Youngkin urges Turning Point crowd to carry on Kirk’s fight for faith and freedom
During one of the first Turning Point USA events since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin shared a message of hope and faith, telling students, “All of you are the next Charlie Kirk.” Addressing a packed auditorium at Virginia Tech University as part of the second “This is The Turning Point Tour” stop since Kirk’s death, Youngkin told students, “You will carry the baton. You will engage. You will change minds. You will be that revival.” Addressing the future, Youngkin said, “The truth is that the question that has been asked over and over again is, ‘Who will be the next Charlie?’ And as I look out in this room and I see thousands of you, I want to repeat the best answer that I have heard. You will be the next Charlie, all of you.” Despite Kirk’s murder at a similar event at Utah Valley University, Youngkin said the 31-year-old conservative leader left a “blueprint” to advance the truth in the face of evil. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TUNED INTO ‘IMMORTAL’ CHARLIE KIRK’S MEMORIAL SERVICE “That morning Charlie left us with a blueprint,” he said. “That morning, he left us with guidelines to once again benefit from a man who spoke truth. He left us again with something to reflect on our own lives. And therefore, tonight we have an opportunity to reflect, and we have an opportunity to go.” Recalling Kirk’s staunch Christian faith, Youngkin told the students in the arena, “Each one of you is the light. A light that shines in the corner of the room, a light that shines brightly on evil. A light that chases out darkness that is each and every one of you.” “A sniper’s bullet shot from a gun held by someone with a heart of evil tried to silence truth, tried to silence all of us. But you see, the exact opposite is happening,” he said. “There is a revival spreading across this great nation.” CONSERVATIVES RALLY AROUND ‘REVIVAL’ MESSAGE AFTER KIRK’S MURDER, SLAM DEMS FOR VIOLENT GEORGE FLOYD RIOTS “One of the things that we all loved about Charlie Kirk is he not only spoke truth, but he challenged us. He challenged us to do more than sit on the sidelines. He challenged us to engage, to engage in thoughtful dialog, of course, recognizing we had to do it with respect, but to fully engage. Don’t back down from your beliefs.” Youngkin also praised Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, who since his death has taken up the role of Turning Point USA CEO, leading the crowd in a moment of applause for her and saying, “We see that the next leader of Turning Point is the person who knew Charlie the very best, someone who looked into his heart.” PASTORS HAIL ERIKA KIRK’S FORGIVENESS OF HUSBAND’S ACCUSED KILLER AS POWERFUL TESTIMONY TO CHRISTIAN FAITH Youngkin’s words come as Virginia is in the midst of a highly contentious gubernatorial race between Republican Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Sears and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger. On Monday, more than 2,000 people packed into an auditorium at the University of Minnesota for the first Turning Point USA event in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Longtime Trump advisor to depart the White House at month’s end
Taylor Budowich, White House deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, is set to leave the administration at the end of the month, Fox News has confirmed. Budowich’s exit marks the most significant staff departure of President Trump’s current administration. A longtime Trump advisor and one of his most trusted communicators, Budowich is returning to the private sector. The California native’s role gave him broad influence over messaging and personnel decisions inside the West Wing. Senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller, in a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the White House, called Budowich “one of the true MAGA faithful who has poured out his heart for this movement and our President. He is universally admired and respected. No matter the issue or need, his insights and talents are sought after and valued deeply. He is and remains a cherished and loyal ally to us all.” EX-BIDEN SPIN DOCTOR IAN SAMS, SLAMMED BY TRUMP AS ‘BELOW AVERAGE,’ GRILLED IN HOUSE AUTOPEN PROBE Vice President JD Vance said Budowich is “an invaluable asset to this administration and someone I’ve personally relied on countless times during an amazing first year in office.” “His oversight of the White House’s communications team has been an incredible success, where they’ve done an outstanding job touting the truly historic accomplishments of President Trump’s second term,” Vance continued in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “In addition to all this, he’s played an integral role in coordinating this administration’s cabinet agencies and our Office of Public Liaison. He’ll be sorely missed, but I’m sure there are big things ahead for Taylor.” Chief of staff Susie Wiles added that Budowich is “a dear friend, and I know that President Trump holds him in very high regard. I hate to see him go, personally and professionally, but obviously wish him well in whatever he decides is next.” And longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino told Fox News Digital that Budowich is “an outstanding American patriot and an exceptional friend and colleague, both on the campaign trail previously and here at the White House. His unwavering dedication to advancing President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda has made him a vital asset in Trump 2.0. I MADE MEMES FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. HERE’S WHAT I LEARNED “Taylor is the kind of person you want by your side in any type of challenge, on any day of the week,” Scavino added. “I am grateful for his service to President Trump and the American people and have complete confidence that he will excel in his future endeavors. I wish him the best of luck.” Budowich previously served as communications director for Save America PAC and as executive director of MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC. He was a spokesman for Trump during and after the 2020 campaign and testified in the classified documents investigation in 2023. In November 2024, Trump announced Budowich’s appointment as deputy chief of staff, giving him oversight of both communications strategy and personnel. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Budowich’s departure adds to speculation about who might fill his powerful West Wing role as the Trump White House continues shaping its agenda heading into the remainder of the term. Budowich did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Leftist gun club tied to violence recruiting on Georgetown campus echoes Kirk killing: ‘Hey fascist! Catch!’
