Bush revives ‘Islam is peace’ message with fresh focus on post-9/11 mosque visit
DALLAS – As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, former President George W. Bush reflected on his decision to visit a mosque six days after the attacks, saying he wanted Muslim Americans to know they were not to blame for the terrorism. “This decision, shortly thereafter, was to go to a mosque,” Bush said on Wednesday evening. “I did so because I was deeply concerned about stories of women in coverings being harassed at shopping centers, particularly in Michigan.” Bush revisited his 9/11 response during a conversation with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at “A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11,” held at his presidential center in Dallas. The mosque visit became a prominent part of Bush’s response to the attacks as he sought to distinguish Islam and Muslim Americans from the terrorists responsible for 9/11. Six days after the attacks, Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, where he declared, “Islam is peace.” REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: 9/11 IS JUST A HISTORY CHAPTER FOR A NEW GENERATION OF AMERICANS “It became clear to me that if this was an ideological struggle, which is what I viewed it as, and we forego one of the most important parts of our ideology, which is the freedom to worship the way you want to worship,” said Bush. “I want you to talk about a couple of those events. You talked about going to the Islamic Center and trying to make sure that our Muslim American citizens knew that we didn’t blame them for what had happened,” said Rice. 9/11 IS BECOMING HISTORY. MY GENERATION MUST MAKE SURE AMERICA NEVER FORGETS “I also made it clear that Islam was a religion of peace, not a religion of war, and that these people subverted their religion,” Bush added. Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington on Sept. 17, where he sought to draw a sharp distinction between Islam and the terrorists responsible for killing nearly 3,000 Americans. He met with Muslim leaders and specifically raised concerns about Muslim women who wore head coverings, saying he had been told some were afraid to leave their homes or go shopping because they feared being intimidated. “That should not and that will not stand in America,” he said in 2001. ABDUL EL-SAYED HITS BACK AT ISRAEL QUESTIONS, SUGGESTS HIS NAME AND FAITH ARE BEHIND PRESS SCRUTINY Bush’s remarks come as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches and as the attacks and their aftermath have returned to the political spotlight.
Trump dangles $5,000 checks as debt surges — but only if GOP can clear major midterm hurdle
President Donald Trump vowed to issue Americans a $5,000 “dividend” that could cost the federal government more than $1 trillion — but it’s contingent on Republicans retaining control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump made the pledge Wednesday night during his nearly two-hour speech at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas, promising to issue the payment to every adult citizen if the GOP wins both the House and Senate in November. “Here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump said. FOLLOW FOX NEWS DIGITAL’S COVERAGE OF THE GOP’S 2026 MIDTERM CONVENTION The president’s proposal comes as the national debt hovers just north of $40 trillion and the federal government recorded a budget deficit of roughly $1.8 trillion in fiscal year 2025, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The payments could cost approximately $1.2 trillion, based on the roughly 240 million adult citizens in the United States, potentially adding significantly to the government’s eye-watering borrowing. It’s unclear where the money would come from, but the motivation behind the idea is crystal clear — Trump wants to incentivize voters who are feeling a pocketbook squeeze to keep his party in power so his agenda is not brought to a screeching halt should one of the congressional chambers flip blue in this year’s midterms. Vice President JD Vance suggested after Trump’s speech that wealthy Americans could be excluded from the payments, potentially reducing the plan’s overall cost. “What the president is talking about is fundamentally a dividend for American workers,” Vance told Fox News. He also defended the proposal’s funding by pointing to the administration’s tariff revenue. “We’re taking an extraordinary amount of revenue because the president of the United States is standing up to both foreign companies but also foreign countries who have been taking advantage of America’s workers,” Vance said. Treasury data shows the government collected a record $34.2 billion in customs duties in a single month. Since January, those collections totaled approximately $208.5 billion, still far below the estimated $1.2 trillion cost of Trump’s proposed $5,000 payments. However, those figures reflect gross tariff collections and do not account for refunds tied to tariffs that were later struck down by the Supreme Court. The administration has since returned billions of dollars to importers, meaning the amount ultimately available to the government could be lower. “If you keep us in power and allow us to continue to do these things, then you’re going to share in some of the benefit of this incredible wealth that we are creating in the United States of America,” Vance added. ‘WE WERE RIGHT’: HE TOOK TRUMP’S TARIFFS TO THE SUPREME COURT AND WON The White House has not provided specific eligibility requirements or a detailed funding proposal. Trump said the dividend would be similar to a cash distribution from a successful company to its shareholders and indicated that the money would need to be spent in the United States. The proposal would require approval from Congress before any payments could be issued. Trump does not have the unilateral authority to distribute the checks. Trump has previously floated other direct-payment proposals, including a $2,000 tariff dividend and a plan to return a portion of government savings to taxpayers. Neither proposal has become law. The president’s latest pledge came as he urged voters to treat the midterm elections as a referendum on his administration. “If the Republicans win, you win with us,” Trump said. “Now all we have to do is win.”
