New RNC chair Joe Gruters vows to ‘ride the president all the way to victory’ in midterms
EXCLUSIVE – New Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Joe Gruters outlined his mission as he took over steering the GOP’s national party committee. “The midterms are ahead, where we must expand our major majority in the House, in the Senate, and continue electing Republicans nationwide,” Gruters said as he addressed committee members moments after being unanimously elected chair at the RNC’s summer meeting, held this year in Atlanta, Georgia. Gruters, a state senator and RNC committee member from Florida, who, until his election as chair on Friday, briefly served as the national party committee’s treasurer, is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump. His move to the RNC chairmanship cements Trump’s dominance over the GOP as it prepares for midterm battles next year. And a month ago, Trump endorsed Gruters to succeed now-former RNC chair Michael Whatley, who stepped down as he runs for the Senate in battleground North Carolina in the blockbuster race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis. LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY TAKES OVER AS CHAIR OF REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE The ascension of Gruters to RNC chair is the latest sign of Trump’s complete control over the national party committee. “This is the president’s party. This is the president’s vision, overall. The party fully embraces the president,” Gruters said as he and Whatley stood for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. TRUMP BACKED RNC CHAIR JUMPS INTO BLOCKBUSTER SENATE BATTLE Whatley, who Trump picked to steer the RNC a year and a half ago, noted that “we have transformed the RNC, basically the way that President Trump has transformed the Republican Party.” Gruters has been a major Trump supporter dating back to the president’s first campaign for the White House. Gruters served as Florida co-chair Trump’s 2016 campaign. The Democratic National Committee, taking aim at Gruters following his election as chair, claimed that “Gruters and Trump will have a lot to bond over while they turn the Republican Party into even more of a personal propaganda machine for Trump.” Republicans swept back to power last November, with Trump winning the White House, the GOP retaking control of the Senate and holding onto their fragile majority in the House. But looking ahead to next year’s midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses House and Senate seats, the GOP will be defending their congressional majorities. RNC CHAIR SAYS ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FRONT-AND-CENTER IN GOP’S MIDTERM PUSH A key part of the RNC’s strategy going forward is Trump. “We’re gonna ride the president all the way to victory in the midterms, and we are going to win big,” Gruters emphasized. Asked about the top three items on his to-do list as he takes over as RNC chair, Gruters said, “number one, it’s still election integrity. That’s the most important thing, protecting the vote. And it’s about winning the midterms.” “It’s about going back to the fundamentals of registering voters and turning our voters out,” the new chair added. Gruters also highlighted Trump’s sweeping GOP-crafted domestic policy bill, which the Republican majorities in Congress passed this summer along near-party lines. “It’s our agenda,” Whatley said in a Fox News Digital interview last month, as he pointed to the massive tax cuts and spending bill that Trump signed into law on July 4. The measure is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities on tax cuts, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit. It includes extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. By making his first-term tax rates permanent – they were set to expire later this year – the bill will cut taxes by nearly $4.4 trillion over the next decade, according to analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The measure also provides billions for border security and codifies the president’s controversial immigration crackdown. And the new law also restructures Medicaid – the almost 60-year-old federal program that provides health coverage to roughly 71 million low-income Americans. The changes to Medicaid, as well as cuts to food stamps, another one of the nation’s major safety net programs, were drafted in part as an offset to pay for extending Trump’s tax cuts. The measure includes a slew of new rules and regulations, including work requirements for many of those seeking Medicaid coverage. Democrats, for months, have repeatedly blasted Republicans over the social safety net changes. And they’ve spotlighted a slew of national polls conducted both before and after the measure was passed into law, that indicate the bill’s popularity in negative territory. But Gruters sees the new law as campaign ammunition. “Every single Democrat in Congress voted for a tax increase on average everyday Americans,” Gruters argued. “And that big, beautiful bill has something for every single American, whether you’re working class, whether you’re a small business owner, everybody benefits, and we’re going to be able to ride that bill all the way to victory.”
