Biden’s illegal immigration surge caused higher rent and home prices, Fed study finds
A new Federal Reserve working paper found the record surge in illegal immigration during the Biden administration came at a cost to one of the nation’s fiercest political debates: higher home prices and rent rates. The findings arrive as immigration remains a defining political issue, with Republicans arguing former President Joe Biden’s border policies strained housing and public resources while Democrats have pointed to immigration as helping ease labor shortages and support economic growth. The new report, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas by compiling individual immigration court records and government administrative data, is among the first comprehensive efforts to measure how the unprecedented wave of illegal migration between 2021 and 2024 impacted local economies and affected local labor markets. A PROBLEM HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IS KEEPING AMERICANS FROM BUYING HOMES The authors cautioned that the paper is a preliminary draft circulated for professional comment and that its findings do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System. Researchers found the influx of illegal immigrants boosted local employment with little measurable effect on wages, but came with a trade-off of increasing housing demand enough to drive up home prices and rents. The researchers found that illegal immigrant worker inflows increased local employment “approximately one-for-one,” meaning a 1% increase in unauthorized workers relative to a local area’s workforce corresponded with roughly a 1% increase in overall employment. The study found no evidence that the immigration surge lowered average wages. THE KEY STRATEGY RED STATES ARE USING TO LOWER HOUSING COSTS REVEALED That 1% increase in illegal immigrant worker flow, however, raised local home prices by about 2.2% and rents by roughly 1.4%, while finding little evidence that new housing construction expanded enough to absorb the increased demand, according to the study. So while wages remained relatively stable due to the influx of illegal immigration, housing prices and rent surged and left American workers struggling to keep up. The housing crisis has heavily impacted affordability in the U.S. and is a key midterm issue for many voters on both sides of the political aisle. Researchers concluded the influx of illegal immigrant workers acted as a housing demand shock in markets where supply remained relatively constrained. The authors argued the increase in housing demand outpaced homebuilding in many areas, amplifying price pressures where housing supply was already limited. ONE TYPE OF PROPERTY IS QUIETLY SAVING AMERICANS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS The economists estimate illegal immigrant worker flows accounted for roughly 30% of employment growth in the average local labor market between March 2021 and March 2024. They also estimate those inflows explained about 30% of home-price growth and roughly 20% of rent growth in the average metropolitan area over the same period. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The findings suggest the recent immigration surge had different effects across sectors—expanding the labor force without significantly affecting wages while increasing demand in housing markets where supply struggled to keep pace. The estimates refer to the average metropolitan area in the study and do not suggest immigration was the sole driver of rising housing costs nationwide. The paper describes the years between 2021 and 2024 as an “unprecedented boom” in illegal immigration. Citing Congressional Budget Office estimates, the authors said net unauthorized immigration added roughly 7 million people to the U.S. population during that period before slowing sharply beginning in mid-2024. The researchers also examined government spending and found areas with larger increases in unauthorized immigrant workers experienced declines in government transfer payments. They suggested the finding could reflect stronger employment and lower use of safety-net programs among working-age immigrants, while acknowledging the result differs from some previous survey-based research. Read the full report here:
DOJ launches grand jury probe into Marxist mogul Neville Roy Singham’s funding of leftist groups
FIRST ON FOX: A federal grand jury is investigating alleged financial crimes by Neville Roy Singham, the China-based tech tycoon whose fortune has funded a sprawling network of socialist, communist and Marxist organizations across the U.S. over the last decade. According to sources familiar with the matter, the grand jury in Manhattan has issued subpoenas as part of a probe launched by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York, one of the country’s most powerful districts for federal prosecutions. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized the investigation as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes in the multibillion-dollar nonprofit industry. The grand jury action follows a Fox News Digital investigation published in mid-March, documenting how Singham pumped $285 million from his base in Shanghai into a Goldman Sachs philanthropy fund and two shell corporations that then fed the money into a constellation of nonprofit organizations, media operations and activist groups pushing sectarian division, identity politics and support for socialist politicians. The investigation is examining the movement of the money in Singham’s financial network and attempting to determine if Singham, the organizations he funded or their leaders committed wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering or other financial crimes, according to sources familiar with the matter. HOUSE OF SINGHAM: READ FOX NEWS DIGITAL’S 5-PART INVESTIGATION Prosecutors have presented evidence to the grand jury, which has issued subpoenas seeking bank records and other financial documents from organizations in Singham’s network. Federal prosecutors use grand jury subpoenas as an investigative tool to compel the production of documents and testimony as they determine whether sufficient evidence exists to pursue criminal charges. Nicholas Biase, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, declined to comment. According to sources, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to New York City earlier this year for a meeting with Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon. The men discussed the role of a Goldman Sachs philanthropic arm — GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc. — that facilitated the movement by Singham of millions of dollars into a network of U.S. nonprofits. A Treasury Department spokesman declined to comment. A person familiar with the meeting confirmed that it occurred, saying that Bessent has regular meetings with business leaders, and declined to comment further on the substance of the meeting. At that meeting, sources said, Bessent delivered a blunt ultimatum: Goldman Sachs could face scrutiny for alleged conspiracy in the funneling of the Singham money and urged Solomon to cooperate with federal investigators. Like many U.S. companies, Goldman Sachs has had a long business relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, with Solomon participating in a meeting, for example, on Nov. 4, 2025, with He Lifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs. Solomon pledged his cooperation, according to sources. As previously reported, a Goldman spokesman told Fox News Digital that the company terminated its relationship with SIngham in February 2024 following an initial round of public scrutiny about his donations to far-left causes. WALL STREET BANKS HELPED CHINESE MILITARY-LINKED FIRM RAISE BILLIONS DESPITE RED FLAGS, LAWMAKERS FIND By mid-May, with the Southern District of New York investigation in full throttle, Solomon joined a delegation of powerful American business leaders who accompanied President Donald Trump, Bessent and other administration officials to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. In a five-part investigative series published earlier this year, Fox News Digital unearthed a four-minute-13-second speech in which Singham stood on a stage at the Golden Tulip Hotel on Nov. 13, 2025, for a conference of the “Global South Academic Forum,” coincidentally just days after the Goldman Sachs’ chief was in Beijing. Tricontinental Ltd., a Singham-funded nonprofit, co-sponsored the event with academic institutions administered by the Chinese Communist Party. On stage, Singham openly supported a “new world order” promoted by Chinese President Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. During the speech, he called the United States a “fascist” nation, echoing the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party now also parroted on the streets by communist, socialist and Democratic Party activists. WATCH THE NOVEMBER 2025 SINGHAM SPEECH: The series revealed a 172-page report in which Singham outlined his theory of change, invoking 20th century Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong’s battle plan to wage a “people’s war” to spread communism. Mao was inspired by communist leaders Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. LAWMAKERS RAISE ALARM OVER NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S $278M NETWORK SPREADING CCP PROPAGANDA IN THE U.S. Singham’s rise as a global political financier accelerated after his February 2017 marriage to Jodie Evans, the co-founder of Code Pink, a far-left activist group that has aligned itself with authoritarian regimes including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Communist Party of Cuba and the Chinese Communist Party. According to sources, Evans is also a target of the investigation, emerging as a board member in the U.S. on many of the organizations that Singham funded. That same year, Singham sold his company, ThoughtWorks, for an estimated $785 million to a London-based private equity firm, Apax Partners. A spokeswoman for Apax Partners said the company wouldn’t disclose the names of the investors who pumped money into that sale, but sources told Fox News Digital that federal investigators are looking for potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party. After that sale, Fox News Digital found, Singham began directing large sums of money into a network of organizations that now form part of a broader activist infrastructure in the United States and abroad. In its investigation, Fox News Digital mapped 223 transactions from 2017 through 2025 that moved $591 million across five continents through 67 core groups in the Singham network. They partner with hundreds of groups worldwide, resulting in a network of about 2,000 groups, amplifying anti-U.S., pro-China messages. Of that money, Fox News Digital
