Category: Fox News

Supreme Court justice turns on her own court with dire warning about American democracy

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan made the case that recent rulings from the conservative-majority high court are destabilizing democracy, suggesting that it isn’t working “as well as it should.” The remarks from the liberal justice came during a closed discussion before faculty and students at Catholic University’s law school in Washington, D.C. The discussion between Kagan and law professor Joel Alicea Alicia, who previously clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, comes just weeks after the Supreme Court began its new term, during which it’s expected to rule in major cases that will determine the scope of gun rights and state election integrity laws, among other issues. The conversation also comes less than two weeks before the midterm elections as President Donald Trump and Republican state lawmakers have pushed for new congressional maps drawn to favor Republicans and bolster their chances of maintaining control of the House. Democratic-led states have responded by redrawing their own maps, fueling ongoing lawsuits and court battles. SUPREME COURT KICKS OFF NEW TERM WITH FRESH QUESTIONS OVER ITS LEGITIMACY AND ITS FUTURE Kagan pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause, in which she dissented, as the beginning of a “race to the bottom.” She argued that the decision, which barred federal courts from invalidating maps solely because they unfairly favor one political party, deprived “masses of citizens” of their “rights to voting equality.” Kagan suggested that the influx of gerrymandered maps is “driving people away from the center toward the wings, toward the extremes. “Making what I think is, unfortunately, a too polarized country even more so,” Kagan said. Kagan also criticized rulings from the previous term, including the court’s decision limiting campaign finance restrictions and its ruling that made it more difficult to draw majority-minority congressional districts under the Voting Rights Act. “Part of the reason why the court got it wrong was a kind of lack of the appropriate concern or understanding of the consequences of their decisions,” Kagan said. “I do think in all these areas the court has blinded itself to the very deleterious effects of their rulings on how the political system works and has created a democracy that doesn’t work as well as it should.” DESANTIS SIGNS FLORIDA REDISTRICTING MAP TO POTENTIALLY FLIP 4 HOUSE SEATS RED Last term, the Supreme Court struck down federal limits on how much state and national political parties could spend in coordination with their candidates. Meanwhile, Kagan argued in dissent that the limits were necessary to prevent wealthy donors from working around direct contribution caps and that striking them down effectively allowed a political party to become an “alternative checking account” for a candidate. “The people of America look around this political system and think that all this money chasing all these political candidates is a nightmare,” Kagan said. “And they’re right.” Kagan, who was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama in 2010, argued that it was in a much better position when there was greater ideological balance. “There was a period of time where the court was in a better place, and the country was in a better place because the court was more balanced, and it was unclear whether the court could push through anybody’s program.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Nobody in America thought that the court was in the pocket of any one group or any one party,” she said. “And the court had a kind of legitimacy. When the court has a legitimacy of that kind, it helps to create a stable country.” However, Kagan pushed back against the characterization that the conservative-leaning court simply rubber-stamped Trump’s entire agenda. She pointed to previous rulings by the high court rejecting birthright citizenship restrictions, tariffs and Trump’s restrictions on mail-in voting. “It’s why the president sometimes really has not very nice things to say about the court’s decisions and some of my colleagues,” Kagan said.

Slotkin’s viral ‘threat’ to conservatives takes new twist as student moves to hold her accountable: ‘Shocking’

