Trump highlights federal law granting presidential power to halt immigration as crackdown escalates
President Trump on Saturday pointed to a federal law that grants the president broad authority to restrict immigration just days after unveiling a sweeping new immigration agenda. In a Truth Social post, Trump highlighted Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the president to “suspend the entry” of non-U.S. citizens whenever it is deemed “detrimental” to the national interest. “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate,” Trump wrote, quoting the law. CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS POLICY ALLOWS UNLIMITED ABSENCES FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILDREN AMID ICE OPERATIONS THEIR PLAN WAS A FLOOD OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. OUR ANSWER IS AN IMMIGRATION MORATORIUM The president posted amid intensifying immigration actions by his administration after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. On Thursday, Trump vowed to halt immigration from “Third World countries,” reverse Biden-era admissions and remove foreign nationals he considers public threats, security risks or “non-compatible with Western Civilization.” TRUMP HAS MADE THE BORDER SECURE AGAIN — BUT NOW THE HARD PART BEGINS He argued that the U.S. immigration system has been overwhelmed and said his approach would allow it to “fully recover.” Trump also vowed to end federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalize migrants accused of undermining “domestic tranquility” and expand deportations. On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it had halted all asylum decisions. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, has been accused in the shooting of the two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died after the shooting. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Watchdog group hits Letitia James with bar complaint after federal judge tosses case
A conservative-aligned watchdog group has filed a bar complaint accusing New York Attorney General Letitia James of professional misconduct tied to her Norfolk, Virginia, mortgage, allegations that were also at the center of her recently dismissed federal charges. The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) filed the complaint with the state’s Attorney Grievance Committee, accusing James of engaging in “illegal and dishonest conduct” in connection with the mortgage she took out on the property, according to the New York Post. According to the complaint and related public statements, the group alleges that James’ actions raise concerns under the state’s Rules of Professional Conduct, the ethical standards that govern lawyers in New York. “Fraud, misrepresentation, honesty and trustworthiness are all factors that the Rules of Professional Conduct expressly consider when weighing whether to discipline an attorney,” Curtis Schube, the group’s director of research and policy, wrote in the four-page complaint, per the outlet. A TALE OF TWO INDICTMENTS: TOP DEMS SAY ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ ON TRUMP, BUT DECRY COMEY CASE “The Committee, therefore, should immediately investigate the allegations against James and, if by ‘preponderance of the evidence’ the allegations are substantiated, she should be disciplined accordingly.” A federal judge threw out the indictments against James and former FBI Director James Comey on Monday, finding they were illegitimate because they were brought by an unqualified U.S. attorney. Judge Cameron Currie dismissed the bank fraud charges against James and the false statements charges against Comey without prejudice, meaning the charges could be brought again. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that the Department of Justice plans to appeal. “We believe the attorney in this case, Lindsey Halligan, is not only extremely qualified for this position, but she was in fact legally appointed,” Leavitt said. “And I know the Department of Justice will be appealing this in very short order.” LETITIA JAMES VOWS TO CONTINUE TARGETING TRUMP AFTER YEARS IN THE COURTROOM: ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ Currie, a Clinton appointee based in South Carolina, was brought in from out of state to preside over proceedings about the question of Halligan’s authority because it presented a conflict for the Virginia judges. Comey’s and James’ challenges to Halligan’s appointment were consolidated because of their similarity. Halligan acted alone in presenting charges to the grand juries shortly after Trump ousted the prior interim U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, and urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to replace him with Halligan, a former White House aide and insurance lawyer. Bondi complied, but Currie found the interim U.S. attorney term had already expired under Siebert and that the Virginia judges were now responsible for appointing a temporary U.S. attorney to serve until Trump could get one confirmed in the Senate. James was indicted on Oct. 9 for allegedly falsifying mortgage documents to secure a $109,600 loan on the property. She was also charged with making false statements to a financial institution. James, a second-term Democrat, was accused of claiming the property as her principal residence in 2023 despite being a public office holder in New York at that same time. She has denied wrongdoing. She previously said she made an error while filling out a form related to the home purchase but fixed it. She noted that she never tried to deceive the lender. Fox News Digital reached out to both the New York attorney general’s office and CASA, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News’ Ashley Oliver and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Inside NORAD’s holiday command: How the same team that tracks Santa guards North America