Charlie Kirk continues to inspire Republicans as party rallies for midterm battle: ‘Have courage’
A year after the shocking assassination of conservative titan and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Republicans gathered at the GOP’s midterm convention shared the profound ways in which the young leader and family man impacted their lives. “Charlie Kirk is a wonderful man, and he is very much missed,” Marsha Landry of Texas told Fox News Digital during an interview at the American Airlines Center, where the Republican Party is rallying to try to keep control of the House and Senate in November. “He was making a lot of progress in this country, especially among the youth. I know personally some of our children have really started paying attention.” Jacquez Jones, a young convention attendee, said Kirk’s legacy lives on. REMEMBERING CHARLIE KIRK: TURNING POINT USA’S ANDREW KOLVET REFLECTS ON CONSERVATIVE GROUP’S CHALLENGING YEAR “It’s a daily reminder that we have to have courage to go out there and spread the message, not only of just conservatism, but our faith as well,” he said. “And so on this anniversary, I look back at not only what Charlie Kirk was able to accomplish, but the things that even in his passing he’s still able to do.” On this day last year, Kirk, 31, was speaking at Turning Point’s “American Comeback Tour” event at the Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, just after noon, when he was shot in the neck. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly thereafter. The suspect in the killing, then-22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is accused of firing one shot from a rooftop overlooking the quad where Kirk was speaking. A shocked crowd scattered as Kirk was rushed away from the scene. Kirk, who was a father, left behind his wife Erika and two young children. ERIKA KIRK REFLECTS ON FIRST YEAR OF GRIEF AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION IN NYT ESSAY “I think it’s an extremely somber reminder of what we have in this country, that free speech is not free, that somebody died for that right, and Charlie Kirk [was] somebody who was brave enough to go out there on the college campuses and talk about conservatism and prove to the American people and the young generation that the conservative policies still work,” Jones said. Another Republican convention-goer, Mike Hurst of Mississippi, described what he remembers after first hearing the news that Kirk had been killed. “It was one of the most gut-wrenching feelings I’ve ever seen, and of course, I went online, I saw the video, and to this day I’m still shocked that that could happen in our country,” Hurst said, adding that we need more people like Kirk who encourage civil dialogue instead of political violence. ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN ALLEGEDLY CONFESSED IN TEXTS, APOLOGIZED AND DESCRIBED MOTIVE, AGENT TESTIFIES Robinson allegedly fled the rooftop, ditched his rifle in a wooded area across the street from the UVU campus, and fled the scene. A statewide manhunt persisted until the following night at around 10 p.m. when Robinson surrendered to authorities in St. George, Utah, about four hours south of the UVU campus. His parents reportedly convinced him to turn himself in. Pre-trial proceedings in Robinson’s case are ongoing after a protracted battle regarding media access to the courtroom, and motions attempting to remove the death penalty as a possible sentence should Robinson be convicted. Alex Stone of Missouri said young people are looking for a leader to fill Kirk’s shoes, though his memory remains. “Since Charlie’s assassination, people have been lost,” he said. “People have been looking for a voice or a leader to lead them in the right direction, and so we need people who are going to stand up and rise up and say, ‘this is what is good, this is what is true, this what is beautiful.’ And ‘this is wrong, and here’s what we should do in the face of it.’”
