After backpedaling on threatening rhetoric, Newsom says his political strategy is unchanged
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Charlie Kirk’s assassination has not changed the way he plans to approach campaigning, even after dropping a threatening name for an upcoming anti-Trump campaign. The rally was originally called the “FAFO50” campaign, a reference to the phrase “F— around and find out,” which is a slang warning meaning “if you keep doing something, you’ll regret it.” “DONALD TRUMP IS F—— AROUND. NOW HE’LL FIND OUT,” the campaign’s marketing materials read before they were changed, according to archived images of the campaign’s website, as well as screenshots from the campaign’s official X account. The website for the campaign, which is aimed at passing an anti-gerrymandering ballot measure called Proposition 50, was ultimately changed from “FAFO50.com” to “YesOn50Live.com.” “FAFO” messaging on the campaign’s website and social media account was also removed, and a related event was subsequently referred to as a “Voter Registration Day Rally” on the campaign’s social media. LAWMAKERS SHARE VIEWS ON POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN US FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION During an event promoting a new initiative to improve the well-being of young men and boys on Tuesday, Newsom was asked whether the rebrand was part of a changing calculus for the governor on how he intends to approach campaigning going forward. “No,” Newsom insisted. “Because I’m the same guy that walked on the tarmac with Donald Trump. I’m the same guy that would pick up his phone call. I’m the same person that sat down not just with Charlie Kirk, but with Steve Bannon, with the guy who created this space, you know, ‘Language, Borders and Culture,’ Michael Savage, back in the ’90s, you know, was the dominant voice on talk radio. The person that sat down with Newt Gingrich, who was one of the leaders of my recall. I’m that same person.” Newsom’s response followed a different question about the California governor’s new initiative supporting young men and boys. The governor was asked whether Kirk’s death played any role, or inspired the governor, in shaping the newly announced initiative, which builds on efforts Newsom initiated through a statewide executive order he signed earlier this summer. “I appreciate the question. I mean, I believe in civility. I believe in an open hand, not a closed fist,” Newsom responded. “I just think, at the end of the day — I said it inside a moment ago — divorce is not an option, period. Full stop. We’ve got to live together, across our differences, and there are a lot of differences in this state, this nation, for that matter, the world we’re trying to build.” The nature of political discourse in the United States has become a major point of debate following Kirk’s assassination that occurred last week. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called on others to “turn down the heat” in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. NEWSOM WARNS AMERICANS ‘YOU WILL LOSE YOUR COUNTRY’ UNDER TRUMP AT CALIFORNIA SUMMIT The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) put out a call for “the media, leftist groups, and sanctuary politicians” on Wednesday to tone down the “hateful rhetoric” targeting immigration enforcement officers, arguing it has contributed to “political violence in our country and a more than 1000% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement.” “This demonization is inspiring violence across the country,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin warned. “We have to turn down the temperature before someone else is killed.” One example cited by DHS were comments by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a member of the cohort of progressive lawmakers on Capitol Hill known as “the squad.” During an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, Crockett likened ICE officers to slave catchers. “As someone who understands history, when I see ICE, I see slave patrols,” Crockett said. Meanwhile, rhetoric from Newsom’s “Voter Registration Day Rally” similarly likened Republican-led redistricting efforts to “pre-Jim Crow” era policies. “It’s about knowing that you can walk outside your home and not be detained and deported, not be lynched, because of the color of your skin,” California state legislator, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, said during the Tuesday night virtual rally promoting her state’s Proposition 50. “[Republicans] are doing every single thing that they can to take us back to pre-Jim Crow. And I am not being hyperbolic.” Fox News Digital did not receive a response after reaching out to Newsom’s office and campaign team to see if the governor, or any of his representatives, wanted to comment further about the decision to rebrand Tuesday night’s event promoting Proposition 50 and the broader issue of inflammatory political rhetoric following Kirk’s assassination.
