Trump’s redistricting push gains steam in another key state: ‘We will stand with the president’
Republican leaders in North Carolina’s GOP-dominated legislature say they’ll vote next week to redraw the state’s congressional district map as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide effort to create more right-leaning House seats ahead of next year’s midterm elections. When state lawmakers in the key southeastern battleground meet in special session next Monday, they’ll become the latest state to jump into the high-stakes political battle over congressional redistricting, pitting Trump and the GOP against the Democrats. Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are aiming to follow in the footsteps of Republican-controlled Texas and Missouri, which passed new congressional maps the past two months. VOTING UNDERWAY IN ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERMS The moves are part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Democrats need a pickup of just three seats to win back control of the House. Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. “We will stand with the president, defend the GOP majority, and secure an additional Republican congressional seat,” Republican North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said Monday. WHAT STATES ARE NEXT UP IN THE CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING BATTLE North Carolina’s congressional delegation was split 7-7 between Democrats and Republicans until GOP state lawmakers created a new map two years ago that allowed Republicans to capture 10 of the state’s 14 congressional districts in last year’s elections. The latest new map Republicans aim to pass in the state legislature will likely target Democratic Rep. Ron Davis, whose district is the only one left in North Carolina that’s considered a true swing seat. Trump narrowly carried North Carolina in his 2016 presidential election victory, his 2020 re-election defeat, and his 2024 recapturing of the White House. Hall said that the president “earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat.” But North Carolina House Democratic leader Robert Reives charged that Republicans in the legislature “are stealing a congressional district in order to shield themselves from accountability at the ballot box.” And Democratic Gov. Josh Stein highlighted in a statement that “the General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump.” “These shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours. I will always fight for you because the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around,” the governor added as he pointed to Republican state lawmakers. TRUMP’S SHADOW LOOMS OVER KEY 2025 ELECTIONS But the redistricting map that will likely be passed by the GOP-dominated legislature next week won’t be subject to a veto by the governor. Democrats are trying to fight back across the country. California state lawmakers approved a special ballot proposition this November to obtain voter approval to temporarily sidetrack the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature. The effort in California, which aims to create five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts and counter the shift of up to five seats in Texas, is being spearheaded by two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is seen as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender. And Democrats in heavily blue Maryland and Illinois are weighing redistricting. Even before Trump initiated his redistricting push, Ohio was under court order to redraw its maps. That could boost Republicans in a one-time battleground state that now leans right. And Republicans in the GOP-dominated states of Indiana, Florida, and Nebraska are also mulling congressional redistricting. Meanwhile, Democrats could pick up a seat in Republican-dominated Utah. This, after the state legislature drew new maps after a judicial ruling that lawmakers four years ago ignored an independent commission approved by voters to prevent partisan gerrymandering.
Dem senator, 79, draws primary challenge from Rep Seth Moulton
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., is facing a challenger who is making age a central issue of his bid to unseat the longtime lawmaker. On Wednesday, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., launched his U.S. Senate campaign with a video called “Lesson,” referencing what his party learned during the last election cycle with then-President Joe Biden. “We’re in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don’t believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old. Even more, I don’t think someone who’s been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future,” Moulton said in his campaign launch video. Markey is 79 years old and will turn 80 before the 2026 election. SPECULATION SWIRLS AS AOC IS RUMORED TO HARBOR 2028 ASPIRATIONS: ‘SAVVY POLITICIAN’ “Senator Markey is a good man, but it’s time for a new generation of leadership,” Moulton asserted in the video. Markey was first elected to Congress in 1976 and served as a U.S. representative until 2013, when he became a senator. He has held his Senate seat for 12 years. In response to a request for comment, Moulton’s campaign referred Fox News Digital to a launch announcement. “Congressman Moulton has never been one to sit on the sidelines or wait to act when he sees a problem,” the announcement read. “When he didn’t feel the party was doing enough to win back the House the last time Trump was in office, he recruited and mentored fellow veterans through his organization, Serve America. His candidates flipped more than half the seats Democrats took back from Republicans nationwide, and have outperformed the party in every election since.” Moulton’s challenge could set the stage for a generational shift within the Democratic Party, which struggled last election cycle after Biden was forced to drop out of the race in July, leaving then-Vice President Kamala Harris with just 107 days to run her presidential campaign. She lost every swing state and the popular vote to now-President Donald Trump. SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE FEVERISHLY RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES TO WIN BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS This is not Moulton’s first time challenging the Democratic establishment. When Moulton was first elected to Congress in 2014, he defeated then-Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., who first made it to Congress in 1997. In 2018, Moulton attempted to challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was then House minority leader, in her bid to become House speaker. The move was criticized by some constituents who claimed Moulton’s actions were sexist and ageist, according to Politico. In 2020, Markey defeated Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who was 40 at the time. Politico noted that Markey took a swipe at Kennedy with a riff on his great uncle’s famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Markey also mocked the idea that he was too old to keep his seat, saying, “With 500 laws on the books, you think I’m gonna stop now? They wish.” Markey will be put to the test once again in November 2026. If he defeats Moulton, Markey will be 86 at the end of his next term. Fox News Digital reached out to Markey’s office for comment.