Deep inside a command center that monitors everything from Russian bombers to North Korean missile launches, a handful of service members are preparing for a very different kind of flight pattern — one led by a jolly man in a red suit. Each December, the North American Aerospace Defense Command — or NORAD — transforms part of its high-tech operations floor into a holiday command post dedicated to tracking Santa Claus. The same radar systems that protect North American airspace will soon be tuned to follow a sleigh moving at high speed from the North Pole. The Santa mission, now approaching its 70th year, began by accident. In 1955, a Colorado Springs newspaper printed a phone number from a Sears advertisement inviting children to “call Santa.” The number, misprinted by one digit, rang the operations line of what was then the Continental Air Defense Command. When Col. Harry Shoup, the duty officer that night, realized kids were calling to talk to St. Nick, he played along — and a military tradition was born. RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT FLY IN ALASKAN AIR DEFENSE IDENTIFICATION ZONE, US SAYS Today, the Santa Tracker is a global phenomenon that draws millions of online visitors and calls from children in more than 200 countries. But behind the festive lights and holiday cheer, NORAD’s real mission continues without pause — scanning the skies and seas 24 hours a day for potential threats to the U.S. and Canada. The North American Aerospace Defense Command doesn’t need special equipment to find Santa — it uses the same technology that guards the continent every day. Tracking begins with the North Warning System, a network of radar stations stretching across Alaska and northern Canada. Those sensors detect everything entering the northern approaches to the U.S. and Canada — including, once a year, a fast-moving sleigh departing the Arctic. From there, NORAD’s Space-Based Infrared System satellites pick up the heat signature — described tongue-in-cheek each year as Rudolph’s nose — and relay that data to the operations center at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. The same systems that track ballistic missile launches and foreign aircraft feed the Santa map millions of families follow each Christmas Eve. The website and app, NORADSanta.org, draw millions of visits worldwide, supported by partnerships with private-sector tech companies to handle the data load. For the troops and civilians who staff NORAD’s operations center, the holiday season looks different from most. The command never shuts down; watch officers, radar technicians, and support staff work through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day just as they do any other time of year. While much of the focus turns to Santa tracking, the real work continues in the background — scanning radar feeds, monitoring satellite data, and staying ready to respond to any threat that might appear. Most of the roughly 1,500 people assigned to NORAD and U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Space Force Base and nearby Cheyenne Mountain take at least part of a holiday shift, trading hours, so others can spend time with family. SOME DRONES OVER US BASES MAY HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE: NORTHCOM GENERAL Still, the Santa operation brings a change of pace. Hundreds of volunteers — many of them military spouses, retirees, and local community members — come into the command center each year to answer calls and messages from children around the world. The phone lines open on Christmas Eve, and volunteers work in shifts to handle thousands of questions about Santa’s location. The room looks a little different that night: screens glow with maps of the sleigh’s route, phones ring constantly, and there are cookies and coffee between the workstations. For a few hours, a command built for high-stakes warning and response turns into a small slice of holiday normalcy, even as the mission carries on. That same command routine was recently dramatized in the new Netflix film “A House of Dynamite.” In the movie, a single unidentified missile triggers a cascade of decisions across the command center, highlighting how fragile the system can appear when seconds count. The Missile Defense Agency, however, pushed back on the film’s portrayal of a failed interceptor test. An internal memo noted a scene claiming a 50% chance of interception, arguing that, in reality, U.S. missile defense systems have “displayed a 100% accuracy rate in testing for more than a decade.” So, yes, NORAD is tracking holiday cheer — and ensuring the foundation of American readiness stays intact. On the floor where the phones are answered, and the consoles stay lit, the message is simpler: someone always has the watch.