Manchin recalls close ties with ‘outsider’ Trump, cold shoulder from Obama in new book
Former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., said he spoke more with President Donald Trump in the first two years of Trump’s term than with former President Barack Obama during Obama’s eight years in office. In his new book, “Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense,” released this week, Manchin outlined a cordial working relationship with Trump and a far chillier, less active back and forth with Obama. Manchin, who switched from the Democratic Party to become an Independent before retiring from the Senate last year, wrote that he considered Trump a fellow “outsider” when he arrived in Washington, D.C., for his first term and lauded him as the “most engaged president I ever worked with” since former President Bill Clinton. MANCHIN SAYS HE WANTED GOP TO WIN SENATE TO STOP DEMOCRATS’ QUEST FOR ‘RAW POLITICAL POWER’ “From the start, President Trump had an open line of communication with me,” he wrote. “I spoke to him more in the first two years of his presidency than I did to President Obama during all eight years of his time in office.” He noted, “If you want to have influence with Donald Trump, you have to be the last person he talks to about a topic,” and said he would jokingly ask that the president ensure he was the last person he called. “He’d laugh, and we’d talk it out,” he said. He recalled his 2018 election campaign in the wake of Trump’s dominant, 40-point win in the state. Trump told Manchin that he was being pressured to campaign against him and promised he wouldn’t. Ultimately, Trump visited the state five times, but Manchin still came out on top. JOE MANCHIN TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ WHY HE COULDN’T ENDORSE KAMALA HARRIS He was later invited to the Oval Office to meet with Trump, where, in front of then-Vice President Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump, the president “blurted to his other guests, ‘I told you we couldn’t beat him,’” Manchin wrote. Manchin’s relationship with the former president goes back to his time as governor of West Virginia, when Obama was still a senator. The two worked together on a coal deal in Illinois that had previously excluded West Virginia. During the 2008 election cycle, he said he invited both then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Obama to come to West Virginia to campaign, but said Obama shook off the invitation and told him, “Let’s be honest with each other — my demographics don’t work well in your state.” NEW BOOK REVEALS WHAT OBAMA AND ‘CONQUEROR’ TRUMP CHATTED ABOUT IN VIRAL MOMENT DURING CARTER’S FUNERAL “But he didn’t come, and that night belonged to Hillary,” he wrote. “She made the most of her visit and won the primary by 41 points.” He said their relationship became even chillier when Obama launched his “war on coal” with a push for green initiatives that targeted fossil fuels and states like West Virginia. Manchin argued that the Democratic Party had grown dismissive and lost touch with the working class as a means to reshape their agenda through a progressive lens. That led to a seismic shift in West Virginia’s political alignment, from Democratic to now largely Republican, he said. And in the process that began when Obama won in 2008, he said that rural states like his felt “overlooked and undervalued.” “But that’s exactly how Democrats handled West Virginia, and no one embodied that disconnect more than President Obama,” he wrote. Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office and the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Reporter’s Notebook: Congress fails to lower political temperature after Charlie Kirk assassination
There is no thermostat in the U.S. Capitol. Only thermometers. And that’s why congressional leaders are struggling to lower the temperatures in Congress after the murder of Charlie Kirk. As a veteran congressional reporter, I lost count of how many efforts I witnessed to try to “lower the temperature” around Capitol Hill after a national tragedy. Oh, they might knock a degree off the mercury for a few weeks here and there – sometimes helped by a political cold front (e.g. a lengthy congressional recess). But just like in meteorology, the political gales blow. Weather systems develop. There are dips in the jet stream. Droughts parch the political landscape. Alberta Clippers race through in November and December. All of this results in inevitable thaws. So after some solace, it usually isn’t long until a Category 5 hurricane churns off the Capitol Hill coast. KASH PATEL FACES HOUSE GRILLING AFTER TENSE SENATE CLASHES OVER KIRK ASSASSINATION The temperature then skyrockets. In