Melania Trump gives uplifting message about Santa to young kids at hospital
First lady Melania Trump met with young kids at Children’s National Hospital Friday, wishing them “a lot” of presents from Santa. “I’m sure Santa will visit all of you this Christmas and bring you a lot of toys,” the first lady told the nearly dozen patients between 4 and 11 years old gathered at the Washington, D.C.-area hospital. “I wish you all a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year. “I wish you a lot of strength and love“. Trump also spoke with each child in attendance after reading the book “How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?” and visited other children in the hospital’s hematology and oncology wings. GUCCI HEIRESS LAUNCHES NEW ‘UNITY’ HANDBAG WITH PROCEEDS BENFITING MELANIA TRUMP’S ‘FOSTERING THE FUTURE’ Before she left, an excited little girl with a red bow in her hair ran up to Trump to give her a hug before shyly speaking with her for a minute. The first lady was also joined at the event by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the hospital room was festively bedecked with Christmas trees and presents. The first lady brought her own gifts for the children, including Christmas ornaments that said “Be Best” on them, a reference to her public awareness campaign from her first term that focused on children’s well-being. FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP DECORATES THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’ Santa also gifted Trump a coin that said “Believe” and “Merry Christmas.” Trump told the children that President Donald Trump “is sending love and best wishes as well.” “Visiting Children’s National during the Christmas season is a tradition I cherish, and I am grateful for the opportunity to return again this year,” she said before she left. “Spending time with these brave children and their families is a reminder of the strength, hope and love that define the holiday spirit. I want to thank the dedicated doctors, nurses and staff at Children’s National for the exceptional care they provide during the holiday season and every day.” The tradition of first ladies visiting children in hospitals during the Christmas season started with former President Harry Truman’s wife in the 1940s. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Capitol Hill revolt threatens Trump’s Venezuela playbook
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening … -Trump rewrites national security playbook as mass migration overtakes terrorism as top US threat -SCOTUS to review Trump order on birthright citizenship –Dem state election board under fire after ICE-arrested superintendent surfaces on voter rolls Congress wants to seize the reins and take greater control of U.S. military action in the Caribbean with the Trump administration’s strikes in the region’s waters coming under intense scrutiny. While some lawmakers have been questioning the legality of strikes the administration says aim to cut down on the flow of drugs into the U.S., the attacks have attracted heightened scrutiny amid revelations that U.S. forces conducted a second strike killing alleged drug smugglers on Sept. 2 after a first strike left survivors. Lawmakers have voiced concerns about the legality of that strike. From introducing new legislation restricting funds for the Trump administration’s operations in the region to urging the White House to release video footage of the second strike, there is mounting interest from Democrats and some Republicans to reassert their power to formally initiate military conflict…READ MORE. MAP WARS: Red state moves forward on Trump-backed push for new congressional map LUXURY FOR A CAUSE: Gucci heiress launches new Unity handbag with proceeds benefiting Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” NEW BLUEPRINT: Trump national security blueprint declares ‘era of mass migration is over,’ targets China’s rise VENEZUELA FLASHPOINT: Expert reveals what it would take for Trump to deploy troops to Venezuela: ‘Possibility of escalation’ HEALTH SHIFT: GOP unveils plan for Trump Health Freedom Accounts to replace Obamacare subsidies with state waivers ABORTION STANDOFF: Abortion restrictions create major roadblock for bipartisan Obamacare subsidy deal in Senate CRUISE TRAGEDY: FBI weighing state or federal charges against 16-year-old Anna Kepner in cruise ship homicide case: lawyer PIPE BOMB SHOCKWAVES: FBI director suggests “sheer incompetence” or “negligence” in Biden administration’s handling of pipe bomb case CONFESSION CLAIM: D.C. pipe bomb suspect admitted to planting the devices, expressed doubts about 2020 election outcome: source EPSTEIN FILES: Federal judge orders unsealing of Epstein case grand jury records MENENDEZ FALLOUT: Disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez banned from holding any public office in New Jersey Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Dem-backed ‘dignity’ bill could strip ICE of detention powers, erase immigration enforcement, critics warn