Gov. Pritzker says Trump trying to ‘manufacture a crisis’ as admin plans National Guard deployment to Chicago
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said there is no emergency and President Donald Trump is “attempting to manufacture a crisis” after reports that the federal government may deploy the National Guard to Chicago to address crime in the city. “The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention,” the governor said in a statement on Saturday. This comes after Trump’s move to boost the presence of federal law enforcement in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to reduce crime. Hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops have been deployed to the streets of D.C. as part of the federal takeover of the district. Now, Trump says Chicago could be his administration’s next target for a federal crackdown on crime. NATIONAL GUARD ROLL OUT IN 19 STATES NOT LINKED TO TRUMP’S CRIME CRACKDOWN, WH SAYS The Pentagon has planned a military deployment to Chicago for weeks, which could include mobilizing a few thousand National Guard troops next month, according to The Washington Post. “The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority,” Pritzker said. “There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.” The governor also accused Trump of “attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.” “We will continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect the people of Illinois,” he continued. CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT PLAN ‘UNCOORDINATED, UNCALLED-FOR AND UNSOUND’ Democrat Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said the report that Trump is preparing to deploy federal troops in Chicago “proves what we all know: he is willing to go to any lengths possible to create chaos if it means more political power—no matter who gets hurt.” “As Lieutenant Governor and throughout my career, I’ve fervently fought for the reformation of our criminal legal system and under the Pritzker-Stratton administration, we’ve made tremendous progress,” she said in a statement. “Crime in Chicago is declining and there’s absolutely no rationale for this decision, other than to distract from the pain Trump is inflicting on working families with his dangerous agenda.” “Illinois, Governor Pritzker and I are here to stand for your rights, your freedoms, and will protect you against whatever storms of hate and fear come our way,” she added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, also a Democrat, earlier said “unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities.” “An unlawful deployment of the [National Guard] would be unsustainable and would threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made,” Johnson said in a statement on Friday. The mayor also cited data showing that homicides, robberies and shootings have dipped significantly in the past year.
Ted Cruz endorses Chip Roy for Texas attorney general: ‘No one better’
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Saturday endorsed Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, after the conservative congressman announced his candidacy to become the Lone Star State’s next attorney general. Roy, who announced his run on Thursday, is seeking to replace the state’s current attorney general, Ken Paxton, who decided not to run for re-election in 2026 and is instead running for U.S. Senate against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. In his endorsement of Roy, Cruz said there were several excellent candidates running to be the state’s next attorney general. Other declared Republican candidates include state Sens. Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton, as well as former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy Aaron Reitz. “There are several excellent candidates right now in the race for Texas Attorney General. All of them are friends of mine, and all of them have been strong supporters of mine for many, many years. Texas is blessed to have an abundance of strong conservatives stepping forward to lead, in such a time as this,” Cruz said in a statement on Saturday. TEXAS REP CHIP ROY ANNOUNCES RUN FOR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REPLACE KEN PAXTON Cruz said Roy was his first chief of staff and has been a close friend and ally for more than 12 years. “We have been in more fights together than I can count, and I know Chip will always, always, always fight for conservative values,” Cruz said. “With over two decades of dedicated service to Texas, Chip has consistently shown the courage, integrity, and conviction required to defend our great state,” he continued. “He is a battle-tested warrior and a fierce defender of the Constitution. I have full confidence that he will stand up for the rule of law, preserve the rights and freedoms of Texans, and hold those who threaten our great state accountable. There is no one better equipped to lead the Office of the Texas Attorney General, and I know that he will ferociously fight and protect the Lone Star State.” Roy made the announcement in a campaign video shared on X, saying he strives to preserve the state’s legacy of “liberty, freedom and self-determination.” “Texas has a long and proud tradition of rising to defend our homes, our freedom, and our communities,” he wrote in an accompanying message. “I’m running for Attorney General to carry on that