Mamdani-backed socialists look to take New York playbook nationwide after primary victories
Hours after their ballot box victories in a handful of congressional primaries in New York City, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) set their sights west. “Today, the East Coast, next week the Mountain West,” the DSA wrote in a social media post last week. The post came after DSA-aligned Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old far-left community organizer, ousted incumbent Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair, and state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, another socialist, won a congressional primary by beating an establishment-backed candidate. The victories by Chevalier and Valdez, who were heavily supported by socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, further emboldened the far left as it takes on the center-left establishment in a high-stakes battle for the future of the Democratic Party. VICTORIES BY MAMDANI-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES SPOTLIGHTS GROWING RIFT IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY The DSA is now looking to replicate its playbook across the country, starting Tuesday in the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, a solidly blue seat anchored in Denver that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried by a whopping 56 points in the 2024 election. Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who was first elected to Congress three decades ago, is facing two primary challenges, including DSA-backed Melat Kiros, a first-time candidate and former attorney born four months after DeGette first took office. Kiros, who lost her job as a lawyer in New York after writing an essay critical of Israel, is also supported by Justice Democrats, the nearly decade-old political group known for heavily supporting “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib as they toppled entrenched incumbents in their initial elections to Congress. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB “ELECT ANOTHER SOCIALIST TO CONGRESS ON JUNE 30TH,” a DSA social media post states as it urges supporters to lend a hand to the Kiros campaign. The far left is also training its firepower in two high-profile statewide Democratic primaries in early August in key battleground states: the Senate showdown in Michigan and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial contest. DSA-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor eight years ago, is one of three major candidates trying to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. LURCHING LEFT: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST ESTABLISHMENT DEMOCRATS And Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong is on the rise among a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. “It’s a great day to be a democratic socialist,” the DSA-aligned Hong posted on X last week. “Wisconsin is next!” Mamdani’s stunning Democratic mayoral primary victory a year ago sent political shockwaves across the country and cemented the DSA as a major political force. A year later, Mamdani’s kingmaker status was further enhanced by last week’s results in New York City. Possibly looking to the national stage, the mayor said, “My goal is to make America a place that every American can afford.” Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital, “Some of the DSA and the majority of the left wing of the Democratic Party appear to be the only ones truly engaging in a conversation about economic populism in a period where costs continue to soar, and there is seemingly no plan from anyone in Washington to rectify that problem. You can see why it’s appealing.” BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS It’s not just strategists from the progressive wing of the party that acknowledge the increasing power of the far left. Matt Bennett, one of the leaders at the Third Way, a leading center-left Democratic organization, noted, “There is enormous energy around the far left in very, very blue places, like New York City” and that “they are succeeding in their mission to oust incumbents or mainstream Democrats from blue seats and make them bluer.” But outside what has been labeled New York City’s “commie corridor,” which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens, where voters in recent years have consistently backed far-left and socialist candidates, more mainstream Democrats prevailed in Tuesday’s primaries. In the high-profile showdown to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler in Manhattan, former Nadler staffer Micah Lasher came out on top. Miles north of New York City in the state’s swing 17th Congressional District, Army veteran Cait Conley won the primary and will challenge GOP Rep. Mike Lawler in a key midterm contest that is one of a handful which will determine if Republicans hold the slim House