Minnesota House deadlocked after Democrats win special election to fill seat of slain lawmaker
Democrats will hold onto the legislative seat once held by Melissa Hortman, the former Democratic Minnesota House speaker who, along with her husband, was killed at their home in June in what prosecutors describe as a political assassination. Democratic Party nominee Xp Lee defeated Republican nominee Ruth Bittner in a special election Tuesday in a suburban Minneapolis state House district, according to the Associated Press. Lee’s victory in the blue-leaning district will once again deadlock the Minnesota House, with Democrats and Republicans each holding 67 seats in the chamber. And it will restore a power-sharing deal between the two parties hammered out after the Democrats lost their majority in the 2024 elections. MINNESOTA GOV. WALZ LAUNCHES BID FOR THIRD TERM: ‘I’M STAYING IN THE FIGHT’ The special election was held a week after the assassination of conservative firebrand, commentator, and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk rocked the nation and thrust Hortman’s murder back into the spotlight. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION Prosecutors charge that alleged gunman Vance Boelter impersonated a police officer as he carried out what they call the “political assassinations” of Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter is also charged with shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their nearby home. Lee, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled the Vietnam War, told the AP ahead of the election that continuing Hortman’s legacy was a major motivator in his campaign. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS “I wouldn’t be running if it wasn’t for the murder of Melissa Hortman. So, I am very conscious of political and gun violence. So, I want to help our community heal,” Lee said. Bittner, a real estate agent, told public radio in Minnesota that Hortman “was a very unique individual. We will not be trying to replace her.” Minnesota was further rocked by violence late last month, when two young school children were killed and 21 people injured in a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Social Security pushes back on Warren, touts transparency and service under Trump
The Social Security Administration is pushing back against Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., after she accused the agency of removing key data and covering up dysfunction. In a Sept. 16, 2025 letter and data report shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano claimed Warren’s analysis was inaccurate. He said the agency is more transparent and performing better under the Trump administration than it did under the prior administration. The documents reflect SSA’s position and have not been independently verified. “SSA currently reports nearly three times the number of data elements on the performance webpage under the Trump Administration (30) than it did under the Biden Administration (11),” Bisignano wrote. EXCLUSIVE: MEDICAID DIRECTS STATES TO CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENROLLEES WITH MONTHLY CHECKS “These facts conclusively demonstrate that you are wrong in alleging a lack of transparency.” He also pushed back on Warren’s charge of a cover-up, saying SSA has made improvements in customer service, including “shorter wait times on the phones and in offices, as well as reduced backlogs.” Bisignano said 81 percent of performance measures are better than before, with the rest about the same. According to SSA’s data, average phone wait times dropped from 29 minutes in 2024 to 16 minutes in 2025, with August down to just 9 minutes. SOCIAL SECURITY STRONGER UNDER TRUMP, CRITICS PUSHING ‘FALSE’ NARRATIVE, COMMISSIONER SAYS Pending disability determinations fell from nearly 1.2 million in August 2024 to about 907,000 a year later. Disability claim processing sped up from 231 days to 217 days. SSA reports retirement and survivor claims were processed on time 87% of the time in August 2025. Bisignano wrote that the agency’s goal is to become a “digital-first” operation that runs efficiently and serves people whether they call, visit an office or use the website. He said constant monitoring of key performance indicators is part of that effort. He also urged Warren to work with SSA instead of spreading what he called “fearmongering and reckless lies that Social Security is going away.” “The time has come to stop weaponizing Social Security,” he wrote. “The American people do not want a Social Security War Room. They want their leaders to protect and preserve Social Security, just as President Trump has promised.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The office of Senator Elizabeth Warren did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Red hats and chants of ‘USA’ mark vigil honoring slain conservative leader Charlie Kirk: ‘Act’