Trump posthumously awards Charlie Kirk Presidential Medal of Freedom: Photos
Photos of President Donald Trump posthumously awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to late conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a ceremony at the White House.
Erika Kirk honors late husband Charlie in emotional White House tribute: ‘A free man made fully free’
At a White House ceremony in the Rose Garden on Tuesday on what would have been her husband’s 32nd birthday, Erika Kirk accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of Charlie Kirk and delivered a powerful, deeply personal tribute to his life and legacy. “Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound way,” she began. “Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom.” She offered thanks to the first lady, the vice president, and friends and family “watching from all around the world,” along with Turning Point USA staff and chapters nationwide. “You are the heartbeat of this future and of this movement,” she said. “Everything Charlie built lives through you.” Erika added that the Presidential Medal of Freedom itself is rooted in America’s Founding. “The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom,” she said. CHARLIE KIRK POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED MEDAL OF FREEDOM ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS 32ND BIRTHDAY “Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution, and those words are not relics on parchment. They are a living covenant. The blessings of liberty are not man’s invention. They are God’s endowment.” She recalled how Charlie wrote about freedom often. “He believed that liberty was both a right and a responsibility. And he used to say that freedom is the ability to do what is right without fear. And that’s how he lived,” Erika said. “His name, Charles, literally means ‘free man.’ And that’s exactly who my husband was,” she continued. “From the time I met him, sitting across from him being interviewed about politics, philosophy and theology, I saw the fire in his soul. There was this divine restlessness within him that came from knowing God placed him on this earth to protect something very sacred. He never stopped fighting for people to experience freedom.” CHARLIE KIRK’S CLOSE FRIEND PRAISES ERIKA KIRK’S ‘RESILIENCE’ AHEAD OF EMOTIONAL WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY Erika recalled Charlie often saying that “without God, freedom becomes chaos” and that liberty can only survive “when anchored to truth.” She remembered him telling an audience: “The opposite of liberty isn’t law. It’s captivity. And the freest people in the world are those whose hearts belong to Christ.” Looking back at his years building Turning Point USA, she said, “While he was building an organization, he was also building a movement: one that called people back to God, back to truth, and a movement that was filled with courage.” She described him as a man who loved life’s simplest pleasures: quiet walks, shelves full of books and Saturday mornings in the sun with decaf coffee and his phone turned off for the Sabbath. His birthday tradition, she recalled, was mint chocolate chip ice cream, enjoyed only on July 4 and his birthday. “Last year, his one birthday wish was to see the Oregon Ducks play Ohio State — and they won,” she said. “Mr. President, I can say with confidence that you have given him the best birthday gift he could ever have.” CHARLIE KIRK’S COLLEAGUES AND PASTORS PRAISE HIS PATRIOTISM AS TRUMP READIES HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR Turning to his final moments, Erika shared: “It was written across his chest in those final moments on one of his simple T-shirts that always carried a message — this one bearing a single word: freedom. That was the banner over his life.” She said her husband never told anyone what to say but always encouraged them “to think outside of traditional political labels, anchored in wisdom and truth.” “Charlie wasn’t content to simply admire freedom. He wanted to multiply it,” Erika said. “He wanted young people to taste it, understand it and defend it. He wanted them to see that liberty isn’t selfish indulgence — it’s self-governance under God.” Every day, she recalled, he lived with fearless conviction. “He didn’t fear being slandered. He didn’t fear losing friends. He stood for truth and stood for freedom. Everything else was just noise to him. And it’s because his confidence in Christ was absolute.” Erika said Charlie lived “only 31 short years on this side of heaven,” but filled every day with purpose. “He fought for truth when it was unpopular. He stood for God when it was costly. He prayed for his enemies. He loved people when it was inconvenient. He ran his race with endurance, and he kept the faith. And now he wears the crown of a righteous martyr.” She told the audience, “Heaven gained what earth could no longer contain — a free man made fully free. To all watching, this is not a ceremony. This is a commissioning. I want you to be the embodiment of this medal. I want you to free yourself from fear. I want you to stand courageously in the truth. And remember that while freedom is inherited in this country, each of us must be intentional stewards of it.” Before closing, Erika shared her daughter Gigi’s birthday message: “Happy birthday, daddy. I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you.” Her young son also gave his own gift, “deciding to become the man of the house and be fully potty-trained at 16 months.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I know that you’re celebrating in heaven today, but gosh, I miss you,” she said through tears. “We miss you and we love you. And we promise we’ll make you proud. Charlie’s life was proof that freedom is not a theory. It’s a testimony. He showed us that liberty begins not in the halls of power, but in the heart of a man surrendered to God.” She ended with a final tribute: “To live free is the greatest gift, but to die free is the greatest victory. Happy birthday, Charlie. Happy freedom day.”
