Republicans get ‘aggressive’ in fight to win top cop spots in battleground states
Republican attorney general candidates are betting that crime, border security and public safety will drive voters to the polls in November as they position themselves as frontline fighters against Democratic policies on immigration and law enforcement. The Republican Attorneys General Association and its affiliated groups are launching an aggressive $11 million television offensive across key battleground states this fall, with initial ad purchases targeting attorney general races in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Georgia and Kansas. “I think we have learned that being aggressive is a good thing,” RAGA Chairman Austin Knudsen, who also serves as Montana attorney general, told Fox News Digital. “Being aggressive works.” Republicans say the effort reflects a broader push to put Democrats on defense over crime and public safety issues in some of the country’s most competitive statewide contests. END OF DEFUND POLICE ERA? CRIME, PROSECUTORIAL CRACKDOWN IN BLUE AND PURPLE STATES SIGNALS SHIFT, EXPERTS SAY “I don’t think there’s any question that the winning message for AG races around the country in 2026 is public safety,” Knudsen said. “Americans care about public safety, they care about law enforcement, they care about border security.” Knudsen argued attorney general races have become increasingly nationalized because they can quickly challenge federal policies through lawsuits and multistate legal coalitions. Republican attorneys general scored major victories against the Biden administration, including a successful challenge to Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan that ended with the Supreme Court striking down the program in Biden v. Nebraska. GOP attorney general coalitions also sued to block the administration’s revised SAVE repayment plan, winning court orders delaying parts of the program. Republican-led states also challenged Biden administration efforts to expand Title IX protections to include gender identity, turning attorney general offices into a major front in the nation’s culture wars. “Congress talks. Attorneys generals act,” Knudsen said. “When we see something bad coming out of Washington, D.C., we can quickly mobilize. We can file lawsuits.” REPUBLICAN AGS DOUBLE DOWN ON BIDEN ADMINISTRATION LAWSUITS AS PRESIDENT PREPARES TO LEAVE OFFICE The ad reservations build on a broader Republican expansion effort already underway. Iowa Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird’s campaign has already reserved more than $2 million in fall television advertising, while RAGA says it raised a record $29.3 million across affiliated entities in 2025. RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper said Republicans intend to capitalize on what they view as voter frustration over progressive criminal justice policies pushed by Democrats in battleground states. “RAGA has a good map in 2026 and will be on offense because the reality is voters prioritize public safety and prefer Republican AGs who fight crime and win at the courthouse over Democrat AGs who pander to criminals with cashless bail idiocracy,” Piper said in a statement. “These early TV reservations and direct candidate investments are merely a down payment on the resources RAGA will marshal this fall,” Piper added. “Democrats should understand that Republican AGs are not playing defense. We are taking the fight directly to them.” The GOP is making Michigan a centerpiece of that argument. Democrats there nominated Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, whose office became the first in Michigan to stop seeking cash bail and announced it would no longer prosecute certain low-level drug offenses. TUDOR DIXON RETURNS TO MICHIGAN POLITICS WITH NEW PAC AIMED AT BOOSTING REPUBLICANS IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Michigan Republican attorney general candidate Doug Lloyd, the longtime Eaton County prosecutor, told Fox News Digital he believes public safety concerns cut across party lines in the battleground state. “People want to feel safe in their communities, and they’re not feeling that safe right now,” Lloyd said. “That’s an 80-20 issue.” Lloyd also accused Democratic prosecutors of selectively refusing to enforce laws, an issue Republicans increasingly plan to elevate nationally. “I believe that when you start making that statement that ‘I refuse to enforce the laws that our legislature has created and which are constitutional’, then you’re on the road to anarchy,” Lloyd told Fox News Digital. “We’ve seen how that’s gone for the last eight years and I believe that our citizens are actually tired of it.” In Georgia, Republicans are targeting Democratic attorney general nominee Tanya Miller over her vote against HB 1105, a post-Laken Riley immigration enforcement law requiring local officials to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Knudsen said Republicans learned important lessons during the Biden administration about how aggressively voters want attorneys general to challenge Democratic policies in court. “We’ve seen the fentanyl, cartel fentanyl and methamphetamine flood in from the southern border during Joe Biden and flood every state,” Knudsen said. Knudsen said Republicans learned important lessons during the Biden administration about how aggressively voters want attorneys general to confront Democratic policies in court. “People have figured out that attorney general’s races matter, I think we’ve gotten a lot more attention because of what we’ve been able to do,” Knudsen said. “As attorneys general, we can move quickly and our bread and butter is going to court. That’s what we do.” “So when we see something bad coming out of Washington, D.C. or something big on the national scale, we can quickly mobilize.” Fox News Digital has contacted the Democratic Attorneys General Association for comment.