majority. In Utah, former Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams defeated progressive rivals to win the primary in the newly redrawn and blue-leaning 1st Congressional District. In Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C., in the race to succeed longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer, Adrian Boafo, who was supported by Hoyer, topped a crowded and diverse Democratic primary field. And in South Carolina, Nancy Lacore, a former Navy admiral who was fired by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, won the Democratic primary in a Republican-leaning district Democrats had hopes of flipping. Bennett said the New York City races grabbing outsized attention “are not representative districts, and it remains the case that the far left, in the Trump era, has failed to flip a single seat in Congress from red to blue, House or Senate.” “They’re doing nothing to put a check on Trump or get power back,” he argued. “And in fact, they’re making it harder, because they’re handing Republicans very potent ammunition to use against Democrats in swing districts the way the GOP used ‘defund the police’ very effectively in 2020.” Veteran center-left Democratic strategist Matt Corridoni, who advises the political groups The Bench and Majority Democrats, said, “I think if we’re only focusing on New York we’re missing the forest through the trees.” Corridoni said, “There are dozens of examples across the country of these sort of purple reddish districts where we’re getting candidates who are tapping into the
Jacob Frey praises Somali community as Minnesota faces renewed scrutiny over fraud investigations
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told members of the city’s Somali community over the weekend that they are “our family,” pledging solidarity and praising their contributions to the city during remarks celebrating Somali Independence Day. Frey’s remarks came as Minnesota continues to face scrutiny over several high-profile fraud investigations and weeks after a Republican-led House Oversight Committee report alleged the Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s administration failed to act on repeated warnings about widespread fraud in the state’s social services programs. “Through the most difficult of times and through Operation Metro surge, we all saw that they tried to come for some of us,” Frey told members of the Somali community on Saturday. “And when that happens, we say that you’re coming for all of us.” BLUE STATE’S ANTI-ICE PLEDGE COLLAPSES AS GOP WARNS OF NEW SANCTUARY ‘CONFEDERACY’ “In Minneapolis, we loved our neighbors. In Minneapolis, we do not see you as immigrants. We see you as our family,” he added. “You are our brothers. You’re our sisters. You have done so much for this incredible city, and for that, we stand with you.” Frey appeared to reference Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s immigration and public safety initiative in Minnesota. The operation concluded in February after border czar Tom Homan announced it had resulted in the arrest of more than 4,000 people in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and had reduced what he described as public safety threats. BLUE STATE’S ANTI-ICE PLEDGE COLLAPSES AS GOP WARNS OF NEW SANCTUARY ‘CONFEDERACY’ Frey shared the video on X, writing, “Happy Somali Independence Day.” “Here in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the United States, we celebrate the resilience, culture, and leadership that continue to enrich our city and community,” he said. Earlier this month, a Republican-led House Oversight Committee report alleged Walz’s administration repeatedly failed to act on warnings about fraud involving state social services programs, including the Feeding Our Future scandal. WALZ ADMINISTRATION IGNORED FRAUD WARNINGS AS BILLIONS VANISHED, HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPORT ALLEGES The committee said more than 110 people have been charged in connection with various fraud schemes in Minnesota, including many defendants identified as members of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community. The report also alleged concerns about potential racial discrimination claims contributed to delays in addressing suspected fraud and estimated Minnesota lost roughly $300 million in stolen federal child nutrition funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Walz administration officials have disputed the committee’s findings. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.
Trump calls likely DC mayor Janeese Lewis George a ‘communist’ and vows to block her agenda
