SEE IT: Dem senators dodge on backing Platner as Maine candidate’s scandal clouds final days before primary
Several Democratic senators repeatedly declined to say whether they still support Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner when pressed about leaked explicit sexual messages tied to the candidate. Platner’s latest controversy in the public eye involves sexually explicit text exchanges with multiple women that surfaced publicly while he was married to his wife, Amy Gertner. The Maine candidate also has an active profile on Kik — private messaging app associated with casual sex and anonymous encounters. The app lacks proper identification methods that have led it to enable child predators to share inappropriate material. His profile, Phustle0331, has been active since 2016, but Platner’s campaign previously acknowledged that the Kik account, which was created in 2016, belonged to him, stating that he had deleted the app from his phone but did not deactivate the account, according to The Wall Street Journal. WATCH: SHAHEEN DODGES REPORTER’S PLATNER QUESTIONS AS AIDE CREATES DONUT DISTRACTION While most Democrats were hesitant to vocalize their support for Platner, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., made it clear that he supports Platner in securing the Senate spot in Maine because of his opposition to President Donald Trump. “We have in Maine, a candidate, that is Platner, who wants to stop Trump’s authoritarian destruction of our democracy,” Markey told Fox News Digital. “And we have another candidate, an incumbent, who hasn’t stood up to Trump. And so if you care about our Constitution, there’s really only one choice.” Many Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have continued to back Platner despite the growing scandal, arguing that flipping Maine’s now Republican-held Senate seat remains a top political priority. WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM Not all Democrats offered an outright endorsement. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said the decision ultimately belongs to Maine voters. “I think that’s up to the voters of Maine to decide,” Shaheen said. “I don’t think inappropriate sexual behavior should be approved by anybody who does it, but the voters of Maine will have to decide that.” Some Democrats declined to weigh in on the controversy or say whether they still support Platner as the countdown to Maine’s primary election enters its final days. “I haven’t met him, I haven’t engaged with him, and I’m not going to answer that,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said. THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID “I don’t do campaign stuff in the Capitol,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said when asked both if he was still supporting Platner and if he attended the meeting between some Democratic senators and Platner on Tuesday. Platner invited the entire Senate Democratic caucus to a meeting Tuesday, though only about half a dozen senators were seen attending. Those in attendance included Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. The primary election is set for Tuesday, leaving Maine voters just days to decide whether the controversy changes the trajectory of one of Democrats’ most closely watched Senate races. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack and Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
Bessent spars with Dem in fiery Trump tax showdown until claim crosses the line: ‘Slanderous’
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., traded barbs during a Thursday congressional hearing after she pressed him over a DOJ settlement requiring the IRS to end any existing tax audits of President Donald Trump, with Sánchez ultimately accusing him of overseeing the “most corrupt Treasury Department” in U.S. history. “I hope that you’re proud of your performance today, Mr. Secretary,” Sánchez told Bessent as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. “I hope you get some social media clips,” he shot back. The tense exchange came as Sánchez cited a settlement reached between the Department of Justice and the Trump family in May that forced the IRS, which is overseen by the Treasury Department, to end any existing tax audits of Trump, his family and their business interests. By the end of the back and forth, both parties had become incensed, with the congresswoman accusing Bessent of running the “most corrupt Treasury Department.” TRUMP FILES $10B LAWSUIT AGAINST IRS OVER ALLEGED TAX RETURN LEAKS TO MAJOR NEWS OUTLETS “Why are you allowing President Trump and his family to have complete immunity from being audited?” Sánchez asked Bessent as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee. “Again, since you are a lawyer, you will understand that the U.S. Treasury and the IRS are represented by the Justice Department and the acting attorney general,” Bessent responded. The clash highlighted a broader fight over how far executive power should extend when it intersects with federal agencies, personal finances and politically charged investigations. It also provided a familiar dynamic: Democrats warning of special treatment for Trump, and the administration framing the issue as another example of combating institutional overreach against him. It is unclear whether Trump is currently facing any audits, a detail pressed by Bessent, eliciting indignation from Sánchez. “Do you have specific knowledge of an audit of President Trump?” he asked Sánchez. DEMOCRAT CONGRESSWOMAN DRAWS BOOS OVER ‘SHAMEFUL’ SEXISM REMARK IN COMMITTEE HEARING WITH TREASURY SECRETARY “Excuse me? It’s my time. You’re not here to ask me questions. I’m here to ask you questions. And hopefully you’re here to try to answer some of them,” she responded. “I’m curious to know who counts as Trump’s family for the purposes of this immunity. Is it his children, his in-laws, his grandchildren, his second or third cousin? His great-great-grandchildren? Do you know the answer to that