Trump taps Detroit entrepreneur Mark Savaya, who boosted Muslim turnout, as special envoy to Iraq
President Donald Trump on Sunday named Detroit-area entrepreneur Mark Savaya, who helped boost Muslim American turnout for his campaign, as special envoy to Iraq — underscoring the administration’s outreach to Middle Eastern communities in key swing states. “I’m pleased to announce Mark Savaya will serve as Special Envoy to the Republic of Iraq,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising Savaya’s “deep understanding of the Iraq-U.S. relationship” and his regional connections that “will help advance the interests of the American people.” “Mark was a key player in my campaign in Michigan, where he, and others, helped secure a record vote with Muslim Americans. Congratulations, Mark!” Trump added. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for additional comment on the appointment. WHITE HOUSE TURNS TO EXPANDING ABRAHAM ACCORDS AFTER ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE The announcement comes a week after Trump signed a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas that led to the release of the remaining living hostages and the return of some victims’ remains. After signing the historic agreement that ended two years of fighting in Gaza, Trump celebrated what he called “peace in the Middle East.” “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East, and it’s a very simple expression, peace in the Middle East,” Trump said during remarks at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, flanked by dozens of world leaders. KT MCFARLAND: HOW TRUMP’S RELENTLESS MIDDLE EAST GAMBLE FINALLY FLIPPED THE SCRIPT “We’ve heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there. And now we’re there,” he added. “This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping and praying for,” Trump went on. “With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. Together, we have achieved the impossible.” According to Trump, mediators will soon begin work on phases two, three and four of the 20-point peace plan. ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL REACHED SOON AFTER TRUMP SAYS IT’S ‘VERY CLOSE’ IN WHITE HOUSE NOTE PASS WITH RUBIO “This breakthrough that we’re here to celebrate tonight is more than the end of the war in Gaza — it’s, with God’s help, the new beginning for an entire beautiful Middle East,” Trump said. He expressed optimism that more Arab and Muslim-majority nations would join the Abraham Accords — a series of normalization deals with Israel — while criticizing the Biden administration for failing to expand the agreements. During Trump’s first term, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates joined the Abraham Accords. Trump said he believed the deal would mark an end to “terror” in the region. “We want to get rid of the terror and get on to other things. There are many other things in life that are so good,” he said. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Boston eyes city-run groceries to fight food insecurity, but skeptics remain doubtful
Boston officials are weighing whether the city should open government-owned grocery stores to make fresh, affordable food more accessible — an idea that’s gaining traction in New York City. After holding a hearing earlier this month, city councilors agreed to study how other cities have implemented municipal markets to close gaps in food access. Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune and Liz Breadon, who called for the hearing, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital. ATLANTA’S CITY-RUN GROCERY SEES EARLY SUCCESS, SPARKING DEBATE OVER GOVERNMENT’S ROLE While Boston leaders are still exploring the idea, Atlanta has already put the concept into practice, opening its first city-run grocery store earlier this year. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told Fox News Digital that Azalea Fresh Market has served more than 20,000 customers since it opened its doors on Aug. 28. “In its first month, fresh produce made up 11.6% of total sales, exceeding the national average of 10% and highlighting a community demand for healthier food options,” Dickens said, adding that the turnout shows how strong the need was in a neighborhood “long underserved by grocers.” “Azalea Fresh Market is proof that when we work together as a city, we can deliver real solutions that change lives,” he added. The early success in Atlanta comes as similar ideas gain momentum elsewhere, including in New York City, where Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has championed city-owned grocery stores as part of his controversial campaign platform. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist upstart, has placed affordability at the center of his agenda to lead America’s largest city. He has campaigned on free buses, rent freezes for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments and city-owned grocery stores. MAMDANI’S PUBLIC GROCERY STORES MAY HAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON CITY’S FOOD SUPPLY But not everyone is convinced city-run grocery stores are the right solution. Ryan Bourne, a top economist at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute think tank, told Fox News Digital that “Boston’s flirtation with city-run supermarkets is a bad idea.” “Government doesn’t become Costco by proclamation,” he said. “Private stores have specialized knowledge about their sector and a profit incentive that encourages them to be efficient. Without those things, a public grocer would likely run things badly, it would only ‘work’ to deliver low-priced food through extensive permanent subsidies.” Bourne warned that taxpayer-backed subsidies or tax breaks could turn a public grocery into “a badly targeted, in-kind welfare scheme,” adding that heavier subsidies to cut prices could lead to “in-store queues, empty shelves from shortages, and products being resold on black markets.” TREASURY’S BESSENT WARNS NYC: NO BAILOUT UNDER MAMDANI – ‘DROP DEAD’ Judge Glock, director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital that “city-run grocery stores, like most city-run businesses, tend to do poorly.” He pointed to a government-backed store in Kansas City that shut down despite a nearly $20 million investment. “There is little justification for the government competing with for-profit grocery stores,” Glock said, noting that supermarkets already operate on some of the slimmest profit margins of any major business. “Further eroding those profits through subsidized competition would only make it harder for regular grocery stores to provide food for their customers.” John Peluso, a research associate at the Heritage Foundation’s Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, told Fox News Digital that government-run grocery stores are “ineffective at reducing the overall price of groceries.” KELLY LOEFFLER: MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST PLANS THREATEN NYC’S BUSINESS CORE “They require taxpayer subsidization to operate at low margins in areas of low profitability — and those costs are ultimately passed on to the taxpayer,” he said. He added that if cities truly want to improve food access, they could achieve more by easing taxes and regulations for all grocers. “If municipalities reduced or eliminated taxation and regulations for everyone, free-market entrepreneurs would flood into cities like Boston, eliminating the issue at its source,” Peluso added. Peluso also argued that community-based organizations, not governments, are better equipped to help low-income families. “Government grocery stores are much less efficient at helping the poor than food pantries or other local nonprofits,” he said, calling the city-run model “a kind of Soviet-style market meddling.”
Trump calls Colombia’s Petro ‘a drug leader,’ says US aid will end payments
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he will halt financial aid and subsidies to Colombia, citing the South American country’s failure to curb its growing cocaine production. Trump called Colombian President Gustavo Petro “an illegal drug leader” and accused him of “strongly encouraging the massive production of narcotics” across the country, adding that it “has become the biggest business’ in Colombia. TRUMP REFUSES TO RULE OUT STRIKING VENEZUELA. WHAT’S NEXT FOR TRUMP’S WAR ON DRUGS? “Petro does nothing to stop it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that U.S. payments and subsides aimed at helping Colombia address drug production are “nothing more than a long-term rip-off of America.” “AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLUMBIA,” Trump added. Trump warned that Colombian drugs are “causing death, destruction and havoc” as his administration steps up efforts to tighten the border and fight the nation’s ongoing drug epidemic. TRUMP ADMIN REVOKES COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT’S VISA OVER ALLEGED ‘RECKLESS AND INCENDIARY ACTIONS’ Trump also warned that Petro “better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.” The Colombian Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, and the White House did not respond to a separate request for further comment. Last month, the Trump administration revoked Petro’s U.S. visa following “reckless and incendiary actions” in New York City. TRUMP RELEASES VIDEO OF DRONE STRIKE ON ‘DRUG-CARRYING’ SUB Petro has also strongly criticized the Trump administration for authorizing deadly strikes on boats in the Caribbean that U.S. officials said were transporting narcotics. “Criminal proceedings must be opened against those officials who are from the U.S. even if it includes the highest-ranking official who gave the order: President Trump,” Petro said during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly. He added that the boat’s passengers were not members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, as the Trump administration claimed after the first attack.
