National Guard deploys to aid ICE operations in Arkansas, as Sanders backs key Trump initiative
EXCLUSIVE: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, one of the most visible figures in President Donald Trump’s first term, told Fox News Digital exclusively that she will announce a plan Tuesday to deploy dozens of National Guard to help in the deportation process for captured illegal immigrants. The Republican, who served as White House press secretary during the last Trump administration, will work with the Department of Homeland Security under federal Title 32 powers that allow guardsmen to remain under her control but be funded by Washington. “Violent, criminal illegal immigrants have no place in Arkansas,” Sanders said. “I signed the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act to hold these criminals accountable and slap enhanced penalties on illegal immigrants who commit additional crimes while in our state, and I look forward to our guardsmen working with the Trump Administration to enforce federal immigration law.” ICE COULD GET BOOST FROM NATIONAL GUARD IF CALLED, IOWA GOVERNOR SAYS Sanders said her former boss has skillfully secured the border and praised his efforts to “clean up the streets” in major cities, to the chagrin of Democratic municipal leaders. “Arkansas stands with him every step of the way,” Sanders added. Arkansas National Guard Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges confirmed his service members are ready to assist DHS, saying in a statement that they are committed to “focus on their core operations.” A total of 40 guardsmen in Fort Smith, Little Rock and Fayetteville will be activated for this mission. GOP GOVERNOR GREENLIGHTS STATE TROOPERS TO JOIN ICE IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN Sanders indicated they will assist in logistical support and transportation of illegal immigrant detainees – and remain unarmed. Arkansas National Guard will also help DHS with the clerical side of the detainment and deportation process, allowing federal agents to focus on the hands-on efforts of capturing illegal immigrant criminals. Prior to the news, Sanders signed the state’s Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act, which stipulates enhanced penalties for illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Arkansas beyond simply being illicitly present in the Natural State. Sanders has also expanded the state’s ban on sanctuary cities to include areas of the state not directly governed by municipalities, including many rural communities. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sanders’ office also shared information on some of the more violent illegal immigrants arrested in Arkansas. In January, ASP arrested Luis Danielle Valdez-Reyes who was accused of striking a state trooper, as well as Elias Avila-Bustillo, who was wanted by El Salvador for illegal gang activity. A nurse from Little Rock, Jennifer Ann Morton, was killed in a DUI crash allegedly caused by another illegal immigrant: Maynor Yair Sorto-Herrera. During the Biden administration, Sanders was one of a handful of governors to travel to the Mexican border to highlight the Democratic administration’s reticence to do so.
Dem governors suddenly crack down on crime as Trump’s National Guard threats loom
A handful of Democratic governors are cracking down on crime as President Donald Trump threatens to send the National Guard into blue cities struggling with persistent crime waves that have left residents killed or injured and businesses shuttered. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) — who has traded barbs with Trump over objecting to the president’s calls to activate the National Guard in the long crime-riddled city — announced on Friday that the Maryland State Police will bolster the Baltimore Police Department’s efforts to crack down on crime. “We are proud of the progress that we’ve been able to make, and we’re all very, very concerned about how much work still needs to happen,” Moore said on Friday after ordering state police to assist its Baltimore law enforcement counterparts. “If one person does not feel safe in their neighborhood, that is one too many.” Trump is in the midst of a national crime crackdown that began in Washington, D.C., in August, when he federalized the city under section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital’s police force for 30 days. Trump has since floated deploying the National Guard to crime-riddled cities such as Baltimore and Chicago to install law and order. NEWSOM DEPLOYS CRIME TEAMS STATEWIDE AS WHITE HOUSE MOCKS ‘COPYING TRUMP AGENDA’ Democratic state and local leaders, however, have frequently balked at Trump’s crackdown as a form of “authoritarianism.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, for example, declared in August that “we cannot incarcerate our way out of violence,” while claiming the U.S. has an “addiction” to jailing criminals. Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has characterized a potential National Guard presence on the streets as unnecessary, citing Chicago’s slowing crime trends since the wildly violent 2020 era and promoting state investments in community violence intervention programs. Amid left-wing outrage over Trump’s crime crackdown plans, some Democratic governors have taken additional steps at the state level to snuff out crime in violent jurisdictions, Fox News Digital found. “First, Democrats claimed there was no crime problem and mocked the American people for being concerned about their safety. But now that they’ve seen the tremendous results delivered by President Trump, they’re eager to mimic his success — the reality is, the American people benefit when the President’s agenda is implemented. Let this be a lesson to all Democrats, President Trump was right about everything!” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning when asked about a trio of Democratic governors who have announced crime crackdown initiatives in recent days. Just days after Trump federalized Washington, D.C.’s police department, Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Rio Arriba County, the city of Española and local Pueblo communities in response to a “significant surge in violent crime, drug trafficking, and public safety threats that have overwhelmed local resources.” TRUMP CLAIMS ‘WE’RE AGAINST CRIME. DEMOCRATS LIKE CRIME’ “We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis,” Lujan Grisham said in an Aug. 13 press release. The state of emergency authorized up to $750,000 in “emergency funding for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management” to coordinate response efforts in the affected areas, and will stay in effect until the funds are spent, or the additional resources are no longer needed. Lujan Grisham’s decision followed the Democratic governor slamming Trump for federalizing D.C., calling it: “executive overreach in Washington [that] sets a dangerous precedent and undermines safety in our nation’s capital.” Lujan Grisham’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter. In California longtime Trump political foe Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state’s highway patrol would deploy new “crime suppression” teams to the state’s massive cities seeing crime trends, including San Diego, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Central Valley, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. The announcement followed a similar crime crackdown initiative in Oakland, Bakersfield and San Bernardino, the governor said at the time. “These operations will be targeted,” Newsom said at a news conference back in August when making the announcement. “They’ll be data-driven.” LIZ PEEK: TRUMP PRANKS DEMOCRATS INTO OPPOSING SOMETHING THEY’VE ALWAYS CLAIMED TO SUPPORT Newsom’s office pointed to data showing crime overall dropped in California in 2024 and that CHP’s increased presence in the new jurisdictions was part of the governor’s “next phase of his crime-fighting efforts.” “While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them and delivering real results. With these new deployments, we’re doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down,” Newsom said in a statement of the initiative. Newsom is among vocal Democrats who have slammed Trump over his crime crackdown, including excoriating the administration in June, when federal law enforcement officials and the National Guard converged on Los Angeles to specifically detain and deport illegal immigrants. A federal judge ruled earlier in September that the Trump administration violated federal laws by sending the National Guard to LA in June — a ruling that affects only the state and not other states. “Today, the court sided with democracy and the Constitution. No president is a king — not even Trump — and no president can trample a state’s power to protect its people,” Newsom said following the judge’s ruling. The Supreme Court ultimately lifted restrictions on ICE raids in LA on Monday. When asked about bolstering CHP presence amid Trump’s national crime crackdown, Newsom’s office said “there is no correlation between California’s public safety investments and Trump unnecessarily sending in the National Guard to Washington, D.C.” The state has invested $1.7 billion since 2019 to boost public safety, including record funding in 2023 to combat organized retail crime with a 310% increase in enforcement operations, a spokesperson for Newsom’s office told Fox Digital. “I know the issue of reduction
North Carolina Republicans demand firing of judge who freed Ukrainian refugee’s murder suspect
FIRST ON FOX: Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation are calling for the removal of a state judge who released a man now accused of stabbing a Ukrainian refugee to death on a Charlotte train. All 10 House GOP members from the Tar Heel State signed a letter urging formal proceedings to remove Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes. They cited her decision earlier this year to release Decarlos Brown “based solely on his ‘written promise’ to appear for a future court date.” Brown is now charged in the Aug. 22 stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who fled Ukraine in 2022 after Russia’s invasion. Republicans argued Stokes ignored Brown’s lengthy record when she freed him without bail. GOFUNDME PULLS FUNDRAISERS FOR FELON ACCUSED OF KILLING COMMUTER IN RANDOM CHARLOTTE TRAIN ATTACK They argued that the release “was made despite Brown’s extensive criminal history, which included at least 14 prior arrests for serious offenses such as possession of a firearm by a felon, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and physical assault of his sister.” Brown, who was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been charged with a misdemeanor in January after calling 911 and demanding responding officers investigate “man-made” materials inside his body controlling him, according to KATV. He