Democratic socialist backed by Bernie Sanders ousts Providence, Rhode Island mayor
Rhode Island State Rep. David Morales, a 27-year-old democratic socialist endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., defeated Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in the Democratic primary Wednesday night, ousting the incumbent after one term. If Morales wins the general election, he will be Providence’s youngest mayor in history. “Few believed that a 27-year-old democratic socialist could ever, few believed that we could ever take on big money, corporate real estate interests and endless attack ads – and we took them on and we won,” Morales said in his victory speech, delivered partly in Spanish, after winning by 5 points (52.5%-47.5%). Smiley, 47, who faced his heaviest media scrutiny over his handling of the Brown University shooting last December, served just one term. AMERICA’S QUIET SOCIALIST TAKEOVER IS SPREADING FROM TOWN HALLS TO CLASSROOMS “So neighbors, with the bold agenda and the mandate that we have voted for, let’s get ready. Providence, let’s get ready.” Morales will face Republican nominee Dave Talan, 77, in November. Republicans hold no seats on the Providence City Council, and Democrats make up a majority of registered voters in the city. Former Vice President Kamala Harris beat President Donald Trump in the city by 51 points in 2024. “The voters of Providence made their choice, and they chose David Morales as our next mayor in the Democratic primary,” Smiley said in his concession speech after calling Morales. “While I’m not happy with that outcome, I’m so happy and proud of the campaign that we ran.” STATE OF PLAY: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POTENTIAL SOCIALIST SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TRUMP AND DC MAYOR AS VOTES POUR IN Morales, who also received backing from Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and several labor unions, campaigned on a progressive platform that included capping rent hikes, expanding affordable housing and raising taxes on polluters and corporate landlords. “Nearly a year ago today, we launched a campaign centered around a simple vision that the working people who make Providence home deserve to live here,” Morales said. “A simple vision that our neighbors deserve a mayor who will fight for them.” The contest was part of a broader series of Democratic primary battles between progressive challengers and more established incumbents. Morales sought to tap into frustration over housing costs and the direction of city government, while Smiley argued that his experience and record made him the better choice to lead Providence. SOCIALIST INSURGENTS FORCE MODERATE DEMOCRATS INTO HIGH-RISK SHOWDOWN OVER MUST-HOLD RACES “The same way that we campaigned, we are going to govern — in coalition, side by side with our neighbors,” Morales said. The primary also featured a battle over rent stabilization. The Providence City Council approved a measure that would have capped annual rent increases at 4% for certain apartments, but Smiley vetoed it in April. The council fell one vote short of overriding the veto in May. MAMDANI’S AFFORDABILITY REVOLUTION STUMBLED AS RENT COSTS SOAR TO RECORD HIGHS “When working people are getting priced out of the city that they love, then we must cap rent increases at 4% every single year,” Morales said. “We put housing justice on the ballot.” Morales also ran as a hard-liner on Providence being a sanctuary for illegal migrants, and against the Trump administration’s effort to enforce U.S. immigration law. “The city of Providence must use every tool that we have at our disposal to defend our immigrant community and protect us from the fascist ICE agents,” Morales, the son of a Mexican immigrant mother, said.