legacy… unafraid to fight, unafraid to win, and unafraid to defend Texas at every turn. #LiveFree.” Roy said it has been an honor to represent the 21st Congressional District in the U.S. House and that he was particularly proud “of our work to deliver on President Trump’s agenda and fight to drain the swamp.” LONE STAR STATE RIVALS FOR US SENATE COMPETE TO WRANGLE RUNAWAY DEMOCRATS “I could do it forever and be fulfilled professionally. But representatives should not be permanent. And my experience watching Texans unite in response to the devastating Hill Country floods made clear that I want to come home,” Roy said in a statement. “I want to take my experience in Congress, as a federal prosecutor, and as First Assistant Attorney General to fight for Texas from Texas.” “Texas is under assault – from open-border politicians, radical leftists and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety and our way of life,” he added. “It’s time to draw a line in the sand. As Attorney General, I will fight every single day for our God-given rights, for our families and for the future of Texas.” Roy has served in the U.S. House since 2019. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Mamdani seemingly takes swipe at scandals surrounding Eric Adams in new video: ‘I have something to hide’
Self-described Democratic-Socialist New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani announced on Saturday a scavenger hunt across the city with a campaign video that appears to take aim at his opponent, Mayor Eric Adams, amid recent alleged scandals surrounding Adams’ inner circle. The clip — posted to Mamdani’s X account with the caption “game on” — begins with a camera following along a trail of potato chips that leads to Mamdani, who is sitting on a bench eating from a bag of Herr’s Sour Cream & Onion ripple chips. FORMER TOP ADAMS ADVISER, DONORS CHARGED IN BRIBERY CASE AS CUOMO MOCKS WITH CHIPS STUNT The video, which had garnered more than 30,000 likes by Saturday afternoon, follows just days after Winnie Greco, a former aide to Adams, was accused of trying to hand a reporter from news outlet THE CITY a wad of cash hidden inside a bag of the exact same brand of potato chips. “Hello, my friends. I have to come clean,” Mamdani says while munching on the bag of chips. “I have something to hide. Many things, in fact, because we’re doing a scavenger hunt.” EX-ADAMS AIDE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO GIVE REPORTER A WAD OF CASH HIDDEN IN A POTATO CHIP BAG Mamdani’s scavenger hunt across New York City begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, and participants will solve a series of clues tied to the city’s history — each of which will lead them to the next location. The first clue will be shared in a video on Sunday morning, and the final stop will feature a surprise, Mamdani said. “At the final stop, you’ll find a special surprise — not a wad of cash,” Mamdani said in the video, seemingly taking another jab at his rival. The clip ends with Mamdani bending down to sweep up potato chips scattered across the sidewalk. CUOMO, ADAMS TRADE SHOTS OVER WHO SHOULD DROP OUT IN RACE AGAINST MAMDANI FOR NYC MAYOR “While New Yorkers struggle to afford the most expensive city in America, Adams’ administration is too busy tripping over corruption charges to come to their defense,” Zohran Mamdani campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec told Fox News Digital in an email. “New Yorkers deserve a mayor who is focused on them, not stuck in courtrooms. As for the video, we think it speaks for itself.” Just one day after THE CITY exposed Greco about the alleged potato chip incident, a handful of folks from Adams’ inner circle, including one of his former top advisors, were indicted in their own alleged bribery scandal. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday four indictments alleging a pay-to-play scheme and other charges against several Adams associates — including a former top adviser, her son, two political donors, and local business owners. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Eric Adams did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Rubio’s major immigration move praised by conservative experts: ‘Long overdue’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio‘s announcement this week halting work visas for foreign commercial truck drivers drew praise from conservatives in the wake of a deadly accident in Florida. “Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio announced on X on Thursday. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.” The move follows a deadly crash in Florida in which an illegal immigrant from India allegedly struck and killed three people while driving a truck. Questions still loom about how he obtained a commercial driver’s license, as federal investigators say the suspect, Harjinder Singh, failed English proficiency and road sign tests. OVER 55 MILLION VISA HOLDERS SUBJECTED TO CONTINUOUS VETTING AMID TRUMP ADMIN CRACKDOWN Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, stated the move is “long overdue” and that commercial truck drivers should not be brought in from other nations in the first place. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “There are legitimate questions about how qualified these foreign truck drivers are, following the horrible episode in Florida, where a non-English-speaking illegal alien who never should have been given any kind of driver’s license caused the death of three people as he botched an illegal U-turn in the middle of a divided highway,” Vaughan said. Americans can’t depend on trucking companies and state regulators to make sure foreign truck drivers are competent and safe, she added. The director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, Lora Ries, said it’s “about road safety and immigration integrity.” RUBIO PAUSES WORKER VISAS FOR TRUCK DRIVERS AFTER DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH INVOLVING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLS 3 “DHS and the State Department should also analyze all current commercial truck drivers using a visa or an employment authorization document as the basis to obtain a commercial driver’s license and revoke such immigration benefits where appropriate. This is about road safety and immigration integrity,” Ries wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. Republican attorney Mehek Cooke said it ultimately boils down to “sovereignty and safety.” Fox News Digital also reached out to left-leaning immigrant advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center. BLUE STATE INVESTIGATES HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER GOT LICENSE BEFORE DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH “Massive truck driver shortage that is driving up the prices of everything we purchase and Rubio decides to make it worse based on an anecdote. Totally absurd decision-making process though I don’t know what visas he’s even talking about ‘pausing,’” David Bier, the CATO Institute’s director of immigration studies, posted to X in disagreement with the move from Rubio. The Trump administration has made a series of major immigration reforms, as mass deportation efforts are underway following the Biden-era border crisis. In addition, the administration announced that it is currently reviewing millions of people with U.S. visas. “The department’s continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid U.S. visas,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday.
FBI raid of John Bolton’s home reportedly linked to classified documents probe
FBI agents raided the Bethesda, Md., home of former national security adviser John Bolton on Friday morning, marking a new tension point in his difficult relationship with President Donald Trump. Agents also raided Bolton’s D.C. office. The reason behind the raids was reportedly linked to a probe of allegations that Bolton sent classified documents to his family from a private email server while working at the White House, according to the New York Post. The Post cited a Trump administration official who said FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the raid. The outlet also reported that yet-to-be-unsealed search warrants reference a controversy over his memoir to establish a pattern of behavior. However, a senior U.S. official told the Post the probe was a “clean break” from the investigation regarding Bolton’s book. THE HISTORY OF HOW TRUMP AND BOLTON’S RELATIONSHIP FELL TO TATTERS Shortly after the raid began, Patel wrote on X that “no one is above the law… [FBI] agents on a mission.” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino shared the post and wrote, “Public corruption will not be tolerated.” Bolton, who served in Trump’s first administration, has not been arrested or taken into custody. Trump revoked his security clearance and Secret Service detail in January 2025. Trump was asked about the raid on Friday and said he did not know about it ahead of time, claiming he saw it on television. The president then made clear his disdain for his former national security adviser. “I’m not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real lowlife,” Trump told reporters. He went on to call Bolton “not a smart guy” and said “he could be very unpatriotic.” TRUMP–BOLTON FEUD BACK IN FOCUS AFTER FBI RAID: ‘NEVER HAD A CLUE … WHAT A DOPE!’ The president also said Bolton was “a very quiet person except on television if he can say something bad about Trump.” Vice President JD Vance told “Meet the Press” on Friday that “we’re in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation into John Bolton.” Vance denied Bolton was being targeted for criticizing Trump. A source familiar with the Bolton raid and the evidence used to justify it told Fox News Digital that “Bolton really had some nerve to attack Trump over his handling of classified information,” but would not give more details. JOHN BOLTON BLASTED BY TRUMP ALLY ROGER STONE, WHO FACED BIDEN FBI RAID: ‘KARMA IS A B—-‘ Bolton criticized Trump’s handling of classified documents after the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago in 2022. Trump was later indicted on 37 felony counts, which expanded to 40 before the case was dropped in July 2024. During Trump’s first administration, a probe into classified documents was launched but later shut down by the Biden administration. The Justice Department argued that Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where it Happened,” contained classified material and attempted to block it from being published. The FBI and Bolton’s office declined to comment on the matter. Reporting contributed by Axios and Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, David Spunt, Breanne Deppisch, Emma Woodhead and Brooke Singman.
