Mamdani’s socialist allies embrace watchdog’s warning about their key motive: ‘Recruitment ad unlocked’
After an antisemitism watchdog posted a new video warning about socialist efforts to take over the Democratic Party from within, socialist leaders from across the country embraced the video and its message, appearing unafraid of such accusations. The Canary Mission’s advertisement included recorded remarks from various leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) describing their opposition to, and in some cases “hatred” of the Democratic Party, which one speaker says must be torn down. The video also shared remarks from DSA leaders describing how the Democratic Party, which one of the socialist speakers in the video referred to as “toxic,” can be used as a “tool” to push forward their aims of destroying the current capitalist society we live in. At the center of the ad was something Canary Mission referred to as the “cuckoo analogy.” FORMER TOP LEADER OF RADICAL GROUP TIED TO MAMDANI HAS BEEN ON AOC’S CAMPAIGN PAYROLL FOR YEARS “In nature, the cuckoo survives by trickery. It lays its egg in another bird’s nest. The unsuspecting parents raise the impostor as their own until the cuckoo grows strong enough to push the true chicks out,” the video’s narrator explains. “The DSA is the cuckoo inside the Democratic Party.” But the analogy, which pointed to candidates like self-proclaimed socialist Zohran Mamdani, did not appear to bother the socialists it was targeting. Rather, they applauded the video advertisement as a great recruitment tool to get more people to join their ranks. “New DSA recruitment ad for communists just dropped,” joked Nicolás Vargas in response to the video. Vargas has been affiliated with the Central Brooklyn branch of the DSA, according to a 2022 DSA national convention resolution on COVID protections. “Are you trying to make young people find the DSA more cool?” quipped Marxist-socialist blogger C. Derrick Varn. “New recruitment ad unlocked,” joked Giovanetta Marangoz, co-chair of the New York City Young Democratic Socialists of America. Other socialist activists were a little more direct in their view that the Democratic Party must be extinguished. “My biggest gripe is the idea that we’re being deceptive,” Allan Frasheri, an at-large delegate to the 2023 DSA Convention who spent time as a co-chair of the University of Florida’s DSA chapter, said in response to the video. “DSA is loud and proud: we are fighting for a worker’s party. Only a party of, by and for working people can bring about a better world. The Democratic Party is ultimately one for the billionaires.” MAMDANI FORCED TO ADDRESS UNEARTHED VIDEO EXPOSING VILE NYPD COMPARISON “This is the best DSA ad I’ve ever seen,” added DSA organizer Miko Ludoviko. “The DSA is an anti-capitalist organization with the long-term goal of taking state power. The Democratic Party is a tool we use for local elections, but it remains an enemy of the working class.” Part of Canary Mission’s video focused on New York City’s Mamdani, who is running for New York City mayor on the Democratic Party’s ticket. He beat out former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic Party primary earlier this year to be the party’s candidate. Cuomo is now running as an Independent. Mamdani, who is a member of DSA’s NYC chapter, brought several DSA members on stage during a “New York Is Not For Sale” rally last week. He was also a keynote speaker at the group’s national convention in 2023 while serving as a New York state representative. DSA has admitted to closely collaborating with Mamdani’s campaign, including regularly holding meetings with his team. “With Zohran, we’re in basically the best possible position to seize state power that we can be in because, you know, we’re like this,” Goulden said during an August DSA panel, indicating with his fingers that the campaign and organization are very close. Goulden went on to suggest that “one of the things that made Zohran really successful with his policy rollouts is specifically relying on DSA.” “We wrote the platform with him. The team was so happy to work with us on this,” he explained. “What we explicitly wanted to do was use the power of New York City to provide free gender-affirming care – and I say free in case insurance companies decide to boot us off – free gender-affirming care, not just to people in New York City, but across the country.” In addition to the responses to Canary Mission’s new video, other messaging materials the pro-Israel group has put out, such as a graphic slamming socialists for attempting to “weaken and ultimately dismantle” the United States, have similarly been met with praise by DSA socialists. For example, in response to a Canary Mission graphic exposing DSA’s Red Star Caucus for their stated goal of striving to “weaken and ultimately dismantle US empire,” a user on X, who describes themselves as “DSA’s favorite Maoist,” remarked that the slogan Canary Mission was calling out “needs to be the line of the DSA as a whole.” “I will use every tool at my disposal to make it so,” they added. “That’s right,” another X user with the handle “centristmarxist” said in response to a second graphic slamming DSA’s Marxist Unity Group for their stated goal. “With every tool available to us, we must erode the political, cultural, and physical hegemony of the U.S. police state.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA for comment, but did not receive a response.