President Donald Trump on Sunday called Washington, D.C., council member Janeese Lewis George a “communist” and vowed to block policies he said would undermine public safety and reverse his administration’s efforts to reduce crime in the nation’s capital. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said he plans to meet with Lewis George and argued Washington has become safer under his administration. He also pledged to oppose any agenda he said would weaken immigration enforcement, policing or the city’s criminal justice system. “Janeese Lewis George, the Communist who is almost certainly going to be elected Mayor of Washington, D.C., has stated that she wants to empty the prisons, make D.C. a Sanctuary City, oppose ICE, welcome Criminal Illegal Aliens back into our beloved Capital, resist Anti-Crime Crackdowns, Defund the Police, continue and expand Cashless Bail, and so many other Capital destroying ‘things,’” the president wrote on Truth Social. SOCIALIST POISED TO LEAD DC AFTER DEM PRIMARY VICTORY, SETTING STAGE FOR CLASHES WITH TRUMP “In the end, it will never work out, nor will I let it even have a chance because I have worked too hard to make Washington, D.C., the Envy of the World, with almost No Crime, and a Beautification process that has been second to none,” Trump continued. “I will meet with Janeese Lewis George, but must forewarn everyone that Washington, D.C., is again a Safe and Prestigious Community. “Many people, including myself, have worked long and hard to get it there, and we will not let it be destroyed by a Communist adherent who has no intention to, MAKE WASHINGTON GREAT AGAIN!” he added. Lewis George, a self-described Democratic socialist and member of the District of Columbia Council, defeated Kenyan McDuffie and five other candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary earlier this month, positioning her to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser in a city where Democrats overwhelmingly dominate general elections. SOCIALIST POISED TO LEAD DC AFTER DEM PRIMARY VICTORY, SETTING STAGE FOR CLASHES WITH TRUMP Her primary victory sets the stage for a likely clash with Trump, who has made reducing crime in Washington and reshaping the nation’s capital a central focus of his second term. The president has maintained a National Guard presence in the city and has repeatedly threatened to end the District’s home rule if he believes local leaders fail to keep crime under control. Lewis George has sharply criticized Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and expanded federal law enforcement presence in Washington. Following the president’s decision to deploy the Guard last year, she called the move “a direct attack” on the city’s residents and accused Trump of weaponizing the Home Rule Act. During the mayoral campaign, Lewis George argued that “federal troops” and “masked ICE agents” posed a greater threat to young Washington residents than juvenile crime and opposed relying on curfews and federal enforcement, instead advocating expanded youth programs and other community investments. SOCIALIST POISED TO LEAD DC AFTER DEM PRIMARY VICTORY, SETTING STAGE FOR CLASHES WITH TRUMP Trump has previously suggested he would consider placing Washington under greater federal control if Lewis George were elected mayor. “I wouldn’t like it — and maybe we take back Washington, run it on the federal basis,” Trump told reporters earlier this month. “We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses.” Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
Top Democrat lawmaker suffers minor injuries in Delaware car crash
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said he is expected to make a full recovery after suffering minor injuries in a multi-vehicle crash in Delaware on Sunday that was triggered by a driver experiencing a medical emergency. The Delaware Democrat said he was riding in one of several vehicles struck during the crash and was transported to Beebe Hospital for treatment. In posts on X, Coons thanked first responders and medical staff, adding that he was relieved that, by all accounts, no one was seriously injured. “Earlier today, a Delaware driver experienced a medical incident and collided with several cars, including one in which I was a passenger,” Coons wrote on X. “I was transported to Beebe Hospital and treated for minor injuries. I’m now home and expected to make a full and swift recovery. HEART-STOPPING VIDEO SHOWS MIDDLE SCHOOLERS SAVING THEIR BUS AFTER DRIVER PASSES OUT AT THE WHEEL He later posted that he was grateful to the first responders for their prompt and professional response, as well as medical personnel at Beebe Hospital, where he was transported to. “I’m feeling relieved and blessed that by all accounts no one was seriously injured during the crash,” Coons wrote. SENATORS DEFEND TWO-WEEK RECESS AS RECORD-BREAKING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON The crash occurred in Sussex County, though Coons did not specify the exact location or time of the collision. Authorities had not released additional details as of Sunday, including how many vehicles were involved, the driver’s condition or whether anyone else was injured. DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CALLS INTERNET AN ‘ACCELERANT’ DRIVING EXTREMISM AFTER KIRK KILLING Coons has represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate since winning a 2010 special election following Joe Biden’s resignation after he was elected vice president. He is currently serving his third full Senate term and serves on the Senate Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Ethics and Small Business and Entrepreneurship committees. The 62-year-old senator did not indicate whether the crash would affect his upcoming schedule, and his office did not immediately release additional details about his injuries beyond describing them as minor.