EXCLUSIVE: In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination allegedly at the hands of a left-wing ideologue, a leftist gun club with ties to political violence posted recruiting flyers at Georgetown University with references to Kirk’s death. “Hey fascist! Catch!” says a red flyer from the John Brown Gun Club posted on Georgetown’s campus. The phrase is a nod to the same slogan which was allegedly written on a shell casing by Tyler Robinson, who stands accused of murdering Kirk at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. UVU PROFESSOR AND FORMER FBI AGENT WARNS OF NEW PATTERN OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION “The only political group that celebrates when Nazis die,” the advertisement says. It is adorned with a QR code linking to a page that says, “We’re building a community that’s done with ceremonial resistance and strongly worded letters. If you want to make a real change in your community, let us know below.” Turning Point USA spokesman and Charlie Kirk Show executive producer Andrew Kolvet flagged the flyers in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. Shae McInnis, a sophomore at Georgetown University and treasurer of the school’s College Republicans Club, found the posters in plain sight on the school’s activity board on Wednesday morning. “So, obviously I read this immediately as a threat, not only for me but for everyone on this campus,” McInnis told Fox News Digital. “Every conservative, everyone who just does not subscribe to the prevailing leftist orthodoxy. This is a direct threat against them. It means that there are students at this campus who want to see conservatives dead rather than engaging with their ideas, rather than facilitating a political discourse.” “Ever since President Trump won the election in January, we’ve seen an increase in this rhetoric,” he continued. “But really, I think many conservatives noticed a change after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. While much of the school was united in condemning this horrible act of political violence, there have been fringe elements on the left on social media that we have seen really defend this, justify this, and that is really unacceptable. The Center for Counter Extremism lists the John Brown Gun Club as a “far-left group.” Members of the organization frequently show up armed at left-wing political events under the guise of protecting protesters from right-wing counter-protesters, and the gun club is tied to recent anti-ICE violence. YEARS OF CAMPUS ATTACKS ON CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS RESURFACE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER On July 4, a dozen people attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. A criminal complaint filed by the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas alleges that assailants shot 20 to 30 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle before it jammed, causing it to malfunction. Some of the suspects in that case are accused of setting off fireworks and graffiting ICE vehicles with slogans like “ICE Pig” in order to lure unarmed agents into a parking lot. At around the same time, more suspects allegedly opened fire from a nearby tree line, striking a local police officer and injuring him. Eleven suspects face federal charges, including three counts of attempted murder of federal agents in addition to three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. One of those suspects is Benjamin Song, a long-time antifa agitator who in 2023 was involved in a skirmish with a right-wing group called the New Columbia Movement during a drag event in Fort Worth. A lawsuit filed by the New Columbia Movement says Song was at the event providing security as a member of the John Brown Gun Club’s Elm Fork Chapter. He was accused of pepper spraying members of the group, but never charged criminally. CHARLIE KIRK WARNED ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE IS SPREADING ON THE LEFT’ IN EERIE ONLINE POST MONTHS BEFORE MURDER The club has chapters nationwide, and another member, Willem van Spronsen, was killed by authorities in 2019 when he tried to blow up an ICE detention center by igniting a propane tank and throwing Molotov cocktails at the building. “You know, we’re totally comfortable with the fact that many people disagree with us, and that’s what a university is supposed to do,” said McInnis. “It’s supposed to sharpen ideas based on what people disagree with. But it’s not until I saw this poster early this morning that I ever felt directly threatened. I mean, this poster is directly calling for the death of conservatives on this campus.” The club is named for militant slave abolitionist John Brown, who in 1856 orchestrated the Pottawatomie Massacre. He and fellow abolitionists dragged five Kansas settlers suspected of having pro-slavery sympathies out of their homes and executed them. In October 1859, Brown led a 21-man raid on a federal armory in Harper’s Ferry, part of Virginia at the time. His goal was to start a slave uprising, but few slaves joined the fight. A local militia confronted Brown and his men and fought back. Four townspeople, including freed slave Heyward Shepherd, were caught in the crossfire and killed in the skirmish. After 10 of his men were killed, Brown was captured. He was later tried for treason and eventually hanged. “Georgetown University has no tolerance for calls for violence or threats to the university,” a spokesperson for the school told Fox News Digital. “The flyers have been removed and the university is investigating this incident and working to ensure the safety of our community.”
