OnlyFans models, witches haunt Dem’s campaign in toss-up House race: report
The official campaign Instagram account for a Democrat running in one of the most competitive House races of 2026 followed multiple accounts belonging to OnlyFans models and individuals claiming to be witches, according to a recent report. JoAnna Mendoza, a Marine Corps veteran challenging Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, at one point followed 12 accounts that regularly posted sexually explicit content, including images of sex toys, the New York Post first reported. The Instagram account was also found to reportedly follow accounts run by self-described witches who promised to instruct their followers on witchcraft. The social media activity injects an unusual culture war controversy into one of the nation’s most competitive House races, where Republicans are defending a seat that could help determine control of Congress in 2026. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HOUSE CANDIDATE UNDER FIRE AFTER RECOUNTING HER PART IN SATANIST COUPLE’S WEDDING Mendoza’s Instagram unfollowed some of these accounts after being reached by the New York Post for comment, the outlet reported. The Mendoza campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday. One of the accounts followed by Mendoza’s campaign belonged to a transgender socialist activist who often posts pictures in BDSM gear, the New York Post reported. In one such image, the activist wears what appears to be leather and chains over a bare chest. The campaign account also followed at least two OnlyFans users, the New York Post reported. UNEARTHED VIDEO SHOWS DEM CANDIDATE SUPPORTING ‘REALLOCATION’ OF POLICE FUNDING TO SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS Accounts followed by the campaign account also promised to provide prospective witches with “beginner tips” to engage in practices such as “Eden Energy Medicine” and “Crystal Spirit Readings,” according to the outlet. POWERFUL LGBTQ+ GROUP’S ENDORSEMENTS COULD TANK VULNERABLE DEMS OVER RADICAL YOUTH TRANS AGENDA Mendoza has previously drawn scrutiny amid the campaign, including after a video of her advocating for legal prostitution resurfaced. When running for state office in 2020, Mendoza told an Arizona LGBT group she would fight to “decriminalize sex work” to help “trans folks, especially trans women of color,” because “discrimination is so pervasive in the formal employment sector.” Cook Political Report rates the election in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District as a toss-up, meaning that neither political party has a distinct advantage as Election Day approaches. Mendoza’s race is of just 18 that falls into that category for the 2026 midterm elections.
WATCH: GOP senators tear into former Biden pardon attorney over push to spare ‘mass murderers’ from death row
Several Republican senators challenged the credibility of the testimony of a former Biden Justice Department official during the second day of the Todd Blanche confirmation hearing, pointing to the part she played in the clemency granted to 37 death row inmates. Democrats called Elizabeth Oyer, the former U.S. pardon attorney at the Department of Justice, a nonpolitical position she served from April 2022 until March 2025 when then-Deputy Attorney General Blanche fired her, which she argued was politically motivated. While Democrats cast the former pardon attorney as evidence Blanche had politicized the Justice Department, Republicans argued her recommendations to commute the sentences of federal death row inmates undermined her credibility. Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April 2, did not publicly disclose the reasoning for Oyer’s firing, but she claimed it was because she refused to recommend that actor Mel Gibson, who serves as a special envoy to Hollywood for President Donald Trump, have his gun rights restored. The Justice Department denied this as the cause for her firing. TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’ In her opening testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, Oyer mentioned Blanche’s handling of the Epstein files and Ghislaine Maxwell’s reassignment to a lower security prison as among the main reasons Blanche should not become attorney general. “At the end of the day, the priority of this DOJ is protecting powerful men, even when it comes at the expense of vulnerable women,” Oyer testified Thursday. But Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; and Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, hammered Oyer over an internal memo from Nov. 4, 2024, in which she recommended that Attorney General Merrick Garland advise President Joe Biden to consider commuting the 40 remaining federal death sentences. Biden went on to commute the death sentences of 37 of those recommended. “You have no credibility to talk about Todd Blanche. You have none,” Schmitt said. “You’ve come here, you deny basic facts. You recommended the commutation of murderers. You gave no quarter at all or any time to the victims of these brutal murders. So, again, I can’t believe you’ve been called here by the other side. But I’m glad we’ve had an opportunity to expose your hypocrisy.” A report from the Justice Department found that Oyer’s 73-page memorandum only dedicated three paragraphs to address the grievances of the victims’ families. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES IT’S READOPTING THE FIRING SQUAD AS A MEANS OF EXECUTION Earlier in the hearing, Hawley pointed out some of the notorious federal death row inmates whose death sentences Oyer recommended be commuted to life in prison. Among them was Dylan Roof, who was convicted in the June 17, 2015, mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where he killed nine Black parishioners during a Bible study. Biden ultimately declined to pardon him. “You said that actually Roof is not a compelling candidate for clemency, but you recommended it anyway,” Hawley said, referring to Oyer’s memorandum. “Why? Because he suffered from anxiety. You said, ‘Right, he suffered from anxiety’. Did it ever occur to you that maybe the family of his victims might suffer a little bit of anxiety because he marched into their church and murdered them in cold blood, because he was an incredible racist and he wanted to get on TV?” Hawley then turned to Oyer’s recommendation to commute the death sentence of Robert Bowers, who was convicted of 63 federal charges stemming from the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, which killed 11 Jewish worshipers. Biden also did not commute Bowers’ sentence. “This guy killed people just because they’re Jews,” Hawley said. “A jury recommended that he be sentenced to death, and you substituted your judgment for theirs, and now he’s going to live. Are you proud of that?” “Sir, what I am proud of is the fact that I took my job as pardon attorney extremely seriously,” Oyer said in response. “I think your judgment is astoundingly terrible. I’m amazed that this side of the aisle has called you.” Hawley responded. SENATOR TIM SHEEHY: SOFT-ON-CRIME JUDGES NEED CONSEQUENCES. THE JAIL ACT DELIVERS But Grassley pointed out that Oyer also recommended commuting the death sentence of Jorge Avila-Torrez. Torrez was on federal death row for convictions for the stabbing deaths of two young girls in Illinois, the murder of Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell at a Virginia military base and the abduction and rape of a University of Maryland graduate student. He pressed Oyer on the pardon recommendations she made. Oyer refused to answer, invoking the president’s executive privilege. “You can’t even tell me if you contacted the victim’s family?” Grassley asked. “You can’t say yes or no to that?” Oyer said that all the death row inmates who received clemency will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. “These are absolutely horrific cases,” Oyer said. “And every one of the individuals you mentioned will remain incarcerated for the rest of their lives, most likely in a maximum security prison facility.” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., condemned his Republican colleagues’ line of questioning with Oyer later in the hearing. “I just want to start off by saying, Miss Oyer, I hold you in the highest esteem and respect, especially what you’re doing now as a private citizen,” Booker said. “You use a platform to educate people about the law. “It is technical, but yet accessible. And the badgering you just endured, it should be completely unacceptable. You were asked to comment on things you didn’t have before you. The treatment here, to me, is just outrageous. And I apologize on behalf of the United States Senate.” Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office and Oyer for comment.
Ramaswamy torches Dem rival over ‘outrageous’ COVID-19 claim: ‘Spewing lies’
Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor of Ohio, is facing backlash from Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy after claiming COVID-19 mortality rates had been as high as 50% in the early days of the 2020 pandemic. Acton highlighted the figure as evidence of her effective leadership as director of the Ohio Department of Health on a podcast appearance in September. “In those early days, the mortality rate was 50%. I started with that in March. By June, when we reopened, it was because we took swift, decisive action. The mortality rate had gone down to 5%. We learned how to save lives,” Acton said. ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT PRO-MASK MANDATE STUDIES DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC WAS A MISLEADING FAILURE Acton’s retelling of the pandemic’s lethality comes as she defends her record as health director and amid an uphill bid to become the next governor of the Buckeye State. COVID-19’s mortality rate was well below the 50% Acton described, resulting in 275,000 deaths nationwide in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Of patients who contracted the virus, the death rate was just 15.9% when adjusted for age. And when filtered further for when COVID was the cause of death, that figure fell further to 11.3%. When asked about the figure, Acton’s office said she had been referring to death rates in hospitals. She also bashed Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, the founder of Roivant Sciences, a biotech pharmaceutical company that helped produce COVID treatments. “While Dr. Acton was working hand in hand with Governor DeWine to keep Ohioans safe, Vivek Ramaswamy was calling for mandatory COVID-19 testing, making more than $2 billion off of the COVID vaccine and recommending segregating Ohioans based on biomarker status,” Addie Bullock, a spokesperson for Acton’s campaign, said. ANTHONY FAUCI BLAMES AMERICANS FOR NOT HITTING HIS COVID VACCINE TARGET WHILE IGNORING OTHER COUNTRIES In the past, Acton has received Republican criticism for pushing Ohio’s COVID response too far. Acton has countered by arguing that her leadership, alongside Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, had been effective. “I had quarantine power. … We were the very first to take action,” Acton said on the podcast. A Ramaswamy spokesperson fired back at Acton, telling Fox News Digital she was “spewing lies” on COVID-19. “Liberal Amy Acton is desperately trying to rewrite history, spewing lies in a futile attempt to justify her disastrous decision-making during COVID,” Connie Luck said. “But her outrageous claims only confirm what we already know: She’s an incompetent, failed government bureaucrat who ran our state into the ground and is wholly unqualified to lead Ohio.” With Acton’s advice, Ohio was one of the first states to impose broad emergency restrictions, becoming the first state to shut down schools in March, issuing stay-at-home orders, closing polling places and limiting public gatherings of 50 and then 100 people. In those early days, Acton once overestimated the number of people in Ohio with COVID, asserting in March 2020 that the figure was 100,000, only to walk back the claim a few days later and state that she had been “guesstimating.” Also in March, Acton claimed Ohio could see as many as 10,000 new cases a day at a press conference with DeWine. DeWine has defended Acton from criticism, saying it was ultimately his decision on which closures to enact and called Acton’s counsel “superb” in comments to local media. Later, Acton split with the governor’s office. In particular, Acton disagreed with allowing county fairs, citing fears that the events would risk renewed spread of the virus. She also didn’t see eye to eye with which groups entered into partnerships with the state. RAMASWAMY PUMPS $25M OF OWN CASH INTO OHIO GOVERNOR BID, SMASHES FUNDRAISING RECORDS WITH $50 MILLION HAUL “I stepped down because I would not sign orders that were being forced on me. I stepped down in June because they began to make COVID, like everything else in the state house, political, giving special interests and certain businesses advantage over other businesses,” Acton said. Having cleared the Ohio primaries and secured the Democratic nomination, Acton will face Ramaswamy in the Nov. 3 general election.
Sherrill ripped after New Jersey skips flag directive honoring Graham: ‘Most political governor’
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is taking heat after state flag status records showed flags at full-staff despite a White House proclamation directing U.S. flags flown at half-staff nationwide in remembrance of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., through Saturday evening. “This is probably the most political [Trenton administration], and she’s only been there six months — probably the most political governor I’ve served with in the last 25 years,” New Jersey state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Boonton, told Fox News Digital Thursday. He formally requested the governor lower the flags earlier this week after Graham’s death. A Trenton source confirmed that flags at the Capitol remained at full-staff as of midday Thursday. A New Jersey Department of State website tracking flag status also indicated “all flags full-staff” on Thursday. SEN LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER ‘BRIEF AND SUDDEN’ ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS Sherrill, whose office did not respond to multiple requests for comment, appeared to be one of a handful of Democratic state leaders to ignore the White House’s proclamation. Neighboring Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro both reportedly ordered flags lowered, along with leaders of California, Colorado, Maryland, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger did not appear to issue half-staff orders either because each state’s official flag status remained “full-staff” as of Thursday. Fox News Digital reached out to both governors for comment. Pennacchio told Fox News Digital that, after inaction from Sherrill on lowering the flags, he crafted a formal request. Pennacchio said honoring people like Graham should be nonpartisan because Graham was a respected public figure and a decades-long U.S. Air Force veteran and someone who also exuded a bipartisan nature, particularly on key votes like confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. “My request was