Inside the minds of older, left-wing women driving new voting bloc of ‘Resistance Grandmas’ opposing Trump
FIRST ON FOX: A Trump-aligned political consulting firm set out to investigate the ideological swing of affluent, college-educated white women who were once considered moderate, but have since moved farther to the left, uncovering what researchers describe as a new voting bloc of left-wing women: “Resistance Grandmas.” “We are so knowledgeable about everything,” one woman said in a Northern Virginia focus group video reviewed by Fox News Digital, referring to herself and the other women who joined the session while slamming President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” “When [Trump voters] start being personally impacted, that’s when I’m hopeful that a little bit of something is gonna change.” “It’s gonna be a catastrophe,” another woman chimed in, as another middle-aged woman added, “However, they will find a way to blame Democrats.” Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a report conducted by the National Public Affairs (NPA), the polling arm of Trump campaign-aligned American Made Media Company, in September, as well as the full two-hour focus group session in northern Virginia that showcased the beliefs of 10 white, liberal, middle-aged, college-educated, upper–middle-class suburban women. SQUAD 2.0: MEET AMERICA’S NEXT WAVE OF RADICAL DEMOCRATS SHAPING THE PARTY’S FUTURE The women who participated in the focus group were not informed it was conducted by a Trump-aligned polling firm, they were only told that they were brought in to discuss political topics for a focus group commissioned by another research firm. The researcher leading the focus group told the women at the start of the meeting that she had “no stake” in their comments “one way or the other,” and that the women “could say whatever comes to mind.” “Pretty much anything is fair game,” the focus group leader told the women. Fox News Digital is not publishing footage of the video or names of the women but reviewed extensive footage of the session for the purposes of this article. The focus group was conducted to study how affluent middle-aged and older white women have increasingly shifted to the political left in recent years, and was sparked by a racist sign displayed outside a Northern Virginia school board meeting in August targeting Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears. “In the year since President Trump’s historic victory, commentators have obsessed over what they call the radicalization of young white men. But a quieter, just as revealing transformation has swept another group once known for moderation and civility: older, affluent white women. This change came into sharp focus last August in Arlington, Virginia,” NPA’s report outlines. The Virginia gubernatorial cycle is at a fever pitch, with the election just over two weeks away pitting ex-CIA agent and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger against Republican Earle-Sears. In August, a white woman was spotted holding a Jim Crow-era-reminiscent sign targeting Earle-Sears, who is Black, when the candidate attended a school board meeting. “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then blacks can’t share my water fountain,” the sign read, igniting outrage from conservatives and others who called it racist. CALIFORNIANS EXPERIENCING A ‘RED SHIFT’ OF LOCAL DEMOCRATS BECOMING REPUBLICANS AMID MIGRANT CRISIS, CRIME The women in the focus group overwhelmingly characterized the sign as written in poor taste, describing its words as “ugly,” but also justified it by arguing Republicans have “already taken it too far with their trans bans.” Another woman used the N-word while comparing the sign to those of the segregated Jim Crow era of the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries in the American South. “What’s the best analogy for a trans person not being able to use a particular bathroom in our recent modern history?” one participant asked the group. Another woman chimed in: “You used to have hotels that said ‘No n—-rs, no Jews, no dogs at these hotels. Is that… I don’t know if that’s the same thing.” “Like, I don’t think I would feel uncomfortable, and I definitely wouldn’t hold up that sign,” the first woman said in response. “But this person, I think, was just trying to find an appropriate analogy.” The NPA report explained that polling data since the 2012 election, which pitted former Democrat President Barack Obama against Republican Mitt Romney, showed that “voting patterns among white voters and women haven’t moved much in a decade.” The shift to the left, the report argued, is not due to gender or race, but rather income and education. “In 2012, college graduates leaned Republican, 51-47, while postgraduates favored Democrats 55-42. By 2024, that pattern had flipped and widened: Harris won college grads 53-45 and postgrads 59-38. Non-college voters went the other way. High-school grads and those with some college, once evenly split, gave Trump a 56-43 lead,” the report found. “Income followed suit. Voters earning under $50,000, once a 60-38 Obama bloc, shifted to a 50-48 Trump edge. Those earning over $100,000 flipped from a 54-44 Romney majority to a 51-47 Harris win,” it continued. The report took issue with the media asking and diving into explanations on “what ‘broke’ young white men” to move farther to the right and help re-elect Trump in 2024, but argued the question should instead be: “What radicalized rich white women, and whether they even realize it.” The women in the focus group overwhelmingly presented themselves as arbiters of knowledge, reporting that they have the “luxury” of reading news articles from different outlets, while other voters are more concerned about costs of living and putting food on the table. DEMOCRATS ARE MAKING A CRITICAL MISTAKE — AND VOTERS ARE LETTING THEM KNOW One woman in the group recounted that her cousin living in a Heartland state was a lifelong Democrat who announced ahead of the 2024 election that he was leaning towards voting for Trump, which the woman said made her nearly fall “off my chair.” The cousin, a male farmer, reported to her that the Biden administration had not helped U.S. farmers. “He doesn’t know. He’s not paying attention to China’s not buying wheat or soybeans,” the female voter said. “He’s just concerned about
FBI agents from ’93 WTC attack blast Mamdani for embracing radical imam
Two retired FBI agents who investigated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing told Fox News Digital New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is “foolish” to campaign with an imam linked to the attack’s mastermind. Mamdani attended prayers Friday at Masjid at-Taqwa on Fulton Street in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, later posting a smiling photo with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn cleric who served as a character witness for the mastermind of the bombing and has been a longtime defender of convicted terrorists, raising funds for their legal defenses. “Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community,” wrote Mamdani, who was a toddler when terrorists parked a bomb-laden van in the garage beneath the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Retired FBI agent Frank Pellegrino, who investigated the Feb. 26, 1993 attack, said seeing the frontrunner to be the city’s next mayor with Wahhaj left him disgusted. “Zohran Mamdani’s embrace of Siraj Wahhaj is an example of Mamdani’s ignorance of history. Either he doesn’t know who Wahhaj is or he doesn’t care. Whichever it is, Mamdani looks foolish,” Pellegrino said. MAMDANI FLIP-FLOPS ON KEY HAMAS POSITION ONE DAY AFTER REFUSING TO CALL ON IT TO DISARM John Anticev, another retired FBI agent who was the lead case agent on the 1993 attack, told Fox News Digital Mamdani should know better than to court an endorsement from someone like Wahhaj. “Everybody who is in politics should be aware of the people whose endorsement they’re getting,” Anticev said. “Imam Siraj Wahhaj has been a cleric who has endorsed a radical agenda.” Wahhaj, born Jeffrey Kearse, founded the Brooklyn mosque in 1991 and has a long history of controversy. Following the World Trade Center attack, prosecutors noted he sponsored appearances by Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the so-called “Blind Sheikh” who was later convicted of masterminding the plot. Wahhaj wasn’t charged with any crimes and has denied involvement in the attack. Wahhaj also raised legal-defense funds for El Sayyid Nosair, who assassinated Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1990 and was also convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the 1993 bombing. Wahhaj didn’t respond to a request for comment. In court, Wahhaj served as a character witness for Abdel Rahman, calling him a “respected scholar.” In witness testimony, he also admitted raising legal defense funds for Nosair, who was initially acquitted in the killing of Kahane, but is now serving a life sentence. For Muslims who oppose Wahhaj’s ideological interpretation of political Islam, called Islamism, Mamdani’s alliance with Wahhaj is a disturbing window into what his mayoral term could bring, with his allegiances to groups and leaders with Islamist sympathies and anti-American and anti-semitic views. Muslim scholar Dalia Ziada, Washington, D.C., coordinator and research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, said Wahhaj represents the same Islamist ideology that fueled decades of extremism in the Middle East. “I am particularly concerned to see mosques used as political rallying platforms in the free and democratic United States,” she said. “By embracing Wahhaj, Zohran Mamdani is sidelining moderate Muslims and normalizing an extremist ideology that once inspired terror on American soil and still fuels radicalization within segments of the Muslim community today.” Soraya Deen, founder of the Muslim Women Speakers Movement and a co-founder of the Clarity Coalition, a network of Muslims, ex-Muslims and allies challenging Islamist extremism, heard Wahhaj for the first time 20 years ago in a talk to Muslim youth in Los Angeles. “I was stunned and bewildered by his call to destroy America and make Islam great,” she said. MAMDANI SPARKS ONLINE FRENZY OVER RESPONSE TO WHETHER HE ENDORSES NY GOV HOCHUL: ‘HUMILIATING’ Deen called the photo of Mamdani with Wahhaj disturbing, noting, “A theologian spewing hatred for the United States — and Mamdani smiling beside him, calling him ‘one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders’ — is dangerous for America and dangerous for Muslims.” In the photo, there