Long-held SCOTUS precedents could undercut Portland, Chicago National Guard lawsuits
President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Oregon and Illinois faced dual tests in court this week, as his administration argued the two Democrat-led states are obstructing federal immigration enforcement. Drawing on a well of constitutional provisions and court precedents, government lawyers have sought to justify deploying the National Guard in Portland and Chicago. Some legal experts say the president has the law on his side, while others worry Trump is threatening state sovereignty. Democratic leaders have responded with outrage and indignation to Trump’s attempts to send federal troops to their jurisdictions. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson established “ICE-free zones” across Chicago to prevent federal agents from using any city-owned property in their ongoing operations. Conservative critics have compared this action and similar opposition to the Trump administration from Democratic leaders to attempts to nullify federal law, hearkening back to the 19th century. “Illinois’s own Abraham Lincoln had some ideas about how to deal with this John C. Calhoun-esque ‘nullification,’” attorney and conservative commentator Josh Hammer wrote on X. PRITZKER SUES TRUMP TO BLOCK NATIONAL GUARD ACTION IN ILLINOIS Joshua Blackman, South Texas College of Law professor, said the federal government does not need permission from states to defend federal facilities. The Trump administration’s position is that it needs to deploy the National Guard to protect federal personnel and Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings. “This is a principle that goes back to the beginning of the Republic,” Blackman told Fox News Digital, pointing to the landmark case McCulloch v. Maryland, which found that Maryland could not tax a national bank created by Congress. The high court said in that case that allowing a state to impose such a burden on a federal institution would violate the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says federal law trumps state law. During one set of oral arguments this week before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, a Trump administration lawyer argued that unrest in Portland, prompted by ICE activity, justified the deployment of about 200 National Guard soldiers. “For months, the ICE facility in Portland and the federal law enforcement officers who work there have faced a steady stream of violence, threats of violence and harassment from violent agitators bent on impeding federal immigration enforcement,” said Eric McArthur, arguing for the Justice Department. The rebellion statute that Trump is using to federalize the National Guard, which governors have shared authority over, can be invoked in those situations, McArthur argued. He also said it was the government’s position that the courts had no say over Trump’s assessment of the need for the military. Blackman made a similar point. “The statute lets the president make the judgment over the need. It’s not clear to me that a court can second-guess it,” Blackman said. In court papers, the Trump administration has also cited a case from 1890, Neagle v. Cunningham, which established that the president has authority under the Constitution’s take care clause to “take care” that federal laws be carried out, including by doing what is necessary to protect those executing immigration laws. In Neagle, a U.S. marshal shot and killed a person who attacked a Supreme Court justice, and the Supreme Court found that the State of California could not prosecute the marshal for murder since the marshal was protecting a federal officer. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO PORTLAND AMID CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE Blackman said that states have for years been “frustrating” federal immigration enforcement and that these blue-state lawsuits trying to challenge the National Guard’s presence were an instance of that. He said the states’ resistance did not “quite rise to the level of nullification,” like when states in the South tried to block integration of segregated schools, but that it was “in the ballpark.” If states were to defy court orders, that could escalate matters, Blackman said. The lawsuits, which could rise to the Supreme Court, especially if the circuit courts were to rule against Trump in the coming days, could help to sharpen the dividing line between state and federal authority over law enforcement. Like Oregon and Illinois, Matt Cavedon, a director at the CATO Institute, said the 10th Amendment is also in play in these cases and that it implies that the Trump administration cannot typically take over a state’s law enforcement responsibilities. Cavedon also said it was unusual, in his view, that a Republican government would adopt a more expanded view of federal power. “It’s not usually conservatives who are arguing that there are just vast unenumerated federal powers belonging to the president, certainly in the domestic context,” Cavedon told Fox News Digital. Cavedon said the events in the two states are “really core issues of public security and safety, which are at the heart of what a state’s responsibilities are.” Oregon and Illinois leaders have made similar claims that nothing extraordinary was playing out crime-wise to warrant National Guard intervention. “I think the 10th Amendment answers a question: Any powers that are not conferred on the federal government are reserved to the states, respectively,” Cavedon added.