After more than 120 House Democrats signed onto a bill from a top progressive lawmaker to seek what they define as “dignity” for federal immigration detainees, critics sounded the alarm that the legislation could forever transform how illegal immigrants are treated in the U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., is spearheading the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, along with fellow Evergreen State lawmaker Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. They say it would curb the “shocking surge” of allegedly wrongful detentions and inappropriate conditions, particularly at jails run by private companies under government contract. Critics vociferously objected to that suggestion in exclusive comments to Fox News Digital Friday. “This legislation isn’t aimed at improving conditions for migrants navigating the U.S. immigration system. It would instead end the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law entirely,” members of the Day 1 Alliance, the main trade association representing longtime federal and state contractors in the criminal justice and immigration spaces, warned. ICE SIT-IN ‘PHOTO OP’ BY MARYLAND DEMS BLASTED BY DHS CHIEF NOEM Day 1 Alliance members said that, for more than three decades, both Republican and Democratic congresses and administrations have respected the “limited yet valued” role their members play in working toward a better immigration enforcement system. The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would lead to the repeal of mandatory detention for those captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a summary posted by Jayapal, and create a presumption of release, imposing a higher burden of proof to detain primary caregivers and “vulnerable populations.” It also would phase out the use of private detention centers, like those Day 1 Alliance members may work in or with, by about 2029. DEM CONGRESSWOMAN DENIES RHETORIC INCITED ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE, DOUBLES DOWN ON CONDEMNING AGENCY In apparent response to Democrats being iced out of ICE centers earlier in 2025, including a case in Newark, New Jersey, where Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was accused of accosting officers, it also would mandate that the Department of Homeland Security admit members of Congress to detention facilities for unannounced inspections. Another case in Baltimore involved that city’s congressman, Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, joining others downtown to protest to the press about not being allowed full access to the Charm City’s Department of Homeland Security installation. “Contractors operate under strict federal oversight and standards set by the U.S. Congress,” Day 1 Alliance members told Fox News Digital of the implications about the proposed changes. SENATE DEM DICK DURBIN ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF ‘TERRORIZING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES’ “They do not make arrests, do not decide the length of detention and play no role in determining the legal status of individuals in their care.” The members said contractors work to provide humane housing, proper meals and quality medical care for all in their ward. Jayapal said Thursday the Trump administration has caused a “shocking surge in the detention of people who have committed no crimes.” “As Trump has struck down legal pathways and made it nearly impossible to come to or stay in this country, even for those who have been here for decades, this will only continue to get worse,” Jayapal said. “We must pass this legislation to protect dignity and civil rights in America.” Smith added that the U.S. is witnessing “appalling conditions” and a “clear disregard for basic human rights” of detainees. “No one should be subjected to overcrowded cells, denied medical care or held in facilities that profit off of human suffering,” he said, echoing his Seattle neighbor in saying the bill would provide proper oversight. DHS SAYS FOUR HOUSE DEMOCRATS ‘CHOSE TO STAND WITH CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS’ AFTER VISITING ICE DETAINEE Homeland Security officials torched the new bill later Friday. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital Jayapal’s claims of overcrowding, mistreatment and wrongful detention are “false.” “ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” she said. “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,” she continued. “This includes medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by” dietitians. McLaughlin added that ICE deaths in custody are at a rate of less than 1%, lower than any previous administration’s record. She praised House Speaker Mike Johnson’s “big, beautiful bill” as the facilitator of ICE improving detention conditions since President Donald Trump took office. “Ensuring the safety, security and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE,” she said A release from Jayapal’s office cited a figure of 66,000 people detained since Trump took office and claimed nearly three-quarters did not have any criminal convictions, an assertion immigration officials have rejected. There were 123 listed Democratic co-sponsors, including several lawmakers representing areas ICE and USBP have pinpointed for mass enforcement activities. Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte; Troy Carter of New Orleans; Steve Cohen of Memphis, Tennessee; Jesus Garcia of Chicago; Robin Kelly of Chicago; Bennie Thompson of Jackson, Mississippi; and Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ted Lieu of Los Angeles are all among the bill’s hundred-plus signatories. Fox News Digital reached out to Jayapal, Smith and the Department of Homeland Security for additional comment on the pushback.