Top Republican warns Trump against making a deal with Iran: ‘Finish the job’
A top Senate Republican is publicly pressuring President Donald Trump against pursuing what he described as a weak Iran deal as administration officials signal negotiations with Tehran are making progress. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a sharply worded warning Thursday urging Trump not to abandon military pressure on the Iranian regime in favor of diplomacy. “We are at a moment that will define President Trump’s legacy,” Wicker said in a statement. “His instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran, but he is being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on.” REPUBLICANS URGE TRUMP TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON HIS PLAN TO DISMANTLE IRAN’S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES “Our commander-in-chief needs to allow America’s skilled armed forces to finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait,” Wicker went on. “Further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness. We must finish what we started. It is past time for action.” The remarks expose growing tension inside Republican national security circles as the Trump administration weighs whether to pursue a negotiated agreement with Iran or continue its military campaign against the Iranian regime and its nuclear capabilities. A White House official said in response: “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, and while President Trump always prefers a diplomatic solution, he has been clear about the consequences if Iran refuses to make a deal.” “As the President stated, he will only make a good deal for the American people. He is not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. Due to the successes of Operation Epic Fury, Economic Fury, and the blockade, President Trump holds the cards and has all the time he needs to make the best deal for the United States and the world,” the official went on. Wicker’s comments came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged there had been “some progress” in ongoing negotiations with Iran, while cautioning that no agreement had been reached. “There’s been some progress,” Rubio said Thursday. “I wouldn’t exaggerate it. I wouldn’t diminish it.” “We’re not there yet,” Rubio added. “I hope we get there.” Rubio said key issues remain unresolved, including Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and whether Tehran would be permitted any future uranium enrichment capability under a potential agreement. “The issue of highly enriched uranium has to be discussed. Its disposition has to be dealt with. And of course, the issue of future enrichment has to be dealt with as well,” Rubio said. He also indicated discussions involving the Strait of Hormuz remain part of broader negotiations. The comments marked one of the clearest public signs yet that active diplomacy between Washington and Iran remains underway despite recent military escalation and fears of a wider regional conflict. Trump himself recently signaled he remains open to giving diplomacy additional time before considering further military action. “If I can save war by waiting a couple of days, if I can save people being killed by waiting a couple of days, I think it’s a great thing to do,” Trump said in recent days. PAKISTAN’S AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN TOO ‘WAR-TORN’ TO RESPOND QUICKLY AS TRUMP EXTENDS STRIKE DEADLINE The administration’s diplomatic push has coincided with intensified regional mediation efforts, including a high-profile visit by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Iran — a trip widely viewed as part of broader backchannel efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Washington and Iran. The visit fueled further speculation that Pakistan is playing a quiet intermediary role as negotiators explore possible frameworks to avoid additional military escalation. Still, Rubio repeatedly emphasized Thursday that negotiations remain fragile and could ultimately collapse. “We’re dealing with a very difficult group of people,” Rubio said. “It may not” happen He added that Trump “has other options” if diplomacy fails, while stressing the president still prefers “the negotiated option and having a good deal.”