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is facing an ethics complaint filed to the United States Senate over comments she made earlier this month that many characterized as a “threat” to conservatives who are thinking about working for the Trump administration. During an Oct. 13 University of Chicago event, Slotkin drew criticism after a clip went viral showing her saying she wants to pursue “signature cases” against people who “enabled” President Donald Trump and push a “deterrence message” for young people. “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration? Like, that sounds fun, I might get an opportunity.’ I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that,’” she said. “I want that deterrence message sent,” Slotkin said. Slotkin is now facing an ethics complaint filed Thursday by Michael Bicksel, a University of Chicago student who first reported her remarks. The complaint was submitted to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and argues that Slotkin proposed using congressional investigations and potential prosecutions to frighten young people away from serving in a Republican administration. FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY VIOLENCE CAN BE JUSTIFIED TO STOP HATE SPEECH, POLL FINDS “Recently at an event at my college, the University of Chicago, Senator Slotkin laid out a legislative-oversight agenda that involved using the legal process to terrorize members of the Trump administration in order to ‘deter’ young people from going to work for it,” Bicksel wrote. The complaint asks the committee to determine whether Slotkin’s comments amounted to “improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate,” a standard described in the Senate Ethics Manual as applying to conduct that may be unethical even if it does not violate a specific law or Senate rule. “As a college student and a conservative, this was a shocking thing to hear,” Bicksel’s complaint reads. “A prominent U.S. Senator came to my college and laid out a goal that I and my peers should be afraid to serve our country in the executive branch. This is well below the standard of conduct expected of a U.S. Senator and deserves investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and appropriate subsequent disciplinary action.” ELISSA SLOTKIN TELLS STUDENTS LIKE ME NOT TO WORK IN GOVERNMENT. DON’T LISTEN TO HER Bicksel argued that Slotkin’s comments were directed at students considering government service, rather than exclusively at people who commit crimes or engage in unethical conduct. “The substance of the ‘deterrence message’ is clear as day,” Bicksel wrote. “Her target was ‘young people coming out of school’ (like me and my classmates) who are debating whether they should ‘go work for the Trump administration.’” “We are obviously not debating — as she subsequently tried to clarify — whether to go commit crimes or behave unethically,” he continued. “Those who commit crimes should be punished for doing so. No one disagrees with that. All we are debating is public service, pure and simple, and Senator Slotkin says we should think twice about doing so because it might provoke the full power of the United States Senate.” Slotkin, when pressed on the response to her comment on CNN, referred to the controversy as “manufactured outrage.” “I think the thing that I’ve heard from my own Republican colleagues and peers, including interns and folks who work around the Hill who come to our events, they’ll tell you, ‘I was worried,’” Slotkin added. “My parents were worried, you know. It’s really messy. I’m not sure what to get involved in.’ Politics, in general, has become messy.” The Justice Department is currently facing calls to investigate Slotkin over her remarks, Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday. Slotkin’s communication director pointed Fox News Digital to a statement made by the senator on Tuesday when reached for comment. “Now, if you take a breath, this is all pretty crazy. A president from the Oval Office is weaponizing our justice system against an American who clearly gets under his skin. And if he can do it to me, he can do it to anyone,” Slotkin said. “His supporters use a coordinated play to threaten, intimidate, and silence anyone who speaks up. It’s a play to distract us from his failed economy, high gas prices, and the disastrous war he started with Iran. But if I’ve learned one thing from this past year, it’s that you have to push back.”

Leavitt opens up on helping Trump find new press secretary after Zacharia debacle: ‘Was not for her’

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says she is helping President Donald Trump choose his next press secretary after his first pick for the job lasted just five days. “I’ve offered my help to the president to help him select someone who can serve him and the country well,” Leavitt said Wednesday evening in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. Leavitt served as Trump’s press secretary from the start of the president’s second term until Aug. 27, when she stepped down from the demanding role to spend more time with her two young children, including a daughter who was born in May. Her successor, political commentator Katie Zacharia, took over earlier this month, but lasted just five days in the role, making her the shortest-serving White House press secretary in U.S. history. TRUMP’S NEW PRESS SECRETARY OUT OF A JOB JUST DAYS AFTER ROCKY DEBUT “White House press secretary is a tough job. I know that because I did it, obviously for almost two years, and many people say it’s one of the hardest jobs in politics,” Leavitt emphasized. She noted that the job “takes a lot of preparation and sometimes you don’t know how someone will perform until they go out there.” “We wish Katie the best. The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well,” Leavitt added. When it comes to whom Trump will choose next for the position, Leavitt said the president “is continuing to look over options. There’s a lot of people who want that job. It’s an amazing job. It provides you with incredible opportunities.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Asked what advice she’s offered to Trump, Leavitt said, “I’ll keep my private counsel to the president private, but I do obviously talk to him about what the job entails, and he knows it very well.” “Nobody understands the press better than Donald Trump. He knows he needs someone who is tough, who is smart, who understands his policies, who is loyal, and who can go out there and put up a fight,” she added. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, served as an intern in the Trump White House after graduating from Saint Anselm College in 2019. She later became an assistant White House press secretary at the end of Trump’s first term. After Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Leavitt worked as communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. She then served as spokeswoman for the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. before taking over as press secretary for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. After being named White House press secretary following the 2024 election, Leavitt made history as the youngest person ever in the role. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Leavitt also ran for Congress in 2022, winning a heavily contested GOP nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st District before losing the general election to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Asked if she might make another run for public office in her home state when Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan is up for re-election in 2028, Leavitt quickly said, “No, I’m all set. I don’t have any plans to run for office in the near future at all, or in the future at all.” “I am home with my family, and we’re really excited about that,” she explained. “Right now I’m really focused on being a wife and a mother to my two very young children. That’s why I made the decision to leave Washington. So we’re just happy to be home and enjoying the ride.” Leavitt officially becomes a Fox News contributor at the start of November.