Conservative activist slams Cracker Barrel; company left reeling after logo redesign
Anti-woke crusader Robby Starbuck released a devastating video takedown of Cracker Barrel‘s leadership, making the case that the restaurant’s logo and decor change are the culmination of a years-long campaign to cater to the far Left and abandon the values of its middle-America customer base. Starbuck, who has brought major companies including John Deere, Target, and Harley-Davidson to heel by exposing their woke policies, described Cracker Barrel’s logo makeover as going from “old American nostalgia” to something “cold, dead, lifeless and modern” in a 15-minute video. He said that, while the Cracker Barrel brand is often associated with American tradition, the company is “infested with left-wing activists who are more interested in safe spaces, pronouns and virtue signaling than they are in their customers.” In his video, Starbuck highlights Cracker Barrel’s support for LGBTQ+ organizations and events, such as Nashville Pride, River City Pride and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). CRACKER BARREL CEO SERVES UP LEFTOVER CORPORATE BRANDING TO UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS He also noted that the company displayed rocking chairs with rainbow colors and LGBTQ+ insignia. The company even went so far as to place one in its Tennessee corporate office. Rocking chairs are practically synonymous with Cracker Barrel, with the restaurant’s long porches lined with them at locations nationwide. “The fact that it’s located there is important to this story because what’s happened here is a microcosm of the parasitic operating procedure of left-wing activists,” Starbuck said. “They don’t just wanna force their soulless, godless, hedonistic vision of the future onto blue hellscapes that their party controls. “No, it’s much more important to them that they shove it down into your towns, into your kids’ schools and into your way of life. So, sticking a pro-trans rocking chair into their headquarters in a predominantly conservative town is exactly the type of thing they revel in doing.” Starbuck then pointed to the company’s involvement with HRC and participation in the Out and Equal Workplace Summit. For the Out and Equal conference, Cracker Barrel made rocking chairs in every color of the rainbow, representing the LGBTQ+ flag. Out and Equal even gave Cracker Barrel an award for having 2018’s top LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG). CRACKER BARREL DISMISSES CRITICS AS ‘VOCAL MINORITY’ WHILE RIVAL RESTAURANT ADDS TO BACKLASH The restaurant chain previously participated in HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, which measures “corporate policies, practices, and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer employees,” according to the organization’s website. A company’s score on the index is determined by how inclusive HRC judged it to be toward LGBTQ+ employees. Cracker Barrel told Fox News Digital on Friday that it “has not participated in the Human Rights Campaign Index or had any affiliation with HRC in several years.” Two Cracker Barrel employees are called out by name in Starbuck’s video, Steve Smotherman and Rachel CampBell. Smotherman was the head of management training and development at Cracker Barrel for 15 years, Starbuck asserted, showing a screenshot that appeared to be from LinkedIn. Smotherman, who eventually left Cracker Barrel for Out and Equal, serves on HRC’s Business Advisory Council in Washington, D.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY, GAVIN NEWSOM JOIN ONLINE ROASTING OF NEW CRACKER BARREL LOGO Starbuck describes Smotherman as “the archetype activist employee that fueled the rise of DEI in corporate America.” He also slammed CampBell, a manager of training and development at Cracker Barrel, for publicly expressing excitement over the company’s rainbow pride rocking chairs. “And it’s important to note all of this because these types of employees play a critical role in turning companies away from the values of their customers and moving the companies toward wokeness,” Starbuck said. CRACKER BARREL EXECUTIVE INSISTS RESTAURANT REMODELS ARE ‘WHAT THE GUESTS ASKED FOR’ Gilbert Dávila, a member of Cracker Barrel’s board of directors, was also referenced in Starbuck’s video. Dávila, who joined Cracker Barrel’s board in 2020, has worked at several major companies, including Disney, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. He’s also the co-CEO of DMI Consulting, which looks to “infuse cultural relevance and creativity into every solution.” Starbuck asserted that Dávila, and others like him are responsible for the “woke advertising push” seen over the last few years. In the end, Starbuck emphasizes that the controversy around Cracker Barrel’s logo change is about more than the removal of a man in his chair leaning on a barrel. “It’s very, very important to understand that the Cracker Barrel story is not about a logo. It’s not at all about a logo, it is about a country, it is our heritage, and it is a culture. It’s about a power structure built to tell us that we are somehow backwards, embarrassing or bigoted,” Starbuck said. “A conservative can’t give their money to Cracker Barrel. A Christian cannot give their money to Cracker Barrel, and so we won’t,” he added. As Starbuck sees it, the Cracker Barrel debacle is a win-win for conservatives, saying that the company will either have to double down and lose customers or revert back to its 1977 logo to retain its customer base. Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report. Cracker Barrel did not respond Fox News Digital’s request for comment in time for publication.
