Dem ‘Epstein class’ attack backfires as top candidates funded by Epstein-tied billionaire
Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico and Jon Ossoff are facing scrutiny over significant donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire mega-investor with former associations to Jeffrey Epstein, after both accused Republicans of representing the billionaire “Epstein class” over working Americans. Both Talarico, running in Texas, and Ossoff, running in Georgia, have repeatedly criticized billionaires’ involvement in politics and charged Republicans with being beholden to the “Epstein class” instead of the American people. Meanwhile, Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn who has previously admitted to spending a night on Epstein’s Caribbean island, has heavily invested in both campaigns. In the Texas Senate race, Hoffman has donated a whopping $11.5 million to the Talarico-aligned super political action committee (PAC), Lone Star Rising, according to the Texas Tribune. The outlet said the billionaire investor sunk $10 million to the PAC in June alone, accounting for nearly 80% of the group’s second-quarter fundraising. In Georgia, Hoffman donated the maximum legal amount, $7,000, to Ossoff’s campaign for the 2025-2026 cycle. “Democrats like Jon Ossoff and James Talarico vilify corporate billionaires in one breath and accept their cash in the next,” a GOP operative remarked to Fox News Digital, adding, “They’re fueling the same ‘money in politics’ gravy train they claim to oppose.” TALARICO TOUTS TEXAS ROOTS AS OUT-OF-STATE CASH POWERS SENATE CAMPAIGN Hoffman has not been charged with any wrongdoing related to his previous association with Epstein. Their first known meeting was on July 19, 2013, almost five years after Epstein pled guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology records, Hoffman, then a member of the university’s Media Lab Advisory Council, met with Epstein along with other faculty members on campus. The next year, Hoffman visited Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, and stayed overnight, the Wall Street Journal reported. Business Insider reported that in a recent podcast appearance, Hoffman admitted to staying one night at Epstein’s island as part of an MIT fundraising trip. Regarding his visit, he quipped, “Note to self: Google before going.” The Wall Street Journal reported that later in 2014, Hoffman sent Epstein ice cream, writing that it was for him or “for the girls.” ‘SHE SAW DOLLAR SIGNS’: FORMER OBAMA COUNSEL PRESSED OVER YEARS-LONG EPSTEIN TIES The two continued to maintain contact in the years that followed, with Hoffman and Epstein exchanging emails and Skype calls, according to the Wall Street Journal. Axios reported in 2019 that Hoffman hosted a dinner in 2015 at which Epstein was present along with other notable technology leaders, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Peter Thiel. The outlet reported that Hoffman apologized for his association with Epstein, saying that “by agreeing to participate in any fundraising activity where Epstein was present, I helped to repair his reputation and perpetuate injustice. For this, I am deeply regretful.” Meanwhile, Talarico has repeatedly criticized Republicans by using the “Epstein class” line. In one interview, he asserted, “The Epstein Class has no place in Texas.” On the campaign trail, Forbes reported Talarico charging that “the only minority destroying America is the billionaires.” His campaign website asserts that “billionaire mega-donors aren’t just buying yachts and jets — they’re buying power, and they’re using that power to rig our political system.” Fox News Digital reached out to Lone Star Rising, which has spent millions on pro-Talarico advertising, for comment on Hoffman’s $11.5 million in donations. JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, remarked to Fox News Digital that “our campaign has no control over contributions to any super PAC,” adding, “federal law prohibits coordination between political campaigns and outside entities.” Ennis said that “anyone contributing to this movement is supporting a campaign that will tax billionaires more and limit their outsized political influence.” Meanwhile, he ripped into Talarico’s Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, saying, “The only way to get Big Money out of our politics is to reject politicians like Ken Paxton,” who he accused of “want[ing] corporations and billionaires to decide our elections, not Texans.” TALARICO SAYS THE DIVIDE IS ‘TOP VS. BOTTOM’ — THEN HEADS TO ONE OF AMERICA’S RICHEST DONOR ENCLAVES “While Ken Paxton works to enrich himself and his donors, James will remain the only candidate in this race fighting to ban super PACs, ban corporate PACs, ban congressional stock trading, and tax billionaires so we can fix this broken, corrupt political system,” said Ennis. Fox News Digital reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the campaign for Ossoff, who criticized the Trump administration in a news statement earlier this year for having the “wealthiest Cabinet ever.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Ossoff remarked in the statement, “We were told that MAGA was for working-class Americans. But this is a government of, by, and for the ultra-rich… this is the Epstein class, ruling our country. They are the elites they pretend to hate.” On the campaign trail, Ossoff has railed against American politics for “running on secret money, corporate money, billionaire money” and accused the Trump administration of taking “American corruption to spectacular new heights.” Besides Talarico and Ossoff, Hoffman is also known to have donated the maximum legal amount, $7,000, to the re-election campaign for Sen. Cory Booker, a prominent national Democrat from New Jersey. Fox News Digital reached out to Booker for comment.
