‘Huge confidence in him’: DEA administrator to play key role overseeing DC police
Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole, the federal government’s new designee to help run the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, vowed to let local cops “do their job again” to get rising crime under control. Cole was tapped by Attorney General Pam Bondi after the Trump administration announced on Monday a major intervention to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. The move came after several high-profile violent crimes, including the murder of a Congressional intern. “We cannot afford to turn a blind eye,” Cole told Fox News Channel’s “The Story” on Tuesday. “We have tremendous cooperation, tremendous intel sharing, and what’s most encouraging, the police are looking forward to doing their job again.” According to an order released by Bondi on Friday, Cole’s role is defined as the “designee for the duration of the emergency declared by the President for the purpose of directing the Mayor of the District of Columbia to provide such services of the [MPD] as the Attorney General deems necessary and appropriate.” “Attorney General Bondi’s new order is STRONGER because instead of rescinding just one bad MPD order this superseding order REQUIRES MPD’s full cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an email on Saturday. DC REACHES LEGAL SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FEDERAL POLICE TAKEOVER “We are not backing down, as President Trump remains in control under the law to determine what is necessary and appropriate,” the spokesperson added. Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela Smith will technically stay in her position, but Cole will play a key role in making sure city leaders such as Smith and Mayor Muriel Bowser comply with the federal government’s requests, especially in cooperation with immigration authorities. Dozens of the arrests already made since the takeover have been of illegal immigrants, as ICE and other federal agencies are patrolling the streets of the capital. “Attorney General Bondi just issued a new directive to Mayor Bowser requiring MPD to provide the services found necessary by her designee, DEA Administrator Terry Cole, to comply fully and completely with federal immigration law and authorities, regardless of any policies MPD might otherwise have. President Trump will continue pursuing all efforts to Make DC Safe Again and end violent crime despite liberal opposition,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. AG SHOWDOWN: DC ATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS US ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI ORDER AS ‘UNLAWFUL’ Cole has an extensive background in law enforcement, including working at the DEA for over 20 years before retiring from the federal government in 2020, according to his profile on the DEA website. Afterward, he was the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security from 2023 to 2025. “I’m glad to see it happen under the leadership of Terry Cole,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on “Mornings with Maria” on Fox Business Network earlier this week, addressing how a similar law enforcement model will be employed in Northern Virginia in partnership with commonwealth and federal leaders. DEA HEAD SAYS PHONE CALLS ARE COMING FROM ‘ALL OVER THE COUNTRY’ FROM FED AGENTS WANTING TO HELP IN DC “Terry Cole, who is now director and administrator of DEA, and is leading this effort on behalf of the administration, is the best man in the country to do this. I have huge confidence in him, and I want to thank President Trump for taking this big step,” the Republican governor added. Youngkin noted in February that Cole played a major role in tackling illegal drugs in the commonwealth. “His leadership of our Operation FREE initiative in Virginia resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of pounds of illicit drugs—including more than 70 million lethal doses of fentanyl—and has become a standard for collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement,” Youngkin stated. “He will put the safety and security of Americans first as head of the DEA. It’s a great day to be an American and a bad day to be a drug dealer.”