Mamdani says NYPD commissioner apologized after her brother called him ‘enemy’ of the Jewish people at gala
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch personally apologized to his team after her brother described him as an “enemy” of the Jewish people during a high-profile charity dinner in Manhattan on Wednesday night. Speaking at his Cocoa Chat community meeting, Mamdani stressed that the apology was received and that he intends to govern for all New Yorkers. “The commissioner apologized to my team for those remarks, and I look forward to being a mayor for each and every New Yorker, including Jewish New Yorkers,” Mamdani said. He emphasized that the incident will not interfere with his working relationship with Tisch, whom he has chosen to keep on as police commissioner despite policy disagreements. ADL LAUNCHES ‘MAMDANI MONITOR’ TO TRACK NYC MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI OVER ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS “My focus in my conversations with Commissioner Tisch is on delivering public safety and doing so in tandem with justice for New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” he said. “The apology was one that she conveyed to the team. I appreciated it, and my focus is back on delivering.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, NYPD spokesperson Brad Weekes shared the commissioner’s message: “I understand the fear in the Jewish community. My sincere belief is that the mayor-elect will live up to the commitment he’s made to be a mayor for all New Yorkers, including the Jewish community.” ADAMS ISSUES ORDERS BLOCKING NYC FROM BOYCOTTING ISRAEL AS CLASH WITH MAMDANI GROWS The apology came after Tisch’s brother, Benjamin Tisch, the billionaire CEO of Loews Corporation, used his remarks at the Met Council’s annual gala to label Mamdani an “enemy” of the Jewish people, according to two attendees who spoke with the New York Daily News. Witnesses from the gala – which was hosted at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan – described the moment as jarring, particularly because Commissioner Tisch recently agreed to remain at the helm of the NYPD under Mamdani’s incoming administration. One attendee told the Daily News the room reacted in stunned silence: “It was just like, ‘wow, he’s actually going to go there.’” Benjamin Tisch has not yet commented publicly on the incident. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and a vocal critic of Israel, has repeatedly rejected allegations that his views on Israel are antisemitic. Members of the wider Tisch family donated more than $1 million to super PACs opposing Mamdani during the 2025 mayoral race and backing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to the NY Daily News. Commissioner Tisch did not donate. Last month, Mamdani told the NY Daily News: “The two of us will not shy away from the fact that we hold disagreements on certain issues… but I also believe that these disagreements are not only reconcilable, but they are the sign of a healthy partnership to come.” The flare-up comes just weeks before Mamdani’s Jan. 1 inauguration. Mayor-elect Mamdani and a representative for Benjamin Tisch did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Democrats’ anger at federal government hit record high just days before shutdown: Pew poll
America’s emotional divide over the federal government has never been wider, according to a new Pew Research Center survey showing record-high anger among Democrats, rising Republican contentment and near-collapse levels of public trust, all captured days before the government plunged into a 43-day shutdown. The probability-based, nationally representative poll, conducted Sept. 22-28, 2025, found nearly half of Americans (49%) say they feel frustrated with the federal government, 26% say they are angry and only 23% say they are basically content. Pew reports that 44% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now say they feel “angry” toward the federal government, the “highest share expressed by members of either party in surveys dating back to 1997.” IT WON’T GET ANY BETTER: WASHINGTON FACES ANOTHER LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The number has jumped 10 points from 34% among Democrats during President Trump’s first term. Just 8% of Democrats say they are content. Republicans and GOP leaners show a dramatically different mood with 40% reporting contentment, half as frustrated and 9% angry. GOP anger, by comparison, peaked during the Obama and Biden administrations. Pew says this emotional gap between the parties is now the largest ever measured. Only about 1 in 5 Americans say they trust the federal government to do what’s right “just about always” or “most of the time,” a level Pew notes is “one of the lowest in the nearly seven decades since the question was first asked.” YOUNG AMERICANS GIVE BIG THUMBS DOWN TO DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, TRUMP: POLL Democratic trust in the federal government sits in single digits in this wave. Republican trust, while still limited, is higher than it was a year ago before Trump was re-elected president. Pew’s long-running trend shows frustration has been the nation’s default mood for nearly three decades, but this survey captures a rare structural shift with frustration dipping slightly, while both anger and contentment rise almost entirely along party lines. That movement, Pew says, signals deepening emotional and political distance between Americans who are reacting to the same Trump administration in completely different ways. Fox News Digital has requested comment from the White House on the survey’s findings. Pew researchers say they will continue tracking these attitudes into the 2026 midterms, noting that large swings in anger and trust have historically preceded shifts in political engagement and voter behavior. For now, Pew’s new survey offers one conclusion that is hard to ignore. Americans aren’t just divided by politics, but by how they emotionally experience Trump 2.0.
