REAL ID ‘unnecessary in keeping us safe,’ GOP lawmaker says as deadline looms
With the final REAL ID deadline looming this week, one House Republican lawmaker told Fox News Digital he believes it’s an “unnecessary” burden on Americans. “I personally don’t support the REAL ID. I think that it’s unnecessary in keeping us safe,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital in an interview. The Missouri Republican said his state made it “very easy” for residents to comply with the coming May 7 deadline, though he suggested he didn’t agree with it. NO ‘REAL ID’ APPOINTMENTS OPEN IN NEW JERSEY AS RESIDENTS SOUND OFF: ‘GET WITH THE TIMES, NJ’ “I think that when you look at, you know, this was implemented from recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. But yet every one of the terrorists that were here had a passport. I mean, they had more than just a state ID. I don’t think any of them were operating on a state ID,” Burlison said. “It’s once again government seeing an opportunity in making the lives of U.S. citizens more difficult.” REAL ID was created by law in 2005, but the federal government has delayed its implementation multiple times, most recently in 2022. But the Trump administration has made clear the current May 7 deadline is final. ‘MASS SURVEILLANCE’: CONSERVATIVES SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMIN’S REAL ID ROLLOUT From then, a REAL ID will be needed for domestic airline travel — rather than a normal state-issued license — as well as in areas where federal identification is required. Having a REAL ID itself is not required, particularly if one has a U.S. passport. The Trump administration has argued that finally acting on REAL ID helps the White House’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, millions of whom have entered the country since President Donald Trump was last in office. But the scramble to reach the deadline has led to long lines at DMVs, with some states opening emergency locations in airports and other places to help deal with the surge of people seeking appointments. When previously reached about the deadline by Fox News Digital, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said, “Beginning on May 7, passengers will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly, like a passport or military ID. TSA is committed to enforcing the law, as directed by Congress. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Noncompliant passengers may expect wait times or additional measures at airports. If you are an illegal alien without a REAL ID, the only way you will be permitted to fly is if you are self-deporting,” TSA said. Fox News Digital reached out to the TSA for comment on Burlison’s remarks.
Trump shoots down rumors he will seek 3rd term: ‘Not something I’m looking to do’
President Donald Trump downplayed rumors that he intends to seek a constitutionally prohibited third term in the White House on Sunday. Trump addressed the issue during an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, telling host Kristen Welker that he has no plans to pursue another term. “So many people want me to do it,” Trump said when Welker asked about a third term. “It’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do. I don’t know if that’s constitutional,” he added. “But this is not something I’m looking to do.” NOEM RIPS DEMOCRATS OVER SUPPORT FOR DEPORTED MIGRANT Welker then pressed Trump about who he believes could be a successor to the MAGA movement once he leaves office, and Trump referenced both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “There’s a lot of them that are great,” he said of his political allies. “I also see tremendous unity. But certainly you would say that somebody’s the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.” The wide-ranging interview went on to address illegal immigration, where Trump emphasized that he has no plans to end his emergency declaration relating to immigration. “We have an emergency. We have a massive emergency overall,” Trump told Welker. FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING Trump’s administration says illegal border crossings have dropped roughly 96% compared to President Joe Biden’s term in office, though the White House’s deportation programs have faced legal troubles. “The border now is not the emergency,” Trump said. “The border is — it’s all part of the same thing though. The big emergency right now is that we have thousands of people that we want to take out, and we have some judges that want everybody to go to court.” Just ahead of Trump’s 100th day in office last week, the White House claimed there had been 139,000 deportations since his inauguration.