very respectful. It wasn’t partisan at all,” he said, noting that Sherrill is also a veteran. Pennacchio said Graham would speak about the importance of putting politics aside in important moments like this, recounting that the South Carolinian defended his aisle-crossing confirmation votes by saying his advise-and-consent role was to consider whether a nominee is qualified regardless of party. KAGAN RECALLS LINDSEY GRAHAM’S VOTE THAT HELPED SEAL HER SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION When Sherrill was in Congress, she represented Pennacchio’s state Senate district. He told Fox News Digital he had hope for bipartisanship with Sherrill because the two offices worked very well together on intergovernmental constituent services. Sherrill’s decision not to lower flags also ran counter to one of New Jersey’s other most prominent Democrats, Sen. Cory Booker, who recorded a video honoring Graham. In his video, Booker spoke of how, as a freshman senator, he was told by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., that Graham would be a good bipartisan colleague to work with on criminal justice reform. Booker recounted walking up to Graham and breaching the topic, and Graham jokingly admonished him that he was in a South Carolina primary with a “bat—- crazy” opponent and that he can’t even be seen with Democrats. Graham said Booker should come back to him after the election, and he did. “True to his word, [Graham] rolled up his sleeves and he went to work,” Booker said, adding that their collaboration ended in the passage of the First Step Act. Booker did not respond to a request for comment on this story, but Pennacchio said he appreciated the Democrat’s gesture. “Senator Booker is as partisan as they come, but he did the right thing and put his partisanship aside,” Pennacchio said. “The death of one diminishes a little bit of all of us.” Another New Jersey figure who did speak out after Graham’s passing was Rep. Christopher Smith, a Republican representing the Jersey Shore and the Garden State’s longest-serving congressman. MAJORITY LEADER THUNE: LINDSEY GRAHAM WAS THE GOP’S GLUE, BINDING US TOGETHER WITH COURAGE AND GRACE “Lindsey Graham was an indefatigable and courageous fighter for the right to life, human rights, liberty and freedom,” Smith said earlier this week. “He was articulate and persuasive and brought both incisive candor and humor to debate. He was a national treasure and will be deeply missed. My wife, Marie, and I offer our deepest condolences to his family.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Fox News Digital also reached out to Booker’s counterpart, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., for comment on the situation. “Our nation has long understood that when a public servant passes away after a lifetime of service to the American people, we come together and honor them with dignity and respect. New Jersey should not be the exception,” Pennacchio said.
Todd Blanche roasts Adam Schiff in heated hearing: ‘You’re a lawyer, you know the rules’
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche came out swinging against Sen. Adam Schiff on Wednesday, denying allegations of self-dealing and intentional refusal-to-recuse in President Donald Trump’s cases, while accusing the California Democrat of lying. Schiff sparred with Blanche over several legal matters he said prove the nominee is unfit for the job of America’s top law enforcement officer, citing what he described as serious conflicts of interest. Blanche denied the allegations while telling Schiff he was misstating ethics rules and botching key timelines. Schiff pressed Blanche on whether he met with Justice Department ethics lawyers about his prior representation of Trump in the Stormy Daniels, Mar-a-Lago classified documents, and Jan. 6 cases. TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’ Blanche affirmed and said he has recused himself from future litigation or Justice Department business involving any of those suits. But Schiff countered that Blanche reportedly told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that there was no conflict of interest in the Justice Department firing prosecutors linked to Jan. 6 or other cases. Blanche soon fired back when Schiff criticized him for moving to vacate Jan. 6-related convictions for 12 members of far-right groups. “I was the acting attorney general – so yes, my department moved to dismiss,” he said, adding that there was no reason for him to recuse himself when Schiff pressed him further. BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ‘RUNAWAY TRAIN’ SCOOPED UP SENSITIVE LAWMAKER INFO: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ “From the Proud Boys matter?” Blanche responded with a puzzled look. “You’re a lawyer, you know the rules,” Blanche told the Massachusetts-born graduate of Harvard Law. OBAMA JUDGE HANDS PROGRESSIVES A WIN OVER ANTI-TRUMP ’86 47′ MESSAGE AMID RISING THREATS “There are rules that say when I have to recuse and that’s not one of them,” Blanche said. “There are rules,” Schiff agreed. “And when you’re told to recuse yourself