DHS arrests dozens of illegal immigrants within 24 hours of launching New Orleans operation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that it had made dozens of arrests in New Orleans just one day after launching Operation Catahoula Crunch, the latest federal immigration operation cracking down on criminal illegal immigrants. “Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them, their families or their neighbors,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “In just 24 hours on the ground, our law enforcement officers have arrested violent criminals with rap sheets that include homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery, theft and assault.” DHS released several photos of the arrested individuals accused of “terrorizing Americans.” The men, all with criminal histories, are reportedly from Vietnam, Honduras, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. SEXUAL PREDATORS, DRUG TRAFFICKERS AMONG ICE’S ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ROUNDUP IN VIRGINIA Officials said they detained Vietnamese national Binh Van To, who has been convicted of kidnapping, homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Hung Ngoc Tran, another Vietnamese national, was convicted of sexual assault, larceny and “fondling” a child, DHS said. DHS said Carlos Roberto Guardado-Ramirez of Honduras was arrested for simple battery, domestic abuse, child endangerment, resisting an officer and driving while intoxicated. Jose Raul Lopez-Serrano, also a Honduran national, was convicted for marijuana possession and previously arrested for disturbing the peace, DHS added. 250 BORDER AGENTS TO DEPLOY TO LOUISIANA FOR ‘SWAMP SWEEP,’ REPORT SAYS Luis Fernando Maldonado-Velasquez, a Guatemalan who has an immigration warrant, has previously been arrested for suspected vehicle theft and forging and altering documents, DHS added. Freddy Caldero-Caraballo is from the Dominican Republic and was reportedly arrested for suspected possession of cocaine, public intoxication and driving while intoxicated. McLaughlin condemned sanctuary politicians Thursday for failing to prioritize the safety of American families, echoing previous statements that sanctuary policies have allowed illegal immigrants with criminal allegations to be released. “President Trump and Secretary Noem will stand up to protect American families when sanctuary politicians won’t,” McLaughlin said. “If you see a law enforcement officer today, thank them. “Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for more information.
Ex-New York State official accused of spying for China called Hochul ‘more obedient’ than Cuomo, trial reveals
A former top New York state official accused of spying for China once remarked that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was “much more obedient” than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Linda Sun made the remark after she convinced Hochul, who served as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor at the time, to film a Lunar New Year video touting China’s New York consulate, the New York Post reported, citing evidence presented at Sun’s corruption trial. “She is much more obedient than the governor,” Sun wrote to China consular official Lihua Li in a Jan. 25, 2021, message shown to jurors in Brooklyn federal court. EX-OFFICIALS COULD GET LIFETIME BANS FROM LOBBYING FOR CHINA, RUSSIA UNDER NEW BIPARTISAN PUSH Minutes later, Sun texted Huang Ping, who headed the consulate office at the time. “The deputy governor listens to me more than the governor does,” she allegedly wrote, prosecutors said. Chinese officials had asked for Cuomo to film the video, but Sun told them she could likely get Hochul to participate instead, prosecutors said. “Let me ask, but likely the LG can probably do it,” Sun replied to Li, referring to Hochul. “That would be great as well. Thanks,” Li responded. In the two-minute video, Hochul wishes everyone a happy Lunar New Year and talks about the “privilege” of working with the Chinese American community and the Chinese consular office. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul’s office. Sun, who also served under Hochul, is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHINESE NATIONAL TRIED STEALING SENSITIVE AI MICROCHIPS, DOJ SAYS Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., reacted in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital as she gears up for a campaign to unseat Gov. Hochul. “The Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul not only bent the knee to the radical Socialists but is also fully compromised by the Communist Chinese Party,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital. “Hochul is the Worst Governor in America for New Yorkers, but the most obedient for the Communist Chinese Party. I have a sterling record standing up against Communist China, and there will be no spies infiltrating our state government when we Save New York.” Prosecutors from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office believe Sun acted on behalf of the Chinese government on a number of occasions, including seeking a high-level state visit to China and preventing representatives of the Taiwanese government from meeting with American officials. In 