Charts illustrate the scale of SNAP as millions face potential benefit lapse
Millions of Americans who rely on the nation’s largest food program are bracing for uncertainty as the ongoing government shutdown threatens to halt their benefits. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a lifeline for low-income households, is set to expire on Saturday, cutting off support for more than 40 million Americans. The program’s looming lapse underscores how political gridlock in Washington can ripple across kitchen tables and grocery aisles nationwide. FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR 42 MILLION AMERICANS IN JEOPARDY AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON SNAP recipients reflect a broad cross-section of the country, from working families to retirees and those facing economic hardship. Benefits vary depending on income, family size and essential living expenses, which determine both eligibility and payment amounts. About 41.7 million Americans, or one in eight households, relied on SNAP each month in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In that same year, federal spending on SNAP totaled $99.8 billion, with benefits averaging about $187 per participant each month, according to USDA data. In fiscal year 2023, nearly 30% of all SNAP households reported having a job and earning a paycheck. More than half of the families with children and receiving SNAP had at least one household member who was employed. In addition to SNAP benefits, 61% of participants received income from government assistance programs such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or state aid. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WARNS 42 MILLION AMERICANS COULD LOSE FOOD STAMPS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON Overall, adults ages 18 to 59 made up the largest share of SNAP recipients at 42%, followed by children at 39% and seniors at 19%, a breakdown that underscores the program’s role in supporting both the working poor and the most vulnerable. The USDA has warned that if the shutdown continues past early November, states may have to delay or suspend SNAP payments altogether. Some governors are already preparing contingency plans, though federal law leaves them little flexibility without new funding from Congress. On Friday, a pair of federal judges ruled that the administration must issue November food stamp benefits, either in full or in part. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed that directive during a press conference, noting: “There is a contingency fund at USDA, but that contingency fund, by the way, doesn’t even cover half of the $9.2 billion required for November SNAP. And it’s only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Syria’s interim President al-Sharaa expected to meet with Trump in first visit by Syrian leader to White House
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington, D.C., and meet with President Donald Trump next week, the first official visit by a Syrian president to the U.S. capital. A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the meeting was planned for Nov. 10. News of the meeting was first reported by Axios. Trump and al-Sharaa met for the first time in May on the sidelines of the president’s trip to Saudi Arabia. “Young, attractive guy, tough guy,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after meeting al-Sharaa, who is a former al Qaeda leader. “Strong past, very strong past — fighter. He’s got a real shot at holding it together.” SAUDI ARABIA’S 40-YEAR-OLD DISRUPTOR: HOW MBS REWIRED THE KINGDOM IN 10 SHORT YEARS Al-Sharaa, formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, led the rebel offensive in December that toppled former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime. His group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, was designated by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in June that the Trump administration would remove the label amid the president’s efforts to reset U.S.-Syria ties. “This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump’s vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria,” Rubio said in a statement. TRUMP TAPS DETROIT ENTREPRENEUR MARK SAVAYA, WHO BOOSTED MUSLIM TURNOUT, AS SPECIAL ENVOY TO IRAQ Trump received a standing ovation in Riyadh after announcing his administration would order the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to “give them a chance at greatness.” “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” he joked, referring to Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Mohammed bin-Salman, who pushed Trump to meet with Syria’s new leader. Efforts to lift the Caesar sanctions, the strongest sanctions on Syria, have faced procedural delays in Congress. A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters on Friday that the Trump administration supports repealing the Caesar sanctions through the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which is under discussion by U.S. lawmakers. The bill, which was named after a Syrian army defector who smuggled thousands of images documenting torture and executions in Bashar al-Assad’s prisons, targeted entities and individuals who provided support to Assad’s regime.
