US strikes another alleged drug-trafficking boat near Venezuela, killing 4
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday the U.S. military conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a narcotrafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations traveling off the coast of Venezuela, killing four men aboard. No U.S. forces were harmed in the U.S. Southern Command operation, which was ordered by President Donald Trump, according to Hegseth. “The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics—headed to America to poison our people,” Hegseth wrote in an X post. TRUMP ORDERS ‘LETHAL KINETIC STRIKE’ ON DRUG TRAFFICKING BOAT IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, THREE KILLED The secretary said military intelligence, “without a doubt,” confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narcoterrorists, and they were operating on a known narcotrafficking transit route. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE.” US MILITARY CARRIES OUT SECOND STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN NARCOTERRORISTS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS The strike follows a series of hits in September on boats suspected of carrying narcotics along known narcotic trafficking passages. On Sept. 2, U.S. forces struck a vessel linked to Tren de Aragua in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 suspected gang members. Subsequent drug-smuggling boat strikes on Sept. 15 and Sept. 19 killed a total of six people, Fox News Digital previously reported. US BOLSTERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CARIBBEAN NEAR VENEZUELA AMID TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO HALT DRUG TRAFFICKING Hegseth noted the strikes will continue “until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!” The Trump administration in February designated drug cartel groups, including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
Longtime Trump ally Lewandowski flirts with primary challenge against GOP governor
President Donald Trump’s first campaign manager and longtime ally, Corey Lewandowski, is weighing a primary challenge next year against Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. “Everyone says being a Governor is the best job in Politics. I agree,” Lewandowski wrote in a social media post Thursday evening. Lewandowski’s news comes as Trump’s political team appears to turn up the heat on Ayotte over her resistance to the president’s push for mid-decade redistricting in order to protect the GOP’s fragile House majority in the 2026 midterm elections. There’s long been interest by some state Republican lawmakers in redistricting to make New Hampshire’s First Congressional District more GOP-friendly. Democrats have controlled both of the state’s U.S. House seats for nearly a decade. REDISTRICTING BATTLE: MISSOURI GOVERNOR SIGNS NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP INTO LAW And it’s possible the Republican-controlled New Hampshire legislature passes and sends to Ayotte’s desk a redistricting bill early next year. Ayotte’s predecessor, former Gov. Chris Sununu, three years ago, vetoed a new congressional map passed by Statehouse Republicans. ABBOTT CLEARS FINAL REDISTRICTING HURDLE AS TEXAS SENATE PASSES NEW TRUMP-APPROVED MAP The current governor has pushed back against the pressure campaign over redistricting. “I don’t think the timing is right for redistricting. And as I look at where we are and the things we should be focusing on, this is not something that I support doing at this point,” Ayotte told WMUR-TV last month. Ayotte’s team did not respond to a Fox News request for comment. A longtime New Hampshire-based Republican political strategist told Fox News “this comes down to whether or not the president is seriously interested in changing the outcome of this race. We’ll know a potential run would be serious if we hear from the White House that the president is driving this train.” “Otherwise I think this is more a case of firing a shot across the governor’s bow to get her attention in the hopes of getting her to actively consider signing legislation that would change the congressional districts across New Hampshire,” added the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. Two Republican-dominated states, Texas and Missouri, have already passed new congressional maps which combined could swing six House seats from blue to red. And nearly a half-dozen other right-leaning states are considering similar moves, after lobbying from the president and his team. It’s part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in next year’s midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. The social media post by Lewandowski followed a report from Politico that he was considering a gubernatorial run next year. Republican sources confirmed the report to