Trump questions judges who block deportations of ‘criminals, including murderers’
A Trump-appointed judge appears to have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump after blocking the administration’s “unlawful” use of the Alien Enemies Act. U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. stated that he would not prevent the administration from deporting individuals in the U.S. illegally but that the Alien Enemies Act could not be used as a basis to expel alleged gang members from the country. Rodriguez is the first judge to rule against the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members. “The question that this lawsuit presents is whether the President can utilize a specific statute, the AEA, to detain and remove Venezuelan aliens who are members of [Tren de Aragua]. As to that question, the historical record renders clear that the president’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms,” Rodriguez — who was appointed by Trump in 2018 — wrote in his order. FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING Trump expressed his anger about the decision in a pointed Truth Social post, questioning how judges could block the deportation of “criminals, including murderers.” “Can it be so that judges aren’t allowing the USA to deport criminals, including murderers, out of our country and back to where they came from? If this is so, our country, as we know it, is finished,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday. “Americans will have to get used to a very different, crime-filled, LIFE. This is not what our founders had in mind!!!” While it is not clear whether the post was a direct response to Rodriguez’s order, the judge’s decision is the most recent regarding illegal immigration and deportation. NOEM RIPS DEMOCRATS OVER SUPPORT FOR DEPORTED MIGRANT Just ahead of Trump’s 100th day in office, the White House claimed there had been 139,000 deportations since the president took office. During his campaign, Trump promised a swift and harsh crackdown on illegal immigration, which had become a focus under the Biden administration. In March, the administration took a controversial Biden-era app and added a “self-deport” feature, allowing illegal immigrants to voluntarily leave the country rather than facing ICE. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said in a cabinet meeting on Trump’s 100th day in office that the president had “completely reversed” the situation at the border. She added that DHS had refocused the Coast Guard on “border and drug interdiction,” noting that cartels have increasingly used maritime smuggling routes in response to stricter immigration enforcement.
DOJ opens probe after left-wing DA requires prosecutors to consider race in plea deals
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis-area Hennepin County Attorney’s Office’s new directive for its prosecutors to consider race when negotiating plea deals with criminal defendants. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle and Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon informed Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a letter that the Justice Department is opening a probe into whether the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office “engaged in a pattern of practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges or immunities secured or protect by the Constitution or laws of the United States.” The letter, dated May 2, cited Moriarty’s recently adopted “Negotiations Policy for Cases Involving Adult Defendants,” which instructs prosecutors to consider race when formulating plea offers, stating that “racial identity… should be part of the overall analysis,” and that prosecutors “should be identifying and addressing racial disparities at decision points, as appropriate.” “In particular, the investigation will focus on whether HCAO engages in illegal consideration of race in its prosecutorial decision-making,” they said said in the letter, which Dhillon shared on X. SOROS PROSECUTOR RIPPED FOR FAILING TO CHARGE WALZ STAFFER OVER TESLA VANDALISM: ‘TWO-TIERED JUSTICE SYSTEM’ Bondi, Mizelle and Dhillon said their investigation will include “a comprehensive review of all relevant HCAO policies and practices that may involve the illegal consideration of race in prosecutorial decision-making.” Dhillon has also authorized a “full investigation to determine whether the HCAO is engaged in a pattern or practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.” “Please be assured that we have not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation,” their letter addressed to Moriarty said. “We will consider all relevant information, and we welcome your assistance in helping to identify what that might be. We would appreciate your cooperation in our investigation. In our years enforcing civil rights statutes involving state and local law enforcement agencies, we have worked with jurisdictions of all sizes across the nation to resolve investigations, usually without contested litigation.” LEFT-WING DA FORCING PROSECUTORS TO CONSIDER ‘RACIAL IDENTITY’ IN PLEA DEALS The letter said the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Sections