isn’t a woman to be seen, because Wahhaj also practices the interpretation of Islam that denies women access to the main hall of mosques, believing they would sexually tempt the men praying inside. Deen said, “Despite the gender jihad women are facing in the Muslim world, Mamdani poses for a photo op that emboldens the men suppressing women’s rights.” In June, a political action committee supporting Mamdani, “New Yorkers for Lower Costs,” accepted $100,000 donations from the “Unity and Justice Fund,” a political action committee tied to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a group designated an unindicted coconspirator in the trial of five Holy Land Foundation leaders. The five leaders were convicted of funneling about $12.4 million to Hamas and sentenced to decades in prison. Mamdani has included sympathetic lyrics about the “Holyland Five” in a rap. Earlier this year, Nihad Awad, a co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and a close ally of Wahhaj, said he was “happy” about the Oct. 7, 2023, rampage by Hamas terrorists into Israel. Similarly, Wahhaj has preached a philosophy of exploiting America’s democracy to further a conquest for Islam. In 1991, according to a videotape of the event, Wahhaj told a gathering of Muslims: “I just want to say this. Brothers and sisters, in my opinion what the Muslims do in America will have a profound effect on Muslims everywhere on this earth. As long as you remember that if you get involved with politics, you have to be very careful that your leader is for Allah. You don’t get in politics because it’s the American thing to do. You get involved in politics because politics can be a weapon to use in the cause of Islam.” In 2011, Wahhaj urged Muslims to donate to the legal defense of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist dubbed “Lady Al Qaeda” for attempting to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. “I think that she is innocent,” he told a Worcester, Massachusetts, fundraiser. “There’s reasonable doubt, and by law, if there’s
Kamala Harris says Biden made ‘big mistake’ by not inviting Musk to EV event in 2021
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said her onetime boss, former President Joe Biden, made a “big mistake” by not inviting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a 2021 White House event on electric vehicles. In August 2021, Biden hosted an EV event at the White House with executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, but Musk was not invited, despite Tesla being the nation’s leading EV manufacturer. “I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,” Harris told Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell on Tuesday at the news outlet’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., referring to her memoir, “107 Days,” in which she criticized Biden for initially running for re-election despite his health struggles. “I mean, here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space,” Harris said of Musk, who is also the CEO of SpaceX. WASHINGTON POST SLAMS KAMALA HARRIS BOOK TOUR, SAYS DEMS DON’T ‘HAVE TIME TO WASTE’ ON FORMER VP Musk’s snub was widely viewed as an effort to support the United Auto Workers and organized labor overall, since Tesla plants are not unionized. Harris wrote in her book that she believed Biden was “sending a message about Musk’s anti-union stance” but that she thought excluding him as the top player in the field “simply doesn’t make sense.” Then–White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the event featured “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers,” emphasizing that Tesla’s workers are not unionized. Pressed on whether Musk’s snub was punishment for his workers not being unionized, Psaki told reporters: “I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.” The Biden administration defended inviting only those automakers, calling them key partners in the president’s push for union jobs. Harris said that presidents should “put aside political loyalties” when it comes to recognizing technological innovation. “So, I thought that was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,” she said. Musk did appear to take offense after he was not invited to the event, taking numerous jabs at Biden. “Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited,” Musk wrote at the time on social media. A month later, he said the Biden administration appeared to be “controlled by unions” and was “not the friendliest administration.” KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE ON BIDEN DROPOUT, ADMITS SHE HAS REGRETS ABOUT HER HANDLING OF SITUATION After Musk learned Tesla would not be invited, administration officials offered an apology, according to The Wall Street Journal. Biden aides later attempted to soothe things over, but tensions remained. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Harris’ comments on Tuesday mirrored a passage from her new book in which she wrote that the Biden administration’s move not to include Tesla was a mistake and that it appeared to alienate Musk, who later became one of current President Donald Trump’s top financial backers. “Musk never forgave it,” she wrote. Musk later endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and contributed roughly $300 million toward Republican campaign efforts.
