WATCH: DNC opens summer meeting with land acknowledgment, claims that US suppresses indigenous history
The Democratic National Committee kicked off its annual summer meeting in Minneapolis with a “land acknowledgment” that included an assertion that the U.S. perpetuates a system of suppression. “Let’s talk about the land for a second,” said Lindy Sowmick, treasurer of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and self-described “Indigenous queer woman,” after DNC Chairman Ken Martin introduced her to recite the acknowledgment. “The DNC acknowledges and honors the Dakota Oyate – the Dakota people – who are the original stewards of the lands and waters of Minneapolis,” Sowmick continued. “The Dakota cared for the lands, lakes and the Wakpa Tanka – the ‘Great River,’ the Mississippi River – for thousands of years before colonization. This land was not claimed, or traded – it’s a part of a history of broken treaties and promises. And, in many ways, we still live in a system built to suppress Indigenous peoples’ cultural and spiritual history.” DNC CHAIR DEMANDS DEMS STOP ‘BRINGING A PENCIL TO A KNIFE FIGHT’ AT FIERY SUMMER MEETING Sowmick encouraged members of the Democratic Party to see the “land acknowledgment” as more than just “the checking of a box.” “As Democrats, I ask of every one of you to not allow land acknowledgments like these to simply be the checking of a box – be curious, ask questions, ensure our native neighbors are heard and work in partnership with your Indigenous communities,” Sowmick urged the crowd Monday. “Honor the legacy of this land and its people by engaging today with each other with honesty, humility, respect and compassion.” Monday’s comments came in front of more than 400 party officials from all 50 states who gathered at a downtown Minneapolis hotel for the annual summer meeting. ILHAN OMAR ERUPTS AT OWN PARTY FOR RENEGING ON SOCIALIST CANDIDATE’S ENDORSEMENT: ‘INEXCUSABLE’ Similar to the summer meeting, the DNC’s national party convention in Chicago, held ahead of the 2024 election, also included a “land acknowledgment.” During that recital the speakers blamed the U.S. government for “forcibly remov[ing]” tribal folks from their land. Meanwhile, the DNC’s 2024 party platform also included such an acknowledgment on its first page, following the title page. “The Democratic National Committee wishes to acknowledge that we gather together to state our values on lands that have been stewarded through many centuries by the ancestors and descendants of Tribal Nations who have been here since time immemorial,” the platform’s acknowledgment stated. “We honor the communities native to this continent, and recognize that our country was built on Indigenous homelands. We pay our respects to the millions of Indigenous people throughout history who have protected our lands, waters, and animals.”
Trump opens door to 600,000 Chinese students amid Beijing trade talks
Donald Trump said 600,000 Chinese students would be allowed into the U.S. to study at colleges amid ongoing trade talks with China. Speaking at the White House Monday, the president’s announcement signals a potential thaw in U.S.-China relations after escalating tariffs and restrictions on Chinese students. “I hear so many stories that we’re not going to allow their students,” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important. But we’re going to get along with China,” he added. TRUMP CONSIDERING MEETING WITH CHINA’S XI IN THE NEAR FUTURE AMID POSSIBLE TARIFF PAUSE EXTENSION Trump’s student visa offer comes against the backdrop of trade talks with the Chinese government. Earlier this year, the administration imposed a 145% tariff on all Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate with a 125% tariff on U.S. exports. Negotiators in Geneva agreed in May to pause additional levies, but Trump has continued to warn of further penalties. Last week, he floated a 200% tariff on Chinese-made magnets, citing what he described as Beijing’s “monopoly” over the global market. CHINA’S OIL TIES WITH RUSSIA AND IRAN ARE TRADE FLASHPOINTS, US SAYS “I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with that,” Trump told reporters. “China, intelligently, went and they sort of took a monopoly on the world’s magnets. It’ll probably take us a year to have them,” he said. Currently, about 270,000 Chinese students are enrolled in U.S. universities. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese nationals, particularly those tied to the Communist Party or sensitive research fields. Trump has since shifted tone, telling reporters in June that he has “always been in favor” of welcoming students from China. CHINESE NATIONALS WHO INFILTRATED US UNIVERSITIES Trump’s remarks on admitting Chinese students came ahead of a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. When he was asked about a possible summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he sounded positive. He said he would like to meet him this year. “As you know, we’re, we’re taking a lot of money in from China because of the tariffs and the different things. It’s a very important relationship,” Trump said. “It’s a much better relationship economically than it was before with Biden. But he allowed that. They just took him to the cleaners.”