from investigations that you handle for the president…” — “I always do,” Blanche cut in – “you’re supposed to recuse yourself,” Schiff finished. Schiff noted that the second volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on Trump has not been released and said the Justice Department has opposed making it available. Blanche denied having anything to do with the decision and pointed out it is not the Justice Department, but a federal judge in Miami that has prohibited its release. “If you went into court asking them to release it, it would be released by now,” Schiff argued. Blanche shot back: “What you’re saying happens not to be true – I did not do that.” “You can’t accuse me of violating my ethical rules and then lie about what I did,” he continued, Schiff asked Blanche at length what allegedly evolved in his professional life that led him to be under such criticisms. “What I don’t understand, Todd Blanche, is what happened to the Todd Blanche who was a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York? What happened to the prosecutor people had respect for,” he said. “What happened to the prosecutor who said that there wouldn’t be a whiff of political partisanship and then prosecutes the president’s enemies over seashells cases, over making a video stating the plain law in the Constitution?” Schiff said – appearing to reference investigations into former FBI Director Jim Comey’s “8647” post that critics said amounted to a threat on Trump’s life. “I think Robert Caro had it right when he said that power doesn’t corrupt as much as it reveals. I suspect it has just revealed who you are and who you are as someone willing to sacrifice everything you once believed in for that title, for that position of Attorney general,” Schiff claimed. “I am still here. I am the same exact person I was when I was a federal prosecutor in the SDNY,” Blanche replied. The exchange led to further criticism of Schiff, including from the Trump-appointed prosecutor in his home region: SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Facts are not Senator Schiff’s strong suit,” claimed First Assistant U.S. Attorney for Central California Bill Essayli. Former Alabama federal prosecutor Jay Town called the exchange “excellent.” “What [Blanche] is essentially saying is that the Justice Department has gone back to the fundamentals of increasing prosecutions and lowering crime nationwide, unlike the Garland DOJ targeting parents, Catholics, etc.” Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff for comment.
Bessent invokes assassination attempt ‘2 hours after being sworn in’ in dramatic brushback of leftist threat
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday he was the target of an assassination attempt by a “left-wing activist” just two hours after being sworn into office, citing the case as evidence that violent political extremism from the left is a real and growing threat. Speaking at the State Department‘s Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, Bessent pushed back against critics who have questioned the Trump administration’s focus on violent far-left extremist groups. “I’m going to remind everyone in this room — and all the media — that I was the subject of an assassination attempt by an addled left-wing activist two hours after being sworn into my job,” Bessent said. “Any of you who want to report that this is a fiction and does not exist, be there for the sentencing this August.” Bessent appeared to be referring to Ryan Michael English, a 24-year-old Massachusetts man who pleaded guilty in March to charges related to attempting to assassinate the then-Treasury secretary nominee at the U.S. Capitol. English traveled to Washington on Jan. 27, 2025, carrying a folding knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails before approaching a U.S. Capitol Police officer and asking to turn himself in, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors said English admitted he had come to the Capitol intending to kill a Cabinet nominee whose Senate confirmation vote was scheduled that day or burn down a Washington think tank. Investigators also recovered a note in which he allegedly wrote, in part, “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters.” English pleaded guilty in March to one count of unlawful receipt, possession and transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14. Before his time as Treasury secretary, Bessent spent years at Soros Fund Management, serving as the firm’s chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015 after earlier helping lead its London office. Following his departure, he launched Key Square Capital Management with backing from George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic megadonor who has frequently been a target of criticism from Trump and other conservatives. Bessent made the remarks as administration officials gathered representatives from roughly 65 countries for a State Department summit aimed at building international cooperation against what the Trump administration describes as a resurgence of violent far-left political terrorism.