will oversee the investigation and will be in contact with Moriarty “shortly to set up a mutually agreeable date and time to discuss the parameters of this investigation, including the scope of information that we will be seeking from you.” Fox News Digital reached out to Moriarty’s office and the DOJ for comment on Sunday. Moriarty was elected among a wave of progressive district attorneys who took office following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests and riots. She has been backed by groups tied to money from megadonor George Soros, one of the most prominent backers of progressive issues in the United States. The former chief public defender for the county, Moriarty became the Hennepin County Attorney in January 2023 after promising to deliver on holding police accountable in the community where Floyd was killed. Moriarty’s two immediate predecessors had been in office for a combined 31 years, and her promises of dramatic changes had the backing of the state Democratic Party and community leaders. Since then, however, Moriarty has faced fierce backlash, even among some former supporters, as critics questioned decisions to seek lighter sentences for violent crimes in some cases and to divert more people to programs rather than jail. Police officers, local officials and some progressive activists condemned Moriarty after she charged a White state trooper with the killing of a Black man last summer, only to later reverse course and drop the charges. Leaders of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association had waged a high-profile campaign urging Tim Walz, the state’s governor and former Democratic vice presidential nominee, to reassign the prosecution away from Moriarty. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Last month, Republicans across the North Star State condemned Moriarty for failing to charge a Walz staffer who allegedly vandalized at least six Tesla vehicles. President Donald Trump’s administration has identified Tesla vandalism as “domestic terrorism” and led a nationwide effort alongside the Justice Department to hold vandals accountable. Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavy, Andrew Mark Miller and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Family matters: How VP Vance, wife deliver ‘normalcy to the kids in a very abnormal situation’
EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their young children are adjusting well to life as the Second Family, with the vice president telling Fox News Digital that they are trying to “deliver as much normalcy to the kids in a very abnormal situation.” Vance sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital this week. EXCLUSIVE: VANCE PREVIEWS TRUMP’S PLANS TO ‘JUICE THE ECONOMY,’ END RUSSIA–UKRAINE WAR IN NEXT 100 DAYS “Everyone is adjusting well—they are doing very well,” Vance said. “It’s different, right?” “My seven-year-old son Ewan, he’s adjusting, but he’s also aware of all of it,” Vance said. “And then we have our five-year-old son, Vivek, who I think is a little bit less aware of it,” Vance continued. “To him, it’s just fun. He has a bunch of Secret Service agents to play with, and he gets to go wherever he wants to, and he really likes that.” “And Mirabel, who’s three, has no idea what’s going on,” Vance said of his youngest. Vance shared a photo of Mirabel, which he and his wife display in their home in the Naval Observatory, “in her pajamas reviewing this Indian troop formation.” EXCLUSIVE: JD VANCE EXPLAINS WHY MEETING POPE FRANCIS HOURS BEFORE HIS DEATH WAS ‘A SIGN FROM GOD’ “It’s so funny—it’s maybe my favorite photo of the entire 100 days that we’ve had so far—it’s very cute,” Vance said. “So, you sort of see different levels of kids’ understanding of it.” Vance said the children “have a good school situation.” “We have good friends here, and they spend a lot of time at the White House,” Vance said. “Of course, our primary residence—we still have our home in Cincinnati—but our primary residence is the Naval Observatory,” Vance said. “It’s very isolated, so it’s nice, because, for the kids, it’s not like growing up in a fishbowl.” EXCLUSIVE: VANCE REVEALS ‘EMPOWERING’ ASPECTS OF TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP THAT ENABLES ‘TRUST’ AND SQUASHES ‘TURF BATTLES’ Vance said the children “have a lot of room to run around.” “There aren’t cameras everywhere, and it feels very, very private—very normal for the kids—which is all we could ask for,” Vance said. As for his wife, Vance said “each second lady approaches the role differently—there’s not like, a manual that says—this is how you will be second lady.” “I think what Usha has done is she has focused on some issues she cares about and she is very involved in the Kennedy Center—she really likes the arts and that is a project that she’s taken on,” Vance explained, adding that she plans to “take on additional projects.” “But she also is a mom,” Vance said. “And the kids are really young, and she saw this as an opportunity to try to deliver as much normalcy to the kids in a very abnormal situation.” He added: “But she’s doing well, and she really likes it—I think the role suits her and she’s having fun. She’s amazing.”