Tim Walz rips media for negative reporting on Dem party amid ‘fascist’ takeover
Former Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz criticized the media for reporting on rifts within the Democratic Party amidst what he called a “fascist” takeover of the country by President Donald Trump. Walz gave a fiery speech on Monday in front of Democrats gathered for the party’s summer strategy meetings in Minneapolis, where Democratic leadership is attempting to unify a party riddled with internal division. During the speech, Walz, a progressive who served as former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in 2024, opined about his and Harris’ 2024 election loss, saying, “We know [Harris] was the most qualified and would have been a fantastic president.” “We wouldn’t wake up every day to a bunch of s— on TV and a bunch of nonsense,” he asserted. “We would wake up to an adult with compassion and dignity and vision and leadership doing the work. Not a man child crying about whatever’s wrong with him.” DNC CHAIR DEMANDS DEMS STOP ‘BRINGING A PENCIL TO A KNIFE FIGHT’ AT FIERY SUMMER MEETING He doubled down on some of the Democratic Party’s more controversial platforms, saying, “We’re not shying away from diversity as a strength and equity as a goal and inclusion being the air we breathe. That’s what we should be doing.” Though doubling down on DEI, Walz criticized the media for reporting on Democratic infighting. He urged Democrats, “Don’t take the bait.” “It boggles my d— mind that in the midst of a military takeover of our cities and the attempt to go into others, their flaunting of the rule of law, the cruelness and the unconstitutional nature of the way they’re attacking our neighbors, that the press finds the need to talk about, ‘Oh, there’s a division in the Democratic Party,’” he railed, adding, “There’s a division in my d— house and we’re still married, and things are good. That’s life!” “We can have our internal decision-making, our internal healthy debates. But – I refuse to believe – we do not have the luxury to fight amongst ourselves while that thing sits in the White House,” said Walz as the crowd broke into cheers. TIM WALZ LEADING DEM EFFORT TO TURN BIPARTISAN GROUP AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP: REPORT He asserted that Democrats “are strong because we’re held accountable,” while he lamented it is easy to be a Republican. “Think of how easy it would be to be a d— Republican. Oh, what should I wear today? This stupid fricking red hat? What should I say today? I don’t know, just make sure it’s cruel. Who do we listen to? That guy? Oh, the felon in the White House? Yeah, I listen to him, and that will be fine,” he said. He went on to accuse Trump of unleashing fascist policies on the U.S., saying, “I always get in trouble for it, I’ll continue to say it. I don’t think we do any favors when we don’t name it. These are fascist policies… That is what they are.” Commenting on Trump signing an executive order to crack down on the burning of the American flag, he accused the president of being concerned about flags with his face on them. JEFFRIES GETS IN HEATED CLASH WITH CNN HOST ON ‘HYPOCRITICAL’ REDISTRICTING POSITION AND IF DEMS HAVE A PLAN “Now he’s talking about burning flags. He’s going to have flag burning or whatever, because he knows there’s a hell of a lot of flags with his picture on it that are going to get burned. There’s a whole lot of that kind of crap that people are sick of,” he said. Concluding his remarks, Walz urged Democrats to start “running to a better future.” “A future that includes everyone, a future where our children are valued and lifted up, a future where immigrants are celebrated just like our grandparents and parents were, a future where we ask people to pay their fair share while we make life a little bit easier for others, and we find joy in the things that you find personally joyful and I don’t give a d— what your neighbor thinks about those things,” he said. “Those are the things that we are here for.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump’s Flag-Burning Crackdown
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -How TikTok went from a bipartisan ban to the White House having an official account -Bolton unleashes on Trump Ukraine policy days after FBI raid -‘Bold’ general who led US’ ‘Midnight Hammer’ strikes on Iran ends Middle East reign President Donald Trump and his administration are likely set to challenge a Supreme Court ruling that protected the burning of the American flag under the First Amendment with a new executive order calling for those who desecrate the U.S. flag while inciting violence or breaking other laws to face prosecution. The executive order, which Trump signed Monday morning, directs the attorney general to prosecute those who violate laws “in ways that involve desecrating the flag,” and to pursue litigation that would clarify the scope of the First Amendment as it relates to flag desecration. Burning the American flag, however, already has been litigated, with the Supreme Court ruling in 1989 that it is a form of symbolic speech that is protected by the First Amendment…Read more DEALER’S CHOICE: Trump says he holds ‘incredible cards’ that could ‘destroy China’ but won’t play