Fox News. The Windham, N.H., resident served as Trump’s campaign manager during the 2016 presidential primaries before being replaced during the general election campaign. But Lewandowski has remained close to Trump over the years, held senior adviser roles in the 2020 and 2024 campaigns, and keeps in regular contact with the president. Lewandowski, who for years served as a top outside adviser to then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, now serves as a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where Noem is Trump’s DHS secretary. This isn’t the first time Lewandowski has considered a statewide run in New Hampshire. In the 2020 election cycle, he flirted with a run for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. And in early 2021, he teased a possible 2022 run for governor months ahead of popular GOP Gov. Chris Sununu’s launch of his successful re-election bid. New Hampshire, along with Vermont, are the only two states in the nation to hold gubernatorial elections every two years. “I’ve known Corey a long time. If he’s passionate about something, then he’ll fight to the end to get it and I think he’s passionate about the people of New Hampshire and being governor is probably the best way he can serve them,” New Hampshire native Joshua Whitehouse, who worked with Lewandowski on the 2016 campaign and who’s a veteran of the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital on Thursday. While Lewandowski would likely grab support from MAGA world if he runs for governor, his past political baggage could come back to hurt him. After facing allegations he made unwanted sexual advances towards a Republican donor’s wife at a 2021 charity event, he was pushed out of his job steering a top pro-Trump super PAC. Lewandowski later cut a deal with prosecutors in the case after he was charged with misdemeanor battery. Trump’s spokesperson said at the time that Lewandowski “will no longer be associated with Trump world.” And Noem’s spokesperson at the time said Lewandowski “will not be advising the governor in regard to the campaign or official office.” But he quickly worked his way back into both Trump and Noem’s political orbits. Lewandowski was also charged in 2016 after yanking the arm of a reporter at a Trump campaign event, but the charges were later dropped. The New Hampshire Democratic Party took aim at both Lewandowski and Ayotte in a statement. “Corey Lewandowski and Kelly Ayotte are two sides of the same extreme coin: Republican hardliners who have zero problem bending at the knee for Donald Trump and letting him steamroll New Hampshire families,” longtime state party Chair Ray Buckley claimed.
Sex offender called ‘poster boy’ for GOP’s transgender ideology concerns faces court hearing
Serial sex offender Richard Kenneth Cox appeared in Arlington, Virginia circuit court Friday facing several prurient charges, with a vulgar rap sheet going back to the George H.W. Bush administration. Cox has been described as the “poster boy” for Republican concerns about transgender ideology and permissive policies at schools and on sports teams as statewide electoral races in Virginia heat up. Cox, 58, was born male but recently began identifying as female, a change that allowed him access to women’s facilities at a Fairfax County recreation center despite his criminal record — sparking outrage from the commonwealth’s top GOP nominees. VIRGINIA AG FLAMES OPPONENT FOR SUPPORTING SEX-CHANGE ID LAW HE BLAMES FOR LATEST PEDOPHILE CASES An Arlington official told Fox News Digital on Friday that Cox appeared at 9:30 a.m. ET before Judge Daniel Tomas Lopez to face seven of at least 23 upcoming counts on the court’s docket. Cox is facing Lopez on two counts of possession of child pornography, a second-or-greater offense, two counts of indecent liberties with a child under 15, one count of indecent exposure, one count of contact with a child after conviction and one count of entering school property as a Tier III (the most serious level) sex offender. Four charges stem from October 2024, and two others from December of that year. More than a dozen other similar charges are scheduled to be heard Monday in Arlington, as well. VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS SUPPORT FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS’ RIGHTS IN GOVERNOR’S RACE SPOTLIGHT Two charges were lodged in connection with an Oct. 21, 2024, incident in which a victim at the girl’s locker room for Washington-Liberty High School’s pool witnessed Cox exposing himself. Two more charges were lodged on Oct. 30, 2024. In December, Cox racked up the remaining two charges in connection with an incident at a Barcroft, Virginia gym where he allegedly entered the women’s locker room and exposed himself to an adult and multiple children. After the incident at the school pool, Arlington Superintendent Francisco Duran sent a letter to parents saying Cox was not present during school hours and that the pool has a separate entrance than the school, according to ABC’s Washington affiliate. Duran said Cox was summarily banned from the pool, while adding later that “Arlington Public Schools will continue to foster an inclusive community for all, including members who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.” BOYS BRANDED SEXUAL HARASSERS FOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANS CLASSMATE USING THEIR LOCKER ROOM GO TO FEDERAL COURT The sentiment of that last remark has brought Cox to the forefront of political battles in Virginia in this year’s election. Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican running for re-election against former Del. Jerrauld “Jay” Jones, D-Norfolk, blamed his opponent for helping create the conditions in which Cox could victimize the community. Miyares pointed Wednesday to Jones’ support for a bill then-Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law that allows people to choose which sex appears on their driver’s license regardless of biology. “Jay Jones is complicit, allowing the scarring of the countless victims who watched as Richard Cox repeatedly exposed himself under the protection of a bill he voted for,” Miyares said. VIRGINIA BOYS NOTCH COURT WIN AFTER BEING LABELED ‘SEXUAL HARASSERS’ OVER TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM COMPLAINT Jones did not respond to a request for comment at the time, and Miyares also hammered Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for declining to prosecute Cox for similar alleged transgressions to those in neighboring Arlington. Cox also reportedly defended himself in one such exposure case in a women’s locker room, by saying that “transgender people identify as belonging to a gender which may not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth.” “For a transgender person to be observed in a locker room nude is no proof that this also was anything more than platonic,” Cox said, according to ABC Washington. “Nudity among the ancients was not always segregated by gender either,” Cox wrote in a court document that spoke about “social nudity” in early Greek culture. PARENTS: VIRGINIA BOYS SUSPENDED AFTER QUESTIONING TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM POLICY WERE IGNORED BY SCHOOL Fairfax officials said at the time that one indecent exposure charge was dropped after an alleged victim did not appear in court. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, running for governor against former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, also called out what she called her opponent’s “word salad” when pressed on transgender issues in Virginia. When asked by Roanoke’s ABC affiliate about transgender women in girls’ spaces, Spanberger said that Virginia “until very recently we have had a process in place where, on an individual, one by one basis, schools, principals, parents, coaches were making decisions based on fairness, competitiveness and safety, where a child might be able or might not be able to play in a particular sport.” As for Cox, he reportedly told a judge in 1995 that he had been sexually abused by an older cousin as a child, and was “aware that I suffer compulsions to expose myself in public places.” Cox reportedly told the judge he tried to have himself castrated because of such urges but ultimately relented.
‘Squad’ Dem launches comeback House bid after anti-Israel views torpedoed campaign: ‘We need a fighter’
Former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., announced on Friday that she is mounting a comeback congressional bid more than a year after losing her Democratic primary to a more moderate challenger. “St. Louis deserves a leader who is built different,” Bush announced in a video shared on social media. “That’s why I’m running to represent Missouri’s 1st District in Congress. We need a fighter who will lower costs, protect our communities, and make life fairer. I’ll be that fighter.” The “Squad” member was ousted in the Democratic primary in Aug. 2024 by St. Louis County prosecutor Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., who is a more moderate candidate and had the backing of pro-Israel groups that spent millions to unseat Bush. “I ran for Congress to change things for regular people,” Bush said in the campaign launch video. “I’m running again because St. Louis deserves leadership that doesn’t wait for permission, doesn’t answer to wealthy donors and doesn’t hide when things get tough.” SPECULATION SWIRLS AS AOC IS RUMORED TO HARBOR 2028 ASPIRATIONS: ‘SAVVY POLITICIAN’ Bush was first elected to Congress in Nov. 2020, quickly joining the ranks of the progressive “Squad,” including Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who were elected in 2018. AOC STARS