Protesters nationwide hold ‘No Kings’ rallies amid government shutdown
Significant crowds in major cities like New York City and Washington, D.C., and even in London, were observed on Saturday during the second “No Kings” protest since June against the Trump administration. While some leaders feared the marches could devolve into violence, there were no reports of violence or arrests at the afternoon rallies amid the ongoing government shutdown. Republicans have argued the protests are simply an effort to distract from the current government shutdown battle and appease their base. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told FOX Business he hoped that Democrat leaders who attended would be more willing to accept the GOP’s plan after the demonstrations were over – but he did not sound overly optimistic. NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR HOPEFUL ATTENDS ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST, VOWS TO FIGHT TRUMP ‘TOOTH AND NAIL’ On Saturday in New York City, the NYPD put out an alert indicating the city had more than 100,000 people across all five boroughs taking part, and they did not have to make a single “protest-related” arrest. No arrests were reported in DC, although some reports indicated that protesters spilled into the streets briefly. Other major cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, and Austin had sizable gatherings as well Saturday, but police said demonstrations were largely peaceful. Police in Portland confirmed that at least three people were detained after an alleged assault related to the “No Kings” protests downtown. One person was arrested and booked into jail, according to officials. Two others have been detained pending investigation by Portland Police Bureau officers. Outside Chicago in Broadview, at least fifteen people were arrested by Illinois State Police near an ICE facility. In Denver, police said officers dispersed a small group to deny access to the highway and that several arrests were made. There were also some arrests in smaller cities in various states. MILLIONS EXPECTED TO FLOOD STREETS AT ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS TARGETING TRUMP ACROSS ALL 50 STATES Roughly 2,500 “No Kings” protests were held across the U.S. The tone of Saturday’s “No Kings” protests were staunchly anti-Trump, as demonstrators rallied against what they viewed as the president’s authoritarian policies. “California will keep peacefully pushing back against the Trump Administration’s authoritarian takeover,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, wrote on X. “It’s a Love America rally,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who spoke at the D.C. rally Saturday, said in response to Johnson and others’ criticism. Following his speech at the D.C. rally, Sanders thanked the “millions” of Americans who turned out Saturday. “Thank you to the millions of Americans who turned out in small communities and big cities all over this country to say loudly and boldly: No more kings. In America, We the People will rule.”
‘First to fight’: Marine VP JD Vance marks Corps’ 250th as Hegseth says unity, not ‘diversity,’ is strength
Vice President JD Vance joined Marines and sailors at Camp Pendleton in California on Saturday for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps, telling the crowd that the Corps remains ready to fight and ready to win. The anniversary event included an amphibious assault demonstration on Red Beach, speeches from military leaders and cabinet officials, and a reminder from Vance that he is the first Marine to serve as vice president. Helicopters roared overhead and amphibious vehicles surged through the surf as Marines charged the beach to open the ceremony. Second Lady Usha Vance accompanied her husband to watch the display while families shaded their eyes and Ospreys thundered overhead. This year’s ceremony marked a quarter millennium since the Continental Congress first authorized the Marine Corps in 1775. NEWSOM CLASHES WITH WHITE HOUSE OVER MARINE CORPS ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION HIGHWAY CLOSURE General Eric Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, told the crowd that what they were seeing was the sound and look of freedom. He described the Corps as America’s “911 force” and warned that Marines must be ready for whatever comes next. “The next fight is coming,” he said. “Marines will be ready. Ready to fight. Ready to win.” “When it matters most, it’s not technology or equipment that wins the day, but the dependability, decisiveness and character of the Marine or sailor who wields it,” Smith said. He ended by thanking families and offering a blessing for their sacrifices. VP VANCE’S CAMP ACCUSES CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM OF DISSEMINATING ‘FAKE NEWS’ AHEAD OF MARINES CELEBRATION Secretary of War Pete Hegseth then delivered one of the day’s most fiery addresses. A combat veteran himself, he told the Marines that the Corps stood strong when others wavered. “I’m not supposed to say this, really not. But I think you guys might be my favorite,” Hegseth said. He tied the Corps to the administration’s broader theme of America First, peace through strength, and common sense at every turn. Hegseth reminded the crowd that while many different faces fill the ranks, unity of mission is the true strength of the Corps. “The truth is, your diversity is not your strength. Never has been. Your strength is in your unity of purpose. It’s in your shared