meteorology, there are always temperature “norms.” Yes, it’s seasonal to climb into the mid-90s in Washington, D.C., in August. But not unheard of to have high temperatures in just the mid-70s like this year. Those are the anomalies. The same with Congress. The typical “seasonal” temperature on Capitol Hill always spikes toward 100 degrees. Even during the frigid calendar days of January and February. To wit: There were raucous episodes on Capitol Hill in the mid 1990s after Republicans seized control of the House, which nearly devolved into fistfights. A national tragedy didn’t spur the contretemps. It was an electoral one. That fueled a visceral distrust between Republicans and Democrats. It was augmented by the fact that Republicans won control of the House in 1994 for the first time in four decades. Results at the ballot box sparked those skirmishes. But it was violence and calamity that stoked many of the embers on Capitol Hill. Members sought to quiet things after two Capitol Police officers were shot and killed in 1998. But the temperature shot back up. The same with 9/11. The fourth plane that eventually crashed in Shanksville, Pa., was destined for the U.S. Capitol. After the immediate threat subsided, bipartisan members gathered on the Capitol steps and spontaneously sang God Bless America. That moment emerged as an indelible, uplifting moment on one of the most horrific days in American history. SQUAD MEMBER GIVES BLUNT RESPONSE WHEN ASKED WHY DEMS ARE CELEBRATING POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER KIRK’S DEATH But the temperature shot back up. Tea party protesters encircled the Capitol in 2010 as Democrats attempted to pass Obamacare. Vile phone calls and threats flooded congressional phone lines. Lawmakers called for calm in an effort to quiet the vitriol. But the temperature shot back up. A gunman killed six people and seriously wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and future Rep. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., in 2011. Members dialed back the rhetoric. But the temperature shot back up. Capitol Police officers were injured during a high-speed chase around the congressional complex during the 2013 government shutdown. Lawmakers again demanded calm. In fact, lawmakers found the injury of the officers working to protect them – yet not receiving a paycheck – so sobering that it prompted them to re-open the government. But the temperature shot back up. A gunman shot House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., during a congressional baseball practice in 2017, in Alexandria, Va. TED CRUZ SAYS HATE SPEECH ‘ABSOLUTELY’ PROTECTED BY FIRST AMENDMENT FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION People chilled out. But the temperature shot back up. The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol is one of the most onerous days in congressional history. Leaders again insisted on peace. However, there was nearly a fistfight in the rear of the chamber not long after the House reconvened after the mayhem in the wee hours of Jan. 7. Again came the demands for you know what. But the temperature shot back up. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is the latest congressional leader to face the arduous task to lower the temperature after the assassination of Kirk. House members bowed their heads in a moment of silence. When Johnson rapped the gavel, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., asked Johnson for a verbal prayer. She said silent prayer didn’t get results. GOP UNVEILS PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, INCLUDES $30M SECURITY HIKE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK KILLING “Is there someone who could lead us in a moment of prayer out loud for Charlie and his family?” inquired Boebert as Johnson tried to shush the chamber. She also mentioned “victims in Colorado,” referring to a shooting at a Colorado high school the same day. Grumbling and groans filled the chamber as Boebert tried to speak. “Wait a minute. Wait a minute,” Johnson said from the dais. “The House will be in order.” Johnson tried to quiet the sniping back and forth across the aisle. “The House will be in order!” hollered Johnson as the din rose in the chamber. Both Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., continued yelling. “The House will be in order!” thundered a now angry Johnson. The speaker slammed down the gavel and stared daggers toward the Democratic side of the chamber. HOUSE REPUBLICANS HONOR CHARLIE KIRK WHILE DEM LEADERS SKIP CAPITOL PRAYER VIGIL You see the pattern. It is seemingly always the same on Capitol Hill. The pattern never seems to change. Yes, you may have days in the 70s during the dog days of August in Washington. But the temperature eventually returns to the upper 90s. That’s the political norm on Capitol Hill. The question is, “Will it ever change?” It’s hard to see things “changing.” If they were going to “change,” that probably would have happened after 9/11, the Giffords attack, the baseball practice shooting or Jan. 6. Any one of those catastrophes could have served as an impetus to “change” things on Capitol Hill. One would think. But there’s been no change in the political climate. That’s partially because there’s been so much turnover