question, Mr. Secretary?” “Again, I imagine you have the Justice Department phone number. I suggest you call them,” the secretary responded. The exchange only heightened from that point. “Safe to say that this is probably the most corrupt Treasury Department in our nation’s history,” Sánchez said as her time speaking expired. “And I am going to have to take exception with that,” Bessent hit back, waving away her claim as “slanderous.” “The congresswoman is slanderous,” Bessent continued. “She has nothing but … the unsubstantiated opinions. And I will not stand for that. There is nothing corrupt. We move at the highest levels.” ACTING AG BLANCHE REVEALS FATE OF TRUMP’S ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND’ UNDER PRESSURE FROM HOUSE LAWMAKERS Critics have questioned whether the DOJ has authority to bind the IRS and accused Trump, who was in 2024 reportedly facing a tax investigation that could have cost him up to $100 million, of pressuring the government for personal gain. Supporters, meanwhile, argue that the immunity is an appropriate response to alleged government weaponization. The state of the Trump family’s immunity is currently uncertain, especially after a federal judge blocked the president’s proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund. Bessent has declined to comment on whether the immunity deal is still in place, citing pending litigation.
Tulsi Gabbard reveals husband’s ‘very rare sacral chordoma’: ‘In a lot of pain’ after 7-hour surgery
Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in a heartfelt X post Thursday, revealed her husband Abraham Williams is recovering at home after undergoing nearly seven hours of surgery for what she described as a “very rare sacral chordoma.” “My husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare sacral chordoma,” Gabbard wrote Thursday on X. “The surgery to remove bone and surrounding tissue lasted almost seven hours and was successful. “He had a rough night and is in a lot of pain but is finally home resting. Now recovery begins.” Gabbard announced her pending resignation as DNI to support her husband through his battle with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” as first reported by Fox News Digital last month. DEMOCRATS, MEDIA SPARK FURY WITH ‘DISGUSTING’ RESPONSE TO TULSI GABBARD’S DNI RESIGNATION Gabbard notified President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office in mid-May. Her last day at ODNI was expected to be June 30. “We’re so grateful for the outpouring of prayers and kind messages from all of you,” Gabbard’s Thursday post, revealing the precise diagnosis for the first time, concluded. “Our hearts are full.” Trump announced Tuesday he appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte as acting DNI to succeed Gabbard. TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE “During this period, he will remain Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Gabbard assumed office in February 2025 and is a U.S. Army Reserve officer and combat veteran. She previously served in Congress for multiple terms as a Democrat before leaving the party to become an independent and later joining the Republican Party. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained her formal resignation letter, in which Gabbard says she is “deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half.” RARE SPINAL CANCER TUMOR REMOVED THROUGH PATIENT’S EYE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL “Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026,” she wrote. “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.” Gabbard said her husband “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.” “At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” she said. I’M 41 WITH A HUSBAND AND CHILD. I HAVE TOO MUCH TO LOSE AND WON’T GIVE UP MY FIGHT AGAINST CANCER Gabbard added: “Abraham has been my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage — standing steadfast through my deployment to East Africa on a Joint Special Operations mission, multiple political campaigns and now my service in this role.” She wrote that she “cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position.” Trump responded to the resignation on Truth Social, writing that she “rightfully” wants to support her husband during a tough battle. ‘REAL HOUSEWIVES’ STAR TEDDI MELLENCAMP HOSPITALIZED WITH MULTIPLE TUMORS ON HER BRAIN “I have no doubt he will soon be better than ever. Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” he wrote. A sacral chordoma is a rare, slow-growing cancerous bone tumor that develops in the sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of the spine above the tailbone. The National Cancer Institute describes chordoma as a rare bone cancer that can develop at the base of the skull, in the spine or at the end of the spine in the sacrum or coccyx. Fox News’ Madison Colombo, Brooke Singman and Robert Schmad contributed to this report.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton to plead guilty to retaining classified information: sources
Former White House national security advisor John Bolton will plead guilty to retaining classified information, two sources confirmed to Fox News Digital on Thursday. Authorities raided Bolton’s home and office in August of last year, and he was officially indicted in October. That indictment charged Bolton with both transmission and retention of classified information. He is now expected to accept a plea deal with federal authorities to plead guilty to a single count of retention of classified information. He faces 60 months in jail and a fine of up to $2.25 million. “From on or about April 9, 2018, through at least on or about August 22, 2025, BOLTON abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities as the National Security Advisor—including information relating to the national defense which was classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level—with two unauthorized individuals,” the indictment read. JOHN BOLTON’S HOME AND OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDERAL AGENTS “BOLTON also unlawfully retained documents, writings, and notes relating to the national defense, including information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level, in his home in Montgomery County, Maryland,” it continued. LIST REVEALS ITEMS FBI SEIZED FROM JOHN BOLTON’S HOME DURING RAID The documents, according to the indictment, revealed intelligence about future attacks by an adversarial group in another country; a liaison partner sharing sensitive information with the U.S. intelligence community; intelligence that a foreign adversary was planning a missile launch in the future, and a litany of other “TOP SECRET” information. “The FBI’s investigation revealed that John Bolton allegedly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house in direct violation of federal law,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in October. DEMOCRATS OPPOSED JOHN BOLTON FOR YEARS — UNTIL THEY SOUGHT HIM AS AN ALLY AGAINST TRUMP “The case was based on meticulous work from dedicated career professionals at the FBI who followed the facts without fear or favor. Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security,” he added. Bolton served as Trump’s White House national security advisor during his first administration, from 2018 to 2019. A source familiar with the early stages of the investigation told Fox News Digital that CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided Patel with limited access to U.S. intelligence that served as the basis for the search warrant. The source told Fox News Digital that the evidence justified the raid on Bolton’s home. Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.
Both parties target Trump’s $2B fund as ICE funding package enters danger zone
President Donald Trump’s nearly $70 billion immigration enforcement package has entered uncertain waters as the Senate embarks on a marathon of votes that could blow up the legislation. At the heart of the issue is the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) now-defunct nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. It’s another rare instance where both sides of the aisle are frustrated with the administration, and it could spell doom for the broader bill. That’s because Democrats and Republicans are lining up amendments to ensure the fund is dead, to varying degrees. GOP ADVANCES ICE FUNDING PACKAGE AFTER FORCING TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND INTO RETREAT Senate Republican leadership is hopeful that they can prevent those amendments from surviving during the newly launched “vote-a-rama,” but success isn’t guaranteed. One positive for the GOP is that every Republican voted for the package in its first procedural hurdle Wednesday afternoon. “I feel good going into it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. “But, you know, you got a lot of conversations with our members [who] understand what’s at stake, how critical it is that we defeat amendments that would be corrosive to the bill or undermine in any way its privilege.” One issue is that should an amendment targeting the fund pass, it could remove the reconciliation package’s ability to advance with just a simple majority of votes. That would effectively give Democrats a win in killing the package outright. Whether the amendments will be considered under a simple majority or 60-vote threshold could change the landscape and will ultimately be up to the Senate rules referee to determine whether they comply with the Byrd rule, which undergirds the reconciliation process. GOP DEMANDS TRUMP KILL CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND BEFORE REVIVING ICE FUNDING PACKAGE Republicans believed that those add-ons would hit that 60-vote mark, giving them a little bit of breathing room. “I mean, you never know with 100% accuracy,” Thune said. “There are a lot of creative ways of drafting amendments, but we feel pretty confident that most of those would be at 60.” The fund, announced last month as part of a settlement between the Trump family and the Internal Revenue Service, received strong pushback from Republicans who feared that without proper guardrails, people convicted of assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill could access the taxpayer funds. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., whose main job is to wrangle and twist the arms of wary Republicans to vote for the package, put the primary blame on Senate Democrats as fractures in the GOP simmered. GOP LEVERAGES ICE FUNDING PACKAGE TO MAKE TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND ‘NEVER EXIST’ “The Democrats continue to talk about everything they want to talk about, except actually securing the border and protecting the American people,” Barrasso said. “They’re gonna come with all sorts of things, all in an effort to delay our efforts to support the American people and keep them safe and secure.” But there are Republicans who will have their own anti-weaponization fund amendments. So far, Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., two lawmakers who are increasingly prone to break with Trump, have teed up add-ons to address the fund. There is the option to deal with the fund outside of reconciliation, too. Cassidy, who Trump successfully just ousted from office, didn’t say which route he would prefer, but wanted “something which just makes it sure that somebody doesn’t change their mind in the White House, it doesn’t come back.” Tillis contended that there were enough Republicans with concerns over the fund that something needed to be done, but wanted it to be a GOP-led initiative. He’s not picky about whether his amendment gets a shot either. “I don’t care about my own personal amendment,” Tillis said. “There’s a few out there, as long as one touching on the issue gets there. I’m not gonna slow leadership down. I wouldn’t do anything to make it as corrosive to the underlying bill so that it loses privilege. But we gotta do this.”
