Inside Epstein’s infamous “birthday book”: Clinton’s note, poolside candids and bizarre animal pics
Among the files made public by the House Oversight Committee is a document that stands out for its tone: a glossy 238-page scrapbook that offers a rare and unusually intimate glimpse of Jeffrey Epstein’s self-curated network. The infamous “birthday book,” compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003, for Epstein’s 50th includes what appears to be notes from former President Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz, as well as photographs that juxtapose girlfriends, animals, children’s drawings with financiers and politicians — a tableau that feels all the more unsettling today. BILL CLINTON LETTER IN EPSTEIN ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ AMONG NEW FILES RELEASED BY HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Maxwell wrote to Epstein at the beginning of the book that she wanted to “gather stories and old photographs to jog your memory about places, people and different events.” She hoped he would “derive as much pleasure from looking through it” as she did assembling it for him. Later in the book, a photo of the two canoodling appears with a caption that reads “the first date,” marked with the year 1991. Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 of sex trafficking and other offenses, and is serving a 20-year prison term. Prosecutors said she played a central role in Epstein’s scheme, luring underage girls into what began as massages and escalated into sexual abuse. Now 63 and incarcerated since her 2020 arrest, Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in late August that she had no role in the sexual exploitation of minors. When asked about the “birthday book,” she told Blanche that she could only remember some parts of it, adding that it had been years since she compiled it. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS Among the book’s entries is an apparent note from Bill Clinton, where the former Democratic president praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” and his “drive to make a difference” as well as the “[illegible] of friends.” Dershowitz, a former Harvard University law professor who once represented Epstein during criminal investigations, used his birthday note to make a joke about influencing media coverage. “Dear Jeffrey, as a birthday gift to you, I managed to obtain an early version of the Vanity Unfair article. I talked them into changing the focus from you to Bill Clinton, as you will see from the enclosed excerpt. Happy birthday and best regards,” the entry said. Dershowitz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing as it relates to Epstein. The birthday book also contained sentimental messages from family and friends. In one note, Epstein’s mother, Pauline Stolofsky Epstein, wrote that she’s been “very busy reminiscing since Ghislaine asked me to write about you.” “Jeff[,] you have been a good son since day one and we have been proud of you ever since,” Epstein’s mother said. “I recall you refused to sleep [as a child] unless I read a story from Grandma’s Golden Book that she bought for 25c,” she added. “At PTA meetings I begged your teachers to improve your handwriting.” EPSTEIN ESTATE TO HAND OVER ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ TO LAWMAKERS, HOUSE DEM SAYS She also referenced Epstein’s life as a bachelor, as well as his prominent media shout-outs. “At age 21 Cosmopolitan magazine featured you as ‘Bachelor of the Month,” Pauline Epstein wrote. “Today you still hold that title.” “Jeff, I’m so sorry that Dad can’t share the nachus [pride] we have regarding your achievements,” she added. “He would have been overjoyed reading the article about you in the New York magazine.” The book features hundreds of photos from throughout Epstein’s life until age 50, including pictures of him as a child and a teenager. Some of the earlier images included family pictures, formal school photos and pictures of him hanging out with friends as a teenager. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE The book also had revealing images of Epstein shirtless, Epstein embracing women and what appears to be a censored photo of him and Maxwell laughing and embracing in a pool. Pictures of mating lions and zebras were also included in the book. A picture of a woman in a bikini was also included with the caption, “Visiting you down in Palm Beach. Can’t get a second of privacy with you and a camera around ha ha!” Upon the files’ release, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee, accused Democrats of previously “cherry-picking” the documents. “Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and the American people,” Comer said.