called 911 again after being angered by the police’s refusal, and was subsequently arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, according to the outlet. But the homeless man’s case is now the latest example being held up by Republicans of big cities having too lax a justice system in dealing with crime, including on mass transit. It comes amid broader partisan divisions over the merits of President Donald Trump deploying the national guard to major cities in order to deal with violent crime. “Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility. By releasing a repeat violent offender on nothing more than his written promise to appear, Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., wrote. DEM GOVERNOR BREAKS SILENCE ON MURDER OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEE AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH “Her decision has undermined public confidence in the judicial system and exposed the community to wholly preventable harm.” Zarutska had fled Ukraine in August 2022 after Russia launched its invasion of the sovereign country. The attack appears to have been unprovoked, as Zarutska had been sitting in front of Brown on a train while on her way home from work, according to local reports. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “[W]e urge you to commence formal removal proceedings against Magistrate Teresa Stokes. We further request that the Court conduct a thorough review of her prior bond determinations to assess the full extent of misconduct,” the letter said. “North Carolinians deserve to know that those entrusted with judicial authority exercise it with diligence, responsibility, and regard for the safety of the community.” Fox News Digital reached out to the North Carolina Judicial Branch for comment but did not hear back by press time.
Ted Cruz accuses Biden of breaking pardon rules with autopen use after bombshell report
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican charged that former President Joe Biden and top administration officials “demolished” the constitutional guardrails for pardons by using an autopen. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, which was first obtained by Fox News Digital, that there are a list of “core constitutional requirements” that must be met for pardons and granting clemency, and that the administration’s usage of an autopen likely ran afoul of those guardrails. In the waning months of his presidency, the Biden administration commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 inmates and pardoned 39 others in December. A little over a month later, the administration issued roughly 2,500 more commutations — the most ever by a president in a single day. COMER VOWS ‘ACCOUNTABILITY,’ TRUMP RIPS ‘SCANDAL’ AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS Cruz, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, offered to provide Bondi assistance in ongoing investigations into the administration’s alleged abuse of the autopen. He said that the clemencies were issued “based on broad criteria rather than case-by-case evaluations, and at least some were signed using an autopen of then-President Biden’s signature.” “These core Constitutional requirements, considerations, and expectations were demolished in the final months of the Biden administration for partisan and personal motives by President Biden, his family, and his top officials,” Cruz said. Cruz noted that the presidential pardon authority granted under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution requires a chain of custody of sorts: there has to be an unbroken line from the president to a pardon being granted, he said. TOP BIDEN OFFICIALS QUESTIONED AND CRITICIZED HOW HIS TEAM ISSUED PARDONS, USED AUTOPEN: REPORT “Everyone involved in the process — government officials purporting to issue a pardon, the person to whom it is being granted, judicial and law enforcement officials, and most of all the American people — should have absolute confidence a pardon was granted at the president’s explicit direction,” Cruz said. But recent reports, and ongoing congressional investigations, have raised doubts over whether Biden explicitly directed the avalanche of pardons toward the end of his presidency. Cruz’s letter comes on the heels of a report from Axios that unearthed emails that showed Biden officials raised concerns with how the president’s team decided to make certain pardons and the frequent usage of the autopen. ‘PRESIDENTIAL INCAPACITY’: SENATE REPUBLICAN SEEKS PAPER TRAIL OF BIDEN’S AUTOPEN USE Cruz said that the emails showed that the Biden White House “implemented a process that separated the President from officials responsible for signing pardons on his behalf.” “They could not know if they were doing so at the President’s direction, either on a case-by-case basis or as a matter of criteria,” he said. He argued that the doubts raised by recent reports, and the ongoing investigations by the Justice Department, risked a “constitutional crisis in which the other branches and the American people cannot have faith that the President’s Article 2 pardon power was legitimately deployed.” “If the integrity of the clemency process was broken by Biden officials, such that the relevant actions were not taken at the President’s direction, the status of the pardons and commutations would at a minimum be cast into doubt, and the officials involved in approving and using the autopens should be held accountable,” Cruz said.