them yet ‘GOT ALONG GREAT’: Trump touts Kim Jong Un relationship amid South Korea summit JUDICIAL GRIDLOCK: Trump threatens lawsuit over century-old Senate tradition delaying his nominees JUDGE JAM: Trump threatens lawsuit over ‘blue slips’ as top GOP senator bucks demand to bend Senate rules for nominees ‘DELIVER LEADERSHIP’: Retired Air Force colonel who piloted last flight out of Afghanistan reveals new mission BLOCK PARTY: ‘Separated from reality’: Senate Republicans fume as Dems use Epstein saga to block Trump’s agenda BORDER BATTLE SHIFT: Mexican immigrant-turned-congresswoman blasts Dem claims Texas redistricting hurts Hispanic vote MIND THE GAP: Bridge collapse aid becomes economic weapon in escalating Trump-Moore feud INNER CIRCLE: Zohran Mamdani campaign aficionado gets behind top ‘Squad’ member’s re-election bid: Report STRENGTH TEST: Mamdani struggles with bench press at Brooklyn event DEFIANCE BLUEPRINT: Mamdani reveals which Dem cities are ‘model for how to fight’ Trump admin in NYC PAXTON’S PICK: Texas’ Ken Paxton endorses candidate to succeed him as attorney general ‘MAJOR LIABILITY’: Florida AG announces probe of sanctuary jurisdictions that give trucking licenses to illegal immigrants Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Texas challenges Newsom’s gas car crackdown, warning California can’t dictate US auto market
The state of Texas is intervening in California’s attempts to implement stricter vehicle emissions standards than those set by the federal government. After Congress and Trump revoked three waivers the Biden administration granted California, which allowed the state to set stricter vehicle emissions standards than those at the federal level, Newsom immediately sued and issued an executive order directing state agencies to continue pushing the heightened standards. California’s attempt to circumvent Congress could impact other states, since provisions of the federal Clean Air Act allow them to adopt California’s tougher emissions regulations as opposed to the federal baseline. Meanwhile, a few weeks after Newsom’s executive order, the Trump administration announced it would sue California in an effort to prevent them from trudging forward with the “unlawful” emissions standards. Now Texas is joining that fight with the help of pro-Trump legal group America First Legal (AFL). NEW RESEARCH REVEALS HOW EV, EMISSIONS MANDATES ARE INFLATING COSTS FOR GAS-POWERED CARS, UTILITIES “California’s crusade is not about innovation—it is about abusing the legal system to flout federal law and impose its radical agenda on all Americans,” said Daniel Epstein, vice president of America First Legal. “America First Legal stands proudly with the State of Texas to defend competition, consumer choice, and the rule of law. We will not let Gavin Newsom remake America in California’s image.” Texas’ motion to intervene, filed Friday with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California Oakland Division, asks the court to allow Texas to become a party to the case so it can defend the interests of Texans, which state Attorney General Ken Paxton and AFL say would be impacted by California’s attempt to impose strict electric vehicle mandates that can have an effect on the rest of the country. “I am standing with President Trump in his effort to stop Gavin Newsom and California from shoving its insane so-called ‘green energy’ vehicle standards down the nation’s throat,” said Paxton. “Texas will not look the other way while the failed state of California undermines our sovereignty, attacks America’s energy independence, and intentionally adopts destructive policies that would harm the other States.” Currently, 17 other states and the District of Columbia have chosen to adopt at least part of California’s vehicle emissions standards, according to a report released this month by the California Air Resources Board. The same report notes that, collectively, these states represent 40% of the nation’s light-duty vehicle market, and 25% of its heavy-duty vehicle market. TRUMP V. CALIFORNIA: SANCTUARY CITIES TO EV BANS, TRUMP PUTS LEFT-WING STATE UNDER REPEATED SCRUTINY California’s efforts to implement stricter car emissions regulations would effectively outlaw the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035, AFL argued in a press release accompanying their Friday filing. Subsequently, AFL notes, the strict regulations would then impact car manufacturers because they would “dictate the requirements for all cars sold throughout the United States” since manufacturers typically do not produce different vehicle lineups for different states. “That means fewer choices for families, skyrocketing costs, and an America remade in California’s image,” AFL stated in its press release. In addition to the state of Texas, a major pro-business group, the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree), has also taken action to intervene in the case on the side of the Trump administration, with several agricultural and trade organizations backing the move. “It’s clear this is not one of those issues that is like ‘the Trump administration doing something completely novel’ and ‘courts having to wrestle with that,’” said Michael Buschbacher, the lead attorney working with AmFree. “This is like squarely, ‘Congress passed the law. You can’t undo that law unless it’s unconstitutional and there’s nothing unconstitutional here.’” Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Newsom’s office for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Social media erupts after DNC speaker says migrant crime, carjackings ‘don’t matter’ to many Americans
Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy and partnerships of the far-left criminal justice reform group, Vera Institute of Justice, caused an uproar on social media after she told Democrats on Monday that migrant crime and carjackings “don’t matter to that many Americans.” During a political strategy session about crime and safety at the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rahman urged Democrats to seize on President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown, calling it a “political liability.” “Trump is not about safety,” Rahman said. “This is a political power grab, and he will do it however he can, whether that’s at the ballot box or taking over our cities.” While Rahman focused her remarks on how Democrats can reject Republicans’ “tough on crime scare tactics,” the Vera Institute, where the Democratic strategist serves as a senior official, has a long record of supporting defunding the police. JD VANCE REVEALS ‘IMPORTANT LESSON’ HE WANTS AMERICANS TO TAKE AWAY FROM DC “We must dismantle the current culture of policing in the United States,” the Vera Institute said in a 2020 statement during the anti-police protests that erupted across the country after George Floyd, a Black man, was murdered by a White police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. VANCE, WHITE HOUSE BLAST ‘CRAZY COMMUNISTS’ PROTESTING DC CLEAN-UP, TERRORIZING LOCALS: ‘STUPID WHITE HIPPIES’ The liberal criminal justice think tank went on to affirm their support for “the outrage we’re seeing,” and announced they were “building on this unique moment of public awareness, outrage, and calls to defund the police.” Fox News Digital has covered the Vera Institute for years, including its ties to former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department and billionaire liberal megadonor George Soros. The Vera Institute has advocated for defunding the police and has openly stated their mission is to demolish a “racist” criminal justice system. Fox News Digital discovered in 2022 that the non-profit secured a staggering $171.7 million federal contract to provide legal assistance to unaccompanied minors, according to a federal database. “Don’t take the bait in talking about migrant crime or carjackings or the things that actually don’t matter to that many Americans, and then go to the policy proposals that we think work,” Rahman instructed Democrats on Monday. This clip went viral Monday afternoon with conservatives slamming Rahman for her rhetoric and pointing out her organization’s ties to the Defund the Police movement. “Who has given money to the George Soros-tied Vera Institute?” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X. “The Biden DOJ, the Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller, Tides, the Ford Foundation and MacKenzie Scott. Vera Institute in turn supports BLM and numerous left wing causes. FOLLOW THE MONEY!” “This Democrat Speaker is a member of the Vera Institute of Justice which advocates for defunding the police,” the Republican National Committee’s research account posted on X. “She makes over $300k in salary according to last year’s tax filings, and the Vera Institute brought in around $140 million in revenue,” the Project for Immigration Reform posted on X. Trump last week floated the deployment of federal law enforcement to address major U.S. cities, including Chicago, after mobilizing more than 2,200 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to fight a “crime emergency.” The president signed an executive order on Monday, seeking to eliminate cashless bail for suspects arrested in the nation’s capital. Rahman said Democrats should respond by saying, “They want money and privilege and to give a handout to the bail bondsman while we want to make sure safety, not wealth, determines who stays in jail and who goes home to their families.” She also advised Democrats not to let Trump “take credit” for crime going down. “It’s going down in spite of him and because of Democratic leadership like mine. That is the phrase you want to use. Don’t be afraid of the crime debate. Lean all the way in. Call out what Trump is doing and say, ‘The reason crime is going down, our communities are becoming safer, is because of us,’” Rahman said. Regarding questions about defunding the police, Rahman said Democrats should “call out the scare tactics.” “I’m not about scare tactics or slogans,” she said Democrats should tell their Republican opponents. “I’m not afraid to have an honest conversation.” “We keep expecting police to solve every social problem. No one profession can do that. We’re spending too much and putting too much burden on them. It’s time to pry out some promising new solutions to lift the burden. It’s time for support and change, not blame,” she added. Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC and Vera but did not immediately receive a response.