Trump taps massive war chest to energize MAGA voters in final 2025 election push
President Donald Trump is making a final multimillion-dollar investment in Tuesday’s statewide elections in New Jersey and Virginia, in an effort to turn out MAGA voters who tend to sit out off-year elections when Trump isn’t on the ballot. Trump’s political team is making a withdrawal from the president’s massive political war chest, with New Jersey and Virginia each receiving roughly $1 million for get-out-the-vote microtargeting efforts, Fox News confirmed this weekend. “What you’ve seen just in the last couple of days is the president and all of our Republican forces have put even more money behind our efforts to turn out our votes because that’s what it’s gonna come down to,” Joe Gruters, chairman of the Trump-aligned Republican National Committee (RNC) said Saturday on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show.” While Trump lost New Jersey and Virginia in last year’s presidential election, he made major gains in both states. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states to hold gubernatorial contests the year after a presidential election, and the two contests typically receive outsized national attention. The elections are also seen as a key barometer ahead of next year’s midterms, when the GOP will be defending its slim House and Senate majorities. This year’s elections are also seen as the first major ballot box test of Trump’s unprecedented and explosive agenda. The new infusion of cash from Trump’s political coffers, which was first reported by Axios, is fueling the RNC’s 72-hour program aimed at turning out GOP voters in the final stretch leading up to Election Day. FIVE RACES TO WATCH ON ELECTION DAY 2025 Republican operatives are tracking down low-propensity GOP voters, and then reaching out to those voters through phone-banking efforts, or through digital and social media targeting ads. “We have to have Republicans show up on Election Day if our candidates are gonna have a chance,” Gruters said. While Trump hasn’t made any campaign stops in New Jersey or Virginia, he reached out to supporters in both states. Trump held a tele-rally Thursday evening with term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, to boost GOP turnout in the state’s races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Last weekend, on the eve of the kick-off of early voting in New Jersey, Trump headlined a tele-rally with GOP gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli. Trump is likely to headline another tele-rally for Ciattarelli ahead of Tuesday’s election, sources told Fox News Digital. DNC CHAIR PREDICTS WINS IN KEY GOVERNOR RACES AS TRUMP AGENDA FACES FIRST TEST Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has dished out over $7 million – a party record – for get-out-the-vote and organizing efforts this summer and autumn in New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania, where Democrats are fighting to retain three state Supreme Court seats. “I’ve always taken the position that every election matters, whether it’s an on-year, off-year, whether it’s a local election, a federal election, every inch of ground that we gain here adds up,” DNC chair Ken Martin said last week in a Fox News Digital interview. The latest public opinion polls indicate former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger has a solid lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia’s gubernatorial race. Surveys point to Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey with a slight edge over Ciattarelli in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. “I do expect that we’ll win those elections in New Jersey and Virginia,” Martin said. “We feel pretty bullish about our chances.” Fox News’ Bryan Llenas contributed to this report
DNC chair downplays socialist–moderate rift as Mamdani’s rise has some Dems rattled
Zohran Mamdani appears to be on the verge of becoming the next mayor of the nation’s most populous city. And a victory by the 34-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from New York City would capsulize the rise of the far left in the Democratic Party. While plenty of Democrats are fearful of the political consequences and how it would fuel Republican efforts to make a Mayor Mamdani the face of a Democratic Party aiming to usher in socialism, Ken Martin isn’t concerned. “What it shows is the great breadth of our party,” the chair of the Democratic National Committee said in a one-on-one interview with Fox News Digital this week in Philadelphia as he crisscrossed the 2025 campaign trail. FIVE KEY RACES TO WATCH IN NEXT WEEK’S ELECTIONS A likely Mamdani win in New York City, where he holds a double-digit lead in the polls, may be coupled with potential victories by moderate Democrats Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia in the only two states this year to hold gubernatorial elections. “We have conservative Democrats, we have centrist Democrats, we have progressives and we have leftists. And I’ve always said that you win elections through addition, not subtraction. You win by bringing people into your coalition and growing your party,” Martin touted. ‘DEMOCRATS ARE NERVOUS’ ABOUT POTENTIAL ZOHRAN MAMDANI VICTORY, NEW REPORT WARNS Martin acknowledged that Democrats “don’t agree on everything. There’s a lot of different ideas on how to accomplish our goals, but we’re unified around those goals. We’re unified around making sure that people’s lives are more affordable and that we can create an economy that works for everyone in this country. We’re unified in stopping Donald Trump in his authoritarian margin, his shredding of our Constitution.” As Democrats work to escape the political wilderness after last year’s stunning election setbacks, when the party lost control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority, Republicans portray their rivals as a leaderless party being held hostage by the far left. But Martin spotlighted his party’s diversity, saying, “Whether you’re a far-left Democrat or a conservative Democrat, or anything in between, everyone’s welcome into this big tent party of ours.” The Republican National Committee took issue with the Democrats’ big tent. “Ken Martin’s so-called ‘big tent’ Party includes communists, antisemites, and illegal aliens, while apparently the only people who aren’t welcome are hardworking American families. The inmates are now running the asylum in the Democrat Party, which is why the DNC is broke and proudly backing a communist for mayor of New York City,” RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels claimed in a statement to Fox News Digital. Martin, pointing to the Republican Party, argued that they “basically have one ideology and do not allow for any dissent.” HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS Martin was interviewed a few days after a new center-left group named “Welcome,” in their inaugural report, argued that left-leaning ideas and rhetoric have badly weakened the Democratic Party. And the group urged Democrats to jettison some of the party’s progressive language about race and LGBTQ issues. The news was first reported by Semafor. Asked for his take, Martin said he had yet to read the report, but he did emphasize that “the Democratic Party can walk and chew gum at the same time.” “We can both focus on a core economic message that gives people in this country a sense that we’re going to fight for their economic future, that they’ll have an opportunity to get ahead… and also, at the same time, stand up and fight for our values. Make sure that no one gets left behind. Make sure that… people who are being harassed or bullied or pushed out of the conversation are protected.” “We are the Democratic Party. We’ve fought for the working class and the poor, and we’ve always fought against bigotry and discrimination, and we’ll continue to do both,” he pledged.
US, China agree to open direct military hotline after Xi-Trump summit
The United States and China plan to establish military-to-military communications channels “to deconflict and deescalate” potential problems, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Saturday after talking with his Chinese counterpart. In a post on X, Hegseth said he had a “positive meeting” with Adm. Dong Jun, China’s minister of national defense, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During their talk, the two defense leaders agreed that the best path forward for the U.S. and China involves “peace, stability, and good relations.” “Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise. We have more meetings on that coming soon. God bless both China and the USA!” Hegseth wrote, in part. TRUMP TOUTS ‘12 OUT OF 10’ MEETING WITH XI, DOWNPLAYS REPORTS OF VENEZUELA STRIKES Earlier Saturday, Hegseth attended a separate meeting in Malaysia with defense leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where he urged them to push back against Beijing’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea. “China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” Hegseth said at the meeting, according to The Associated Press. “We seek peace. We do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else,” he added. OPINION: TRUMP SCORES FOUR BIG WINS WITH XI, BUT HAS ONE BIG MISS The South China Sea remains volatile with Beijing, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claiming overlapping territories. China’s maritime fleet has frequently clashed with the Philippines in the disputed waters, with Chinese officials recently describing the country as a “troublemaker” for staging naval and air drills with the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Hegseth defended the U.S. ally during the Saturday meeting by saying Beijing’s designation of the Scarborough Shoal – a territory seized from the Philippines in 2012 – as a “nature reserve” was “yet another attempt to coerce new and expanded territorial and maritime claims at your expense.” The war secretary then urged ASEAN to finalize the Code of Conduct with China and proposed creating a “shared maritime domain awareness” network and rapid-response systems to deter provocations – measures he said would ensure that any member facing “aggression and provocation is not alone.” Hegseth also welcomed plans for an ASEAN-U.S. maritime exercise in December aimed at strengthening coordination and safeguarding freedom of navigation.