Inside Epstein’s infamous “birthday book”: Clinton’s note, poolside candids and bizarre animal pics
Among the files made public by the House Oversight Committee is a document that stands out for its tone: a glossy 238-page scrapbook that offers a rare and unusually intimate glimpse of Jeffrey Epstein’s self-curated network. The infamous “birthday book,” compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003, for Epstein’s 50th includes what appears to be notes from former President Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz, as well as photographs that juxtapose girlfriends, animals, children’s drawings with financiers and politicians — a tableau that feels all the more unsettling today. BILL CLINTON LETTER IN EPSTEIN ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ AMONG NEW FILES RELEASED BY HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Maxwell wrote to Epstein at the beginning of the book that she wanted to “gather stories and old photographs to jog your memory about places, people and different events.” She hoped he would “derive as much pleasure from looking through it” as she did assembling it for him. Later in the book, a photo of the two canoodling appears with a caption that reads “the first date,” marked with the year 1991. Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 of sex trafficking and other offenses, and is serving a 20-year prison term. Prosecutors said she played a central role in Epstein’s scheme, luring underage girls into what began as massages and escalated into sexual abuse. Now 63 and incarcerated since her 2020 arrest, Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in late August that she had no role in the sexual exploitation of minors. When asked about the “birthday book,” she told Blanche that she could only remember some parts of it, adding that it had been years since she compiled it. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS Among the book’s entries is an apparent note from Bill Clinton, where the former Democratic president praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” and his “drive to make a difference” as well as the “[illegible] of friends.” Dershowitz, a former Harvard University law professor who once represented Epstein during criminal investigations, used his birthday note to make a joke about influencing media coverage. “Dear Jeffrey, as a birthday gift to you, I managed to obtain an early version of the Vanity Unfair article. I talked them into changing the focus from you to Bill Clinton, as you will see from the enclosed excerpt. Happy birthday and best regards,” the entry said. Dershowitz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing as it relates to Epstein. The birthday book also contained sentimental messages from family and friends. In one note, Epstein’s mother, Pauline Stolofsky Epstein, wrote that she’s been “very busy reminiscing since Ghislaine asked me to write about you.” “Jeff[,] you have been a good son since day one and we have been proud of you ever since,” Epstein’s mother said. “I recall you refused to sleep [as a child] unless I read a story from Grandma’s Golden Book that she bought for 25c,” she added. “At PTA meetings I begged your teachers to improve your handwriting.” EPSTEIN ESTATE TO HAND OVER ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ TO LAWMAKERS, HOUSE DEM SAYS She also referenced Epstein’s life as a bachelor, as well as his prominent media shout-outs. “At age 21 Cosmopolitan magazine featured you as ‘Bachelor of the Month,” Pauline Epstein wrote. “Today you still hold that title.” “Jeff, I’m so sorry that Dad can’t share the nachus [pride] we have regarding your achievements,” she added. “He would have been overjoyed reading the article about you in the New York magazine.” The book features hundreds of photos from throughout Epstein’s life until age 50, including pictures of him as a child and a teenager. Some of the earlier images included family pictures, formal school photos and pictures of him hanging out with friends as a teenager. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE The book also had revealing images of Epstein shirtless, Epstein embracing women and what appears to be a censored photo of him and Maxwell laughing and embracing in a pool. Pictures of mating lions and zebras were also included in the book. A picture of a woman in a bikini was also included with the caption, “Visiting you down in Palm Beach. Can’t get a second of privacy with you and a camera around ha ha!” Upon the files’ release, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee, accused Democrats of previously “cherry-picking” the documents. “Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and the American people,” Comer said.