2023, Sun was fired from her position after “evidence of misconduct” was discovered. She is accused of doing favors for Chinese officials in exchange for millions of dollars in business funneled to her husband, Chris Hu, who conducted business in China. Hu and Sun are accused of using the money to buy property on Long Island and in Honolulu worth more than $6 million, in addition to a 2024 Ferrari Roma sports car. In one instance, Sun allegedly claimed to be able to stop Cuomo from mentioning the plight of the Uyghurs, the predominantly Muslim ethnic group that has been targeted by the Chinese government through mass incarceration and forced labor, according to human rights advocates. In the Jan. 25, 2021, exchange with Ping, Sun wrote that she had an “argument” with Cuomo’s speechwriter, who had “insisted” on bringing up the Uyghurs, according to the Post report. “This person has never been to China, right? He knows very little about China,” Ping replied. “Never been there,” Sun said. “I’m going to collapse. “I will think of a solution tomorrow, but I will definitely not let the governor bring it up.” Sun’s lawyers argued that her relationship with Chinese officials was not improper and was legal. “Linda Sun did what she was hired to do. She didn’t commit a crime by doing her job,” defense attorney Jarrod Schaeffer told jurors at the start of the trial, the Post reported.
US carries out 22nd strike on alleged drug vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization
The U.S. military carried out another strike on a suspected drug vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization, killing four narco-terrorists and marking the 22nd strike under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The strike on Thursday against a boat allegedly carrying drugs is the first strike in more than two weeks and brings the total killed to 86. “On Dec. 4, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” U.S. Southern Command said. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed.” U.S. Southern Command shared video of the strike on social media, showing the strike on the alleged drug-carrying vessel. US CARRIES OUT 8TH STRIKE ON ALLEGED DRUG VESSEL, THIS TIME IN EASTERN PACIFIC, HEGSETH SAYS The latest strike comes as lawmakers question another U.S. attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean, a Sept. 2 operation now under scrutiny for how commanders handled the survivors. Adm. Mitch Bradley confirmed to lawmakers Thursday that Hegseth did not order all survivors of counter-narcotics strikes be killed, pushing back on a Washington Post report that claimed he directed commanders to “kill them all.” Rep. Jim Himes said Bradley confirmed “there had not been a kill them all order” and no instruction to grant no quarter, a point echoed by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton. SPEC OPS CHIEF ORDERED DEADLY CARIBBEAN STRIKE ‘IN SELF-DEFENSE’ WITH HEGSETH’S SIGN-OFF, WHITE HOUSE SAYS Lawmakers who viewed the full video disagreed sharply over what it showed. Himes described the survivors as “shipwrecked sailors,” while Cotton said the footage showed them “trying to flip their boat back over and continue their mission.” Sen. Chris Coons said it would be “hard to watch the series of videos and not be troubled by it,” while Rep. Rick Crawford criticized Democrats who said they were troubled, arguing they were ignoring the realities of targeting designated terrorists. Other recent strikes have resulted in different outcomes. In an Oct. 16 operation that killed two, two survivors were captured and sent back to Colombia and Mexico. During a series of Oct. 27 strikes that killed 14, one survivor was left for retrieval by the Mexican coast guard. Cotton said the protocol for handling survivors has remained consistent since early September. SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO HALT MILITARY ACTION, DRUG BOAT STRIKES IN THE CARIBBEAN Legal analysts raised concerns after learning the Sept. 2 survivors were killed in a follow-up strike, noting the Pentagon’s Law of War manual prohibits attacking persons rendered “helpless” by wounds, sickness or shipwreck unless they resume hostile action. Pentagon officials have suggested the survivors may have been able to call for backup, a factor Bradley viewed as a threat. Hegseth has said he watched the initial strike in real time but did not view the second and had no involvement in authorizing it. He has maintained he stands by Bradley’s decision. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
SCOTUS allows Texas to use Trump-pushed redrawn congressional redistricting map favoring Republicans