Cuba built covert network inside America through spies, activists and universities, State Dept alleges
Cuba spent decades waging a covert campaign to infiltrate the United States through espionage and ideological influence, according to a new State Department report that calls Havana the “capital of 21st century communism.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the report is intended to expose what he described as Havana’s decades-long campaign against the United States. “For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States,” Rubio wrote on X. “The State Department is exposing the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion in our country. The American people deserve to know.” TRUMP EXPANDS CUBA SANCTIONS BEYOND US COMPANIES IN MAJOR CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN ENABLERS Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, dismissed the report as political propaganda. In a statement posted on X, Rodríguez called it the State Department’s “latest fallacy” about Cuba and accused the Trump administration of manufacturing a pretext to continue what he described as Washington’s “cruel and criminal economic war” against the island. Without naming Rubio, he accused “that U.S. politician from South Florida” of concocting a “macabre plan” that advances only the interests “of those who have always paid him.” The 100-page report argues that Cuba’s campaign reached far beyond traditional espionage. It alleges that Havana cultivated American activists, recruited spies, supported revolutionary movements and built relationships with universities and advocacy groups as part of a long-term effort to undermine U.S. interests and spread communist ideology. “For nearly seven decades, the Cuban regime has waged a sustained campaign of subversion against the United States,” the report says. It alleges Cuban intelligence infiltrated “the top levels of the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Pentagon,” while also helping shape generations of left-wing political movements. INSIDE CUBA’S FOREIGN INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN: FROM THE ’60S VENCEREMOS BRIGADE TO A CALIFORNIA UNION HALL The report further alleges that Havana spent decades cultivating ties to American revolutionary and activist groups, including the Weather Underground, the Black Panthers, the Black Liberation Army and Puerto Rican militant organizations. The report claims that this network later expanded to include connections with Antifa, anti-ICE organizations, socialist groups and left-wing nonprofits. The report argues that Cuba’s greatest success came not through military force but through influence. It says the communist government built an international network of activists, academics, nonprofits and political organizations that continued spreading its revolutionary ideology long after the Soviet Union collapsed. The report points to several high-profile espionage cases, including convicted spies Victor Manuel Rocha, Ana Belén Montes, Walter Kendall Myers and members of the Wasp Network. ALLEGED CUBAN INFLUENCE OPERATIVE, FAMILY IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AFTER RUBIO REVOKES LEGAL STATUS It also cites former CIA counterintelligence chief James Olson, who called Cuba’s intelligence service “probably the most aggravating intelligence service I’ve ever worked against,” and warned, “The Cubans have penetrated our government… We only know the tip of the iceberg.” The report also claims Cuba viewed American colleges and universities as recruiting grounds, identifying politically sympathetic students who could later move into influential jobs in government or the private sector. It suggests the partnerships between the University of Havana and dozens of U.S. universities are examples of what it describes as long-term influence efforts. It also revisits Cuba’s ties to revolutionary movements across Latin America and says Havana provided sanctuary to American fugitives tied to militant groups. The report names organizations including the Venceremos Brigade, ICAP, the National Network on Cuba, the Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink and the National Lawyers Guild, arguing they helped maintain pro-Cuba activism in the United States for decades. The report concludes that Cuba evolved from a Soviet ally into what it calls “the ideological capital of the modern radical left,” arguing the regime increasingly relied on espionage, political organizing and influence campaigns instead of conventional military power. Fox News Digital reached out to the Cuban Embassy in the U.S. for further comment but did not immediately hear back. Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz appeared on Fox News to warn that Cuba remains a national security threat and accused China and Russia of collecting information around U.S. military bases in Cuba. “The Cuban regime is not only a threat to its own people, it’s a national security threat, and this administration is not going to stand for it any longer,” Waltz said.