Trump admin bypasses Tehran’s isolation campaign to reach Iranians directly
FIRST ON FOX: As the Trump administration continues negotiations with Iran, it is also taking its message directly to the Iranian people. In a video obtained by Fox News Digital, the State Department bypasses Iran’s leadership to tell ordinary Iranians that their country’s problems stem not from its citizens, but from a government that “chooses confrontation over opportunity.” “The Iranian people are not the problem. A leadership that fears openness and chooses confrontation over opportunity is the problem.” The video will run Thursday in Persian language outlets Iran International and BBC Persian. IRAN PROTESTERS EMBOLDENED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S PERSIAN MESSAGING AFTER OBAMA-BIDEN INACTION, ACTIVISTS SAY The video is likely to be viewed by some regime opponents as symbolic support at a time when many critics of the Islamic Republic have called for more concrete measures from Washington. It also comes as millions of Iranians regain access to the outside world after months of digital isolation. Iranian authorities recently began restoring internet access following an 88-day nationwide blackout that was initially imposed during anti-government protests and later expanded after the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel. Internet monitoring groups say connectivity has improved, though significant restrictions remain in place across the country. Earlier in 2026, anti-government protests spread across the country and evolved into one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic in decades before being crushed by a sweeping government crackdown. Protesters faced mass arrests, internet blackouts and lethal force from security services, according to human rights groups and international monitors. Iran’s opposition remains fragmented, divided among monarchists, reformists, ethnic movements and other factions, and intelligence assessments have questioned whether any unified alternative is positioned to take power should the Islamic Republic fall. Throughout the new video, the State Department, through a narrator speaking Farsi, emphasizes themes of freedom, opportunity and self-determination, portraying the Iranian people as capable of building a more prosperous future while suggesting the country’s leadership has prevented it from reaching its full potential. “When Americans see Iran, we see a great people with a rich history and a generation full of talent and potential,” the video’s translation says. “Today, millions of Iranians want what people everywhere want: opportunity, stability, a chance to speak freely, and live without fear. Iran has the talent, resources, and educated young people to be among the world’s most prosperous nations.” “The future of Iran should be shaped by its people, not by intimidation or fear. It should be built by the people themselves,” the video goes on. “Iran’s story is still being written. Its best chapter may still lie ahead.” MIKE POMPEO: OPERATION EPIC FURY IS RIGHTEOUS — AND REGIME CHANGE MUST FOLLOW “The Iranian people deserve to hear the truth directly, without the lies and propaganda of a regime that has spent decades violently suppressing dissent, enriching itself, and ignoring the needs of its own citizens,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott told Fox News Digital about the video. “Speaking directly to the people of Iran is important because our disagreement has never been with them, it has always been with a regime that prioritizes funding terror and pursuing a nuclear weapon over the aspirations, prosperity, and freedom of the Iranian people. By speaking directly to them, we’re making clear that America stands with the people of Iran.” The outreach comes as U.S. and Iranian officials continue discussing a potential agreement, creating the unusual dynamic of Washington negotiating with Iran’s government while simultaneously telling its citizens that the regime is holding the country back. The message echoes comments from President Donald Trump earlier in 2026 suggesting that meaningful political change in Iran would ultimately have to come from within the country. “We hope the Iranian people can overthrow the government,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 2, shortly after the U.S. launched offensive strikes known as Operation Epic Fury. While the Trump administration has publicly maintained that negotiations with Tehran remain active, significant obstacles remain, including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio told lawmakers in recent days that any agreement would require major Iranian concessions and insisted the administration would not ease sanctions simply in exchange for reopening the strategic waterway. The protests featured prominently in administration messaging at the time, with Trump and other senior officials voicing support for demonstrators and drawing a distinction between the Iranian people and the country’s leadership. Iran’s mission to the United Nations could not immediately be reached for comment.