WATCH: Ilhan Omar refuses to address police raid on home her son shares with felon roommate
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., gave the cold shoulder when asked to weigh in on her son’s home being raided by police after his convicted felon roommate was arrested. Minneapolis police officers found while carrying out a search warrant on August 25 multiple weapons and ammunition in the shared home of Omar’s son, Adnan Hirsi, 20, and his roommate Abdulrahman Abdi, 22. The warrant was obtained after Abdi was pulled over in a routine traffic stop and was found to have no driver’s license or proof of insurance. Abdi was released and the car was impounded, but a firearm was later found. As a convicted felon, it is illegal for Abdi to possess a firearm, so the property that he shares with Abdi was raided. CAUGHT ON CAMERA: SQUAD DEM SQUIRMS WHEN PRESSED ON VANCE DOJ FRAUD PROBE Omar’s son is not accused of any wrongdoing, nor is Omar, but the incident raised concerns over Hirsi’s close affiliations. The congresswoman, meanwhile, refused to give her take on the latest controversy. “What do you know about the situation, why it happened in the first place?” Omar was asked as she walked through the halls of Capitol Hill. She ignored the inquiry and walked away, but was hounded with more questions on the matter. “Are you going to advise your son to move from his place? Away from that situation? We were just wondering what you thought about the whole thing,” she was pressed in follow-ups. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS CONTROVERSIAL ILLINOIS BAN ON SEMIAUTOMATIC GUNS The Minnesota lawmaker, Somali refugee and first hijab-wearing woman elected to Congress, continued to walk in silence as she was peppered with questions. Omar’s office did not immediately respond to a request from Fox News Digital. Abdi, who faces a weapons charge, was released the day after he was arrested. He was arrested 10 times in the past and has a felony speeding conviction stemming from an arrest in 2024 for driving more than 100 miles per hour. JD VANCE SAYS DOJ LOOKING INTO IF ILHAN OMAR COMMITTED IMMIGRATION FRAUD AMID BROTHER-MARRIAGE ALLEGATIONS Omar takes a strict stance on firearm regulation, advocating for the closure of the gun show loophole and the implementation of “red flag” laws to temporary block individuals deemed a threat to public safety from accessing guns. She has also voted in support of legislation to prohibit the sale of assault style weapons and to strengthen the universal background check system. “Not a good look for Ilhan Omar,” Right-wing activist Benny Johnson wrote on X. Fox News Digital reached out to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department for comment.
Presidential flip? GOP insider predicts Trump change of mind on key AI policy ahead of midterms
EXCLUSIVE: A GOP insider making the conservative case for regulating artificial intelligence development predicts President Donald Trump’s full-throated support for data center expansion will soon change after he hears from the American people on the midterm campaign trail. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Amy Kremer, a close Trump ally, Republican National Committee member and founder of “Humans First,” warned that the voice of the average American is being left out of the ongoing AI data center debate. She believes that is about to change as the president prepares to hit the campaign trail in support of Republicans ahead of the midterms this fall. Right now, Kremer asserted that Trump is “only hearing one side of the story from big tech.” “He’s getting ready to go out on the campaign trail, and I think he’s going to hear more from the American people on the data center side of things. And I hope he does,” she said, adding, “I know the president, and his heart, and he would not like the way the Americans are being treated.” MAGA BEGINS TO CRACK AS 2026 GOP ROSTER BACKS AWAY FROM TRUMP’S TECH VISION Kremer was pivotal in founding the modern Tea Party movement and through the years established several pro-Trump political action committees, including the “Great America PAC,” the first and largest grassroots organization founded in 2016 to support then-candidate Trump. Now, she is the chairwoman of “Humans First,” a political group calling for an “America First approach to AI” that it says would keep the U.S. ahead of China while protecting American families, communities and jobs. She said that while Trump has made it clear that he wants America to lead on AI development, she believes that innovation and safety are “not mutually exclusive.” “I love the president. He has been an amazing president. I know he wants us to lead the world in technology and innovation, and I support him in that,” she said, while noting, “There’s this narrative out there that [with] innovation, you have to forego safety, and it’s just not accurate. It’s not true.” TEA PARTY FOUNDER LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ‘DATA CENTER REVOLT’ AGAINST AI DATA CENTER EXPANSION As the GOP gathers in Dallas for its first midterm convention, Humans First unveiled a new data center policy outline that it is urging the president and Republicans in Congress and state legislatures to adopt. The plan, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, calls for greater local control over data center development and rejects the use of eminent domain for land seizures. The plan opposes