ICE director blames left-wing ‘rhetoric’ for rise in attacks on immigration officers
Acting ICE director Todd Lyons blamed rhetoric from “elected officials” for the rise in attacks against immigration officers on Sunday. Lyons made the comments during an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday, tying the increased violence to President Donald Trump’s political opponents. “I think the sharp increase in the rhetoric, especially from a lot of elected officials, that are shaming, if you will, or speaking out against ICE law enforcement mission is what’s really increasing these attacks on officers,” he said. Lyons noted that there has been an 830% increase in assaults on officers compared to 2024. ICE AGENT SHARES FEARS ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY AS ASSAULTS ON OFFICIALS SURGE He added that the spike in violence is also due to ICE officers being more “visible” in communities across the country as Trump’s deportation campaign expands. “The immigration mission is one of the forefront of this administration, so there is a lot of scrutiny and publicity to it,” Lyons said. NO CAGES, DUE PROCESS RIGHTS INTACT: ICE AGENTS SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT The official also confirmed that ICE is not limiting its arrests to illegal immigrants who have been convicted of a separate crime. He said many illegal immigrants without criminal records have been taken in as “collateral arrests” during operations targeting violent migrants. Nevertheless, he added that ICE “targets the worst of the worst.” ICE officers themselves have spoken out about the increased violence and criticism they have faced under the new administration. “It has been very sad to see how we’re villainized, the names used towards us,” officer Kristian Moreno told “My View” host Lara Trump on Fox News this weekend. “Just doing this [interview] right now, I had to talk to my family about it and say, ‘Hey, this is something that I believe in, something I think is important for us to get our stories out there and let the American public know we’re humans.’ We got a job to do. We’re just enforcing the law. We’re not making up the law, and it’s sad, but we just keep pushing through it,” he added. He and officers Edgardo Centeno and Chris Sandoval shared their perspectives on the violence ICE officers risk daily. “We have to do our job. We raised our hands to defend the Constitution, and we’re enforcing the law, so we’re adjusting as we see what’s going on in our country, but it’s saddening my heart, especially when you serve in combat and come back and see your country so divided,” Centeno said.
Biden admin spent hefty sum of US tax dollars to upgrade embassy swimming pools in Iraq, Russia
The Biden administration’s State Department authorized more than $1 million in taxpayer funds for renovating swimming pools at U.S. embassies and mission residences in war-torn countries such as Haiti, Sudan and Iraq, a report from Sen. Joni Ernst’s office found. “The Biden State Department threw a blowout summer pool party on your dime,” Ernst, R-Iowa, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Bureaucrats might think wasting millions is a drop in the bucket, but I am sick and tired of taxpayers getting tossed in the deep end by Washington,” Ernst added. “I will continue working with the Trump administration to put a stop to the splashy spending of the Biden years.” Ernst’s office found that the State Department under the Biden administration authorized that two pools in Haiti, five in Iraq, three in Sudan, one in Russia, one in Zimbabwe and one in Ghana be renovated, totaling more than $1.2 million, according to the New York Post, which first reported on the pool renovations on Thursday. RUBIO OFFICIALLY KILLS USAID, REVEALS FUTURE HOME FOR FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Taxpayers spent $41,259 to rehabilitate the pool at the U.S. embassy in Moscow in a contract inked three months after Russia invaded Ukraine in a war that has continued raging. The purchase order was dated June 3, 2022, through Aug. 15, 2022, after the war began in February that same year. RUBIO SPEARHEADS MASSIVE STATE DEPT REORGANIZATION SET TO ELIMINATE, MERGE MORE THAN 300 OFFICES The U.S. embassy in Baghdad was awarded a whopping $444,000 to replace its indoor dehumidification system for its pool in a contract that began on Sept. 27, 2024. While the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq received over $10,000 to conduct mechanical repairs to its pool, according to the Ernst report reviewed by Fox News Digital. DOGE’S GREATEST HITS: LOOK BACK AT THE DEPARTMENT’S MOST HIGH-PROFILE CUTS DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS In Sudan, taxpayers spent $24,000 in 2021 for the installation of a pool deck. Sudan has notably been under a State Department do not travel advisory “due to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping,” with the embassy in Khartoum suspending operations in 2023 over the ongoing violent conflicts in the nation. Some of the contracts detailed in the report have not been fully paid out, such as a $173,000 award to conduct work on a swimming pool in Indonesia at the embassy in Jakarta. The federal government has previously been criticized for the amount of taxpayer funds spent on U.S. embassies overseas, including spending hefty sums on artwork under the Obama administration, Fox Digital reported at the time. U.S. embassies are primarily funded through congressional appropriations to the U.S. Department of State. Ernst’s report follows months of the Department of Government Efficiency reporting it has saved the federal government billions of dollars amid its ongoing investigations into various federal agencies in search of corruption, overspending and mismanagement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been at the forefront of gutting departments and programs under State’s purview, including shuttering USAID earlier in July for failing to ensure its programs actually supported America’s interests. RUBIO OVERHAULING ‘BLOATED’ STATE DEPARTMENT IN SWEEPING REFORM “This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end. Under the Trump administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies – and which advance American interests – will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency,” Rubio said in comment regarding shuttering USAID.
