SCOOP: Stacy Garrity launches Republican campaign for Pennsylvania governor
FIRST ON FOX: Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced her Republican campaign for governor Monday, teeing up what could be a competitive race against incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026. Speaking exclusively with Fox News Digital ahead of her campaign launch, the Republican candidate said she is challenging Shapiro in next year’s gubernatorial election because he “has failed the state,” on critical issues, including energy production, education and job creation. She said the state’s vast oil and gas resources are the keys to its economy. “I have a much different vision for the commonwealth,” Garrity, 61, said in a phone interview before announcing her campaign for governor. “We really need to take advantage of what we have right under our feet, which would create a lot of financial breathing room for the commonwealth that we desperately need.” Garrity said her position on energy puts her right in step with President Donald Trump and Sen. Dave McCormick, who both called for unleashing American energy in battleground Pennsylvania during the 2024 presidential election. 2028 HOPEFUL CHALLENGES TRUMP’S JUVENILE SURGERY BAN WHILE OPPOSING WOMEN’S SPORTS BILL RESTRICTIONS “We have so much natural gas under our feet,” Garrity said, calling the energy “billions of dollars in economic opportunity.” DEMOCRAT MIKIE SHERRILL WINS NJ GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY, SETTING UP SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP-BACKED GOP WINNER Pennsylvania, a reliable swing state, experienced a red wave in 2024, as Trump won at the top of the ticket and McCormick unseated former longtime Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., on the Senate line. Garrity said Pennsylvania voters delivered a message loud and clear last year. Pennsylvanians want “more money in our pockets” and less of the “government’s hands in our pockets,” the treasurer, who said she travels to all 67 counties in the commonwealth each year, said. Keystone State residents also want school choice, safe communities and no “boys competing against girls in sports,” Garrity said. The Republican hopeful took aim at Shapiro’s policies on school choice, arguing that “he might be able to play political games with education, but our kids certainly can’t.” Shapiro recently told reporters that the commonwealth doesn’t need “extremist politicians” trying to legislate student participation in sports, in reference to a recent bill in the Pennsylvania legislature that would prevent transgender athletes from playing in women’s sports, according to WITF. “He’s with radical liberals that are pushing a political agenda,” Garrity said, before adding, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s not fairness, and it’s not leadership. It’s really, in my opinion, a betrayal of common sense and the integrity of women’s athletics.” Garrity also criticized Shapiro for what she described as flip-flopping on school choice and “fail[ing] the state” in delivering a state budget. Shapiro, who presides over a politically divided state legislature, missed the commonwealth’s deadline to pass its budget this year. The Democratic governor captured national attention last year when he was short-listed as a potential running mate for former Vice President Kamala Harris, after former President Joe Biden suspended his re-election campaign. “I’m not as well polished as Josh Shapiro,” Garrity admitted to Fox News Digital. “I’m definitely not as good of a politician as Josh Shapiro, and he’s a prolific fundraiser. This is going to be a tough race.” But despite Shapiro’s potential advantage as an incumbent governor with national recognition, Garrity said, “I am a really tough worker.” Garrity touted that in her first race for state treasurer, she managed to upset a popular incumbent, and “then the second time around, I got more votes for this election than any statewide candidate in Pennsylvania’s history, including Josh Shapiro.” “I have been an underdog my whole life, in the army and in business and in politics, and that’s why I’ve been able to succeed when the odds are stacked against me,” Garrity said. “State treasurer is my first role in public office, but not my first in public service,” the Republican hopeful said. “I did spend 30 years in the Army Reserves. I was deployed three times to the Middle East.” Garrity also served in the private sector, at Global Tungsten & Powders, where she worked her way up to becoming one of two female vice presidents. Now, as state treasurer, Garrity said, “Every day that I get to wake up and serve hardworking Pennsylvanians is truly a blessing.” Garrity has been teasing her gubernatorial run for months. Fellow Trump ally Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., was considered a potential Republican candidate as well. His announcement last month that he would not run for Pennsylvania governor cleared a path for Garrity’s announcement on Monday morning. Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial primary is set for May 19, 2026, and the midterm election is slated for Nov. 3, 2026. When reached for comment regarding Garrity’s announcement, the Shapiro campaign directed Fox News Digital to the governor’s comments during a recent press conference. “I’m going to keep creating jobs here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told reporters. “I’m going to fund our kids’ schools. I’m going to make sure that we have more cops on the beat, and I’m going to focus on doing my job of bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get stuff done. That’s my focus. They can focus on their political games all they want.”