House Dem warns both sides on ‘road to ruin’ as political divide deepens over Kirk assassination
EXCLUSIVE: A moderate House Democrat said he believes both Republicans and his own party have fallen short in their responses to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “I’m disappointed. I wish that there was more effort as a group, Democrats and Republicans, to express condolences for his family and for him, and to express the real sadness that it engenders,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital in an interview. He warned later, “Punch, counter-punch is the natural reaction of most human beings. But we can’t just keep on doing this. It’s very destructive, and it’s a road to ruin.” Suozzi said he believed leaders, in particular, on both sides of the aisle needed to do more. ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’ “I don’t think there’s been enough of an effort to try and bring us together,” he said. The New York lawmaker was one of a handful of Democrats who attended a memorial vigil in Kirk’s honor called by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters that he did not attend because he “had a meeting.” But Suozzi said he spoke with several House Democrats who said they simply were not aware it was happening. “I’m not casting blame on anybody, Democrats or Republicans. I don’t know the facts as far as what kind of outreach was made,” Suozzi said. SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING “I do know that I spoke to several members, you know, [Democrats] that I know that attend the bipartisan prayer breakfast, for example. And they said, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know about it.’” Both Jeffries and Johnson have made calls for unity in the wake of Kirk’s killing last week, and lawmakers have expressed bipartisan condemnation of political violence. But partisan tensions have erupted since then, with Republicans blaming Democrats for their anti-GOP rhetoric and for fomenting the political tension that led to Kirk’s death. Democrats, in turn, have accused Republicans of similarly inflaming tensions both before and after the assassination. In the House, scrutiny has been centered on Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., after an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo, where conservatives have accused her of disparaging Kirk’s legacy days after his death. “There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,” Omar said. “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.” The Minnesota progressive also called Kirk’s death “mortifying” and expressed condolences for his wife and young children. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is now moving to force a vote to censure Omar for her comments, a move Suozzi called “very unhelpful.” When asked about Omar’s remarks, Suozzi did not mention her directly but said, “I just don’t think that this is the time to be trying to incite more anger for people.” If he was able to give remarks at Kirk’s vigil, for example, Suozzi said, “I would say I didn’t really know Charlie Kirk or much about him before this incident. But like everybody, I’ve been seeing all the media reports since his assassination, and I saw a couple different times people would ask, ‘What, what would you want to be remembered for?’ And he said, ‘I want to be remembered for having the courage to live my faith.’” “One of the most difficult concepts that Jesus ever had was to love your enemies,” Suozzi said. “And that’s what we need to be doing right now.” Suozzi also blamed the current social media environment for fueling divisions. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We have to understand that there are very strong forces working against us right now. Social media is, you know, being corrupted, I think, not only by our foreign adversaries, but also by people trying to get political or financial gain,” he said. “I think that we have to be very conscious of the fact that there are people that use our freedom of speech and use our social media … that are just lying and putting up doctored videos and explosive commentary to get us … to hate each other.”