WATCH: Biden appears confused about where to exit stage after Democratic gala remarks
Former President Joe Biden appeared to briefly seek directions before exiting the stage after delivering remarks at a Democratic gala Saturday night, capping his speech with an awkward onstage moment. After delivering a roughly 10-minute keynote speech at the Maryland Democratic Party’s “Fight Back & Win Gala” near Baltimore, the 83-year-old paused onstage and looked toward the wings before pointing in two different directions, seemingly trying to determine where to exit. After receiving guidance, Biden turned and walked off the stage with his back to the audience. Unlike several other speakers at the gala, who exited on the opposite side of the stage after their remarks, Biden left in a different direction. EX-DEM INSIDER REVEALS SHE WILL EXPOSE DEMOCRATS WHO COVERED UP BIDEN’S COGNITIVE DECLINE IN NEW BOOK The moment came after Biden delivered one of his sharpest public critiques of President Donald Trump since leaving office. During his remarks, Biden defended his own administration’s record while accusing the Trump administration of corruption. He also took aim at what he described as Trump’s “vanity projects,” including renovations to the White House, changes at the Kennedy Center and the ongoing saga with the reflecting pool on the National Mall. “Whoa, what a loser,” Biden said. After pausing several times to cough throughout his remarks, Biden concluded with a call for Democrats to “fight back,” saying the country could overcome its challenges by acting together. “Folks, I guarantee we can do this. And we will. We just remember who in the hell we are. We’re the United States of America,” Biden said. “There’s nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we act together. So let’s get up and fight back, God darn it.” The latest onstage moment comes just days after another widely shared incident at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. WATCH: BIDEN LEFT SEARCHING FOR FAMILY AFTER OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER CEREMONY The star-studded ceremony brought together former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and other political leaders and entertainers. At the conclusion of the event, Biden remained onstage after others had exited before calling out, “Where’s my granddaughter?” Former First Lady Jill Biden then returned to the stage, took his hand and guided him off. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Biden has largely stayed out of the public eye since withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race after facing intense pressure from fellow Democrats to end his reelection bid. The former president has since made only occasional public appearances and recently disclosed that he is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 prostate cancer.
Young Americans break sharply from older Americans on China threat, new poll finds
FIRST ON FOX: Young Americans are far less likely than older generations to see China as a major threat to the United States, according to a new poll, revealing one of the sharpest generational divides in U.S. foreign policy. Some 93% of Americans age 65 and older said they are concerned about China’s ability to spy on the United States, compared with just 62% of those ages 18 to 29, according to the Ronald Reagan Institute Summer Survey. Younger Americans also were consistently less likely than seniors to express concern about China’s potential use of force against Taiwan (56% versus 86%), technology theft (61% versus 91%), purchases of U.S. land (68% versus 93%) and China’s role in the flow of fentanyl into the United States (68% versus 92%). Despite the generational divide, concern about China remained high nationally. More than 80% of Americans said they were concerned about China’s role in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, its ability to spy on Americans and its purchases of U.S. land. Sixty-six percent also said Taiwan’s security matters to the United States. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS DOUBT NEW AGREEMENT WILL STOP IRAN FROM DEVELOPING NUKES The findings come as Washington and Beijing are trying to stabilize one of the world’s most consequential relationships after years of escalating economic and military tensions. After imposing triple-digit tariffs on China at the start of his administration, President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China in May and announced a series of trade and investment agreements and pledged to continue dialogue. While concern about China remains widespread across the country, the survey suggests younger Americans view the U.S.’s chief geopolitical rival through a markedly different lens than older generations, raising questions about how public attitudes could evolve as younger voters make up a larger share of the electorate. The findings stand out because they diverge from the prevailing view among many national security experts, who continue to characterize China as America’s principal long-term neer-pear competitor and adversary, even as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilize their relationship through diplomacy. “There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May. But, he added, U.S.–China relations are “better than they’ve been in many years.” After the May summit between Trump and Xi, the U.S. president told reporters: “We settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve.” He called Xi a “great leader” and China a “great country.” Other recent research points to broader differences in how Gen Z views U.S. foreign policy. A 2025 Carnegie Endowment survey found younger Americans were less likely than older generations to prioritize maintaining U.S. technological dominance over China and generally favored a less expansive American leadership role abroad. The Reagan Institute Summer Survey is the organization’s annual public opinion poll on foreign policy and national security, designed to gauge Americans’ views on issues ranging from global engagement and military strength to China, NATO, the Middle East and democratic values. The poll also found broad shifts by party on what America’s role in the world should look like: Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say the United States should be more engaged and take the lead in world affairs. Seventy-one percent of Republicans said the U.S. should take a leading role internationally, compared with 55% of Democrats. Overall, 61% of Americans said the U.S. should be more engaged in global affairs, while 27% preferred a less engaged approach. MOST TRUMP SUPPORTERS STILL BACK NATO DESPITE YEARS OF TRUMP’S CRITICISM, NEW POLL FINDS The findings represent a notable shift from recent years. Democratic support for greater U.S. engagement fell from 65% to 55% over the past year, while Republican support increased from 69% to 71%, widening the partisan gap from four percentage points to 16. The survey also found 43% of Democrats now say U.S. involvement in the world is harmful, up from 22% a year ago. The survey was conducted May 26 through June 3 among 1,555 U.S. adults and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. Researchers used a mixed-mode methodology that included live telephone interviews, an online panel and text-to-web responses. To better reflect the U.S. population, the results were weighted using demographic benchmarks from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, including age, gender, race, region and education. The survey also included an oversample of 338 self-identified MAGA Republicans under age 30, which carries a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. The findings also come after a year in which the Trump administration has taken a more assertive posture overseas than some expected. In addition to ordering strikes on Iran, the administration has expanded military operations against cartel-linked targets in the Western Hemisphere and intervened to capture former President Nicolas Maduro Venezuela, moves that have put questions of American power and global leadership back at the center of public debate.