federal and state “efforts to strip communities of that authority,” including through a federal data center moratorium, which many opponents of AI development have called for. Instead, the plan calls for local communities to be given the ability to welcome or reject new data center developments through zoning and land-use processes. Additionally, the plan rejects what it describes as “blank-check tax breaks” and subsidies and states that “any incentives must be transparent and tied to enforceable benefits for the community.” The plan calls for full transparency on data center development, stating that “before approval, communities deserve to know the project’s end user, electricity demand, water use, land requirements, infrastructure costs, tax incentives, permanent jobs and environmental impacts.” It also calls for protection for ratepayers so that families and small businesses do not pay higher electric bills. Instead, it states that data centers should pay the full cost of the power generation, transmission, grid upgrades and infrastructure they require. TRUMP SAYS GOVERNORS, MAYORS SHOULD WELCOME AI DATA CENTERS NATIONWIDE Two other provisions address some of the most controversial aspects of AI data center development: local water usage and development on farmland, which the plan refers to as a “strategic American resource that should be protected.” The way Kremer put it? She posited that “there are more regulations on a hot dog that you buy on a street corner in New York City than there are on these big tech companies with this technology.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “We are not anti-AI, we’re not anti-technology, and we’re not anti-data centers,” she explained. “What we are is we want the American people to have a seat at the table and a voice in this conversation.” “We can lead on innovation, we absolutely can,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean that it has to be on the backs of the American taxpayers.”
Trump makes stunning first-of-its-kind cash promise in bid to rally GOP voters at Dallas midterm convention
DALLAS — President Donald Trump delivered the keynote speech on day one of the GOP’s inaugural midterm convention, alternating between touting his successes in office and rallying thousands of supporters for Republican candidates ahead of November’s general election before making a promise to American voters. In a stunning move, Trump made a promise unheard of in the history of American politics — offering a cash prize should Republicans keep control of Congress. “I can make this promise to you, and here is my promise,” he said. “If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our economic — tremendous economic success like in history, we’ve never had anything like what’s happening. but because of our tremendous strength and success economically — I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000. Very much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders.” TRUMP’S UNUSUAL ROLE AT MIDTERM CONVENTION REVEALED AS SCHEDULE GOES PUBLIC “It will be called the ‘Trump dividend,’” he added. Trump opened the speech by grading his own performance since taking office for a second time in January 2025, saying he’s “doing a great job.” He quickly shifted to addressing the historical challenge that incumbent parties rarely retain control of Congress in midterm elections. JOHNSON DOWNPLAYS GOP’S MIDTERM WOES AS DEMOCRATS EYE HOUSE TAKEOVER: ‘I AM VERY BULLISH’ “But I say, why is it that no matter how well you’re doing, we see not a president — Democrat or Republican — almost never wins the midterms?’ said Trump. “We’ve got to change that because we have something going that’s so good we can’t let that string be broken. So I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot, just one more time.” During his effort to rally GOP voters to help Republicans hang onto the House and Senate, Trump made sure to give credit to Republicans on Capitol Hill for their work in passing his agenda. MILLIONS TAP TRUMP TAX CUTS THIS FILING SEASON AS REFUNDS TOP $3,400 “Our Republican Congress puts thousands of dollars into the pockets of working families with the largest tax cuts in the history of our country,” he said. “So we had the largest in history. We gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors.” He said his administration’s efforts on critical issues will be crushed if the GOP loses majorities in either or both chambers of Congress. TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94% “Because if we lose, you’re going to lose your border,” he said. “You’re going to lose your tax cuts. You’re going to lose your safety and security. You’re going to lose your wealth.” Fox News polling shows Trump is underwater with voters on the economy, cost of living and inflation. Sixty-five percent of voters disapprove of his handling of the economy. The president also defended the military conflict in Iran, saying he has received criticism over rising gas prices tied to the conflict but arguing that “I’m right,” because Iran was one month away from securing a nuclear weapon. Inflation has risen from 2.4% to 3.4% since the war began in February, while gas prices have also increased. RECORD GAS PRICES SQUEEZE AMERICANS AS SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON ENDS, MIDTERMS LOOM AND IRAN WAR WAGES ON Republicans who spoke to Fox News Digital on day one of the convention weren’t concerned with