Warren torched over ‘my kind of man’ praise for Platner after death-wish post for wounded veteran resurfaces
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s vocal support for her controversial New England neighbor Graham Platner’s Democratic Senate campaign is raising eyebrows in light of his Nazi-linked tattoo and a slew of resurfaced remarks, including an admission of getting aroused by smelling biocide in Port-a-Johns. Most recently, Platner was lambasted for appearing to wish the Taliban had killed former Pennsylvania GOP lieutenant governor candidate Teddy Daniels after video of him under siege in Afghanistan surfaced: “Dumb mother—er didn’t deserve to live,” Platner said in a resurfaced social media post about the Purple Heart recipient. “Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part…” On his podcast, Washington-area radio host Larry O’Connor presented a mashup of Warren shouting, “my kind of man,” with narration of Platner’s uncovered foibles. UNEARTHED POSTS SHOW DEM SENATE HOPEFUL PRAISING VULGAR GRAFFITI, MAKING CRUDE PORTA-POTTY ADMISSION “Hey Elizabeth Warren, Graham Platner says that whenever he goes into a Port-a-John, he smells the blue water in there and he has to pleasure himself — how do you respond?” “That’s my kind of man!” a clip of Warren intercedes. “Hey Elizabeth Warren, Graham Platner just said that [‘American Sniper’] Chris Kyle … is actually a psychopathic murderer…” “That’s my kind of man,” the clip replayed. “Yeah I could do this all day,” O’Connor quipped. “And I have no doubt that is in fact her kind of man.” When confronted by Fox News Digital in Washington on Wednesday, Warren smiled at the camera, said nothing, and continued walking into an office building. DEMS SILENT ON PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE’S NAZI-STYLE TATTOO AFTER KNOCKING HEGSETH FOR CHRISTIAN SYMBOL Conservative commentator “Western Lensman” flagged a 33-page letter Warren had sent to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth when he was under nomination consideration in 2025. Warren questioned Hegseth about a tattoo with a Christian phrase tied to the Crusades — “Deus Vult” or “God Wills It” — and expressed concern about Hegseth reportedly being removed from former President Joe Biden’s inauguration because “fellow servicemembers feel concerned enough about to report as a potential insider threat.” Lensman contrasted that objection to Hegseth’s Christian tattoo with her silence on Platner’s own chest tattoo considered German Nazi imagery. “It just tells you all the [the left’s complaints about right-wing] White supremacy blah-blah is all performative nonsense,” he said. Bernadette Breslin, a former top aide to Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., offered a side-by-side of Warren crowing about Platner just weeks ago before appearing tight-lipped to Fox News Digital. “Look how quickly she changed her tune once his baggage started becoming a political liability,” Breslin said on X. TOP DEM LAWMAKERS DUCK QUESTIONS WHEN PRESSED ON PLATNER’S REDDIT SCANDAL The Republican Party’s rapid-response account RNC Research latched onto Warren’s glowing words for Platner and is now using them for second-degree criticism. When Iowa State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Iowa City, invoked Warren at an event and said he is “very honored to have her endorsement” in his US Senate bid to fill retiring Sen. Joni Ernst’s, R-Iowa, seat, the RNC posted context about Warren also endorsing the controversial Platner. “Warren has also endorsed candidates like Graham Platner — who got a Nazi tattoo, praised Hamas’ tactics, and said women should ‘act like an adult’ to avoid rape,” they said. Meanwhile, Daniels – who also ran for sheriff of Dare County, North Carolina last year – told Fox News’ “The Bottom Line” that Platner’s comments are run-of-the-mill for what he’s dealt with and that he largely dismissed them. “I don’t get offended. I’ve been attacked by the left for years,” Daniels said. “This coming from a man whose party has no idea what a woman is, but yet he was online and saw a video of a man and had an emotional meltdown like a 13-year-old girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend – that’s not the type of leadership we need in our government,” he added. MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT Platner has attributed his online behavior to PTSD from Middle East military service and personal depression, saying in a statement that “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am.” “I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today,” the oyster farmer added. Other Democrats besides Warren have also become tight-lipped on Platner this week, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York claimed he had not seen the Reddit posts when confronted by a Fox News Digital reporter outside the same Washington, D.C., office building Wednesday that Warren had entered shortly beforehand. Platner’s sudden spike in controversy now endangers Democrats’ most-coveted Senate seat this cycle, as GOP Sen. Susan Collins seeks to continue her uniquely independent tenure as the last sitting federal Republican in office in all of New England. Fox News Digital reached out to Warren for comment.