mission. It’s in your oath to the Constitution. It’s the bond that turns individuals into single-minded fighting units. You see, you are set apart. You’re not civilians. You’re devil dogs, leathernecks, United States Marines,” the Secretary said, drawing cheers. The crowd erupted when Vance took the stage. “God bless you, Marines,” he began, smiling as chants of “Oorah!” echoed back. He quickly reminded them that he’s the first Marine to hold the office of vice president. “From one Marine to another, thank you for your service,” he said. “I’ve also got to give a special shout out to the incredible display that we saw earlier today. It made my heart sing,” Vance said. “As your vice president, and it was a testament to the core strength and unbeatable power. It reminded me why I am so proud to have worn the uniform, to be one among your ranks, and to be the very first vice president to have been a United States Marine.” Vance used his speech to honor heroes, remember the fallen and reflect on his own service. He mentioned Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer who served in Afghanistan, Navy corpsman Charles Cram who helped raise the flag at Iwo Jima, and Navy aviator Elmer Royce Williams who survived the longest dogfight in American history. TRUMP DECLARES ‘REAWAKENING’ OF ‘WARRIOR SPIRIT,’ UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY: ‘I HAVE YOUR BACKS’ The vice president mixed solemnity with humor that fellow Marines recognized immediately. He joked about the “E-4 Mafia” and shared a story about a gunnery sergeant who once saved him from signing a 22% interest used car loan by steering him to Navy Federal Credit Union. “That gunny’s leadership didn’t just save me money,” Vance said. “It taught me that Marines look out for each other.” Vance’s remarks included a particular story from boot camp. Recruits queued for Catholic or Protestant church services and Vance, referring to himself in the third person as, “recruit,” called himself an atheist. “Get in the Catholic line,” the drill instructor snapped. That punchline, Vance joked, “wouldn’t work in the Biden administration.” Vance also took aim at Democrats in Congress over the government shutdown, promising that the administration would fight to ensure enlisted Marines are paid. “We will do everything possible to make sure enlisted Marines get paid,” he said. “Political battles in Washington should not come at the expense of troops and their families.” He tied the 250th anniversary back to the Corps’ beginnings at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia in 1775. He named battles that define Marine history: from Belleau Wood and Iwo Jima to the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Ramadi, Fallujah and Helmand, and told the audience that every generation of the Corps shares the same common purpose. “Every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green,” Vance said. “It is our common purpose that carries us forward.” Vance reminded East Coast Marines swatting sand fleas at Parris Island that their bond is the same as those climbing the hills of California. He spoke of his pride in wearing the Corps’ uniform and closed with words that Marines have heard before but welcomed on their birthday. “Keep kicking a–. Keep taking names. Semper Fidelis, Marines. Happy 250th birthday. God bless you,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The ceremony ended with the roar of the crowd as the day carried reminders of sacrifice, grit and unity. The Department of War, Navy, and Vance’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Marine Corps offered no further comment to Fox News Digital at this time.
George Santos expresses gratitude to Trump following commutation of his 7-year prison sentence
Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., took to social media Saturday to thank President Donald Trump for commuting his prison sentence, saying the commander in chief’s “kindness” and “generosity” moved him deeply. Trump announced the commutation late Friday, ordering Santos’ immediate release from federal prison, where he was serving a seven-year sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in New Jersey. In a lengthy post on X, Santos expressed gratitude for both his faith and the President. “Yesterday, I was given something I never thought I’d have again: a true second chance at life,” Santos posted to X Saturday evening. “First and foremost, I want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for never abandoning me. … I also want to express my deepest gratitude to President Donald J. Trump.” PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COMMUTES FORMER NEW YORK GOP REP. GEORGE SANTOS’ PRISON SENTENCE Santos said he spoke personally with Trump earlier Saturday, a conversation he said he “will never forget.” “President Trump reminded me that in this country we love so much, no mistake, no hardship, and no fall from grace can take away the possibility of renewal,” Santos said. “His faith in second chances reignited my own, and for that, I will be forever thankful.” TRUMP SAYS DIDDY ASKED FOR PRESIDENTIAL PARDON AFTER RECEIVING 50-MONTH SENTENCE: ‘I CALL HIM PUFF DADDY’ The former congressman also thanked his supporters who stood by him and said that, going forward, he plans to focus on prison reform, inspired by Trump’s historic peace deal he secured between Israel and Hamas earlier this month. “Inspired by President Trump’s work toward peace in the Middle East, I am dedicating myself to doing