The Supreme Court signaled that Texas is likely to prevail in defending its new congressional map, faulting a lower court for misreading evidence and ignoring required legal inferences as the state races toward 2026 election deadlines. In a brief order that keeps Gov. Greg Abbott’s redrawn districts in place for now, the court said the district court committed two major errors by failing to apply the presumption of legislative good faith when considering disputed evidence and by declining to draw a near-dispositive inference against challengers who offered no alternative map that met Texas’s partisan goals. The stay is temporary while the merits proceed, yet Justice Elena Kagan warned in dissent that the ruling effectively locks in the contested boundaries for the 2026 midterms because of looming state deadlines. “This Court’s eagerness to playact a district court here has serious consequences,” Kagan said. “The majority calls its ‘evaluation’ of this case ‘preliminary.’ The results, though, will be anything but. DOJ BACKS TEXAS IN SUPREME COURT FIGHT OVER REPUBLICAN-DRAWN MAP “This Court’s stay guarantees that Texas’s new map, with all its enhanced partisan advantage, will govern next year’s elections for the House of Representatives. And this Court’s stay ensures that many Texas citizens, for no good reason, will be placed in electoral districts because of their race,” Kagan continued. “And that result, as this Court has pronounced year in and year out, is a violation of the Constitution.” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin condemned the ruling as a moral and legal failure that rewards partisan manipulation while undermining voters across Texas. “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to allow Texas Republicans’ rigged, racially gerrymandered maps to go into effect is wrong — both morally and legally,” Martin said. “Once again, the Supreme Court gave Trump exactly what he wanted: a rigged map to help Republicans avoid accountability in the midterms for turning their backs on the American people. But it will backfire. “Texas Democrats fought every step of the way against these unlawful, rigged congressional maps and sparked a national movement. Democrats are fighting back, responding in kind to even the playing field across the country. Republicans are about to be taught one valuable lesson: Don’t mess with Texas voters. The DNC stands committed to building power in Texas, no matter the maps in play, one election at a time.” Texas House Democratic Leader Rep. Gene Wu said the Supreme Court not only failed Texas voters but American democracy. ABBOTT SIGNS TEXAS REDISTRICTING MAP INTO LAW, SECURING MAJOR GOP VICTORY AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS “This is what the end of the Voting Rights Act looks like: courts that won’t protect minority communities even when the evidence is staring them in the face,” Wu said. “I’m angry about this ruling. Every Texan who testified against these maps should be angry. Every community that fought for generations to build political power and watched Republicans try to gerrymander it away should be angry. “But anger without action is just noise, and Democrats are taking action to fight back: California passed Prop 50 and added five Democratic seats to offset Texas. Democrats are organized and fighting back in Illinois, New York, Virginia, and more,” he continued. “A nationwide movement is being built that says if Republicans want to play this game, Democrats will play it better.” Abbott, though, celebrated the decision, saying, “We won!” “Texas is officially — and legally — more red,” he said. “The U.S. Supreme Court restored the redistricting maps passed by Texas that were based on constitutional principles and Supreme Court precedent. The new congressional districts better align our representation in Washington, D.C., with the values of our state. This is a victory for Texas voters, for common sense, and for the U.S. Constitution.” The ruling arrives amid a broader, unprecedented national redistricting battle driven by President Donald Trump’s effort to fortify the GOP House majority heading into 2026, a campaign that began in Texas before rapidly spreading to other states. TEXAS FILES EMERGENCY SUPREME COURT PETITION AFTER TRUMP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAP BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGES Aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections, Trump in June first floated the idea of rare but not unheard of mid-decade congressional redistricting. The mission was simple: Redraw congressional district maps in red states to pad the GOP’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Texas was Trump’s first target. A month later, when asked by reporters about his plan to add Republican-leaning House seats across the country, the president said, “Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five.” Abbott called a special session of the GOP-dominated state legislature to pass the new map. Democratic state lawmakers broke quorum for two weeks and fled Texas in a bid to delay the passage of the redistricting bill. The legislature eventually passed the bill, and Abbott signed it into law in late August. REAGAN-APPOINTED JUDGE TORCHES COLLEAGUES IN TEXAS MAP FIGHT But the new map immediately faced legal challenges, and the plight of the Texas lawmakers who fled the state energized Democrats across the country. Among those jumping into the fight against Trump’s redistricting was Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. California voters a month ago overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature. That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw its maps. But the fight has spread beyond Texas and California. Right-tilting Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. The legislature in red-leaning Indiana meets this week to try and pass redistricting, while Florida and Kansas are also mulling redrawing their maps. “We