Dems roasted for comparing Hegseth’s testosterone initiative to ‘gender-affirming care’
Democrats, including Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, are being mocked online for likening the Pentagon’s new testosterone testing and treatment plan to cross-sex “gender-affirming care.” Following Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the military would begin screening for testosterone deficiency, Democratic leaders quickly took to social media to mock the program as a return to “gender-affirming care.” “Pete Hegseth comes out in favor of gender-affirming care…,” wrote Schiff, while Hirono wrote, “So the Pentagon is promoting gender-affirming care now?” Several other Democrats piled on with similar posts. Their posts, however, were met with immediate pushback. MED SCHOOL DEANS COME UP EMPTY IN TENSE HEARING WHEN ASKED POINT BLANK IF MEN CAN HAVE BABIES: ‘RIDICULOUS’ Commenting on Schiff’s post, one user wrote, “Giving testosterone to men is gender-affirming and not harmful. Chemically castrating a boy or a double mastectomy on a girl is gender-denying, irreversible and harmful. [Schiff] is not only a liar, he is stupid.” In response to a post by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saying, “Sounds like gender-affirming care to me,” conservative influencer “Just a Bama Gal” shot back, “Not even close.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., even brought up the program during a House hearing, bashing it as “absurd” and suggesting that the government could begin testing whether representatives are “male enough to be in Congress.” “The Secretary of Forever Wars, Pete Hegseth, just announced they are going to provide hormone therapy to male service members who don’t have enough testosterone,” Jayapal wrote on X. “Let’s be clear: This is gender-affirming care, and it completely debunks all of Republicans’ attacks on trans people.” In response, one user who goes by the name Ellie May wrote, “Let’s be clear your ignorance is showing. Giving your body more of something that it naturally produces is not the equivalent of giving your body the exact opposite it needs to thrive and survive.” DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER ‘BIOLOGICAL’ WORDING IN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL “Are you crazy???” responded another user named Leah Babcock, “When a woman goes through menopause and gets hormone replacement she’s not suddenly a trans person.” Hegseth announced the program in a post on Wednesday. He explained the military would begin testosterone screening for service members over 30 and optional screening for those under 30 as part of its annual health assessment. Hegseth said that if treatment is recommended, service members will have the choice of undergoing testosterone replacement therapy. He clarified, “This is not about artificial enhancement; it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.” In an X post, he labeled his announcement “the High-T Department of War.” Meaghan Mobbs, a former Army paratrooper and president of the nonprofit the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, posted on X, “If you are one of the people melting down because the Department of War wants to screen men over 30 for testosterone deficiency, I am begging you to spend ten minutes reading the science before letting Hegseth Derangement Syndrome rob you of common sense.” “Testosterone is not some cosmetic ‘masculinity’ metric,” Mobbs explained. “It is a major endocrine signal tied to muscle mass, bone density, red blood cell production, metabolism, sexual function, energy, concentration, mood, recovery, and physical performance. Clinically low testosterone can present as exhaustion, loss of strength and muscle, impaired concentration, irritability, depressed mood, reduced motivation, and diminished sexual function.” She said that “for years, veterans, clinicians, and military families have begged the system to [take] endocrine health more seriously,” adding, “Now someone finally is. Thank God.” TRUMP SAYS US IS ‘BOOMING,’ PREDICTS IRAN WILL BE ‘DEFEATED VERY SOON’ Likewise, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Adm. Brian Christine wrote, “I fully support Secretary Hegseth’s initiative at the Department of War in recognizing the importance of healthy testosterone levels in its warfighting men!” “Optimizing testosterone supports strength, endurance, healthy body composition, cognitive performance, mission readiness, and overall well-being—ensuring America’s fighting force is prepared to perform at its highest level,” wrote Christine.
Trump admin fires US attorney in Seattle minutes after he was appointed
The Trump administration took the fight over who controls U.S. attorney appointments to a whole new level, firing a Seattle-based prosecutor less than an hour after he was picked for the job without the blessing of the administration. “District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote Wednesday on X as he was testifying before the Senate in his confirmation hearing, calling out a U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington state panel for elevating Judge Roger Rogoff to be the top federal prosecutor in Seattle. “WDWA judges abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration,” Blanche said. “Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President.” That post came after Rogoff, 57, a former King County Superior Court judge and longtime state and federal prosecutor, was sworn in before 8 a.m. local time at the federal courthouse in downtown Seattle as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington. TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’ He then went to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and asked to meet with Charles Neil Floyd, the Trump administration’s preferred choice for the job, whose 120-day interim term expired in February. While Rogoff waited in the lobby, he received an email notifying him that Trump had removed him from office. Rogoff’s situation was not mentioned in Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, but Blanche is back before the Senate again Thursday and Rogoff now might be a notable topic of discussion during his confirmation process. BIDEN JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP’S SANCTUARY CITIES LAWSUIT, SAYS EVEN A WIN WOULDN’T SOLVE DOJ’S PROBLEM The quick dismissal came after all 17 active and senior federal judges in the deep-blue district appointed Rogoff to the vacancy. The judges, appointed by five presidents (10 by Democrats and seven by Republicans), had opened an application process after the administration did not send Floyd’s nomination to the Senate and instead kept him in place by making him first assistant U.S. attorney while leaving the top job vacant. U.S. attorneys, who serve as the Justice Department’s chief federal prosecutors in each district, are normally nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Federal law allows the attorney general to name an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days. If that period expires without a confirmed nominee, district judges may appoint someone to serve until the vacancy is filled. Because of obstruction by Democrats in the narrowly held Senate, the Trump administration has resorted to using acting titles and other personnel moves to keep its prosecutors in place. Courts have pushed back in several Democrat-heavy districts like Seattle and New Jersey, issuing legal challenges to the Justice Department and White House authority. “I don’t think it’s the way to run the Department of Justice,” Rogoff told The New York Times. “When you have this sort of made up way of putting people in these positions, the process breaks down.” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., opposed Floyd for the U.S. attorney job and blasted Rogoff’s quick firing. “Throughout his career, he has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service, and he was appointed legally by the federal judges in the Western District of Washington,” Murray wrote in a statement. “This administration doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent — they just want to install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda.” LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS Trump administration officials have long noted that the “advise and consent” role of the Senate does not grant Democrats against Trump’s administrative priorities to be a hard block on his agenda and nominees, though. Rogoff has retained an employment law firm and is considering a legal challenge to his firing. Fox News Digital reached out to Rogoff for comment. The Seattle clash follows similar disputes elsewhere. In New Jersey, Alina Habba resigned as the top federal prosecutor after an appeals court said she had been serving unlawfully. In Virginia, Lindsey Halligan left an acting U.S. attorney post after a judge found her appointment unlawful and dismissed indictments she had brought against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. The administration has also fired court-appointed U.S. attorneys in other districts. Rogoff, who spent 20 years as a state prosecutor and six as a federal prosecutor before becoming a state judge, said he knew the administration might fire him immediately. Despite this, he said he had no qualms about the potential conflict he was walking into, because being U.S. attorney is “the best job there is.” “I’m really proud of my career,” Rogoff said. “The fact that the judges of this district — most of whom I’ve spent my career appearing in front of, or trying cases against, or working with — believed that I was the right person to do this work is just really humbling and amazing.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump’s swift ICE reversal hailed for showing ‘confidence’ in frontline agents
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s quick reversal of a nationwide ban on ICE vehicle stops has been a “huge” boost for many ICE agents on the ground and reassured them that the commander-in-chief still has “confidence in the agency and its people,” a federal special agent working deportations said. Speaking with Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity, the agent said that the concerns that prompted the pause – a need for additional training for ICE agents on adversarial vehicle stops – are still being addressed. At the same time, the agent said the president’s action proved he still believes in law enforcement professionals to get the job done amid what has been an especially operationally challenging year. “Today, when the president came out with his un-pause, I think what he showed was confidence in the agency and its people, and I think that goes a long way when somebody is in one of those difficult situations,” said the agent. “I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve never seen something like that,” the agent added. TRUMP REVERSES DHS POLICY, ORDERS ICE TO RESUME VEHICLE STOPS AFTER ONE-DAY PAUSE The Department of Homeland Security announced a pause on Tuesday for ICE vehicle stops after two ICE officer-involved shootings in Maine and Texas. The guidance was short-lived, however, as the next day Trump instructed the agency to reverse course on what he called “one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools.” Trump wrote that “the men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done.” He noted that “CRIME IS WAY DOWN IN AMERICA, in many cases with numbers that haven’t been seen in decades.” To the ICE agents operating across the country, Trump wrote, “Be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job. Keep those Crime Stat Records coming! Remember, you are loved and respected in America.” 2028 DEM HOPEFULS TORCHED OVER WEBINARS TEACHING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HOW TO ‘DEFY’ ICE In response, the agent said Trump’s message meant he had the agents’ back. “You don’t have to be a Donald Trump fan but to know that the person who is ultimately responsible for all of this is saying, ‘Hey, I believe in you, you guys will work this out, we’re going to be all right,’” the agent said. The agent said that in the last year, illegal immigrants have grown more adversarial during arrests, increasing the danger of operations for both the arrestee and law enforcement. This is further exacerbated, said the agent, by the prevalence of interference and even often violent confrontation by civilian bystanders during operations. This means that agents are operating in increasingly stressful, unpredictable environments. Amid this, the agent likened ending all vehicle stops to removing a tool from a toolbox. “Any tool you take out of the toolbox is going to create challenges for [agents] to do their job in a more efficient way,” he said. DOCS EXPOSE HORRIFIC STRANGLING, KIDNAPPING CHARGES AGAINST ANTI-ICE LAWYER CHAMPIONED BY DEMS Still, the agent said they would “welcome” even more training. According to the agent, ICE has already increased its training for officers working deportation operations on the streets. The additional training has been especially concentrated on responding to riot-type situations, something that the agent said most ICE officers previously did not need to prepare for. “They should constantly be looking at these policies and how they affect the people in the field, but also how it’s perceived by the public, how legal it is, and how do we do this more safe?” the agent said, concluding, “I think any sane person would be in agreement with me to say, ‘Hey, let’s look at how we can do this safer for everybody.’”