SEE IT: House floor erupts after GOP lawmaker accuses Tlaib of Hezbollah ties
The House floor erupted into chaos Wednesday after Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, accused Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., of having ties to terrorist groups, including Hezbollah. The shouting match came during a heated debate over a resolution that would force President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Lebanon. Tlaib, a progressive lawmaker and member of the Squad, is expected to force a vote on the measure Thursday, arguing that the United States should not assist Israel’s war in Lebanon. Her resolution does not mention Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization in Lebanon and a proxy force of the Iranian regime. Republicans seized on the omission, arguing the measure would aid Hezbollah and that its supporters were acting as the group’s “proxies.” “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization … and its members are butchers that you like to hang out with to a certain extent,” Miller said on the House floor Wednesday evening, referring to Tlaib. REP RASHIDA TLAIB MOVES TO BLOCK US OPERATIONS IN LEBANON BUT IGNORES HEZBOLLAH When Tlaib responded by yelling, Miller retorted, “Are we getting a little emotional?” Tlaib then responded, “That is an attack on my character,” and demanded that Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., the presiding chair, rule that Miller’s remarks were out of order. Obernolte ultimately struck the Ohio lawmaker’s words from the record after the House floor was frozen for more than an hour while lawmakers deliberated. Miller was barred from speaking on the House floor for the rest of Wednesday. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., then delivered a statement on Miller’s behalf, saying, “Yes, I said it. I own it, and I stand by it.” Mast also attempted to enter materials into the record about Tlaib’s alleged association with terrorist groups, but the Michigan Democrat objected. The documents included a Fox News Digital story from 2023 reporting that Tlaib was a member of a private Facebook group that glorified Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion of Israel. TRUMP URGED TO LOOK INTO US FUNDING OF LEBANESE ARMY AMID ACCUSATIONS OF ITS TIES TO HEZBOLLAH Tlaib’s resolution targeting U.S. forces in Lebanon is likely to die on the House floor Thursday amid bipartisan opposition. The measure is expected to divide Democrats, and it is unclear how House Democratic leadership will vote. GOP lawmakers have also argued the resolution is “dangerous” because it could affect U.S. military operations in the country to protect the American embassy in Beirut and train the Lebanese Armed Forces to fight Hezbollah. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., a co-sponsor of the resolution, did not answer directly when asked by Mast whether she would like to see U.S. forces stay in the country to help train Lebanon’s army to combat the terrorist group. “He’s having a different debate here,” Ramirez insisted.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Dems face major defeat after party ‘missed the cue’ in top targeted district: candidate
EXCLUSIVE: Republican candidate Eric Flores believes that, despite national headwinds, Democrats are heading for a major defeat in a critical South Texas swing district after he said the party has “missed the cue” with a key demographic: Hispanic voters. Democratic leaders have been projecting confidence that they will retake the House of Representatives this midterm election. However, Texas Congressional District 34, which is primarily made up of Hispanic voters, is one race that could complicate those plans. Currently held by Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, District 34 has been trending hard toward Republicans in the last several elections. And with Republicans’ razor-thin House majority at stake, Flores’ race is considered a top pick-up opportunity for the GOP. Flores, a 34-year-old veteran and former U.S. attorney, spoke with Fox News Digital after a meeting with shrimping business leaders at the Port of Brownsville. He asserted that South Texas Hispanic voters “can see through the smoke and mirrors.” With Democrats like Senate candidate James Talarico at the top of the ticket in Texas, Flores believes voters are seeing the distinction between the two parties even more clearly. WATCH: TALARICO EMBRACES ‘FREAKY’ IDENTITY AS CROWDS CHANT NAME MEANT AS INSULT: ‘SO WEIRD’ “Here in South Texas, we’re conservative. We go to church … we want to keep the family unit whole, whereas James Talarico is talking about six