IN NEWSOM REDISTRICTING AD, URGING CALIFORNIANS TO ‘FIGHT’ TRUMP FOR DEMOCRACY The Missouri progressive was re-elected in 2022, but she became the second member of the “Squad” to lose her Democratic primary last year after Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., also lost to a more moderate pro-Israel Democrat. Like Bowman, Bush had emerged in Congress as a vocal critic of the United States’ ties to Israel, calling Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack a “war crime” for “Israel’s collective punishment against Palestinians.” “All across America, we see it,” Bush said. “Our rights rolled back, our history being rewritten, our lives on the line. The stakes for our community here have never been higher. I’m running because our district deserves someone ten toes down. For our families, for our wallets, for our safety, for our democracy, and for our bright future. St. Louis is built different, so am I, and so are we.” Soon after President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Bush teased a congressional run to POLITICO. “The Squad will keep fighting,” she told the outlet. “The numbers will be lower for the 119th Congress, but they will keep fighting for people who have the greatest need. They’re not going to change their priorities and what they believe. The number of people in Congress on the team will just be smaller. But they’ve never been silent. Anyone who underestimates our power is severely mistaken, because we aren’t going anywhere, and I will always be Squad. I’m not going far.” While the country shifted to the right in 2024, with Republicans securing control of the White House and Congress, the upcoming midterm elections will prove a litmus test for Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda. And Bush’s announcement comes as Republicans secured victories in their redistricting battles, picking up five additional Republican-leaning districts in Texas and one additional conservative-leaning congressional seat in Missouri. Gov. Mike Kehoe, R-Mo., signed Missouri’s new map into law on Sunday as California Democrats seek to level the playing field with their own redistricting efforts. Bell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Trump puts Hamas on notice with deadline to accept Gaza peace deal
President Donald Trump issued a blistering public warning to Hamas on Friday, saying the “ruthless” terrorist group will be “hunted down, and killed” unless they release the remaining Israeli hostages and reach an agreement by Sunday evening. “They will be given one last chance,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “THIS DEAL ALSO SPARES THE LIVES OF ALL REMAINING HAMAS FIGHTERS!” “We will have PEACE in the Middle East one way or the other. The violence and bloodshed will stop,” Trump added. “RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING THE BODIES OF THOSE THAT ARE DEAD, NOW! An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time.” Trump said the United States, along with Israel and several wealthy Middle Eastern nations, have already agreed to a peace proposal. Failure to comply, he warned, would result in unprecedented military action against Hamas. TRUMP’S PEACE DEAL COULD END THE WAR IN GAZA OR NETANYAHU’S CAREER “Great, powerful, and very rich Nations of the Middle East, and the surrounding areas beyond, together with the United States of America, have agreed, with Israel signing on, to PEACE, after 3000 years, in the Middle East,” Trump wrote. “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.” TRUMP DELIVERS ULTIMATUM TO HAMAS: ACCEPT DEAL AND RELEASE HOSTAGES OR PAY THE CONSEQUENCES “As retribution for the October 7th attack on civilization, more than 25,000 Hamas ‘soldiers’ have already been killed,” Trump continued. “Most of the rest are surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, ‘GO,’ for their lives to be quickly extinguished.” Palestinians considered innocent were also advised to immediately move out of areas at risk of “potentially great future death.” Trump said those who relocate would be cared for by relief efforts. TREY YINGST: HAMAS MUST ACCEPT TRUMP PEACE PLAN TO END WAR ONCE AND FOR ALL Last week, Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict. If accepted, Israel could secure the return of all 46 remaining hostages. The plan calls for an end to Israel’s military operations, the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip under a Palestinian governing body overseen by an international coalition led by the United States. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s acceptance of Trump’s plan could ultimately determine whether his government collapses or finds renewed support. Netanyahu’s party has become increasingly divided, with hard-right members threatening to topple his government over any concessions in the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Netanyahu previously said during a joint press conference with Trump last week that Israel “will finish the job by itself” if Hamas continues to threaten the region. Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Giuliani allies turn on GOP’s Sliwa, back Cuomo in NYC mayor race