Immigration expert sounds alarm on how Biden’s border crisis paved way for Los Angeles riots
California has become the epicenter of the immigration debate under the Trump administration, which is leading to questions about what cultivated the protests and riots that happened in the area in June and continue to pop up around the country. Heather Mac Donald, a Manhattan Institute fellow and author of “When Race Trumps Merit,” said she believes that the border crisis under the Biden administration paved the way for civil unrest. “It shows that lawlessness in one area breeds lawlessness in another. We’ve had an absolutely lawless situation going on with regards to the border. We’ve had California and Los Angeles tolerate criminal lawlessness, and so it’s not surprising that activists and protesters and immigrant rights activists felt that they were entitled to wreak absolute chaos and havoc in the streets,” Mac Donald said in the wake of riots in Los Angeles last month. ANTI-ICE RIOTS REVEAL THE LEFT HAS LEARNED NOTHING. IT’S JUST HANDED TRUMP A GIFT Mac Donald added that the large amount of immigration could lead to cultural assimilation woes. “This is nothing new, but Americans have turned their eyes away and have bought into the narrative that the more diversity, the better, the more demographic change, the better,” she said. Mac Donald added that a cap on the number of people allowed to come into the United States could be beneficial in the long term. “Well, for assimilation, a cap would definitely be necessary. We saw that with the long decades after maximal immigration at the turn of the century, when we did halt immigration. And that allowed the assimilation to go on, that it did. With nonstop immigration coming in, you’re running a losing race to assimilate. So that would absolutely be ideal.” “We should reform the agriculture sector. You know, we have temporary worker programs for that, and whether we want to carve out any exceptions to a moratorium for very, very high-skilled workers, that is definitely worth considering. But certainly for chain migration, the bringing in of remote family members, that should be ended now until we are confident that we are creating Americans and not people who will get out in riots and wave flags of non-American countries,” Mac Donald continued. TRUMP SAYS NATIONWIDE IMMIGRATION RAIDS ON THE WAY, RIOTERS TO FACE ‘GREATER FORCE’ THAN LA When it comes to the overall stance of the American population on immigration, she explained that mass deportations, which the Trump administration has said they are working toward while highlighting those with criminal convictions and charges, could be the best path forward in the short-term aftermath of the border crisis. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “We should not make the distinction between criminal illegal aliens, who are legitimately deported and those who have committed lawbreaking on entry and by staying here but have not got a criminal record. The received wisdom is it’s OK to deport the first, but the second, we shouldn’t even make them fearful of deportation, that that’s cruel,” she said. “I think they’re all legitimately eligible for deportation. Nevertheless, I’m not sure that the American people have a stomach for that degree of immigration enforcement.“ In addition to ICE and Border Patrol arrests and busts, the Department of Homeland Security has encouraged self-deportation through the CBP Home app, which was swapped from the CBP One app people used to request asylum under President Joe Biden. DHS is offering $1,000, travel out of the U.S., as well as scrapping fees and a chance to return to the country legally as part of the deal. MAYOR BASS BLAMES TRUMP’S ICE RAIDS FOR STARTING RIOTS WHILE CLAIMING ‘THINGS IN LA ARE CALM’ In Los Angeles, Democratic Mayor Karen Bass has been a significant voice of opposition to federal immigration sweeps, at one point saying ICE should “go home.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We are a proud city of immigrants, and with the Trump Administration signaling that they will ratchet up their chaotic approach, I’m making sure we deploy every resource and tool available within the City to ensure that we are supporting immigrant communities,” Bass said recently, according to a news release. When it comes to potential civil unrest in other cities, Mac Donald says it could happen. “I think there will be civil unrest in other cities, because it was justified, it was trivialized by our elected leaders as, ‘Oh, we’ve got the situation under control,’” she said.