Obama-appointed judge at center of Trump’s anti-weaponization fund case hit with misconduct claim

FIRST ON FOX: A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama is being accused of “misconduct” in a case involving President Donald Trump. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is demanding an investigation into U.S. Judge Kathleen Williams of the Southern District of Florida after she sanctioned Trump’s lawyers over his case against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Jordan wrote to the Judicial Conference of the United States that “there is evidence that Judge Williams abused her judicial authority and violated fundamental tenets of judicial impartiality in connection with an unusual and unsupported order that imposed sanctions after the plaintiffs voluntarily had dismissed the underlying action.” The letter is being co-led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the panel’s subcommittee on courts. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT Trump, his adult sons Eric and Donald Jr., and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against the IRS in early 2026 seeking $10 billion in damages after a contractor with the agency leaked the president’s tax returns to the press. The contractor, Charles Littlejohn, was sentenced to five years in federal prison. APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT Trump, who filed the lawsuit in his personal capacity, had it voluntarily dismissed in May. Shortly after, however, the administration announced a settlement agreement that included $1.776 billion for an “anti-weaponization fund” for victims of “lawfare” by the Biden administration. Trump himself would receive no compensation, but would get a formal apology from the federal government and bar the IRS from ever auditing Trump or his family. Williams, however, then accused the plaintiffs of purposely manipulating the courts to achieve the settlement and sanctioned two of the president’s lawyers in a July order. Her order referred lawyer Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar for potential disciplinary action and prevented lawyer Daniel Epstein from practicing under her jurisdiction for at least a year. LIBERAL LAW PROFESSOR BREAKS WITH OBAMA JUDGE OVER TRUMP LAWYER CRACKDOWN: ‘I REFUSE TO TEACH’ IT Jordan’s letter called the timing of Williams’ order “suspect” for coming after the case was voluntarily withdrawn. He also accused Williams of basing the action on an amicus brief submitted by left-wing judicial activist group Democracy Defenders Action. The brief, which the group said was submitted on behalf of 35 former federal judges, called on Williams to reopen the case despite the dismissal by the involved parties and accused both sides of “fraud” over the settlement. GOP SENATOR UNVEILS BOASBERG ACT TO STOP ‘ROGUE’ JUDGES FROM HANDPICKING TRUMP CASES “Judge Williams issued her July 13 order after the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the case, ending the dispute between the parties,” Jordan and Issa wrote. “Although Judge Williams invoked the court’s inherent authority to impose sanctions, the Committee is not aware of Eleventh Circuit precedent applying inherent sanctions authority after a plaintiff has voluntarily dismissed a case based on briefing by partisan nonparties on an unrelated question the court never decided.” They concluded, “Judge Williams’s conduct risks undermining public confidence in the federal courts. Accordingly, we respectfully ask that the Judicial Conference review this matter, including whether it warrants referral to the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit or other appropriate action, and that you inform the Committee of steps taken no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 5, 2026.” CLINTON JUDGE INDEFINITELY BLOCKS TRUMP’S $1.776B ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND Issa told Fox News Digital in his own statement, “The rogue federal judges who make up the Trump Resistance in Robes continue to disappoint but never surprise. Judge Williams hasn’t only shown her liberal contempt for President Trump — but crossed a bright ethical line by going after his attorneys.” Trump allies, particularly in Congress, have clashed with federal judges on multiple fronts so far this term. Republicans have accused what they call “activist judges” of weaponizing their courts to block Trump’s agenda. Democrats, meanwhile, backed up Williams’ skepticism of Trump’s settlement. The anti-weaponization fund proposal, which has since been blocked by other courts, has received bipartisan pushback.