Obama calls NYC mayoral frontrunner Mamdani just days before crucial election
Three days ahead of the New York City mayoral election, former President Barack Obama called frontrunner Zohran Mamdani to offer his support. The 64-year-old Democrat offered to be a “sounding board” to Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who continues to lead the race in polling. “Zohran Mamdani appreciated President Obama’s words of support and their conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec told Fox News Digital. Mamdani’s main opponents are former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. CUOMO PICKS UP ENDORSEMENTS, RISES IN POLLS AS COMEBACK CAMPAIGN NEARS FINISH LINE Sliwa’s campaign told Fox News Digital they had no comment on the call. Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary last summer. The phone call between Mamdani and Obama came the same day Obama was also campaigning in Virginia for Abigail Spanberger and in New Jersey for Mikie Sherrill. Both Democrats are in close gubernatorial races in their respective states. OBAMA SAYS IT’S ‘LIKE EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN’ AS HE BLAMES REPUBLICANS FOR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Both women are Democratic gubernatorial candidates. “Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama told Mamdani in the 30-minute private conversation, according to The New York Times who cited two people familiar with the conversation. Obama hasn’t endorsed Mamdani officially following a vow to not interfere in municipal races, the newspaper reported, adding that it was the second call between the two men since the Democratic primary. Obama spoke to Mamdani as some establishment Democrats, such as New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, have kept their distance from the progressive leader.
‘Progressive capitalist’ rallies for ‘democratic socialist’ candidate in NYC mayoral race
JAMAICA, QUEENS – Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is a “progressive capitalist,” but ahead of New York City’s highly-anticipated Election Day, the Silicon Valley congressman rallied for self-identified democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. As a broad coalition of Mamdani supporters gathered in Queens’ Major Mark Park on Saturday, a socialist and a capitalist – both of Indian descent – found common ground despite the Democratic Party’s looming identity crisis. “My vision is economic patriotism,” Khanna told Fox News Digital after the rally, explaining that he wants to “build a broad, FDR-Obama-like coalition” to overhaul the U.S. economy. “I think we need to be a broad tent.” Khanna said he is “probably one of the few” Democrats who has campaigned for the Democratic nominee in all three major races of this election cycle, also joining gubernatorial candidates Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., on the campaign trail in their states this year. ‘DEMOCRATS ARE NERVOUS’ ABOUT POTENTIAL ZOHRAN MAMDANI VICTORY, NEW REPORT WARNS “If you had asked me when I was growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that there would be an Indian-American of Hindu faith representing Silicon Valley introducing an African-born Indian of Muslim faith, who would be the next mayor of New York, I would have told you only in a Mira Nair film, but it’s happening,” Khanna told the crowd, referencing Mamdani’s filmmaker mother. CLINTON CAMPAIGN ALUM URGES JEFFRIES, SCHUMER NOT TO ‘TAKE THE BAIT,’ GET ‘BULLIED’ INTO MAMDANI ENDORSEMENT Among those rallying in Queens were coalitions of New Yorkers from Afghan, Muslim, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds, along with local elected officials, including former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who lost his Democratic primary to a more moderate challenger last year. Speakers during Saturday’s rally and canvass launch condemned Islamophobia, after Mamdani last week criticized his competitors in the mayoral race, including Independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and Mayor Erics Adams, who suspended his re-election campaign and endorsed Cuomo for what he claims was “Islamophobic rhetoric.” Mamdani asked the New Yorkers gathered to raise their hands if they were ever called a terrorist, if employers “mangled” their names or they had been made to feel “less-than because of who you are.” “We are not just saying goodbye to a disgraced former governor on Tuesday, we are saying goodbye to the politics of that disgrace,” Mamdani said. But just moments prior, a protester disrupted Mamdani’s remarks, lambasting the leading mayoral candidate for his refusal to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada” – which is widely considered a call to violence against Jews. Mamdani said he would discourage others from using the phrase but has been reluctant to denounce it. “You are a communist!” the protester shouted from the press pen as the crowd booed him while Mamdani continued speaking. “This is not Cuba! This is not Venezuela!” the protester, who was wearing a shirt with the Cuban flag, shouted. He was ultimately escorted out of the rally by police officers as he shouted, “F— you, Zohran!” President