate Muslims. But I’ll tell you, Muslims definitely hate you,” El-Sayed said at a 2018 Michigan gubernatorial forum. The statement, made in response to a question from Michigan lawmaker Patrick Colbeck about his religious affiliations, demonstrates El-Sayed’s resentment toward efforts to use his Muslim faith as a link to Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. It also shows efforts to address fears that, as a Muslim, he would try to implement Sharia law as the law of the land. VANCE UNLOADS ON EL-SAYED OVER SHARIA REMARKS: ‘THAT’S NOT MY GRANDPA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ Colbeck was also running for governor at the time. During the panel, Colbeck focused his criticisms on the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming El-Sayed had ties to the Muslim Students Association (MSA), a group listed as part of a strategy memorandum for North America written by one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s members, Mohamed Akram. El-Sayed served as the vice president of the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan during his time there as a senior in 2007, according to College Fix. “This is very serious stuff, guys. This is about civilization jihad,” Colbeck said. Fox News Digital has not discovered any ties between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood. Notably, the memorandum lists a wide range of organizations, stretching from the Islamic Book Service to the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers, groups that, for their own part, don’t maintain a formal relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. Colbeck’s comments prompted the moderator at the 2018 panel to direct a question to El-Sayed directly. “Is Sharia Law instituted here in the state of Michigan a real concern?” the moderator asked. El-Sayed took the moment to rebuff Colbeck, stating that he would, if elected, swear an oath to uphold the law of the land and not look to subvert it. EL-SAYED’S DEFENSE OF SHARIA LAW STANCE SPARKS ONLINE ERUPTION FROM CHRISTIANS, CONSERVATIVES: ‘HE’S DONE’ “I solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this state — that’s the oath that if any one of us is elected, we will swear. I take that oath particularly seriously because it guarantees me the right to pray as I choose to pray,” El-Sayed said at the time. “Sharia law is not in question in this state.” While the United States doesn’t list the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, other countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Russia all have, citing the group’s history of armed activity. The Muslim Brotherhood renounced violence in the 1970s but has continued to advocate for ways to codify Muslim religious beliefs in countries around the world since then. In a 2012 document, the group issued a statement on Islamic law and national identity. “That is an integral part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s concept of Islamic law or Sharia, which is the most important issue that preoccupies us and which we seek to establish in society, and for which we have offered our dear brothers for martyrdom, imprisonment and persecution over long decades,” the group wrote. The idea of Muslims using the American election process to implement the Muslim code as the law of the land has raised concerns from lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and others who believe Sharia’s many tenets are incompatible with American culture. “America is facing a threat that directly attacks our Constitution and our Western values: the spread of Sharia law,” Roy said in a 2025 press release. “From Texas to every state in this constitutional republic, instances of Sharia adherents masquerading as ‘refugees’ — and in many cases, sleeper cells connected to terrorist organizations — are threatening the American way of life. Those who succumb to this political ideology seek to replace our legal system and Constitution. Under Sharia law, there is no freedom of speech, religion or women’s rights.” Elsewhere, an increasing number of Muslim representatives and populations in places like Dearborn, Michigan, have led some critics to argue that a kind of preference or leniency toward Muslim individuals is its own version of implementation. “America, we have lost this city. This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law. We will not have it anymore,” Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, the pastor of 180 Church, said during a town council meeting in Dearborn, calling for the town’s councilmembers to denounce the Muslim code. According to the 2020 U.S. census, a majority of Dearborn residents reported Middle Eastern or North African ancestry at roughly 54.5%. EL-SAYED’S AGENDA PUTS ‘PERMANENTLY’ CHANGED AMERICA ON THE LINE IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE, GOP FIREBRAND WARNS Fox News Digital is not aware of any proposals from El-Sayed to implement facets of Sharia law. When asked about Sharia law and its implementation in the U.S., a spokesperson for El-Sayed said that would not be his mission as a lawmaker. “Abdul believes in the separation of church and state. While he personally lives by the rules of his faith, as many Americans of various faiths do, Abdul opposes any effort by any religious community to write their faith laws into the laws of our country,” the El-Sayed campaign told the Washington Free Beacon earlier this year.