Voters in sanctuary city make decision on mayor amid ICE crackdown resistance
Voters in New England’s most populous city are casting ballots Tuesday in a mayoral election amid a new crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts. The voting comes as Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, who’s seeking re-election to a second four-year term, is pushing back against federal immigration enforcement in the city. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday that “ICE launched ‘Patriot 2.0’ to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May.” TRUMP’S AGENDA, DOGE CUTS, LOOM LARGE IN TUSDAY’S SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION And taking aim at Wu, the statement argued, “Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities.” TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS Wu, on Monday, pushed back “They are wrong on the law, and they are wrong on safety,” Wu charged. “This is why Boston has been the target. Boston is going to continue to uphold the Boston Trust Act, our state law, and the clear separation where our local officials and our city government does not cooperate in the mass deportation efforts that this federal administration is trying to push.” And the mayor claimed, “For months, ICE has refused to provide any information about their activities in Boston and refuses to issue warrants, while we hear reports of ICE agents taking parents as they are dropping their kids off at school. That does not make our community safer.” Boston’s Trust Act prevents police in the city from handing people over to ICE without a criminal warrant. The latest confrontation comes as the Justice Department sues Boston city officials, including the mayor, for allegedly interfering with the immigration crackdown. Polls indicate Wu is heavily favored in Tuesday’s preliminary mayoral contest, which will narrow the field to two for November’s general election in the left-leaning city. Wu is facing three challengers, with philanthropist Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, likely to join the mayor in advancing.
GOP rep targets trucker’s English skills after illegal migrant charged in deadly Florida crash
FIRST ON FOX: GOP Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds introduced legislation to enforce English proficiency for truck drivers in the U.S. as an illegal migrant faces three counts of vehicular homicide in the Sunshine State. Harjinder Singh, an illegal migrant from India, is accused of jackknifing his tractor-trailer on Aug. 12, leading to a deadly crash that took three lives. Singh was issued a commercial driver’s license in California, but had also previously received a license in Washington state. Following the incident, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration examined Singh’s English proficiency and road sign comprehension. The illegal migrant was only able to identify just one out of four road signs during the test, and correctly answered only two of twelve questions surrounding his ability to understand English. BLUE STATES DEFLECT BLAME IN TRUMP PROBE AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER CRASH KILLS 3 IN FLORIDA Singh is currently being held in Florida without bond and faces three counts of vehicular homicide. Under current federal law, to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), an applicant must be able to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.” On Aug. 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Transportation (DOT) to further enforce the policy. BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER SPEAKING LIMITED ENGLISH WITH NEW MEXICO OFFICER The executive order stated that the English proficiency “requirement has not been enforced in years, and America’s roadways have become less safe.” Rep. Byron Donald’s new legislation, the Weigh station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act, would codify Trump’s executive order, and would allow the DOT to utilize weigh stations along federal highways to enforce English proficiency requirements. “The failure of states to enforce basic and commonsense requirements for truckers is putting every American motorist at risk,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “At the state level, Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Simpson have taken action to protect Floridians, but it’s imperative that we expand this effort nationwide. “Under my ‘WEIGH Act,’ all weigh stations along interstate highways will be required to enforce President Trump’s Executive Order to review commercial driver licenses for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers,” Donalds added. “Safety must be the standard, not the exception, and on Capitol Hill I’m fighting to ensure that the American people are put first every step of the way. The elimination of these threats to the American people is non-negotiable.” NEARLY 2.5M PEOPLE SIGN PETITION SUPPORTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER CHARGED IN FATAL CRASH While individual states determine their highway law enforcement policy, federal highway funding dollars for states could be in jeopardy should they refuse to comply with DOT requirements enforcing English proficiency checks. Florida’s own Commisioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, told Fox News Digital, “If you can’t read our signs, you shouldn’t be on our roads.” “If you drive a truck through our interdiction stations, you’re prepared for us to check your load for bugs and drugs,” Simposon told Fox. “Since [Trump] took office, we have helped take nearly 150 illegal immigrants off our streets — including murders and child predators.” Under most state laws, commercial trucks carrying over 10 thousand pounds are required to stop at weight stations, as well as commercial trucks carrying hazardous materials.
Mamdani takes commanding 22-point lead over Cuomo in new poll
Zohran Mamdani, who won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary earlier this year, is dominating the field of competitors, according to a New York Times/Siena College survey that places the self-identified “Democratic Socialist” way ahead of former Empire State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lands in a distant second place. The survey of likely voters in the Big Apple — which was conducted from Sept. 2 to 6 — found that, including leaners, on the question of who people would support if the contest “were held today,” a whopping 46% chose Mamdani, compared to just 24% for Cuomo, with other candidates faring even worse. MAMDANI WANTS TO CONVINCE NYC’S WEALTHY RESIDENTS PAYING MORE TAXES WOULD BETTER THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa scored only 15%, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams earned just 9%. “The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points among the likely electorate,” the methodology section notes. BERNIE SANDERS RIPS DEM LEADERS FOR SNUBBING MAMDANI IN MAYORAL RACE: ‘THIS IS OUR GUY!’ Mamdani is backed by notable left-wing lawmakers Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. MAMDANI CONFRONTED ON FAILED CITY-RUN GROCERY STORE ATTEMPT IN KANSAS CITY, CLAIMS HIS PLAN WILL WORK The contest is scheduled for early November.