A candlelight vigil at Desert Financial Arena on Arizona State University’s campus Monday highlighted Charlie Kirk’s legacy. The campus is just miles from Turning Point USA’s headquarters. Volunteers sported “I am Charlie” T-shirts, and many attendees wore red, including MAGA hats, to show their support for the slain conservative leader. The speakers used the moment to channel the tragedy into activism and share the Christian faith, including many of his close friends and colleagues. CHARLIE KIRK VIGILS HELD AT UNIVERSITIES ACROSS AMERICA FOLLOWING ASSASSINATION OF CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST “2026 is going to be the Charlie Kirk election. 2028 will be the Kirk-Vance election,” Tyler Bowyer, who runs Turning Point Action, said as volunteers were registering voters at the events. Bowyer encouraged people to use the tragedy as an opportunity to get active in the conservative movement, specifically calling on people to register to vote. Peter Gentala, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said it’s “personal” when a “great man dies,” speaking highly of the influence Kirk had in the Grand Canyon State and the nation. At times, the attendees chanted “Charlie” and “U-S-A” during the vigil organized by Arizona State University’s College Republicans chapter and TPUSA. FROM GRIEF TO GROWTH: TURNING POINT USA BECOMES A RALLYING FORCE FOR GEN Z IN BATTLEGROUND ARIZONA “Act. Start a Turning Point chapter, get involved in a Turning Point chapter, register to vote, register other people to vote and share your faith with others,” Troy Holderby, president of ASU College Republicans, told Fox News Digital. “This is gonna be a game changer for our entire country. We’re gonna see substantial amounts of people coming to vote for our country because Charlie Kirk cared about that.” Luke Mosiman, chairman of the Arizona Young Republicans, told Fox News Digital this tragedy could be a defining moment for Generation Z because Kirk held a strong influence among young Americans. ‘SLEEPING GIANT’ LIKELY WOKE UP FOR TURNING POINT USA AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION “So many people are looking at this right now, and they’re realizing that American culture and the left as a whole has rotted America’s ability to have a dialogue, and I think Gen Z will hold strong to the ideas of the First Amendment,” he added. After Kirk’s assassination Wednesday, his casket was flown on Air Force Two to Phoenix, where a large celebration of life service is slated for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Bowyer posted to X Tuesday that voter registration efforts will be underway at Sunday’s event. “County Recorder [Justin Heap] is providing as many Voter Registration forms as humanly printable and possible for Charlie’s celebration of life this Sunday. We anticipate tens of thousands of new voters will register this week in AZ and across the country in CK’s honor,” Bowyer wrote. Large memorial displays have been set up outside the Hansen Mortuary Chapel, where his casket is being held, as well as outside TPUSA’s headquarters in south Phoenix. A 19-year-old man is facing vandalism charges for allegedly trying to destroy the memorial on Sunday, which was seen by Fox News cameras.
House plans Thursday vote on government funding bill to extend spending through November
This is cobbled together from speaking to multiple sources on both sides of the Capitol. The House is now aiming to vote Thursday on the “clean” interim spending bill which would fund the government through November 27. But Republicans must first get the bill through the House. Several senior House Republican sources said that they were still talking to the “usual suspects.” Republicans can only lose two votes to pass a bill on their own. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) expressed confidence he could hold all of his Democrats together and oppose the bill. Jeffries said that will be the focus of a Democratic Caucus on Thursday. TRUMP PRESSURES REPUBLICANS TO PASS A CONTINUING RESOLUTION TO AVERT A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN It is also still not a done deal that the House would move on Thursday. This could slip to Friday. There is now the distinct possibility of a weekend session in the Senate, potentially Saturday. Here’s why: If the House approves the government funding package, this must go through two rounds of “cloture” to break a filibuster. That needs 60 yeas. It is advantageous to Senate Republicans to have the House approve the bill Thursday. If so, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) can file cloture to set up a test vote on Saturday. By rule, the Senate cannot take that test vote without an “intervening day.” SCOOP: GOP RAMPS UP SHUTDOWN FIGHT, TARGETS 25 VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS IN NEW AD BLITZ To wit: Let’s say the House theoretically approves the bill on Thursday. Thune gets the bill on Thursday and files cloture to cut off debate and break a filibuster. Friday is the “intervening day.” That tees up a procedural vote just to get onto the bill (needing 60 yeas) on Saturday in the Senate. But if the House votes (and passes) the CR on Friday, none of this can happen until Sunday. There’s the rub: Multiple Senate Republicans want to attend Charlie Kirk’s funeral in Arizona on Sunday. So, a Saturday scenario is much better for the GOP. Why not wait until Monday, you may ask? GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS Well, the Senate is scheduled to be out for Rosh Hashanah next week. Same with the House. Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown Monday and runs through nightfall Wednesday. So, the Senate could punt and deal with it next Thursday. However, the Senate also needs to take another procedural vote down the road if it could ever get 60 yeas (more on that in a moment) to finish the bill. So, it may be helpful to do this sooner rather than later. That said, one senior Senate GOP source suggested to Fox that the Senate could remain in session through Rosh Hashanah to deal with the procedural steps. That could be interpreted as a direct sleight to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking Jewish figure in American political history. Keep in mind, the government is funded through 11:59:59 p.m. ET Sept. 30. So, they have time. But the period is collapsed because of the scheduled recess next week. Regardless, the Senate needs 60 yeas to break a filibuster. Republicans only have 53 votes in the Senate, 52 if Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) opposes an interim spending bill. This is why Republicans are trying to blame a potential shutdown on the Democrats. And Democrats are saying they need something (likely a renewal of Obamacare subsidies) in exchange for their votes. And there will likely be a lot more drama between now and the end of the month.
DC comic book writer says ‘no regrets’ after her Charlie Kirk posts led to cancellation of Batman spin-off
DC Comics has canceled its Batman spin-off “Red Hood” after the series’ writer mocked the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, sparking outrage online. Despite the fallout, the writer has since doubled down on her remarks. The series was canceled by DC Comics after screenshots circulated online of inflammatory social media posts from transgender author Gretchen Felker-Martin making a joke out of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying she hoped the bullet was OK after hitting Kirk, and calling him a “Nazi b—-.” A spokesperson for DC Comics confirmed that the entire “Red Hood” series had been canceled, including both existing and future orders. Sellers were reportedly invited to return any issues they already received, as the first book in the series had already been shipped by the time the series was canceled. “Two days ago, I made a glib joke about Kirk’s death. It was irresistible to me,” Felker-Martin wrote on her Patreon blog in response to the fallout. “I stand by the sentiment of what I said. Kirk was evil. He can no longer hurt us, even if his cruelty will linger like a bad smell for decades to come.” CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN ‘TAKEN OVER’ BY LEFTIST IDEOLOGY WHILE FBI PROBES WIDER PLOT: BONGINO Felker-Martin added in an interview with The Comics Journal that she had “no regrets” for what she said about Kirk. “I’ve listened to Charlie Kirk being an overt Nazi for years of my life, and I had no regrets for what I said about him.” CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN CONFESSED IN DISCORD CHAT, REPORT SAYS Felker-Martin, who has been known for making a stir with her posts on social media, told The Comics Journal that her superiors at DC Comics had also expressed concern about her outspokenness online prior to the Kirk incident. The concern followed media reports exposing Felker-Martin’s alleged celebration of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre of over 1,000 innocent Israelis. “At DC Comics, we place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints,” a spokesperson for DC Comics told Fox News Digital. “Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct.” Felker-Martin did concede in her interview with The Comics Journal that she exhibited “a moment of poor impulse control” when posting the comments about Kirk. “I can only put it down to really just a moment of poor impulse control,” she said. “Had I thought for another second, of course I would’ve known [that it would be a problem for DC], and naturally, as soon as I had said it, I did know.” However, in first-hand remarks on her Patreon, Felker-Martin exhibited virtually no regret for her comments. “To say that Kirk was hoisted by his own petard in the most literal sense of the idiom (a petard is an early form of bomb or mine, typically stone or fired clay filled with black powder, a medieval predecessor to the bullet) is to reduce the scope of his evil for the sake of a glib summary,” the author wrote in her response on Patreon. “The violent hypocrisy of men like Kirk make that glibness almost irresistible, but behind it is a much larger and more pressing truth, a vital illustration of how violence is brought into the world, what we expect that violence to do, and who is permitted to create and wield it.” In addition to Felker-Martin’s work on “Red Hood,” she has also written for Time Magazine and published multiple science-fiction and horror genre books that have garnered best-seller accolades. In one of her books, titled “Manhunt,” Felker-Martin writes about the fictionalized murder of anti-transgender activist and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who is killed when her castle catches fire and collapses on her. Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Felker-Martin to request comment for this story, but did not receive a response.