EXCLUSIVE: Bondi transfers former death row inmates commuted by Biden to ‘supermax’ prison
FIRST ON FOX — Eight federal inmates — once on death row for murders, including the killings of fellow prisoners, gang-related stabbings, and the slayings of two campers — have been transferred to a notorious “supermax” prison in Colorado, the Justice Department told Fox News Digital. The news comes as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi looks to crack down on the previous administration’s sweeping clemency actions. The eight former death row inmates were transferred Tuesday to the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, also known as “ADX,” Justice Department officials confirmed. They were among the 37 death row inmates whose sentences Biden commuted in late December — prompting criticism and complaints that the record clemency and commutation actions were done as a political “Hail Mary,” and without proper vetting. More of the death row inmates are expected to be moved to ADX, some within weeks, according to one individual familiar with the matter. The 37 death row inmates commuted by Biden are all expected to be moved to the facility by “early next year,” the Justice Department source told Fox News Digital. BIDEN CLEMENCY ANNOUNCEMENT GETS MIXED REVIEWS ON CAPITOL HILL: ‘WHERE’S THE BAR?’ The effort comes as Bondi and the Trump administration have sought to reverse some of the Biden administration’s efforts on criminal justice reform for certain criminals, and instead moved to prioritize violent crime and cracking down on the nation’s worst offenders. Though a commutation cannot be fully reversed, Justice Department officials told Fox News Digital, Bondi has prioritized ways to penalize these individuals, in coordination with directives from Trump, and to ensure that the “conditions of confinement” are “consistent with the security risks those inmates present because of their egregious crimes, criminal histories, and all other relevant considerations,” according to an earlier DOJ memo. The eight inmates sent to ADX this week were each convicted of first-degree murder within federal jurisdiction. Many had been convicted of crimes that were especially heinous or violent. One individual was convicted of murdering a married couple who was camping at a campsite in the Ouachita National Forest in July 2003. Another was convicted of kidnapping, robbing, and murdering a 51-year-old local bank president by tying him to a concrete block and chain hoist, and tossing him off of a bridge and into a lake. Many had also killed prisoners while serving time — a factor that can be used in weighing whether to transfer a convicted felon to a higher-security prison. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA ADX is the only true federal “supermax” prison in the U.S., and its inmates are as notorious as the prison’s reputation. Among them are Ramzi Yousef, convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bombers; former Sinola Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán, or “El Chapo”; and Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, the co-founder of al-Qaeda. “President Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences of these monsters showed abhorrent disregard for our justice system and total disrespect for victims’ families already suffering through immense loss,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. BIDEN STIRS OUTRAGE IN SCRANTON BY COMMUTING ‘KIDS FOR CASH’ JUDGE’S SENTENCE “After meeting with many of the victims’ families at the Department of Justice and promising to take action on their behalf, eight of these prisoners have been transferred to the Colorado super-max prison ADX. This will ensure that they spend the remainder of their lives in conditions consistent with the egregious crimes they committed,” she added. Shortly after her confirmation as attorney general, Bondi issued a memo aimed at “restoring a measure of justice” to the victims’ families. The measures granted by Biden earned more criticism than former President Barack Obama: As Fox News reported at the time, the vast majority of Obama’s clemency actions focused on commuting the sentences of federal inmates who met certain criteria outlined under his administration’s Clemency Initiative. Bondi hosted victims’ families earlier this year to hear their concerns about the commutations, DOJ said. Some said they had been stunned by the eleventh-hour commutations, and that they not been given a heads-up by the Biden administration. In February, Bondi issued a memo to the Bureau of Prisons ordering an evaluation of where these prisoners should be detained.