Virginia state senator indicted, accused of leading a marijuana distribution enterprise

Virginia state Senator Lillie Louise Lucas was indicted Thursday on five charges that include drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and firearms charges after being accused of running a marijuana distribution enterprise, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.  Lucas is among seven indicted in the sprawling racketeering scheme, a group that includes her two daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and her grandson Ryan Eichelberger, Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Thursday press conference. “Louise Lucas has served in a position of public trust in the Commonwealth of Virginia for over three decades,” Blanche said in a DOJ statement.  “The charges alleged in this indictment reveal the behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve. Our federal prosecutors will continue to be guided by the facts and evidence that led a grand jury to indict Ms. Lucas and her alleged co-conspirators.” DEMS BLAST TRUMP OVER VIRGINIA FBI RAID BUT PROBE STARTED UNDER HIS PREDECESSOR The 82-year-old Lucas has served as a Virginia state senator since 1991, and as the president pro tempore of the state’s Senate since 2020. As president pro tempore, she is the presiding member of the state senate in the absence of the state’s lieutenant governor.  She has also served as chair of the state’s Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee since 2024. “Through her elected office, Senator Lucas has been a public servant of the people of Virginia. Her first duty should have been looking out for her constituents before herself, but the charges listed in the indictment reflect the alleged behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve,” Blanche said Thursday.  The DOJ said Lucas led the Lucas Enterprise with a close-knit group of friends and family that included her two daughters and a grandson.  “[They] orchestrated a multi-year scheme to enrich their own criminal marijuana enterprise, ‘the Lucas Enterprise,’ using Lucas’ position as Chairwoman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to insulate the enterprise from criminal scrutiny and influencing legislation to financially benefit themselves,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in the statement.  Lucas was directly involved in a wide range of activities within the enterprise, including the acquisition and distribution of 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and for the laundering of the drug sales proceeds, the DOJ said. The state senator opened The CBD Shoppe and The Cannabis Outlet in 2019, according to the indictment. The pot shops’ openings came nearly two years before Virginia officially legalized marijuana for recreational use on July 1, 2021. In 2021, Lucas and her daughter Lisa Lucas-Burke, who is currently running for mayor in Portsmouth, Virginia, also opened The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth.  SPANBERGER REFUSES TO HONOR ICE DETAINER IN MURDER CASE, ESCALATING SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP DHS During a conversation with an unindicted co-conspirator, Lucas pushed for favorable language in a Virginia state bill on marijuana reform, telling the co-conspirator, “This is our last chance at generational wealth…I’ve got too old to not be greedy,” the indictment stated.  The FBI raided Lucas’ office and businesses in May. Lucas responded to the indictment Thursday morning with a post on X. “Today, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the full weight of the federal government have been wielded against an 82-year-old great-grandmother,” she wrote. “I grew up under Jim Crow. I’ve seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them. I spent my life fighting back, and I’m not stopping now,” she continued. “I’m not new to this. I’m true to this. I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down,” she concluded.  Four other co-conspirators were charged in the indictment: Prince Albert William Hudson III, Theresa Lucas-Lamb, Carlton Upton Jr. and Tameka Johnson. Lillie Louise Lucas and Lisa Lucas-Burke’s mayoral campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital for comment. 