Pritzker swiftly fact-checked after claiming he never derided GOP with dictatorship comparison: ‘Pathological’
Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was swiftly fact-checked by conservatives on social media for claiming he “never called Republicans ‘Nazis’” as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle traded barbs on heightened political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “That is completely false. I have never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’” Pritzker said Monday while fielding questions from the media during a press conference where the Democratic state leader accused President Donald Trump of “actively fanning the flames of division” following Kirk’s Wednesday murder. Pritzker, who has condemned Kirk’s shocking assassination as “horrifying,” came under fire earlier in September when he claimed the “president’s rhetoric often foments” political violence. Now, the Democratic governor is facing impeachment efforts from state Republicans for rhetoric they claim has incited violence, and for his claims linking Nazi Germany to the GOP. MAHER SAYS COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER MUST END, WARNS IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR KILLERS TO JUSTIFY ASSASSINATIONS Conservatives on social media unleashed on Pritzker for claiming he has “never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’” pointing to his February State of the State address. Pritzker did not explicitly call Republicans “Nazis,” but compared the newly minted Trump administration to the rise of Nazi Germany. “The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic,” Pritzker said in February. “Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance,” Pritzker added. “Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the ‘tragic spirit of despair’ overcome us when our country needs us the most.” Republicans and conservatives in the state took to X to compare his previous comments on Republicans and Nazi Germany to his press conference remarks. FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’ “Governor Pritzker claims he’s never called Republicans Nazis, but his own words suggest otherwise,” the Illinois House Republicans posted to X Monday, accompanied by videos comparing the governor’s remarks. “Pritzker Today: I’ve never called Republican’s Nazi’s Pritzker in February: ‘Pritzker Compares Trump Administration’s Approach to Nazi Germany During State Budget Address,’” the Illinois Republican Party similarly posted to X. Critics slammed the governor as “pathological” and a “liar,” saying that his public remarks are forever achieved on the internet. Others on X pointed to Pritzker’s remarks from April during a speech in New Hampshire promoting mass mobilization against Republicans while declaring they “cannot know a moment of peace.” DONALD TRUMP JR. WARNS POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS ‘NOT GOING BOTH WAYS’ AS HE MOURNS CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH “Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption — but I am now,” he said, Fox News Digital reported at the time. “These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They have to understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box. They must feel in their bones … that we will relegate their portraits to the museum halls reserved for tyrants and traitors.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office Tuesday morning regarding the criticisms from Republicans over the comparison and the recent impeachment efforts in the state but did not immediately receive a reply. Pritzker is facing renewed impeachment efforts from state Republicans following the assassination of Kirk. Conservatives nationwide have argued that leftists deriding conservatives as “fascists,” “Nazis” and serving as threats to democracy led to the violence that claimed Kirk’s life. Illinois Republican state Rep. Chris Miller filed articles of impeachment against Pritzker earlier in September, claiming the governor “has engaged in conduct which, under the totality of the circumstances, constitutes inciting violence which is incompatible with the duties of his office.” Illinois Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg filed an impeachment resolution against the governor Monday while invoking the assassination of Kirk. JB PRITZKER CONDEMNS POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH, SAYS TRUMP’S RHETORIC ‘OFTEN FOMENTS IT’ “Pritzker’s remarks are providing legitimacy to radicals who are committing these heinous crimes against people like Charlie Kirk,” Niemerg said in a statement, Capitol News Illinois reported. “If it were one isolated incident — it would be one thing but there is a pattern here.” Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is the only governor in the state’s history to be impeached and removed from office in 2009, following federal corruption charges. Impeachment efforts in the state require involvement from both the General Assembly and state Senate to move forward — making the effort unlikely as both chambers are controlled by Democrats in the deep blue state. Pritzker continued in his Monday press conference remarks that Trump has encouraged American division, while calling for political rhetoric across the board to be toned down. “This should come from the top, but with each crisis in the last few years, we can’t rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence,” he said Monday. “Instead, he actively fans the flames of division as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution, and in more than one case, declares that we are at war, not with a foreign adversary, but with each other. I don’t believe any of that.” Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while attending an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday. A single shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck while he sat under a tent on campus and spoke with students. Kirk was a conservative movement powerhouse, championing faith and family policies to young adults, most notably on college campuses. He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, ages one and three. Kirk’s funeral is
Dozens of House Dems vote against crackdown on DC youth crime after Trump backs off capital police
The House of Representatives passed a pair of bills aimed at cracking down on crime in Washington, D.C., late on Tuesday afternoon, with dozens of Democrats voting against each one. The first bill advanced through the House was the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or the DC CRIMES Act. It passed the House by a 240-179 vote, with all “no” votes coming from Democrats. Just 31 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. That legislation, led by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., would reduce the maximum statutory age of a youth offender from 24 to 18, meaning people in their late teens are eligible to be tried as adults. GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM It would also bar judges in most cases from being able to hand down sentences lower than the stated mandatory minimum for juvenile offenders. House lawmakers also advanced a bill led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, that would make juvenile offenders as young as 14 eligible to be tried as adults, if accused of certain violent crimes. That age limit is currently at 16. The bill covers crimes including murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense, according to a press release on Gill’s website. The latter bill passed the House by a 225-203 vote. Even fewer Democrats, just eight, voted with Republicans on the measure. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also voted against the bill. It comes days after President Donald Trump’s 30-day emergency order federalizing D.C. police expired, with no moves from Congress or the White House to push for an extension. Trump signaled he could still extend his hold on local law enforcement, though he showed little appetite to do so. “We have virtually no crime in D.C. right now, and we’re going to keep it that way. It’s our nation’s capital. We’re going to keep it that way or we’re going to federalize it if we have to. But we don’t have to anymore because it’s in such great shape,” the president told reporters on Monday. Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order earlier this month instructing local police to cooperate with several federal law enforcement agencies, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was notably excluded from the list. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS Democrats in Congress have responded with fierce opposition to Trump’s crackdown on D.C., including the capital city’s non-voting representative in the House, Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., blasted the legislation that passed on Tuesday in comments to Fox News Digital. “Those aren’t bills that are serious efforts to address public safety in the Washington, D.C., area,” Jeffries said. But Republicans have positioned them as necessary remedies to what they view as a lax criminal justice system. “It is clear to members of the Committee and the public that D.C.’s soft-on-crime policies have failed to keep D.C. residents and visitors safe,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said of Donalds’ bill specifically. “Our capital cannot continue to let criminals freely roam the streets and expect this crime crisis to end.” Congress has wide jurisdiction over D.C.’s policies given its status as a federal city, despite the Home Rule Act of 1973 also granting the city the ability to have its own local government. Bowser, a Democrat, had previously acknowledged that crime in D.C. had gone down since the Trump administration’s involvement. She is scheduled to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.