genders, right? He’s talking about the first thing that he loves outside of his family and friends are transgender children. That’s not what we’re about here in South Texas,” said Flores. “We’re about taking care of our family values of keeping Christ first. They’ve absolutely missed that.” Further, Flores said that South Texans are not connecting with Democrats’ messaging in opposition to President Donald Trump and the administration’s immigration policy. “The issues that I’m hearing right now from the South Texas constituent is not the mainstream media point or the invisible villain that folks like Vicente Gonzalez, AOC and James Talarico are casting right now,” he said. “I’ll tell you what the constituent and what the voter is focusing on right now. They’re focusing on the cost of living. They’re focusing on affordability.” “We’re talking about the one big, beautiful bill, the working family tax cut. That is what they’re talking about. They want the prices to continue to go down, and they want the future generation to be able to afford a house,” he added. HOUSE GOP RUSHES TO COURT CRITICAL VOTING BLOC WHILE FACING UPHILL MIDTERM BATTLE Meanwhile, he accused Gonzalez of not having passed “a single substantive piece of legislation for South Texas” during his nearly 10 years in Congress. “I don’t know any job that you can have for 10 years and not be able to point to one substantive thing that you’ve done other than, well, I got this earmarked money, or I got these boys and girls grant. We appreciate that, but South Texas is deserving of much more than just that,” said Flores. “He is using excuses that President Trump is wanting to deport brown people, and that’s not the truth,” he went on. In response, Gonzalez called it “beyond hypocritical for Eric Flores and Republicans in Washington to feign concern for the economy when they openly celebrate stripping affordable health care and food assistance away from millions of families through their One Big, Ugly Bill.” Gonzalez told Fox News Digital that “when Democrats retake the majority in November, I will focus on ending these ‘America Last’ policies that cater to the wealthiest few at the expense of hardworking South Texas families.” “While Eric panders to the Administration like a lapdog, I’ve delivered more than $8 billion in federal funding to support law enforcement, improve infrastructure, assist veterans, and strengthen public education in my district,” he continued, adding, “South Texans deserve a fighter who puts our community first, not someone like Eric, who served as the lead defense counsel for a child predator and will only work for party bosses.” Additionally, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico, commented to Fox News Digital that “there is a growing backlash in South Texas to the corruption we’re seeing from politicians like [GOP Senate candidate] Ken Paxton.” “They promised to make everything less expensive and put working families first, but now everything is more expensive and working families are further behind – all because they’d rather cut taxes for billionaire mega-donors than help working Texans,” said Ennis. “While Ken Paxton hurls cheap insults to distract from his career of corruption, James will continue bringing working people together to fix this broken political system and lower costs for families.” Fox News Digital reached out to Paxton, who currently serves as Texas attorney general, for comment. HOUSE CANDIDATE PREDICTS HISTORIC RISE OF ‘NEW GENERATION’ IN CONGRESS AS PARTIES TARGET KEY DEMOGRAPHIC Meanwhile, in a statement to Fox News Digital, Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, criticized Gonzalez and Talarico for having “fought as transgender warriors for a decade, trying to convince Texans there are six genders and men can become women using your tax dollars for sex change surgeries.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for comment. Though South Texas has been dominated by Democrats for roughly a century, Flores concluded that “folks down here feel absolutely abandoned by the Democrat[s].” “We can say 50 to 100 years, people are tired of not having results. They’re tired of the Democrats coming down here and saying that they’re the representative party for this area. And it’s just false,” he said. “This is the number one targeted seat in the entire nation. And why is that? Because we continue to see the Hispanic voter moving closer and closer to the Republican Party. What drives that? A lot of people don’t understand this. Here in South Texas, we’re really about three things: It’s faith, family, and hard work.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for comment.