Hegseth defends lethal strikes against alleged drug traffickers: ‘Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote on X that “Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” in a post defending the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean Sea. The declaration came following reports from outlets such as The Washington Post and CNN claiming the U.S. military ordered a second strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2 after the initial attack left two survivors. The commander overseeing that operation told colleagues on a secure conference call that the survivors were legitimate targets because they could still contact other traffickers for help and ordered the second strike to comply with a directive from Hegseth that everyone must be killed, according to The Washington Post. “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” Hegseth wrote on X on Friday. TRUMP SAYS US WILL BEGIN STOPPING VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS BY LAND “As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes.’ The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth continued. “The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” he added. Hegseth also said, “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.” US FORCES KILL 3 NARCO-TERRORISTS IN EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE OPERATION TARGETING DRUG NETWORKS In a separate post on his personal X account, Hegseth wrote, “We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists.” Fox News Digital has reached out to a Biden spokesperson for comment. President Donald Trump also said on Thursday said the U.S. will “very soon” begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers “by land.” “From sending their poisons into the United States, where they kill hundreds of thousands of people a year — but we’re going to take care of that situation,” Trump said. “We’re already doing a lot … It’s about 85% stopped by sea.” The president added, “You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.” Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
USCIS halts ‘all asylum decisions’ after DC shooting of National Guard members
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday that it has halted all asylum decisions following the shooting in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members, including one who died from her injuries. USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said the asylum decisions would be suspended “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” “The safety of the American people always comes first,” he wrote on X. The pause comes amid a broader immigration crackdown signaled by President Donald Trump, who on Thursday vowed to halt migration from “Third World countries” and reverse Biden-era admissions. STATE DEPARTMENT ‘IMMEDIATELY’ HALTS ALL AFGHAN PASSPORT VISAS FOLLOWING DEADLY NATIONAL GUARD ATTACK Edlow said on Thursday that officials would reexamine green cards issued to immigrants from every “country of concern,” including Afghanistan. USCIS also implemented new national security measures to be considered while vetting immigrants from “high risk” countries. “I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” he wrote. The Department of Homeland Security also said it had already halted all immigration requests from Afghanistan and was in the process of reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration. Additionally, the Department of State has paused all visas for people traveling on Afghan passports in response to the attack against the National Guard members. “The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.” National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of West Virginia, died after the shooting on Wednesday in the nation’s capital, while the second service member wounded in the attack, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is still in critical condition. The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces multiple charges, including one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Justice Department would pursue the death penalty against the suspect. WHO IS THE DC NATIONAL GUARDSMEN SHOOTING SUSPECT? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AFGHAN NATIONAL RAHMANULLAH LAKANWAL Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan for his work with the agency and again for his asylum application in the U.S. A senior U.S. official told Fox News he was “clean on all checks” in his background check. Lakanwal had his asylum application approved by the Trump administration earlier this year. A report released by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General in June found there were “no systemic failures” in Afghan refugee vetting or subsequent immigration pathways.
Abbey Gate Gold Star father blisters Biden after Afghan national allegedly ambushes 2 National Guardsmen in DC