Trump’s backyard is becoming America’s biggest magnet for taxpayer wealth
One red county is emerging as America’s biggest winner in the race for people and prosperity, attracting more wealth from migrating taxpayers than any other county in the nation. The latest IRS migration data show President Donald Trump’s hometown of Palm Beach County, Florida, attracted more than $3 billion in taxable income from households moving in from other states, the largest gain of any county in the nation. Already one of the nation’s wealthiest areas, Palm Beach is also home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which has been dubbed the Southern White House. The sunny Florida enclave has become an increasingly high-profile destination for political donors, business leaders and affluent residents, alongside Florida’s broader influx of high-income households. THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND The latest IRS figures suggest that trend continues to favor lower-tax, fast-growing Sun Belt states over many of the nation’s largest coastal counties. The findings offer one of the clearest snapshots yet of where Americans, and their money, are moving. That’s important because the migration of higher-income households can have an outsized economic impact. They contribute more than just new neighbors, bringing paychecks, investments, businesses and spending power that can strengthen local economies while leaving behind smaller tax bases in the places they leave. The migration wasn’t limited to Palm Beach. Neighboring Collier County recorded the nation’s second-largest net gain in adjusted gross income at roughly $2.25 billion, with nearly all of that growth also driven by newcomers from outside Florida. Adjusted gross income (AGI) measures the taxable income reported on federal tax returns, making it one of the clearest indicators of how much earning power is moving from one place to another. Because higher-income households pay a disproportionate share of federal income taxes, changes in adjusted gross income can have an outsized effect on local tax bases, consumer spending and economic growth. BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER INCOME ARE LEAVING TWO ICONIC STATES — AS A NEW ECONOMIC MAP EMERGES Meanwhile, some of the nation’s largest metropolitan counties continued to lose both taxpayers and wealth through interstate migration. Los Angeles County, home to Hollywood and one of the nation’s largest economic engines, recorded the nation’s largest net loss of tax filers, shedding 17,496 returns. Those departing taxpayers took nearly $1.9 billion in adjusted gross income with them as they relocated to other states. Other major counties in California and New York also recorded significant taxpayer losses. Queens County, New York, lost 17,109 tax filers, followed by the Bronx (-16,319), Orange County, California (-11,618) and Suffolk County, New York (-10,434), highlighting the continued outflow from some of the nation’s largest coastal population centers. One county, however, stood out for a different reason. Manhattan recorded the nation’s largest net gain in interstate tax filers while simultaneously losing about $922 million in adjusted gross income, suggesting many of the households arriving earned less than the higher-income taxpayers who departed. AMERICA’S TOP DESTINATION FOR NEW TAXPAYERS IS QUIETLY GETTING POORER, IRS DATA REVEALS The contrast underscores that population growth and wealth growth are not always the same thing. While Manhattan added more new tax filers than any other county, Palm Beach and Collier captured billions more in taxable income, illustrating how the migration of affluent households can reshape local economies even when fewer people move. Trump officially moved his main residence from his longtime home of Manhattan to his estate in Palm Beach in 2019, while he was serving his first term in office. At the time of the move, he slammed New York City’s liberal policies and claimed he was “treated very badly” by political leaders in the state despite paying millions in taxes. In the years after his move, many of Trump’s wealthy inner circle also relocated to Palm Beach and some surrounding Florida counties. The Sunshine State has no state income tax and levies neither estate nor inheritance taxes, while New York’s top state income tax rate exceeds 10%. Taken together, the IRS figures suggest America’s economic center of gravity continues to shift south. As billions of dollars in taxable income flow toward Florida, Texas and other Sun Belt states, many of the nation’s traditional coastal economic powerhouses are losing not just residents — but some of their highest-earning taxpayers.
Trump says first call with new UK PM Burnham went ‘very well,’ pledges US support
President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, shortly after he took office, calling the conversation “very good.” Trump added that he and Burnham plan to meet in the “not too distant future” to discuss issues of mutual interest. During the call, the leaders touched on the longstanding U.S.-U.K. relationship and the challenges facing Burnham as he begins his time in office, with Trump pledging American support. “We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK,” Trump said. ANDY BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS UK PRIME MINISTER, CALLS FOR ‘NEW POLITICAL MODEL’ “The Prime Minister has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it and, of course, the U.S.A. will be there to help!” The pair also discussed North Sea oil, trade, the U.S.-U.K. military alliance and efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said. Burnham’s office released a statement following the call, saying the prime minister looked forward to welcoming Trump to Manchester during a future visit. According to Downing Street, Trump updated Burnham on the situation in the Middle East, while Burnham reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to reopening the Strait of Hormuz safely. “The Prime Minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country,” the British office said. Burnham further emphasized that defense and security would remain the U.K.’s top priority alongside its allies. KEIR STARMER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN AS PM AND COULD ANNOUNCE TIMETABLE FOR DEPARTURE On the domestic front, Burnham emphasized that he will pursue reindustrialization efforts to drive economic growth across the country. Trump ultimately described the conversation as a major success. “The call was interesting, and went very well. I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!” Trump said. Burnham became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, vowing to reshape a country that has cycled through a series of leaders in recent years. He succeeds Keir Starmer, who served as prime minister for just over two years after taking office in the summer of 2024. The two leaders have previously traded criticism. Before Burnham took office, Trump labeled him “extremely liberal,” while Burnham has been openly critical of the American president.