Largest public-sector unions spent eye-popping amount on left-wing politics — 86% funded by member dues
EXCLUSIVE: The country’s four largest public-sector unions spent a combined $915 million on elections and progressive political activism during the 2024 election cycle, 86% of which came from member dues. The Commonwealth Foundation, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit promoting free-market policies, highlighted the massive political spending by the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in a new report released this week. The foundation published a similar report during the 2022 election cycle that found all four of these unions spent $708 million on progressive politics, The report’s findings, particularly that 86% of the unions’ nearly $1 billion in political spending stems from membership dues, underscore criticism that these entities work more to push a political agenda than support their members. FEDERAL PROBE DEMANDS CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION EXPLAIN MISSING FINANCIAL AUDITS SINCE 2020 “What they’re doing when they’re making these political investments is they’re trying to get people into office that will raise taxes and increase the size and scope of government,” public sector unions expert Aaron Withe told Fox News Digital. “That’s the way that it’s been working for decades. That’s why you see the government grows every single year. That’s why you see taxes go up most every year as well.” Withe, a critic of both public- and private-sector unions, said private-sector unions at least have an incentive structure based on a company’s or industry’s bottom line, but public-sector unions, Withe argued, are incentivized by raising taxes and growing government. “When you look at union spending in politics, you have to remember that their goal — their primary purpose is a business — so they’re there to grow revenue. They’re there to gain more revenue than the year previously,” Withe pointed out. “The difference with the government union is that that revenue comes from public employees. And the way that you hire more public employees is by raising taxes on the private sector so that you can hire more bureaucrats.” David Osborne, senior director of labor policy for the Commonwealth Foundation and co-author of the report, said “the big question” from his report is whether rank-and-file union members are aware of how their money is actually being spent. “Years ago, [union members] could expect union executives to use dues to drive member services, including contract negotiations and grievance processing,” Osborne said. “Now, union members are unwittingly propping up left-leaning candidates and progressive causes like abortion, critical race theory and defunding the police.” MY TEACHERS UNION CALLS IT REPRESENTATION. I SAY THERE ARE $114 MILLION REASONS TO SUE THEM According to the Commonwealth Foundation’s report, the findings show that approximately 25% of the group’s total spending — or $642 million — goes toward “representational activities,” which the report describes as “the spending category most closely tied to membership support.” Meanwhile, the unions also spent about a combined 33% of their total spending — or $845 million — on general overhead, union administration, staff benefits and other cost categories “linked to basic operations.” But spending on elections and progressive political activism surpassed both those categories. Collectively, the unions spent around $755 million on federal elections and national progressive politics, while their state-level affiliates combined to spend another $160 million on state races and ideological causes. Of that spending, $650 million, or 86%, originated from union membership dues, according to the Commonwealth Foundation. The report notes the unions also collect voluntary political action committee (PAC) deductions from members and their families, which allows the unions to collect money that can then go directly to candidates, something that is not supposed to be done with members’ dues money. The union’s federal PAC spending accounted for 14% of the group’s political spending, according to the report. “Government unions’ heavy use of membership dues money for politics — more than what they collectively spent on representational activities — underlines a disturbing trend: the growing, overt reliance by union officials to spend member dues rather than political action committee funds on their political and ideological agendas,” the Commonwealth Foundation says in its new report. “Yet, much of this spending is possible only because of the lack of accountability and control over what powerful union executives do with members’ dues. Union dues, not the separately collected PAC funds, are the overwhelming power behind — 86 percent — of union political spending. “Few members are aware that union leaders launder much of their dues through super PACs and 527s to back political projects. Even fewer members can effect change within their union to stop it.” Fox News Digital reached out to the NEA, AFT, SEIU and AFSCME for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.