California election results still undecided as Los Angeles begins counting ballots
California’s primary election results remain undecided for several closely-watched races Wednesday, including the gubernatorial race and the Los Angeles mayoral race. As of Thursday morning, Republican Steve Hilton is leading the gubernatorial race with roughly 28% of the vote. Behind him are the two top Democratic candidates, former Biden official Xavier Becerra at 25% and billionaire Tom Steyer at 20%. Los Angeles also remains too close to call, though incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has secured her spot in the November election. Her upstart opponent, Spencer Pratt, was holding in second place early Wednesday morning, but more of the vote remains to be counted. Under California law, only the two top-performing candidates in state primaries can proceed to the general election in November, regardless of political party. HILTON, BECERRA, IN THE LEAD WITH VOTES STILL BEING COUNTED IN BATTLE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR Pratt had received 30% of the vote as of Wednesday morning, with left-wing candidate Nithya Raman trailing him at 22%. “This idea that I don’t represent Democrats and Republicans and independents — anyone that’s just a Los Angeles citizen that wants basic quality of life — I’ll be able to show that in five months,” Pratt said Wednesday night. “I’m an Angeleno who said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and I had to step up,” he said. “I’m going to show everybody that I’m their mayor.” RNC RAILS AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S LATE MAIL-IN BALLOT COUNTING AMID NATIONAL LITIGATION: ‘IT IS ABSURD’ California has faced routine criticism for its sluggish election system, with key races remaining undecided for days after the June 2 elections. “The fact that California elections often can’t be resolved for weeks is kind of insane and not common in other electoral systems around the world,” Nate Silver, a top political data analyst, wrote on X on Tuesday afternoon. “Like honestly ‘it’s going to take us several weeks to tell you who won the election’ is failed state s— and should be much more stigmatized. The fact that it’s tolerated is bad too a textbook example of learned helplessness.” Lengthy vote counts in California are a product of the state’s reliance on mail voting and its thorough review process. Under California law, every registered voter receives a mail-in ballot and votes that arrive at election offices up to a week after election day are considered valid so long as they were postmarked by election day. In tight primaries where a handful of votes decide outcomes, this process can cause voters to go weeks without knowing who will advance to the general election. “Every other state manages to count its votes in a somewhat timely manner,” Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with the GOP, wrote on X. “California’s inability to competently handle the basic administration of democracy is embarrassing. It’s also indicative of why our state has so many other problems.”
Jill Biden tells memoir critic, ‘Say it to my face, buddy’
Former first lady Jill Biden pushed back on Democratic critics of her memoir who say the book needlessly dredges up controversies from the 2024 election. Biden made the comment during an event promoting her book, “View from the East Wing,” in New York City on Wednesday. She was asked specifically about comments from former Biden White House spokesman Andrew Bates, who said of her book, “I don’t see why that painful conversation for the party needed to be publicly reopened right now,” according to the New York Post. “I want to say to Andrew: Call me up, and say it to my face, buddy,” Biden responded, going on to argue that her book had only “one chapter on politics.” Biden then discussed the 2024 election more generally, touching on everything from former President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance that June to her own thoughts about the aging president’s decision to run again. INSIDE JILL BIDEN’S POLITICAL RISE AMID HER HUSBAND’S COGNITIVE DECLINE: BOOK She argued she would have been honest with her husband had she seen his condition prior to the debate, but she said she wasn’t there for his debate preparations. “I was out campaigning,” she said. “So I didn’t see him at debate camp at Camp David.” “I never wanted to see that moment again in my life but since I’ve been doing press for two days, they’re like, ‘Watch this clip,’” she said. LIZ PEEK: BIDEN CANCER ANNOUNCEMENT HAS MY SYMPATHY AND MY SKEPTICISM “I saw Joe aging. My God, we all saw him aging,” she admitted. Her comments came just a day after she made headlines during an interview on “The View” where she acknowledged that her husband would not have been able to serve another four years. “The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked Jill Biden if she thought her husband would have been in a good place to serve another four years in the White House. “Well, not from what I know now,” Biden said. “My God. Who knew? It was so shocking to get that cancer diagnosis. I mean, we had, you know, here I was, I’m looking through travel magazines like, ‘Oh, where are we going to go? What are we going to do,’ and then we get this cancer diagnosis and I think, what am I doing? Like, our whole life has changed now. It was just shocking.”