Republican lawmakers demand Treasury probe CAIR over alleged Hamas ties and terrorism concerns
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., are pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), claiming that it may be funded or directed by Hamas or other terrorist groups. CAIR describes itself as a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization founded in 1994 with chapters across the U.S. The request comes as President Donald Trump led a ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. Stefanik and Cotton allege CAIR’s historic ties, public rhetoric and activism raise questions about whether the group’s support for Hamas amounts to material support for terrorism. STEFANIK ASKS AG BONDI TO PROBE MEDICAL CHARITY OVER HAMAS PROPAGANDA CLAIMS The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions on terrorist groups and their affiliates, has the authority to investigate whether CAIR’s activities violate federal law, the lawmakers said. CAIR has long denied accusations of supporting Hamas, saying it “does not support any foreign organization or government” and calling such claims “false and Islamophobic,” according to a statement on its website. The group says its mission is to advocate for Muslim civil rights in the U.S. Stefanik chairs the House Republican Conference, and Cotton sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Both have pressed for stricter enforcement of anti-terror finance laws in past oversight efforts. DHS PULLS FUNDING FROM GROUPS WITH ‘ALLEGED TERRORIST TIES’ AFTER WATCHDOG REPORT In July, Stefanik criticized the City University of New York for hiring a former CAIR employee. She called the decision unacceptable to New York taxpayers. She and Cotton say a Treasury probe would ensure no U.S. assets are used to advance the objectives of Hamas. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We urge the department to immediately investigate whether CAIR maintains financial links to Hamas that violate U.S. sanctions,” they wrote. CAIR did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
‘Unsightly tactics’: Feds react to nude bicycle protesters who bared all outside ICE facility
The Department of Homeland Security clapped back at a “bizarre” anti-ICE protest that drew several hundred nude demonstrators who bared it all outside a Portland ICE facility on Sunday. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin assured that “these unsightly tactics won’t stop us or slow us down.” “In a bizarre effort to obstruct ICE law enforcement, agitators are now laying in the street naked to stage ‘die-ins’ to block roads in front of ICE facilities,” she told Fox News Digital. “Our law enforcement will continue to remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists out of our country.” A nude bicycle gang rolled up to the city’s immigrant detention center on a rainy Sunday, blasting music over a loudspeaker while some yelled, “F— ICE” and made obscene gestures towards federal agents, as seen in a video posted to X by The Post Millennial’s Katie Daviscourt. ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES Some had slogans written on their bare bodies, including “No Kings” and “No human being is illegal.” A handful of federal agents overlooked the unclothed open border enthusiasts from a rooftop, with two pulling out their phones in an apparent effort to record the salacious scene. At another point, hundreds of naked demonstrators lay down on nearby Burnside Bridge as part of a “die-in” against ICE and President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops. McLaughlin said that though the demonstration was absurd, federal law enforcement in Portland has had to deal with much more than just cheeky protesters. ICE DIRECTOR REVEALS DANGEROUS NIGHTLY ANTIFA ‘BATTLE’ AS TRUMP PREPARES FEDERAL DEPLOYMENT TO PORTLAND For weeks, federal officers have been targeted by violent protesters in major U.S. cities, including some who rammed and cornered an ICE vehicle in Chicago, prompting the agents to open fire. Anti-ICE protesters have blocked ICE vehicles and have thrown rocks and ignited fireworks at agents. There has also been a surge of agents and their families being doxxed, and there has been a 1,000% increase against officials, according to DHS. McLaughlin said that on Sunday, “Antifa domestic terrorists and anti-ICE rioters assaulted law enforcement outside the ICE office in Portland.” FEDERAL AGENT SAYS CHICAGO’S ‘ICE-FREE ZONES’ ENDANGER OPERATIONS, EMBOLDEN PROTESTERS According to McLaughlin, three “rioters” were arrested for “assaulting law enforcement, including for spitting, kicking, and biting officers.” “Thanks to President Trump, there is a SURGE of federal law enforcement resources from CBP, ICE, FBI, DOJ, and DEA,” she said. “This chaos and violence will end under President Trump. Law and order will prevail.”
Unearthed donations come back to haunt Mikie Sherrill’s ‘defamatory’ attack on GOP rival
FIRST ON FOX: New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill took tens of thousands of dollars from companies linked to the opioid crisis as she hammers her Republican opponent over his alleged connection to that same crisis. Sherrill spoke during a press conference on the Garden State’s opioid epidemic on Monday, where she accused Ciattarelli of “looking at ways to help people get access to the drugs that were killing them” through his ties to pharmaceutical-backed training programs. “So you heard it, Jack made millions,” she said. “The opioid companies made billions, and thousands of New Jerseyans were dying.” However, this attack might come back to haunt her campaign. Her congressional campaigns received three $1,000 donations from the AmerisourceBergen political action committee in 2018, 2019 and 2022, according to campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital. FINAL FACEOFF: CIATTARELLI, SHERRILL, BLAST EACH OTHER ON DEBATE STAGE Her campaign also received at least $4,500 from the Teva Pharmaceuticals PAC, $1,000 from the Endo Pharmaceuticals PAC and $17,000 from Johnson & Johnson. In total, a Fox News Digital review found at least $25,500 in donations going from companies tied to the opioid crisis to Sherrill’s campaign. AmerisourceBergen has been accused, perhaps most notably in 2021 by Washington state’s Democratic attorney general Bob Ferguson, of profiting off billions from the opioid epidemic through the shipment of dangerous prescription painkillers with no regard for how those drugs were contributing to the deaths of citizens. AmerisourceBergen, which now goes by Cencora, and two other companies would go on to reach a settlement with Washington state for over $500 million. In early 2022, AmerisourceBergen, whose executives were exposed for previously mocking West Virginians as “pillbillies” at the height of the opioid crisis, announced it would be agreeing to a $6.1 billion settlement that would be paid out over 18 years and would cover the “vast majority of the opioid lawsuits filed by state and local governmental entities,” according to a press release. JACK CIATTARELLI DEMANDS MIKIE SHERRILL ‘COME CLEAN’ AS EXPLOSIVE ACCUSATIONS FLY IN NJ GOVERNOR’S RACE In late 2022, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against AmerisourceBergen, one of the country’s largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributors, alleging the company “for years flouted its legal obligations and prioritized profits over the well-being of Americans” by failing to report suspicious orders of controlled substances, like fentanyl and oxycodone, which were then sold illegally, fueling the devastating opioid epidemic. The other three pharmaceutical companies that donated thousands of dollars to Sherrill’s campaigns through their PACs also reached massive settlements for their roles contributing to the opioid crisis, which includes over $4 billion from Teva to participating states and local governments, according to a press release from Texas AG Ken Paxton’s office. Johnson and Johnson agreed to pay $5 billion as part of their settlement, according to their 2022 press release. Mikie Sherrill for Governor Communications Director Sean Higgins responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, calling the story a “desperate attack from perennial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who refuses to answer for his role publishing misinformation about the dangers of opioids at the height of the opioid epidemic.” “Mikie Sherrill has shown time and again that she will take on anyone to stand up for families and fight the opioid crisis. That’s why she helped pass landmark bipartisan legislation, signed into law by President Trump, to help fund treatment, recovery, and prevention programs in New Jersey.” The campaign did not address a question from Fox News Digital about whether the money donated from the pharmaceutical companies would be returned. In 2017, Ciattarelli received $1,500 from Mallinckrodt LLC PAC, a company that reached a settlement for its involvement in the opioid crisis in 2022. Additionally, the New Jersey Republican received $500 from Johnson & Johnson, a company that also reached an opioid settlement, in 2016. Ciattarelli strategist Chris Russell told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Just like Mikie Sherrill got caught red-handed, personally profiting from investments in the same NJ utility companies she blamed for electricity rate increases, it’s no surprise to learn Mikie’s hypocrisy extends to taking thousands in campaign contributions from the very pharmaceutical companies she maligned yesterday.” “At this point, if Mikie Sherrill’s lips are moving you can just assume she’s lying,” he continued. Sherrill first made her claims that Ciattarelli contributed to the opioid epidemic during last week’s gubernatorial debate. “With regard to everything she just said about my professional career, which provided [for] my family, it’s a lie. I’m proud of my career,” Ciattarelli responded at the debate. It was during his 2021 campaign that Ciattarelli’s connection to opioid manufacturers first surfaced. Ciattarelli sold his company, which published content promoting the use of opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain, in 2017. And Ciattarelli’s campaign fired back the day after the debate, pledging to file a defamation lawsuit against Sherrill. “Mikie Sherrill cracked,” Ciattarelli campaign chief strategist, Russell said at the time. “In doing so, she claimed — twice — that Jack Ciattarelli ‘killed tens of thousands of people, including children,’ a clearly defamatory attack that shocked the moderators, press, and public alike,” Russell added. “In a time where political violence and violent rhetoric are becoming all too prevalent, Mikie Sherrill baselessly and recklessly accusing a political opponent of mass murder in a televised debate crosses the line.” Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