Trump administration orders green card applicants to leave the US, apply from their home countries
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday a major shift in immigration policy, dictating that noncitizens in the U.S. who have applied for a green card, or lawful permanent resident status, must leave the country indefinitely — even if they are in the country legally and regardless of whether they have spouses or children with citizenship. Green card petitioners will then be required to wait for their application to be processed outside the country through consular processing via the U.S. Department of State. USCIS said it will grant “adjustment of status” only in extraordinary circumstances, on a case-by-case basis. CAN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORT GREEN CARD HOLDERS? HERE’S WHAT RIGHTS THEY HAVE IN THE US The Trump administration’s position remains that when noncitizens travel into the country via student visas, tourist visas or temporary work status, they are supposed to leave once that term expires and that temporary permission to be in the U.S. should not serve as the first step toward getting a green card. Officials claim the policy reflects the original intentions of the law, though lawsuits and litigation are expected to follow. “We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler wrote in a statement. “From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances. This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes.” ‘SHAMEFUL’: LEGAL IMMIGRANTS FACE UPHILL BATTLE AMID ONGOING BORDER CRISIS Kahler added that when noncitizens apply for a green card from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who “decide to slip into the shadows” and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency. “Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose,” he said. “Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the green card process. “Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at U.S. consular offices abroad and frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalization applications and other priorities,” Kahler added. “The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.” Critics of the policy shift argue many overstays have U.S. citizen spouses or children, pay taxes and fill labor shortages and, if removed from the country, will face long processing delays and humanitarian concerns. It is unclear if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin deporting green card applicants. Maye Musk, Elon Musk’s mother, took to X to react to the policy change. “When I wanted to get my green card, I had to have numerous vaccinations, health tests and a lung x-ray,” Maye Musk wrote in a post. “Because I was Canadian, I had to fly to Montreal to have a lung x-ray again to confirm that it’s the same person. However, when the x-ray had to be delivered to me at my friend’s home, the delivery truck was stuck on a bridge because of thick ice. I had to stay an extra day. Nothing was easy. It took another five years before I could get citizenship. Worth it.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Combat veteran nearly killed by Taliban fires back at Platner’s deleted online attack: ‘You’re a coward’
Combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Ted Daniels, who was nearly killed by the Taliban, ripped Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner over a resurfaced post in which Platner said Daniels should not have survived. Speaking to “The Bottom Line” on Thursday, Daniels called Platner a “coward” for hiding behind a keyboard. “People like this don’t say stuff like this to my face,” he said. “It’s online, and that right there tells me, Graham, you’re a coward.” In a now-deleted Reddit post from June 2019, Platner reacted to a viral helmet-cam video showing Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters. “This video never gets old,” Platner wrote under the username “P-Hustle,” a deleted Reddit account he has acknowledged owning. “Dumb motherf—– didn’t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat a– wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home, he managed to make every possible s— decision possible when it comes to small unit combat,” the post read. PLATNER’S DELETED REDDIT SPARKS OUTRAGE AGAIN AS HE APPEARS TO MOCK WOUNDED SOLDIER: ‘DIDN’T DESERVE TO LIVE’ The deleted post can still be found in the Maine Monitor’s database of Platner’s deleted Reddit history. Platner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is facing mounting backlash over his past online comments, which have drawn criticism from veterans and lawmakers across the political spectrum. His resurfaced Reddit account also featured a stream of vulgar and highly unusual posts that critics say raise broader questions about Platner’s judgment. “Thank you for your service, Graham, but I think you’re a scumbag personally,” Daniels said. Other resurfaced Reddit posts included Platner describing himself as a “communist” and “socialist,” alleged homophobic slurs, and praise for Hamas military tactics. Daniels said Platner’s comments may stem from personal insecurity. “Hate never comes from above,” he said. “It always comes from below. I don’t know if Mr. Platner has an inferiority complex. I don’t know if he’s disgusted or not proud of his own service because he’s out there attacking folks who are proud of their service and have done the right things for the right