SNAP food stamp fraud has nefarious terrorism links, top Agriculture watchdog warns Congress
A top Agriculture Department watchdog warned Congress on Thursday that fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has allowed individuals linked to terrorist groups, foreign adversaries and transnational criminal organizations to access and abuse food stamps. The hearing marked the latest push by the Trump administration and House Republicans to crack down on these financial crimes and address the alleged waste, fraud and abuse in the bloated federal SNAP program. “SNAP fraud is a reprehensible crime that squanders the compassion of American taxpayers who fund the program and robs from those low-income Americans who qualify for SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families,” USDA Inspector General John Walk told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. GOP LAWMAKER PRESSES SNAP ADVOCATE OVER TAXPAYER-FUNDED COCA-COLA DURING HEARING “Proceeds of SNAP fraud have gone to individuals linked to terrorist groups, foreign adversary nations and transnational criminal organizations,” Walk testified. Republicans argued that broader access to state eligibility data could uncover billions more in improper payments and organized criminal activity, while Democrats warned the effort could be used to justify cuts to food assistance for eligible Americans. Walk, during Thursday’s hearing, seemed to further feed into Republicans’ concerns as he described increasingly sophisticated schemes targeting the roughly $100 billion federal food assistance program. He said organized criminals are stealing benefits from vulnerable Americans through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card skimming, trafficking operations and identity fraud. The inspector general said the crimes leave many legitimate vulnerable recipients without money to buy food. He recounted speaking this week with a New York father of five whose SNAP benefits were stolen after criminals skimmed his EBT card. “I have heard many stories from victims like these working moms and dads,” Walk said. “They’re why SNAP fraud matters.” CHARTS ILLUSTRATE THE SCALE OF SNAP, A LIFELINE FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS Walk also highlighted a Southern California investigation in which SNAP benefits were allegedly exchanged for cash and crack cocaine. According to his testimony, gang members then used proceeds from the fraud to purchase firearms. “I’ll just repeat that,” Walk said. “SNAP dollars, federal tax dollars, used to buy drugs and guns.” Walk’s testimony underscored the focus of Thursday’s hearing, where House Republicans argued that gaps in oversight and data sharing have allowed billions of taxpayer dollars to be lost to fraud and abuse within the nation’s food stamp program. The subcommittee’s chairman, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., claimed that Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials identified roughly $3 billion in potential fraud and waste using data submitted by participating states. Some examples included benefits allegedly being sent to 186,000 deceased individuals, 442,000 applicants with fraudulent Social Security numbers and hundreds of thousands of duplicate recipients in the system. He also criticized 21 states for declining to provide requested SNAP data to the USDA, arguing the lack of participation prevents federal officials from identifying additional fraud. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY DEMANDS MINNESOTA FIX SNAP BENEFITS FOR 4 COUNTIES IMMEDIATELY UNDER PILOT PROGRAM “If food stamp recipients’ data stays in state-specific databases, individuals may apply for and receive benefits from multiple states,” Burchett said. Walk said investigators face the same challenge, arguing that limited access to state recipient data makes it difficult to detect fraud before taxpayer dollars are spent. “We cannot pay and chase our way to stopping SNAP fraud,” he said. “We need to guard the front door.” The inspector general also warned that criminals can install EBT card skimming devices in as little as seven seconds, allowing thieves to clone benefit cards and drain accounts as soon as monthly benefits are deposited. While Republicans focused on fraud prevention and tighter oversight, Democrats argued the hearing risked portraying administrative errors as intentional fraud and defended SNAP’s role in feeding vulnerable Americans. Food Research and Action Center Director of SNAP Policy and Advocacy Gina Plata-Nino said organized theft of EBT benefits poses a serious problem but cautioned lawmakers against confusing payment errors with fraud. “Program integrity and food access are not competing goals,” Plata-Nino testified. The hearing comes as the Trump administration has prioritized rooting out fraud across federal benefit programs, with Burchett arguing additional state cooperation could uncover even more abuse within SNAP.
Frustrated blue-collar union bosses rip socialist politicians, warn of labor exodus from Dem party
Two leaders of a prominent New York City union slammed the Democratic Party and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) for being out of touch with blue-collar members of the working class — the very people they ran their campaigns on supporting. “I think they’re communists, and I don’t think they have the benefit of the working class — the real working class, the taxpayers’ — support,” Robert “Bobby” Bartels, Jr., the business manager of Steamfitters Local 638 in New York City, told Fox News Digital. The union, which has existed for 150 years and has mostly supported Democrat candidates in the past, represents blue-collar steamfitters, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, welders and industrial and mechanical service technicians. It previously broke ranks with Democrats and endorsed President Donald Trump in 2024. Bartels ripped the far-left DSA candidates who won primary elections in New York last week against incumbent and establishment Democrats. Winners include Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York’s 13th Congressional District and Claire Valdez in New York’s 7th Congressional District. Both are members of the Democratic Socialists of America and have radical views that were highlighted by rivals during the campaign. RISING SOCIALIST STARS ON TRACK TO CONGRESS: WHO ARE DARIALIZA AVILA CHEVALIER, BRAD LANDER AND CLAIRE VALDEZ? “They do have the people’s support that want everything for free and want everything handed to them without working for it, and I think the Democratic Party is going way far to the left,” Bartels acknowledged. “And as a matter of fact, the more building trades people you speak to, the more they’re going away from the Democratic Party.” Bartels described Democrats in power as “narcissists,” and expressed frustration that when progressive policies fail, the party doubles down and goes further to the left instead of correcting course. Specifically, he addressed concerns of open border policies that he says drives down wages for union members. “That we don’t like,” said Bartels. “You know why? Because they’re bringing the illegal immigrants in here to steal the Americans’ jobs and lower the rates.” “They’re working to tear down the people that are working and building everything.” ADAMS REBUKES MAMDANI FOR ‘ROMANTICIZING’ SOCIALISM IN NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN He said it offends him when leftists like Avila Chevalier say they support the working class and they don’t feel represented by such politicians. “Because I’m the working class, and they’re not here to support me,” explained Bartels. “They want to support the people who want to take from the working class.” Brian Kearney is the president of Steamfitters Local 638. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MAYORAL NOMINEE CREATES GROWING HEADACHE FOR VULNERABLE NEW YORK DEMOCRATS He says much of the DSA’s work isn’t aligned with labor, particularly people in the building trades. “I mean, we traditionally have been working class labor Democrats,” said Kearney. “I think that DSA is going to have to try to find inroads through the labor movement in New York City because the labor movement in New York City — and I don’t want to speak for everybody, but you know, personally — it feels like we align on things when we can, but a lot more of their policy has gone towards progressive politics that could end up getting in the way sometimes.” He said Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tackled his own progressive pet projects since taking office, but still hasn’t shown the building union that he will support them, as promised. Thursday night, the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) voted in favor of one of Mamdani’s core promises — freezing rent. “He’s mentioned union labor, union labor, union labor quite a few times throughout his campaign,” said Kearney. “Affordable housing was a big political issue in New York City. He said it was going to be built, and it was going to be built by union labor, but nothing’s been done yet, you know what I mean? “He’s taken care of a lot of I think the agenda that he campaigned on that pertains to like more of the socialist policies, the super socialist stuff… but, he’s mentioned building with union labor, and I’d like to see him fulfill that promise and utilize union labor throughout the city.” Mamdani, Valdez and Avila Chevalier did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.