Patel defends FBI pull-up test after Hirono decries it as gender bias in Senate showdown
Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii clashed with FBI Director Kash Patel during a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, questioning agency firing and counterterrorism priorities and even calling the bureau’s physical fitness requirements “harsh” for applicants. In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Patel said, “Americans expect their FBI agents to be capable, resilient and ready to protect them. “That’s why, under my watch, every field office is receiving more trained agents, more boots on the ground and a renewed commitment to getting out from behind the desks and back onto the streets where they’re needed most. We’re rebuilding a bureau that earns the public’s confidence by being present, prepared and physically ready to do the job.” The most viral clash came when Hirono pressed Patel on fitness standards. ‘MOST TRANSPARENT’ FBI EVER: PATEL UPDATES SENATE ON KIRK ASSASSINATION PROBE “One question I had is that you are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of pull-ups, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences. Are you requiring these kinds of pull-ups?” Hirono asked. Patel didn’t budge. “We are requiring everybody to pass the 1811 standards at BFTC. If you want to chase down a bad guy, excuse me, and put him in handcuffs, you had better be able to do a pull-up.” Hirono replied, “There are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pull-ups is really required of FBI agents.” KASH PATEL’S FBI LEADERSHIP UNDER SCRUTINY AHEAD OF SENATE JUDICIARY OVERSIGHT HEARING Patel interjected, “Doing one pull-up is not harsh, and there are always medical exemptions to that.” According to the FBI recruitment website, “Starting in November 2025, pull-ups will be a required event for all candidates.” For male recruits, 2-3 pull-ups are now a required minimum alongside the traditional Physical Fitness Test (PFT). For female candidates, one pull-up is the required minimum. Any additional pull-ups count to a recruit’s overall PFT score, with the maximum points received for 20 or more pull-ups capped at 10. The White House’s official X account, @RapidResponse47, shared the exchange in a now-viral clip on X. Beyond fitness standards, Hirono accused Patel of being loyal to Trump rather than the FBI. “Your most significant qualification … was your 100% loyalty to President Trump. And I fear that continues to be the motivating factor in your position as FBI director.” Patel rejected that claim. “That is an entire falsehood. You can delete my 16 years of government service to multiple administrations all you want. … There was no loyalty then. There’s no loyalty now to anything but the Constitution.” Patel also used the hearing to share the bureau’s wins under his leadership. He pointed to 409 cyber arrests this year and 169 convictions, a 42% increase from the same time last year. He also said FBI reassignments were part of a “surge of resources” to combat violent crime. On accusations of reassignments, Patel said, “They never left their primary job. It is a surge of resources in law enforcement working with the interagency to combat violent crime and reduce crime in historical proportions.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The FBI and the office of Sen. Mazie Hirono did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
FBI phone extractions, DNA testimony headline Day 7 of Ryan Routh trial
Jurors in the federal trial of Ryan Routh — accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024 — heard new evidence Tuesday from FBI digital and DNA specialists, including alleged text messages blasting Trump and lab results tying Routh’s DNA to key items. Routh’s witness list also narrowed. Before jurors entered, Routh, who is representing himself in the trial, told the court, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to exclude my son,” confirming he will not call Oran Routh, who is in separate federal custody, as a witness. Judge Aileen Cannon noted he could not revisit that decision later. Judge Cannon cut off both prosecutors and Routh multiple times Tuesday, at one point asking, “How much longer is this going to take?” She also reminded Routh to stop interrupting. When he complained, “I don’t have hot water and can’t shower … I won’t shower for a month,” Cannon told him there were “proper administrative procedures … not piecemeal, as you have grown accustomed to.” TRUMP TRIAL CONTINUES WITH MORE FBI TESTIMONY AFTER RIFLE CALLED ‘PREPARED TO FIRE’ FBI Digital forensic examiner Jerry Llanes testified Tuesday for U.S. prosecutors that a Samsung phone recovered from Routh’s black Nissan Xterra had WhatsApp messages that included a Feb. 3, 2024, exchange with a contact saved as “Chinese hero to fight.” “I know it’s very different… I think Kennedy was killed from a hill… Certainly not an easy task. If I can help, just let me know what to do,” Routh wrote. In another chain with someone listed as “Ben,” Routh texted: “What do you think of Trump?” Ben replied: “Not a fan.” “I hate him,” Routh responded. “Shan’t get elected again.” And in a WhatsApp thread with “Captain Talk Recruiting,” Routh said: “I think Trump will be a big problem for Ukraine … For sure, what an idiot. He needs to go away. He cancelled the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] for Iran. What an idiot. I hate him.” FLASHLIGHT, RIFLE, BACKPACKS: PROSECUTORS OUTLINE RYAN ROUTH’S ALLEGED SNIPER SETUP From another device, Llanes described images showing flight searches from Miami to Mexico and Bogotá, Colombia, and a photo that “appears to be a rifle tied to a tree.” FBI DNA examiner Kara Gregor additionally testified that Routh’s DNA was strongly linked to the rifle grip, a reddish-brown bag, a zip tie, a bungee cord and a glove. On the rifle, she said the DNA evidence was “250 centillion times more likely if the contributors were Routh and two unknown individuals than if the contributors were three unknown individuals.” JURY SEATED IN TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Routh challenged her on cross-examination with sarcasm: “Did you test a Colt .45 case? A golf tee? A blue flashlight? How about a Sunny D?” Gregor responded that many of those items were not tested, or she could not recall. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The trial, moving quickly due to Routh’s quick cross examinations, continues Wednesday with more forensic experts expected. U.S. prosecutors are expected to wrap up presenting their case by Friday and Routh will bring his witnesses to the stand next week.
