SCOOP: Fiscal hawks fire warning shot at Senate GOP for pushing changes to Trump’s $9.4B spending cuts bill
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House conservatives is warning the Senate to leave President Donald Trump’s rescissions package intact as the deadline to consider the spending cuts looms large. Republicans have until the end of Friday to deal with the bill, the legislative version of the White House’s request to claw back roughly $9.4 billion in funds already allocated by Congress. Senate Republicans have signaled the bill could change somewhat, however, after passing the House last month. “In order to facilitate President Trump’s voter mandate, the Senate must pass the entire $9.4 billion of spending cuts in the rescission bill. Weakening any of these provisions would undermine both his leadership and the discipline our budget urgently demands,” the letter said. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS “This week, the Senate has a chance to prove its commitment to the voters by passing the long-overdue cuts targeting wasteful, ideologically driven spending programs that have no place in a responsible budget.” The letter is being led by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, and signed by 14 other Republican lawmakers. The bill that passed the House in mid-June would rescind $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which doles out federal funding to NPR and PBS. The remaining $8.4 billion targets the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The cuts are part of some $190 billion that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by Elon Musk, identified as part of its mission to slash government waste. Trump allies are viewing it as a test run of sorts for what kind of spending cuts Congress’ perilously slim GOP majorities can stomach. It barely passed the House in a 214 to 212 vote, with four House Republicans voting against it over various concerns, including the impact to local public news stations and funding for HIV/AIDS research in Africa, known as PEPFAR. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters last week the bill “needs some significant changes.” “For example, I want to strike the rescission of funds for PEPFAR, which has an enormous record of success, having seen some 26 million lives over the course of the program,” Collins said. “I can’t imagine why we would want to terminate that program or the maternal and child health program, which is aimed at providing malnourished pregnant women with important vitamins that they need to deliver healthy babies.” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., meanwhile, said he was “looking at radio stations in some of the rural areas that do a lot of emergency services” when discussing what changes he’d want in the bill. TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE TRUMP’S BILL Biggs’ letter warned, “This rescission package just scratches the surface. The Left will howl, but this package only trims around the edges of a bloated federal spending apparatus. If Congress can’t even support modest clawbacks, fiscal doom isn’t speculative, it’s inevitable.” “President Trump has made it clear: Wasteful, unnecessary, or ideologically driven programs and spending must go. The House acted on this mandate. Now, the Senate must do the same. The House—and more importantly, the American people—will be watching,” the lawmakers wrote. “This is a defining moment. Will the Senate stand firm, reject pressure to preserve the status quo, and reaffirm its commitment to leadership and fiscal responsibility? The answer will shape both the future of President Trump’s presidency and the direction of our nation. Respect the President’s plan. Preserve the cuts passed by the House.” The rescissions process allows the president to request Congress block some of the discretionary funds it appropriates every fiscal year. A rescissions package must pass the House and Senate within 45 days of introduction to allow those funds to remain blocked, otherwise they must be released. However, the process also gives the party in power a fast track by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51. House and Senate Republicans are both still dealing with razor-thin majorities of three votes each with full attendance, however, meaning any such vote is almost guaranteed to be close. When reached for a response, Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office pointed Fox News Digital to comments the South Dakota Republican made to reporters on Monday. “We’re hearing people out, and we are obviously weighing what an amendment process on the floor might look like – what, if any, changes could be made in advance of the floor, but we’re hoping to have a vote to proceed to it tomorrow, and the motion to discharge vote tomorrow, so we’ll have to finalize some of the conversations we’re having with our colleagues about an amendment process prior to that,” Thune said.