Appeals court backs VOA overhaul Kari Lake says will ‘modernize’ agency: ‘Huge victory for President Trump’
In a significant legal victory for the Trump administration, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has granted a stay on a lower court’s order that had mandated the reinstatement of over 1,000 Voice of America (VOA) employees and the resumption of full broadcasting operations. “This is a huge victory for President Trump and his Article II powers granted in the United States Constitution. It’s also a victory for US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and VOA,” Kari Lake, a USAGM senior advisor to the Trump administration, told Fox News Digital following the court’s decision Saturday. The decision allows the administration to proceed with its efforts to restructure USAGM and its affiliated broadcasters. “We are eager to accomplish President Trump’s America First agenda which has always been to modernize and make our government efficient while cutting waste, fraud, and abuse,” Lake explained to Fox News Digital. VOICE OF AMERICA RESTORED BY JUDGE AFTER TRUMP DISMANTLED TAXPAYER-FUNDED OUTLET IN MARCH “Now that we have a favorable ruling in the appeals court, we look forward to accomplishing the plan we’ve always had; to bring VOA into the 21st century.” The appeals court’s 2-1 ruling Saturday emphasized the judiciary’s deference to executive authority in matters concerning federal employment and contractual decisions. The court noted that the district court likely lacked jurisdiction to interfere with the administration’s personnel actions and funding decisions, particularly regarding grant agreements with non-federal entities like Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. VOICE OF AMERICA EMPLOYEES FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AFTER PRESIDENT DISMANTLED AGENCY This follows Trump’s March 14 executive order (EO), which aimed to dismantle USAGM operations. “Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital at the time. The order led to the administrative leave of approximately 1,300 VOA employees and the termination of numerous contracts, effectively pausing the broadcaster’s activities for the first time in its 83-year history. “Unfortunately, the frivolous litigation actually stalled the ability to streamline archaic practices and redundant programs at VOA,” Lake told Fox News Digital. “The use of lawfare hurt the agency and its employees more than it helped.” Fox News contributor, legal analyst and constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley also shared news of the ruling on X, posting, “The D.C. Circuit just issued a major ruling in favor of the Trump Administration that lifted a stay on the Administration’s decision to terminate contracts and positions at Voice of America.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Saturday’s decision came as VOA employees reportedly had access restored to their computers on Friday after federal Judge Royce Lamberth’s April 22 ruling in favor of the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction against Trump’s EO, which the administration promptly appealed. The court’s ruling can be read here. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
Texas Gov. Abbott signs $1 billion voucher program into law, capping off win for school choice advocates
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a school choice bill into law on Saturday that will allocate $1 billion for a voucher program that allows parents to use public funds to pay for their child’s private school tuition. The program’s implementation caps off a yearslong effort by Republicans who have been advocating for school choice. Voucher supporters have long focused on Texas, where previous efforts failed amid resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. Last month, President Donald Trump called on state lawmakers ahead of a key vote on the bill to finally send the measure to Abbott’s desk. The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 2 by a party-line 19-12 vote on April 24 after the state House approved the bill by an 86-63 vote the week before. “When I ran for reelection in 2022, I promised school choice for the families of Texas,” Abbott said before signing the bill at the governor’s mansion. “Today, we deliver on that promise.” LIBERAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICES GRILL RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION IN LANDMARK SCHOOL CHOICE CASE Abbott was joined by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, state House Speaker Dustin Burrows, bill author and state Sen. Brandon