Garbage collection, tours to be suspended on Capitol Hill if there’s a government shutdown
Fox is told that preparations are underway on Capitol Hill for a potential government shutdown next week. TOP HOUSE DEM FIRES BACK AT TRUMP’S ‘UNHINGED’ SHUTDOWN REMARKS AMID COLLAPSE OF GOV FUNDING TALKS Congressional aides and workers will be paid during the shutdown. That’s a change after the lengthy 2018-2019 shutdown. But each congressional office has the right to decide which employees are “essential” and must report to work. Members of Congress must be paid, under provisions of the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting a change in the rate of compensation for lawmakers. Congressional staffers are guaranteed pay after the shutdown, but do not receive paychecks during it. TOP HOUSE DEM EXPOSES PARTY’S STRATEGY TO BLAME REPUBLICANS FOR LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN US Capitol Police and security operations won’t be affected by the shutdown. However, other “non-essential” activities on Capitol Hill will cease. Formal Capitol tours will be canceled. The flag operation, where constituents may request an American flag be flown above the Capitol, will be suspended. Restaurants and barber shops are likely to close. Garbage won’t be collected. Fox is told that it’s unlikely that congressional parking restrictions are enforced. Fox has learned that Democrats have a meeting with top aides about a potential shutdown at 4 pm ET Friday.
Pentagon seeks Trump approval for first US military execution in 60 years following Fort Hood mass shooting
The Pentagon is preparing to ask President Donald Trump to authorize the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of carrying out the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, a senior Department of Defense official told The Daily Caller News Foundation. If approved, it would be the first U.S. military execution in more than six decades. Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others in the attack. Hasan entered Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Center armed with a semi-automatic pistol and opened fire on fellow service members preparing for deployment. COURT THROWS OUT PLEA DEAL FOR 9/11 MASTERMIND KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, TWO OTHER TERRORISTS During his subsequent trial, Hasan admitted to the shooting and claimed it was necessary to protect the “Islamic Empire” from American forces. The Pentagon had categorized the massacre as an act of “workplace violence,” a decision that drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, victims’ families and national security experts. They argued it obscured the ideological and terrorist motivations behind the attack. In 2013, a military jury convicted Hasan and sentenced him to death. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT URGED TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM MURDERS He has been held on death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, ever since. After years of appeals, Hasan’s final legal challenge was rejected in April 2025, clearing the way for execution. “I am 100% committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan,” Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Digital. “This savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays.” Hasan is one of just four prisoners facing the death penalty under military jurisdiction. RETIRED FBI AGENT WARNS OF ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE’ AFTER LEARNING KIRK SUSPECT LIVED WITH TRANS PARTNER The Army secretary has already recommended execution, and the Department of War is advancing the request. Hasan, born in Arlington, Virginia, in 1970 to Palestinian immigrant parents, served nearly 20 years in the Army before reportedly embracing radical Islamist beliefs. By the time he was stationed at Fort Hood in 2009, he had become outspoken in his opposition to U.S. military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, justifying suicide bombings as legitimate acts of war.
Harris lashes out at Biden’s team for ‘adding fuel to negative narratives’ against her: book
Former Vice President Kamala Harris offered up several criticisms of the Biden White House’s communications team in her new book, painting a picture of a staff that did little to defend her. “They had a huge comms team; they had Karine Jean-Pierre briefing in the pressroom every day,” Harris wrote in her book “107 Days”, released on Tuesday and providing detailed insight into her ill-fated presidential run. “But getting anything positive said about my work or any defense against untrue attacks was almost impossible.” Harris added that the “president’s inner circle seemed fine with it” when “unfair or inaccurate” stories about Harris circulated and that it even “seemed as if they decided I should be knocked down a little more.” OBAMA, PELOSI, OTHER TOP DEMS RESISTED INSTANT HARRIS ENDORSEMENT CITING NEED TO ‘EARN IT,’ ‘HIKING’ EXCUSE In a chapter titled “July 24: 104 days til the election,” Harris suggested that Biden’s team was not only being unhelpful, but at times had worked against her in the past. “This was total nonsense, but the White House seemed glad to let reporting about my ‘gaffe’ overwhelm the significant thaw in foreign relations I’d achieved,” Harris wrote about the White House not pushing back against media reports she had “faked a french accent” in 2021. “Worse, I often learned that the president’s staff was adding fuel to negative narratives that sprung up around me,” Harris wrote. Harris took issue in the book with Republicans who “mischaracterized” her role as the “border czar” and lamented that “no one in the White House comms team helped me to effectively push back and explain what I had really been tasked to do” or to “highlight any of the progress I had achieved.” KAMALA HARRIS SAYS SHE ‘HAD NO IDEA’ SHE ‘PULLED THE PIN ON A HAND GRENADE’ WITH ‘THE VIEW’ ANSWER ABOUT BIDEN In another part of the book, Harris wrote about how Biden began “taking on water” over the conflict between Hamas and Israel, saying that “when polls indicated that I was getting more popular, the people around him didn’t like the contrast that was emerging.” Harris also provided details about her struggles with the Biden campaign staff before and after she became the nominee, writing specifically about meetings the Biden-Harris team had during the campaign in a pavilion on the White House grounds. “These political briefings often made no sense to me,” Harris wrote. “Mike Donilon would filter the data from the polls and present the numbers in soothing terms: that the razor-thin, within-the-margin-of-error results were no cause for hair on fire; that really there was nothing to see here. Doug had wanted to stop sitting next to me because he got tired of me kicking him under the table when I asked a question and got a nonanswer.” “My chief of staff, Lorraine Voles, turned to me as we left one of these meetings and said, ‘If I ever organized that sort of dog-and-pony bullsh– for you, you’d have my head on a platter.’” Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, was also quoted in the book with some strong words for the Biden team as Harris recounted an instance where his staff gauged the couple about their loyalty to Biden on July 4th, shortly before Biden dropped out of the race. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They hide you away for four years, give you impossible, sh– jobs, don’t correct the record when those tasks are mischaracterized, never fight back when you’re attacked, never praise your accomplishments, and now, finally, they want you out there on that balcony, standing right beside them,” Emhoff is quoted as saying. “Now, finally, they know you are an asset, and they need you to reassure the American people. And still, they have to ask if we’re loyal?” Ultimately, Harris concluded that the Biden White House was mistakenly operating using “zero-sum” thinking. “If she’s shining, he’s dimmed,” Harris wrote. “None of them grasped that if I did well, he did well. That given the concerns about his age, my visible success as his vice president was vital. It would serve as a testament to his judgment in choosing me and reassurance that if something happened, the country was in good hands. My success was important for him. His team didn’t get it.” Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment.
Fox News Poll: Unhappy with NYC’s direction, voters favor Mamdani for mayor by a wide margin
New York City voters across all demographic groups are dissatisfied with the direction of the city, and most are looking for significant change in the city’s government. That sentiment has propelled Democrat Zohran Mamdani to the lead in the mayoral race despite concerns that his proposed tax increases may chase people out of the city. A new Fox News survey of New York City registered voters finds Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s nominee and self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, leading the race by 18 percentage points with 45% support. Former New York governor and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo comes in second with 27%, Republican Party nominee Curtis Sliwa gets 11% and current mayor and independent candidate Eric Adams garners 8%. Among likely voters, the race looks largely the same: 47% Mamdani, 29% Cuomo, 11% Sliwa and 7% Adams. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN UKRAINE, SUPPORT CURRENT APPROACH IN ISRAEL The analysis below focuses on preferences and opinions among registered voters. Some of Mamdani’s best groups include very liberal voters (79%), those under age 35 (61%), women under 45 (60%), Democrats (57%), and Black and Hispanic voters (49% each). Cuomo receives strong support from Jewish voters (40%), White voters ages 45+ (37%), voters ages 65 and higher (33%) and moderates (31%). Republicans prefer Sliwa (41%), while five times as many back Cuomo (32%) as Mamdani (6%). Independents are split: 26% Mamdani, 23% Cuomo and 14% each to Adams and Sliwa. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S RATINGS ARE STRONG ON BORDER SECURITY, WEAK ON THE ECONOMY The Big Apple has problems: 62% are dissatisfied with the direction it’s headed, with at least six in 10 Democrats (61%), Republicans (70%) and independents (59%) saying they are unhappy. That frustration results in three-quarters of voters wanting either substantial (37%), dramatic (20%) or revolutionary change (18%) in how the city’s government is run. Mamdani has a significant lead among both those wanting at least substantial change and those dissatisfied with the city’s trajectory. His advantage is so considerable he also holds an edge with voters satisfied with how things are going. Mamdani supporters are more enthusiastic about voting this year (63%) and more certain they will back him (83%) compared to the other candidates. Plus, most describe their support as for him (86%) rather than against his opponents (12%). For Cuomo, 32% of his backers are enthusiastic, 65% are certain and 59% say their vote is for him rather than against his opponents (39%). Voters say the top three problems facing New York City are crime (25%), followed by the cost of living (20%) and the lack of affordable housing (17%). Crime is the No. 1 concern for Republicans (50%) and independents (29%) while for Democrats it’s divided across costs (23%), crime (19%) and housing (19%). Cuomo is narrowly favored (+12 points) among those who prioritize crime, while Mamdani has wide advantages among those citing the cost of living (+40) and housing (+41). Concerns about the high cost of living, the need for better city services and a heavy tax burden produce nuanced policy opinions. For example, seven in 10 New York City voters think raising taxes will cause a mass exodus of businesses and people that will leave the city more cash strapped. At the same time, another seven in 10 favor raising taxes on residents with an annual income greater than $1 million. There is widespread agreement on both questions among Democrats, Republicans and independents. There’s a reason Mamdani is campaigning with Bernie Sanders. New Yorkers like the Independent senator from Vermont. Sanders is the most popular individual tested on the survey (61% favorable opinion), followed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (53%), Mamdani (50%) and Cuomo (45%). Adams (29%), Sliwa (28%) and President Donald Trump (24%) are viewed positively by around one-quarter of voters. When voters are asked to say in their own words why they like or dislike the candidates, the top positives for Mamdani are liking his policies generally, feeling he cares, change/having new ideas and his focus on affordability. The main reasons given for disliking him are he’s a communist/socialist, his position on Israel, not liking his policies, lack of experience and unrealistic policies. Are Mamdani’s left-leaning economic policies a potential Achilles heel? Probably not. In a city where more than twice as many voters are registered as Democrats than Republicans, capitalism is viewed more favorably than socialism by just seven points (48% vs. 41%). Experience is the top reason voters like Cuomo, while sexual harassment allegations are the main reason he is disliked. For Adams, voters also give him the thumbs-up for experience, whereas his detractors mainly focus on allegations of corruption. For Sliwa, his main positive trait is that he’s tough on crime (a top issue for voters), but his main negative is that voters don’t think he is a serious candidate. “Mamdani is the change candidate in a change election,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll along with Democrat Chris Anderson. “And, like many voters for change candidates, his supporters are enthusiastic.” Immigration and the Middle East Only 3% mention illegal immigration as the city’s No. 1 problem, and when it comes to policy options, most (67%) favor only deporting those charged with crimes but allowing others to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship. On the Middle East, more voters back the Palestinians (46%) than the Israelis (38%). That’s the opposite of results nationally. In line with Mamdani’s criticism of Israel and Cuomo’s support, those backing Mamdani side with the Palestinians by a 49-point margin, while those favoring Cuomo side with the Israelis by 16 points. More Jewish voters prefer Cuomo (40%) than Mamdani (27%) or Adams (12%). One more thing… Twice as many NYC voters say the way Republicans talk about politics is leading to an increase in violence (68%) than feel the same about Democrats (32%). Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to think their counterparts’ words lead to violence, while independents are more likely to cite Republican rhetoric as
Vance pauses North Carolina speech for boy who said he ‘skipped school’ to ask for a selfie