Rudy Giuliani’s aides and allies have thrown themselves behind Andrew Cuomo instead of Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the race for New York mayor, according to reports. Joe Lhota, Giuliani’s former deputy mayor and the GOP’s 2013 mayoral candidate, confirmed to the New York Post Thursday he is firmly in Cuomo’s camp. Lhota, who later served as Cuomo’s MTA chairman and has since changed his party affiliation to Democrat, framed the choice bluntly. “It’s a choice between a proven manager, a socialist, and a fruit loop,” Lhota told the outlet. “Of course I’m going to be with Andrew,” Lhota added. CUOMO OPPONENTS SLAM HIS RE-ENTRY INTO NYC MAYOR RACE, SAY CITY WANTS TO MOVE ON FROM EX GOVERNOR Anthony Carbonetti, Giuliani’s former chief of staff and a senior adviser to his 2008 presidential campaign, echoed Lhota’s sentiment. While praising Sliwa as a “great New Yorker,” Carbonetti said the math simply isn’t there for him to win the race. Instead, they warned, Sliwa risks becoming a spoiler. “I don’t want a socialist in charge of a $116 billion city budget,” he said, criticizing Zohran Mamdani’s proposal for fare-free buses as an invitation to turn them into “mobile homeless shelters.” CUOMO OPPONENTS SLAM HIS RE-ENTRY INTO NYC MAYOR RACE, SAY CITY WANTS TO MOVE ON FROM EX GOVERNOR Former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who served under George W. Bush and is a longtime Giuliani ally, also endorsed Cuomo in an op-ed published by the Staten Island Advance. “Our city should not be put at risk of irreversible damage, which it would be if Mamdani is elected,” he wrote, adding that Cuomo is “the most viable alternative.” Mayor Eric Adams has already stunned the political world by announcing he will not seek re-election. President Donald Trump has also publicly dismissed Sliwa’s chances. CUOMO, ADAMS TRADE SHOTS OVER WHO SHOULD DROP OUT IN RACE AGAINST MAMDANI FOR NYC MAYOR “Look, I’m a Republican, but Curtis is not exactly prime time,” Trump said on Fox & Friends in September. “Joe Lhota has been a Democrat since 2016. He worked for Andrew Cuomo. Big deal,” said Sliwa adviser Rob Cole. Rudy Giuliani himself, now 81 and still a fixture in GOP politics, has yet to make an endorsement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Polling shows Mamdani with about a 20-point lead, but under 50 percent and leaving room for an upset if Cuomo can consolidate Republican and independent voters.
ICE director says Portland facility faces violence with ‘little help from local police’
Federal immigration officials say their Portland, Oregon, facility has come under nightly attack, with little help from local police because of political directives from city leaders. In an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Cammila Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, said the facility has faced violence for more than 100 consecutive nights, with Portland police largely absent under guidance from the mayor and city council. “I just, I can’t figure out what’s happening at the FDA. I’m totally baffled by it,” Wamsley said, describing her frustration at seeing federal staff attacked outside the building while officers inside lack jurisdiction to intervene. “It’s frustrating for us to watch people be attacked on the street and know that we don’t have the authority to be able to really step in unless there’s some nexus to federal law.” She said nightly protests have escalated beyond chants and signs, with bottle rockets striking the ICE building, rocks shattering windows, lasers targeting officers’ eyes and barricades blocking vehicles. ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES Wamsley said protesters have followed ICE staff members home and doxxed at least six employees. “Later, towards the evening and around dark, there are a lot of folks that come up dressed in all black,” she explained. “They are here to wreak havoc. They’ll block our cars, throw paint, damage property and even try to follow our folks home.” She warned that when crowds swell quickly, the violence becomes more dangerous. ICE DIRECTOR REVEALS DANGEROUS NIGHTLY ANTIFA ‘BATTLE’ AS TRUMP PREPARES FEDERAL DEPLOYMENT TO PORTLAND “We’ve seen it before. The folks here can go from a crowd of 50 to a crowd of 1,000 in 30 minutes,” she explained. “Sometimes we only have 20 officers here. We would not be able to defend the building with that show of force.” Wamsley said the Portland Police Department has been slow to respond — and sometimes doesn’t respond at all — because of city