Gianno Caldwell mulls Senate bid as Chicagoans are ‘begging for change’ on crime woes
Republican public safety advocate Gianno Caldwell is mulling a bid for the open Illinois Senate seat in 2026 amid growing conversations about crime in America’s cities. Earlier this month, Caldwell was the keynote speaker at the Illinois Republican Party’s Republican Day event at the state fair, where he touted his record on law and order. Caldwell’s brother, Christian, was killed in 2022 in a Chicago drive-by shooting at the age of 18. “I’ve been about this fight for many years, public service. I’ve worked in every level of government that you can imagine, and certainly I think there’s time for a law-and-order U.S. Senate candidate to come to the forefront in Illinois,” said Caldwell, a Fox News contributor and founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety. CHICAGO BRACES FOR DEADLY JULY 4 WEEKEND AS FOX NEWS ANALYST TAKES ACTION IN BROTHER’S UNSOLVED MURDER “My brother’s legacy has become my mission and to save lives,” Caldwell said. “And if that’s something that I can continue in a U.S. Senate seat, that’s worth considering for the many lives that have been lost and the legacies that need to be furthered in the state of Illinois and my home city of Chicago.” Caldwell’s hometown of Chicago is getting renewed attention as President Donald Trump wants to take National Guard and federal agent deployment to lower crime nationwide after the takeover of policing in Washington, D.C. Both cities have dealt with violent crime woes, which have led to teens and children dying in numerous tragic cases. TRUMP HINTS AT FEDERAL CRACKDOWN IN CHICAGO AMID ANTI-CRIME PUSH IN DC “My brother’s murder was something that I thought needed to have a conversation to address what has been going on in Chicago,” Caldwell said. “So, this impacted me in a very deep and personal way. And when I think about what President Trump is doing by saying, ‘Look, we’re doing this in D.C. already. We want to take this to other places around the country. I applaud him. Why? Because people have been begging for change in the City of Chicago.” Caldwell spoke even as a backlash has grown from Democrats who have said that the heavy law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital is over the top. “American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican,” Mayor Muriel Bowser posted to X last week. RAHM EMANUEL ON POTENTIAL 2028 WHITE HOUSE RUN: ‘I HAVE SOMETHING I THINK I CAN OFFER’ Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is retiring in 2026, busting the race wide open on both sides of the aisle. “The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States senator. But, in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term,” Durbin, 80, said in an April video.
