First on Fox: Republican firebrand Nancy Mace launches bid for South Carolina governor
EXCLUSIVE – Rep. Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican with a large national profile, on Monday declared her candidacy for Palmetto State governor. “I’m running to put South Carolina first,” Mace, a three-term House member who represents a coastal congressional district in the state’s Lowcountry, said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. Mace, as she launched her campaign, argued that “we can continue doing the things we’ve always done,” as she took aim at what she called “weak leadership” in the state. “Or we can chart a new course – one filled with common sense and bold policies to hold the line for South Carolina,” she emphasized. HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS MEMBER RALPH NORMAN JUMPS INTO SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR’S RACE And Mace went up on a newly launched campaign website with a 10-point agenda that she called “a clear, conservative, common sense roadmap to rebuild South Carolina from the ground up:” Mace followed her announcement with a campaign policy event Monday morning in Charleston at the Citadel, which is South Carolina’s public military college and her alma mater. “This morning I’m making it official,” she told supporters. “I’m running for governor because South Carolina doesn’t need another empty suit.” Mace enters a crowded GOP primary field in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who is the Palmetto State’s longest-serving governor. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell are all seeking the GOP nomination in the reliably red state. They were joined a week ago by Republican Rep. Ralph Norman, who declared his candidacy. SOUTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY GENERAL ALAN WILSON LAUNCHES BID FOR GOVERNOR Mace, in a recent interview with Fox News Digital ahead of her launch, said that “we’re starting out front, in the lead, and it’s a two-man race” between her and Wilson. And she pledged that “I will fight to the finish, and I will take out South Carolina’s Attorney General, because he’s turned a blind eye on women and on children and on the state for a lot of reasons. He might force me to do this.” Mace, in a bombshell speech on the U.S. House floor in February, alleged that Wilson ignored evidence of sexual assault against her and other women. In her hour-long speech, Mace accused four men, including her ex-fiance, of sexual crimes and said she was among the victims. Wilson vehemently denied Mace’s accusations, saying at the time “that allegation was never made to me — no one in my office.” Wilson, in a statement to Fox News a week ago, argued that “Nancy Mace is a liar who will do anything to get attention to distract from her liberal voting record. I’ve served our country and dedicated my civilian career to protecting children.” “Her attacks are, again, categorically false and are just a distraction from her liberal agenda,” he added. “South Carolina families need a Governor who will fight for our values, not someone who will compromise them for political gain and social media clicks.” And Wilson’s campaign highlighted that every sheriff in Mace’s congressional district has endorsed his campaign for governor. Mace, who dropped out of high school at age 17, and worked at a Waffle House before eventually becoming the first female graduate of the Citadel’s Corps of Cadets, won election to Congress in 2020. She defeated Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham, to become the state’s first Republican woman elected to the House. Mace, who worked on President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, strongly criticized his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, when Trump supporters attempted to upend congressional certification of now-former President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. NANCY MACE ARGUES RUSSIAGATE A ‘POLITICAL HIT JOB’ Trump backed a primary challenger against Mace when she was up for re-election in 2022, but she successfully won re-nomination and re-election. Mace later came to Trump’s defense after the then-former president was indicted for mishandling classified documents. And she endorsed Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, as he topped a large field of rivals, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Trump’s grip over the GOP, thanks to his 2024 victory to win back the White House, is stronger than ever, and his endorsements in GOP nomination races are extremely influential. Asked if she could land the president’s endorsement, Mace told Fox News Digital, “I’ll be working very hard if I get in to earn his support.” And in her campaign launch video, Mace uses a clip of Trump calling her a “fighter” in a speech, and adding that “when she sets her sight on something, she’s tough.” Mace has leaned hard into cultural issues in recent years, including leading the charge to prevent Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, the first openly transgender member of Congress, from using the women’s restrooms in the House. And Mace, in her campaign launch, vowed to defend what she called “biological reality and stop the radical gender agenda.” “No child is born in the wrong body. No boy belongs in a girls’ locker room. And no teenage girl should lose her scholarship to a boy in a skirt,” she argued. “I’ve already started shutting down this woke ideology at South Carolina schools, and will do significantly more to gut this abusive ideology and ship it out of state.” The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) criticized Mace as she launched her campaign. “Nancy Mace is an extreme, self-serving politician whose entrance into this race will only accelerate the Republican gubernatorial candidates’ race to the right. In Washington, Mace has worked to gut Medicaid and take away health care from millions, and she supports ending Social Security and Medicare as we know it. Now she wants to bring this extreme agenda to South Carolina,” DGA spokesperson Kevin Donohoe charged in a statement to Fox News.