Ilhan Omar issues stunning admission when confronted with brother marriage rumors

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., denied Wednesday that she married her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to commit immigration fraud and pushed back against claims that they are related. But when asked if there’s any familial relation with her ex-husband, Omar admitted, “Not to my knowledge.”  The interview marked the Somali-born congresswoman’s first time speaking with the media since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence on Oct. 12. The congresswoman’s office has not responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated requests for comment regarding the investigations and raid on her home earlier this month. ILHAN OMAR BELIEVES TRUMP RAID ON HOME WAS MEANT TO ‘INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE’ FROM VOTING “It all started with the Somali blog,” Omar told MS Now host Chris Hayes regarding longstanding rumors that they are siblings. “Somebody put it there, that he had to have been my brother or something to that effect.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into possible false statements in Omar’s immigration and naturalization documents. The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the allegations. FEDERAL AGENTS RAID ILHAN OMAR’S DC HOME AMID IMMIGRATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia approved the warrant, according to court-related reporting. Omar has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated. She appeared publicly for the first time since last Monday’s raid with a video posted to social media from the back of a car where she asked supporters to keep sending her money. Federal authorities issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to members of Omar’s family, and seized her cellphone during the investigation, according to The Associated Press. Fox News Digital reported that Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, spoke with federal investigators last week in the wake of the raid. ILHAN OMAR RAID SPARKS OMINOUS PREDICTION FROM WATCHDOG: ‘THEY PROBABLY GOT THE GOODS’ A separate inquiry from the immigration fraud investigation is examining Omar’s campaign finances and financial disclosures.  That investigation reportedly began during the Biden administration in 2024. The complaint about her massive wealth disparity in her disclosures was dismissed by congressional ethics hawks but is now being investigated by authorities outside the Capitol, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced last week. Both investigations remain ongoing.

Rep Keith Self targeted in alleged assassination plot by Texas teen: report

Federal authorities arrested a 17-year-old Texas boy accused of plotting to assassinate Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, and carry out a separate terrorist attack in North Texas on behalf of ISIS, according to a local report. The teenager, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested on Oct. 5 after acquiring a firearm, according to federal law enforcement sources cited by WFAA. “I am grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for stopping this threat,” Self said in a statement posted on X. “My family and I are safe, and I remain focused on serving the people of Texas’ 3rd District,” he continued. “Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it—name-calling, threats, and worse.” MALL OF AMERICA TERROR PLOT THWARTED; SUSPECTED ISIS SYMPATHIZER ARRESTED, FBI ANNOUNCES “Our Founders believed this country was worth the sacrifice,” Self added. “I served 25 years in the military because defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down.” Self spoke about the situation to CBS News Texas following the arrest. “When we knew about it, they had him,” Self said, admitting he had limited knowledge of what went on. “The FBI, through the Capitol Police, only tells us so much,” he told CBS, although he did note, “I understand that they’ve known about this kid for a while.” According to WFAA, the teenager allegedly planned to target Self at an event last Saturday. Federal investigators also believe the suspect was planning a separate attack on behalf of ISIS, the outlet reported. When asked by WFAA whether his public positions on Islamic extremism might explain why he was targeted, Self said he could not be certain. FBI ARRESTS WOMAN WHO ALLEGEDLY PLOTTED ISIS-LINKED ATTACK ON NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL BUILDING “If it’s ISIS related, you kind of have to believe that. I can’t prove that. I don’t know that for sure,” Self said. Last month, Self introduced a nonbinding congressional resolution denouncing Sharia law and opposing its implementation in the United States. He also co-founded the “Sharia-Free America Caucus” last year with Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, with the goal of opposing the influence of Sharia law. Self is seeking a third term in Congress in November’s midterm elections. Fox News Digital has reached out to Self and the FBI for comment.

House Dem leader’s attack on voter ID comes back to haunt him after election fraud bust in his home state