Trump’s economic policies. “I believe that Trump is doing the right thing,” one RNC attendee told Fox News Digital. “The tariffs are bringing a lot of money back, you know, correcting the national debt. And that’s gonna improve everything across the board.” “I feel like as soon as we bring this conflict in Iran to a close, we’ll start seeing the full effects of President Trump and the greatness that he’s done as far as the economy, the great thing of tariffs, and some of the products of the Trump economy in the golden age,” said Jacquez Jones of Texas. Later, Trump shifted his sights to Texas’ high profile U.S. Senate race between Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat state Rep. James Talarico. “We have to elect Ken Paxton,” he said, segueing into border security, a top issue under both Trump administrations. “Together, we’re going to continue to have — we have the strongest borders now in the history of our country.” ‘FAKE’ MODERATE TALARICO’S TEXAS SURGE TESTS PAXTON IN FIGHT TO HOLD CRUCIAL GOP SENATE SEAT “We have the lowest level of illegal immigration ever recorded in our country,” he said, adding that zero illegal immigrants have entered the country through Texas in 16 months. “And therefore zero have been admitted into Texas where they used to be running around, running rampant, killing people, destroying many houses and farms, and ruining property values and creating havoc all over the state of Texas,” he said. During the speech, he also took aim at Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina. LONGTIME GOP AIDE DEFECTS TO DEM RISING STAR AS TEXAS SENATE BATTLE FOR CORNYN’S SEAT HEATS UP He also touted what he described as foreign policy wins. After the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump boasted about “the biggest oil deal” ever, which he said might be “the biggest deal in the history of our country.” “65 billion barrels are ours,” Trump said. “And you know what they say it is lifetime 500 years.” Later, Trump transitioned to slamming the GOP’s far-left opponents. “In this election, the Democrats have nominated the most extreme and dangerous group of candidates for the House and Senate ever to seek office,” he said. “These people are radical left communists. Many of them. Not all of them, but many of them in state after state. The
Fetterman teases where his true loyalty lies after surprise appearance at GOP convention
DALLAS — A rogue Senate Democrat toying with the idea of leaving his party drew a hard line in the sand after making a surprise appearance at the GOP’s Trump-centric convention. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has been welcomed with open arms by Republicans to join the party after he floated leaving his own caucus, and spurred further speculation that he would jump ship after dropping a video introducing his colleague, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention on Wednesday. But in a statement to Fox News Digital, the progressive-turned centrist said that he wasn’t turning his back on the Democratic Party, even as the knives have come out to cut him loose from the Senate. DEM SENATOR DELIVERS SURPRISE VIDEO AT REPUBLICAN CONVENTION BACKING MCCORMICK “My remarks introduced Dave McCormick as a great American and friend. We are in different parties, but we are both Team PA,” Fetterman said. “We have delivered hundreds of millions of dollars back to Pennsylvania, fought for improved transportation and affordable housing, and the Steel Way of Life.” “I’m a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party — and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on,” he continued. Fetterman started his career in the Senate after besting Dr. Mehmet Oz in a tight race for power in 2022, where he clinched a historically thin Democratic majority in 2022 running on a progressive platform. TOP REPUBLICAN NAMES WHO HE SAYS IS REALLY LEADING DEMOCRATS — AND IT’S NOT SCHUMER OR JEFFRIES But since then, he has become a thorn in Democrats’ side, and challenged the direction of the party. Earlier this year, Fetterman warned that if Democrats became more entrenched in anti-Israel policy positions, he would exit the party, and has taken jabs at the party’s direction during this midterm election cycle as far-left progressives, like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, have emerged as standard-bearers. Fetterman has routinely bucked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his colleagues on a handful of key issues, like President Donald Trump’s war in Iran or voting with Republicans to end the marathon government shutdown last Fall. FETTERMAN FACES DEM REVOLT AS BOMBSHELL REPORT FUELS PUSH TO OUST HIM: ‘DISGRACE’ His latest edict followed a bombshell report that alleged through leaked texts with his aides that the maverick Democrat would often brush off duties of his office, like meeting with paralyzed veterans or charging that a three-hour funeral service for slain police officers was a “non-starter.” And Republicans would gladly welcome him into the fold. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in July that he and others in the Senate GOP have had “had conversations with him in the past … about the challenges he faces in his caucus.” “And, you know, there are many of us who I think would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference,” Thune said. But for now, Fetterman is staying put even if Democrats flip the Senate in November.