Trump signs proclamation commemorating Abbey Gate attack anniversary with Gold Star families
President Donald Trump on Monday signed a proclamation commemorating the anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack during the Afghanistan withdrawal that took the lives of 13 military service members. Trump was surrounded by Gold Star families as he signed the proclamation in the White House. “We remember these great 13 souls, but we also remember the people that were so badly injured, our soldiers, 32 of them approximately,” he said. “We understand that it should’ve never happened, should have never been allowed to have happened.” MORNING GLORY: TRUMP’S SIGNATURE QUOTE ON IRAN CEMENTS A DECISIVE SUCCESS Vice President JD Vance, who served in the Marines, said Monday’s event was a “rectification of a wrong.” “The fact that the President of the United States lost your loved ones through incompetence, but never acknowledged it in your government, never actually put pen to paper to say we’re grateful for your sacrifice,” he said of former President Joe Biden. The Biden administration was heavily criticized for the attack and the way the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was executed. In 2021, Biden removed U.S. troops from Afghanistan, following up on existing plans from the first Trump administration in 2020 with Taliban leaders to end the war in the region. Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the withdrawal process from a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside the then-Hamid Karzai International Airport, as the Taliban quickly seized control of Kabul. WATCH: CROWD SINGS ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ TO TRUMP AT US ARMY’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY PARADE Biden faced scrutiny after the withdrawal as the Taliban quickly took over Afghanistan again and more than a dozen U.S. service members died supporting evacuation efforts. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Abbey Gate bombing convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin to start his war with Ukraine. “Because he saw how incompetent our military was under Biden,” he said. “The military needs to answer for what happened in Afghanistan.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, an Afghanistan veteran, is leading a deep dive into what happened at Abbey Gate.
Epstein estate hit with new House subpoena for ‘client list,’ call logs
The House Oversight Committee took significant steps to widen its probe into Jeffrey Epstein on Monday, including subpoenaing the late pedophile’s estate. Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., sent a letter to attorneys representing Epstein’s estate, requesting a slew of documents by Sept. 8. “The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is reviewing the possible mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell, the circumstances and subsequent investigations of Mr. Epstein’s death, the operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the federal government to effectively combat them, and potential violations of ethics rules related to elected officials,” Comer wrote. “It is our understanding that the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein is in custody and control of documents that may further the Committee’s investigation and legislative goals. Further, it is our understanding the Estate is ready and willing to provide these documents to the Committee pursuant to a subpoena.” MAXWELL SAYS SHE NEVER SAW TRUMP DO ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE, NEW DOJ DOCS REVEAL Comer also announced that the committee would hear from Alexander Acosta, a former Trump administration labor secretary who also served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida when Epstein entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the federal government in 2008. Acosta is appearing before the committee for a closed-door transcribed interview on Sept. 19. He was not compelled via subpoena. The controversial agreement, which Acosta signed off on, was concealed from more than 30 of Epstein’s underaged victims, according to The Miami Herald. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to two state charges in Florida of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution, avoiding more severe federal charges. He ended up serving 13 months in county jail with the benefit of a work-release program, made confidential settlements with some victims, and registered as a sex offender. It also allowed co-conspirators to avoid charges – a major point of contention during his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s federal trial in late 2021. It’s also the basis of Maxwell’s appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn her guilty verdict. Documents subpoenaed by Comer include all entries in a book compiled by Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, Epstein’s will, and information on the non-prosecution agreement. GHISLAINE MAXWELL SAYS NO JEFFREY EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST EXISTS AS DOJ RELEASES INTERVIEW RECORDINGS Information is being sought on Epstein’s financial transactions, call and visitor logs, and “any document or record that could reasonably be construed to be a potential list of clients involved in sex, sex acts, or sex trafficking facilitated by Mr. Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a copy of the subpoena viewed by Fox News Digital. An attorney for the executors of Epstein’s estate told Fox News Digital they were reviewing the subpoena. “As the Co-Executors have always said, they will comply with all lawful process in this matter, and that includes the Committee’s subpoena,” the attorney said. The House Oversight Committee sent a flurry of subpoenas regarding Epstein earlier this month, kicking off a bipartisan investigation into the late pedophile. Comer sought depositions from former FBI directors Robert Mueller and James Comey, ex-attorneys general Bill Barr and Loretta Lynch, as well as former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Barr testified last week. The subpoenas were directed via a bipartisan vote during an unrelated House Oversight subcommittee hearing on illegal immigrant children in late July. Renewed interest in Epstein’s case has gripped Capitol Hill after the DOJ’s handling of the matter spurred a GOP revolt by far-right figures. The DOJ effectively declared the case closed after an “exhaustive review,” revealing Epstein had no “client list,” did not blackmail “prominent individuals,” and confirmed he did die by suicide in a New York City jail while awaiting prosecution. Democrats seized on the discord with newfound calls for transparency in Epstein’s case, spurring accusations of hypocrisy from their Republican colleagues. Indeed, the bipartisan unity that the investigation was kicked off with quickly disintegrated after the first witness, Barr, was deposed last week. Reps. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who attended part of Barr’s deposition, left the room roughly halfway through the sit-down and accused Republicans of insufficiently probing questions during their allotted time to depose Barr. Comer, who argued those accusations were baseless, implored Democrats not to politicize a bipartisan investigation. Divisions deepened after Comer said Barr had no knowledge of, nor did he believe, any implications of wrongdoing on President Donald Trump’s part related to Epstein. House Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who was not in the room, released a statement after the deposition, claiming Barr did not clear Trump.