Trump’s housing chief rips Powell for blowing millions on Fed facelift during housing crisis he perpetuates
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner blasted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for spending billons of dollars renovating the Fed’s headquarters amid a housing crisis he said Powell is helping perpetuate. The Federal Reserve’s headquarters has been undergoing a major renovation that has been plagued by cost overruns and now has a price tag of $2.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Trump administration faults Powell for not cutting interest rates, even with inflation seemingly under control. “It’s rich that an unelected bureaucrat like Powell is wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on building renovations while Americans struggle to buy homes due to high mortgage rates, which are directly impacted by his refusal to lower interest rates,” Turner told Fox News Digital. HUD became the first Cabinet agency to announce a move out of Washington, D.C., with Turner reporting in June that the department was moving to the already existing National Science Foundation (NSF) in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. Turner said the move will free up millions in taxpayer funds that were spent on the massive, longtime HUD headquarters at D.C.’s L’Enfant Plaza that also included “health hazards, leaks, and structural and maintenance failures” for staffers. “HUD’s move isn’t about me – our workforce deserves to be in a building that is safe and that fits our workforce. NSF was never able to fully fill their building to occupancy and will move into a building that best fits their workforce. Instead of spending nearly a half-billion dollars on renovating 10 floors of basement with perpetual leaks, HUD and GSA are saving the taxpayers money – something that Chairman Powell, sitting in his ivory tower, thinks he is above – and putting Americans first,” Turner continued. HUD BECOMES FIRST MAJOR CABINET AGENCY TO EXIT DC, CITING ‘FAILING’ HQ — WHICH DOGE WANTS TO SELL Speculation has swirled that President Donald Trump could try to oust the Fed chief ahead of his term officially ending in May 2026 due to his reluctance to lower the federal funds target rate, which would lower borrowing costs for Americans. The Fed in June held its benchmark interest rate range between 4.25%-4.5%, which Trump has argued stifles American economic growth. The Fed, which sets monetary policies and oversees banks, has said decisions on interest rates are rooted in its data-dependent approach to managing inflation and economic growth. It acts independently, meaning it does not require approval from the president or Congress when enacting policies. Trump has amplified his criticisms of Powell in recent weeks, arguing that he already should have lowered interest rates, while calling him a “numbskull” along with the nickname “Mr. Too Late.” At the recent NATO summit in Canada, Trump said during a press conference that Powell is “terrible” and is a “very average mentally person” who has a “low IQ for what he does.” ‘FOR SALE’: DOGE MOVES TO SELL OFF ALMOST HALF A BILLION IN FEDERAL REAL ESTATE, RELOCATE CABINET AGENCY HQS Trump said recent, over-budget renovations at the Fed headquarters, the Marriner S. Eccles Building, “sort of is” a “fireable offense.” “I think he’s terrible. I think he’s a total stiff. But the one thing I didn’t see in him is a guy that needed a palace to live in,” Trump told reporters last week. “You talk to the guy. It’s like talking to – nothing. It’s like talking to a chair. No personality, no high intelligence, no nothing. But the one thing I would have never guessed is that he would be spending $2.5 billion to build a little extension.” HUD SECRETARY SCOTT TURNER LAYS OUT AGENCY WINS DURING FIRST 100 DAYS, SHARES PRIORITIES FOR NEXT 100 Democrat lawmakers have slammed Trump’s attacks on Powell over the Fed building’s updates, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren taking a swipe at Turner for moving HUD to Virginia. “If Trump were serious about lowering interest rates, he would rein in his chaotic tariffs,” Warren said earlier this month during a speech at the Exchequer Club in D.C. “Instead, he is threatening to fire the chairman of the Federal Reserve. When his initial attempts to bully Powell failed, Trump and Republicans in Congress suddenly decided to look into how much the Fed is spending on building renovations.” TRUMP SHOULD RAZE HUD HEADQUARTERS TO DRAIN DC SWAMP HUD is expected to save $22 million per year on operating and maintenance costs by moving out of the Robert C. Weaver Building, while the government is expected to pull in a hefty sum when the building is officially sold due to its prime location in the nation’s capital. The agency’s new home at NSF is anticipated to cost the government $35 per square foot, compared to the $86 per square foot at the Weaver building, including operations and maintenance, Fox Digital learned. The federal government had spent $90 million on repairs for the massive Weaver building in the last 15 years, Fox Digital learned, but the building has “deteriorated well beyond the point of cost-effective repair, creating significant financial obligations for the federal government if occupancy is maintained,” HUD reported in June. HUD OFFICES BECAME AS VACANT AS A ‘SPIRIT HALLOWEEN’ STORE UNDER BIDEN: ADMIN SOURCES The Federal Reserve on Sunday morning declined comment when asked about Turner’s remarks to Fox Digital. The Fed’s website includes a frequently asked questions page regarding the building’s renovations, including underscoring that the Fed’s board “takes the responsibility to be a good steward of public resources,” and is subject to a handful of safeguards to ensure transparency. “The Federal Reserve Chair testifies to each house of Congress twice per year on monetary policy. During two sequential days of hearings, members of the House and Senate have the opportunity to question the Fed Chair on any topic, and then submit questions in writing after the hearings. As part of these hearings, the Federal Reserve publishes a semiannual Monetary Policy Report, detailing recent economic and monetary policy developments,” the page states. Trump, who appointed Powell during his first presidential term, has meanwhile continued slamming Powell
Minnesota Democratic Party endorses Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor
Minnesota’s branch of the Democratic Party endorsed far-left Minnesota State Sen. Omar Fateh’s campaign for mayor of Minneapolis on Saturday. Fateh announced the endorsement from the Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL) party on social media. He secured the endorsement over incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, also a Democrat. “I am incredibly honored to be the DFL endorsed candidate for Minneapolis Mayor. This endorsement is a message that Minneapolis residents are done with broken promises, vetoes, and politics as usual. It’s a mandate to build a city that works for all of us,” Fateh wrote on X. The DFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. RNC CHAIR ARGUES MAMDANI ‘FACE OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ Fateh has received many comparisons to New York City’s Zohran Mamdani. Like Mamdani, Fateh is a Muslim Democratic socialist and, at 35, a fellow member of Generation Y. Fateh, a son of Somali immigrants, became the first Somali-American elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2020. He pledges that, if elected mayor, he would raise the city’s minimum wage, increase the supply of affordable housing, and combat what he calls “police violence.” POTUS PUNDITRY: TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON MAMDANI-CUOMO NYC MAYORAL FACEOFF Frey criticized the DFL’s endorsement of Fateh in a campaign statement, arguing the party convention where the decision was made had been “irregular.” “This election should be decided by the entire city rather than the small group of people who became delegates, particularly in light of the extremely flawed and irregular conduct of this convention,” campaign spokesperson Sam Schulenberg said. “Voters will now have a clear choice between the records and leadership of Sen. Fateh and Mayor Frey. We look forward to taking our vision to the voters in November,” Schulenberg added. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Trump celebrates 6 months back in office: US ‘totally revived’ after being ‘DEAD’ under Biden
President Donald Trump celebrated six months since he was sworn into his second term on Sunday, saying that the United States has been “totally revived” after being “DEAD” under former President Joe Biden. “Wow, time flies! Today is that Sixth Month Anniversary of my Second Term. Importantly, it’s being hailed as one of the most consequential periods of any President,” Trump wrote on social media. “In other words, we got a lot of good and great things done, including ending numerous wars of Countries not related to us other than through Trade and/or, in certain cases, friendship,” he added on TRUTH Social. “Six months is not a long time to have totally revived a major Country.” Trump continued: “One year ago our Country was DEAD, with almost no hope of revival. Today the USA is the ‘hottest’ and most respected Country anywhere in the World. Happy Anniversary!!!” LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS Trump’s first six months have been marked by a number of significant moments, particularly on the international stage. After Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen ramped up attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea in late 2024, the Trump administration designated the group a foreign terrorist organization, reinstating a move that had been reversed under Biden. U.S. and U.K. forces earlier this year pounded Houthi missile and radar sites as part of an operation to ensure freedom of navigation, and the Trump administration secured a ceasefire deal with the terror group in May. Trump intervened in the Israel-Iran war in June, ordering U.S. military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and infrastructure that pummeled Tehran’s capabilities and forced the regime into quick submission. Though Trump had promised on the campaign trail to end the Ukraine-Russia war within 24 hours, a peace agreement between the two sides has so far failed to materialize. Earlier in his second term, Trump had slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a perceived lack of gratitude for billions of dollars in U.S. support to his war effort under Biden’s presidency. Trump more recently has sharpened his criticism of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, slamming Moscow for the massive loss of