Voters in sanctuary city make decision on mayor amid ICE crackdown resistance
Voters in New England’s most populous city are casting ballots Tuesday in a mayoral election amid a new crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts. The voting comes as Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, who’s seeking re-election to a second four-year term, is pushing back against federal immigration enforcement in the city. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday that “ICE launched ‘Patriot 2.0’ to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May.” TRUMP’S AGENDA, DOGE CUTS, LOOM LARGE IN TUSDAY’S SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION And taking aim at Wu, the statement argued, “Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities.” TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS Wu, on Monday, pushed back “They are wrong on the law, and they are wrong on safety,” Wu charged. “This is why Boston has been the target. Boston is going to continue to uphold the Boston Trust Act, our state law, and the clear separation where our local officials and our city government does not cooperate in the mass deportation efforts that this federal administration is trying to push.” And the mayor claimed, “For months, ICE has refused to provide any information about their activities in Boston and refuses to issue warrants, while we hear reports of ICE agents taking parents as they are dropping their kids off at school. That does not make our community safer.” Boston’s Trust Act prevents police in the city from handing people over to ICE without a criminal warrant. The latest confrontation comes as the Justice Department sues Boston city officials, including the mayor, for allegedly interfering with the immigration crackdown. Polls indicate Wu is heavily favored in Tuesday’s preliminary mayoral contest, which will narrow the field to two for November’s general election in the left-leaning city. Wu is facing three challengers, with philanthropist Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, likely to join the mayor in advancing.
GOP rep targets trucker’s English skills after illegal migrant charged in deadly Florida crash
FIRST ON FOX: GOP Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds introduced legislation to enforce English proficiency for truck drivers in the U.S. as an illegal migrant faces three counts of vehicular homicide in the Sunshine State. Harjinder Singh, an illegal migrant from India, is accused of jackknifing his tractor-trailer on Aug. 12, leading to a deadly crash that took three lives. Singh was issued a commercial driver’s license in California, but had also previously received a license in Washington state. Following the incident, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration examined Singh’s English proficiency and road sign comprehension. The illegal migrant was only able to identify just one out of four road signs during the test, and correctly answered only two of twelve questions surrounding his ability to understand English. BLUE STATES DEFLECT BLAME IN TRUMP PROBE AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER CRASH KILLS 3 IN FLORIDA Singh is currently being held in Florida without bond and faces three counts of vehicular homicide. Under current federal law, to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), an applicant must be able to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.” On Aug. 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Transportation (DOT) to further enforce the policy. BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER SPEAKING LIMITED ENGLISH WITH NEW MEXICO OFFICER The executive order stated that the English proficiency “requirement has not been enforced in years, and America’s roadways have become less safe.” Rep. Byron Donald’s new legislation, the Weigh station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act, would codify Trump’s executive order, and would allow the DOT to utilize weigh stations along federal highways to enforce English proficiency requirements. “The failure of states to enforce basic and commonsense requirements for truckers is putting every American motorist at risk,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “At the state level, Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Simpson have taken action to protect Floridians, but it’s imperative that we expand this effort nationwide. “Under my ‘WEIGH Act,’ all weigh stations along interstate highways will be required to enforce President Trump’s Executive Order to review commercial driver licenses for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers,” Donalds added. “Safety must be the standard, not the exception, and on Capitol Hill I’m fighting to ensure that the American people are put first every step of the way. The elimination of these threats to the American people is non-negotiable.” NEARLY 2.5M PEOPLE SIGN PETITION SUPPORTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER CHARGED IN FATAL CRASH While individual states determine their highway law enforcement policy, federal highway funding dollars for states could be in jeopardy should they refuse to comply with DOT requirements enforcing English proficiency checks. Florida’s own Commisioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, told Fox News Digital, “If you can’t read our signs, you shouldn’t be on our roads.” “If you drive a truck through our interdiction stations, you’re prepared for us to check your load for bugs and drugs,” Simposon told Fox. “Since [Trump] took office, we have helped take nearly 150 illegal immigrants off our streets — including murders and child predators.” Under most state laws, commercial trucks carrying over 10 thousand pounds are required to stop at weight stations, as well as commercial trucks carrying hazardous materials.