good, to building bridges instead of walls,” Santos said. “My focus will be on prison reform and accountability, ensuring that those in power uphold the dignity and humanity of every person in their care.” EX-NBA STAR SEBASTIAN TELFAIR PLEADS FOR TRUMP PARDON BEFORE REPORTING TO JAIL Santos also accused officials at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, of mistreatment. “No one should ever be dehumanized or degraded like I was by the FCI Fariton Warden Kelly and Assistant Warden Nobile,” Santos said. “My goal now is to turn my past into something meaningful, to help create a justice system that truly believes in rehabilitation and second chances.” In his Truth Social post announcing the commutation, Trump described Santos as “somewhat of a rogue” but argued his punishment was excessive. “At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump said. “George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In April, Santos was sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people to funnel fraudulent contributions to his campaign. He reported to FCI Fairton in July. The former representative, elected in 2022, served in Congress for close to a year before being ousted in 2023 by his House colleagues. The FCI New Jersey did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Newsom clashes with White House over Marine Corps anniversary celebration highway closure
The 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps at San Diego County’s Camp Pendleton Saturday sparked a heated social media exchange between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the White House. The event, America’s Marines 250: From Sea to Shore: A Review of Amphibious Strength, featured a range of festivities at the Marine Corps base, including a large-scale live-fire demonstration attended by Vice President JD Vance. Newsom blasted the display of military power as “dangerous” and “an absurd show of force,” announcing Saturday that a section of Interstate 5 near the base would be temporarily closed during the celebration. “Because of the Trump Admin’s plans, drivers should expect delays on Interstate 5 and other state routes throughout Southern California before, during and after the event,” Newsom posted to X. VP VANCE’S CAMP ACCUSES CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM OF DISSEMINATING ‘FAKE NEWS’ AHEAD OF MARINES CELEBRATION The Democrat doubled down later in the day, accusing the White House of denying earlier in the week that any freeway closures would be needed despite the use of live munitions. NEWSOM SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT ORDER TO OREGON However, the White House quickly fired back, accusing Newsom of distorting the facts. “Newscum is lying,” the White House’s Rapid Response account posted to X. “He closed the highway — not only did nobody at the White House or the Marines ask him to do so, the Marines repeatedly said there are no public safety concerns with today’s exercises. Newscum lies and tries to make it about himself? Day ending in ‘y.’” The White House account also reposted an X post from Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz, who wrote, “Gavin Newscum is shutting down a major CA highway just because JD Vance is in the state. Inconveniencing tens of thousands of Americans. What a petty little man.” Newsom then rebutted, “The [California Highway Patrol] and highway safety experts are saying what any person with common sense knows: It is not safe for people to drive on a major freeway at high speeds directly under LIVE MUNITIONS. “White House not communicating, endangering the public, and then trying to blame the Governor for doing the right thing — keeping people out of harm’s way — yet another day living in Trump’s authoritarian America.” TRUMP VS. NEWSOM SHOWDOWN LANDS IN COURT WITH FAMILY TIES TO THE NATION’S HIGHEST BENCH The exchange followed days of tension between Newsom and the Trump administration over the Camp Pendleton event. Earlier in the week, the California governor called the anniversary celebration a “vanity parade.” “Donald Trump and JD Vance think that shutting down the I-5 to shoot out missiles from ships is how you respect the military,” Newsom posted to X Wednesday, while reposting an X post from left-leaning outlet MeidasTouch that claimed the White House planned to close parts of the I-5 during the event. “PUT ASIDE YOUR VANITY PARADE AND PAY OUR TROOPS INSTEAD.” However, William Martin, special assistant to the president and communications director to the vice president, quickly pushed back against Newsom. “This is complete fake news,” Martin declared in a post on X, which was reposted by the @VP X account. “The Marine Corps said they are NOT shutting down the I-5 highway and that the event at Camp Pendleton is a training exercise. Also, President Trump IS paying the troops despite Chuck Schumer’s efforts to hold their salaries hostage.” A Marine Corps press release Wednesday about the festivities said that “no public highways or transportation routes will be closed.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Extensive safety measures were implemented at the celebration, which was expected to draw more than 15,000 attendees, including detailed risk assessments, emergency crews on site and fully scripted air, surface and ground movements, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported earlier in the week, citing event organizers. Newsom and the White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.