DNC chair demands Dems stop ‘bringing a pencil to a knife fight’ at fiery summer meeting
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – As Democrats hunger for more forceful pushback against sweeping and controversial moves by President Donald Trump and Republicans, the party’s national chair stressed that it’s time to “stand up and fight.” And in a fiery speech Monday, Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin argued that the president is acting as “a dictator-in-chief” and that Trump’s second administration is “facism dressed in a red tie.” “We are the only thing standing in his way,” Martin emphasized as he addressed the more than 400 elected party officials from all 50 states and seven territories, as the summer meeting kicked off at a downtown hotel in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Are you ready to take back our country from the wannabe-king in the White House,” he asked the audience, to loud cheers. AMID PLUNGING POLLS, ANEMIC FUNDRAISING, DEMOCRATS LOOK TO REBOUND AT PARTY’S SUMMER MEETING Martin, pointing to the forceful response by Democrats to moves this summer by Trump and Republicans to create more right-leaning U.S. House seats in states across the country through rare mid-decade congressional redistricting ahead of next year’s midterm elections, said that he’s “sick and tired of this Democratic Party bringing a pencil to a knife fight.” “We cannot be the only party that plays by the rules anymore,” he urged. Democratic Party leaders and officials face a multitude of problems as they try to escape the political wilderness. The party is trying to escape the political wilderness after last year’s elections, when Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate and fell short in their bid to win back the House majority. And Republicans made gains with voters who make up key parts of the Democratic Party’s base. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS PARTY HAS HIT ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ But the situation has only worsened for the Democrats in the 10 months since last year’s election setbacks. The Democrats’ brand is deeply unpopular, especially with younger voters, as the party’s poll numbers continue to drop to all-time lows in national surveys. The DNC faces a massive fundraising deficit at the hands of the rival Republican National Committee (RNC), fueled in part by major party donors cutting back their contributions as they express their frustrations with the national party committee. New voter data first reported last week by the New York Times showed Democratic Party registration plunging while GOP sign-ups were on the rise in the 30 states that register voters by party. “There’s no doubt that … we have work to do,” Martin acknowledged in a sit-down interview this summer with Fox News Digital. But seeing a silver lining, he added that “when you hit rock bottom, there’s only one direction to go, and that’s up, and that’s what we’re doing.” On Monday, amid talk that Democrats remain divided over a slew of policy and political issues, Martin highlighted that “in this big tent party of ours, we are unified towards one single goal, to stop Donald Trump and put this country back on track.” LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY TAKES OVER CHAIRING REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota took aim at talk of the party’s divisions. Klobuchar rejected the “we suck club” label and said “we’re not getting into it when they try to divide us on every single issue online. Complaining about each other to each other – it isn’t how we win again.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took aim at media reports of the party’s divisions, saying “it boggles my damn mind that in the midst of a military takeover of our cities and the attempt to go into others, the flaunting of the rule of law, the coolness and the unconstitutional nature of the way they’re attacking our neighbors, that the press finds the need to talk about, ‘oh, there’s a division in the Democratic Party.’” “There’s a division in my damn house, and we’re still married, and things are good,” Walz said. “That’s life. That’s life. We are strong. We are strong because we challenge each other.” Walz, who served as then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democrats national ticket last summer and autumn, slammed Trump as “petty as hell.” And he said Americans wake each morning to “a man child crying about whatever’s wrong with him.