Bondi ‘hate speech’ remarks spark torrent of criticism from conservatives
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a torrent of criticism online Tuesday after she suggested in two separate interviews that the Justice Department would “absolutely target” hate speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting death — sparking intense backlash from Republicans and other conservatives and prompting her to further clarify her remarks. Bondi attempted to bridge the divide between her remarks and what she called hate speech that leads to threats in a lengthy social media post Tuesday. “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment,” Bondi said, citing three U.S. laws that criminalize threats of direct violence, such as threats of kidnapping or injury. “It’s a crime.” FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’ “For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over,” she said, adding that “free speech protects ideas, debate, even dissent but it does NOT and will NEVER protect violence.” Bondi’s remarks, made during a “The Katie Miller Podcast” interview and in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity during conversations about the fatal shooting of Kirk, prompted backlash across the aisle, though it was conservative voices who were the loudest. Many noted that Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and subject of the interviews, was himself a vociferous defender of free speech protections under the First Amendment, which protects most forms of speech in the U.S., including offensive and hateful speech. Many also appeared to view the new statement as insufficient cover for Bondi’s previous remarks. “This isn’t a correction or a retraction or a retreat; it’s a post hoc attempt to bend the term ‘hate speech’ to mean something that it never has,” Charles C.W. Cooke, a senior editor at the National Review, said on social media. Nearly 24 hours after Bondi’s remarks, the criticism has continued — nearly all of it from Republicans and other notable conservative voices. Bondi came under fire for the two interviews Monday, neither of which distinguished the type of speech that threatened imminent violence from hate speech. “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said Monday in an interview with former Trump administration aide and podcast host Katie Miller. .”We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” Bondi said. In a separate interview on Fox News, Bondi reiterated a similar sentiment, suggesting that the government could prosecute Office Depot after an employee reportedly refused to print posters with Kirk’s face on them. She said further that the department was “looking at” the Office Depot case in question. “Businesses cannot discriminate,” Bondi said on Fox News. “If you want to go in and print posters with Charlie’s pictures on them for a vigil, you have to let them do that. We can prosecute you for that.” “I have Harmeet Dhillon right now in our Civil Rights unit looking at that immediately, that Office Depot had done that,” she said of the Office Depot employee in question. “We’re looking it up,” she said. Most of the criticism that poured in Tuesday was from Republicans, who noted that Bondi’s remarks are a flagrant violation of free speech protections guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. They are also, some noted, directly at odds with the views famously espoused by Kirk. GOP ERUPT ON DEM RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL IN RED STATE OVER PROFANITY-LACED CHARLIE KIRK POST “Hate speech” is a hopelessly subjective term, and even if it weren’t, there is no hate-speech exception to the First Amendment,” said Ed Whelan, a conservative legal expert who formerly clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. “I’m sorry, but this is the sort of leftwing progressivism that conservatives, including Charlie Kirk, abhorred,” Erick Erickson said on X. “We stand with Jack Philips, not against him.” Asked by ABC News’s Jon Karl to respond to Bondi’s remarks on Tuesday, Trump declined to clarify, and instead floated the idea of going after Karl’s outlet, albeit in a joking tone. “We’ll probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly,” Trump said.