Creighton, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, school choice advocates and students and their families. “From here forward, [Texas students] will have unlimited potential and unlimited options in education to pursue for the rest of their path and education and what their families do best, and that in of itself was worth the journey,” Creighton said. Texas joins more than 30 other states that already have similar programs. The Lone Star State will have the largest voucher program in the country. School vouchers have been Abbott’s main focus this year, following last year’s election cycle in which he called for Republican primary voters to remove from office GOP lawmakers who voted against a similar bill in the last legislative session that the governor had supported. ‘BAD FOR PARENTS’: SCHOOL CHOICE SUPPORTERS PROTEST EXCLUSION OF RELIGIOUS CHARTER IN SUPREME COURT CASE Supporters of the bill say it will give parents more options by allowing them to take their children out of poor-performing public schools in favor of alternative public or private school choices. “Gone are the days that families are limited to only the schools assigned by government,” Abbott said. “The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child.” Democrats and Republicans in rural districts who have criticized the program argue that it will pull financial resources from Texas’ public school students and subsidize the private education of wealthy families. “Let’s be clear: this bill is only best for the richest people in the state, and rural Texas especially will get the shaft,” Texas Democratic Party chairman Kendall Scudder said in a statement. “To top it all off, Abbott’s school shut-downs are in full-swing with no end in sight.” Starting next school year, families can receive $10,000 per year to help pay for their child’s private school tuition or costs for home-schooling and virtual learning programs. Children with disabilities can qualify for as much as $30,000 per year. The program will be capped at $1 billion for the first year and cover up to 90,000 students. But by 2030, it could cost up to $4.5 billion per year. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump posts AI image of himself as Pope amid Vatican’s search for new pontiff
President Donald Trump appears to have his eye on a new gig after being back in the Oval Office for just over 100 days. On Friday, the president posted an AI-generated image of himself as the pope on Truth Social, and it has gone viral. Less than a week prior to the post, Trump was in Rome attending the funeral for the late Pope Francis. As the Vatican searches for a new pontiff, it seems Trump is jokingly throwing his hat in the ring. TRUMP JOKES HE’D LIKE TO BE POPE, ‘NUMBER 1 CHOICE’ — THEN NAMES A REAL CONTENDER The post was met with a wide range of reactions—from some who found it funny to others who said it was offensive. Townhall columnist Dustan Grage dismissed critics, saying that most of those he saw complaining about the post were atheists and that their opinions didn’t matter. “Memes depicting Trump as Christ have been and always will be called out as blasphemy. The Pope picture is actually funny. Calm down, folks,” Grage wrote. Meanwhile, Democratic activist and influencer Harry Sisson accused “MAGA” of electing a “man-child.” CONCLAVE ‘VERY, VERY DIFFERENT’ FROM US ELECTIONS; ‘ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN’, ACCORDING TO EXPERT Earlier this week, when asked about who he would want to see take over the Vatican, Trump joked that he wanted to be pope. “I’d like to be pope. That’d be my number one choice,” Trump said, before clarifying that he was joking and naming a possible option — Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Cardinals, including Dolan, are set to gather at the Vatican for the conclave on May 7, when they will vote for the next pope. However, unlike secular elections, candidates for pope focus on prayer and reflection rather than campaigning. “Last time in 2013, when we had the opening prayer—because prayer is extraordinarily important—we had a reflection given by a wonderful Franciscan preacher,” Dolan told Martha MacCallum on “The Story.” “He said, ‘Eminences, you’re all scared because you have a tough job to elect the next pope. … Let me put your mind at ease. It’s easy. The Holy Spirit has already chosen the next pope. Your job is to find out who it is’.” Contenders to replace Pope Francis include Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle; Cardinal Peter Erdo; Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu; Cardinal Raymond Burke; and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.