policy. She explained that assaults have occurred outside and across the street from the building, but police have either taken too long to arrive or not shown up at all. “That is not the stance they would take six blocks from here, but it is the stance they take with us because of guidance from the mayor and city council,” Wamsley said. PORTLAND MAYOR DOUBLES DOWN ON SANCTUARY STATUS AFTER VIOLENT ANTI-ICE RIOT Fox News Digital has reached out to the Portland mayor’s office and police department for comment. Still, Wamsley said ICE staff remain committed to their mission despite the unrest. “The people that work here are here to serve the American public,” she said. “They are here to enforce the same immigration laws we’ve had in place since the 1950s. Nothing has changed in that regard. We come to work every day. We do our job the way we have been doing it, and we’ll continue to do that.” PORTLAND RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON ICE BUILDING WITH LAND USE VIOLATION NOTICE Todd Rignel, assistant special agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Oregon, said federal agencies are targeting Antifa-linked groups they blame for organizing much of the unrest. “They’re not just facing HSI. They’re facing the FBI, ATF, DEA, IRS — all of these agencies,” he said. “That’s a force to be reckoned with.” Portland remains a flashpoint for unrest with the ICE facility at the center of nightly confrontations. President Donald Trump announced plans to send 200 National Guard troops to Portland to support immigration authorities. Officials said the troops would be stationed near protest areas. The warnings follow an attack on an ICE facility in Dallas Sept. 24. Authorities said two detainees were killed and another was hospitalized after a gunman opened fire before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators said shell casings recovered bore an “ANTI-ICE” message. Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
David Hogg’s PAC spent millions on consultants, ads and fitness classes, records show: report
Despite pledging to spend $20 million to back younger, more progressive candidates, a PAC led by Democratic activist David Hogg has spent millions of dollars on political consultants, ads and even fitness classes. The PAC, Leaders We Deserve, spent just $455,000 to back three candidates in tough Democratic primary races over the first eight months of 2025, Axios reported. That figure stands in contrast to the roughly $2.5 million spent on consultants, $1.1 million on digital ads, $965,000 on building donor lists and nearly $5,000 on the fitness class subscription service ClassPass, according to federal campaign filings. AOC DROPS THOUSANDS ON LUXURY HOTELS WHILE ‘FIGHTING OLIGARCHY’ WITH SANDERS, FILINGS REVEAL “We provide a wellness benefit to our employees, like many employers across the country,” Kevin Lata, co-founder and executive director of Leaders We Deserve, told Axios. “Our projections show that every $1 we put into these investments will net $3-$5 by the end of the cycle. This helps to make sure every donation goes farther than it otherwise would.” The group had $1.6 million in the bank at the end of August. Fox News Digital reached out to the PAC. Leaders We Deserve has contributed to various candidates, including $300,000 to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. The group also contributed $150,000 to House candidate Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old social media influencer and progressive activist who lost the Democratic special election primary by 39 percentage points July 15. Irene Shin, who lost by a wide margin in a special Democratic primary in June to fill the House seat of the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., also received $5,000. PRO-MAMDANI SUPER PAC TAKES HEFTY CHECK FROM ULTRA-WEALTHY DONOR DESPITE SAYING BILLIONAIRES SHOULDN’T EXIST In June, Hogg served as vice chair for the Democratic National Committee, igniting a firestorm by pledging to shell out $20 million through Leaders We Deserve to support primary challenges against some older Democrats in safe blue districts. “I ran to be DNC vice chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us. The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort,” Hogg said after the DNC Credentials Committee voted on Monday to elevate a challenge to the vice chairs’ leadership positions. The high operating expenditures under his leadership were mocked by New York state Sen. James Skoufis after Leaders We Deserve’s second-quarter FEC filings in June. “At this rate, [Hogg] would only have to raise a little over $3 billion in order to get his promised $20 million to primary candidates,” Skoufis wrote on X at the time. “THIS should be the story, folks.” Lata told Axios that the PAC will have “many more endorsements to announce soon.”