Back from Alaska, Trump starts week with crucial foreign policy talks over Ukraine war
President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda is set to take center stage again this week, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visiting the White House on Monday as Washington continues efforts to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv. The upcoming meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, where the U.S. leader shifted from demanding a ceasefire to calling for a final peace deal. Trump discussed some of the details of his meeting with Putin during a phone call with Zelenskyy from Air Force One. EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE The White House has yet to release details of the meeting but has acknowledged that key European allies will accompany Zelenskyy. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb all confirmed their plans to attend. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy acknowledged his last White House visit — cut short by a shouting match with both Trump and Vice President JD Vance — and told reporters in Brussels he hopes Monday’s meeting “will be productive” rather than a repeat of February’s encounter. Trump’s back-to-back meetings with both former Soviet republics could set the stage for a trilateral summit with the U.S., Russia and Ukraine. TRUMP: WE’RE GOING STRAIGHT TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL, ‘NOT A MERE CEASEFIRE’ Over the weekend, Zelenskyy said that, so far, Russia has “given no sign that the trilateral will happen.” The Ukrainian leader also said over the weekend that he would use his meetings in Washington to stress that Kyiv will reject any peace deal with Moscow that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty. Trump signaled that Putin could agree to end the war if Zelenskyy ceded the entirety of the hotly-contested Donbas region to Russia. The area, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, is an industrial hub where coal mining and steel production remain central to Ukraine’s economy. Control of Donbas’ mines and factories would hand Moscow powerful leverage over Kyiv’s postwar financial survival. “The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference at the European Commission Sunday. ‘OUR POSITION IS CLEAR:’ ZELENSKYY AND EU DISMISS CEDING UKRAINIAN LAND TO RUSSIA “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia,” Zelenskyy said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed reports that Trump supports Russia’s conditions for peace. “The president has said that in terms of territories, these are things that Zelenskyy is going to have to decide on,” Rubio told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “All the president is trying to do here is narrow down the open issues,” Rubio said, adding that Trump remains focused on ending the Kremlin’s three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine.
Trump blasts ‘lightweight’ Dem senator who criticized Putin summit in Alaska: ‘Stupid’
President Donald Trump fired off insults toward Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., in a Sunday post on Truth Social in response to the senator’s criticism of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The president described Murphy as “very unattractive (both inside and out),” “stupid,” and “a lightweight,” after the senator claimed “Putin got everything he wanted” during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Murphy also described the meeting, which was held in Alaska on Friday to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, as “a disaster,” “an embarrassment for the United States” and “a failure.” ‘OUR POSITION IS CLEAR:’ ZELENSKYY AND EU DISMISS CEDING UKRAINIAN LAND TO RUSSIA Murphy shared a clip of his appearance on his X account, captioning the video with more criticism of Trump’s meeting with Putin. “The Putin-Trump meeting was a disaster, as predicted. Putin got everything he wanted: a photo op legitimizing his war crimes, no ceasefire, and no sanctions or new weapons for Ukraine. Trump’s goal was to keep Putin happy. He succeeded,” Murphy wrote. Trump pushed back, asserting in his Truth Social post, “The very unattractive (both inside and out!) Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, said ‘Putin got everything that he wanted.’ Actually, ‘nobody got anything,’ too soon, but getting close. Murphy is a lightweight who thinks it made the Russian President look good in coming to America. “Actually, it was very hard for President Putin to do so. This war can be ended, NOW, but stupid people like Chris Murphy, John Bolton, and others, make it much harder to do so,” he added. ZELENSKYY ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON, DC FOR TRUMP MEETING, URGES LASTING PEACE WITH RUSSIA Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and seven European leaders will meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday to continue seeking an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. “Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” Trump said in a separate Sunday night post on Truth Social. In a third post on Sunday, Trump said Zelenskyy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.” Trump continued, “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