Mamdani appeals to non-Democrats with general election push, vows government can meet voters’ ‘material needs’
Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made an appeal to non-Democrats during brief remarks in Brooklyn on Sunday, kicking off his general election campaign. Mamdani, who defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 13 percentage points in the June primary, recently concluded his five-day, anti-Donald Trump tour of each of New York City’s boroughs last week. Without referencing Trump this time around, Mamdani addressed supporters in Brooklyn on Sunday with a message on affordability and local government being able to take care of voters’ “material needs.” “Are there more New Yorkers who want to join this movement for a city that they can actually afford?” Mamdani, who’s campaigned on socialist and communist ideas, such as government-run grocery stores and rent freezes, said. MAMDANI DEFENDS CITY-RUN GROCERY PLAN, SAYS STORE OWNERS CAN BE ‘PARTNERS’ Mamdani recalled a conversation he said he had on primary election day with a volunteer of an organization who endorsed his campaign. He said the volunteer had “gotten a phone call from a coworker about aunties and uncles who were breaking down at the poll sites after they’d been informed they weren’t registered as Democrats and able to vote at that time.” Only registered Democrats were eligible to vote in the June primary. Mamdani also told the story of an 18-year-old man pulling up next to him on a motorbike on primary election night to ask for a selfie. Mamdani said he asked the young man if he had voted and that they used his license to check his registration. According to Mamdani, the man was a registered Republican, who was ineligible to vote in the primary but who could support the Democratic socialist candidate in the November general election. “I tell you the story of that 18-year-old young man, of those aunties and uncles who had to be pulled away from those poll sites to remind us of how many more New Yorkers there are for us to speak,” Mamdani said. “And I thank you for being here, because so often, any victories in politics are described as if they are that of just the candidate. But you know the truth. This is your victory. It is your work that took us from 1% in the polls to beating a former governor by 13 points.” Mamdani credited his campaign canvassers, who went door to door in six-floor walk-ups, rain or shine, for taking “a campaign that was considered, at best, an interesting idea to one that has won the most votes of any in New York City primary history.” Mamdani received more than 573,00 votes in the June primary, though voter turnout was less than 30% of registered Democrats. NEW REPORT REVEALS MAMDANI LAPPING RIVALS IN BATTLE FOR CAMPAIGN DONATIONS FROM THIS KEY INDUSTRY “I thank you for being here today, because what you show is that this movement is just getting started. Yeah, we are just getting started because we know there are so many more neighborhoods for us to reach, so many New Yorkers for us to speak to and so many more people who we can finally show that there is the possibility that local government could actually meet their material needs,” Mamdani added on Sunday. “And I thank you for doing this, because you are the ones who are changing history in this city and in this country, and it’s an honor to be one part of this movement with each and every one of you.” Mamdani – who has recently walked back his long-vocal stance on defunding police – concluded his remarks without taking questions from the press, but earlier Sunday took to social media to address a mass shooting in Brooklyn. He said the Crown Heights incident had “stolen the lives of three New Yorkers and injured eight more,” adding that he was “grateful for the first responders who rushed towards the danger and worked to save lives.” “We cannot accept gun violence in our city,” Mamdani wrote. Cuomo, who is running as an independent in the November election, has recently increased attacks on Mamdani for living in a rent-stabilized apartment despite his wealthy upbringing. Mamdani, the son of an acclaimed Indian filmmaker and a Columbia University professor, recently returned from an extravagant wedding celebration in Uganda. He has also recently walked back his prior support for the phrase “globalize the intifada” after widespread criticism and concern from the New York Jewish community. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is also running as an independent in November. The Republican mayoral hopeful is Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.
‘Our position is clear:’ Zelenskyy and EU dismiss ceding Ukrainian land to Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated on Sunday that Kyiv will not surrender any territory to Moscow, pushing back against mounting international speculation about potential land-for-peace negotiations. “The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference at the European Commission on Sunday. EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE He added that Russia has repeatedly tried and failed to seize the entirety of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine for a period of 12 years. The Donbas, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, is an industrial hub, with coal mining and steel production central to Ukraine’s economy. “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral [talks with] Ukraine, United States, Russia,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader, who spoke alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said that so far the Kremlin has “given no sign that the trilateral will happen.” PUTIN DEMANDS CONTROL OF KEY UKRAINIAN TERRITORY IN EXCHANGE FOR PEACE: EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT “With regards to any territorial questions in Ukraine, our position is clear: international borders cannot be changed by force. These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table,” von der Leyen said. Their remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday, during which the Russian leader outlined conditions for ending the war, including demands for control over parts of eastern Ukraine. Following the meeting with the Russian leader, Trump signaled that Zelenskyy should take Putin’s deal to end the war because “Russia is a very big power” and Ukraine is not. Still, SSecretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed claims that Trump would pressure Zelenskyy to give up large swaths of its sovereign land to Russia. “The president has said that in terms of territories, these are things that Zelenskyy is going to have to decide on,” Rubio told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “All the president is trying to do here is narrow down the open issues,” Rubio said, adding that Trump is focused on ending the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. “You can’t have a peace deal between two warring factions unless both sides agree to give up something. And both sides agree that the other side gets something. Otherwise, if one side gets everything they want, that’s not a peace deal. It’s called surrender. And I don’t think this is a war that’s going to end anytime soon. On the basis of surrender,” Rubio said. Zelenskyy said he hopes the upcoming meeting with European allies and Trump “will be productive,” contrasting it with the heated Oval Office exchange during his February visit.