Pro-Mamdani super PAC takes hefty check from ultra-wealthy donor despite saying billionaires shouldn’t exist
The heiress to the fortune of a billionaire hedge fund manager has made a substantial donation to a super PAC aligned with socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a candidate who has said he does not believe billionaires should exist. In what amounts to the largest contribution received this cycle, the Mamdani-aligned New Yorkers for Lower Costs PAC recently received $250,000 from philanthropist Elizabeth Simons, New York Post reported. Simons is the daughter of Jamie Simons, the late billionaire hedge fund manager who founded the extremely successful hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, built up a personal fortune worth $31.4 billion over the course of his lifetime and used billions of that money for charity. “I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,” Mamdani told NBC News in June. MEET MAMDANI’S RADICAL ADVISORY CIRCLE THAT INCLUDES COMMUNIST ACTIVIST, ANTI-ISRAEL ADVOCATES News of Mamdani’s billionaire support prompted criticism on social media, including from Mamdani’s opponent, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “Congrats to you, @ZohranKMamdani for completing the holy trinity of hypocrisy: Eat the rich → Cash their PAC checks,” Cuomo posted on X. “Freeze the rent → Rich guy in affordable housing you don’t need. Defund the police → Armed guards worldwide… from the campaign trail to Uganda. You are what you pretend to fight.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign and New Yorkers for Lower Costs PAC, which operates independently of the campaign, asking if the funds would be returned or denounced but did not receive a response from either party. MEET THE FORMER SOROS FOUNDATION EXEC CONNECTING OBAMA WORLD WITH MAMDANI CAMPAIGN Railing against billionaires has been a common occurrence over the course of Mamdani’s campaign as he has attempted to position himself as a candidate who champions affordability and cost of living for New York City’s working class. “We’re reaching New Yorkers who’ve been ignored by establishment politicians and crushed by the billionaire class,” Mamdani posted on X in March. “Our grassroots momentum will carry us over the finish line in June.” Mamdani has also criticized Cuomo for taking money from billionaires, posting on X in June, “We live in the most expensive city in the United States. Cuomo’s billionaire donors want it that way. But we have an agenda to make life affordable.”
‘It’s really an invasion’: Protesters slam Trump’s DC police takeover as crime tumbles
Protesters continue to blast the Trump administration’s takeover of policing in Washington, DC, likening it to an “invasion” even as crime plummets. Demonstrators, who did not appear to be part of a specific organization, on a pedestrian bridge on the I-95 in Virginia near the city this week, said that “our systems are being assaulted.” “What the problem is, is that these are the National Guard are like my friends’ sons and daughters,” one woman told Fox News Digital. “It’s their time away from their family. The money being wasted to make a point is really sort of disgraceful and un-American because they’re sending them against actual Americans with weapons. And it’s really an invasion. And we’re not Russia, we’re the United States of freaking America.” TRUMP VOWED DC TAKEOVER MULTIPLE TIMES ON 2024 CAMPAIGN TRAIL: ‘HE’S KEEPING HIS PROMISE’ The DC Police Union says crime has taken a tumble in since the takeover was announced by President Donald Trump earlier this month. On Thursday, it was noted that there were no reported homicides in the city in the past week. In addition to the National Guard, numerous federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI, are on patrol in the capital city. Attorney General Pam Bondi signed an order that prompts local officers to comply with federal immigration authorities in a strong rebuke to the city’s own sanctuary policies. PROTESTERS CONFRONT OFFICERS PATROLLING DC STREETS AFTER TRUMP POLICING TAKEOVER “719 arrests and 91 illegal guns seized in Washington, DC Just yesterday we made 40 arrests, took 5 more illegal firearms off our streets, and had 36 ICE arrests—including a suspected MS-13 gang member. Thank you [President Trump] for your unwavering support to make DC safe again!” Bondi posted to X on Friday morning. Trump has threatened to take the takeover a step further in a Truth Social post on Friday. “Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN! The crowds are coming back, the spirit is high, and our D.C. National Guard and Police are doing a fantastic job. They are out in force, and are NOT PLAYING GAMES!!!” he wrote. “As bad as it sounds to say, there were no murders this week for the first time in memory. Mayor Muriel Bowser must immediately stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City! Washington D.C. will soon be great again!!!” the president added. BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER Another protester noted that he is glad to see that crime has dropped in the city, but said declaring the crime issue in Washington D.C. was not necessary. “I really do believe that we are edging into an area where we are not following the law, where we’re not doing the things that we need to be doing in order to serve the people,” he said. “I’m very happy that crime’s down, and it doesn’t surprise me at all if you’re going to have troops and a lot of people having law enforcement on the streets,” he said. “The problem with this is that we are making an emergency out of something that wasn’t an emergency.”