EXCLUSIVE: 25 years after 9/11, ICE says more than 2K known or suspected terrorists have been deported
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported more than 2,000 known or suspected terrorists from the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tells Fox News Digital, as the nation prepares to mark 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. DHS said ICE arrested more than 2,150 known or suspected terrorists between Jan. 20, 2025, and Sept. 9, 2026, and deported 2,015 during that period. “As we reflect on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the brave men and women of ICE continue to carry out their duty to protect the homeland and keep the American people safe,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the department’s announcement. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY Mullin said ICE had arrested more than 2,100 known or suspected terrorists and deported more than 2,000, adding that the anniversary underscored the department’s commitment to “eternal vigilance.” DHS pointed to several recent cases involving alleged terrorists and members of designated foreign terrorist organizations. WHITE HOUSE UFC TERROR PLOT ‘RINGLEADER’ IS A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, DHS CONFIRMS In June, federal authorities arrested Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, a Mexican national DHS described as the suspected ringleader of an alleged mass-casualty plot targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. DHS said Alvarez overstayed a visitor visa that expired in 2001 and later received DACA status in 2014. ICE lodged a detainer following his arrest. Days earlier, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Felipe Linares De Oliveira Dell Aquilla, a Brazilian national DHS identified as a former commander of two designated foreign terrorist organizations. Authorities said they recovered a handgun, cash and multiple electronic devices after a vehicle and foot pursuit in North Carolina. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED MORE THAN 10,000 SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS DHS said Aquilla was wanted in Brazil on criminal association and extortion charges and was allegedly holding his wife against her will while preparing to flee to Mexico. ICE lodged a detainer after his arrest, while investigators pursued additional firearm and kidnapping charges. Four Venezuelan members of Tren de Aragua also pleaded guilty in May to charges stemming from a 2024 Bronx shooting that killed two people. DHS said all four had entered the United States illegally between 2022 and 2023. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: 9/11 IS JUST A HISTORY CHAPTER FOR A NEW GENERATION OF AMERICANS The announcement comes as the nation prepares to mark 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. The attacks prompted the largest overhaul of the nation’s homeland security apparatus in decades, including the creation of DHS in 2002 and ICE the following year. Friday’s anniversary will commemorate the victims of the attacks and the first responders who rushed into danger, while marking a quarter-century of U.S. efforts to prevent another large-scale terrorist attack on American soil.