reason.” TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID He said he first learned about the post while having coffee with his wife and immediately asked whether it came from a “liberal” before knowing who wrote it. After his wife confirmed it was Platner, Daniels said the comments “made sense.” “This is what they do. It’s the violent rhetoric. It’s hateful rhetoric,” he said. Daniels said Platner needed “therapy” for attacking other soldiers, including “American Sniper” and former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whom Platner previously accused of killing civilians to inflate his numbers. “The comments that he made about me are just one thing. He attacked former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle as well. Chris Kyle’s an American hero, he’s an icon, the legend,” he said. WATCH: COLLINS RIPS MAINE CHALLENGER PLATNER OVER RESURFACED REDDIT POST MOCKING WOUNDED US SOLDIER He added that Platner’s comments reflect poorly on the military as a whole. “Everybody thinks that everybody that served in the military is a saint and can do no wrong and that’s just not the case,” he said. “Just to have somebody like this involved in our culture in the first place, it’s embarrassing for the entire military and veteran community.” Daniels said Platner is contributing to extreme political rhetoric online. “This man has cheered on Antifa. He has called for violence. He hates cops, and it’s like, this is what we’re dealing with,” he said. “From what I see, it’s all behind the keyboard.” He said Platner’s rhetoric and emotionally unstable behavior make him unfit for office. “This is coming from a man whose party has no idea what a woman is, yet he saw a video of a man online and had an emotional meltdown like a 13-year-old girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend,” Daniels said. “Honestly, that’s not the type of leadership that we need in our government.” Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. If he wins the June primary, Platner will face five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall.
Dem candidate who called for imprisoning ‘Zionists’ blames her own party, media for backlash
The Democratic House candidate under fire for recommending imprisonment for “American Zionists” blamed journalists and her own party for allegedly mischaracterizing her as wanting to create a holding center for “American Zionists” and a purported castration facility. In an Instagram post last week, South Texas sex therapist Maureen Galindo proposed legislation that would repurpose a federal detention facility to imprison “American Zionists.” In other posts, she also accused her Democratic runoff challenger, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Johnny Garcia, of being paid to put “Jews and Mexicans in concentration camps via Zionist trafficking networks.” In a social media video posted Thursday, Galindo blamed journalists for mischaracterizing her comments and said she has received threats and hate mail. She also sought to set the record straight about her reference to using an ICE facility in her district. “I’m sorry to all journalists if I missed your email or social media message, it got lost in a wave of hundreds of death threats and the most vile things. I’m in Texas, I know MAGA. This is worse than MAGA, that’s because MAGA and Zionism is religious overtaking of government,” Galindo said. DEMOCRATS VOW TO VOTE ‘EVERY SINGLE DAY’ TO EXPEL FELLOW DEM FROM CONGRESS IF SHE WINS MIDTERM “I never said I wanted to use an internment camp. Literally never said it. I said I want to close all detention centers… and put billionaire American Zionists who are funding the genocidal prison systems involved in trafficking into prison.” Galindo nevertheless reiterated her support for imprisoning what she called “billionaire American Zionists,” whom she accused of supporting “genocidal prison systems.” She said the use of the phrase “internment camp” was invented by an unnamed journalist who “literally wants me dead.” Galindo then accused House Democrats’ campaign arm, the DCCC, of fueling the uproar and criticized the organization for backing Garcia over her. CROCKETT BLASTS ‘LEFT’ FOR ALLEGED SKIN DARKENING IN ADS AS TEXAS SENATE CLASH HEATS UP She then accused Garcia of being the “PR guy” for the “deadliest jail in all of Texas” and called him a “Zionist-backed cop-candidate.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DCCC and Garcia’s campaign for comment. In a video response, Garcia said Galindo’s comments have “no place in our Democratic Party or any place in public service.” While Galindo could not be immediately reached, she posted a direct response to the matter on her media page, addressing it to all journalists seeking comment on the matter. “Maureen never said that she wants anyone in internment camps.” The campaign said Galindo still wants the Karnes ICE facility to be refitted for “billionaire Zionists” who could practice Evangelism, Catholicism, Mormonism and not just Judaism. “It’s their behaviors and actions that will be judged,” the statement went on, adding that the retrofitting would also provide jobs to the region. TEXAS DEMOCRATS CALLED OUT OVER ‘EGREGIOUS CIRCULAR-FIRING SQUAD BEHAVIOR’ IN SENATE PRIMARY RACE Galindo shocked the body politic when she edged out Garcia in the original primary by a few points — putting her and the law enforcement official in the runoff. The district number matches that of incumbent “Squad” member Rep. Gregorio Casar of Austin, but Casar is running in adjacent Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s district, which also overlaps with his current seat, after Doggett said he would retire if the GOP’s new map holds up in court. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Oregon hit back at the situation by blaming Republicans for “propping up” the “antisemitic” Galindo. Jewish Democrats, including Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, also condemned Galindo. Even some on the far left condemned Galindo, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who called her comments “disgusting.”