life on both sides during the more than three-year-long conflict. UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY NAMES NEW PRIME MINISTER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE RUSSIA’S WAR BEGAN Trump issued a new deadline in mid-July that Russia had 50 days to agree to a ceasefire or face “maximum tariffs.” He also recently approved the sale of additional U.S. Patriot missiles to Ukraine. In its first six months, the Trump administration had also brokered a ceasefire between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in late June. Beyond “ending numerous wars,” Trump has celebrated other accomplishments during his first six months back in office, including securing the passage of his “big, beautiful bill,” which made the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent. The legislative package also earmarked funding for the president’s other initiatives, including for his mass deportation campaign and border security. On overseas trips and at home, Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. is the “hottest” country, claiming to have restored America’s reputation both domestically and on the world stage with his “America First” foreign policy. Delivering on his 2024 pledge to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet,” Trump on Friday signed landmark legislation that creates a regulatory regime for dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies known as stablecoins. Trump on Sunday also appeared to dismiss concerns that his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files could cost Republicans control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections and beyond. “My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain ‘troublemakers’,” Trump wrote in another post Sunday morning. “They have hit 90%, 92%, 93%, and 95%, in various polls, and are all Republican Party records. The General Election numbers are my highest, EVER! People like Strong Borders, and all of the many other things I have done. GOD BLESS AMERICA. MAGA!”
Adams, Cuomo trade jabs in interviews as Dems-turned-independents court anti-Mamdani vote
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Eric Adams took aim at each other in separate interviews, as each tries to position himself as the right choice for those who do not want their far-left opponent Zohran Mamdani to be the city’s next mayor. During a Saturday breakfast event in the Hamptons hosted by businessman and conservative radio host John Catsimatidis, Cuomo took a veiled shot at Adams by arguing that New York City hasn’t had a “competent” mayor since Michael Bloomberg left office in 2013, the New York Post reported. Cuomo – who, like Adams, is running as an independent against Democratic nominee Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa – added that the city currently “feels out of control.” Adams, meanwhile, was not shy about criticizing Cuomo while making his own case as the choice for moderates and conservatives who do not want the democratic socialist Mamdani. UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS EXPOSE RADICAL ANTI-ISRAEL VIEWS OF MAMDANI’S DAD: ‘COLONIAL OCCUPATION’ “Andrew Cuomo is running from his record. Bail reform. I had to fix that. Cannabis Law. I had to fix that. Raise the Age [which ended automatically prosecuting 16- and 17-year-olds as adults]. I had to fix that,” Adams said in a Thursday interview with the Post. “You look at my record, and then you compare it to his record. I had to fix his mess. He created a mess for our city, and I got to fix it,” the mayor added. MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’ Both men also took their fair share of shots at Mamdani, as well. Cuomo warned that he would “move to Florida” if Mamdani is elected, although his campaign insisted to Fox News Digital that the comment was a joke, and audio from the event evidences that attendees laughed at the statement. “It was a joke, and people in the room understood that and laughed. Governor Cuomo would never give up on New York. That said, the line underscored the stakes in the upcoming election and the risk of electing a dangerously inexperienced hate-spewing 33-year-old socialist whose campaign consists of unrealistic bumper sticker slogans,” campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi told Fox in a statement. “Look at [Mandani’s] policies: once you empty out Rikers Island, that’s a major impact,” Adams told The New York Post, referencing Mamdani’s plan to reduce the prison’s population. “It’s going to go back to the communities that crime came from.” Adams, a former police officer, went on to criticize Mamdani’s plan to have social workers respond to domestic violence calls rather than police. Adams referenced NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, and his partner Jason Rivera, 22, who were shot and killed responding to a domestic violence call in 2022. “Mora and Rivera, the two cops who were shot in the beginning of my [mayoral] career, they died and were assassinated responding to a domestic violence call,” Adams said. Fox News Digital reached out to Adams and the Mamdani campaign for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Mamdani secured the Democratic nomination last month, leaving voters who are not among the far left to choose between two Democrats-turned-independents in Adams and Cuomo, and the Republican Sliwa.