Abbott threatens to remove House Dems from office following dramatic departure to avoid vote
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to arrest and expel the Texas House Democrats who fled the state to avoid a redistricting vote if they do not return by Monday afternoon. Dozens of Texas’ Democratic state representatives arrived in Chicago Sunday night to stall the vote. Shortly after Abbott released his statement, the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued a simple response, writing: “Come and take it.” The statement also described Republicans’ proposed districts, which would potentially secure five new GOP U.S. House seats in next year’s midterm elections, as a “racist mid-decade redistricting scheme.” Abbott criticized the Democrats’ dramatic departure, starting his call for them to return with, “real Texans don’t run from a fight.” TEXAS DEMOCRATS FLEE STATE TO BLOCK TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING VOTE IN DRAMATIC LEGISLATIVE MOVE “Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business,” he wrote. At least 100 members of the 150-member Texas House must be present to conduct business, and approximately 50 of the Democrats have left. Abbott said their commitment to voting as elected state officials is a duty and is “not optional.” The Texas House is set to reconvene at 3 p.m. on Monday and Abbott said the “derelict Democrat House members must return” by then or face being removed from their positions by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Republican AG has already stated that the lawmakers “should be found and arrested no matter where they go.” TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR Abbott also said a legislator determined to have “forfeited his or her office due to abandonment” can be removed from office under the Texas Constitution, thereby creating a vacancy, which the governor can “swiftly fill” under Article III, Section 13. Removal from office is not the only threat facing the lawmakers on the run, as Abbott warned that “soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules” is potentially a felony. “Any Democrat who ‘solicits, accepts or agrees to accept’ such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws,” he wrote, citing the Texas Penal Code. He added that anyone who “offers, confers or agrees to confer” money to the fleeing lawmakers could also face charges. Abbott concluded his statement by saying he will “use [his] full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons.” The proposal’s current design, which is not final, would tilt traditionally blue cities like Dallas and Houston in favor of Republicans, and would move Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett out of her own district, according to a previous Fox News Digital report. During a news conference in Chicago on Sunday, House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu said the lawmakers are “not here to play political games. We’re here to demand an end to this corrupt process.” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker shared his support for the Texas Democrats during the news conference, describing their departure as a “righteous act of courage,” while claiming Republicans want to silence “millions of voices, especially Black and Latino voters.” “Texas Democrats were left with no choice but to leave their home state, block a vote from taking place and protect their constituents,” Pritzker said. The lawmakers have not stated a potential timeline for returning to Texas.
Republican Dooley jumps into Georgia’s Senate race while touting support for Trump and taking aim at Ossoff
There’s a new Republican candidate jumping into one of the most crucial Senate races in the 2026 midterm elections. Former longtime football coach Derek Dooley highlighted his outsider credentials, took aim at Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, and showcased his support for President Donald Trump as he declared his candidacy on Monday. “I’m running because our state needs new leadership in Washington D.C., and professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem,” Dooley said in a statement and video as he launched his campaign. Dooley argued that “our state doesn’t have a voice in the U.S. Senate who reflects Georgia values because Ossoff is more concerned with protecting his own political future, opposing everything the Trump administration is working to accomplish, and repeatedly voting with the extreme left.” TRUMP HOUSE ALLY REP. MIKE COLLINS JUMPS INTO BATTLEGROUND GEORGIA’S SENATE RACE And he pledged that if elected to the Senate, “I’ll work with President Trump to implement his agenda, support his Administration, and move our country forward.” POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR PASSES ON SENATE BID IN 2026 The Senate race in Georgia is crucial for Republicans aiming to expand their current 53-47 Senate majority, as they view Ossoff, who is running for re-election in a battleground state that Trump narrowly carried in last year’s presidential contest, as the most vulnerable Democrat on the ballot in next year’s midterms. Dooley, who is the son of the late, legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, was a college football player who later served as a head coach at Louisiana Tech University and the University of Tennessee as well as an assistant coach in the National Football League. While this is his first run for public office, Republican sources confirm to Fox News that he’s expected to have the endorsement of Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia’s popular two-term conservative Republican governor. Dooley becomes the third major Republican candidate currently in Georgia’s Senate race. Two-term Rep. Mike Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company who represents a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta, announced his candidacy a week