House Democrats’ No. 3 leader is under fire for his opposition to voter ID in his home state of California. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., spoke at a press conference earlier this month criticizing a measure on Californians’ ballot this Election Day that, if passed, would mandate that voters show government-issued photo ID at the polls. He made the comments just weeks before the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a crime bust that saw several U.S. permanent residents accused of registering to vote despite not being citizens. MAP IT: DOJ ILLEGAL VOTING CRACKDOWN SWEEPS 17 STATES AS RAZOR-THIN ELECTIONS FACE SCRUTINY Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., hammered Aguilar’s opposition to voter ID and argued the DOJ’s recent actions made it “obvious” that the ballot measure, called Proposition 39, was needed. “Give me a break,” Calvert told Fox News Digital. “You have to show an ID to board an airplane, cash a paycheck, rent an apartment or even buy cold medicine at the grocery store. Democrats claiming that requiring photo ID before casting a ballot is somehow ‘racist’ or ‘voter suppression’ is complete nonsense and an insult to every voter’s intelligence.” NEW YORK CITY’S LONE REPUBLICAN IN CONGRESS ACCUSES MAMDANI, SCHUMER OF ‘HYPOCRISY’ IN VOTER ID FIGHT Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., said voter ID “is basic election security that the vast majority of Americans support, and 36 states already require.” “While opponents are resorting to lies and fearmongering, Proposition 39 is commonsense reform in a world where you need an ID to rent a car, stay at a hotel, open a bank account or board a flight,” Fong told Fox News Digital. “The DOJ’s recent voter fraud bust in California is exactly why these safeguards matter.” Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., similarly said showing photo ID is a “simple standard we already require to board a plane, purchase alcohol or pick up a prescription.” “This isn’t controversial and it shouldn’t be complicated. Our elections deserve at least as much consideration as a beer or a bottle of wine,” Kim told Fox News Digital. Aguilar, meanwhile, criticized Proposition 39 during a press conference with Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Biden administration Cabinet Secretary Xavier Becerra earlier this month. “We will not stand for this, because we will not stand for people to lose an opportunity to exercise their ability to vote. In Arizona, they tried this. They wanted folks to put their driver’s license numbers on their ballots. Think about that. What if you miss one digit? Your vote doesn’t count?” Aguilar proposed. “What if you’re married in California? What if you’re married, and you haven’t changed your name and you go to vote? No longer will you be able to vote. That is what is at stake for Californians.” SCHUMER SAID ‘DEMOCRATS SUPPORT VOTER ID’ – THEN EVERY SENATE DEMOCRAT VOTED AGAINST GOP BILL He called it a “voter suppression effort” pushed by Republicans. “Republicans can win only when they suppress the vote. Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans know that they are bankrupt of ideas and solutions, and so they have to change the rules of the game,” Aguilar said. NEWSOM SPARS WITH TRUMP-APPOINTED PROSECUTOR OVER 20,000 SUSPECTED NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS Meanwhile, the California government criticized the DOJ’s operation while pointing to reports that said more of those charged were registered as Republicans rather than Democrats. “For nearly a decade, Trump has baselessly alleged mass voter fraud rings were employed by Democrats and utilized ‘illegal immigrants’ to sway elections across the country – often pointing to California,” a release on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state website read. “Courts at all levels have rejected the claims of vast voter fraud or that elections were rigged against the President.” Voter ID laws currently exist in 36 states and polls have shown they have a majority of Americans’ support. But in Congress, several efforts to pass federal voter ID legislation have been thwarted by Democrats in recent years. Fox News Digital reached out to Aguilar’s campaign for a response to his GOP House colleagues’ comments.

France’s riot chaos fuels Farage’s warning that mass immigration failures could haunt another country next