European leaders will join Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, signaling solidarity with Ukraine
European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he travels to Washington, D.C., on Monday for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. On Sunday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb all confirmed their attendance. Their joint presence underscores Europe’s determination to present a united front in support of Ukraine as Russia’s war drags on. PUTIN DEMANDS CONTROL OF KEY UKRAINIAN TERRITORY IN EXCHANGE FOR PEACE: EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy met with von der Leyen at the European Commission in Brussels to set priorities for the White House talks, focusing on long-term military aid, Ukraine’s ambitions to join the EU, and bolstering transatlantic solidarity in the face of Russian aggression. At a joint press conference, von der Leyen said she was glad to be joining Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Washington on Monday. “We will continue to support you for as long as it takes,” she said, adding that the EU backs a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the United States. She warned that the EU will move forward next month with its 19th sanctions package against Russia if the Kremlin refuses to halt its war in Ukraine. TRUMP: WE’RE GOING STRAIGHT TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL, ‘NOT A MERE CEASEFIRE’ Zelenskyy said he hopes the upcoming meeting with Trump “will be productive” and not a repeat of the shouting match that took place in the Oval Office during his February visit. Zelenskyy’s meeting at the White House comes on the heels of Trump’s summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, where Trump dropped his demand for a ceasefire and urged a final peace deal. After meeting with Putin, Trump said the Russian leader was willing to end the war in exchange for key Ukrainian territory concessions. Trump said Kyiv should take the deal with Moscow because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.” Zelenskyy, alongside European leaders, consistently rejects proposals to surrender any Ukrainian land to Russia. “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia,” Zelenskyy told reporters at the European Commission on Sunday. “So far, Russia has given no sign that the trilateral will happen,” he added.
Pence says Trump needs to bring the ‘hammer’ down on Putin with immediate new sanctions
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that President Donald Trump needs to bring the “hammer” down on Russian President Vladimir Putin with additional secondary sanctions. After meeting with Putin at a high-stakes summit in Alaska, Trump shifted from advocating for an immediate ceasefire deal to a broader “peace agreement” between Ukraine and Russia. In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Pence described Trump’s style in dealing with dictators as the “velvet glove” approach but said he thinks “the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, joined by United Kingdom and European leaders. Pence said Trump, at the same time, needs to “pick up the phone and ask” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., “to immediately pass the secondary sanctions bill that is supported virtually by everybody in the United States Senate.” PUTIN APPEARS TO BE VISIBLY ANNOYED AS REPORTERS BARRAGE HIM AND TRUMP WITH QUESTIONS “The combination of engagement, but also making it clear to Putin that we are prepared to take actions that would literally break his economy even while we redouble our commitment to the security of Ukraine,” Pence said. “The last thing we want to see is for Putin to use this latest delay as a reason to continue this war all the way until the winter hits and the fighting season essentially passes in that part of the world,” he added later on. “We can’t allow Vladimir to run out the clock on the war in this year and this season. We literally have to do both things, and that is: the sanctions ought to be on the president’s desk, available for his signature while negotiations begin. That’s the most important way that we will ensure that there’s real progress toward the peace agreement.” Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president during his first term, reiterated how Putin attacked Georgia under President George W. Bush, attacked Crimea under President Barack Obama, and invaded Ukraine after “that disastrous withdrawal” from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden. “Putin’s made it no secret to the fact that he wants to reassert the old Soviet sphere of influence, what we used to call the evil empire in Eastern Europe,” Pence told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I think Putin only understands strength, so while the president and his diplomatic team engage in this re-approach with Putin, and there seems to be interest, in my judgment, Putin is not going to stop until he’s stopped.” Pence said Trump “should be commended for pursuing peace in Ukraine,” noting that the president has already secured peace agreements in Africa, Armenia and Azerbaijan. “I think he deserves credit as leader of the free world for not giving up on Ukraine,” Pence said, claiming “there are many voices in and around the administration that would have cut Ukraine loose months ago.” DEMOCRATS DOUBT TRUMP WILL SECURE UKRAINE CEASE-FIRE IN ALASKA SUMMIT WITH PUTIN Pence said he wanted to commend the president for “trying to make progress,” but said he would have liked to have seen a ceasefire deal. Still, he said that “no deal is better than a bad deal.” Based on U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s description of the talks, Pence said it appeared there “was at least an ascent in Putin and Trump’s meeting to the United States providing security guarantees, and clearly, the president didn’t forfeit anything having to do with America’s national security or with the security of our allies in Eastern Europe in the midst of this war.” Witkoff told CNN that the Trump administration is “intent on trying to hammer out a peace deal that ends the fighting permanently – very, very quickly, quicker than a ceasefire.” He also said that Trump could not agree to “any sort of land swap” on behalf of the Ukrainians. At the summit, Putin pushed for the Ukrainians to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for Russian forces freezing the fronts in other areas. “At the end of the day, it’s important to remember the bad guy here is Putin. Putin launched an unprovoked brutal invasion more than three years ago,” Pence said. “Now more than ever, America and our allies need to stand strongly with Ukraine and create the conditions for a just and lasting peace.” Minutes before Pence spoke to CNN on Sunday morning, Trump posted to TRUTH Social, teasing: “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!” Trump also criticized the media’s reporting about his meeting with Putin. “It’s incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me,” Trump wrote on social media earlier Sunday. “There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden’s stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!” “If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal,” Trump added. “That’s why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!! MAGA.”
Trump envoy says Putin made ‘robust’ concessions during Alaska meeting talks on Ukraine
U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff claims Russian President Vladimir Putin made “robust” steps toward peace during his meeting with President Donald Trump last week. Witkoff made the statement during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. The official was in the room for the Alaska meeting and has met previously with Putin several times. “We agreed on much more robust security guarantees,” Witkoff said. “The Russians agreed on enshrining legislatively language that they would attest to not attempting to take any more land from Ukraine after a peace deal, where they would attest to not violating any European borders.” Witkoff also said Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders directly after the meeting. He said the meeting was “absolutely acknowledged as a win.” ZELENSKYY TO MEET WITH TRUMP IN WASHINGTON, DC FOLLOWING US-RUSSIA TALKS Bream pressed Witkoff to explain why Trump did not push Putin for a ceasefire agreement during the meeting as well. Trump had previously said a ceasefire was a top priority and claimed Putin would face consequences if he didn’t agree to one. ZELENSKYY OUTLINES PEACE DEMANDS BEFORE HIGH-STAKES WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH TRUMP “The president has always talked about a ceasefire, until he made a lot of different wins in this meeting and began to realize that we could be talking about a peace deal. The ultimate deal here is a peace deal, and we were talking about much more robust security guarantees than anyone ever imagined,” he said. In a statement after the call with Trump, major European leaders did not address whether they preferred a peace deal over a ceasefire. TRUMP: WE’RE GOING STRAIGHT TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL, ‘NOT A MERE CEASEFIRE’ The leaders said they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.” Putin described his talks with Trump in Alaska as “very frank.” “We, of course, respect the position of the American administration, which sees the need for a speedy end to military actions,” Putin said at the follow-up meeting at the Kremlin, adding that “we would like to move to resolving all issues by peaceful means.” Fox News’ Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
DC police accused of changing crime stats just weeks before Trump federalized city
Just weeks before President Donald Trump federalized the Washington, D.C., police force over crime woes, the Metropolitan Police Department was hit with accusations of allegedly juking crime stats for more favorable results. “When our members respond to the scene of a felony offense where there is a victim reporting that a felony occurred, inevitably there will be a lieutenant or a captain that will show up on that scene and direct those members to take a report for a lesser offense,” D.C. Police Union chairman Gregg Pemberton told NBC Washington in July of an alleged trend to manipulate crime stats. “So, instead of taking a report for a shooting or a stabbing or a carjacking, they will order that officer to take a report for a theft or an injured person to the hospital or a felony assault, which is not the same type of classification.” The accusations from the union chief followed the police department suspending Washington, D.C., police commander Michael Pulliam in mid-May for allegedly changing crime statistics in his district, local media reported in July. DC VIOLENCE