Biden-era ‘unvetted’ immigrants nabbed after Virginia highway gunfire as border debate hits governor’s race
EXCLUSIVE: Hours after Virginia gubernatorial candidates Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger sparred over illegal immigration concerns in Virginia, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital it had filed detainers to deport two teen “thugs,” allegedly unscreened by the Biden administration, accused of firing guns on a busy suburban interstate. Earle-Sears, a legal immigrant from Jamaica, claimed Spanberger will make Virginia a “sanctuary state,” while the Democrat rebutted that assertion, saying she would “absolutely” cooperate with the feds during official criminal investigations involving illegal immigrants. Two “criminal illegal alien thugs whipped around” Interstate 295 near the Chickahominy River bridges east of Richmond, Virginia, “with complete neglect for the safety of Virginians” while allegedly firing weapons on the typically busy bypass of the Old Dominion’s capital, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital Friday. McLaughlin said the two males were allegedly released “unvetted” under the Biden administration’s lax immigration policies, and ICE lodged a detainer request after state authorities captured them and sent them to a juvenile prison in Williamsburg, Virginia. EARLE-SEARS COMES OUT SWINGING IN HEATED DEBATE AS SPANBERGER DODGES JAY JONES QUESTIONS “We are not going to allow criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens,” McLaughlin said. The two 17-year-old illegal immigrants from Honduras had allegedly acquired a BMW and sped northbound on I-295 and caught the attention of a Hanover County, Virginia, sheriff’s deputy who had pulled over another motorist several miles southwest of Old Church, Virginia. DHS said the deputy noticed the BMW matching the description of one announced over the radio, and the teens immediately led the officer on a chase. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS REBUKES SPANBERGER PLAN TO UNDO VIRGINIA’S ICE PACT: ‘THIS IS NOT HARD’ The teens eventually exited the highway and crashed on a side street off Mechanicsville Turnpike, according to DHS, which otherwise could have taken them into downtown Richmond, Virginia. The illegal immigrants were arrested and charged with shooting from a vehicle, possession of a firearm under age 18, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reckless handling of a firearm, according to a DHS statement. A Virginia State Police official told Richmond’s CBS affiliate the swift apprehension of the suspects was a testament to interdepartmental cooperation between Virginia State Police and local Henrico and Hanover authorities. Interstate 295 is a heavily traveled alternative to Interstate 95, which proceeds through Richmond, Colonial Heights and Petersburg, Virginia, while traffic bound for North Carolina or Washington, D.C., tends to use the higher-speed alternative.
Former NCAA swim captain warns Virginia elections could decide future of women’s sports
A former NCAA swim captain from Virginia who has alleged retaliation by university officials after objecting to a transgender student joining her team said she is “100%” concerned about the results of the upcoming statewide elections and the impact they could have on women in sports. Former Roanoke College swimmer Lily Mullens spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of Virginia’s upcoming elections about her experience raising concerns with her college about a transgender classmate, who was born a biological male, joining the school’s female collegiate swim team. The concerns about the matter fell on deaf ears and were brushed aside by college administrators, Mullens said, but she noted that Republican officials in the state came to her and her teammates’ defense. ‘NUDE MEN IN LOCKER ROOMS’: EARLE-SEARS BLASTS SPANBERGER OVER TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM STANCE IN HEATED DEBATE “Gov. Youngkin had reached out to the captains and I personally and asked how we were and how things kind of played out. And that was such a huge thing, because not even the president of my school was able to do so,” Mullens told Fox News Digital. “Seeing somebody who’s the leader of an entire state do that and then not have my school president, who’s only overseeing 2,000 people … it’s hard to describe. I was so shocked, and I was grateful at the same time.” The state of Virginia is gearing up for several consequential statewide elections later this year, including a race for the governor’s seat and for attorney general. Incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin has reached his term limit, so Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was handed the baton to keep the governor’s mansion Republican. She is facing off against former Rep. Abigail Spanberger. Current Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares is also up for re-election and is being challenged by Democrat Jay Jones, who is dealing with the fallout from resurfaced text messages showing him wishing death upon a Republican colleague. Earlier