Former Obama staffer rips Cuomo campaign video: ‘No message, no charisma’
A former staffer of former President Barack Obama shredded a campaign video by New York City mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to socialist Zohran Mamdani last month. “This is one of the least compelling campaign videos that I have ever seen,” Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama White House deputy communications director and advisor, wrote on X. “Just a visibly annoyed man wearing an ill-fitting shirt saying things he clearly doesn’t believe,” Pfeiffer said, stating that Cuomo had “No message,” “No charisma,” and that the video did not have any “compelling visuals.” Cuomo released the campaign video formalizing his independent mayoral bid on Monday, with the accompanying comment, “In it to win it.” ‘IN IT TO WIN IT’: CUOMO REFUSES TO BACK DOWN IN HEATED NYC MAYORAL RACE AGAINST ZOHRAN MAMDANI Reached by Fox News Digital, a Cuomo campaign spokesman noted that the video had accrued more than 12 million views in less than a day since it was published online. “If the insular pod saves America guys don’t like something, it must mean we’re in the right track,” the spokesman added of Pfeiffer, who co-hosts the leading progressive podcast titled, “Pod Saves America.” MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’ Cuomo’s video begins with him standing in a New York City park saying that “unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that the Democratic primary did not go the way that I had hoped.” “To the 400,040 New Yorkers who voted for me, a sincere thank you. Thank you for believing in me and in my agenda and experience,” the former three-term governor turned mayoral candidate said. “I am truly sorry that I let you down. But as my grandfather used to say, ‘when you get knocked down, learn the lesson and pick yourself back up and get in the game, and that is what I’m going to do.” Cuomo delivered his message while footage played of him shaking the hands of people on the street and in the subway system. “The fight to save our city isn’t over. Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary,” Cuomo said. “The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it. My opponent, Mr. Mamdani, offers slick slogans but no real solutions. We need a city with lower rent, safer streets, where buying your first home is once again possible, where childcare won’t bankrupt you. That’s the New York City we know. That’s the one that is still possible.” “You haven’t given up on it, and you deserve a mayor with the experience and ideas to make it happen again. And the guts to take on anyone who stands in the way,” Cuomo added. “Everyday I’m going to be hitting the streets, meeting you where you are to hear the good and the bad, problems and solutions. Because for the next few months, it’s my responsibility to earn your vote. So let’s do this. I’ll see you out there.” Mamdani’s primary victory over Cuomo and nine other candidates three weeks ago rocked the Democratic Party, and boosted the Ugandan-born 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s most populous city. Mamdani surged to a primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living. Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5, and setting up government-run grocery stores. Thanks in part to the efforts of a massive grassroots army of volunteers, he rode a wave of support from younger and progressive voters to catapult into first place over Cuomo, who had been the front-runner. In deep blue New York City, the Democratic primary winner is largely favored to win the general election. If Mamdani wins in November, he will be the first Muslim and millennial mayor of New York City. Mamdani was raised in Uganda and then Cape Town, South Africa, until moving at age 7 to New York City, where he attended Bronx High School of Science. Mamdani’s father is a Columbia University professor who sits on the advisory council of an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel, routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing “genocide”, and has expressed sympathy for suicide bombers. His mother is a celebrated Indian filmmaker. Mamdani notably declined in a June interview to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” sparking serious concern from Jewish New Yorkers facing increased antisemitism in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas terrorists in Israel. Also on the general election ballot is Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his primary bid earlier this year amid sinking poll numbers in the wake of numerous controversies. Adams is running as an independent. Other candidates in the general election are Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor running as an independent, and Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who, for a second straight election, is the Republican mayoral nominee. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Andrew Mark Miller and Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.
Federal judges refuse to permanently appoint interim US attorney in NY
A panel of federal judges declined to permanently appoint an interim U.S. attorney who reportedly claimed just days ago that his extension was approved. The term of John Sarcone — who was appointed to the role of United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York on an interim basis by Attorney General Pamela Bondi in March – is set to expire Tuesday, according to WXXI. “The Board of Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York declines to exercise the authority granted pursuant to 28 U.S. Code § 546(d) to appoint a United States attorney for the Northern District of New York,” the panel said in a statement Monday, without elaborating further. Last month, Sarcone told Fox News that he feared for his life after allegedly being confronted by a knife-wielding illegal immigrant in Albany, the capital of New York. The Department of Homeland Security said on June 17, Saul Morales-Garcia, who is from El Salvador, “lunged at Sarcone with a knife while yelling aggressively in a foreign language.” KNIFE-WIELDING ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF THREATENING US ATTORNEY ON ALBANY, NY STREETS In the lead-up to the panel’s statement, Sarcone said Friday he received word that the federal judges had voted to extend his appointment, WNYT reported. However, the panel later issued a statement to the station saying “The Board of Judges of the Northern District of New York has taken no action with respect to U. S. Attorney Sarcone.” Sarcone’s hopes of returning to the position on a permanent basis now rely on being formally nominated by President Donald Trump and then being confirmed by the Senate, WXXI reported. The Northern District of New York stretches from central New York all the way to the Canadian border and includes the cities of Albany, Syracuse and Binghamton. US ATTORNEY NARROWLY ESCAPES KNIFE ATTACK BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, BLAMES NEW YORK’S SANCTUARY POLICIES “Thank you, Attorney General Bondi, for trusting me to carry out this important mission and most importantly thank you President Trump for once again having faith and confidence in me to do my part to accomplish one of your most important tasks – to restore public confidence and trust in our government and the Department of Justice,” Sarcone said when he was appointed on an interim basis in March. The Department of Justice said Sarcone would be based in Albany and “has been a dedicated public servant and lawyer for many years. “From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Sarcone served as Northeast and Caribbean Regional Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration, overseeing a large team responsible for federal buildings and facilities, procurement, and IT initiatives, and working with dozens of federal agencies and courthouses, including in the Northern District of New York. Earlier in his career, he served as Town Attorney in Eastchester, New York, and General Counsel to the United Federation of Special Police Officers, Inc. and to the Association of Commuter Rail Employees,” it said. “Mr. Sarcone also founded and built a general practice law firm, providing advice to small businesses and family-owned corporations, handling large real estate transactions, and litigating and arbitrating in areas including business and construction disputes, insurance defense, and toxic torts,” the Department of Justice added. In the Western District of New York, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo was permanently appointed last month before his interim appointment expired, according to WXXI.