Hawley blasts FDA approval of new abortion drug, cites safety and trust concerns
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of endangering women’s health, saying the agency approved another chemical abortion drug without the thorough safety review it had promised. Hawley argued the move shows both regulatory failure and the influence of a company that refuses to define “woman” in its materials. “This is shocking. FDA has just approved ANOTHER chemical abortion drug, when the evidence shows chemical abortion drugs are dangerous and even deadly for the mother. And of course 100% lethal to the child,” he wrote on X on Thursday afternoon. “FDA had promised to do a top-to-bottom safety review of the chemical abortion drug, but instead they’ve just greenlighted new versions of it for distribution. I have lost confidence in the leadership at FDA.” PRO-LIFE GROUP URGES SENATE TO PRESS RFK JR. ON ABORTION PILL SAFETY, DEMAND SAFEGUARDS RETURN Evita Solutions describes its mission as one to “normalize abortion” and make it “accessible to all.” On its website, the company says it “believes that all people should have access to safe, affordable, high-quality, effective, and compassionate abortion care, regardless of their race, sex, gender, age, sexuality, income, or where they live. “We know that you can make the best choice for your body.” According to the FDA, Evita received approval in a Sept. 30 letter obtained by Reuters. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Hawley said the FDA’s decision was even more troubling given its promised safety review has barely begun. “I just, I can’t figure out what’s happening at the FDA. I’m totally baffled by it,” Hawley said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the FDA and Evita Solutions for comment on the matter. FDA CHIEF HAS NO ‘PLANS’ FOR ABORTION PILL POLICY CHANGES BUT CONTINUES SAFETY REVIEW In another post, Hawley blasted the FDA for partnering with a company that “doesn’t even believe there is such a thing as a ‘woman.’” Evita Solutions now joins GenBioPro in producing the generic version of mifepristone, the abortion pill originally made by Danco Laboratories. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone needed to sustain pregnancy, and is followed by misoprostol to complete the process. The approval comes as abortion drugs face mounting opposition from conservative lawmakers, religious organizations and pro-life groups. MORE THAN 20 GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL CALL ON RFK JR, FDA TO REINSTATE SAFEGUARDS FOR ABORTION DRUGS Religious groups like Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom have campaigned against the drug, while the Restoration of America Foundation (ROAF) has pressed lawmakers for accountability. Last month, ROAF called on the Senate Finance Committee to hold Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accountable at a hearing, demanding answers about the removal of safety protocols for the abortion pill mifepristone. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, ROAF warned that the rollback leaves women more vulnerable and shifts costs to taxpayers. The group said the Biden-era changes endanger women by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed via telehealth and sent through the mail. Hawley said the FDA should restore the safeguards put in place under the Trump administration. “What needs to happen is the FDA needs to get in line with the president’s policy and put back into place the safety regulations President Trump had. Ditch the Biden approach and go back to President Trump’s approach,” Hawley said. Under the Biden administration, the FDA for the first time allowed telehealth prescribing and mail-order delivery of abortion pills. Previously, the agency required mifepristone to be dispensed in person to screen for complications such as ectopic pregnancy. Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Reuters contributed to this report.