EXCLUSIVE — The father of Staff Sgt. Darin “Taylor” Hoover — one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate bombing during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan — is blasting the former Biden administration after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guardsmen just blocks from the White House. Hoover gave Fox News Digital a new, forceful statement on Wednesday’s shooting, saying the incident was the direct result of the administration’s failed vetting of Afghan evacuees. “This is on the feckless Biden administration,” Hoover said of the shooting. “We had no idea who was getting into this country because the Biden administration, especially the State Department run by Antony Blinken, didn’t do the work that was needed to vet all these people. There were so many people put on the planes that got out initially, that we have no idea who they were.” He continued: “By doing this, all we got is men of fighting age that are most likely terrorists that are here in the homeland to do us all harm and take our beloved United States of America. Maybe if the Biden administration started the process earlier than the truncated timetable that they did, this could have all come out so much better, including all of our most precious men and women of our military coming home.” EX-FBI SPECIAL AGENT EXPLAINS AFGHAN VETTING FAILURES IN WAKE OF NATIONAL GUARD AMBUSH: ‘TICKING TIME BOMB’ The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, and multiple intelligence sources tell Fox News Digital the attack is being treated as a possible act of international terrorism. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken into custody after allegedly ambushing the two West Virginia National Guardsmen near the White House. Fox News Digital previously reported that Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, immediately following the fall of Kabul, and that he had worked with several U.S. government entities, including the CIA, as part of a partner force in Kandahar. “The individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here,” former CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital. “Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures.” ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US UNDER AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PUSH MAYORKAS VOWED WOULD BE DONE ‘SWIFTLY AND SAFELY’ Hoover says the shooting confirms what he and other Gold Star parents feared when thousands of Afghans were evacuated during the final days of the withdrawal — that many individuals were allowed into the United States without adequate screening. “We had no idea who Biden put on those planes,” Hoover said. “None.” Wednesday’s comments come after years of public criticism from Hoover, who has been one of the most vocal parents demanding accountability for the Abbey Gate attack that killed 13 American service members, including his son Taylor, an 11-year Marine veteran who was engaged to be married and on his third deployment to Afghanistan. ALLEGED NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTER WORKED WITH US GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN AFGHANISTAN, INCLUDING CIA: RATCLIFFE Hoover’s earlier remarks made headlines in 2024, when he reacted to President Biden falsely claiming during a presidential debate that no U.S. service members had died under his watch. At the time, Hoover told Fox News Digital that he felt “rage” hearing Biden deny the deaths of the Abbey Gate 13. “The rage, the absolute disgust that I got from hearing him say that — I started yelling back at the TV,” he said in 2024. “He’s never acknowledged, not one time, any of our kids. He’s never said their names.” He also revealed then that the Biden administration sent the Abbey Gate families a batch of identical condolence letters a year after the attack. DETAILS EMERGE ON CIA UNIT ALLEGED NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTER SERVED WITH IN AFGHANISTAN “All 13 families got a canned letter,” he said in a 2024 Fox News Digital interview. “It looked like it was a photocopy. We’ve had absolutely nothing before, nothing since.” Hoover’s frustration at being unable to secure a meeting with Biden was also part of that earlier reporting. “[Biden] doesn’t want to deal with us,” Hoover said in 2024. “He knows that we’re in his face, but he doesn’t want to deal with us.” But Hoover told Fox News Digital this week that Wednesday’s shooting, allegedly carried out by an Afghan national allowed into the country during the withdrawal, is a devastating new chapter. To him, it demonstrates that the consequences of the troubled evacuation are still unfolding on American soil. Federal officials say the investigation into the shooting remains active. Hoover says he will continue speaking out until the families of the Abbey Gate fallen receive answers — and until the former administration takes responsibility for what he believes are ongoing failures. “This isn’t going away,” he said at the time. “We’re not going away.” Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
State Department ‘immediately’ halts all Afghan passport visas following deadly National Guard attack
The Department of State has paused all visas for individuals traveling on Afghan passports after an attack in Washington, D.C., Wednesday targeting National Guard members. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, was charged with first-degree murder among other counts related to the ambush, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Lakanwal was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan and granted final asylum approval under President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this year, multiple sources told Fox News Digital. “The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote in an announcement on social media. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.” LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDING AFTER 2 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS SHOT NEAR WHITE HOUSE Secretary of State Marco Rubio also took to X to share the news. “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” Rubio wrote in a post. “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.” U.S.-based Afghanistan allies relocation and resettlement nonprofit AfghanEvac denounced Friday’s decision, calling the administration’s move a “violation of federal law.” “It appears Secretary Rubio is attempting to shut down the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program in direct violation of federal law and standing court orders. He is seemingly acting at the direction of President Trump and Stephen Miller, and there is no doubt this is the outcome they have been driving toward for months,” AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said in a statement. “They are using a single violent individual as cover for a policy they have long planned, turning their own intelligence failures into an excuse to punish an entire community and the veterans who served alongside them.” VANCE’S PAST WARNINGS REIGNITE AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL NAMED AS SUSPECT IN DC GUARD SHOOTING The new policy comes less than a day after the media questioned Trump about how the attack could have taken place after successful vetting. “I mean, he went nuts, and that happens. It happens too often with these people,” Trump told reporters from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. “There was no vetting or anything. … We have a lot of others in this country, and we’re going to get them out, but they go cuckoo. Something happens to them.” Trump noted “when it comes to asylum, when they’re flown in, it’s very hard to get them out. No matter how you want to do it, it’s very hard to get them out. But we’re going to be getting them all out now.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow also announced Thursday that, at Trump’s direction, there would be a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card issued to immigrants from “every country of concern.” The 19 countries deemed “high-risk” by the USCIS include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Trump plans ‘full and complete pardon’ for former Honduran president convicted of drug trafficking
President Trump announced Friday he intends to issue a “full and complete pardon” to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, while simultaneously reaffirming his support for presidential candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura just days before Hondurans head to the polls. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Hernández. who was sentenced in New York last year to 45 years in prison for conspiring with drug traffickers to move over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S., was “treated very harshly and unfairly.” “I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,” Trump said. “This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success.” TRUMP REVEALS MADURO ‘WOULD LIKE TO TALK’ AS MILITARY OPTIONS REMAIN ON THE TABLE FOR VENEZUELA Hernández was convicted in March 2024 on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and two related weapons offenses after a two-week trial, according to The Associated Press. Trump also doubled down on his backing of Asfura, the National Party candidate and former mayor of Tegucigalpa, saying the U.S. would be “very supportive” if he wins because Washington has “so much confidence in him, his policies and what he will do for the great people of Honduras.” COLOMBIA RECALLS US AMBASSADOR AFTER TRUMP CALLS ITS LEADER ‘ILLEGAL DRUG LEADER,’ THREATENS MILITARY ACTION In a separate Truth Social post earlier Friday, Trump said he and Asfura “can work together to fight the narcocommunists and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras.” He also sharply criticized Asfura’s rivals, including ruling party candidate Rixi Moncada and TV host Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party. “His chief opponent is Rixi Moncada, who says Fidel Castro is her idol,” Trump said. “Normally, the smart people of Honduras, would reject her, and elect Tito Asfura, but the Communists are trying to trick the people by running a third Candidate, Salvador Nasralla. “Nasralla is no friend of Freedom. A borderline Communist, he helped Xiomara Castro by running as her Vice President. He won, and helped Castro win. Then he resigned, and is now pretending to be an anti-Communist only for the purposes of splitting Asfura’s vote. The people of Honduras must not be tricked again.” ICE DEPORTS MS-13 GANG LEADER WHO TRIED TO ‘GAME OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM’ UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, DHS SAYS Hondurans vote Sunday, and polls show Asfura virtually tied with Moncada and Nasralla, according to Reuters. The winner will govern from 2026 to 2030. The Central American country has been led since 2022 by President Xiomara Castro, the country’s first female president.
EXCLUSIVE: Stefanik steamrolls top conservative opponent; GOP leaders hand her commanding edge in NY primary