As China tensions loom, US temporarily pauses Taiwan weapons sales due to Iran war, acting Navy secretary says
The United States has temporarily paused weapons sales to Taiwan in order to ensure readiness for a potential escalation in Iran, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao testified to the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Tuesday. “I have not heard, I have not spoken to the Taiwanese. However, we have done some military, foreign military sales to them. And it’s just, right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty, but we’re just making sure we have everything,” Cao testified. When asked by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., if sales would be resumed at any point, Cao replied, “That would be up to the secretary of war and the secretary of state, sir.” “Well, that’s really distressing,” McConnell responded. TRUMP RALLIES DEFENSE TITANS TO SURGE WEAPONS OUTPUT AS IRAN WAR RAGES Cao did also add that “the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.” His testimony came a week after President Donald Trump’s state visit to China, where Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of Taiwan as a red-line issue. “President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement after Trump and Xi’s bilateral meeting. BEHIND SUMMIT SMILES, XI GIVES BLUNT WARNING TO TRUMP OF ‘CLASHES’ AND ‘CONFLICTS’ Congress pre-approved a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan in January, though Trump has yet to formally notify the package, a key step in approving the delivery to Taiwan. Though a bipartisan group of lawmakers urged him to do so before his China visit, Trump withheld his stamp of approval, leaving the armament deal in limbo. During an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier from China, Trump urged both Taiwan and China to “cool down” and remained ambivalent on the likelihood he’d sign off on the weapons bundle. “I may do it. I may not do it,” he told Baier. “We’re not looking to have wars. If you kept it the way it is, I think China is [going to] be OK with that. But we’re not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent because the United States is backing us.’” CHINA PROMISES ‘COUNTERMEASURES’ TO US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN Beijing has long viewed Taiwan as a “breakaway province” and lays claim to the island as belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The U.S., in concert with President Ronald Reagan’s “six assurances” to Taiwan, has historically been the island nation’s chief weapons supplier, a trend that many Washington lawmakers wish to see continued. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asserted as much during Tuesday’s subcommittee hearing, insisting that weaponizing Taiwan provides the U.S. strategic leverage in ongoing security competition with China. “I’m sorry, what more do we have to know?” he asked Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Navy’s chief of operations. US COULD BURN THROUGH KEY MISSILES IN ‘A WEEK’ IF WAR WITH CHINA ERUPTS, TOP SECURITY EXPERT WARNS “President Xi has telegraphed his anxiety, his insecurity now that he knows that America’s re-learned how to fight. We want leverage. We want stability, not a hot war. We want leverage. What’s his insecurity? Taiwan. Why don’t we just go ahead and sell the weapons to Taiwan that Taiwan wants? The president can call President Xi and say, hey, President Xi, don’t take it personally. Don’t get excited, don’t get your bows in an uproar. But I’m selling these weapons. Why wouldn’t we do that?” “We definitely want Taiwan to be as strong as they can be,” Caudle replied. “They’d be stronger with those weapons are, wouldn’t they?” Kennedy asked. “Yes, sir,” Caudle replied. WATCH: KENNEDY PRESSES NAVY ADMIRAL ON WEAPONS SALES TO TAIWAN: Taiwan, meanwhile, said they haven’t received any notification from the U.S. about the pause. “Currently there is no information regarding any adjustments the U.S. will make to this arms sale,” Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Friday, according to The Associated Press. “As President Trump said, he will make a determination in a fairly short time regarding a new Taiwan arms package,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “The President approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan in December 2025, consistent with U.S. policy since the 1950s. In his first term, President Trump approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any other President in history. In his second term, President Trump approved more in his first year than all four years under President Biden,” the official said. Fox News Digital contacted the Department of War, the State Department, the U.S. Navy and a representative for the Taiwanese government for comment.