ago. Collins, a Trump ally and supporter in the House, showcased his support for the president in his campaign launch. And Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring. He is also courting the president’s support. Dooley appeared to take a jab at his two rivals for the nomination, saying “I’m not part of the political establishment, and I haven’t spent my life climbing the D.C. political ladder.” He pledged that he’s “running to put Georgia First and bring common sense to D.C. Georgians know biological men shouldn’t be playing in women’s sports, hardworking people should keep more of their money, and opening our borders makes us less safe.” The Collins campaign, in a video posted to social media Monday morning, questioned Dooley’s support for Trump. The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC), in a statement, argued that “the latest addition to Georgia’s messy and chaotic GOP primary is a failed football coach who has only ever spoken out to cheerlead Medicaid cuts that hurt Georgians.” “As this primary gets even more crowded and devolves into a proxy war between President Trump and Governor Kemp, Senator Ossoff is fighting for working families in Georgia and will hold his seat in 2026,” DSCC spokesperson Maeve Coyle added. Dooley is a longtime friend of Kemp, and two of the governor’s top political advisers are helping Dooley with his Senate run. The term-limited Kemp, who was heavily recruited by national Republicans to take on Ossoff but who earlier this year passed on launching his own Senate campaign in 2026, has made it clear in recent days that he would be backing Dooley, sources familiar confirmed to Fox News. Meanwhile, sources in Trump’s political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirmed to Fox News that there was an agreement between the president’s political operation and Kemp’s political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race. Those sources also confirmed that Kemp and Trump – the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics – met last month to discuss the Senate race in Georgia. TRUMP TEAM ‘PISSED OFF’ WITH REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE SENATE NOMINATION RACE But when the governor floated the name of former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, a source close to the president’s political team said “they were told to stand down, because Trump’s team wasn’t ready to move forward on anybody.” And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trump’s advisers, who, according to sources, were “already pretty annoyed” that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race. “We had a deal to work together,” a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News recently. “Kemp went out on his own – which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit.” But a source close to the governor told Fox News that it’s factually not true that they were told to stand down on Dooley. And the source added that Kemp meant what he said that he wants to work with the president and his team and remains that way.
Trump accuses Senate Democrats of using nominee confirmations as leverage for funding deals
President Donald Trump alleged that Senate Democrats are possibly delaying his nominees in exchange for money in a heated post on Truth Social Sunday night. In the post, Trump accused Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of slowing down the confirmations of more than 150 executive nominees. “Democrats, lead[sic] by Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, are slow walking my Nominees, more than 150 of them. They wanted us to pay, originally, two billion dollars for approvals. The Dems are CRAZED LUNATICS!!!” the post read. He implied that Democrats were leveraging the process to extract funding agreements — a tactic his associates have described as “political extortion.” DEMS DIG IN, TRUMP DEMANDS ALL: NOMINEE FIGHT BOILS OVER IN SENATE AS GOP LOOKS FOR A DEAL Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., met with Schumer recently to discuss an offer during ongoing negotiations, but they have not readdressed it directly since choosing to communicate through intermediaries, according to Thune. While Trump has urged the Senate to make quick moves, Democrats continue to block more nominees than normal. “I think they’re desperately in need of change,” Thune said of Senate rules Saturday after negotiations with Schumer and Trump broke down. “I think that the last six months have demonstrated that this process, nominations is broken. And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about that.” Historically, nominees have been confirmed unanimously or by voice vote quickly, but Senate Dems have been reportedly forcing roll-call votes on many of the current nominees. SENATE GOP EYES RULES REVOLT AS DEMS STONEWALL TRUMP NOMINEES Thune told Fox News Digital that not much headway was being made as “the Dems are dug in on a position that’s just not working.” Senate Republicans want to strike a deal that would send nominees with bipartisan support through committee to lightning-fast votes on the floor, but Schumer has not relented. Trump’s claims come after the Senate left Saturday for a month-long August recess without coming to a deal on advancing dozens of nominees, which prompted him to post on Truth Social that Schumer could “GO TO HELL.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Trump says he now ‘loves’ Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad after learning she’s a registered Republican