Talarico says he ‘missed the mark’ as he backtracks on controversial woke statements
In a Fox News exclusive interview, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico came out in favor of banning gender surgery for minors and opposed transgender-identifying men competing in women’s sports. Talarico also backtracked on several of his more controversial claims, including saying there are six genders and that “God is nonbinary.” This comes as the Texas Senate race, which is surprisingly close according to recent Fox News polling, enters its final months. The race is considered critical to both parties’ chances of securing a Senate majority. Talarico is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican who has faced controversies of his own. A Republican loss in Texas would significantly impact President Donald Trump’s ability to implement his agenda. Fox News spoke with Talarico at a food drive campaign event in Dallas on Tuesday. Talarico’s event took place as the first-ever GOP midterm convention kicked off just miles away in downtown Dallas. TALARICO CAMPAIGNS WITH SURGEON WHO OPERATED ON TRANSGENDER MINORS: ‘WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING’ Asked whether he would vote as a U.S. senator in favor of a national ban on gender surgery for minors, Talarico answered, “Absolutely.” He said, “I’ve been consistent on this issue,” explaining his opposition to a Texas bill to ban transgender surgeries on minors by saying the measure “was overly broad.” “If you go back and check, I voted for a major amendment to limit the bill to banning surgeries for minors,” he said. “As a lawmaker, my job is to try to sift through everything the bill does. And sometimes there’s stuff in it that’s really harmful, and I have no choice but to oppose the bill as a whole.” “It’s why I try to use amendments, to narrow the focus of the bill so that it does exactly what we intend it to do,” he continued. “It’s what I tried to do with that piece of legislation, and unfortunately the amendment I supported was unsuccessful.” In 2023, as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Talarico voted against a state bill titled SB 14, which prohibited certain gender surgery, puberty blockers and certain hormone treatments for minors. There were 18 amendments to the bill proposed by Democrats, all of which Talarico voted in favor and all of which ultimately failed. In the same interview, Talarico acknowledged that men in women’s sports is a significant issue in Texas. He said, “I oppose trans athletes playing in girls’ sports if it endangers safety or fairness.” “Every sport has to be safe and fair. As a former public school teacher, I care a lot about our student athletes. I care a lot about our students. And so, I will oppose trans athletes playing in girls’ sports if it risks safety or fairness,” he said. Talarico’s comments mark a shift from his earlier position as a Texas state lawmaker. In 2021, while serving on the Texas House Public Education Committee, he opposed SB 29, which sought to require public-school athletes to compete based on the biological sex listed on their birth certificate, calling the issue a “manufactured problem.” Later that year, he voted against HB 25, which enacted similar restrictions into Texas law. JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’ He also addressed perhaps his most controversial statement, which he made in 2021, while opposing a Texas bill to keep men out of women’s sports. Talarico said on the state House floor that “God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary.” “I was being provocative with that statement. I get that,” Talarico admitted, explaining, “What I was trying to say is that you can’t use human categories to define God, and that’s not controversial theologically. In fact, the late Charlie Kirk, the late Pope Benedict all said the same thing.” Talarico continued, claiming “these comments are being clipped out of context to try to distract from Ken Paxton’s career of corruption.” “You mentioned [Paxton] being acquitted in the state Senate. That was after two of his billionaire megadonors gave the lieutenant governor a $3 million check to buy his acquittal,” Talarico said. “So, Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in Texas and he’s gonna try to clip some of my comments, including comments where I was being a little provocative in order to try to distract from that career.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Paxton campaign for a response. LONGTIME GOP AIDE DEFECTS TO DEM RISING STAR AS TEXAS SENATE BATTLE FOR CORNYN’S SEAT HEATS UP Regarding his past comment about there being more than two genders, Talarico said he does not currently believe there are six sexes. “I’ve missed the mark on some of my past statements. I will be the first to admit it,” he said. “What I meant is that there are two sexes, and then there’s a small percentage of people with genetic abnormalities.” “Obviously didn’t say it correctly. There are not six sexes. There are two, and I think the reason that politicians in that convention center across the street want to talk about six sexes is because they don’t want to talk about $6 diesel,” he said. Though he walked back these controversies, Talarico did not hold back on his criticism of the Supreme Court, which he described as “infected” with corruption, saying it “needs to be overhauled.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER He said that if elected, “You’re going to expect that I will vote for overhaul to the Supreme Court. That will include binding codes of conduct for our justices. It’ll include term limits, and I am open to a discussion about expanding the number of justices.” Following these controversies, Talarico pledged to keep his message focused on affordability for the remainder of the campaign. “Everywhere I go across the state of Texas, people are struggling to survive in this economy. They are struggling to afford the basics: groceries, gas, utilities, healthcare. And that’s what I’m going to be