HAS GROWN FAR MORE DEADLY, DESPITE DEMS CLAIMING 30-YEAR LOW The police commander was accused of falsifying crime data to make crime trends look more favorable for the city, but has denied the allegations. A week before his suspension, Pulliam filed an equal employment opportunity complaint against a higher-up, local outlet NBC Washington reported. Pulliam is currently under investigation over allegedly changing stats. The Metropolitan Police Department told Fox News Digital Thursday, when asked for additional comment and updates on the case, that it “does not comment on internal investigations or personnel matters.” FORMER CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF SAYS CRIME BY ‘GANGS OF YOUTH’ IN DC HAS SPIKED, ESCAPED ‘CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS’ The accusations over changing crime stats were soon followed by Trump federalizing the police department on Monday in response to a spate of high-profile killings and attacks, as well as a crime wave in the District that has persisted since the 2020 era. The president federalized the local police department under section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital’s police force for 30 days. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,” Trump said Monday. “And we’re not going to let it happen anymore. We’re not going to take it.” “We’re taking it back under the authority vested in me as the president of the United States, I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act,” he added. “You know what that is. And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control.… In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C. And they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly.” On Thursday, Trump railed against the accusations of manipulating crime data in the District. “They are under investigation right now,” Trump said Thursday during an Oval Office press conference. “They are giving this phony crime stats just like they gave other stats in the financial world. But they’re phony crime stats. And Washington, D.C., is at its worst point, and it will soon be at its best point. You’re gonna have a very safe, you’re going to have a crime-free city.” Trump-aligned legal group America First Legal Foundation, which was founded by White House advisor Stephen Miller, exclusively told Fox Digital Thursday that it filed a FOIA request seeking all crime records and data compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, including any records “reflecting the falsification or non-publication” of crime data and statistics. ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER Democratic lawmakers and local liberal leaders have slammed Trump over federalizing the city – which has included hundreds of National Guard members flooding D.C., as well as law enforcement officers from agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Capitol Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisting with Trump’s law and order crackdown – claiming crime is at a 30-year low. “Violent crime in Washington, D.C. is at a 30-year low,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Monday. “Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order. Get lost.” “As you listen to an unhinged Trump try to justify deploying the National Guard in DC, here’s reality: Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted to X. Washington, D.C., was among the cities caught up in a spiking national crime trend in 2020 – when the COVID-19 pandemic raged and protests and riots overtook cities nationwide – recording 198 homicides that year, which marked a 16-year high for the city. Homicides jumped to 226 in 2021, edged down to 203 in 2022 and soared in 2023 to 274 – a 20-year high. TRUMP CLAIMS DC CRIMES TROUNCE STATS FROM NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT CITIES WORLDWIDE D.C. saw homicides drop by roughly 31% from 2023 to 2024, according to year-end Metropolitan Police Department data reporting 187 in 2024. The data shows violent crime across the board fell by roughly 35% from 2023, when the department reported 5,345 incidents, to 2024, when it reported 3,469. A study published in July by the Council on Criminal Justice found the chances of a person facing a violent crime in Washington, D.C., have dropped in recent years, but the possibility of dying during such a crime has skyrocketed. The study examined violent crime data from 17 large U.S. cities between 2018 and 2024, specifically investigating the lethality of violent crimes in those cities. It found Washington, D.C., had the highest lethality level out of the group – which included Baltimore and Chicago – at a 38% increase in lethality in 2024 compared with
Cuban-born businessman enters NYC mayoral race, calls himself ‘polar opposite’ of Mamdani