Fetterman reveals what it would take for him to leave Democratic Party
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has “no plans” to leave the Democratic Party but if it officially became the “anti-Israel party,” count him out. “My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington, D.C. “If our party ever becomes, and just makes it official, the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me.” The news comes as Fetterman and fellow Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., launch a rare joint fundraising PAC called “Common Ground PA” this month, according to FEC filings, and Fetterman’s breaks from Democratic Party votes have become increasingly apparent since he was elected in 2022 and took office Jan. 3, 2023. SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE ‘LAST MAN STANDING’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL “Though I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians,” Fetterman wrote in a May op-ed, delivering the age-old mantra that he has not changed from his principles, the party has. “It has become increasingly lonely to serve in that way, but I firmly believe it’s what is needed. “My party cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says. The president could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, and my party would suddenly hate them. Such pointless pile-ons and attacks are unproductive. The American people want us to work together to find solutions on issues they and our country face.” His lines in the sand, he wrote, had been laid bare on: JOHN FETTERMAN’S FALL FROM HERO TO HERETIC EXPOSES DEMOCRATS’ HARD LEFT TURN The push away from Israel has become a “long-term concern” that he “can’t understand” and might ultimately become the ultimate red line for him, he told the Hill Nation Summit. “You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries,” he said. “It’s becoming more… anti-Israel and hostile to people.” Fetterman declined to discuss what he called “private conversations” with Republicans on a potential party switch, but he wrote in May he would first become independent. “Being an independent voice that works with the other side to deliver for Pennsylvanians might put me at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to and have no plans to leave — but I will continue to put the commonwealth and the country first,” he wrote. “Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.” WHY TRUMP, GOP ARE COURTING JOHN FETTERMAN, WHO INSISTS HE’LL REMAIN A DEMOCRAT The latest vow to break from Democratic Party votes is his rejection of the amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would cut off $3.3 billion in annual security assistance to Israel. He is also increasingly concerned about the primary election successes of progressive candidates who have been sharply critical of Israel – evidence of what he views as a troubling shift inside his party. Democrats are “trying to ingratiate ourselves with that segment of the base of our voters” that are “intensely, intensely anti-Israel,” he warned Wednesday. Fetterman also raised concerns about Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s performance in polling for the state’s Senate primary, warning that Democrats could be forced to spend more heavily in the battleground state if El-Sayed becomes the nominee against former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who narrowly lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate race. “Rogers just barely, barely lost in ’24,” Fetterman said. “If El-Sayed wins, then that puts Michigan much more in play for us and would require us to spend more money. What’s defined El-Sayed is the more anti-Israel and hostile-to-Israel thing.” Fetterman also criticized El-Sayed and other progressive candidates over past support for the “defund the police” movement, arguing that his party risks repeating political mistakes from the 2024 election. “Now here’s more Democrats to ‘defund the police,’” he warned. “Here we are back to part of the worst impulses that we just can’t resist. “We forgot the crazy things that we said, and that cost us the election in 2024. Now we want to revisit that — if anything, they’re coming back in the strongest kind of terms. Look at the people who are winning.” The senator also took aim at fellow Democrats who backed progressive Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner before Platner ended his campaign following allegations that he raped a woman in 2021. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., forcefully supported Platner, which left him “angry,” he said, questioning why Democrats embraced him as the evidence mounted. “Why did you push these people? Why did you buy in and then plunge that most consequential Senate race now into chaos?” Fetterman asked, arguing that it is now “more difficult” to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins and win control of the narrowly held Senate. “Where’s the accountability?” Fetterman asked. “Imagine if I would have done that and pushed that kind of individual.” Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s Senate office and campaign officials for further comment.