As violent riots grip France, British political leader Nigel Farage warned Americans against repeating what he described as Europe’s mass immigration failures, arguing that years of unchecked migration have transformed European cities and fueled unrest that could eventually spread elsewhere. “People like me who were warning about this years ago have sadly been proven right, but the problems are gonna be here for a very, very long time,” Farage told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Please, please don’t make the same level of mistakes that we have,” he said in his message to Americans. Violent riots have erupted across parts of Europe in recent weeks, particularly in France, with Farage pointing to years of mass migration and failed political leadership as key factors fueling the unrest. The Reform UK leader singled out Emmanuel Macron, arguing that the French president should have mobilized the military to confront the violence, after education protests spiraled into riots, destruction and theft. MACRON JETS OUT OF RIOT-TORN FRANCE FOR GULF TRIP AS POLITICAL PRESSURE MOUNTS “Macron was asleep at the wheel, and it isn’t just that he was at a concert,” Farage said. “And whilst the French do have effective police forces, the scale of the uprising, I mean the mass looting, the mass looting and violence that took place in Paris was genuinely horrendous.” “Meloni’s reaction was swifter and a better sign of leadership,” Farage said, referring to the Italian leader deploying 500 military troops to Milan in response to recent riots. “But the problem is, for people like Macron, who have always said, any criticism of immigration, whether legal or illegal, makes you racist, they psychologically find it hard to face up to their own failures of policy.” Farage warned that the unrest he described in France and elsewhere in Europe could eventually erupt in Britain, pointing to demonstrations in London and questioning whether British leaders would respond more forcefully than Macron. ITALY UNLEASHES MILITARY RESPONSE TO VIOLENT RIOTS AS FRANCE FACES A RECKONING OF ITS OWN “You know, my real worry is they can happen in this country too,” Farage said. “We’ve got the same hard left here. We’ve the same hate mobs that march, chanting in the streets of London, from the river to the sea.” “I’m concerned that these things could happen here. And I wonder whether a British prime minister has got any more courage than President Macron in France,” he added. Farage contrasted Europe’s failure to control its borders with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the United States. TRUMP, WALTZ LINK FRANCE RIOTS TO MASS IMMIGRATION AS THOUSANDS ARE ARRESTED “Look, whatever you think of President Trump’s current policies, one thing he has done, and he promised he’d do. He’s closed the southern border,” Farage said. Trump vowed Tuesday to treat potential rioters in the U.S. “very rough,” pointing to the unrest in France, he said at a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, before being interrupted by a protestor in the crowd. “They’re crazy, these people. Look at that guy. He’s a nutjob,” Trump said, in reference to the protester. He warned that he would crack down on potential threats, saying he would not allow similar unrest to take hold in the U.S. FRANCE COULD FACE EVEN WORSE DESTRUCTION WITH SECOND WEEKEND OF PLANNED RIOTS, STATE DEPT WARNS “That’s what you witness over the last three or four days. You watch nutjobs like him in France ruining their country,” Trump said. “We’re not going to put up with it by the way.” “If a possible threat, which could happen, I hope you won’t get angry if I treat them very, very rough, because that’s what’s going to happen. They’re not going to destroy our country,” he said. On Tuesday, British counterterrorism police rearrested two men suspected of assisting Iranian intelligence in an alleged plot targeting RAF Fairford, a U.K. base used by U.S. bombers. Authorities say Iranian state involvement is “highly likely,” though no charges have been filed. FOILED TERROR PLOT AT BOMBER BASE SIGNALS WIDER THREAT TO US MILITARY INSTALLATIONS: EXPERT Farage said he has foreshadowed such criminal acts, alleging that Iran has exploited illegal crossings of the English Channel to move operatives into Britain. “I’ve called again and again for this to be declared a national security emergency. I have been ignored. If the Americans removing their bombers from RAF Fairford isn’t enough warning. I don’t know what is,” he said. “We’ve just become so caught up over here in Europe and Britain with this human rights culture, which puts the interests, frankly, of the bad guys above the interests of the majority.”

El-Sayed, Rogers clash over Muslim Brotherhood, Trump and guns: 5 fiery debate moments