Donald Trump has labeled Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and “My little communist” – a moniker Mamdani has rejected. Mamdani’s ambitious campaign agenda includes fast and free buses, city-run grocery stores, and free childcare, which he plans to pay for by raising taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was heckled by Mamdani supporters to “Tax the rich” during last Sunday’s rally, has ruled out a tax hike, despite endorsing Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. After Saturday’s rally and canvass launch, Khanna told Fox News Digital that Hochul “should be taxing the billionaires.” “What’s wrong with having a tax on that wealth so that we can pay for childcare?” Khanna questioned, explaining that a 10% “trillionaire tax” – which he said Elon Musk is angling to be – could pay for universal childcare in the United States. “I don’t understand why she’s not for a basic wealth tax,” Khanna added. Mamdani’s mayoral campaign has exposed a divide within the Democratic Party, as New York Democrats were reluctant to endorse his democratic socialist agenda. After months of withholding his support, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries finally endorsed Mamdani last week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has yet to endorse Mamdani with just days left in the race. As the Democratic Party grapples with losses up and down the ballot in 2024, a new report this week urged Democrats to moderate their positions. The report was released on the heels of the trio of self-identified democratic socialists – Mamdani, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. – joining forces to rally more than 10,000 New York City voters at Forest Hills Stadium last Sunday. When asked about the value of building a coalition with Mamdani, despite Khanna rejecting socialism and calling himself a “progressive capitalist,” he told Fox News Digital that the real challenge is the “wealth divide.” “People can’t afford rent,” Khanna said. “People can’t afford childcare. SNAP is being cut. I represent more wealth than ever before, and I’m saying you can tax billionaires so people can have healthcare and education. We can have a vision of how we’re going to create high-paying jobs, not just here in Queens, but in rural America, in factory towns across this nation.” Fox News Digital’s Olivia Palombo contributed to this report.
Trump threatens to halt all US aid, conduct ‘vicious’ military attack in Nigeria over Christian persecution
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced the U.S. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians, and may even go into the country “guns-a-blazing” to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists” responsible. “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” The post comes after the president on Friday designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing the widespread killings of Christians. I’M A CHRISTIAN FROM NIGER. DON’T IGNORE HORRIFYING ATTACKS ON AFRICAN CHRISTIANS “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Trump posted to Truth Social Friday. “Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’—But that is the least of it.” He said Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and members of the House Appropriations Committee were directed to look into the reports and present findings to him at a later date. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,” Trump wrote. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!” WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO SURGE IN CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION CRISIS ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA The persecution of Christians in Nigeria has reached crisis levels, as Islamist militants burn down villages, massacre worshipers and displace thousands across the north and central regions. Attackers in June invaded a bishop’s village days after he testified before Congress, killing more than twenty people. Other assaults in Plateau and Benue states have left hundreds dead, with survivors describing militants shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they burned churches and homes. International watchdog group Open Doors reported nearly 70% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in Nigeria. Groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani militants are blamed for most attacks, often targeting Christian farmers. Rights groups estimate 4,000–8,000 Christian deaths annually. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital 50,000 Christians have been killed and 20,000 Christian schools and churches destroyed in the country since 2009, calling it “a crisis of religious genocide.” Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, urged stronger U.S. pressure on Nigeria’s government, calling the violence a humanitarian crisis. He also pledged to work with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to strengthen U.S. advocacy. I WAS KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM, AND SURVIVED. NO THANKS TO THE WEST’S SILENCE The White House and global leaders have condemned the violence, warning it could spread across Africa. However, Nigerian officials have denied systematic persecution, calling U.S. reports “misleading.” Hours before Trump’s threat Saturday, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu posted a statement on X, noting Nigeria “stands firmly” as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. “Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” Tinubu wrote in the statement. “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians. Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.” “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,” he continued. “Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.” Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