Joseph Hernandez, a 52-year-old entrepreneur originally from Cuba, was motivated to enter the New York City mayoral race by his disdain for the left-wing policies championed by Zohran Mamdani. “I am the absolute polar opposite of Zohran Mamdani and what he stands for,” Hernandez told Fox News Digital. “I believe that hard work, education and grit are what makes you successful in this country.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR ACROSS FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK CITY Hernandez, a Manhattan businessman, leads Blue Water Venture Partners, a healthcare and technology investment firm. He has also founded over a dozen healthcare and pharmaceutical companies over the course of his career, according to his campaign’s website. “I don’t really need to do this in my career or my life, but I’m really, really concerned with the trajectory of this great city,” he told Fox News Digital. Hernandez said he launched his independent mayoral bid a little over a month ago, and since then, has raised around $300,000. “We think we have a lot of support, and we continue to ask people to support us because we have a big battle,” he said. “This is a big political machine that’s fighting us.” NYC OFFICIAL WARNS BUSINESSES WILL FLEE ‘IN DROVES’ IF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WINS MAYORAL RACE If elected, he has three main priorities: safety, affordability and technology. He hopes to bolster public safety by hiring 10,000 additional police officers, improve city services through the use of artificial intelligence and transform vacant office space into affordable housing. “The city is not safe,” Hernandez told Fox News Digital. “You can’t ride the subways at night. Women get attacked on almost a nightly basis. People get robbed here. There’s no law and order — there is zero respect for law.” At age seven, Hernandez came to the U.S. with his family to flee Fidel Castro’s communist rule. “My father was a political prisoner in Cuba. He was thrown in prison because he didn’t agree with the communist regime, and they stole effectively all our properties and businesses,” he said. “… We came to this country with nothing. … This is an amazing society, and we’re letting it slip.” MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY Hernandez acknowledged that concerns over him splitting the moderate and conservative vote are understandable. However, he believes the real issue is the way New York City runs its elections. “I filed a lawsuit against the city a couple of weeks ago, really requiring that they bring back ranked-choice voting in the general election,” he said. Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani maintains a hefty lead in the New York City mayoral race, according to a recent Siena poll of registered voters. Mamdani is polling at 44%, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s running as an independent, is at 25%. Republican Curtis Sliwa is at 12%, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is at 7%. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The campaign for Zohran Mamdani did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Mamdani’s socialist, city-run grocery plan faces backlash from Hochul: ‘I favor free enterprise’
Gov. Kathy Hochul rejected socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s plan for taxpayer-funded supermarkets, telling a Hamptons crowd, “I favor free enterprise,” according to the New York Post. Hochul delivered the line Saturday at a business breakfast hosted by billionaire supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis, drawing applause from attendees. Catsimatidis, whose Gristedes and D’Agostino chains could be threatened by the proposal, later praised Hochul’s comments, telling the Post, “These types of grocery stores just don’t work.” The pushback adds to mounting Democratic resistance to Mamdani’s agenda, which critics warn would undercut private grocers and burden taxpayers. CRITICISM OVER SOCIALIST NYC CANDIDATE MAMDANI’S RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT MOUNTS AFTER ETHICS COMPLAINT “Snappy slogan. Doesn’t work, and Mamdani doesn’t care if it does or doesn’t,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in an email to Fox News Digital. “Gov. Cuomo has proposed a plan that was actually thought out to help those with food insecurity, and the answer isn’t Soviet-style breadlines. Kansas City just closed their government-run grocery store (and eliminated their free buses) after wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.” Cuomo blasted Mamdani in a post on X, writing: “When you have rich parents to fall back on, the results don’t matter. As @ZohranKMamdani has said, c’est la vie. That’s not a governing philosophy. It’s an excuse for failure. It’s time to build. That requires real affordability policies. Let’s do it.” The Kansas City reference points to the recent closure of the city-owned Sun Fresh Market, which received about $18 million in public funds over a decade but was plagued by theft, empty shelves and heavy losses. Its shutdown was followed by cuts to the city’s free bus program. SOCIALIST MAMDANI’S SUPERMARKET PLAN WOULD BE ‘BULLET TO THE HEART’ OF BLUE-COLLAR AMERICA, LAWMAKER WARNS Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist who represents Queens in the state Assembly, has proposed opening five municipal supermarkets, one in each borough, at a projected cost of $60 million. He argues the stores would fight rising food prices and expand access to affordable groceries. Critics counter the plan could shutter private competitors, limit consumer choice and stick New Yorkers with unmanageable costs. The mayoral frontrunner is also under fire over housing. Earlier this month, Fox News Digital reported that Mamdani faces an ethics complaint questioning whether he improperly benefited from a rent-stabilized apartment while earning nearly $150,000 as a legislator. Cuomo has pounced on the issue, proposing “Zohran’s Law” to block high earners from taking subsidized units. Mamdani has said he moved into the apartment when he made $47,000 and did not know it was rent-stabilized, while his campaign has dismissed the criticism as politically motivated. Hochul, a centrist Democrat who has not endorsed in the mayoral race, is the latest establishment figure to take aim at Mamdani’s platform. Cuomo, meanwhile, continues to cast himself as a counterweight to what he calls untested progressive ideology. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Hochul’s remarks. Gov. Hochul did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Bush family political dynasty may be eyeing a comeback in 2026 governor’s race in Maine