DHS blames political rhetoric for surge in assaults on ICE agents after Charlie Kirk murder
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday identified what it called dangerous political rhetoric targeting immigration enforcement in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, warning that such language is fueling violence against officers. “This hateful rhetoric is contributing to political violence in our country and a more than 1,000% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement,” the department told Fox News Digital. “Following the evil act of political violence in the country and two brutal assaults on our brave ICE law enforcement last week, we are once again calling on the media and the far left to stop the hateful rhetoric directed at President Trump, those who support him, and our brave DHS law enforcement,” added Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. McLaughlin said such “demonization” is inspiring violence nationwide: NOEM SAYS ICE AGENTS ARE FACING ‘1000% INCREASE IN ASSAULTS’ “We have to turn down the temperature before someone else is killed,” she said. In examples provided to Fox News Digital, DHS cited the “evil act of political violence witnessed… last week” when Kirk was murdered in Utah, plus two incidents during attempted capture of immigration suspects that led to severe injuries to officers. “DHS is calling on the media, leftist groups, and sanctuary politicians to end their demonizing DHS law enforcement,” the department said. In a set of examples provided to Fox News Digital of such inflammatory political rhetoric, the department led off with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who told MSNBC earlier this month that immigration enforcement officers are akin to slave catchers. “As someone who understands history, when I see ICE, I see slave patrols,” Crockett said Saturday. DHS also flagged Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s comments during a commencement speech at the University of Minnesota when he called ICE the “modern-day Gestapo” – a direct reference to the Geheime Staatspolizei who enforced authoritarian law in Nazi Germany. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has also been vocal in his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations, and DHS cited his recent remarks characterizing the U.S. as “essentially” becoming a country akin to Nazi Germany where people had to carry around “papers” to “prove [they] belong.” UNION BOSS COMPARES ICE TO AL PACINO MOBSTER AS MORE DEMS PILE ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT The department also condemned comments from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in June: “I don’t know of any police department that routinely wears mask – We know that there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC-131 routinely wears masks,” she said, referring to a Massachusetts-based “National Socialist Club” tied to neo-Nazism. DHS also condemned House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for pledging to fight against Trump’s agenda “in the streets,” suggesting it is fomenting violence. It also cited Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., who was pictured in August screaming during a press availability that immigration enforcement is acting like the “S.S.” (Nazi secret police) and “Gestapo.” “This is not Germany. That’s the SS and the Gestapo. This is the United States of America. Unmask yourselves,” Larson shouted at an event in Newington. Larson added it is a good time to “rise up,” after federal immigration enforcement raided a car wash in the New England community. Further cataloging physical violence against ICE and DHS officers, the department provided to Fox News Digital an accounting of the most egregious attacks, including a group of armed men who staked out a facility in Texas earlier this year. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A separate Texas incident cited involved a gunman opening fire at a Border Patrol annex in McAllen – near the Mexican border. “The suspect was neutralized by law enforcement who acted heroically to stop the shooter before there was any loss of life. However, three were injured,” the department said. On Aug. 29, a woman in Maine allegedly tried to run over a federal agent with her car as he was making an arrest. The department also cited several instances of suspects causing harm to officers or damage to property.
Hegseth orders about face on Pentagon’s slipping grooming standards
The Pentagon unveiled a new overhaul of grooming standards to further ensure service members are ‘clean-shaven’ this week. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops needing a medical exemption can retain facial hair for one year as long as they are following a plan to treat the condition. After that, they must remove facial hair or face separation. “The Department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos,” Hegseth wrote in an Aug. 20 memo made public on Monday. Leadership will also be required to conduct a review of how grooming standards have changed over the last decade. FEMALE MILITARY RECRUITS SURGE ACROSS ALL SERVICE BRANCHES “The grooming standard set by the U.S. military is to be clean-shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance,” Hegseth said, according to the statement by chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. “Commanders must apply consistent criteria and appropriately consider the department’s interests in safety and uniformity when authorizing individual exceptions,” Parnell added. The memo did not mention whether troops would still be allowed to sport a mustache, as they have been for decades. Hegseth’s office did not return a request for clarification in time for publication. Most shaving waivers are for troops diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a condition where the hair curls back toward the skin after shaving and causes irritation. HEGSETH TEARS UP RED TAPE, ORDERS PENTAGON TO BEGIN DRONE SURGE AT TRUMP’S COMMAND Hegseth’s memo did not address religious accommodations. The Army began granting beard exemptions in 2017 after pressure from Sikh soldiers, for whom uncut facial hair is a religious requirement. Some troops soon tested the policy’s boundaries. In 2018, one soldier won approval for a beard by claiming adherence to the Norse Pagan faith, identifying himself as a Heathen. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2019, Army Spc. John Hoskins pushed the limits by applying for a religious exemption and claiming to belong to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a faith known as “Pastafarianism.” He was denied. The Army announced an update to its grooming standards this week, also defining authorized hairstyles and ponytail lengths for female soldiers, who are permitted to wear only clear nail polish.