Jury selection continues in trial of man accused of plotting to kill Trump
Jury selection is set to resume Tuesday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the federal trial of Ryan Routh, charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Three groups of 60 potential jurors are participating in the jury selection process, where prosecutors and Routh, who is representing himself in the case, ask jurors a series of questions to determine whether they can fairly participate in the trial. The jury selection process kicked off on Monday and is expected to wrap up Wednesday. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE Ultimately, the jury selection process will identify 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial. The first group of 60 appeared before prosecutors and Routh on Monday. His questions to potential jurors touched on the war in Gaza, the idea of the U.S. acquiring Greenland — a proposal once floated by the president — and how they might respond if they saw a turtle in the road while driving. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed Routh’s questions as “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. “None of the questions on your list have any bearing whatsoever. They were off base, sir, and have no relevance to jury selection,” Cannon said. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF Prosecutors claim that Routh, a 59-year-old construction worker, sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon and the scene after the Secret Service agent opened fire. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES Routh faces federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. Opening statements for the trial are expected to kick off on Thursday, and prosecutors are poised to launch into their case immediately afterward. The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, and it is expected to wrap up no later than Oct. 3. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Heather Lacey and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hawley pushes federal ‘In God We Trust’ displays nationwide to ‘restore faith to its rightful place’
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is introducing legislation on Tuesday that would require federal buildings across the country to prominently display America’s national motto, “In God We Trust.” If passed by the House and Senate and signed by President Donald Trump, the bill would direct the head of the U.S. General Services Administration to ensure that all federal buildings “inscribe or display” the national motto within one year. “Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln. Congress adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto in 1956 during the rise of atheist communism, and it remains our national motto today,” Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The ‘In God We Trust Act’ will ensure that the federal government—as well as the American people for whom it works—never forgets the ultimate source of the liberty and prosperity this country enjoys. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government,” he added. TRUMP TO SPEAK AT MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN EDUCATION The legislative push comes just days after Trump announced his own “America Prays” program, which calls on Americans to dedicate time every week to pray for the country and to underscore faith as central to the nation’s founding and future. TRUMP HEADS TO THE HEARTLAND TO KICK OFF A YEAR CELEBRATING AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE Trump’s push is merely an encouragement and holds no legislative weight, however. The initiative also suggests people join with at least 10 others each week to pray. “President Trump has revived one of America’s most prominent and powerful founding principles — we are one nation under God,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital on Monday. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the greatest country in the world, President Trump invites Americans to pray for our nation and for our people. America is stronger with the power of prayer.” PROTECTING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN OUR 250TH YEAR Debate over America’s Christian foundations was thrust into the spotlight last week thanks to a back-and-forth between Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Speaking to a federal nominee, Kaine mocked the idea that rights are grounded in anything other than government. “The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator — that’s what the Iranian government believes,” Kaine argued. “The statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.” After Kaine left the hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reacted forcefully to the comments. “I almost fell out of my chair because that ‘radical and dangerous notion’ — in his words — is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created,” Cruz said. He went on to quote Thomas Jefferson’s words in the Declaration of Independence, saying, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Cruz shared a video of Kaine’s remarks alongside his own and wrote, “The casual condemnation of America’s founding principle is exactly what is wrong with today’s Democrat Party. Government protects our God-given rights, it does not create or destroy them.” Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
Former Iowa state rep mounts US House bid as Trump-backed Rep Hinson seeks outgoing Sen Ernst’s Senate seat