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told the audience that he and fellow Democratic state attorneys general who’ve fought the Trump administration in court have “sued this dude 44 times and we’ll sue him 44 more and 44 more after that.” “We have sued Trump for gender-affirming care. We are not going to scapegoat the transgender community.” Ellison highlighted. While the 2024 election has faded in the rearview mirror, Republicans have been relentless in characterizing Democrats as extreme leftists. Former RNC chair Michael Whatley, who formally stepped down last week as he runs for the Senate, argued in a Fox News Digital interview last week that the Democrats “are moving further and further and farther to the left. They are walking away from Main Street right now. They are beholden to left-wing radical woke policies.” “They haven’t learned a single thing from their election losses in 2024,” Whatley claimed. RNC communications director Zach Parkinson, responding to Monday’s DNC session, told Fox News that “under Ken Martin’s leadership, Democrats have sunk to their lowest approval rating in 35 years, the DNC is still paying off millions in debt from Kamala Harris’ failed campaign, and Martin himself is actively supporting a communist for mayor of New York City. As Republicans, we think he is doing a fantastic job, and we fully endorse him to stay on as DNC Chair.” The “communist” reference points to Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Democrats’ nominee in this year’s New York City mayoral election. But despite all the problems and setbacks facing the Democrats, they have enjoyed some victories of late. Democrats have scored a slew of off-year and special election wins, ahead of next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its
Federal judge temporarily bars Abrego Garcia from deportation to Uganda
A federal judge in Maryland blocked the Trump administration on Monday from immediately deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials hours earlier, delivering a temporary blow to the government’s efforts to remove the Salvadorian migrant at the center of a months-long court fight. Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s attorney, said Monday that he filed the emergency motion after his client was taken into immigration custody at the ICE Field Office in Baltimore, after he appeared there as a condition of his pretrial release from criminal custody. The new filing asks a judge to block Abrego Garcia’s removal from the U.S. until his immigration case can play out via the proper channels, ensuring due process protections — including the right to a reasonable fear interview before being removed to a third country. Judge Paula Xinis said that she planned to move quickly in weighing the emergency request, telling both Justice Department lawyers and attorneys for Abrego Garcia to confer privately to hash out a proposed briefing schedule, with an eye towards Friday as a possible date for an evidentiary hearing. The judge said she would hold off on any decisions until after the hearing. ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL Xinis noted at the outset that she believed an extension of her current temporary restraining order might be “necessary,” in light of the administration’s stated plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda, even as she acknowledged that the information before her was preliminary. She also cited the daylight between the plea offer offered to Abrego Garcia late last week — which would allow him to be sent to Costa Rica as a free individual in exchange for pleading guilty to criminal charges against him — and the lack of stated assurances from Uganda, the East African nation agreed to accept migrants deported from the U.S. just days earlier. She noted there is not a known proffer from Uganda detailing what protections Abreo Garcia would have in the country, including the ability to travel freely throughout its borders, compared to what Costa Rica provided, which included assurances that he would live in the country freely, and would have residency papers or refugee status. Crucially, Uganda has not provided any known assurances that Abrego Garcia would not be befouled, or sent back to El Salvador, after being deported to the country. “There’s just nothing right now on the record in that regard,” Xinis said, noting that the silence from Uganda “is certainly taken in contrast” as to what Costa Rica has offered. JUDGE PRESSES TRUMP DOJ ON ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION; ANSWERS LEAVE COURTROOM IN STUNNED SILENCE Though Xinis stressed the information before her was preliminary, and that the Trump administration “can certainly right the ship” by providing evidence to the contrary, she said, “the contrast is significant,” at least for now. Before adjourning the court, she also ordered the Trump administration to keep Abrego Garcia in the same ICE detention center in Virginia, where he was moved after his arrest on Monday, after his attorneys cited concerns ICE would remove him again tonight. Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign did not immediately rule out that possibility, prompting her to order him to be kept there. She also reiterated, several times, that the government must comply with the court. “Your clients are absolutely forbidden at this juncture to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia from the continental United States,” she noted pointedly to Ensign, who agreed. “I’m going to take it from you, as an officer of the court, and on behalf of your clients, that there is the fullest intent to abide by those orders,” Xinis said, before following up again. “Is that accurate?” “That is accurate, Your Honor,” Ensign said.