Zelenskyy heads into crucial Trump meeting as US weighs security guarantees for Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy heads into a high-stakes White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday, as Washington considers security guarantees for Kyiv and debate intensifies over whether land concessions to Russia could end the war. Zelenskyy will be flanked by key European allies at the White House, a diplomatic overture that signals Europe’s determination to rally behind Ukraine. Over the weekend, the Ukrainian leader acknowledged his last White House visit – cut short by a shouting match between Trump and Vice President JD Vance – and told reporters in Brussels he hopes Monday’s meeting “will be productive” rather than a repeat of February’s encounter. EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE The upcoming meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, where the U.S. leader shifted from demanding a ceasefire to calling for a final peace deal. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that Putin agreed to allow the U.S. to provide Ukraine “robust security guarantees.” “We got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee,” in reference to the critical NATO provision,” Witkoff said, referencing the military alliance’s mutual defense clause, known as Article 5. NATO’s Article 5 – the cornerstone of the alliance – stipulates that an attack on one member is an assault on all, obligating allies to come to each other’s defense. The proposed security guarantees for Ukraine would not come through NATO, but rather from select European allies in the event of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal. Zelenskyy welcomed the revelation during a Sunday press conference alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “It’s important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, and we are very thankful to the United States under the president for such a signal,” Zelenskyy said. TRUMP: WE’RE GOING STRAIGHT TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL, ‘NOT A MERE CEASEFIRE’ “This is a significant change, but there are no details about how it will work and what America’s role will be, what Europe’s role will be and what the EU can do,” he added. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy reiterated that his war-weary nation will not surrender any territory to Russia as the Kremlin’s three-and-a-half-year conflict grinds on. “The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference at the EU Commission on Sunday. RUBIO DOWNPLAYS REPORTS TRUMP BACKING PUTIN’S PLAN FOR RUSSIA TO CONTROL UKRAINE’S DONBAS REGION He added that Russia has repeatedly tried and failed to seize the entirety of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine for a period of 12 years. The area, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, is an industrial hub where coal mining and steel production remain central to Ukraine’s economy. In short, control of Donbas’s mines and factories would hand Moscow powerful leverage over Kyiv’s financial survival. “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader, who spoke alongside von der Leyen, said that so far the Kremlin has “given no sign that the trilateral will happen.” “With regards to any territorial questions in Ukraine, our position is clear: international borders cannot be changed by force. These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table,” von der Leyen said. Following the meeting with the Russian leader, Trump signaled that Zelenskyy should take Putin’s deal to end the war because “Russia is a very big power” and Ukraine is not. Still, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to play down speculation that Trump could push Zelenskyy to give up Ukrainian land to Russia as part of a deal to end the war. “The president has said that in terms of territories, these are things that Zelenskyy is going to have to decide on,” Rubio told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “All the president is trying to do here is narrow down the open issues,” Rubio said, adding that Trump is focused on ending the Kremlin’s full-throttle assault on Ukraine.