Liberal professors’ group backs faculty speech after Charlie Kirk assassination, silent on condemning attack
The nation’s leading professors’ group defended faculty speech rights after the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, but stopped short of condemning his killing. Rather, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), founded in 1915, called for leaders of universities to avoid “political pressure” to fire faculty members over comments made about the conservative powerhouse in the aftermath of his death. “The AAUP notes with great alarm the rash of recent administrative actions to discipline faculty, staff, and student speech in the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk,” the AAUP wrote in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “We write to remind leaders of colleges and universities of their fundamental duty to protect academic freedom and the absolute necessity to ensure that the freedom to discuss topics of public import without constraint is not curtailed under political pressure.” ‘SLEEPING GIANT’ LIKELY WOKE UP FOR TURNING POINT USA AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION “At a moment when higher education is threatened by forces that seek to destroy it and its role in a democratic society, the anticipatory obedience shown by this rush to judgment must be avoided,” it continued. Prior to that statement Monday, the AAUP only released a statement last week condemning “the recent and recurring bomb and terroristic threats against multiple historically Black colleges and universities,” but no separate statement condemning Kirk’s assassination. The AAUP has 44,000 members, according to its website. The AAUP published material about TPUSA in October 2024, accusing the organization of engaging in “racist, homophobic and transphobic speech while on campus,” and described Kirk as a “professional provocateur,” saying he “has built a career perfecting how to provoke college students,” and is “actively hostile to higher education.” CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: TIMELINE OF UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING DETAILS ATTACK, MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT Faculty were also encouraged to hold administrators accountable for bringing Kirk or TPUSA events to campus through petitions, votes of no confidence and pressuring donors. Professors were advised to add syllabus language or push for campus policies restricting unauthorized classroom filming, as TPUSA-affiliated students have recorded left-wing professors and submit their names to the organization’s Professor Watchlist. When asked by Fox News Digital whether it stands by its past descriptions of Kirk and TPUSA — and how it balances support for faculty with the principles of academic freedom and free speech for groups it opposes — the AAUP said: “Colleges and universities should exercise restraint and not interfere with legitimate invitations to outside speakers, except in the most extraordinary circumstances where strong evidence of imminent danger justifies rescinding an invitation.” The AAUP did not answer a follow-up question about whether TPUSA and Kirk fall under the “extraordinary circumstances” where “danger” justifies revoking an invitation to college campuses. The AAUP has long staked out progressive positions in higher education, frequently siding with faculty who oppose restricting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Last year, the group also reversed its longtime opposition to academic boycotts policies. PASTOR RECALLS LAST MOMENTS WITH CHARLIE KIRK: ‘AMERICAN MARTYR’ Conservative leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and Attorney General Pam Bondi have demanded accountability for rhetoric they argue fosters hostility toward conservatives and can escalate into violence. Meanwhile, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has urged an “off-ramp” from the cycle of political antagonism. FBI Director Kash Patel said people who know primary suspect Tyler Robinson, including family members, have told investigators that Robinson “subscribed to left-wing ideology.” Family members also allege Robinson expressed hatred for Kirk’s views. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Since Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10 on his “American Comeback Tour,” multiple higher education educators and administrators have been investigated, suspended or fired for social-media posts celebrating or justifying his death. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Education for comment.