Former Iowa state Rep. Joe Mitchell, who less than two months ago was announced as the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Great Plains regional administrator, is now running for U.S. Congress in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. “Iowa needs fighters in Congress who will have President Trump’s back. As a trusted voice in the MAGA movement, I will always fight alongside hardworking Iowans who have made their support for President Trump loud and clear,” Mitchell noted in a post on X. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is not running for re-election in 2026, and GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson, who currently represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, is pursuing the Senate seat. TRUMP ENDORSES HINSON IN 2026 RACE TO KEEP KEY SENATE SEAT RED President Donald Trump has endorsed Hinson. “I know Ashley well, and she is a WINNER!” he declared in a Truth Social post. “Ashley Hinson will be an outstanding Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement – SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” GOP RISING STAR REVEALS HOW TRUMP’S AGENDA WILL BE CRUCIAL TO KEEPING SENATE SEAT RED, LANDS KEY ENDORSEMENTS Mitchell, a Republican, served in the state legislature from early 2019 through early 2023. His campaign site states that he was “sworn in at the age of 21 – making him the youngest state legislator in Iowa’s state history.” DEMOCRATS BREAK GOP’S SUPERMAJORITY IN IOWA AFTER FLIPPING STATE SENATE SEAT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Joe Mitchell will be a strong voice for fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and economic growth. He will fight tirelessly for family farmers, ethanol, and small businesses, defend the right to life and the Second Amendment, and stand with President Trump in protecting our freedoms,” the site declares.
Trump’s agenda, DOGE cuts loom large in Virginia special election to fill vacant House seat
He’s not on the ballot, but President Donald Trump is smack in the middle of Tuesday’s special congressional election in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. The federal jobs cuts implemented by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), crime and immigration, transgender policies, and even the push to release the Justice Department’s files on the late convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein are also in the spotlight as voters cast ballots in the Fairfax County anchored district. James Walkinshaw, the Democratic Party nominee, told Fox News Digital the sweeping and controversial agenda Trump pushed during his first eight months back in the White House will have a “real impact” on the special election in Virginia’s left-leaning 11th Congressional District. Republican nominee Stewart Whitson also says Trump’s in the campaign spotlight because of a “lot of the great policies that he’s been championing.” TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS The winner will succeed the late longtime Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died in June after a battle with cancer. The Republicans currently control the House 219-212, with three seats controlled by Democrats vacant, as well as one held by the GOP. And if Walkinshaw tops Whitson in a district Republicans haven’t won in nearly two decades, it will further narrow the GOP’s fragile House majority. In a district that’s home to tens of thousands of federal workers and contractors, many voters have been affected by the DOGE implemented job cuts and layoffs. FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS “Folks in Northern Virginia and Fairfax are feeling the impact of the Trump policies. And I like to say we’re kind of on the leading edge of the Trump economy here. Everybody in Fairfax knows someone, probably someone on their street, maybe the parent of their kid’s soccer team, who has lost their job because of DOGE or the Trump policies,” Walkinshaw said on Election Day eve. Walkinshaw, a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member who previously served as Connolly’s chief of staff, argued that “if the Trump policies continue, tariffs, the so-called big, beautiful bill, that’s going to be the case all around the country. So I think we’re on the leading edge of that. And I think voters tomorrow are going to send a statement about that.” Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI special agent who oversees federal affairs for a conservative think tank, told Fox News digital that “the people in our district who have lost their job or who are worried about losing their job, they don’t need empathy. They need solutions.” He said Walkinshaw is “claiming he’s going to fight President Trump and fight the administration. And my pitch to voters in our district is: is that going to help? Is that going to help improve the situation? The answer is no.” “We need someone to represent the people in our district who can work with any administration, whether it’s Republican or Democrat,” Whitson emphasized. Pointing to federal workers and contractors who lost their jobs, he said, “I want to find a way to get them back in. I also want to find other economic opportunities for them as well.” While Trump isn’t very popular in the district — the president won just 31% of the vote in his White House re-election last year – Whitson said that Trump’s polices “center on… common sense.” And taking aim at Democrats, he argued, “People in our district are realizing that the radical left has