Trump doubles down on $1.8 billion ‘slush fund’ that killed his agenda, spurred Republican rebellion
President Donald Trump isn’t backing down from his administration’s latest move that has blown up his agenda in Congress. Trump on Friday stood by the newly created “anti-weaponization” fund that some Republicans have described as a slush fund launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this week. He argued that what could have been a massive payday for himself was converted into “justice” for others. “I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just announced Anti-Weaponization Fund to go forward,” Trump said on Truth Social. “I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my Tax Returns and the equally illegal BREAK IN of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune.” SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING “Instead, I am helping others who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE! President DJT,” he continued. The fund stemmed from an agreement among Trump, his family and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to settle his $10 billion lawsuit against the government over the leak of their tax returns. The nearly $1.8 billion fund would “provide a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare,” according to the DOJ. But its creation foiled his agenda in Congress to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol throughout his term. Republicans contended that the timing could have waited. REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN “Well, it would have been nice if they had consulted, and I think they probably would have gotten plenty of advice from lots of folks about it, but it’s water under the bridge now,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. “And you play the hand you’re dealt, and we’ll sort it out from here, but obviously it became a more complicated and bumpy path than we hoped,” he continued. That’s because the majority of Senate Republicans on Thursday took issue with a lack of clear guardrails on whether those convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, could make a claim and get a taxpayer-funded payout. The announcement of the settlement and subsequent creation of the fund earlier this week derailed what was meant to be the last sprint to pass the massive, $72 billion package. The goal was to have the legislation on Trump’s desk by June 1. SENATE REPUBLICAN THREATENS TO DERAIL ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE OVER TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR REQUEST But Republicans, facing severe political headwinds, weren’t satisfied with the explanations of how the fund would work and what guardrails could be installed. And despite the administration’s argument that the fund has nothing to do with the reconciliation process, it is inextricably tied to the maneuver because the Senate Judiciary Committee oversees the DOJ and has played a major role in crafting the broader package. The Senate doesn’t return until Trump’s deadline, and the likelihood that lawmakers solve the issue and finish their work is low. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats cheered the result. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of “fleeing” from Washington, D.C., on Thursday, and charged that “they’re at each other’s throats.” “Trapped in a corner by their own president, Republicans have their backs to the wall with no way out. Nowhere to hide. No end in sight,” Schumer said. “The only way for Republicans to get out of this box is to stop backing the slush fund. Stop pushing the ballroom.”