Rising Dem star distances herself from ‘inclusive language’ as newsletters reveal a different story
U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow told a Michigan crowd last month that gender-inclusive language was pushed by the Democratic Party’s “more progressive groups,” despite including “inclusive language” in her constituent newsletters as recently as November. McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, said at the Michigan Democratic Party Rural Summit on April 12 that she “got some flack” from Democrats who encouraged her to use “inclusive language” around the time of the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion law to the states. “You may have heard phrases like ‘birthing persons’ or ‘chestfeeding,’ which was a push by some of our more progressive groups to be more inclusive, so that we were capturing the fact that occasionally, trans men or women may need reproductive care,” McMorrow said. “That is not untrue. But, if we were thinking about who we needed to move to our side to have the votes we needed to accomplish the goal, when you say things that are kind of made-up phrases, it becomes really alienating.” While McMorrow acknowledges how that language can actually be “alienating” to voters outside the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and is running a campaign that rejects “performative nonsense,” McMorrow chose to include that very language in several constituent newsletters describing Michigan legislation supported by the Senate Democratic Caucus. RISING STAR DEM CRITICAL OF SCHUMER’S LEADERSHIP LAUNCHES 2026 BID IN KEY SENATE BATTLEGROUND As recently as November 2024, McMorrow’s constituent newsletter – which highlights the Michigan Democrat’s legislative agenda, spotlights community events and shares good news from the district – including descriptions of Senate bills using “inclusive language,” like “birthing parent.” WHY PETE BUTTIGIEG SAID NO TO RUNNING FOR THE SENATE NEXT YEAR In McMorrow’s newsletter, Senate Bills 1127 and 1128 are described as requiring “private insurers and Medicaid to provide coverage for group-based pregnancy support programs, which are shown to result in improved health outcomes for both the birthing parent and baby.” Similar language was included in a newsletter the month before describing the Momnibus bill package as “amplifying the voices of Black and Brown birthing people.” The same “birthing individuals” language was included in an April 2024 newsletter, describing the Momnibus bill package as created to “strengthen community-driven programs, enhance prenatal care and maternal healthcare, and amplify the voices of Black birthing individuals, mothers, women, families, and stakeholders.” While descriptions of “birthing” people or individuals are included in McMorrow’s newsletter, her campaign said she did not write those words. Andrew Mamo, McMorrow for Michigan spokesman, told Fox News Digital in a statement: “As she wrote in her book and says on the campaign trail, Mallory knows Democrats need to talk like real people and not use fabricated language that, while intending to be ‘inclusive,’ sounds so unfamiliar that it’s weird to a majority of people. These legislative updates weren’t written by Mallory, and she has continued to advocate even within her own caucus the need to change how Democrats speak.” The campaign said that while the state senator writes a portion of her constituent newsletters, the “birthing” language had been written by the Senate Democratic Caucus. However, those bill descriptions are not attributed to anyone in McMorrow’s newsletter. McMorrow’s campaign also pointed to pages in her book released in March that argued the pressure to use “inclusive language” fails at “defining your audience,” as Democrats continue to grapple with losing the House, Senate and White House in November. McMorrow, considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced her bid for U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters early last month, framing herself as an outsider and calling for a new generation of leaders in Washington. McMorrow has said she would not vote for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to continue as the party leader, adding that it is time for him to step back. The 38-year-old Michigan state senator garnered national attention for her viral speech to the Michigan state senate in 2022, where she pushed back on allegations from a Republican lawmaker that she was “grooming” and “sexualizing” children. “I am the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme,” McMorrow said, calling out Republican state Sen. Lana Theis for invoking her name in a fundraising email. “We will not let hate win.”