Vice President JD Vance spent most of his North Carolina speech Wednesday talking about public safety and backing law enforcement, but the day’s most viral moment came from a quick exchange with a young supporter in the crowd. A boy near the press area called out during a Q&A session and Vance invited him to speak. “I skipped school today,” the boy named Henry said. “I was wondering if I could get a picture with you.” Vance smiled and beckoned Henry up to the stage as the room erupted in cheers. VANCE SAYS FAR LEFT NOW DEFENDS ‘VIOLENT CRIME’ AS TRUMP SHOWS ‘POLITICAL GENIUS’ Vance answered, “Henry said ‘I skipped school. Can I have a picture with you?’ Well, I guess I got to have some excuse to skip school, so I might as well get a photo with Henry.” Henry walked to the stage in a red Trump hat and an American flag T-shirt. They shook hands and Henry pulled out his phone. Vance leaned in for the selfie as the crowd roared. The vice president gave him a quick pat on the back and returned to the microphone. Vance kept the tone easy for a beat and joked that the next request might be a reporter asking for a photo. He said he was not holding out hope for questions that easy and moved back to policy and press questions. ‘TONE-DEAF’ PROTESTERS HECKLE VANCE OUTSIDE MINNEAPOLIS CHURCH SHOOTING SITE The rest of Vance’s remarks focused on law and order and support for police. He called for keeping violent offenders behind bars and praised local officers. He later circled back to the moment as he wrapped. “Henry, I hope you got the photo you needed,” he said, drawing another round of applause. The White House’s official Rapid Response 47 account also shared the moment, which currently has over 15K likes on X. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House and the Office of the Vice President did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Ex-US attorney warns prosecutors could face many hurdles in case against Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer
A former U.S. attorney turned first-term congressman is warning prosecutors could face several hurdles in the case against Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, cautioning the trial will be anything but straightforward. Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., is a freshman House lawmaker who resigned from the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in late 2023 to run for Congress. Looking at the case of Tyler Robinson from an outside perspective, Knott said he believed law enforcement officials were “proceeding appropriately” but noted from his past experience that high-profile cases such as this were “never as cut and dry” as they appeared to some members of the public. “In some ways, I pity the prosecution because there’s so many unique angles here,” Knott told Fox News Digital. “The hardest part about these types of cases is to begin the process with no conclusion. And that’s especially hard when you look at the Tyler Robinson case.” 58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK He anticipated there would be “many in the media” and “some, even in law enforcement” who may come to a conclusion too soon that the case is already solved. “And proceeding when this case is as public as it is, when it is as widely viewed and reviewed as it is, keeping all of that noise outside of your purview as an investigator, as a prosecutor, as a forensic analyst, as a custodian of the evidence… going forward as though the conclusion is not in hand, that’s the hardest part here,” he said. Knott pointed out that it cannot even be assumed that Robinson committed the killing until it’s decided in a court of law – stressing there were many moving parts. “We know that there was conversations with other individuals leading up to this criminal act, the killing. We know that there were lots of individuals who were surrounding the suspect,” he said. “We know that there are a lot of people who have an interest in solving this case that are not in law enforcement. I mean, go on X, go on social media. All of that can make it harder to get an objective sample of evidence, right?” Robinson is facing multiple state charges in Utah, including aggravated murder. Officials there have said they plan to seek the death penalty. The 22-year-old is accused of killing Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist, while he spoke at a college campus event in Utah earlier this month. Kirk was shot in the neck and was soon declared dead. In addition to the public pressure on prosecutors, Knott noted there would be “intense scrutiny” on people surrounding Robinson. “Whenever that type of scrutiny is levied on somebody, whether it’s his former classmates, his colleague, his friends, his social circles, his family – what you want is just sort of a firsthand account with no inferences whatsoever,” Knott said. HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “You don’t want them to conclude anything. You want them to describe, you want them to recount. And when you have all of this publicity and the sensational posture of this case, it makes it very hard to objectively be a witness.” And if Robinson does not plead guilty, Knott predicted a full-throated attempt at defense from his lawyers. “If Mr. Robinson is in fact guilty of the charges that are brought against him, there is going to be an extreme defense if he does not plead. And whenever there’s an extremely vigorous defense, it’s never straightforward,” he said. “A win for the defense may be defeating one of the aggravated murder charges, or it might be to defeat the death penalty – whatever it may be. There is never a straight path when a defense comes forward like Mr. Robinson would probably have. And that’s assuming he doesn’t cooperate…he just walls up and says, ‘You’ve got to prove this and we’re going to fight you every step of the way.’” Knott said he would anticipate a host of challenges from the defense team, as well as a bid to evoke some kind of sympathy for their client. “What I anticipate is, every search warrant is going to be challenged. Every type of digital evidence is going to be challenged. The admissibility of the most damning evidence will be challenged. The seating of the jury will be challenged. Everything will be resisted,” he said. “And so I don’t anticipate that there will be a very easy path forward.”