this year, Miyares said he found reasonable cause to determine that Roanoke College discriminated against Mullens and her teammates on the basis of sex and retaliated after the girls spoke up. It was a finding the college subsequently contested, calling the allegations “unsubstantiated” in a press release the school put out at the time and sent to Fox News Digital. The issue stemmed from a transgender student who previously swam on the school’s all-male swim team but wanted to switch to the all-female team following hormone therapy and other transitioning measures in the fall of 2023. A meeting of the swim team and its members to discuss the new swimmer’s upcoming participation was one moment Mullens saw firsthand that her college’s administrators were unlikely to support her objections. SPANBERGER REFUSES TO URGE JAY JONES TO EXIT RACE, DODGES QUESTIONS AFTER ‘TWO BULLETS’ TEXTS “The purpose of the meeting was to bring us all together with this individual to, in a way, hash out whatever feelings or opinions we had to the individual with administrators in the room,” Mullens recalled to Fox News Digital in August. “At one point, it was discussed that this individual, without the transition, had thought about and gone through with planning a suicide. So, that was something that was told to all of us.” Mullens, who described herself as a religious person, said she and her teammates’ first reaction was confusion after the swimmer shared specific details about a suicide plan. “All of us felt emotionally confused. We didn’t know what to do,” Mullens previously shared with Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, school administrators present at the meeting “didn’t say anything,” according to Mullens recollection of the event. And on-campus mental health professionals were never notified about the situation until after Mullens and others went public with the matter in a press conference. Following the press conference, Mullens and her teammates were denied opportunities to study abroad in locations of their choice despite good academic performance and a history of extensive extracurricular activities, according to Miyares’ findings. Mullens told Fox News Digital the explanations she and other swimmers got for their denials only added confusion to the whole matter even further. “Basically, it said, ‘Not only is the professor responsible for the student’s academics, but also for their behavior,’” Mullens said. “I had no idea what that means. I’ve never had any sort of disciplinary action to me.” CAN JAY JONES BE REPLACED? DEMOCRATS’ DEFENSE OF SCANDAL-PLAGUED CANDIDATE DRAWS QUESTIONS In additional conversations with Fox News Digital leading up to Virginia’s November elections, Mullens said she felt like the college simply brushed aside all of her concerns, while taking actions that suggested support for the transgender swimmer. “Every single email that was sent in response to us Roanoke girls speaking out — I remember our original press conference, as well as when we spoke at the Trump rally in Salem that he had last year — our president sent out emails where he said, ‘We love and support our LGBTQ students.’ So, it was like, ‘Well, if you preach inclusion and diversity that includes of ideals.’ So, when people kind of brush over that and then don’t say anything else about it, it’s so hypocritical to me and I don’t … I’ve never understood how we can have one without the other. “We need leaders who are able to say, ‘Absolutely not, we’re just not going to let this happen,’” Mullens said. Approximately a week ago, Youngkin issued Executive Directive 14, which directed the state board of health to begin drafting new policies requiring private spaces, such as locker rooms and bathrooms, and for sports teams to remain separated by students’ gender assigned at birth. Mullens said she feared that, just like a new president could overturn President Donald Trump’s plethora of executive orders, a new Democratic governor could do the same in her state. During a gubernatorial debate Thursday night, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Democratic Party candidate, would not answer definitively whether she would rescind Youngkin’s Executive Directive 14, but she
Jay Jones text scandal sparks donation surge as GOP group pours millions more into VA race
FIRST ON FOX: A top fundraising group in the Virginia election doubled its investment in the state’s attorney general race following the revelation of Democrat Jay Jones’ violent text messages, a sign that the controversy could be having concrete effects on his candidacy. The Republican Attorneys General Association invested $2.5 million in Republican incumbent Jason Miyares on Friday, after dropping $2 million in the race earlier this week, Fox News Digital has learned. Those figures bring the group’s total contributions to Miyares to a historic $8.5 million. Spokesman Adam Piper said the texting incident has driven new interest from donors, which has allowed the group to up its investment in the race. YOUNGKIN PRESSES DEMS TO PUSH JAY JONES OFF VIRGINIA AG TICKET AFTER ‘BEYOND DISQUALIFYING’ MESSAGES SURFACE Piper, the group’s executive director, said the Republican Attorneys General Association has been “all in” on Miyares from the outset but that the text messages “completely changed the dynamics” of the race. “Jason Miyares is surging in the polls and RAGA has been overwhelmed with millions in new donations, allowing us to double our investment in Virginia over the last week,” Piper told Fox News Digital. The group has outspent all other political committees up and down the gubernatorial race ticket, according to the most updated data from the Virginia Public Access Project. It also broke its prior record of $7 million, which it spent on their attorney general candidate in 2017. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES ‘TWO BULLETS’ AD SCATHING OPPONENT FOR FAILING TO DEMAND JAY JONES’ OUSTER The incidence of down-ticket donations overshadowing those for the governor’s race comes after Jones, a lawyer and former state delegate, fantasized in newly surfaced texts from 2022 about the violent death of a Republican lawmaker. The GOP attorneys general group this week released internal polling, conducted Oct. 6-7 by Cygnal, that found a sharp drop of 21 points in Jones’ favorability compared to one month ago. The poll found Miyares leading Jones by two points with one month until Election Day. At the top of the ticket, recent polls have shown Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by roughly ten points while the attorney general race is slightly tighter. With early voting well underway, it is unclear how much, if it all, the texts from Jones will hurt him and other Democratic candidates’ chances of winning in a blue-leaning state. Jones has apologized for the texts but continues to face fierce backlash over them. In addition to the new fundraising headwinds, Jones has been hit with widespread calls by Republicans to drop out of the race amid a heightened national concern over political violence. Democrats, including Spanberger, have disavowed the texts but stopped short of asking Jones to bow out.
Leftist club smears Charlie Kirk on campus flyers spotted ahead of their event honoring George Floyd instead
A far-left activist organization with a history of causing anti-ICE and anti-Israel unrest is set to host an event next week on a college campus disparaging Charlie Kirk and pushing for George Floyd to be celebrated instead. “The federal government decided to celebrate Charlie Kirk Remembrance Day on George Floyd’s birthday (Oct. 14th),” the University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter posted on Facebook. “Instead of celebrating a white supremacist bigot, join us for a rally celebrating what would have been George Floyd’s 51st Birthday and continuing to tell UMN admin white supremacy is not allowed on campus.” Flyers for the event were spotted on campus and posted on X by Alpha News editor Anthony Gockowski. “The Real Legacy of Charlie Kirk,” the flyer’s headline said. EXPERTS WARN LEFTIST CELEBRATIONS OF CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH SIGNAL A DANGEROUS MAINSTREAM SHIFT IN POLITICS SDS has been active so far this year organizing counter-protests, including in July when protesters clashed with conservatives at a Turning Point USA event in Tampa Bay, Florida, Fox News Digital reported. In January, Fox News Digital reported that an SDS-related protest at a Turning Point USA event featuring a women’s rights speaker at the University of Washington devolved into chaos when protesters proceeded to bang on the windows of the classroom where the event was held, shattering one window. A noisemaker was thrown into the building, and a pulled fire alarm resulted in several moments of confusion and an eventual evacuation from the building, despite no visible fire, shortly after. JIMMY KIMMEL CLAIMS HIS COMMENTS ON CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN WERE ‘MALICIOUSLY’ MISCHARACTERIZED The Minnesota SDS chapter’s website, which doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2016, describes SDS as an “organization of progressive young people” that is seeking to “create a sustained community of educational and political concern; one bringing together liberals and radicals, activists and scholars, students and workers.” Posts this year on the group’s Facebook page include instructions on how to identify and report ICE agents, mourning the “genocide” in Palestine, picketing with the Teamsters Union, and the organization of an event on Independence Day called, “F— The Fourth.” Fox News Digital reached out to SDS at UMN for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A spokesperson for the University of Minnesota told Fox News Digital that SDS is “not affiliated with the University nor is this an official university event.” “As a public institution, the University is an open and public place that provides reasonable access to spaces on campus that are open to the public, subject to reasonable time, place and manner restrictions. This includes campus outdoor sidewalks and green spaces. The Guidelines for Demonstrations and Protests at this page has more specifics on our policies.” College campuses have become a hot-bed of outrage directed at conservatives since the assassination of Charlie Kirk last month, which has spilled into the faculty on several occasions with professors ultimately terminated from employment due to their justification of Kirk’s killing. Across the country, vigils and memorials for Kirk have been disrupted by protesters, including at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in September where a mural honoring Kirk was defaced with paint, Fox News Digital reported. In September, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring Oct. 14, 2025, Kirk’s birthday, as the National Day of Remembrance.
Earle-Sears comes out swinging in heated debate as Spanberger dodges Jay Jones questions
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears came out swinging against what she called former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s dodges on calls for fellow Democrat Jay Jones to drop out of the attorney general contest after texts envisioning the murder of a Republican leader came to light. Throughout the debate, Spanberger mostly declined to make eye contact with Earle-Sears and ignored her when she was interrupted. Earle-Sears repeatedly addressed Spanberger directly during both women’s answers but did not receive any direct responses in return. SPANBERGER DEFENDS ABORTION AD CRITICIZING SEARS AFTER BERNIE WARNS AGAINST HIGHLIGHTING ISSUE Early on, Earle-Sears interrupted Spanberger, asking her to give a direct answer. The Democrat told the moderators she was “aware of these messages” and that they were “absolutely abhorrent.” “I denounced them when I learned of them and I will denounce them every chance I get,” Spanberger said, as Earle-Sears interjected once more to attempt to press for a straight answer. “I didn’t hear an answer on [the Jones] question,” co-moderator Deanna Albrittin told Spanberger. Since Earle-Sears had already called for Jones to drop out, the moderators asked her instead about President Donald Trump’s stated “hate” for political opponents after the murder of Charlie Kirk. Earle-Sears later turned to Spanberger and admonished her for refusing to give a yes-or-no answer on Jones, asking whether it would take Jones “pulling the trigger” to actually condemn what he had said about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES ‘TWO BULLETS’ AD SCATHING OPPONENT FOR FAILING TO DEMAND JAY JONES’ OUSTER The Republican was later asked whether she needs Trump’s endorsement, as he has explicitly endorsed lieutenant governor candidate John Reid but offered more muted comments for Earle-Sears during the span of the race. Earle-Sears also criticized Spanberger for purportedly waiting several days before condemning a left-wing protester’s racist sign at an Arlington anti-transgender-sports demonstration headlined by the Republican candidate. The sign said that Earle-Sears should not be able to share water fountains (as a Black woman) if transgender students cannot share bathrooms. In the latter regard, moderator Tom Schaad asked Spanberger whether transgender girls born male should be able to use female bathrooms and be on co-ed sports teams. “Nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger said, before offering a lengthier answer that also cited her experience as a former federal agent investigating crimes against children. TOP GOP GROUP DROPS BIG MONEY INTO VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN AFTER DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT TEXTS GO VIRAL “That work, in part, has earned me the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association,” she said. Schaad reiterated the question, saying there had been no direct answer, and later attempted to ask whether Spanberger would rescind an executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin laying out a bathroom policy along biological lines. “My opponent will not answer the question because she voted for men nude in girls’ locker rooms,” Earle-Sears later said. Later, both candidates were asked whether they would continue or undo any specific policies from Youngkin – whom the moderators reported enjoys high approval ratings as he closes out his last three months of his term. Earle-Sears said she would not disclose private conversations with Youngkin but that she would not undo their progress. ‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS Spanberger said she would continue Youngkin’s efforts to grow advanced nuclear power in the commonwealth. After the event, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, Jr., D-Portsmouth, spoke to reporters as a surrogate for Spanberger. Scott said there is a “double standard” in pressuring Spanberger to call for Jones to drop out, claiming Earle-Sears has not denounced violent rhetoric from Trump. The speaker, who represents the area just south of the debate site, claimed Earle-Sears did not as vociferously condemn Trump for a remark he made in 2024 when discussing neoconservatism, and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s aisle-crossing endorsement of Kamala Harris. “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK? Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face,” Trump said as a rebuttal to people in the political establishment who are war “hawks” or support proverbial forever-wars. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES AD LINKING ABIGAIL SPANBERGER TO JAY JONES AFTER VIOLENT TEXTS RESURFACE The Trump campaign noted at the time that the president did not call for Cheney to be executed and that the press covered the remark “disgracefully,” while fact-checker PolitiFact deemed the comment illustrative of a “combat zone” situation rather than a call for murder. Fox News Digital reached out to the Earle-Sears campaign for comment on the debate, including the way the candidates comported themselves on stage. “If you’re wondering who’s capable of leading Virginia, this was the debate to watch,” Earle-Sears spokesperson Peyton Vogel told Fox News Digital. “Abigail Spanberger couldn’t even look Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears in the eye and confirmed she will not stand up to Jay Jones’ threat-laced, murderous rhetoric.” “If she can’t lead her own ticket, she can’t lead the Commonwealth,” Vogel said.
Senate advances 2026 defense bill after weeks of delay as shutdown drags on
The Senate advanced its version of a colossal package to authorize funding for the Pentagon on Thursday in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which had been gathering dust as lawmakers worked to break through holds on the bill for over a month, advanced in the upper chamber on a bipartisan vote. The legislation would authorize roughly $925 billion in defense spending. However, successful advancement of the bill after a marathon Senate vote on amendments came as the government entered Day 9 of the government shutdown with no clear end in sight. Lawmakers in the upper chamber aren’t expected to return until Tuesday, all but guaranteeing that military service members won’t get their paychecks next week. SENATE DEMOCRATS BLOCK GOP PLAN AGAIN TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS MILITARY PAY DEADLINE LOOMS Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., formally announced the breakthrough on the Senate floor after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teased a possible vote Thursday morning. Wicker noted that in a particularly partisan moment in the upper chamber, the NDAA was able to sail through committee earlier this year on a near unanimous vote. “In this time, when we can’t seem to muster up a 60-vote majority to keep us in business as a federal government, we were able to pass the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 26-to-1,” Wicker said. Lawmakers were finally able to move on the legislative package after Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., dropped his hold on the measure. Gallego had called for a vote on his amendment that would have prevented Ashli Babbitt, who was killed during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, from receiving military funeral honors. The Air Force extended an offer for military funeral honors for Babbitt in August. SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM MORE THAN 100 TRUMP NOMINEES AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES Senators charged through over a dozen partisan amendments and a massive batch of roughly 50 add-ons to the legislative package before moving the bill. The House passed its own version last month. Among the failed amendments was one from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., which would have blocked money to retrofit a Boeing 747 that President Donald Trump accepted from the Qatari government earlier this year. Another, from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., would have prevented Trump and governors around the country from signing off on sending the National Guard from one state to another if a governor or mayor rejected the move. One successful amendment, from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., would repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force for Iraq, which, at the time, authorized President George W. Bush to use the U.S. military as he deemed “to be necessary and appropriate” in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001. It would also repeal a similar resolution passed in 1991 during the Gulf War. The House’s version of the bill included repeals of both authorizations, too. DOZENS OF DEMOCRATS MUTINY MUST-PASS DEFENSE BILL OVER GOP PRIORITIES However, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., had vowed to block the package Thursday afternoon in an effort to “secure a hearing to investigate this gross abuse of our military” in response to Trump sending the National Guard to Chicago and other cities across the country. But she backed off her threat after Wicker promised a hearing on the matter “in the coming weeks.” “I look forward to asking tough questions of the Trump administration about their unconstitutional National Guard deployments to American cities against state and local officials’ objections,” she said in a statement.
New York AG Letitia James’ indictment sparks sharp partisan divide
Lawmakers reacted sharply Thursday to the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud charges, with Democrats calling it a politically motivated act of revenge by President Donald Trump. A federal grand jury in Virginia charged James with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment centers on James’ purchase of a home in Norfolk. Prosecutors allege she falsely claimed it as a second residence to secure better loan terms before leasing it to tenants. James has denied wrongdoing, describing the charges as “political retribution.” “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” James said in a statement. James, a longtime Trump adversary, previously sued the president’s business empire for civil fraud and won a nearly $500 million judgment. TRUMP TO FORCE OUT VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR AMID PRESSURE TO INDICT LETITIA JAMES Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said James faces up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count and forfeiture if she’s convicted. “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.” In a statement, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said James has weaponized her office to go after Trump and his allies. “Her hypocrisy is profound as she campaigned on the mantra that ‘no one is above the law,’ yet she now faces allegations of committing the very type of financial misrepresentation she baselessly pursued against President Trump,” Stefanik said. “I have spearheaded congressional efforts to expose James’ abuses over the past several years through ethics complaints, bar complaints, public demands for investigations and oversight exposing her corruption“. TRUMP RIPS TRIAL JUDGE WHOSE $500M PENALTY WAS ERASED ON APPEAL Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., noted James’ past statement that “no one is above the law.” “Today, Leti[t]ia James was indicted for bank fraud regarding a mortgage loan,” she wrote on X. Democrats rallied to her defense, accusing Trump of abusing his power. “The politically motivated indictment of Attorney General Letitia James is an abuse of power — a weaponization of government — at its most outrageous and egregious,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. “Rather than addressing the grocery and utility bills crushing American families, Donald Trump remains pathologically preoccupied with his personal enemies list.” Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., called the charges a “blatant abuse of power,” while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the case amounted to “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department.” New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani praised James as “a champion for justice,” saying Trump’s actions showed “fascist tactics — prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government and attacking the very fabric of our democracy.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump was using the Justice Department as his “personal attack dog.” “This is what tyranny looks like,” Schumer said. “President Trump is targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud — and winning. This isn’t justice. It’s revenge.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, called the indictment “political weaponization of our courts, plain and simple — and proof that when you stand up to corruption, they come for you.” James’ initial court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Spanberger refuses to urge Jay Jones to exit race, dodges questions after ‘two bullets’ texts
Democrat Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger faced repeated questioning during Thursday’s debate over her continued support for attorney general candidate Jay Jones after text messages surfaced in which he fantasized about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Both the debate moderators and her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, repeatedly asked Spanberger whether she still endorses Jones, but Spanberger did not say outright that she no longer endorsed him. Spanberger also would not say when she became aware of the inflammatory text messages, which also included violent rhetoric about Gilbert’s children. “Jay Jones advocated the murder — Abigail — the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were 2 years and 5 years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?” Earle-Sears asked. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.” JOE SCARBOROUGH TELLS DEM CANDIDATE JAY JONES TO LEAVE RACE OVER VIOLENT COMMENTS AGAINST GOP LAWMAKER The text scandal has proven to be a major flashpoint in the race as concerns about violent political rhetoric have reached new heights after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump. “We just want to clarify, what you’re saying is, as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general?” the moderator asked Spanberger. “I’m saying, as of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision. I am running for governor. I am accountable for the words that I say, for the acts that I take, for the policies that I have put out,” Spanberger responded. “I am responsible for the policies I put out and the work I will endeavor to do tirelessly for the people.” LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER Spanberger did repeatedly point out that she condemned the rhetoric the moment she learned of it and that she will denounce violent rhetoric at every opportunity she gets. Meanwhile, Spanberger accused Earle-Sears of only condemning violent rhetoric when it is targeting her political party but not when it targets her opponent’s. She cited an example from Kirk’s memorial service last month, during which Trump reportedly said, “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.” “It is important that candidates always denounce violence no matter which side of the aisle. … We should always be focused and forceful in our denouncement of it,” Spanberger said as she was peppered with questions on whether she would denounce Jones. “My opponent unfortunately only denounces violence when her side is the target.” In response to those accusations, Earle-Sears did not condemn the president’s words but did say it was something she would not say herself personally. “As I’ve said before, I would not say that,” Earle-Sears said of the Trump comments.
Angel parents call for Trump to receive Nobel Peace Prize for border security efforts
EXCLUSIVE — Dozens of Angel parents and families of fentanyl victims are calling for President Donald Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to his unprecedented efforts to combat drug cartels, human trafficking and illegal immigration. In a letter sent Thursday to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, members of The American Border Story (TABS), representing Angel parents whose children were killed by illegal immigrants and families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, urged recognition of Trump’s leadership in bringing “peace and security” to neighborhoods across the country. “Fentanyl took my child’s life, and it’s taken thousands more,” Anne Fundner, whose son died from an overdose in 2022, told Fox News Digital. “President Trump didn’t look the other way. He went after the cartels and the traffickers poisoning our kids. He’s the only one who made this fight a priority, and because of that, lives have been saved. That’s why he deserves this recognition.” The families credit Trump with identifying cartels and traffickers as a “war machine that destroys lives.” They say he made border security a priority and took action to halt the flow of drugs and violent criminals into the U.S. in a way no other leader has. TRUMP SAVES AMERICAN LIVES WITH ‘OVERWHELMING FORCE’ AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLERS ENCROACHING ON US BEACHES: EXPERT While many world leaders have sought peace abroad, the families say Trump’s efforts have been focused on peace “right here at home.” Joe Abraham, whose daughter Katie Abraham was killed in a hit-and-run allegedly by an illegal immigrant earlier this year, said Trump is the only leader who treated the border crisis as a national emergency. FAMILY MEMBER OF INFANTS BURNED ALIVE BY CARTEL THANKS TRUMP FOR CRACKDOWN: ‘HOPEFUL FOR THE FIRST TIME’ “My daughter was killed by someone who never should have been in this country,” Abraham told Fox News Digital. “He stood up to the cartels, secured the border and fought to protect families like mine. That’s not just leadership, that’s bringing peace to American communities.” The group argues that the Nobel Peace Prize — created to honor those who reduce war and promote peace — applies to Trump’s efforts to dismantle cartel operations. ‘PRESIDENT OF PEACE’: TRUMP TAPPED FOR NOBEL PRIZE AMID TALKS TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR “The Nobel Peace Prize was created to honor those who work for fraternity among nations, reduce the engines of war, and promote peace,” the letter states. “Today, the greatest war many of us face is not in some faraway battlefield, it is in our backyards, waged by cartels that profit from human misery. President Trump understood this, and he has worked tirelessly to end it.” The letter was dated the same day Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., announced he was tapping Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize following his landmark agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. Pro-Israel activist Lizzy Savetsky went further Thursday, suggesting that the Nobel should be renamed in Trump’s honor to mark the world-changing achievement. The deadline for this year’s nominations was Jan. 31. While some proposals for Trump came in before then, many arrived after the cutoff. If he does not win when the prize is announced Friday, he could be considered again next year. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.