Gun seller takes stand in Trump assassination attempt trial with key testimony about rifle purchase
The Justice Department plans to call a fresh lineup of witnesses Wednesday as the federal trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024, enters its eighth day. Prosecutors told the court they expect testimony from Ronnie Jay Oxendine, the man who allegedly sold Routh the rifle tied to the case, as well as multiple FBI agents and specialists. The list includes Patrick M. Lantry, a task force officer with the FBI; Aaron Thompson; Matthew S. Perry, an FBI special agent; Garett L. Foo, an FBI special agent; and Laura E. Haller, an FBI special agent and digital forensic examiner. Also scheduled are Lazaro and Samuel Plata, whose testimony will be aided by two Spanish-English translators in the courtroom. FBI PHONE EXTRACTIONS, DNA TESTIMONY HEADLINE DAY 7 OF RYAN ROUTH TRIAL Tuesday’s proceedings centered on forensic evidence from Routh’s alleged phones and DNA. Jurors saw WhatsApp messages and texts allegedly recovered from Routh’s seized devices, including one exchange where Routh wrote, “I hate him… shan’t get elected again,” referring to Trump. Another message read, “If I can help just let me know what to do.” TRUMP TRIAL CONTINUES WITH MORE FBI TESTIMONY AFTER RIFLE CALLED ‘PREPARED TO FIRE’ FBI experts also testified that Routh’s DNA was strongly linked to the rifle grip, a bag, a glove and other items prosecutors say were found in the alleged sniper’s nest. Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon kept a tight rein on the pace of testimony, pressing prosecutors to shorten questioning and reminding Routh — who is representing himself — to stop interrupting. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With prosecutors expected to rest their case by the end of the week, Wednesday’s testimony could prove pivotal as jurors weigh the government’s evidence against the self-represented defendant who will bring his witnesses forward beginning next week.
Kash Patel faces House grilling after tense Senate clashes over Kirk assassination
FBI Director Kash Patel is testifying before House lawmakers on Wednesday in a hearing focused on the bureau’s dramatic reforms in the second Trump administration and the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk. Patel is facing questions in five-minute rounds from Republicans and Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee as part of an annual oversight hearing, marking the director’s second appearance in as many days on Capitol Hill after he testified before the Senate one day prior. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, raised what he said was a weaponization of the FBI against conservatives, reviving concerns his committee regularly brought up during FBI Director Christopher Wray’s tenure. Jordan praised Patel for what he said was a course correction. “No more spying on parents at school board meetings,” Jordan said in his opening remarks. “No more pre-dawn raids on pro-life Catholics, no more retaliation against whistle-blowers, and he’s given us information that Chris Wray didn’t. Maybe said better, he’s given us information that Chris Wray wouldn’t.” ‘MOST TRANSPARENT’ FBI EVER: PATEL UPDATES SENATE ON KIRK ASSASSINATION PROBE Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University last week has been both unifying for House lawmakers and at times led to criticisms about Patel’s handling of the investigation and sparked broader debate over the driving causes of political violence. Jordan opened the hearing by calling Kirk a “good man” and “happy warrior,” while ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called the shooting incident horrifying and shocking and said, “We all stand together categorically against political violence in America.” Early on in the hearing, Patel faced sharp rebukes and tough questions from House Democrats about the controversial firings of senior FBI officials and Jeffrey Epstein, a sore subject for the Trump administration amid a rocky rollout of information related to the disgraced financier’s sex trafficking case. Patel addressed similar concerns from Senate Democrats one day prior, as they zeroed in on Patel’s limited law enforcement experience and accusations that the firings of top FBI officials had happened without proper due process. FBI INVESTIGATING ‘A LOT MORE’ THAN 20 PEOPLE IN DISCORD CHATS WITH SUSPECTED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN Patel, a former public defender who worked in the first Trump administration, opened the hearing by addressing Kirk’s assassination, taking credit for being the one to decide to release video footage of the suspect, Peter Robinson, which Patel said prompted the suspect’s parents to recognize him. Patel also warned there was little more he could say at this stage, aside from what authorities have already revealed about Robinson, in light of his ongoing state prosecution for murder and the lingering possibility of federal charges. “It’s important for this FBI to be transparent without