What’s on the menu for Trump’s state dinner with China’s Xi? One American staple is notably missing
President Donald Trump, despite his wealth, isn’t exactly known for his refined palette. But Thursday’s state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping will be an elegant affair, and a far cry from the 47th president’s notorious McDonald’s order of two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and a large chocolate shake. The swanky event will be quite the opposite. Conspicuously missing from the menu, however, is an American dining staple — red meat. In fact, no meat will be served at all. Instead, the dinner is exclusively a pescatarian affair. TRUMP-XI SUMMIT COULD HOLD KEY TO LOWER GAS PRICES, GOP CHAIRMAN SAYS The menu for the event, provided to Fox News Digital by First Lady Melania Trump’s office, says the first course consists of yellow squash velouté, wild mushroom fricassée, crispy pancetta and scallion oil. “The first course offers a refined and silky-smooth velouté made of sweet yellow squash,” the menu states. “This course is gently blended to highlight its delicate seasonal flavors of earthy wild mushrooms, sautéed with fresh herbs. Together, these ingredients create a rich fricassee, complemented by crispy pancetta for a savory and smoky contrast. A finishing drizzle of scallion oil adds vibrance and a subtle allium brightness to the dish.” TRUMP HOSTS KING CHARLES, QUEEN CAMILLA AT WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER: FASHION, FOOD AND A STANDOUT GIFT Served next is a sesame crusted sea bass with braised bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and a French green herb sauce. “The second course is prepared delicately with fresh seabass and coated in toasted sesame seeds,” according to the menu. “This combination creates a fragrant nutty crust while keeping the fish tender. The fish is served with crisp baby bok choy and roasted garden eggplant, creating lightly caramelized flavors. The dish is finished with a vibrant sauce verte of fresh herbs, which add brightness, acidity, and a garden character.” The two heads of state and their guests will enjoy vanilla crémeux and White House honey iced cream, walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit for their final course. DAUGHTER OF CHINESE UYGHUR PRISONER MAKES EMOTIONAL PLEA TO TRUMP DURING SPOTLIGHT XI SUMMIT “The dessert course is a smooth vanilla crémeux with a vibrant sour cherry confit center, set a top a rich walnut frangipane,” the menu says. “The dessert’s fruit shaped form is complimented by a delicate ice cream made with harvested White House honey.” The First Lady unveiled a beehive on the White House South Lawn earlier this year. Famous American tenor Christopher Macchio, who was featured at the Republican National Convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, will entertain for the evening, along with military musicians from the Army and the Marine Corps. “The décor for the evening is an expression of warmth and celebration and draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history,” the First Lady’s memo says, and will feature “urns overflowing with red blossoms and tables covered by red linen with dahlias and ranunculus.” After the dinner, both presidents are expected to retire for the evening. Friday, Trump will take Xi on an expedition to the National Archives before the communist leader departs the United States mid-afternoon.
WATCH: Mass walkout before Netanyahu speech prompts fiery response from Israeli prime minister
A mass walkout of delegates before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly prompted a fiery response from the Israeli leader. As Netanyahu took the stage, dozens of delegates from across the globe could be seen streaming out of the chamber in New York City. Chants of protest could also be heard in the hall as the U.N. president called the assembly to order. After taking the stage, Netanyahu said, “Before I begin, just a quick announcement, if there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” as cheers erupted from the remaining delegates in the chamber. THE TOP MOMENTS FROM IRAN PRESIDENT’S TENSE VISIT TO US SOIL AS WAR RAGES The Israeli leader did not let up for the rest of his address. He began by laying out what he described as the stakes of the conflict in Iran. He proclaimed that “devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard, it was very hard to do, but for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister. Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead.” “Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony?” he continued. “In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of the leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.” “It’s hard to imagine more mind blowing hypocrisy, but that’s exactly what it is,” said Netanyahu. MELANIA TRUMP’S HOME-COUNTRY LEADER RIPS UN ‘DOUBLE STANDARDS’ AS TRUMP PROMISE IS REVEALED The protests came as conflict in the Middle East continued and Israel faced criticism over its actions in the region. Netanyahu’s address drew protests from delegates inside the U.N. chamber and demonstrators outside the building, including Hollywood celebrities Elliot Page and Susan Sarandon. Despite the protests, the prime minister delivered a defiant message, telling critics, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He cast Israel’s fight as one for its own survival and the survival of all the world’s nations against “barbarians.” “For the past three years, our heroic soldiers have fought day in an day out in a seven front war. Do you know any other country the size of New Jersey capable of fighting a seven front war? And for three years, seven fronts Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq, militias in Syria, Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria, they all ganged up on us to wipe us off the face of the earth, they failed. Because instead of collapsing, we delivered crippling blows to all of them, with our great American friends.” “To the protesters outside, to the hypocritical delegates who left this hall. I ask, ‘Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians? When they butchered and maimed thousands of their own people? Where were you? Did you organize mass rallies, hunger strikes? Did you protest outside the Iranian mission to the UN? Did you speak out for that matter, for Christians persecuted in Iran and throughout the Middle East?’ No, no, you didn’t, because you’re phony human rights protesters,” he said. He also thanked President Donald Trump for ordering U.S. action against Iran. “In this battle against the barbarians, we’ve had no greater partner than President Trump,” said Netanyahu. “I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership. He boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel and the world.” “He understood that if left unchallenged, the fanatic ayatollahs who chant, ‘Death to America, death to Israel,’ would eventually carry out their mad fantasies. So, Israel and America acted together not only to protect ourselves, but to save civilization,” he said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Netanyahu also criticized detractors in what he called “the eigth front in this war,” which he said is “the war for truth.” He said that this “war” is “waged in the world’s media and most perniciously, in social media.” Turning to criticism from U.S. figures, Netanyahu called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a socialist, whom he called “anti-semitic,” as well as influencer Hasan Piker. Addressing Mamdani directly, Netanyahu said, “Mr. Mamdani, you try to stop me from coming here. You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth.”