Former Rep. Mike Rogers and his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, tore into each other at their second Michigan Senate debate Wednesday evening. Rogers, a former FBI special agent and the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, clashed with El-Sayed over the personal barbs, accusations and fierce divides that have defined one of the country’s most anticipated Senate elections. Here are some of the most noteworthy moments from the fiery faceoff. As evidence of Rogers’ alignment with President Donald Trump, El-Sayed accused him of backing the war in Iran, a conflict El-Sayed himself described as “aimless.” “He’s got a war for everything, and he won’t back off the war now. He supports this war,” El-Sayed said. “If you don’t believe me, I want you to pay attention. On Sunday, when Donald Trump comes here at the invitation of Mike Rogers to remind you that, in fact, Donald Trump is on the ballot through Mike Rogers. They are hip to hip on this war, and you are paying the cost,” he added, referring to one of Rogers’ upcoming campaign events. Rogers quickly fired back, reiterating a moment from their first debate when El-Sayed refused to answer whether Israel or Iran posed a greater threat to the U.S. “My opponent can’t even condemn the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], which is the terrorist enforcement arm of Iran, and doesn’t believe Iran is any more dangerous than Israel. This is an absolute nonstarter,” Rogers said. THE MEDICARE FOR ALL TRADE-OFFS SOCIALISTS AREN’T TALKING ABOUT, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS At one point during the debate, Rogers accused El-Sayed of deleting social media content about defunding the police, a progressive stance that circulated among far-left Democrats in 2020 after the death of George Floyd. “I will tell you this: he did call for defunding the police … [and] he deleted all of this material. Why would you do that? Why would you go through and take all of that time to delete all of the material? X videos, comments, podcast. Why? Because he was passionate about defunding the police,” Rogers said. “As a matter of fact, he asked the Muslim Brotherhood head, Morsi, in Egypt to defund the police there, too,” Rogers added, referring to the former Egyptian president associated with the group. The last remark triggered a fierce reaction from El-Sayed, who has fended off questions about ties to the Muslim Brotherhood throughout his campaign. “He keeps raising this question about this association with the organization,” El-Sayed said. “It’s really quite beneath you.” Although Fox News Digital has not discovered any links between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood, critics have pointed to El-Sayed’s ties to the Muslim Students Association (MSA), a group listed as part of a strategy memorandum for North America written by one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s members, Mohamed Akram. El-Sayed served as the vice president of the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan during his time there as a senior in 2007, according to College Fix. ABDUL EL-SAYED’S ALLEGED FAMILY TIES TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SURFACE AFTER DENYING ANY LINK DURING NBC INTERVIEW Throughout the night, El-Sayed doubled down on promises to expand government programs like Medicaid and measures to “put money in your pocket,” a refrain that has been a cornerstone of his campaign. But Rogers made sure to cast doubt on those commitments, arguing that the policies would carry with them a heftier price tag than the Democratic nominee would acknowledge. “So think of all of the three things he just talked about. Put money in your pockets. It’s a great slogan. There’s nothing behind it. Matter of fact, when his Democratic socialist-aligned policies are engaged, you’ll be lucky to have a damn pair of pants when you’re done,” Rogers said. “Medicare for All. He doesn’t tell you how much taxes you have to get charged, and you lose your private health insurance. These aren’t real solutions. These are solutions that are going to make your life more miserable. And it’s going to take away your choices in healthcare.” When asked about AI regulation, Abdul El-Sayed briefly mentioned he would support having “democratically appointed folks on the board of these AI corporations,” citing what he described as an existential threat to the workforce. Rogers seized on the moment, accusing El-Sayed of verbalizing a desire to exercise public control of private companies. “He said the quiet part out loud,” Rogers said. “He wants government to go into these businesses. That is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). [They] come in for your business and your future. And so, you need to really stop for a minute and think about, do you want somebody who wants the government involved in these companies?” Rogers added. Notably, Abdul El-Sayed has not officially received an endorsement from the DSA, nor has he affirmed the group’s platform. Even so, he has endorsed and received endorsements from a number of candidates who have received the DSA’s backing. Among them, El-Sayed supported New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, in his bid for office last year. ROGERS WARNS MICHIGAN VOTERS AGAINST EL-SAYED’S ‘EXTREME’ AGENDA AHEAD OF ELECTION At the close of the debate, Rogers fired back at El-Sayed when the Democratic candidate needled him for refusing to answer yes or no to a question about implementing universal background checks for gun purchases. “It all depends. It all depends,” Rogers said. “It’s not hard. Look at that. So dependable,” El-Sayed quipped. Rogers fired back, noting that El-Sayed had once called for doing away with the Second Amendment in comments he had made before he launched his Senate bid. “You want to ban the Second Amendment. Why don’t you talk about that?” Rogers was alluding to a video published on YouTube in 2023 in which El-Sayed had compared the right to bear arms to a right to healthcare. “What if we tweaked the Constitution, amended the amendment, and instead of the right to bear arms, we change it to the right to have healthcare?” El-Sayed said. He claimed altruism in the proposal,