President Trump on Sunday reacted positively upon learning actress Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, adding that he now finds her viral American Eagle ad campaign to be “fantastic.” “She’s a registered Republican?” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question about his thoughts on her political affiliation. “Oh, now I love her ad.” SYDNEY SWEENEY’S IMAGE IS ‘FORTIFIED BUNKER’ DESPITE AMERICAN EAGLE AD, MAGA-STYLE HAT UPROAR: EXPERT The President added, “You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans. That’s what I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.” The “Euphoria” actress’ voter registration has surfaced as she faces backlash for her controversial American Eagle jeans campaign. Since June 2024, she has been registered with the Republican Party of Florida in Monroe County, the New York Post reported, citing public voter records. Earlier this week, American Eagle released their latest campaign with the actress, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” Following the launch, there was a mix of reactions on social media. Some critics said the billboard’s play on “genes” versus “jeans” echoed eugenics-era slogans, though supporters argued it was a lighthearted marketing gimmick. AMERICAN EAGLE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS AFTER SYDNEY SWEENEY CAMPAIGN SPARKS ONLINE BACKLASH Some dubbed the campaign as “tone-deaf” due to the alleged racial undertones, while others have praised the actress for killing “woke” advertising. In a promo video posted to the brand’s Instagram, the 27-year-old walked toward an AE billboard featuring her and the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.” Sweeney crossed out “Genes” and replaced it with “Jeans” before walking away. JD VANCE SOUNDS OFF ON SYDNEY SWEENEY AD UPROAR, MOCKS LEFT’S ‘NAZI’ STRATEGY On Friday, Vice President JD Vance had some fun at the expense of the left over its wild response to the American Eagle ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. “My political advice to the Democrats is continue to tell everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi. That appears to be their actual strategy,” Vance joked during Friday’s appearance on the “Ruthless” podcast. Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Texas Democrats flee state to block Trump-backed redistricting vote in dramatic legislative move
Dozens of Texas Democrats are fleeing the state to block a redistricting vote that could benefit Republicans, marking a dramatic effort to derail an upcoming legislative process. The lawmakers flew to Chicago where they plan to hold a press conference with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker later on Sunday, according to local Austin station KVUE. At least 100 members of the 150-member Texas House must be present to conduct business. Josh Rush Nisenson, the spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus, told The Associated Press that at least 51 Democratic members are leaving the state. Republicans currently hold 25 of the state’s 38 seats. They are being supported in their efforts to redistrict by President Donald Trump. TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN The redistricting proposal, which was introduced by Texas House Republicans last week, would likely net five new Republican U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, defended the Democrats’ last-ditch effort in a statement on Sunday. “This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity,” Wu said. But leaving the state could expose the Democrats to penalties, including fines, and Attorney General Ken Paxton previously threatened to arrest them over the civil violation. “[T]hey should be found and arrested no matter where they go,” the attorney general said. TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR Although the proposal could still change, its current design would tilt traditionally Democratic cities like Dallas and Houston in favor of Republicans. A previous Fox News Digital report found that the new gerrymandered map would move Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett out of her own district. DNC Chair Ken Martin showed support for Texas Democrats on Sunday, writing that “[f]or too long, Donald Trump and Republicans have tried to get away with rigging the system, breaking the rules, and scheming to hold onto power.” “The DNC is proud to support these legislators in standing up and showing real leadership,” he said. “We will fight alongside them to stop this anti-democratic assault. And, after this fight is done, we’re coming full force for the Republicans’ House majority.” Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows issued a warning to Democrats on Sunday. “The Texas House will be convening at 3:00pm tomorrow,” he wrote on X. “If a quorum is not present then, to borrow the recent talking points from some of my Democrat colleagues, all options will be on the table. . .” Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias, Maggie Kerkman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senate drives off for recess, leaving Trump’s 150+ stalled confirmations in its wake
As lawmakers depart Washington for a month-long recess, more than 150 of President Donald Trump’s nominees remain in limbo, awaiting Senate confirmation or further action amid stalled proceedings and deepening partisan gridlock. Key positions across Trump’s administration remain unfilled, with the judiciary and diplomatic posts bearing the brunt of the backlog. THUNE VOWS TO ‘GRIND DOWN’ DEMOCRATS AS TRUMP’S NOMINEES FACE ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ SENATE OBSTRUCTION Former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is still awaiting Senate confirmation for his nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Likewise, Andrew Puzder has yet to be confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, an especially significant post given that the EU is one of America’s largest trading partners. At the Department of Justice, Stanley Woodward is nominated to serve as associate attorney general, while Patrick Davis awaits confirmation as assistant attorney general for legislative affairs. Nominations for several lawyers at U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Pennsylvania and South Dakota remain pending confirmation. DEMS DIG IN, TRUMP DEMANDS ALL: NOMINEE FIGHT BOILS OVER IN SENATE Congress left town on Saturday after confirming only a few nominees, with no bipartisan deal in place to advance the bulk of Trump’s pending appointments. Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and New York judge and prosecutor, was among the seven of Trump’s nominees swiftly confirmed on Saturday. PIRRO CONFIRMED AS D.C. U.S. ATTORNEY AMID PARTISAN CLASH AS DEM NOMINEE BLOCKADE CONTINUES Pirro’s confirmation as U.S. Attorney for D.C. comes as dozens of interim prosecutors aligned with Trump’s judicial agenda approach the end of their 120-day term limit. After that, appointment to these key roles shifts to the courts if no Senate-confirmed successor is in place. Following the collapse of bipartisan talks on Saturday, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the confirmation process as “broken,” emphasizing that Senate rules governing nominations are “desperately in need of change.” Meanwhile, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said a rules change would be a “huge mistake” in speeding up the pace of confirmations. He also added that lawmakers have “never seen nominees as flawed, as compromised, as unqualified as we have right now.”
Dr. Oz touts investment in Medicaid: ‘I’m trying to save this beautiful program’
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz says the Trump administration plans to invest more than $200 billion “more dollars” into Medicaid following the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” “I’m trying to save this beautiful program, this noble effort, to help folks, giving them a hand up,” Oz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “And as you probably gather, if Medicaid isn’t able to take care of the people for whom it was designed, the young children, the dawn of their life, those who are twilight of their lives, the seniors, and those who were disabled living in the shadows, as Hubert Humphrey said, then we’re not satisfying the fundamental obligation of a moral government,” he continued. Oz, the 17th administrator for CMS, said the government wants “an appropriate return” on the Medicaid investment. He addressed the difference in drug costs between the U.S. and Europe, adding that work is being done by the administration in an attempt to bring drug prices down. TRUMP TO UNVEIL NEW MAHA INITIATIVES AT ‘MAKE HEALTH TECH GREAT AGAIN’ WHITE HOUSE EVENT Last week, the Trump administration announced it is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies, promising that this will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. CMS will be in charge of maintaining the system, and officials have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. TOP TRUMP HEALTH OFFICIAL SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR ‘MISLEADING’ CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM Those officials said patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. “We’re going to have remarkable advances in how consumers can use their own records,” Oz said during the White House event. CMS already has troves of information on more than 140 million Americans who enroll in Medicare and Medicaid. Earlier this month, the federal agency agreed to hand over its massive database, including home addresses, to deportation officials. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas GOP’s new map would move Rep. Crockett’s home out of her district, slash Dem seats
A gerrymandered map proposed by the Texas GOP would kick firebrand Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett out of her own district and likely add more House seats to the Lone Star’s Republican delegation. Last week, Texas House Republicans introduced a redistricting proposal that could net five new GOP seats. The draft congressional map, which is likely to change before approval by both state legislative chambers, aims to redraw district lines to include more Republican-leaning areas in Democratic strongholds like Dallas and Houston. TEXAS DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO FLEE STATE AND BREAK QUORUM OVER REDISTRICTING PLAN Crockett, who serves Texas’ 30th Congressional District, which represents a large part of Dallas, has called the redistricting effort “a power grab to silence voters.” She has claimed that before Republicans unveiled the map, she was asked to verify her address alongside other incumbent Democratic members of Congress. TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN The rare mid-decade redistricting effort may also force some Democratic lawmakers into primary battles against fellow incumbents as seats become more limited. For example, if the map were adopted, Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who currently represents Texas’ 37th Congressional District in the Austin area, would be placed in the same district as Rep. Greg Casar, who serves the neighboring 35th District, also anchored in Austin. Last week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called fighting the proposed map an “all-hands-on-deck moment.” “We will fight them politically. We will fight them governmentally. We will fight them in court. We will fight them in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the people of Texas and beyond,” Jeffries said last week during a press conference in Austin. Jeffries said that while corporations and universities fall in line with Trump, “Texas Democrats will not bend the knee.” COURT SIDETRACKS REDISTRICTING FIGHT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE Standing alongside Jeffries, Texas Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher warned that redistricting efforts like those in the Lone Star State could spread nationwide as part of a broader push to bolster Republican power. “People across the country are watching what we are doing in Texas,” Fletcher said.