What Musk’s fracture with Trump means for GOP’s future: ‘Beating heart of the Republican Party’
From “super genius” to “CRAZY,” President Donald Trump has changed his tune about SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a matter of months, while the tech mogul has backpedaled his support for the Republican Party and called for a new, third American political party instead. Musk unveiled the creation of the so-called “America Party” after Trump signed into law his massive tax and domestic policy bill, which Musk staunchly opposed due to concerns that it would increase the federal deficit. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk said in a July 5 X post. While there is an appetite for a third party in the U.S., Musk’s so-called America Party is not likely to pick up steam and the tech mogul would have better luck driving reforms in the Republican Party, according to experts. “Elon’s effort will go nowhere,” Republican strategist Matt Gorman said in an email to Fox News Digital. “But I don’t doubt it’ll make a lot of consultants rich in the process.” TRUMP SAYS DOGE ‘MONSTER’ MAY HAVE TO ‘EAT ELON’ AS MUSK VOWS PRIMARY ADS FOR LAWMAKERS WHO CROSS HIM ON BBB Meanwhile, Gorman said candidates undoubtedly would prefer an endorsement from Trump over financial backing from Musk – the largest donor in the 2024 election cycle who contributed approximately $295 million to Republicans. “If given a choice between a Trump endorsement or $20 million in ads from Elon, it’s not even a contest,” said Gorman, who previously served as the communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “They’d take the Trump endorsement every single time.” Political columnist Kristin Tate said that while Musk was helpful in driving public support from wealthy Silicon Valley Americans for Trump, it’s unlikely these same tech leaders would abandon Trump and follow Musk instead. “Trump is the beating heart of the Republican Party right now,” Tate said in an email to Fox News Digital. “Elon Musk would be better off trying to shape politics from within the Republican Party,” Tate said. “A third party effort is doomed to fail. Most of President Trump’s supporters see the effort as hostile to Trump and will not support Musk. Meanwhile, all Democrat voters have been conditioned to despise Musk, so they will not support him either.” REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS STAND FIRM AGAINST MUSK’S ‘KILL THE BILL’ ASSAULT ON TRUMP’S AGENDA Tate said Trump and Musk should attempt to repair their relationship because “both men bring something important and unique to the GOP. “By leaving Trump, and the GOP generally, Musk will chisel off a small fraction of Republican Party voters – a fraction that will not be nearly big enough for his new party to win elections, but could be a spoiler for Democrats in elections with extremely tight margins,” Tate said. Alex Keyssar, a history professor at Harvard Kennedy School of public policy, said that given dissatisfaction with the two-party system right now, it’s possible that more third-party candidates could win state and local elections. But it’s unclear if that would translate over to national elections because the rules governing elections and who may appear on ballots pose additional limitations for those candidates, he said. “There’s a lot of popular sentiment looking for something else that is creating pressures for a third party,” Keyssar told Fox News Digital. “In that sense, Elon Musk is on to something.” Still, voters don’t appear interested in a third party affiliated with Musk. While 49% of U.S. voters said they would consider joining a third party, 77% said they weren’t on board if Musk created it, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. MUSK DOES IMMEDIATE 180 ON TRUMP AS SOON AS LA RIOTS RAGE Musk’s relationship with Trump first started to unravel, at least publicly, in May toward the end of Musk’s tenure overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Shortly after Musk’s exit from DOGE, the two traded barbs over the “big, beautiful bill,” where Musk said Trump wouldn’t have won the 2024 election without his backing. Likewise, Trump accused Musk of going “CRAZY” over cuts to the electric vehicle credits that benefit companies like Tesla, and said Musk had been “wearing thin.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, Trump isn’t counting on Musk’s political party taking off anytime soon, and told reporters July 6 that he believed another party “just adds to confusion.” “Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it – but I think it’s ridiculous,” Trump said.