Jonathan Bush, cousin of former President George W. Bush, is signaling a possible run for Maine governor, blasting what he calls the state’s “learned helplessness” and outlining a policy vision to revive the “Maine Dream.” Bush’s message, published through his nonprofit, Maine for Keeps, offers a preview of how he could frame his pitch to voters. The Bangor Daily News reported that former President Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recently attended a small fundraiser for Jonathan in Kennebunkport. Newsweek also reported he has already launched an exploratory committee for governor in addition to launching Maine for Keeps to promote his ideas. These moves may position him as the face of a potential Bush family revival in politics after George P. Bush’s defeat in Texas in 2022 was seen as a setback for the dynasty. SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE FEVERISHLY RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES TO WIN BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS As of this reporting, however, Bush does not yet appear among the 18 gubernatorial candidates officially registered with Maine’s Ethics Commission. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is term limited, leaving an open 2026 gubernatorial seat in a state that leans left but prides itself on its independent streak. Mills was re-elected in 2022 by double digits over former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, showing Democratic strength in the Pine Tree State. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball currently rate the race as “Likely Democratic.” SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY TO LAUNCH KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE CAMPAIGN IN BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT In his Maine for Keeps blueprint, Bush roots his vision in family ties and a sense of place. “Maine is the best place on earth to live and raise a family! My family has been in Maine since the 1890s. My wife Fay’s family has been here since the 1700s,” he wrote. But he warns the state government has failed to foster opportunity. “Instead of creating an environment that fosters economic growth and independence, Maine state government has slipped into a ‘learned helplessness,’” he said. He also points to schools and housing as areas of decline, writing, “Our schools have dropped from among the best in the nation to the bottom of the barrel. … We’re experiencing a housing crisis because a spider web of development restrictions has shut down new construction for anything but high-end homes.” Bush has also sought to distinguish himself with entrepreneurial credentials and plainspoken appeals to civic duty. In a recent interview with journalist Polina Pompliano, he described an “unwritten Bush family rule”: “You need to earn both sides of a paycheck before you tell other people what to do with their tax dollars.” Bush said that philosophy led him to build businesses in Maine. “I moved to Maine, which is a tough state to do business in, and I’ve tried to help out as much as I can in my community,” he said. His philosophy, he added, is that “we should all be figuring out how to lean in, rather than just yell at the TV. The TV doesn’t care.” Bush, 55, is best known as a healthcare entrepreneur. He co-founded Athenahealth in the 1990s, expanding it into a major medical software company before stepping down in 2018 amid an activist investor fight. He later launched Zus Health, a Boston-based startup focused on health data interoperability. Several prominent Democrats are already exploring bids, including Angus King III, Hannah Pingree, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Senate President Troy Jackson. Republicans, meanwhile, face a fragmented field, with several candidates vying for attention in a party divided between Trump-aligned populists and moderates, analysts told Newsweek. One Gallup poll from Jan. 21 shows both Bush’s potential and his hurdles. Trump enjoys 93% favorability among Republicans, compared to 63% for Bush’s cousin, George W. Bush. Maine’s tradition of electing moderates, as seen with Sen. Susan Collins’ repeated victories, could, however, play to his advantage. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Jonathan Bush has not formally declared his candidacy but is expected to make a decision in the coming months. In the meantime, Maine for Keeps is continuing to release policy papers and podcast episodes. A gubernatorial run would test what the Bush family name still means to voters in the Trump era. The George W. Bush Presidential Center, Former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Susan Collins did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Jonathan Bush’s nonprofit Maine for Keeps could not be reached for comment.