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 wealthâ¦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 itâname-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 CITYâS 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’ â 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 â 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-SAYEDâS âEXTREMEâ 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,
Kansas Senate rivals distance themselves from party leaders in fiery debate
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton repeatedly sought to distance themselves from the most unpopular elements of their respective parties Wednesday night during a contentious Kansas Senate debate. Both candidates battled over President Donald Trump, immigration, the war in Iran and more in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. The debate opened on a personal note, with both candidates pressed over controversies that have fueled attack ads in the closing weeks of the campaign. Marshall was questioned about a New York Times review that found his former medical practice sued more than 700 patients over unpaid bills. The Republican defended the practice while emphasizing the millions of dollars in free care his practice provided. GOP SENATOR ALLEGES SCHUMER BEHIND ‘HIT JOB’ REPORT ON FORMER PATIENTS “Every year we gave away $3 to $4 million of charity, but we also had a business,” Marshall said. “We had 300 employees, we had a mortgage payment, we had electric.” Hamilton, meanwhile, was questioned about his handling of allegations involving a volunteer at his church’s summer camp alleged to have been a sexual predator. Hamilton acknowledged that he should have ensured the individual did not return to the camp after an initial investigation. “I should have checked to make sure that he wasn’t going back,” Hamilton said. “That was a mistake on my part.” The candidates spent much of the rest of the debate trying to define each other by their respective national parties. Marshall repeatedly warned that electing Hamilton would help hand control of the Senate to Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, while Hamilton sought to portray himself as an independent-minded Democrat willing to break with his party. THE NINE KEY RACES THAT WILL DECIDE WHO CONTROLS THE SENATE, AND WHERE THEY STAND That divide came into focus when the moderator played footage of Trump campaigning for Marshall in Kansas earlier this week and telling voters to “pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot.” Asked whether that meant he would support every part of Trump’s agenda, Marshall said no and pointed to recent disagreements involving immigration enforcement in southwest Kansas and beef imports. “Just like with my wife, I can disagree with her. My wife is always right,” Marshall joked. “And President Trump is not always right.” Nevertheless, Marshall emphasized his support for much of Trump’s agenda and urged the president’s supporters to turn out for him. “We need the Trump voters to come out,” Marshall said. “If you want the Trump agenda to continue, if you want secure borders, if you want a strong military, if you want lower taxes, then you â and you voted for President Trump â you need to come out.” Hamilton faced a similar challenge when moderators pressed him over his past support for Democrats and his campaign message of “leading from the middle.” MANCHIN CALLS SCHUMER ‘CRAZY’ FOR TRYING TO OUST GOP SENATOR IN CRUCIAL SENATE SHOWDOWN The Democratic nominee explicitly broke with former President Joe Biden over immigration. “The Biden policies when it came to the border were a disaster,” Hamilton said. “I believe in strong and secure borders.” Hamilton also said he would not support Schumer for majority leader if Democrats win control of the Senate. The debate did produce an unusual moment of agreement when both candidates were asked how many genders there are. “There’s two. There’s a boy and there’s a girl,” Marshall said. “There are two genders, male and female,” Hamilton responded. SC DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CLAIMS SHE WILL STAND UP TO HER PARTY AS GRAHAM TIES HER TO ‘SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS’ Hamilton later said he did not want biological males competing against his 12-year-old granddaughter in sports, calling it “not a fair fight,” while arguing that decisions over athletic participation should generally be handled locally rather than by the federal government. The Kansas contest has emerged as an unexpectedly competitive Senate race in the closing weeks of the midterms. Marshall is seeking a second term in a state that has not elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 1932, while Hamilton, a longtime pastor, has campaigned as a moderate Democrat. Trump traveled to Kansas Monday to campaign for Marshall as Republicans work to defend the seat with control of the Senate at stake.