Trump says Zelenskyy can end Russia war ‘almost immediately’ before hosting seven European leaders
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could end the war with Russia “almost immediately” if he wanted. Trump’s comments come ahead of his scheduled meeting with Zelenskyy and several European leaders in Washington, D.C. on Monday. “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed Sunday they would attend the meeting in Washington. EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE Their joint presence underscores Europe’s push to present a united front as Russia’s war drags on. Zelenskyy met von der Leyen in Brussels ahead of the Trump talks to set priorities for the White House meeting, focusing on long-term military aid, Ukraine’s EU ambitions, and bolstering transatlantic solidarity against Russian aggression. Von der Leyen said at a joint press conference she was glad to join Zelenskyy and other leaders in Washington on Monday. Trump called it a “great honor.” ZELENSKYY OUTLINES PEACE DEMANDS BEFORE HIGH-STAKES WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH TRUMP “Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” he said in another post on Truth Social. “The Fake News has been saying for 3 days that I suffered a ‘major defeat’ by allowing President Vladimir Putin of Russia to have a major Summit in the United States,” Trump said in another post. “Actually, he would have loved doing the meeting anywhere else but the U.S., and the Fake News knows this. It was a major point of contention! If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and controlled media would have said what a terrible thing THAT was. “These people are sick! They even want CRIME IN D.C., and other BLUE Cities throughout our Country, but don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” the president continued. “Just like our now secure Southern Border (ZERO illegals in last 3 months!), our cities will be Secure and Safe, and D.C. will lead the way!” SUMMIT WITH PUTIN SET TO TOP TRUMP’S AGENDA THIS WEEK AS UKRAINE WAR TAKES CENTER STAGE Zelenskyy’s White House meeting follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, where Trump dropped his ceasefire demand and urged a final peace deal. After meeting with Putin, Trump said the Russian leader was willing to end the war in exchange for key Ukrainian territorial concessions. He added that Kyiv should take the deal because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.” Zelenskyy and European leaders consistently reject proposals to surrender Ukrainian land to Russia. Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Former FBI Director James Comey confesses he’s a ‘Swiftie’ in new anti-Trump video message
Former FBI Director James Comey confessed in a strange video Sunday that Taylor Swift has been his family’s soundtrack — and a source of life advice on handling bullies. He also took swipes at President Donald Trump while bragging about a family “Swiftie” group chat and talking about how he blasts “Tay Tay” while mowing the lawn. Comey opened by accusing Trump of humiliating America alongside Vladimir Putin, calling it “a bad dream you can’t wake up from.” Comey said he’s been to two Swift concerts and even helped relatives afford tickets. MAURENE COMEY, PROSECUTOR IN ‘DIDDY,’ EPSTEIN, MAXWELL CASES, DAUGHTER OF EX FBI HEAD, FIRED FROM DOJ “I’m in a family’s Switie group chat. I know all her music and I listen to it in my headphones when I cut the grass,” Comey said. His favorites? The 10-minute “All Too Well” and “Exile” with Bon Iver. “Taylor Swift has grown up with my family and provided us a soundtrack, really, as we’ve grown ourselves and learned and adapted and dealt with adversity and celebration,” he said, adding that millions of families likely feel the same. Comey explained that at every stage of Swift’s career, she has shown a way that resonated with kids, which also felt right to him as a parent, and she has continued to do that even as an adult artist. FBI DIRECTOR PATEL SAYS HE’S HAD TO DIVERT RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE ‘COPYCATS’ OF COMEY ’86 47′ POST Comey said Swift’s example helps him resist “bullies” without becoming like them. He contrasted that with satirical posts mocking Trump, which he called funny but also troubling. “But I gotta be honest, it also leaves me with a strange feeling at times, because I don’t want us to become like Trump and his followers,” he continued. “There are far more decent, honest, kind people in America than there are mean jerks. And don’t get me wrong, we have our jerks, millions of them.” He accused the GOP of “stunning coarseness,” while saying it’s a minority view in America. JAMES COMEY TELLS COLBERT WHAT LED TO HIM POSTING CONTROVERSIAL ’86 47′ INSTAGRAM POST “I am not an advocate for weakness. Of course, we need to stand up to jerks and defend what matters, but I think we have to try to do that without becoming like them, which is what makes me think about Taylor Swift,” he said. “She’s made clear that she sees Donald Trump for what he is. Last year, she urged Americans not to make the serious mistake of electing him. “Of course, we’re now living with the consequences of that mistake. But while our elderly makeup-covered president is posting about whether Taylor Swift is still hot and declaring that he can’t stand her, what’s she doing? Living her best life, producing great music and, as she urged all of us to do during the podcast, not giving the jerks power over her mind,” Comey continued. He cited Swift’s advice to treat personal energy “like a luxury item” and linked it to research showing rudeness makes people less happy. COMEY CLAIMS HE HAD NO ‘DARK INTENTION’ WITH ’86 47′ SEASHELL POST, ISN’T SCARED OF TRUMP “We can’t stop people from being jerks. What we can do is stop it from hurting us, from changing us,” he added. He then talked about the second time he saw Swift in concert, 14 years ago in Hartford, Connecticut. During the concert, he said, Swift sang a song, asking nasty people, “why you gotta be so mean.” “I bet you got pushed around. Somebody made you cold. But the cycle ends right now, because you can’t leave me down that road,” Comey said, reciting Swift’s lyrics for ‘Mean.’ “You’ll be glad I didn’t sing that. That’s right, because down that road of unhappiness, nobody should have that power over us.” The video went viral, with one user calling it “the creepiest video in the history of social media” and another writing, “It’s truly mind-blowing this man served as FBI director.” Comey has a history of provocative posts, including an “86 47” seashell photo that drew backlash and a “Vote Harris” shell he shared last year.