Mamdani takes commanding 22-point lead over Cuomo in new poll
Zohran Mamdani, who won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary earlier this year, is dominating the field of competitors, according to a New York Times/Siena College survey that places the self-identified “Democratic Socialist” way ahead of former Empire State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lands in a distant second place. The survey of likely voters in the Big Apple — which was conducted from Sept. 2 to 6 — found that, including leaners, on the question of who people would support if the contest “were held today,” a whopping 46% chose Mamdani, compared to just 24% for Cuomo, with other candidates faring even worse. MAMDANI WANTS TO CONVINCE NYC’S WEALTHY RESIDENTS PAYING MORE TAXES WOULD BETTER THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa scored only 15%, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams earned just 9%. “The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points among the likely electorate,” the methodology section notes. BERNIE SANDERS RIPS DEM LEADERS FOR SNUBBING MAMDANI IN MAYORAL RACE: ‘THIS IS OUR GUY!’ Mamdani is backed by notable left-wing lawmakers Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. MAMDANI CONFRONTED ON FAILED CITY-RUN GROCERY STORE ATTEMPT IN KANSAS CITY, CLAIMS HIS PLAN WILL WORK The contest is scheduled for early November.
Jury selection continues in trial of man accused of plotting to kill Trump
Jury selection is set to resume Tuesday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the federal trial of Ryan Routh, charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Three groups of 60 potential jurors are participating in the jury selection process, where prosecutors and Routh, who is representing himself in the case, ask jurors a series of questions to determine whether they can fairly participate in the trial. The jury selection process kicked off on Monday and is expected to wrap up Wednesday. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE Ultimately, the jury selection process will identify 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial. The first group of 60 appeared before prosecutors and Routh on Monday. His questions to potential jurors touched on the war in Gaza, the idea of the U.S. acquiring Greenland — a proposal once floated by the president — and how they might respond if they saw a turtle in the road while driving. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed Routh’s questions as “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. “None of the questions on your list have any bearing whatsoever. They were off base, sir, and have no relevance to jury selection,” Cannon said. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF Prosecutors claim that Routh, a 59-year-old construction worker, sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon and the scene after the Secret Service agent opened fire. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES Routh faces federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. Opening statements for the trial are expected to kick off on Thursday, and prosecutors are poised to launch into their case immediately afterward. The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, and it is expected to wrap up no later than Oct. 3. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Heather Lacey and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hawley pushes federal ‘In God We Trust’ displays nationwide to ‘restore faith to its rightful place’
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is introducing legislation on Tuesday that would require federal buildings across the country to prominently display America’s national motto, “In God We Trust.” If passed by the House and Senate and signed by President Donald Trump, the bill would direct the head of the U.S. General Services Administration to ensure that all federal buildings “inscribe or display” the national motto within one year. “Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln. Congress adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto in 1956 during the rise of atheist communism, and it remains our national motto today,” Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The ‘In God We Trust Act’ will ensure that the federal government—as well as the American people for whom it works—never forgets the ultimate source of the liberty and prosperity this country enjoys. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government,” he added. TRUMP TO SPEAK AT MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN EDUCATION The legislative push comes just days after Trump announced his own “America Prays” program, which calls on Americans to dedicate time every week to pray for the country and to underscore faith as central to the nation’s founding and future. TRUMP HEADS TO THE HEARTLAND TO KICK OFF A YEAR CELEBRATING AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE Trump’s push is merely an encouragement and holds no legislative weight, however. The initiative also suggests people join with at least 10 others each week to pray. “President Trump has revived one of America’s most prominent and powerful founding principles — we are one nation under God,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital on Monday. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the greatest country in the world, President Trump invites Americans to pray for our nation and for our people. America is stronger with the power of prayer.” PROTECTING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN OUR 250TH YEAR Debate over America’s Christian foundations was thrust into the spotlight last week thanks to a back-and-forth between Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Speaking to a federal nominee, Kaine mocked the idea that rights are grounded in anything other than government. “The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator — that’s what the Iranian government believes,” Kaine argued. “The statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.” After Kaine left the hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reacted forcefully to the comments. “I almost fell out of my chair because that ‘radical and dangerous notion’ — in his words — is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created,” Cruz said. He went on to quote Thomas Jefferson’s words in the Declaration of Independence, saying, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Cruz shared a video of Kaine’s remarks alongside his own and wrote, “The casual condemnation of America’s founding principle is exactly what is wrong with today’s Democrat Party. Government protects our God-given rights, it does not create or destroy them.” Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report.