Mass firings vow sparks clash with Klobuchar over Walz fraud legacy
Minnesotaâs gubernatorial candidates clashed over the stateâs fraud scandals in their second debate of the week, with Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth pledging to fire all state commissioners on her first day in office and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar defending her response. The scandals have rocked the North Star State, raising questions about how large-scale abuse of state programs went undetected and putting government oversight at the center of the governorâs race. “Fraud unchecked here in the state of Minnesota has gone far too long, and it has finally come to the surface,” Demuth said. MINNESOTAâS ANTI-FRAUD SPENDING HAS QUIETLY BALLOONED, LEAVING TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR FAILURE TWICE “The thing that I will do on day one is I am going to be firing all commissioners, choosing new commissioners that are expert in their field, that will carry out the accountability and transparency that is needed in our state. We have to change the culture of fraud.” Klobuchar called Demuthâs remarks “absurd” and said she contacted U.S. Attorney Andy Luger after the fraud came to light to ask what prosecutors needed. “He said, ‘I need more prosecutors’,” Klobuchar said. “I called the highest level of the Justice Department, and I got him those prosecutors.” TIM WALZ SAYS HE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR MINNESOTA FRAUD BY NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION Klobuchar also said she would have caught the fraud earlier, while criticizing Walzâs response. “Tim Walz should have caught the fraud earlier and he should have done more,” she said. She also sought to distinguish herself from the outgoing governor and criticized Demuth for not clearly separating herself from President Donald Trump. “We donât need a rubber stamp of Donald Trump in the governorâs office,” Klobuchar said. Demuth countered that Klobuchar had not identified specific policies on which she would break with Walz, whom Klobuchar has called an “incredible governor.” ‘WE HAVE NOT SLOWED DOWN’: MINNESOTA NOT OUT OF THE WOODS ON MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL, EXPERT WARNS Beyond fraud, Klobuchar and Demuth used the debate to draw broader contrasts over the economy, taxes, public safety and the direction of the state. Both candidates have ruled out tax increases, but Demuth has argued Minnesota needs to rein in spending and regulations, while Klobuchar has emphasized lowering costs for health care, housing and child care. The race will also make history regardless of the outcome, producing Minnesotaâs first female governor. A Demuth victory would additionally make her the stateâs first Black governor.
Trump dominates El-Sayed’s attacks against Rogers, but GOP rival offers unexpected policy split
President Donald Trump was the unofficial third person onstage at Wednesday’s Michigan U.S. Senate debate, as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly invoked him while seeking to cast Republican Mike Rogers as Trump’s “sock puppet.” El-Sayed mentioned Trump 18 times during the hour-long debate and repeatedly called Rogers’ responses “MAGA bingo,” accusing the Republican of relying on Trump-aligned talking points. Rogers, however, broke with Trump on a couple of trade issues. The phrase became a running theme throughout the night, with El-Sayed declaring “MAGA bingo” after Rogers accused him of supporting socialist policies, open borders and defunding the police. Rogers eventually turned the attack back on his opponent, suggesting that the real bingo game was every time El-Sayed included Trump in his answer. Rogers, however, did not align with Trump on every issue. He split with Trump on trade, calling the president’s tariffs a “mixed bag” and saying tariffs on Canada may have been “not well thought through.” âDESTROYING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFEâ: EL-SAYEDâS POLITICAL ORBIT COMPLICATES EFFORT TO MODERATE HIS IMAGE He also opposed Chinese automakers building vehicles in the United States, saying during the debate that Congress should ban the ability for the Chinese to build cars in the United States. El-Sayed countered by pointing out that Trump has said he would be open to Chinese automakers building vehicles in the United States and questioned whether Rogers would stand up to Trump on the issue. Wednesday evening marked the second debate between El-Sayed and Rogers, just weeks before Michigan’s midterm election. The battle for the swing state’s open Senate seat has drawn national attention not only because it could help determine control of the upper chamber, but because it has emerged as a major test of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing in a key battleground state. El-Sayed, backed by progressive heavyweights including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has campaigned on a progressive agenda that includes Medicare for All, higher taxes on the wealthy, ending U.S. military aid to Israel and abolishing ICE. While El-Sayed worked to paint Rogers as a Trump-aligned “corporate politician,” Rogers repeatedly branded his Democratic opponent as having a “pattern of deception,” accusing him of misrepresenting his record and shifting his positions. MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED FIRES BACK AT CNN CHOOSING TO ‘FIXATE’ ON ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ COMMENTS Throughout the debate, Rogers cast El-Sayed as being outside the political mainstream, tying the Democrat and his policies to the Democratic Socialists of America and hammering him over his past support for defunding the police. Rogers also claimed that some of El-Sayed’s donors and supporters were tied to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood. At one point, Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s allegiance to the country after accusing El-Sayed of having donors tied to Hamas, asking, “Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” The most contentious moment of the debate came during a question on public safety, when Rogers hammered El-Sayed over his past support for defunding the police, accused him of deleting social media posts on the issue and pointed to El-Sayed’s past comments involving former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed fired back that it was “beneath” Rogers to question his commitment to the Constitution, declaring that he was “proud to be an American” and calling Rogersâ line of questioning “shameful.” ROGERS ARGUES EL-SAYED IS VULNERABLE WITH 2 TRADITIONALLY DEMOCRATIC BLOCS AS OBAMA HEADS TO MICHIGAN El-Sayed, a Muslim and first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Egypt, has faced scrutiny over his rhetoric on the war in Gaza and his positions on Israel, leading some members of Michigan’s Jewish community to openly disavow the Democratic candidate. During the debate, Rogers said that his campaign was doing well with the Jewish community, which he claimed is fearful of El-Sayed’s rhetoric. Rogers said that El-Sayed was too “extreme” for Michigan, pointing to prominent Democrats who said they can’t back the party’s nominee, including the former Michigan Democratic Party chairman and the former finance chair for Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s campaign. Michigan Republicans echoed that argument following the debate, pointing out that El-Sayed used to campaign with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who once said that America deserved the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “We cannot afford Abdul El-Sayed’s far-left, big-government policies, and we cannot risk electing a person who campaigns with the likes of Hasan Piker and seemingly justified the horrific terrorist attack targeting children and the Jewish community in Bloomfield Hills,” MIGOP Chairman Jim Runestad said in a statement.
ICE crackdown divides swing state candidates as GOP nominee vows to mandate sheriff cooperation
Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany vowed Wednesday to mandate cooperation between local sheriffs and federal immigration authorities, drawing a sharp contrast with Democrat David Crowley over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown during their general election debate. Tiffany said Wisconsin law enforcement agencies should be required to honor federal immigration detainers, arguing that coordination with ICE allows authorities to remove illegal immigrants accused of crimes while they are still being held in county jails. “I will make sure that local, county and state law enforcement coordinate with federal law enforcement,” Tiffany said in the debate hosted by WISN-TV. VIRGINIA SANCTUARY COUNTY IGNORES 1,670 DETAINER REQUESTS OVER 2 YEARS, HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FINDS Asked directly whether he would mandate that cooperation by law, Tiffany replied: “Yes, I believe we should. They should honor detainers.” Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, said he would not support a blanket ban on cooperation with federal immigration authorities and agreed that immigrants convicted of crimes should be deported. But he called for restrictions on ICE operations, including barring contracts between local law enforcement and ICE, requiring judicial warrants for agents to enter jails and prisons and prohibiting agents from wearing masks. “We need to make sure that we’re protecting people’s civil liberties,” Crowley said. Immigration enforcement has become an increasingly visible flashpoint in Wisconsin, where ICE arrests surged this summer as the Trump administration expanded its nationwide deportation push. TRUMP REAFFIRMS ICE ARREST POLICY AFTER CONFUSING GUIDANCE SPARKS ALARM AMONG AGENTS Trump’s immigration crackdown has increasingly collided with state and local governments, putting sheriffs and police departments at the center of a national fight over how far local authorities should go to help federal agents carry out the president’s mass deportation agenda. That debate is already playing out across Wisconsin. Twenty county law enforcement agencies in the state participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, which allows designated local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. Cooperation with ICE has also emerged as an issue in sheriff races in Sauk and Winnebago counties ahead of the November election. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Wisconsin has simultaneously seen a sharp increase in federal immigration enforcement since Trump returned to office. The latest available federal data showed ICE arrests in the state reaching new highs over the summer, with more than 2,100 people detained between January 2025 and the latest reporting period. The issue has become a complicated one for both parties heading into the midterms. Republicans have continued to campaign on border security and immigration enforcement, while Democrats have increasingly focused their attacks on the Trump administration’s deportation tactics and the conduct of ICE agents.