Fatal Brooklyn lounge shooting reignites NYC mayoral candidate clash over gun violence response
BROOKLYN, NY — Zohran Mamdani told reporters on Sunday that the fatal shooting in New York City hours earlier was the latest example of the “scourge of gun violence” in the country’s most populous city. New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that there were 12 victims, including three fatalities, in a suspected gang-related shooting at the Taste of the City Lounge in the borough’s Crown Heights section. During a canvass launch event in the Prospect Park neighborhood, Mamdani told reporters that the incident is “yet another example of the scourge of gun violence that has taken hold across so much of our city.” The New York City Democratic mayoral nominee noted that just three weeks ago, the city experienced its deadliest mass shooting in 25 years when a gunman killed four people in Midtown Manhattan before taking his own life. DEADLIEST NYC SHOOTING IN DECADES TAKES CENTER STAGE IN MAYORAL RACE AS CANDIDATES SPAR ON PUBLIC SAFETY Mamdani called for investing “in the very kind of programs and services that have been proven effective at combating this epidemic” of gun violence, specifically scaling up what he referred to as New York’s crisis management system. MAMDANI DODGES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THREATS TO NYPD IN FIRST PRESSER SINCE DEADLY MANHATTAN SHOOTING The mayoral hopeful said on Sunday that he is proposing 275% increased investment in the Department of Community Safety. Last month’s Manhattan shooting propelled Mamdani’s past comments, including those calling to defund the NYPD, to center stage in the race for Gracie Mansion. “My statements in 2020 were ones made amidst a frustration that many New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd,” Mamdani responded last month when a reporter asked if he regretted any of his prior comments. Mamdani has since walked back his stance on defunding police, but his competitors, including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, seized on such comments, telling CNN that Mamdani doesn’t understand the “importance of NYPD.” As details emerged on Sunday about the fatal shooting in Brooklyn, incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, claimed his administration has driven down crime by removing illegal guns from the streets. “What I can tell you, we will continue our aggressive pursuit to remove these illegal guns off our streets. Every single victim of violence, particularly gun violence, is one too many,” he said. In a statement on X, Cuomo called the incident “another horrific mass shooting.” “My heart goes out to the victims and to their loved ones. Public safety is, and always has been, Job 1. This isn’t the time to defund or dismantle the police. We need more officers, not less, to keep our communities safe,” Cuomo said, in an apparent political jab at Mamdani and his past comments. Meanwhile, the Republican mayoral nominee, Curtis Sliwa, CEO of the Guardian Angels, said his “thoughts are with the victims and their families after this latest shooting.” “Cuomo’s pro-criminal laws created this mess, and Mamdani’s radical agenda would only make it worse. The status quo has failed. I’m the only candidate with the courage to restore law and order in NYC,” Sliwa said in a statement on X. Fox News’ CB Cotton contributed to this report.