Obama says it’s ‘like every day is Halloween’ as he blames Republicans for government shutdown
Former President Barack Obama on Saturday slammed Republicans for the ongoing federal government shutdown. “The government is shut down and the Republicans who currently are in charge of Congress, they’re not even pretending to solve the problem,” the 64-year-old told a rally crowd while campaigning for former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., turned Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Norfolk, Virginia. “They have not even been showing up to work, not in session. Where are you? What are you doing?” The government shutdown began a month ago on Oct. 1, after lawmakers failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government, with Democrats concerned expiring Affordable Care Act tax cuts could raise premiums and that Medicaid cuts could leave people without coverage. Republicans have blamed the shutdown on Democrats, with Trump recently calling them “crazed lunatics.” JOHNSON WARNS US ‘BARRELING TOWARD ONE OF THE LONGEST SHUTDOWNS’ IN HISTORY “The shutdown proceeds because the Democrats just don’t know what they’re doing,” President Donald Trump told reporters this week. I don’t know what’s wrong with them. They’ve never done a thing like this. They’ve become crazed lunatics. All they have to do is say, ‘Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s open up our country.’ And everything snaps back into shape. So there’s something wrong with them.” Trump has also suggested getting rid of the filibuster. “Remember, Republicans, regardless of the Schumer Shutdown, the Democrats will terminate the Filibuster the first chance they get,” he wrote on Truth Socila on Saturday. “They will Pack the Supreme Court, pick up two States, and add at least 8 Electoral Votes. Their two objectors are gone!!! Don’t be WEAK AND STUPID. FIGHT,FIGHT, FIGHT! WIN, WIN, WIN! We will immediately END the Extortionist Shutdown, get ALL of our agenda passed, and make life so good for Americans that these DERANGED DEMOCRAT politicians will never again have the chance to DESTROY AMERICA!” He added, “Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!! BE TOUGH, BE SMART, AND WIN!!! This is much bigger than the Shutdown, this is the survival of our Country!” Obama didn’t mention Democrats’ part in the shutdown when talking about it on Saturday. He did, however, have choice words for Trump and his administration. “Our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now. It’s hard to know where to start, because every day this white House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness,” he charged. SHUTDOWN IGNITES STRATEGIST DEBATE: WILL TRUMP AND GOP PAY THE POLITICAL PRICE IN 2026? The former president joked: “It’s like every day is Halloween. Except it’s all tricks and no treats. And and here’s the thing, it’s not as if we didn’t see some of this coming. I will admit, it’s worse than even I expected. But I did warn y’all.” He claimed that while the economy has been good for Trump’s “billionaire pals,” costs haven’t gotten any better for average people. Obama said “there is absolutely no evidence Republican policies have made life better for you” while claiming that Republicans are more focused on “scapegoat[ing] minorities and DEI for every problem under the sun. You got a flat tire? DEI. wife mad at you? DEI.” “What they have not devoted energy to is helping you,” he told the crowd. “They have not put forward serious proposals to lower housing costs or make groceries more affordable.” He urged the crowd to vote for Spanberger, who is facing Virginia’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears for an open seat in the state. Later Saturday, Obama headed to New Jersey for a rally with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who is in a close race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli. “I don’t know many people who started their careers as a Navy helicopter pilot, then went to law school, then became a federal prosecutor, keeping communities safe,” Obama said in front of a crowd in Newark. “And she’s doing this while raising four kids. And then because apparently that was a little bit too easy, she decided to run for Congress. I get tired just thinking about it. But I do know that it makes her the kind of leader who understands the mission, who knows who she is supposed to serve, who doesn’t have a lot of time for excuses. And that is exactly what New Jersey needs right now.”