jeopardizing our investigation,” Patel told the committee. Raskin criticized Patel for initially misstating on social media that the alleged killer was in custody, echoing concerns raised by Sen. Pete Welch, D-Vt., and other Democrats during the Senate hearing. “When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, while his killer was still on the loose, you decided you didn’t need to be at FBI headquarters in Washington to work with your team,” Raskin said. “While the chaotic manhunt unfolded, you spent your evening dining in a swanky midtown Manhattan restaurant and tweeting out false information that the subject of the shooting was in custody, a statement you had to retract one hour later.” Patel has conceded that he could have worded his social media post better but that he does not regret it because he issued it in the name of transparency. The Department of Justice’s handling of Epstein’s sex trafficking case is another topic expected to crop up throughout the hearing. President Donald Trump’s base has long demanded more information about the case, but in a turnabout, DOJ leadership said this year there was nothing further they could disclose to the public about it.
Donald Trump’s first vice president snags new job
Former Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to school. Pence, who served as vice president during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House but who later ran against his former boss in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, is joining George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government as a distinguished professor of practice. The northern Virginia-based school said that Pence will begin teaching undergraduate courses and public-facing seminars starting in next year’s spring semester. The school, in a Tuesday announcement, also said that Pence will be available via moderated discussions and mentorship programs with students pursuing degrees in political science, law, public administration and related fields. FORMER VICE PRESIDENT PENCE RECEIVES JFK ‘PROFILE IN COURAGE’ AWARD Schar School Dean Mark Rozell said that the former vice president’s “disciplined approach to communication and his deeply rooted conservative philosophy provide a principled framework to discussions of federalism, the separation of powers, and the role of values in public life.” And Pence, in a statement, said that “throughout my years of public service, I have seen firsthand the importance of principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution in shaping the future of our nation. I look forward to sharing these lessons with the next generation of American leaders and learning from the remarkable students and faculty of George Mason University.” CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS AND OPINION ON MIKE PENCE The now-66-year-old Pence, a former congressman, was Indiana’s governor when Trump named him his running mate in 2016. For four years, Pence served as the loyal vice president to Trump during the president’s first term in the White House. However, everything changed on Jan. 6, 2021, as pro-Trump protesters — including some chanting “hang Mike Pence” — stormed the U.S. Capitol aiming to upend congressional certification of now-former President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, a process overseen by Pence in his constitutional role as vice president. The attack on the Capitol took place soon after Trump spoke to a large rally of supporters near the White House about unproven claims that the 2020 election was “rigged” due to massive “voter fraud.” Pence rejected the advice of the Secret Service that he flee the Capitol, and after the rioters were eventually removed from the Capitol, he resumed his constitutional role in overseeing the congressional certification ceremony. The former vice president has repeatedly refuted Trump’s claim that he could have overturned the presidential election results. Despite that, Trump loyalists have never forgiven Pence, whom they view as a traitor, for refusing to assist the president’s repeated efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Pence in June 2023 launched a presidential campaign of his own, joining a large field of challengers to Trump gunning for the 2024 GOP nomination, becoming the first running mate in over 80 years to run against their former boss. Pence ran on a traditional conservative platform, framing the future of the Republican Party against what he called the rise of “populism” in the party. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Among the slim anti-Trump base of the Republican Party, Pence received praise for his courage during the attack on the Capitol, often receiving thanks at town halls during his campaign for standing up to Trump. While Pence regularly campaigned in the crucial early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, his White House bid never took off. Struggling in the polls and with fundraising, he suspended his campaign just four and a half months after declaring his candidacy.