Kamala Harris back in national spotlight as James Comer floats subpoena in Biden ‘cover-up’ probe
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is back in the national spotlight with her forthcoming book about her short-lived 2024 White House campaign, and she is generating a buzz about whether she’ll try again in 2028. While politicos are keenly watching Harris for her next moves, she’s also being eyed by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., who is investigating whether top Biden administration officials covered up evidence of a mental decline in former President Joe Biden. Comer all but guaranteed his committee would be contacting Harris during an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle” last week. He joined Fox News Channel just after Harris announced she would not be running for governor of California, as some have speculated, and will instead embark on a listening tour to hear from Americans and try to boost fellow Democrats across the country. “I think that that’s another great thing about Kamala Harris not running for governor – she’s gonna have more time to come before the House Oversight Committee and testify about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline,” Comer said. “So I think that the odds of Kamala Harris getting a subpoena are very high.” COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ During a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Harris distanced herself from any immediate electoral ambitions. She emphasized she wanted to hear from all voters, however, not necessarily ruling out a future presidential run. “I believe, and I always believed, that as fragile as our democracy is, our systems would be strong enough to defend our most fundamental principles. And I think right now that, they’re not as strong as they need to be,” Harris said. “And I just don’t want to for now, I don’t want to go back in the system. I want to, I want to travel the country. I want to listen to people. I want to talk with people. And I don’t want it to be transactional, where I’m asking for their vote.” RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE Jonathan Turley, a Fox News contributor and professor at George Washington University Law School, told Fox News Digital the optics of a congressional subpoena would be less than ideal for a potential 2028 candidate. “This is a tough question for Harris, who clearly has aspirations to run again,” Turley said when asked if he would advise Harris to appear. “The committee can compel her to appear. However, the optics of forcing a subpoena are not exactly optimal for someone who wants to run again for this office.” He added, however, that Harris would be a “natural” target for Comer’s probe. “Harris held a unique spot within the inner circle of the White House,” Turley said. But both he and former House Oversight Committee ChairTrey Gowdy, R-S.C., now a Fox News Channel host, were doubtful that bringing Harris in would yield much new information. “Is it worth investigating? Absolutely. Is it worth getting her take on it? Yeah. Is she going to cooperate? No,” Gowdy told Fox News Digital. The former South Carolina congressman, who also served as a federal prosecutor, predicted that Harris’ lawyers would seek to bury any potential appearance in a quagmire of legal proceedings stemming from executive and/or presidential privilege claims. “That privilege has been invoked by both parties repeatedly during congressional investigations,” Gowdy said. “Leaving the names out of it, just for the sake of an analogy, I can’t think of an advisor that would be closer to a president than his or her vice president. So, by the time you’re litigating the issue of whether or not you can compel a vice president to talk about conversations that he or she had with a chief of staff, with a spouse, with the president, with the president’s physician – you’ll be as old as I am by the time that’s litigated.” Turley said House investigators would have to be armed with “specific” questions to avoid someone like Harris being able to answer with “a matter of opinion.” Gowdy agreed Harris was a “legitimate” witness to bring in and that the issue of Biden’s autopen use, particularly for pardons, “warrants further scrutiny.” He warned, however, that a potent subpoena comes with consequences for noncompliance. “Prosecutors can send cops and have [people] brought in. Congress can’t do that. Judges can send the marshals or the sheriff’s deputies out to bring a witness in if the witness is recalcitrant. Congress can’t do that,” Gowdy said. “So your power is only as good as what you can do to enforce it.” A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on Comer’s subpoena threat when reached by Fox News Digital. Spokespeople for Harris and House Oversight Committee Democrats did not return requests for comment.