SCOOP: Top Hegseth aide resigns from Pentagon after 6 months of service: ‘Incredibly inspiring’
A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has left the Pentagon after six months of service, the Department of Defense (DoD) confirmed to Fox News Digital on Saturday. Justin Fulcher told Fox News Digital he formally resigned on Thursday evening, describing the decision as entirely his own. Fulcher said he had originally planned to serve six months in government and, having reached that point, chose to move on “amicably.” He also emphasized what he described as the “great work” being done by Hegseth “for our troops and country.” “The Department of Defense is grateful to Justin Fulcher for his work on behalf of President [Donald] Trump and Secretary Hegseth. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATION In addition to advising Hegseth on personnel and policy, Fulcher played a role in several defense initiatives during his tenure, he told Fox News Digital. Fulcher said he contributed to reviews of major acquisition programs aimed at strengthening lethality and the U.S. industrial base, and helped streamline software procurement timelines “from years to months,” modernizing key IT systems across the department. He also said he supported Hegseth in high-level meetings across the Indo-Pacific, including the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, and participated in efforts that redirected nearly $50 billion from non-lethal line items into readiness and more impactful defense programs. Fulcher praised the “dedicated men and women of the Department of Defense,” cited progress in “revitalizing the warrior ethos” and “rebuilding the military,” and thanked both Hegseth and Trump for their leadership. “Still, this is just the beginning,” Fulcher added. Fulcher, who had served as a senior advisor to Hegseth since April, announced his departure Saturday afternoon in a message posted to X. “As planned, I’ve completed 6 months of service in government to my country,” he wrote, calling the experience “incredibly inspiring.” WALTZ DOUBLES DOWN ON HEGSETH PRAISE AMID ONGOING PENTAGON CONTROVERSY “None of this could have happened without Secretary Hegseth’s decisive leadership or President Trump’s continued confidence in our team,” he wrote. “I will continue to champion American warfighters in all future endeavors.” Fulcher joined the DoD earlier this year as part of Hegseth’s inner circle, a cohort of loyal advisers appointed after Hegseth took the helm at the Pentagon in Trump’s second term. His departure comes amid a broader reshuffling of senior personnel inside Hegseth’s office. At least six aides have left since January, though defense officials have downplayed the moves as standard transitions. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It’s unclear what Fulcher’s next step will be, though his statement suggests he intends to remain active in national security circles. The Pentagon has not yet named a replacement.
Minnesota state lawmaker convicted of felony burglary after breaking into stepmom’s home
Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell was convicted of felony burglary Friday, more than a year after she was arrested while breaking into her stepmother’s home. Mitchell faced pressure to resign from both sides of the aisle since her arrest but had some defenders who said she deserved her day in court. One of them was Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, who, like Mitchell, is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). “Senator Mitchell has been afforded due process, a trial by a jury of her peers, and that jury has delivered a verdict. I am relieved to see the end of Senator Mitchell’s trial. The case’s resolution brings clarity to the situation,” Murphy said in a statement issued by the DFL after the verdict. “Senator Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities.” DEM STATE SENATOR CAUGHT ON BODYCAM ADMITS ‘I’M NOT GOOD AT THIS’ DURING ALLEGED HOME BREAK-IN The state lawmaker was arrested in April 2024 on suspicion of breaking into her stepmother’s home. Mitchell said she went to the home of her stepmother, Carol Mitchell, to retrieve her late father’s items. The state senator claimed her stepmother was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Mitchell testified she trespassed at her stepmother’s home and admitted lying to police about why she was there but that it was done out of concern for her stepmother, according to Axios. MURDERED DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER’S HOME BROKEN INTO JUST DAYS AFTER FATAL SHOOTING Footage of Mitchell inside a police cruiser handcuffed and being questioned was shown at her trial. In the video, she told an officer she was “just trying to get some of my dad’s things,” adding, “Clearly, I’m not good at this.” Mitchell told police her stepmom “wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” which is why she resorted to breaking into the Detroit Lakes home. Among the items Mitchell said she wanted to retrieve were her father’s ashes, pictures, clothes and other sentimental items. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When she was arrested, officers found a flashlight covered with a black sock on her. Additionally, officers said they searched a black backpack and found two laptops, a cellphone, a driver’s license, Senate identification and Tupperware products. While no sentencing date has been set, Mitchell faces a minimum of six months in jail and a maximum of 20 years, according to Axios, citing her attorney.