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has opened a commanding lead in the New York Republican primary for governor, locking down endorsements from GOP county chairs, state lawmaker and Conservative Party leaders across the state, a consolidation of support that party officials say leaves Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman with virtually no path to the nomination. Stefanik’s backing now accounts for more than 75% of the New York Republican Party’s weighted vote, an overwhelming advantage that makes her the presumptive nominee and would require any rival to petition his or her way onto the ballot. Under New York’s rules, that means gathering at least 15,000 signatures from registered Republicans across the state, the Gothamist reported. Party operatives describe the scale of Stefanik’s early support as unprecedented for a GOP gubernatorial race in recent cycles, especially this far ahead of the state convention. POTENTIAL GOP CHALLENGER WARNS HOCHUL THAT A CORPORATE TAX HIKE WOULD BE A ‘DISASTER’ FOR NEW YORK’S ECONOMY They say Stefanik’s name recognition, national fundraising network and county-level organizing have effectively closed the primary before it began, while Blakeman has failed to gain traction outside Long Island. STEFANIK DECRIES HOCHUL AS ‘WORST GOVERNOR IN AMERICA’ IN FIERY 2026 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH Stefanik enjoys a much broader-based candidacy across New York. “Elise is honored to have earned endorsements from 58 GOP county party chairs representing over 75% of the New York Republican Party’s weighted vote at the convention,” Stefanik spokesperson Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital. “According to two independent polls, Elise is the strongest candidate against Hochul and has the highest name ID and most favorable polling. Her strong support across the state only continues to grow as she earns more endorsements from prominent GOP leaders, including 40 out of New York’s 45 Conservative Party organizations. New York Republicans are wholly united behind the common goal of firing Kathy Hochul to save New York, and they have entrusted their full confidence in Elise to do so.” That consolidation extends well beyond the county chairs. Fourteen Republican state senators, including Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, have endorsed Stefanik for governor. So have 10 county executives from across New York, adding weight from suburban, upstate and rural regions that traditionally anchor GOP turnout. The upstate chairs who have met with both candidates say Blakeman’s attempts to shift the narrative have fallen flat. STEFANIK TO RELEASE NEW BOOK ON COLLEGE ANTISEMITISM AS SHE EYES BID FOR NY GOVERNOR “We appreciated County Executive Blakeman meeting with us during his visit Upstate, but nothing discussed at the meeting impacted our unwavering support for Elise Stefanik and her campaign to save New York,” said Liz Joy, chair of the Schenectady County GOP. “Elise has consistently delivered for our Upstate communities, and we trust she’s the right person to tackle the challenges New Yorkers face.” Trish Turner, chairwoman of the Ontario County GOP and regional chair for the Finger Lakes, said Stefanik’s early organizing has impressed leaders statewide. “It was a great honor to host Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in my home for a gathering of county Republican chairs from the Finger Lakes, Western New York, Central New York and the Southern Tier,” Turner said. “The energy and enthusiasm in the room were inspiring, and it was clear that many leaders from across our regions are excited about her candidacy for NYS governor. Congresswoman Stefanik’s vision, leadership and deep commitment to New Yorkers were evident throughout our conversations. The Upstate Chairs who attended expressed not only strong support, but also genuine enthusiasm to get involved and help drive momentum in the months ahead.” Dutchess County GOP Chairman Mike McCormack echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital, “I’m with Elise, and that’s not changing. We need to focus on saving our state, and she’s the hope for New York.” KEY TRUMP ALLY JUMPS INTO NEW YORK GOVERNOR’S RACE DAYS AFTER SHOCKING MAMDANI MAYORAL VICTORY Even as Stefanik’s margins grow, Blakeman has continued visiting counties upstate and has attempted to contrast himself as an executive-focused candidate who leads one of the state’s largest suburban counties. In prior public remarks, Blakeman has argued Stefanik’s national profile draws attention away from New York-specific issues. But GOP chairs say those arguments haven’t changed their “unwavering support” for Stefanik. Blakeman’s electoral record has also become a talking point among Republican officials who describe Stefanik as a proven winner. Over the course of his multi-decade political career, Blakeman has lost a statewide comptroller race by more than 30 points in 1998, a Nassau County Legislature race in 1999, dropped out of the 2009 New York City mayoral contest, lost a 2010 U.S. Senate primary by more than 20 points and lost a 2014 congressional race in NY-14, the same year Stefanik won her seat. Stefanik, by contrast, has never lost an election and raises annually what Blakeman has raised over multiple cycles. Stefanik secured more than 72% of the weighted vote on the very first day she launched her gubernatorial campaign and has only expanded her margin since. With the backing of 40 of New York’s 45 Conservative Party organizations, which control their own separate ballot line, she is positioned to secure both the GOP and Conservative nominations long before either party’s convention. Early unity around Stefanik could allow Republicans to focus resources on the general election well ahead of schedule, a rare advantage for GOP candidates in deep blue New York. The New York Republican Party’s convention is scheduled for early next year, with the petitioning period opening soon after. If Stefanik’s level of support holds through the convention, she would secure the nomination outright, leaving any challenger to attempt the 15,000-signature petition process instead of running through the party’s formal endorsement. For now, pollster James Johnson calls the primary a “done deal.” “Stefanik seems to dominate the Republican vote. It’s a done deal,” Johnson said.
A look back at the biggest presidential Thanksgiving scandals, surprises
Thanksgiving typically slows the news as Americans gather with family and friends. But the holiday also has a habit of amplifying Washington, D.C.’s political drama and surprises. Americans are no strangers to controversy and scandals, including a handful that have played out across the decades as citizens gathered around the dinner table for Thanksgiving or headed out for Black Friday shopping. Fox News Digital took a look back at the biggest scandals and political events that rocked Washington, D.C., around the fall holiday. 5 FACTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING YOU CAN SHARE BETWEEN BITES OF TURKEY THIS HOLIDAY The Saturday before Thanksgiving in 1973, President Richard Nixon held a press conference in Orlando, Florida, where he famously said he was not a “crook” as the Watergate break-in and subsequent scandal came to light. At the heart of the scandal were Nixon’s efforts to obstruct justice by directing a cover-up of the Watergate office complex break-in, including suppressing the FBI’s investigation, paying hush money and misusing federal agencies to shield his administration from scrutiny. As the scandal surrounding the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters heated up, Nixon defended himself in a televised Q&A with newspaper editors gathered at Walt Disney World for a convention. “Let me just say this, and I want to say this to the television audience: I made my mistakes, but in all of my years of public life, I have never profited, never profited from public service. I have earned every cent,” Nixon said, initially answering questions about his personal finances. “And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice. “And I think, too, that I could say that in my years of public life, that I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook. I have earned everything I have got.” Nixon resigned in August 1974 with an impeachment process underway and a grand jury prepared to indict him on charges of bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and obstruction of a criminal investigation related to the Watergate cover-up. Nixon was later pardoned and did not face any federal prosecution in the matter. Details unraveled about the Iran–Contra affair in the early days of November 1986 before crescendoing the week of Thanksgiving, including then-President Ronald Reagan dismissing Lt. Col. Oliver North and announcing the resignation of National Security Advisor John Poindexter two days before the holiday. News began to percolate overseas in early November 1986 that the U.S. made a secret arms sale to Iran to secure the release of American hostages held in Lebanon. U.S. officials later divulged the funds from the deal were used to fund an anti-communist rebel group in Nicaragua called the Contras. Two days before Thanksgiving, Reagan announced he had dismissed North from the National Security Council, with Poindexter resigning that same day. On Thanksgiving eve, Reagan announced the creation of a Special Review Board to review the National Security Council’s role in the deal, later known as the Tower Commission. MEET THE AMERICAN WHO GAVE THE NATION OUR FIRST THANKSGIVING ORIGIN STORY: PILGRIM EDWARD WINSLOW The fallout from the report continued over the holiday and even into the George H.W. Bush administration, when the president granted pardons to a handful of individuals involved on Christmas Eve 1992. While many Americans were out shopping on Black Friday in 1998, the Clinton White House delivered President Bill Clinton’s written responses to 81 questions from House Judiciary related to his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky as part of an impeachment inquiry. Clinton already had declared to the nation that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky” in January 1998, and the House authorized an impeachment inquiry in October that intensified around the Thanksgiving holiday. The Judiciary had sent Clinton 81 questions that focused on his relationship with Lewinsky based on independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s report that included evidence related to the affair allegations. Clinton returned the 81 questions on Black Friday, which included questions about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and his conduct in the Paula Jones case, which accused him of sexual harassment in 1994. Judiciary Republicans accused Clinton of playing “word games” in his responses, which included Clinton denying he committed perjury or obstructing justice, and the impeachment inquiry continued. TRUMP, DEMOCRATS LOCKED IN ENDLESS CYCLES OF PAYBACK AFTER COMEY INDICTMENT AND TARGETING PRESIDENT’S ENEMIES The House ultimately impeached Clinton on charges of perjury to a grand jury and obstruction of justice related to his efforts to conceal the affair with an intern, while the Senate voted to acquit Clinton on both articles of impeachment. In a more light-hearted Thanksgiving political event, President George W. Bush quietly traveled to Iraq in 2003 to meet with the troops stationed in Baghdad. The visit, cloaked in secrecy until he was there, marked the first time a sitting president visited Iraq. AMERICA’S ‘UNIQUE’ THANKSGIVING STUFFING PREFERENCES STATE-BY-STATE “Our planners worked to answer every question,” Bush said at the time about the intense planning for the trip. “I had a lot of questions.” Bush was on the ground for over two hours before he made the trip back to the U.S. The trip set off some claims that the president was working for a political gain ahead of the 2004 election, while the administration brushed off such claims while stressing the commander in chief’s visit was focused on supporting the troops amid a war. Just after 4 p.m. on the eve of Thanksgiving in 2020, Trump announced he delivered a full pardon to his former national security advisor, retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn. The White House later in the day released a statement saying Flynn “should never have been prosecuted” and that the pardon ends “the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man.” TRUMP ISSUES SWEEPING PARDONS FOR 2020 ELECTION ALLIES — WHAT THE MOVE REALLY MEANS “While today’s action sets right an injustice against an