DNC chair under pressure again after flipping on releasing autopsy
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is facing increased scrutiny from his party, including calls to resign, after he changed his months-long stance and released the party’s long-awaited autopsy on its 2024 election loss. After months of refusing to release the report, which was meant to be an analysis of how and why former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election, Martin flipped and released the report Thursday. Martin claimed he initially believed that putting out the report would be a distraction but then said that not releasing the report became “an even bigger distraction.” Critics within his own party argued the report released Thursday was far from comprehensive. DEMOCRATS RELEASE 2024 ELECTION AUTOPSY THAT CHAIR SAYS ‘DOES NOT MEET MY STANDARDS’ “I think it’s pretty unbelievable that Gaza would not be mentioned once in the autopsy report,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told reporters Thursday. “I think it was very clearly a major dynamic and a major thread that was happening in 2024, regardless of how one feels about that issue, the fact that it’s not even addressed, I think, is a major oversight, and I think that for young people it was a huge part of the environment. I can tell you for myself, as a candidate during that cycle, there’s no way that it was an ignorable issue or totally immaterial. So, I think that you know it’s a real disservice to not speak to that or include or assess that,” she said. Ocasio-Cortez was far from the only congressional critic. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., also criticized the document’s failure to mention Gaza. “One of the reasons we lost was our blank check to Israel and Netanyahu while they committed genocide in Gaza,” he said in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “We must speak and confront hard truths if this party is to win in 2028,” he added. UNITY TESTED: DEMOCRATS FACE OFF OVER ISRAEL AND AIPAC DARK MONEY DURING DNC MEETING Others, like Rep. Mark Veasey, D-Texas, went as far as calling for Martin to resign. “There doesn’t seem to be a plan to turn things around and the clock is ticking,” he told Semafor, adding, “November is literally around the corner… I believe it’s time for him to move on.” Democratic strategist Steve Schale called the report release “an unmitigated s—show,” according to NBC, adding “there’s just no confidence in the competence in the DNC.” Martin himself admitted the report’s inadequacy. “I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” he wrote Thursday, claiming he could not “in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it.” Entire sections of the report, which was written by Democratic strategist Paul Rivera, according to CNN, were left blank, and the document was reportedly riddled with omissions and factual errors. Aside from omitting any mention of the Gaza conflict splitting party voters, the report also failed to mention former President Joe Biden’s age or Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Fox News Digital contacted the DNC for additional comment. Fox News’ Dan Scully contributed to this report.
Dem senators deflect questions on Platner’s scandal-plagued campaign: ‘Not following that race closely’
Democratic senators largely avoided answering questions about Graham Platner, the controversial candidate in Maine looking to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and his many off-color comments that have resurfaced in recent months. Most Democrats told Fox News Digital they aren’t focused on the Maine contest. “I’m not following that race closely,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital earlier this week when approached about Platner. DEMS SILENT ON PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE’S NAZI-STYLE TATTOO AFTER KNOCKING HEGSETH FOR CHRISTIAN SYMBOL The comments — and in many cases, silence — from Democratic lawmakers have done little to clarify whether lawmakers see Platner’s past remarks on sexual abuse, race and terror as a meaningful threat to his Senate candidacy. It’s a seat Democrats believe presents a ripe opportunity; a chance to knock off a moderate Republican in a Democratic-leaning state. Should Platner take the nomination, Democrats will have to hope his colorful past won’t turn enough voters away to inadvertently hand Collins a sixth term. Collins, who first took the seat in 1997, last won re-election in 2021 in a 51.0% to 42.4% victory over Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, a state legislator. Among other resurfaced comments, Platner in one Reddit post once blamed rape victims for failing to protect themselves. SCHUMER’S ‘NUMBER ONE TARGET’ SAYS VOTERS WILL SEE HER DEMOCRAT SENATE CHALLENGER AS TOO EXTREME “How about people just take some responsibility for themselves and not so f—ed up when they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to?” Platner wrote in 2013. “If you don’t want to be in a compromising situation, act like an adult for f—s sake.” To Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., the story behind those comments isn’t clear. Like Durbin, Booker said his focus has been elsewhere. “I have not been focusing on this race,” Booker said. But he promised to give the matter a closer look. “I am going to do my due diligence and look through the full body of evidence around him. He has a case to make to the voters, not to people like me. And he needs to make it because obviously this election is highly consequential,” Booker said. MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT Still, other senators said the Maine race is the prerogative of voters in the Pine Tree State. “It’s up to Maine,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said. “It’s up to Maine’s people.”