‘Huge confidence in him’: DEA administrator to play key role overseeing DC police
Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole, the federal government’s new designee to help run the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, vowed to let local cops “do their job again” to get rising crime under control. Cole was tapped by Attorney General Pam Bondi after the Trump administration announced on Monday a major intervention to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. The move came after several high-profile violent crimes, including the murder of a Congressional intern. “We cannot afford to turn a blind eye,” Cole told Fox News Channel’s “The Story” on Tuesday. “We have tremendous cooperation, tremendous intel sharing, and what’s most encouraging, the police are looking forward to doing their job again.” According to an order released by Bondi on Friday, Cole’s role is defined as the “designee for the duration of the emergency declared by the President for the purpose of directing the Mayor of the District of Columbia to provide such services of the [MPD] as the Attorney General deems necessary and appropriate.” “Attorney General Bondi’s new order is STRONGER because instead of rescinding just one bad MPD order this superseding order REQUIRES MPD’s full cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an email on Saturday. DC REACHES LEGAL SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FEDERAL POLICE TAKEOVER “We are not backing down, as President Trump remains in control under the law to determine what is necessary and appropriate,” the spokesperson added. Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela Smith will technically stay in her position, but Cole will play a key role in making sure city leaders such as Smith and Mayor Muriel Bowser comply with the federal government’s requests, especially in cooperation with immigration authorities. Dozens of the arrests already made since the takeover have been of illegal immigrants, as ICE and other federal agencies are patrolling the streets of the capital. “Attorney General Bondi just issued a new directive to Mayor Bowser requiring MPD to provide the services found necessary by her designee, DEA Administrator Terry Cole, to comply fully and completely with federal immigration law and authorities, regardless of any policies MPD might otherwise have. President Trump will continue pursuing all efforts to Make DC Safe Again and end violent crime despite liberal opposition,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. AG SHOWDOWN: DC ATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS US ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI ORDER AS ‘UNLAWFUL’ Cole has an extensive background in law enforcement, including working at the DEA for over 20 years before retiring from the federal government in 2020, according to his profile on the DEA website. Afterward, he was the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security from 2023 to 2025. “I’m glad to see it happen under the leadership of Terry Cole,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on “Mornings with Maria” on Fox Business Network earlier this week, addressing how a similar law enforcement model will be employed in Northern Virginia in partnership with commonwealth and federal leaders. DEA HEAD SAYS PHONE CALLS ARE COMING FROM ‘ALL OVER THE COUNTRY’ FROM FED AGENTS WANTING TO HELP IN DC “Terry Cole, who is now director and administrator of DEA, and is leading this effort on behalf of the administration, is the best man in the country to do this. I have huge confidence in him, and I want to thank President Trump for taking this big step,” the Republican governor added. Youngkin noted in February that Cole played a major role in tackling illegal drugs in the commonwealth. “His leadership of our Operation FREE initiative in Virginia resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of pounds of illicit drugs—including more than 70 million lethal doses of fentanyl—and has become a standard for collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement,” Youngkin stated. “He will put the safety and security of Americans first as head of the DEA. It’s a great day to be an American and a bad day to be a drug dealer.”
Mamdani appeals to non-Democrats with general election push, vows government can meet voters’ ‘material needs’
Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made an appeal to non-Democrats during brief remarks in Brooklyn on Sunday, kicking off his general election campaign. Mamdani, who defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 13 percentage points in the June primary, recently concluded his five-day, anti-Donald Trump tour of each of New York City’s boroughs last week. Without referencing Trump this time around, Mamdani addressed supporters in Brooklyn on Sunday with a message on affordability and local government being able to take care of voters’ “material needs.” “Are there more New Yorkers who want to join this movement for a city that they can actually afford?” Mamdani, who’s campaigned on socialist and communist ideas, such as government-run grocery stores and rent freezes, said. MAMDANI DEFENDS CITY-RUN GROCERY PLAN, SAYS STORE OWNERS CAN BE ‘PARTNERS’ Mamdani recalled a conversation he said he had on primary election day with a volunteer of an organization who endorsed his campaign. He said the volunteer had “gotten a phone call from a coworker about aunties and uncles who were breaking down at the poll sites after they’d been informed they weren’t registered as Democrats and able to vote at that time.” Only registered Democrats were eligible to vote in the June primary. Mamdani also told the story of an 18-year-old man pulling up next to him on a motorbike on primary election night to ask for a selfie. Mamdani said he asked the young man if he