just pushed so far away from common sense… the radical policies they’re pushing on our kids behind closed doors, the reckless soft on crime policies that are making us less safe. These are issues that are important to our voters.” Whitson, pointing to the ongoing battle over allowing transgender children to use public school bathrooms in some Fairfax County schools, targeted Walkinshaw. “My opponent believes it is a civil right for men who identify as girls or women to go into our girls’ locker rooms and watch them change. I think this is all backwards,” Whitson charged. “I think it is a civil right for girls and women when they see a female sign on a bathroom that they know they can go in there and be safe. And again, this just comes back to common sense. I’m a father with five kids. Three of those kids are daughters.” Walkinshaw charged that Whitson has “been really obsessed with how maybe 1% of the kids in our schools use the bathrooms, and what I hear from folks in our community, and what I’m focused on is how 100% of our kids can succeed in the classrooms. So the threats to pull federal funding, the dismantling of the Department of Education, threatens the performance of our kids in the classrooms, and that’s what I’m focused on.” Whitson has also been trying to link Walkinshaw to Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate who rocked the political world in June by winning the Democratic Party mayoral nomination in New York City. Listing Walkinshaw’s record and his proposals, Whitson charged, “This is someone who has a history of supporting a lot of the exact same type of policies that Mamdani is supporting. And so I’ll let voters… draw the comparison.” Asked about the comparison, Walkinshaw said during his four months on the campaign trail this summer, “not a single voter has asked me about the New York mayor’s election. I don’t care what happens in the New York mayor’s election. I care what happens to folks right here in the 11th District.” But what Walkinshaw says he has heard about on the campaign trail is the push by both Democrats and Republicans for the Justice Department to release files related to the federal investigation of Epstein, who died in prison six years ago while awaiting federal charges related to sex trafficking. “One of these things that I hear from Democrats, independents and a lot of Republicans and conservatives who believed
Rising Democrat star James Talarico jumps into key Senate race in Texas
James Talarico, a Democratic state lawmaker from Texas with a surging national profile, on Tuesday jumped into the Lone Star State’s high-profile and combustible Senate race. Talarico, a state representative, former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who is considered a rising star among Democrats, becomes the second major contender from his party to launch a campaign in the race for the seat currently held by longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Democrats believe they have a shot of flipping the seat as Cornyn trails scandal-scarred Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in most of the latest GOP Senate primary polls. “The biggest divide in our country is not left vs right — it’s top vs bottom. Billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians have taken over our state and our country, rigging the system for themselves,” Talarico said in a statement shared with Fox News as he announced his candidacy. “I’m running for the U.S. Senate to bring people together and take power back for working Texans.” TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS Talarico painted himself as an underdog, saying he’s “going up against the political establishment, and we’re going up against a lot of money. Big Money is powerful, but it’s nothing compared to people power.” FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS Former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred launched a Senate campaign in July. Allred, a former college football star who later played in the National Football League, was the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, losing to conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz by eight points. Former astronaut Terry Virts is also running for the Democratic Senate nomination. And former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who came close to defeating Cruz in 2018 before running unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and Texas governor in 2022, hasn’t ruled out a Senate bid. Democrats have long aimed to turn red-state Texas purple but have repeatedly fallen short in statewide elections. SENATE DEMOCRATS RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES IN PUSH TO WIN BACK MAJORITY Along with Cruz’s comfortable re-election last year, President Donald Trump carried Texas by over 13 percentage points, besting his single-digit victory margins in the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. But Democrats see a pathway to victory in the 2026 general election if Paxton, who enjoys strong support among the GOP’s MAGA base, ousts Cornyn in the Republican primary next March. Talarico, who speaks openly about his faith and how it shapes his progressive policy agenda, has garnered national attention through a slew of social media appearances that went viral. Also boosting his profile are his TikTok videos, which have grabbed millions of views, and his appearance in July on Joe Rogan’s top-rated podcast. Rogan suggested during the interview that Talarico should run for president. Earlier this summer, Talarico was a regular on the cable news networks, conducting dozens of national media interviews, as he and dozens of his fellow Democrats in the Texas House fled the state for weeks, to delay the eventual Trump-led redistricting push in Texas to create up to five more right-leaning congressional seats. Talarico, 36, will kick off his campaign with a rally Tuesday evening in his hometown of Round Rock, Texas, which is located north of Austin. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, targeted Talarico as “an out-of-touch Harvard liberal,” as it pointed to the candidate’s master’s degree. Fox News’ Kellianne Jones contributed to this report