‘Come-to-Jesus meeting’: Military community reacts to Hegseth’s get fit, get in line or get out speech
War Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message to military leaders from around the globe this week: Get fit, get on board with the Trump agenda or get out. It marked the first time generals from around the world had been summoned to convene with the secretary, and many had expected closed-door announcements on trimming the general officer corps, drawing down forces in the Middle East and Europe or cutting civilian and contractor roles. Instead, what they got was a televised address from Hegseth and President Donald Trump. The secretary pushed a populist message of handing decision-making back to the warfighter, requiring senior leadership to perform physical training in line with lower-ranking officers and bringing uniformity back to the force. Garrett Smith, an active-duty Marine Corps reservist and CEO of defense tech firm Reveal, said the spectacle was unusual but not without precedent. TRUMP DECLARES ‘REAWAKENING’ OF ‘WARRIOR SPIRIT,’ UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY: ‘I HAVE YOUR BACKS’ “At a first level, at any big multinational corporation or big organization, when there’s a new boss, it’s totally reasonable to call in all your regional managers and VPs for a setting of tone, to reconfirm the agenda, to ensure alignment. So, all of that makes sense,” Smith said. “But, obviously, these are not normal times. This is the Trump administration. So, it’s going to come with a bunch of enhanced drama and mystique and weirdness about it. … The policy and the action might have been totally great, but much of the country is going to be left wondering, ‘What was that really about?’” Even so, Smith argued, the underlying message was unmistakable: “A return to warfighting and preparation for winning wars as the priority mission of the department. There was a perception we’d strayed from that, that it had become just one mission among many. Reconfirming that this is the mission is really important — investing in a warfighting ethos.” At a moment when the Trump administration is on alert for internal resistance to its agenda, the speech served as a reminder to commanders stationed far from Washington that their authority ultimately flows from the president. “This is a historic come-to-Jesus meeting,” said Chad Robicheaux, a former reconnaissance Marine who deployed to Afghanistan eight times. “The message is clear. The days of divisiveness, resistance and undermining leadership are over.” “It was crystal clear. Generals and admirals are on notice. Comply and enforce these new policies and culture or be fired. No more woke leaders,” said Amber Smith, a combat veteran and advisor with the Coalition for Military Excellence. “The topic today is about the nature of ourselves, because no plan, no program, no reform, no formation will ultimately succeed unless we have the right people and the right culture at the Department of War,” Hegseth told the group. He emphasized that combat fitness tests would be gender-neutral and that high-level officers would need to meet standards. “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It’s a bad look. It’s not who we are,” he said. “Whether you’re an airborne Ranger or a chairborne Ranger, a brand-new private or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test.” Hegseth announced that all personnel must pass physical training tests and meet weight requirements twice a year and would be required to work out daily. “We’re not talking, like, hot yoga and stretching,” he said. “Real hard PT.” That represented a departure from previous years, when fitness standards often fell away once officers reached higher ranks and desk-bound commands. HEGSETH INSTATES ‘HIGHEST MALE STANDARD ONLY’ FOR COMBAT, OTHER CHANGES, DECLARING DEPT. OF DEFENSE ‘IS OVER’ Smith, who comes from the infantry, said the focus on standards for physical readiness was part of that shift. “If we want to present a deterring force to the world so we don’t have to go to war, we have to be ready to win the next war. That is the deterrent force we project,” he said. At the same time, Smith acknowledged the cultural edge of Hegseth’s message. “There was an obvious and very clear anti-woke, anti-social justice threat in there. That is unique to this administration, and it has to be a part of their message every time. That’s not a surprise given the last four or five years.” From Trump, generals saw a preview of what is expected in the forthcoming national defense strategy, a renewed focus on homeland defense and U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. Trump suggested crime-ridden U.S. cities could even serve as “training grounds” for troops. “I told Pete we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military — National Guard, but military — because we’re going into Chicago very soon,” Trump said. HEGSETH TELLS TROOPS TO RESIGN IF THEY OPPOSE HIS PLAN TO SCRAP ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AND RESTORE WARRIOR ETHOS Hegseth’s message carried a personal edge rooted in his own military experience. A former Army National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth left the service at the rank of major, well short of the general officer tier he now oversees. That trajectory has long colored his outsider posture toward the Pentagon brass, giving him credibility with rank-and-file troops but also fueling what some see as a chip-on-the-shoulder tone toward those who climbed higher in the hierarchy. His insistence that generals shed weight, train daily and live by the same standards as junior officers reflects both his populist instincts and his lived sense of being closer to the warfighter than the war planner. “I can’t really imagine a scenario where a general needs to be able to run across a battlefield,” one veteran mused. “It felt a bit theatery,” one junior officer said of the speech. “But he’s right that generals should have to meet the same standards they expect of the people they lead.” CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE