Spanberger quiet on twin controversies in final stretch of Virginia race
With just weeks left before Virginians head to the voting booth, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger has been rattled by twin controversies — a violent text message scandal involving a fellow Democrat and fresh criticism over her stance on transgender bathroom policies. In 2022, Virginia state attorney general candidate Jay Jones told a colleague via text that he wished violence against former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children. The private messages, which recently came to light, have sparked outrage from Republicans and discomfort among Democrats, forcing Spanberger to navigate one of the most volatile moments of her campaign. ‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS Spanberger’s cautious tone carried into last Thursday’s debate, where she faced off against GOP nominee Winsome Earle-Sears. “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 Thursday night. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.” She sidestepped several rounds of questions throughout the debate on whether she still endorsed Jones. Spanberger’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Meanwhile, fellow Democrats have rallied around Jones, emphasizing forgiveness and unity as the campaign enters its final stretch. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was also unwilling to call on Jones’ to drop out. He told Fox News Digital he’s still a supporter of the embattled candidate for his state’s attorney general seat. “I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff,” the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee said. “I’ve known Jay Jones for 25 years.” VIRGINIA DEMS BACK AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES, DESPITE TEXT MESSAGES Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., did not respond when Fox News Digital repeatedly asked whether Jay Jones should end his campaign. Warner was also pressed on whether he would seek the return of a $25,000 August donation from Jones or express regret over the show of support, but once again declined to respond. After the texts came to light, the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee moved quickly to defend Jones, urging Virginians to “line up behind” him. “We are lined up, ten toes down, ready to organize, mobilize and deliver voters for Jay and our entire Democratic ticket,” the statement read. “Recent press may have spotlighted past mistakes. We say, let those without sin cast the first stone. Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows.” Jones has since apologized, calling the remarks “embarrassing and shameful,” and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family. DEMOCRATS UNDER FIRE FOR STANDING BY VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL WHO JOKED ABOUT SHOOTING GOP RIVAL Last week, President Donald Trump called for Jones to drop out of the race, calling the text messages “sick” and “demented.” “Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the race immediately and the people of Virginia must continue to have a great attorney general in Jason Miyares who, by the way, has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Oct. 5. The latest revelation comes amid heightened political tensions and a growing number of incidents that have fueled concerns about violence in national politics. ‘NUDE MEN IN LOCKER ROOMS’: EARLE-SEARS BLASTS SPANBERGER OVER TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM STANCE IN HEATED DEBATE On a separate issue, Spanberger has also sidestepped her stance on transgender issues. Earlier this month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive directive ensuring bathrooms, locker rooms and other intimate spaces remain separated by sex assigned at birth. The directive also instructs the state Board of Health to bar biological males from competing on female athletic teams. When asked, point-blank, whether she would rescind that directive, Spanberger refused to give a definitive answer. “My answer is that in each local community decisions should be made between parents and educators, and teachers in each community. It shouldn’t be dictated by politicians,” Spanberger responded. “I’m a mother of three daughters in Virginia public schools, and nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger added in response to questions about her stance on transgender issues. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Trump refuses to rule out striking Venezuela. What’s next for Trump’s war on drugs?
President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented war against cartels and has threatened narco-terrorists, saying he will “blow you out of existence” as his administration seeks to curb the influx of drugs into the U.S. The White House sent lawmakers a memo Sept. 30 informing them that the U.S. is now participating in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug smugglers — on top of conducting four fatal strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean since September. The Department of War recently announced a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force in the Southern Command area of responsibility, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The aim of the task force is to “crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe,” Hegseth wrote on X Friday. “The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold.” HOW TRUMP’S STRIKES AGAINST ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS ARE RESHAPING THE CARTEL BATTLEFIELD: ‘ONE-WAY TICKET’ These recent developments suggest that Trump is eyeing targets within Venezuela, not just those within international waters, according to Geoff Ramsey, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council international affairs think tank. “This is a sign that President Trump is taking the US war on drugs in Latin America to the next level,” Ramsey said in a Monday email to Fox News Digital. “By involving the military, the president is going after drug cartels in a way that no previous US administration has dared to so far. I think it is likely that we will see the Pentagon evaluate targets inside Venezuela.” Additional strikes could target more drug shipments or drug flights, which often take off from covert airfields near the Colombian border, Ramsey said. “It’s a bad time to be posted in a guerrilla camp on the Colombian border or operating a Tren de Aragua safe house along the Caribbean trafficking route,” Ramsey said. Even so, Ramsey said it would be challenging to strike within Venezuela’s territory. Doing so would require the U.S. to dismantle Venezuela’s air defense system, which would escalate hostilities by openly engaging with Venezuela’s military, he said. That’s a departure from the current approach, in which the U.S. has intentionally avoided targeting Venezuelan military assets, Ramsey said. “When two Venezuelan F-16s flew over a US destroyer last month, the fact that those planes weren’t blown out of the sky suggests that the US is not interested in a shooting war with Venezuela’s military,” Ramsey said. Trump himself has not ruled out conducting strikes within Venezuela though, and signaled such strikes could happen when he told military leaders in Quantico, Virginia, Sept. 30 that his administration would “look very seriously at cartels coming by land.” WAR ON CARTELS? WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT HAS AN IRON-CLAD CASE TO STRIKE NARCO-TERRORIST GROUPS So far, the Trump administration has utilized maritime forces to address drug threats, and has beefed up naval assets in the Caribbean in recent months. For example, Trump approved sending several U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers to bolster the administration’s counter-narcotics efforts in the region starting in August. “I expect these deployments to continue for months or more than a year, with new ships rotating in to replace those that need to return home for maintenance or crew rest,” Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute think tank’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, told Fox News Digital in September. Nathan Jones, a nonresident scholar in drug policy and Mexico studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, predicted the strikes are unlikely to impact the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. That’s because fentanyl precursors originate in China, and are then produced in labs in Mexico before they head north without a pathway into the Caribbean. “I wouldn’t expect your drug flow to be affected because of these strikes,” Jones told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “This could, though, leave transnational criminal organizations running a little scared in terms of what the administration is going to do.” Still, Jones said that he predicted drug flow routes would adapt and that land or aerial drug routes would take precedence over sea routes in the Caribbean. The strikes have prompted members of Congress to question their legality and senators Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., filed a war powers resolution in September that would block U.S. forces from engaging in “hostilities” against certain non-state organizations. TRUMP UNLEASHES US MILITARY POWER ON CARTELS. IS A WIDER WAR LOOMING? “There has been no authorization to use force by Congress in this way,” Schiff told reporters Wednesday. “I feel it is plainly unconstitutional. The fact that the administration claims to have a list and has put organizations on a list does not somehow empower the administration to usurp Congress’s power of declaring war or refusing to declare war or refusing to authorize the use of force.” However, the measure failed in the Senate by a 51–48 margin Wednesday. Even so, the measure attracted support from Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who voted alongside their Democratic counterparts for the resolution. Other Republicans have defended the strikes though, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said that Trump’s actions were well within his rights and that the resolution was “unreasonable.” “When he sees an attack like this coming — an attack of drugs or explosives or anything else that’s going to kill Americans — he not only has the authority to do something about it, he has the duty to do something about it,” Risch said Wednesday before the vote.
Marc Benioff urges Trump to deploy National Guard in San Francisco after donating millions to liberal causes
Tech billionaire Marc Benioff is shifting his tone toward President Donald Trump, saying he “fully” supports the president and is now urging him to deploy the National Guard to Benioff’s home city of San Francisco. “We don’t have enough cops, so if [the National Guard] can be cops, I’m all for it,” Benioff said in an interview with The New York Times. “I fully support the president,” he added. “I think he’s doing a great job.” His comments come a week before his annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. He complained to the Times that he has to pay out of pocket for off-duty police officers to bolster security in the convention area every year. LONG-HELD SCOTUS PRECEDENTS COULD UNDERCUT PORTLAND, CHICAGO NATIONAL GUARD LAWSUITS “You’ll see. When you walk through San Francisco next week, there will be cops on every corner,” he promised. “That’s how it used to be.” The friendly words for Trump are an about-face for the California billionaire, however, having spent recent years funneling tens of millions of dollars toward left-wing activist groups. Benioff’s company, Salesforce, has also a championed transgender ideology. ‘UNTETHERED FROM REALITY’: LAWYERS FOR TRUMP, OREGON, SPAR OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN COURT CLASH Between 2022 and 2024 alone, Salesforce donated over $23 million to the left-wing Tides Foundation. Salesforce also created the “Pledge 1%” program, a model that encourages corporations to donate 1% of equity, product, profit, and employee time to charity. Salesforce kicked the program over to Tides Foundation, which has been handling the Pledge 1% funds since at least 2019. Salesforce says at least 9,000 companies have joined the program since its inception. Salesforce also donated $1.5 million to the liberal dark money group New Venture Fund. Reporting from the Washington Examiner says the organization has links to a Palestinian terrorist group. Aside from funding, Benioff’s company has used its own reach to push transgender activism, using its social media accounts to hail a transgender athlete and defend transgender people in the U.S. military. Despite the left-wing resume, Benioff has been successful in getting closer to Trump’s orbit since his election in 2024. Benioff sat across from Trump at the state dinner hosted by King Charles in the U.K. last month. According to the Times, he repeatedly told Trump “how grateful I am for everything he’s doing.” The White House did not immediately respond when Fox News Digital reached out regarding any plans to deploy National Guard to San Francisco. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump himself floated the idea in August, however, telling reporters in the Oval Office that Democrats have “destroyed” the city. “You look at what the Democrats have done to San Francisco — they’ve destroyed it. We can clean that up, too — we’ll clean that one up, too.”
GOP rep gears up for potential rematch against progressive ‘darling’ in bid to succeed McConnell
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., said he is the only Senate candidate in Kentucky with the “America First” record and experience necessary to keep the state’s open Senate seat red as Sen. Mitch McConnell’s 40-year tenure comes to an end. After serving seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Barr is running to replace McConnell in the Senate, as the former party leader retires next year. With Amy McGrath announcing her campaign for the Democratic nomination this week, Barr is also gearing up for a potential rematch. “I relish the opportunity of a rematch, especially statewide, where the electorate is far more conservative than the swing district where I have represented the last seven terms,” Barr told Fox News Digital. McGrath unsuccessfully challenged Barr for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District in 2018. She later lost to McConnell when she ran for his Senate seat in 2020. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS CROWDED GOP PRIMARY IN BATTLE FOR VACANT HOUSE SEAT “She’s a proven loser,” Barr said. “She has lit Democrat donor money on fire twice, and I’ve even seen Democrats lament the fact that she’s retreading her old messages. She is a stale candidate, and I think there’s a fatigue factor with Amy McGrath.” DEM SHELLACKED BY MCCONNELL IN 2020 MOUNTS NEW SENATE BID: ‘COWARDS IN WASHINGTON ARE BOWING TO DONALD TRUMP’ Despite the criticism, Barr admitted that McGrath is the “darling of the far, extreme left” with a unique fundraising record, so it would not surprise him if Democrats nominated her to run for the open Senate seat. “I’m the only candidate in this U.S. Senate race who has a proven record of defeating Amy McGrath and her fundraising in the one swing, purple district. If you want to block her path, if you want to defeat Democrats in Kentucky, nominate the guy who has a proven record of defeating Amy McGrath,” Barr said. Barr defeated McGrath by just over three percentage points in 2018, despite the former Marine fighter pilot reportedly raising nearly twice as much money as him. Barr described himself as an “America First, pro-Trump Republican member of Congress,” who values limited government, free enterprise and strong national defense. Barr told Fox News Digital that he is the only candidate in the race with experience delivering on President Donald Trump’s agenda. Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and businessman Nate Morris are among those vying for the Republican nomination for Kentucky’s open Senate seat. “The Kentucky Republican Party is ascendant in the wake of Senator McConnell’s 40 years in office,” Barr said, telling Fox News Digital that Kentucky’s electorate has shifted to the right since McGrath’s last two races. “The electorate is even more conservative in Kentucky, more pro-Trump than it was when she ran those first two races, first against me in 2018 and then against Mitch McConnell in 2020. The people of Kentucky have rejected those extreme, far-liberal views,” he said. Trump won Kentucky by more than 30 points last year. While former Vice President Kamala Harris won Fayette County, which includes Lexington and is part of the 6th Congressional District, by 18 percentage points in 2024, Barr won his re-election by 26 points. Barr is one of just three House Republicans who won districts that Harris carried in 2024. “Everyone knows that Daniel Cameron is the frontrunner in this race. You’re essentially lighting your money on fire if you give it to Andy Barr,” Cameron’s campaign fired back when reached for comment, arguing that Cameron is the “America First” candidate. And McGrath told Fox News Digital that Kentucky voters are “tired of lifelong politicians like Andy Barr who care more about pleasing Donald Trump than solving real problems here at home.” “It’s time he spent less energy playing politics and more time delivering for the people he’s supposed to represent,” the Democrat added. Fox News Digital reached out to Morris’ campaign but did not immediately receive a response.
Trump announces shakeup at top of WH personnel office
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino is poised to play an even larger role in President Donald Trump’s administration, the president announced Sunday. Trump says Scavino, in addition to his current role, will now lead the White House Presidential Personnel Office. The office was previously held by Sergio Gor, who is now transitioning to become the U.S. Ambassador to India. “I am pleased to announce that the great Dan Scavino, in addition to remaining Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, will head the White House Presidential Personnel Office, replacing Sergio Gor, who did a wonderful job in that position, and will now become the Ambassador to India,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Dan will be responsible for the selection and appointment of almost all positions in government, a very big and important position. Congratulations Dan, you will do a fantastic job!” he added. TRUMP SAYS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LAYOFFS ARE ‘UP TO’ DEMS AS STANDOFF CONTINUES Scavino’s new appointment comes as the Trump administration is in a pitched fight with Democrats to define the cause of the ongoing government shutdown. Trump allies have pointed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s refusal to work with Republicans. The president also sought to mitigate damage on Saturday by ordering War Secretary Pete Hegseth to make sure military service members get paid next week, regardless of the shutdown. JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 “Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I DISAGREE! If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.” He said he directed Hegseth “to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The government shut down on Oct. 1, after Democrats and Republicans failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government, with Democrats concerned expiring Affordable Care Act tax cuts could raise premiums and that Medicaid cuts could leave people without coverage. Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report
Trump’s National Guard troops can stay in Illinois but federal judge blocks deployment
A judge ruled on Saturday that National Guard troops sent to Illinois by President Donald Trump to combat crime can remain in the state but can’t patrol or deploy to protect federal property. The Trump administration had requested an emergency stay after U.S. District Judge April Perry on Thursday blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago and across Illinois for at least two weeks. Perry said there was no evidence of a “danger of rebellion” in the state as Trump has suggested he may invoke the Insurrection Act, which would mean the federal government could send troops to states that defy federal laws or don’t put down an insurrection. LONG-HELD SCOTUS PRECEDENTS COULD UNDERCUT PORTLAND, CHICAGO NATIONAL GUARD LAWSUITS “I’d do it if it was necessary. So far it hasn’t been necessary. But we have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. The Insurrection Act was last invoked in 1992 during the LA riots. “There has been no showing that the civil power has failed,” Perry said. “The agitators who have violated the law by attacking federal authorities have been arrested. The courts are open, and the marshals are ready to see that any sentences of imprisonment are carried out. Resort to the military to execute the laws is not called for.” ‘UNTETHERED FROM REALITY’: LAWYERS FOR TRUMP, OREGON, SPAR OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN COURT CLASH She added, “Not even Alexander Hamilton could have envisioned one state’s militia to be used against another state’s residents because the President wants to punish those with views other than his own.” On Saturday, the federal judge, in granting a temporary restraining order, blocking the deployment of troops until further arguments can be heard, wrote, “Members of the National Guard do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so,” according to the court order obtained by Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Along with Chicago, Trump has also sent federal troops to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Memphis. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump plans whirlwind trip to Israel and Egypt before rushing back to White House for Charlie Kirk honor
President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to travel to Israel and Egypt before quickly returning to Washington, D.C., to honor the late Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he will address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and then visit Cairo as part of a trip marking the historic peace deal he secured between Israel and Hamas. He is expected to return to the White House to honor Kirk on Tuesday, Oct. 14 — which would have been the conservative activist’s 32nd birthday. TRUMP CAPS UK TRIP WITH $350B TECH PACT, HEADS TO ARIZONA FOR KIRK’S MEMORIAL SERVICE “It’s not easy for me to get back. It’s a very quick trip, but I’ll be making two major stops, and then I’ll be on the plane trying to get back in time for Charlie,” Trump said Friday. “They’re going to have a great celebration at the White House — in the East Room of the White House.” The President will arrive in Israel early Monday, where he is expected to deliver an address at the Knesset and meet with recently freed hostages, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel. Under the peace deal, Hamas must hand over all 48 living and deceased hostages within a 72-hour window that began Friday night local time. “They’re getting them, and they’re also getting the bodies, approximately 28 bodies. … It’s a tragedy,” Trump said. “… I’ll be going to Israel. I’ll be speaking at the Knesset, I think early on, and then I’m also going to Egypt.” TRUMP EYES REMARKS AT CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL IN ARIZONA, BLAMES LEFT FOR SUSPECT’S RADICALIZATION Egypt will host an international summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize the peace agreement. More than 20 world leaders, including Trump, are expected to attend, an Egyptian presidential spokesperson said Saturday, according to Reuters. “I’ll go to Cairo, I think that’s where we’re going, as opposed to the place of the signing,” Trump told reporters. “We have a lot of leaders from all over the world coming too. I know they’ve been invited.” Trump is scheduled to return to Washington by Tuesday for the White House ceremony honoring Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. “And then I’m coming back, I believe it’s Tuesday night for Charlie Kirk, a friend of mine, a friend of all of us, a friend of a lot of the people right here,” Trump said. The president called the event a “great celebration,” noting that Erika Kirk, the activist’s widow, and many others will be in attendance. TRUMP HEADS TO UK FOR RARE SECOND STATE VISIT, THEN TO ARIZONA FOR CHARLIE KIRK’S FUNERAL “We’re giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor you get outside the Congressional Medal of Honor — one’s military, one’s civilian,” he said. “But it’s the greatest honor, and Erika, his beautiful wife, is going to be here and a lot of people are going to be here.” Trump first announced last month that he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. “I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said at the time. “The day of the ceremony will be announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing. That we will have a very big crowd. Very, very big.” On Thursday, Hamas agreed to a peace deal pushed by Trump to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, two years after the terrorist network attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Trump directs Hegseth to pay troops during ongoing government shutdown standoff as he rails against Schumer
President Donald Trump railed against Democrats over the ongoing government shutdown Saturday, saying he is directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to make sure military service members get paid next week. “Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I DISAGREE! If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.” He said he directed Hegseth “to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.” “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” he added. “The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 The government shut down on Oct. 1, after Democrats and Republicans failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government, with Democrats concerned expiring Affordable Care Act tax cuts could raise premiums and that Medicaid cuts could leave people without coverage. Trump on Monday blamed Democratic lawmakers for the shutdown, saying he’d be “happy to work with the Democrats on their failed healthcare policies” once the government reopens. “Democrats have SHUT DOWN the United States government right in the midst of one of the most successful economies, including a record stock market, that our country has ever had,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This has sadly affected so many programs, services, and other elements of society that Americans rely on — and it should not have happened. “I am happy to work with the Democrats on their failed healthcare policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our government to re-open.” TRUMP SAYS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LAYOFFS ARE ‘UP TO’ DEMS AS STANDOFF CONTINUES Schumer recently told Punchbowl News, “Every day gets better for us,” regarding the Democrats’ shutdown strategy. He added, “It’s because we’ve thought about this long in advance, and we knew that healthcare would be the focal point on Sept. 30, and we prepared for it. … Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us and we would submit in a day or two.” Republicans have blamed Schumer for the shutdown, saying it was meant to appease the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, particularly in his home state as Zohran Mamdani maintains the lead in New York City’s mayoral race and buzz swirls regarding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., potentially challenging Schumer in the next primary. She has not formally declared a Senate bid. “Chuck Schumer just said the quiet part out loud: Democrats are gleefully inflicting pain on the American people over their push to give illegal aliens free healthcare,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement provided exclusively to Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Schumer recently shared with Fox News Digital remarks he made on the Senate floor. “Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown, the worse it gets for Americans — and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them. Each day our case to fix healthcare and end this shutdown gets better and better, stronger and stronger because families are opening their letters showing how high their premiums will climb if Republicans get their way. They’re seeing why this fight matters — it’s about protecting their healthcare, their bank accounts and their futures.”
Mamdani caught on camera getting chased out of Manhattan square; protester blasts him as ‘antisemite’
A dramatic video shows Zohran Mamdani chased out of a New York City square after an angry protester accused him of antisemitism and demanded he disavow Hezbollah and Sharia law. In the video shared on X, the self-identified socialist Democrat NYC mayoral candidate is seen getting cornered in Manhattan’s Foley Square on Friday as protesters shout and beat drums. His security agents usher him through the square toward a waiting vehicle while a man trails close, yelling, “Denounce Hezbollah! Denounce Sharia law!” ISRAEL CALLS PROMINENT DEMOCRAT ‘MOUTHPIECE FOR HAMAS’ IN BLISTERING OCT. 7 POST Protesters can be heard calling Mamdani an “antisemite” and refuse to back down as he follows him. When Mamdani’s security intervenes, guards form a protective barrier to guide him into a car, which then leaves the square. One protester holding a flag is seen pushing up to what looks like another security team member near the vehicle. Mamdani had been speaking at Foley Square to show solidarity with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who this week was hit with a mortgage fraud indictment related to a Virginia property she owns. Mamdani has been repeatedly pushed to repudiate Hezbollah and denounce slogans such as “Globalize the Intifada.” JEWISH LEADER PREDICTS VIOLENT FUTURE FOR NYC RESIDENTS IF MAMDANI WINS IN NOVEMBER: ‘REAL CONCERN’ In a June 2025 appearance on “Meet the Press,” Mamdani declined to do so fully, saying that policing language is not the role of a public official, though he affirmed his opposition to incitement to violence and antisemitism. Mamdani reflected on the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel on Tuesday, issuing a statement in memory of Israeli victims and hostages still held by Hamas. “Two years ago today, Hamas carried out a horrific war crime, killing more than 1,100 Israelis and kidnapping 250 more. I mourn these lives and pray for the safe return of every hostage still held and for every family whose lives were torn apart by these atrocities,” Mamdani said. “A death toll that now far exceeds 67,000; with the Israeli military bombing homes, hospitals and schools into rubble. NEW YORKERS SKEPTICAL AFTER ZOHRAN MAMDANI DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM PHRASE ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ “Every day in Gaza has become a place where grief itself has run out of language. I mourn these lives and pray for the families that have been shattered.” Mamdani’s statement was reposted by the Israeli Foreign Ministry (IFM) on X, where it accused him of “acting as a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda.” “By repeating Hamas’s lies, he excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism. He stands with Jews only when they are dead. Shameful,” the IFM post said. Mamdani’s press office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Biden undergoes radiation therapy for cancer, spokesperson says
Former President Joe Biden is entering a new phase of treatment for the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with in May. Biden is undergoing radiation therapy, a spokesperson for the former president told Fox News Saturday. Previously, he had been receiving routine scans, the spokesperson added. “As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” the spokesperson said. Biden was diagnosed four months ago with an “aggressive form” of metastatic prostate cancer after health officials detected a prostate nodule following increasing urinary symptoms. His office said the disease, though aggressive, is hormone-sensitive, meaning it may be effectively managed. JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH ‘AGGRESSIVE FORM’ OF PROSTATE CANCER WITH METASTASIS TO THE BONE Biden, who turns 83 next month, also underwent surgery Sept. 4 to remove cancerous skin cells through a procedure known as Mohs surgery, according to his spokesperson. BIDEN SPOTTED WITH GIANT BANDAGE ON HEAD AFTER HAVING SURGERY TO TREAT SKIN CANCER During his presidency, Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest, the White House previously said. Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor noted in February 2023 that a biopsy of skin tissue taken during a health assessment revealed cancerous cells, all of which were successfully removed. ‘SMALL NODULE’ FOUND IN BIDEN’S PROSTATE DURING ROUTINE EXAM, SPOKESPERSON SAYS Biden, who became the oldest U.S. president to serve in office, had placed a major focus on cancer treatment. While in office, he and former first lady Jill Biden revamped the Cancer Moonshot initiative to accelerate progress in cancer research. The project aimed to reduce the cancer death rate by 50% over the next 25 years. In 1988, Biden had two life-threatening brain aneurysms at age 45. Doctors said he had a 50% chance of surviving while serving as a U.S. senator for Delaware. Biden’s surgeries were successful, and there have been no reports of an aneurysm since. The news of Biden’s radiation treatment comes as President Donald Trump was reported to be in “excellent overall health,” according to a memo released by the White House on Friday. Trump underwent a routine semiannual physical last week at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In the evaluation summary, the president’s physician, Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, stated that Trump “remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance.” Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.