Why Trump broke with RFK to defend the importance of vaccines
If there’s one thing that Donald Trump absolutely, positively despises, it’s bad publicity. And after RFK Jr. got absolutely hammered at that hearing the other day–including by a member of the leadership, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso–he realized that he had to cut his losses. What was he going to do, say ignore those Republican senators, like Bill Cassidy, who’s a doctor, like Barrasso, when he says that vaccines work and he’s deeply concerned that Kennedy misled the Hill during his confirmation hearings? So after months of letting him “go wild,” in his words, Donald has broken with Bobby. REPUBLICAN DOCTORS CLASH WITH RFK JR OVER VACCINES IN TENSE SENATE SHOWDOWN “You have some vaccines that are so incredible. I think you have to be very careful when you say some people don’t have to be vaccinated…,” the president said. “Look, you have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all, and I think those vaccines should be used, otherwise some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people,” The president has had enough. What’s more, Kennedy’s family–including his sister Kerry and former congressman Joe Kennedy III–demanded he resign, along with every Democrat on the Senate committee. There’s some chatter that Kennedy may be let go after a decent interval. Trump really likes him, and the magic of the Kennedy name, but let’s face it, he’s damaged goods right now. He also was poorly briefed, or didn’t do his homework. Remember that he cut a deal in exchange for dropping out of the presidential race, and offered the same arrangement to Kamala Harris. When asked how many Americans had died of COVID, I instantly knew it was 1.2 million. RFK said he didn’t know. Asked whether the COVID vaccine had been helpful, he mumbled that he’d have to look at the data. There’s plenty of data available. And that’s the problem. The greatest achievement of Trump’s first term, as even his detractors admit, was Operation War Speed, bringing the COVID vaccine to market at the height of the pandemic. JOE KENNEDY III BLASTS RFK JR. AFTER FIERY SENATE HEARING, FUELING KENNEDY FAMILY INFIGHTING: ‘HE MUST RESIGN’ But Kennedy is the same anti-vaccine crusader he’s always been. He has called COVID “the most dangerous vaccine” ever. He’s insisted that vaccines cause autism, completely debunked by mainstream science. CDC performed miserably during the pandemic, but Kennedy fired CDC chief Susan Monarez just one month after praising her appointment, and then called her a liar for supposedly admitting she was not trustworthy. So RFK was in effect denigrating Trump’s huge accomplishment by firing the mainstream members of a vaccine panel and replacing them with vaccine skeptics or outright anti-vaxxers. Kennedy’s view is that everyone else is conflicted because of ties to Big Pharma and that only he is pure. But his actions speak louder than his words. INTO THE ARENA: HOSTILE DEMOCRATS, SKEPTICAL REPUBLICANS TEAR INTO KENNEDY ON THE HILL Meanwhile, the president won a double victory at the Supreme Court. The justices, in what Politico says were 6-3 rulings, gave ICE the ability to carry out “roving” arrests and raids in California against those believed to be illegal immigrants. SCOTUS also said the president can fire FTC member Rebecca Slaughter, one of two Democratic commissioners he dismissed in March at the supposedly independent agency. Then Trump checks the conservative media. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, in a piece titled “Operation Warped Speed,” asks whether RFK is suffering from long COVID. The usually supportive New York Post called RFK a “paranoid kook” with a “tinfoil hat” that is “blocking out all sense.” So Trump got mostly booed at the U.S. Open, along with some cheers. Big deal. He’s endured far worse. But having the nation’s highest court on your side is worth its weight in gold, Trump’s favorite decorating glitter. Footnote: The Wall Street Journal has obtained Trump’s birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein, which he repeatedly insisted he never sent, prompting him to sue the paper. Against the backdrop of a sketch of a naked woman–with Trump’s signature in the pubic area–there is this exchange:Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.Jeffrey: Yes we do, come to think of it.Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?Jeffrey: As a matter of face, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday–and may every day be another wonderful secret. By itself, I don’t think it’s that big a deal. Lots of friends and acquaintances were solicited to send messages for Epstein’s 50th birthday. He could have owned it. But Trump *still* insists it’s fake. By vehemently insisting it wasn’t conceivable that he sent such a message, Trump now has a mess on his hands.