State Department revokes six visas over offensive Charlie Kirk assassination comments
The State Department on Tuesday said the United States isn’t obligated to take in foreigners who wish harm on Americans, before posting a list of six individuals whose visas were revoked for making vile comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The agency noted that the Trump administration will take action against those celebrating Kirk’s death. “The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk,” the agency wrote on X. “@POTUS and @SecRubio will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws. Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed.” Among those who had their visas revoked were an unnamed Argentine citizen who said Kirk “devoted his entire life to spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric” and deserves to burn in hell. LAWMAKER WHO TIED KIRK TO ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’ FACING EXPULSION CALLS AMID POLITICIAN BLOWBACK NATIONWIDE A South African citizen mocked Americans grieving Kirk, saying “they’re hurt that the racist rally ended in attempted martyrdom” and alleging “he was used to astroturf a movement of white nationalist trailer trash.” A Mexican citizen said that Kirk “died being a racist, he died being a misogynist,” and added, “There are people who deserve to die. There are people who would make the world better off dead.” A German national said of Kirk that “when fascists die, democrats don’t complain.” A Brazilian visa holder wrote that “Charlie Kirk was the reason for a Nazi rally where they marched in homage to him” and that he “DIED TOO LATE.” PENTAGON SPEECH CRACKDOWN ON ANTI-KIRK POSTS ECHOES 2021 DRIVE AGAINST RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM A Paraguayan national said, “Charlie Kirk was a son of a b—- and he died by his own rules.” The State Department ended each example shared on X with “Visa revoked.” Vice President JD Vance and other Trump administration officials have encouraged people to call out offensive language about Kirk that they see online. In a post last month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” “I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action,” he added. “Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the @StateDept can protect the American people.”
Duffy responds with ‘crocodile tears’ comment on banned California truck driver case
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday doubled down on the Trump administration’s order to crack down on English proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. Duffy was responding to a local news report in California about an Indian citizen who drove a truck for a living but has since been banned because of new rules that restrict who is eligible for non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The Department of Transportation (DOT) singled out California for what it called “gross negligence,” saying more than 25% of CDLs issued to noncitizens or non-permanent residents were improperly granted. The truck driver featured in the news report spoke to a reporter in his native language, not English. SENATE REPUBLICANS TARGET OBAMA-ERA TRUCKING RULE WITH NEW ENGLISH PROFICIENCY BILL “Crocodile tears for a man who has spent a decade in our country but couldn’t be bothered to learn our language,” Duffy wrote on X. “Our new rules will keep you and your family SAFE on America’s roads!” The DOT also commented on the report. “This driver has been in the U.S. for TEN YEARS and does not know enough English to qualify for a trucking license,” the agency wrote. “This is exactly why @SecDuffy ordered @FMCSA to crack down on English proficiency standards.” “Do you want to drive on American roads? Being able to understand English is the BARE MINIMUM,” it added. CONNOR WAS KILLED BY A DRIVER WHO COULDN’T READ SIGNS. MAKE TRUCKERS LEARN ENGLISH AGAIN A Senate bill would require prospective truck drivers to demonstrate basic English proficiency before receiving a CDL. The legislation would codify President Donald Trump’s executive order, which similarly imposed stricter English language requirements. The bill, introduced by Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., would establish several standards, including ensuring that truck drivers can converse with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records. The issue gained attention after an illegal immigrant truck driver allegedly jackknifed his 18-wheeler while making an illegal U-turn in Florida, killing three people in August. His limited English drew sharp scrutiny after the DOT said he failed an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment following the deadly crash in Fort Pierce, Florida. Singh provided correct responses to only 2 of 12 verbal questions and accurately identified just 1 of 4 highway traffic signs, the agency said. Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Trump blasts ‘weakened’ Schumer as Democrats again block GOP effort to reopen government