Dem gov’s new campaign message man once said ‘religious right’ united by ‘white supremacy’
The reelection campaign of Governor Katie Hobbs, D-Ariz., has tapped someone with a penchant for slamming white people, despite being white himself. Hobbs, a vocal progressive and anti-Trump leader, brought Michael Beyer on as her 2026 reelection campaign communications director in April despite his history of going after people because they are white, and not just Republicans either. A look through Beyer’s X account shows the staffer levying criticism on social media as early as 2014 against a range of demographics, all with one thing in common – they’re white. TRUMP BACKS REPUBLICAN RIVALS IN ARIZONA GOVERNOR’S RACE AFTER REP. BIGGS ENTERS CONTEST: ‘I HAD A PROBLEM’ Beyer has accused the “religious right” of being united through “a belief in white supremacy,” blasted self-professed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders’ voters for having “white entitlement” and accused Taylor Swift and other “white people” of “romanticizing the conquest of Africa.” Beyer has also espoused anti-gay rhetoric targeted at gay white Republicans, positing in a social media post about the leader of one of the longest-standing pro-gay GOP nonprofits in the country that it was “unclear” whether he was “just a bunch of twinks standing on top of each other hiding in a trench coat.” In another post, Beyer complained there were too many “white men” in a 1980’s news segment about HIV, while in another Beyer suggested “white suburban voters” in Louisiana “had taken over” the local newspaper. The Arizona governor’s recent hire is just the latest in a series of tumultuous staffing issues Hobbs has faced as governor. In 2022, it was reported that in just five months two-thirds of Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaign staff left, with several describing their work on the campaign as “emotionally abusive.” Meanwhile, Hobbs has also been forced to fire past employees over inflammatory social media posts. ARIZONA TO VERIFY UP TO 50K PEOPLE FROM VOTER ROLLS WHO FAILED TO PROVE CITIZENSHIP “White evangelicals are the only group that predominantly wants anti-gay discrimination, poll shows,” Beyer posted on then-Twitter in 2017, along with a link to a blog from Slate. “Once again, it is a belief in white supremacy that unites the Religious Right,” he added in his tweet. In addition to blaming religious conservatives for being racist, Beyer also said in 2015 that Republicans in general “thinks [sic] they only have to answer to white voters.” In a subsequent post, Beyer slammed Secretary of State Marco Rubio for only appealing to “whites” after allegedly “romanticizing U.S. colonialism.” Turning to liberals, Beyer has also had choice words for white Bernie Sanders supporters, saying in a 2016 post on Twitter that they all have “white entitlement.” He suggested in another post around the same time that the only reason Sanders won New Hampshire during the 2016 election was because the state is “91% white.” In 2015, Beyer went after Taylor Swift and other “white people” for “romanticizing” colonialism. “Only white people would be the people romanticizing the conquest of Africa,” Beyer said in a 2015 post, referring to Swift’s song “Wildest Dreams” that debuted around the same time. His post was in response to a separate tweet Beyer posted that included a link and title of a NPR op-ed with the headline: “Taylor Swift Is Dreaming Of A Very White Africa.” SOUTHERN BORDER STATE GOVERNOR TAKES ON CARTELS AND SECURITY WITH SIGNING OF EXECUTIVE ORDER Despite Beyer’s numerous claims suggesting white people are racist, he contended in 2017 that “white people are very bad at identifying racism/racists.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Hobbs campaign to question whether it would be reconsidering its decision to hire Beyer, but never received a response. Beyer himself did not respond when reached for comment, either. In addition to Beyer, Hobbs has a history of hiring other staffers who have made controversial remarks on social media. She has also had an issue with high turnover in her office. ARIZONA SHERIFF PRAISES TRUMP PRIORITIZING BORDER SECURITY: ‘DRASTIC DIFFERENCE’ One of Hobbs’ former press secretaries was fired in 2023 after posting an image of a lady drawing two pistols from her hip, which included the caption “Us when we see transphobes.” The social media post came the same day a gender-confused individual opened fire at an elementary school in Nashville, after which some critics cited the person’s gender dysphoria as a possible catalyst for the horrific event. Hobbs’ office has also been impacted frequently by an unusually high turnover rate among her staff. In 2022, it was reported that two-thirds of Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaign staff left across a period of just five months, with some of the departing staff describing their work on the campaign as “emotionally abusive.” The culture was apparently so bad, the staffers said, they had to upend their lives mid-election to seek employment elsewhere. Hobbs has lost staffers in the middle of ongoing legislative sessions, and, in 2023, Hobbs’ legislative director resigned just hours before the release of the state’s budget. At least one of Hobbs’ staffers went from their job on her campaign to another job with Arizona politics.