Rand Paul releases docs that reveal FBI halted border inspection of virus researcher over Wuhan lab links
Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were preparing to question a British zoologist and disease ecology expert upon his return to the United States from the World Health Organization’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19, before the FBI intervened and asked agents to stand down, according to files released Monday by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “They told the public a COVID lab leak ‘wasn’t plausible,’” Rand wrote on X. “Their own private messages say otherwise. Today I’m launching The Reading Room where the public can review records related to my ongoing investigation – not just conclusions but the actual documents.” The documents show CBP’s National Targeting Center flagged Peter Daszak as “a high person of interest” ahead of his Feb. 5, 2021, arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Daszak, the former president of EcoHealth Alliance, was flagged because of more than 15 years of collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and his longstanding relationship with its lead researcher, Zhengli Shi, as well as his role as principal investigator on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants funding bat coronavirus research in China. RAND PAUL BRINGS CIA WHISTLEBLOWER TO SENATE HEARING ALLEGING ‘DEEP STATE’ COVID-19 CONSPIRACY Much of the funding Daszak received was put toward gain-of-function research, the documents state. The documents highlight that the NIH had asked Daszak to retrieve the original type-specimen used by WIV for genetic analysis and return it to the U.S., as well as to explain several aspects of his collaboration with the lab, including providing related cell phone data. CBP officials planned to question Daszak on his activities in China, his contacts at the WIV, and whether he illegally collected or carried biological samples. TOP 4 EXPLOSIVE MOMENTS FROM CIA WHISTLEBLOWER’S TESTIMONY ON ALLEGED COVID-19 LAB LEAK COVER-UP Internal communications highlighted concerns regarding Daszak’s involvement in gain-of-function research and potential conflicts of interest involving federal grants. However, three days before his arrival in New York, CBP received a request from the FBI’s New York Field Office to halt the stop, and the inspection never happened. “FBI New York requested we do not stop the subject below,” the request states, according to the documents. MISSING SCIENTIST SCRUTINY REACHES FBI AS PATEL’S PROBE OF MYSTERY DISAPPEARANCES SET FOR ‘FINAL REPORT’ The records include detailed flight itineraries, proposed interrogation questions, and internal emails documenting the interagency disagreement over the search. “This isn’t the whole story. It’s the start of one,” Paul wrote in a lengthy thread on X. “The Reading Room will be updated on a rolling basis as the investigation continues.” At the time of the planned interception, Daszak headed the now-defunct EcoHealth Alliance, an American-based nonprofit that conducted research and outreach on the causes of emerging pandemic diseases, such as those originating in bats. He was a member of the 10-person WHO team that traveled to China to investigate the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Daszak had received public criticism regarding a potential conflict of interest for being included on the WHO investigative team despite his financial and professional ties to WIV. Daszak now heads Nature Health Global, a non-profit scientific organization focused on ecological research, public health, and pandemic prevention. Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI and Nature Health Global.
Johnson’s strategy to bypass Democrats’ SAVE Act blockade survives key vote, handing GOP big win
Speaker Mike Johnson’s latest bid to skirt Democrats’ opposition to an election integrity bill backed by President Donald Trump survived a key hurdle on Monday evening. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has faced significant headwinds in Congress despite having Trump’s full-throated support. While it passed the House, the legislation has struggled in the Senate where at least several Democratic votes are needed to break a filibuster and advance to final passage. But the new plan by Johnson, R-La., which would allow key parts of the bill to skirt Democrats entirely, is one step closer to getting a House-wide vote sometime this week. TRUMP INTERVENES AS HOUSE GOP REVOLT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AT CENTER OF SPENDING SHOWDOWN Republicans would erase the need for any Democratic buy-in by putting key elements of the SAVE America Act into a larger budget reconciliation bill. The reconciliation process allows the party in power to pass sweeping fiscal policy reforms without input from their opposition by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to line up with the House’s simple majority requirement. But there are strict guidelines for what can be in a reconciliation bill. Such legislation must deal with yearly federal spending and revenues, meaning issues that do not directly affect fiscal policy are generally excluded. House Republicans are aiming to use this reconciliation bill to fund states’ election integrity efforts, replenish military funding amid the U.S. war with Iran, and dole out aid to American farmers. GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT In total, the legislation would set the stage for $95 billion in new federal spending across the next 10 years. The first chamber-wide step in the reconciliation process is to pass a framework that directs the relevant committees to then craft details dealing with their allocated budgets. Those details are then put back into a single sweeping bill that must pass the House and Senate before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature. Passing the House Rules Committee means the bill will see a chamber-wide test vote that, if adopted, will set the stage for lawmakers to debate the bill before a final vote. GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL That vote is expected to occur Tuesday afternoon, with the final vote taking place the following day at 3:30 p.m., according to a preliminary schedule obtained by Fox News Digital. Trump urged Republicans to advance the bill earlier Monday, arguing it would “get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military.” Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Republicans of trying to unfairly sway elections with their SAVE America Act push. “This is a phony issue that Donald Trump is creating. What’s amazing to me is that Donald Trump had the nerve to say to the Speaker of the House, who apparently didn’t object, that the most important thing that Republicans should focus on is voter suppression legislation, and that housing doesn’t matter, healthcare doesn’t matter, grocery bills don’t matter,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said earlier this year. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has repeatedly referred to the legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0.” “While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low income Americans and people of color,” he said in February. Republicans argue that the SAVE America Act — which would implement federal voter ID requirements and a proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process — would make American elections safer and more secure.
Socialist insurgents force moderate Democrats into high-risk showdown over must-hold races
The Democratic Party’s ideological war is moving from deep-blue congressional districts to statewide contests in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, where progressive victories could reshape the party and endanger must-hold seats in November. After far-left and socialist candidates defeated more moderate contenders in deep-blue districts last month, upcoming Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary will test whether the movement can translate those wins into statewide power. Progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont and two-time Democratic presidential primary runner-up, touted on the campaign trail this past weekend, “Within the last year, we have won mayor’s races in New York City. We’ve won mayor’s races in Seattle. Washington, D.C. We have won congressional elections and Democratic primaries in Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Montana, Colorado, New Jersey and New York.” After victories by far-left and socialist candidates over more moderate contenders in deep-blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado last month drew outsized national attention, upcoming primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin are now the latest battleground in the high-stakes showdown. And the center is pushing back. MEET THE FAR LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS “Socialism has not worked anywhere on the globe,” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday in an interview on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria.” “Promises of free lunch, free buses, free bread, free everything. There’s no such thing as free. Someone always pays. This is a dream. This is nirvana. This is utopia. And they’re selling to young people who are buying it. It’s not going to work.” The former governor resigned amid multiple scandals five years ago and failed in his political comeback last year, losing New York City’s mayoral election to socialist Zohran Mamdani, The victories by a trio of far-left congressional candidates in New York City heavily supported by Mamdani, followed a week later by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed challenger and first-time candidate Melat Kiros’ defeat of 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado, have emboldened progressives as they wage a far-left national pressure campaign against the Democratic Party. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CIVIL WAR HITS DEBATE STAGE IN CRUCIAL PRIMARY SHOWDOWN “Only socialism can solve decades of capitalist mismanagement in the US. Our newly elected leaders will fight for the working class — not for crumbs,” the DSA proclaimed in a social media post celebrating the string of primary election victories. That view is far from universal. “I’m tired of being told that, to be a progressive, I now must swear allegiance to crazy ideas,” Democratic political analyst Van Jones, a veteran of then-President Barack Obama’s administration, lamented in a social media post. “Supporting Hamas is not progressive. ‘No police, no prisons, no borders’ is not progressive. Celebrating the murder of Israeli civilians is not progressive. These ideas are REGRESSIVE,” Jones wrote. Jamie Metzl, a technology and healthcare futurist who years ago served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, said in a Fox News Channel interview that it’s time for Democrats “to stand up” to what he called “the bigots and anti-Americans in our own party.” Metzl said the DSA and other far-left groups “who are trying to take control of our party and our brand” represent “a fundamental threat to our party and our country.” VAN JONES WARNS FAR-LEFT AGENDA IS ‘REGRESSIVE’ THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another progressive rockstar, parachuted into Michigan’s campaign trail this past weekend to boost Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left candidate they’re supporting in a crucial Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director who unsuccessfully ran an insurgent campaign for governor in 2018, is facing off for the party’s nomination in the Great Lakes battleground state against Rep. Haley Stevens, a more moderate lawmaker backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the establishment. https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/elections/republicans The winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary will take on former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination, in the key midterm Senate faceoff to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The rare open Senate seat is a top Republican target in the midterms, as well as a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim 53-47 margin. El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, has made support for Medicare for all a major component of his campaign. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations. Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point. The primary clash is combustible and expensive, with outside groups spending big bucks to flood the campaign trail with ads. The biggest spending, to boost Stevens and attack El-Sayed, is United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “I think we’re at an opportunity to show folks where the Democratic Party ought to go. Whether or not there are people who oppose that, that’s for them to decide. But if you’re opposing that on behalf of big corporations, folks like AIPAC, you’re going to find that their power is going to start to slip,” El-Sayed warned in a Fox News interview on Sunday. Sanders, speaking alongside El-Sayed and Ocasio-Cortez on
Top media networks put on notice after refusing to air Trump’s primetime address: ‘Serious concerns’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is asking the Federal Communications Commission to review ABC, NBC and CBS’ broadcast decisions after the networks either declined to air live or cut away from President Donald Trump’s July 16 primetime address. In a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital and sent Monday, Carter asked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to review whether the networks violated their obligation to “serve the public interest” and whether their actions should be considered in future broadcast license proceedings. “The public airwaves should inform the American people, not be used by corporate executives to decide which matters of national importance they are permitted to hear,” Carter wrote. Carter raised “serious concerns” in the letter, saying networks can disagree with President Trump’s remarks while still airing what he says. ABC, NBC, CNN AVOID AIRING TRUMP’S PRIMETIME ELECTION SECURITY ADDRESS LIVE “Broadcasters may criticize, analyze, or fact-check the President’s statements,” he wrote. “However, refusing to air a major presidential address because executives disagree with its content raises serious concerns that they intended to keep Americans in the dark about potential foreign interference in our elections.” Carter also argued that Americans should have been allowed to make up their own minds. “Regardless of political affiliation, the American people deserved to hear this information directly from their President and judge it for themselves,” Carter wrote. “Instead, ABC and NBC declined to broadcast the speech on their primary television networks, while CBS cut away before the President completed his remarks.” Carter added that airing the speech on streaming services was not an “adequate substitute for free, over-the-air television—particularly for Americans without reliable broadband access.” TONY DOKOUPIL CLASHES WITH MARK WARNER AFTER THE SENATOR RIPPED CBS FOR AIRING TRUMP SPEECH ‘AS NEWS’ The letter follows President Trump‘s Thursday night primetime address, during which he called for ABC and NBC’s broadcast licenses to be revoked, accusing the networks of being part of a “plot” to “continue this fraud” and “protect the radical left.” “In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech,” President Trump said. “They knew what it was about because they don’t like the topic, because they know how corrupt our system is and they don’t want to reveal it.” President Trump used the more than 20-minute address to announce the “immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence” documents he said revealed “shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure.” “America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed, because no country can be great without fair and honest elections,” President Trump said. “You have to trust your country, because if there can be no trust, there can be no greatness. And that’s very simple. No trust, no greatness.” ‘SHADOW GOVERNMENT’: TRUMP CLAIMS INTEL COMMUNITY BRAGGED ABOUT HIDING CHINESE MEDDLING According to the White House, the documents released during the address included files related to alleged voting system vulnerabilities, China’s alleged acquisition of U.S. voter data, a Michigan voter registration investigation and noncitizens on state voter rolls. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the contents of the documents or President Trump’s claims. “Just as disturbingly, this vital information has been covered up and hidden from you, the American people, our beautiful, great American people, for many years,” President Trump said. “But that all changes right now.” ABC News and NBC News streamed President Trump’s speech on their digital platforms before later airing special reports summarizing his remarks on their broadcast networks. CBS News initially aired analysis before joining President Trump’s speech several minutes after it began, then cut away after he criticized ABC and NBC. Carter said the issues raised during Trump’s address warranted live broadcast coverage, adding the “allegations concern both election integrity and national security. Fox News Digital reached out to the FCC, ABC News, NBC News and CBS News for comment.
Trump admin taunts left for ‘praying’ for World Cup disaster as DOT touts record numbers
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is claiming victory over the left after a successful FIFA World Cup tournament that saw record-shattering numbers of fans moving through the U.S. Several million FIFA fans flocked to American stadiums this year, putting an enormous strain on federal, state and local transportation networks. However, aided in part by a more than a $100 million DOT infrastructure investment to World Cup host cities, the tournament went off without any major incidents, prompting Duffy to taunt doomsayers who predicted the country would fall on its face. “The Left was praying for an American transit disaster as we hosted the most important international sporting event in modern history,” Duffy told Fox News Digital. “They were wrong, and President Trump was right.” FBI BOSS KASH PATEL DETAILS HOW AGENCY AND PARTNERS SECURED RECORD-SHATTERING FIFA WORLD CUP Among the naysayers was Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who in April accused the Trump administration of endangering FIFA fans by “systematically dismantling security agencies, delaying critical security assistance, and initiating a war with Iran.” All this, Gallego said, made the country’s top security agency, the Department of Homeland Security, “woefully unprepared to accomplish its mission.” Gallego remarked that “if state and local officials do not trust that federal employees will coordinate in lockstep and operate as partners, they will be unable to protect their communities—increasing threat risk and compromising Americans’ safety in the process.” He added that “this self-imposed chaos extends to the Trump administration’s management of federal departments and agencies.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took a similar tone, asserting ahead of the tournament that “Trump cares more about being on international TV at midfield on match day than actually hosting successful games.” In May, The Atlantic published a piece titled “Another Way America Will Choke at the World Cup,” in which the author predicted that “in the coming months, America’s patchwork railway system will be similarly challenged—and its weaknesses exposed—across all 11 U.S. sites of World Cup matches.” Nathaniel Sizemore, a spokesperson for the agency, told Fox News Digital that it was “the Left’s TDS [Trump derangement syndrome]” that “put them in the absurd position of praying for an American transit disaster.” PRESIDENT TRUMP STEALS PART OF SPOTLIGHT AS SPAIN CELEBRATES WORLD CUP TITLE OVER ARGENTINA However, with the World Cup officially concluded, the results are in and, according to DOT, they are conclusive. The department said that, aided by its $100.3 million in federal funding to host cities, local transit systems accommodated record-breaking numbers. During the World Cup, Atlanta saw more than 2 million riders use public transit to get to matches, fan fests, and other events, with match-day ridership reaching up to three times the typical average. In Seattle, DOT said that more than 1.1 million combined riders used city public transit during the first two matches alone. On July 6, the city’s light rail system accommodated 309,000 riders, blowing well past the system’s single-day record of 220,000 riders. Meanwhile, Philadelphia, which also hosted this year’s MLB All-Star Game, saw an average of 27,000 riders using public transit per match. The city’s PHLASH bus service recorded a 500 percent increase in ridership. Even cities not previously known for their public transit systems accommodated record numbers. Kansas City saw a one-day record for streetcar riders at 48,260 on June 27. Los Angeles saw a 598 percent increase in rider taps on World Cup match day compared to a typical Friday. To put it further in perspective, DOT said that in San Francisco, an average of more than 38,000 fans moved to and from World Cup matches using public transit, exceeding Super Bowl LX’s numbers by nearly 8,000. DOT is not the only one that noticed the U.S. public transit system performing. At the start of the tournament, Vox ran a piece titled “The World Cup has a Trump problem.” In the piece, the outlet accused Trump of “actively hindering” the World Cup and other sporting events, especially through the president’s “hostility to all immigrants … especially to non-white ones.” Yet, ahead of the final match, Vox wrote that “the nation’s widely expected World Cup public transit meltdown has simply not materialized.” RILEY GAINES: WORLD CUP VISITORS ARE REMINDING AMERICANS WHAT MAKES THIS COUNTRY GREAT The outlet said that “to the surprise of pretty much everyone, US cities have managed to absorb the influx of fans with relative ease, even under the pressure of record ridership en route to stadiums, watch parties, and fan zones.” Duffy, however, was not surprised. “Whether they flew, took passenger rail, hopped on public transit, or hit the open road, Americans and visitors alike saw the best of our nation over the last month,” he told Fox News Digital. He added that “from the FTA’s investment into local public transit to the FAA’s work keeping our skies safe, we were proud to help FIFA fans get to the games safely and on time.” Fox News Digital reached out to Gallego, Schumer, The Atlantic and Vox for comment.
Retired Lt. Col. running for Congress backs Trump Iran strategy: ‘He’s ending a 47-year conflict’
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Flippo knows a thing or two about winning a fight. During his military career he deployed around the world, including serving as a maintenance and logistics officer in Iraq during the lead up to the 2003 invasion. Currently, he’s locked in a tough battle in a Republican-leaning open swing district comprising an enormous chunk of northern Nevada. Nevada may be the best bellwether state west of the Mississippi. It’s a hotly contested state with a booming economy and an exploding population marked by a familiar theme in politics: a stark divide between its rural and urban populations. JOE LOMBARDO CRUISES PAST SIX GOP CHALLENGERS TO SECURE NEVADA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION Trump won Nevada by a modest margin in 2024, and Governor Joe Lombardo defeated a Democrat incumbent in 2022. Yet three of its four congressional districts are blue, as are both of its Senate seats. The Democrats hold both chambers of the state legislature by large margins. Flippo won the Republican nomination despite having a well-known establishment-backed primary opponent in the Nevada legislature: “Well, up in the north, it’s an R+7 district, and Trump won that district by 14. It’s a conservative district. And running against the establishment versus a conservative candidate who had been endorsed by Turning Point, Club for Growth, President Trump endorsed me. Obviously, the conservative people in the northern Nevada area wanted a conservative in this seat.” Having never held elected office, Flippo presents his newcomer status as an advantage, rather than a liability: “I beat the establishment. I think people are tired of the establishment politicians, the politicians that…are there just to be a moderate, be that middle ground. I think we need fighters in Congress. “I think we need people in Congress that are ready to stand up, stand up for the American people, and here in Nevada, stand up for Nevadans.” Flippo spent much of his military career in the Middle East. He argues that Trump’s Iran policy is ending a war, not starting one: “What President Trump is doing with the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, this has been a 47-year conflict. Some in the media have been saying that Trump is starting a forever war, but in my opinion, he’s ending it. “Most all of my career was in the Middle East, fighting because of Iran and what they’re doing with Israel and with Hezbollah and Hamas and the Houthis. What Iran has done is over, and things are going to change, and President Trump sees that. “I fully support what President Trump is doing. We need to open up the strait, it needs to be a clear waterway. We need the flow of oil to start again.” The voters of northern Nevada want a constitutional conservative, Flippo argues, and he is prepared to deliver results on budgetary issues, as the exploding national debt approaches $40 trillion. “We have to get to a balanced budget. We have to get this deficit under control. What are we, $39 trillion in debt now and it keeps climbing? Something has to be done. We have to stop spending money that we don’t have. “We need to stop expanding government. And that’s what’s been happening over the years. We just keep expanding and expanding. You know, I’m a constitutional conservative: government has four purposes and if you go beyond those four purposes, it belongs to the states. “And the government has taken on so much now that we just keep getting more and more in debt. And it’s time that we have representatives in Congress that are ready to stop that.” Illegal immigration is a signature issue for Flippo, who paints the problem in economic terms, and is concerned about its impact on a variety of pressing public policy issues. “lllegal immigration is a problem in the United States. And if you look at what’s happened in the last six years under Biden and the open borders policies and the 20 to 30 million people that were allowed to come in, what has that done? It’s caused housing costs to go up. NEVADA LT GOV: ELON MUSK COULD MAKE SPACE TOURISM STATE’S NEXT BIG INDUSTRY “That’s a supply and demand issue. 20 million people. That’s 20 cities the size of Las Vegas, right? What does that mean? That means all those schools, the police departments, the fire departments, all those social service programs. All that has to be paid for by tax dollars, by taxpayers. 20 cities the size of Las Vegas, 40 cities the size of Reno. That’s a lot. That’s a lot to ask for the taxpayers to come in all at once.” While the district leans Republican, the Democrats believe they have fielded a formidable candidate in former Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson. Flippo is not taking anything for granted, but believes the contrast between his conservative outlook and her left-wing voting record will play to his advantage. “She’s a big government [supporter], big spender. She’s voted to raise taxes 12 times here in Nevada. She voted for the largest tax increase in Nevada’s history. She voted for Planned Parenthood funding. She voted for drivers licenses for illegals. I mean, she has a voting record that she says she’s very proud of. And I don’t believe that’s something to be proud of.” Finally, Flippo believes that Trump’s support is a net asset in his district, and believes that support, along with the backing of Gov. Lombardo, will carry a lot of weight. “My district in northern Nevada, District 2, is an R+7 that Trump won by 14. So Trump obviously carries some weight in northern Nevada. It’s a conservative part of this state, which is different than the southern part. “Getting on a team with the governor being united, getting the vote out is going to be critical. And having Trump on my side up in the north is going to be a huge factor in winning this.”