A long weekend away from Washington, D.C., did little to soften Senate Democrats’ resolve as they again blocked an effort to reopen the government for an eighth time Tuesday. The beginning of mass firings promised by the Trump administration and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought over the weekend also failed to sway Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. One pressure point was alleviated for both sides, however, with President Donald Trump’s directive to move money around at the Pentagon to pay military service members. Their paychecks are due Oct. 15. Still, another payday, this time for Senate staffers, is fast approaching on Oct. 20. SENATE SET FOR NEW VOTE TO END SHUTDOWN, BUT GRIDLOCK OVER OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES REMAINS Both sides are still dug into the same positions that launched the shutdown earlier this month, too. Talks between the opposing factions are still ongoing but have not yet yielded a result that either side is ready to move on. Senate Democrats want an extension to expiring Obamacare subsidies before the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, and they argue that unless Congress takes action, Americans that rely on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits will see their premiums skyrocket. However, Trump appears unwilling to cave into Senate Democrats’ demands, and reupped Republicans’ argument that Democrats wanted to undo a total of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts from the “big, beautiful bill” and clawback of funding for NPR and PBS to give, in part, to illegal immigrants. “I don’t want to bore you with the fact that Schumer said 100 times, ‘You should never close our government,’” Trump told reporters at the White House. “But Schumer is a weakened politician. I mean, he’s going to finish his career as a failed politician, as a failed politician. He’s allowed the radical left to take over the Democrat Party.” SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON Senate Republicans have said that they’re open to negotiating a deal on the subsidies, with reforms to the program only after the government reopens. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for now, has no intention of straying from his plan to continue to bring the House Republicans’ short-term continuing resolution (CR) to the floor again and again. “Democrats like to whine that Republicans aren’t negotiating, but negotiation, Mr. President, is what you do when each side has a list of demands and you need to meet in the middle,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “Republicans, as I and a lot of other people pointed out, haven’t put forward any demands. Only Democrats have made demands. And by the way, very expensive demands.” Schumer noted on the Senate floor that every time Thune has put the GOP’s bill on the floor, it has failed. “That means, like it or not, the Republican leader needs to work with Democrats in a bipartisan way to reopen the government, just as we did when we passed 13 CRs when I was majority leader,” he said. The administration’s movement on reductions in force (RIFs) over the weekend, and the lingering threat that thousands of nonessential furloughed federal employees may not get back pay once the shutdown ends have not swayed Senate Democrats. There were no surprises during the vote, either with most of the same Democratic caucus members, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, breaking ranks with Schumer to vote for the bill. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has voted with Republicans on the same legilsation each time, did not vote Tuesday night. GOVERNMENT LIMPS DEEPER INTO SHUTDOWN CRISIS WITH NO DEAL IN SIGHT “Donald Trump, come to the negotiating table,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said at a rally outside the OMB on Tuesday. “Bring down costs and prices and stop inflicting harm and terrorizing federal employees and the American people.” While most action on Capitol Hill has ground to a halt as the shutdown continues — the House, for example, has been out of session for over three weeks — the Senate has moved on other legislation, including the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and a massive package of Trump’s nominees. Thune also teed up the defense spending bill for a vote on Thursday in a bid to jump start the appropriations process in the upper chamber. The House already passed its version of the bill, too. The latest failed attempt comes on the 14th day of the shutdown and all but ensures that the closure will last into at least a third week. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It also puts this shutdown, in particular, into historic territory. While the longest shutdown on record, from late 2018 to early 2019, was under Trump’s first term, it was only partial. A handful of appropriations bills had already passed at the time, including funding for the legislative branch and defense. But the longest full shutdown happened over two decades earlier under former President Bill Clinton between late 1995 and early 1996. That shutdown lasted 21 days and was over a budget dispute between Clinton and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. That particular dispute also led to two shutdowns in that fiscal year, the first in November and the second setting the 21-day record.