had voted and that they used his license to check his registration. According to Mamdani, the man was a registered Republican, who was ineligible to vote in the primary but who could support the Democratic socialist candidate in the November general election. “I tell you the story of that 18-year-old young man, of those aunties and uncles who had to be pulled away from those poll sites to remind us of how many more New Yorkers there are for us to speak,” Mamdani said. “And I thank you for being here, because so often, any victories in politics are described as if they are that of just the candidate. But you know the truth. This is your victory. It is your work that took us from 1% in the polls to beating a former governor by 13 points.” Mamdani credited his campaign canvassers, who went door to door in six-floor walk-ups, rain or shine, for taking “a campaign that was considered, at best, an interesting idea to one that has won the most votes of any in New York City primary history.” Mamdani received more than 573,00 votes in the June primary, though voter turnout was less than 30% of registered Democrats. NEW REPORT REVEALS MAMDANI LAPPING RIVALS IN BATTLE FOR CAMPAIGN DONATIONS FROM THIS KEY INDUSTRY “I thank you for being here today, because what you show is that this movement is just getting started. Yeah, we are just getting started because we know there are so many more neighborhoods for us to reach, so many New Yorkers for us to speak to and so many more people who we can finally show that there is the possibility that local government could actually meet their material needs,” Mamdani added on Sunday. “And I thank you for doing this, because you are the ones who are changing history in this city and in this country, and it’s an honor to be one part of this movement with each and every one of you.” Mamdani – who has recently walked back his long-vocal stance on defunding police – concluded his remarks without taking questions from the press, but earlier Sunday took to social media to address a mass shooting in Brooklyn. He said the Crown Heights incident had “stolen the lives of three New Yorkers and injured eight more,” adding that he was “grateful for the first responders who rushed towards the danger and worked to save lives.” “We cannot accept gun violence in our city,” Mamdani wrote. Cuomo, who is running as an independent in the November election, has recently increased attacks on Mamdani for living in a rent-stabilized apartment despite his wealthy upbringing. Mamdani, the son of an acclaimed Indian filmmaker and a Columbia University professor, recently returned from an extravagant wedding celebration in Uganda. He has also recently walked back his prior support for the phrase “globalize the intifada” after widespread criticism and concern from the New York Jewish community. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is also running as an independent in November. The Republican mayoral hopeful is Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.
‘Our position is clear:’ Zelenskyy and EU dismiss ceding Ukrainian land to Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated on Sunday that Kyiv will not surrender any territory to Moscow, pushing back against mounting international speculation about potential land-for-peace negotiations. “The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference at the European Commission on Sunday. EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE He added that Russia has repeatedly tried and failed to seize the entirety of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine for a period of 12 years. The Donbas, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, is an industrial hub, with coal mining and steel production central to Ukraine’s economy. “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral [talks with] Ukraine, United States, Russia,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader, who spoke alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said that so far the Kremlin has “given no sign that the trilateral will happen.” PUTIN DEMANDS CONTROL OF KEY UKRAINIAN TERRITORY IN EXCHANGE FOR PEACE: EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT “With regards to any territorial questions in Ukraine, our position is clear: international borders cannot be changed by force. These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table,” von der Leyen said. Their remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday, during which the Russian leader outlined conditions for ending the war, including demands for control over parts of eastern Ukraine. Following the meeting with the Russian leader, Trump signaled that Zelenskyy should take Putin’s deal to end the war because “Russia is a very big power” and Ukraine is not. Still, SSecretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed claims that Trump would pressure Zelenskyy to give up large swaths of its sovereign land to Russia. “The president has said that in terms of territories, these are things that Zelenskyy is going to have to decide on,” Rubio told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “All the president is trying to do here is narrow down the open issues,” Rubio said, adding that Trump is focused on ending the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. “You can’t have a peace deal between two warring factions unless both sides agree to give up something. And both sides agree that the other side gets something. Otherwise, if one side gets everything they want, that’s not a peace deal. It’s called surrender. And I don’t think this is a war that’s going to end anytime soon. On the basis of surrender,” Rubio said. Zelenskyy said he hopes the upcoming meeting with European allies and Trump “will be productive,” contrasting it with the heated Oval Office exchange during his February visit.