Hawley urges DHS Secretary Noem to declassify all Trump Butler rally assassination attempt documents
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to declassify all documents related to the assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Hawley’s request comes a year after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired off several shots at Trump from a rooftop near the presidential rally grounds. The gunman had a clear shot and grazed the president’s ear. Even after a year, though, questions still remain about how Crooks was able to get a clear shot. In his letter to Noem, Hawley mentions the one-year anniversary of the first assassination attempt on Trump. RAND PAUL SAYS WE ‘AREN’T GOING TO KNOW’ THE MOTIVE OF TRUMP’S WOULD-BE ASSASSIN “This occasion marks a deeply troubling chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency in preserving public trust during moments of national crisis,” he wrote. “To that end, I urge you to take the necessary steps to declassify all documents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the events of July 13, 2024. “As you know, assassination attempts against current and former presidents are rare but profoundly consequential events in American life,” Hawley continued. “And the American people rightly expect full transparency from their government.” The senator pointed to investigation stonewalling tactics from the Biden administration’s Secret Service and DHS, which he said ultimately denied basic facts to the American people. COULD BUTLER HAPPEN AGAIN? FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WEIGH IN ON POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 2025 “The public learned far more from whistleblowers than they did from public officials, and I released a report documenting these disclosures, many of which have been corroborated to date,” Hawley wrote. “In October of last year, in a unanimous vote, the Homeland Security Committee passed my legislation requiring the Secret Service release to the public all pertinent documents. “Now, I am requesting that you immediately declassify and release all documents relating to the first assassination attempt on President Trump within the full extent of your authority, subject only to the narrowest possible redactions necessary to protect ongoing operations or individual safety,” he said. “The public deserves a full and accurate account of this event, the circumstances that allowed it to happen, and the steps the government has taken since to strengthen protective measures.” Hawley requested a complete inventory of all classified or non-public materials related to the first assassination attempt on Trump, including reports, internal communications, threat assessments, after-action reviews and coordinated records with other agencies. CRITICAL SECURITY LAPSES BY SECRET SERVICE EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT He also requested a formal explanation for the continued classification of materials Noem believes must remain restricted, as well as a proposed plan and timeline for the immediate declassification and public release of all remaining documents, all by July 30, 2025. Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment on the matter. Hawley released a report in September, detailing the failures of the Secret Service in connection with the attempted assassination of Trump in July, which included whistleblower allegations that are “highly damaging to the credibility” of the agency. The report uncovered a “compounding pattern of negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence that goes back years, all of which culminated in an assassination attempt that came inches from succeeding.” ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING, WITNESSES SAY INVESTIGATIONS LEAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS Hawley accused the Secret Service, FBI and DHS of all trying “to evade real accountability.” “These agencies and their leaders have slow-walked congressional investigations, misled the American people, and shirked responsibility,” the report states. After the first of two assassination attempts against Trump in just over two months, Hawley visited the Butler rally site to interview whistleblowers and opened up a whistleblower tip line, encouraging those with relevant information to share with officials. Documents subpoenaed by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs also show major failures among the six U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents who were suspended without pay in response to the assassination attempt. The documents were based on interviews with the agents and their colleagues and revealed that several agents admitted the existence of major security concerns at the Butler rally, but none of them elevated the concerns or helped produce a plan to properly cover the roof that provided Crooks a clear shot of Trump. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The documents show that some agents in charge never even conducted walk-throughs of the site. For example, the lead advance agent, documents show, never did a final security walk-through of the rally site because she was in the hospital for heat exhaustion, the special agent in charge said when questioned. Some of the agents were suspended without pay for various terms, though none of the agents were fired.
Obama tells Democrat big wigs to ‘toughen up,’ start backing candidates that can actually win
Former President Barack Obama had blunt words for Democratic Party donors, telling them at a Friday fundraiser to “toughen up” and “stop looking for a quick fix” after the Democratic Party became locked out of power following the 2024 election cycle. “I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Obama said at the fundraiser, according to excerpts obtained by CNN. “Don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something.” Obama is not alone in urging his fellow Democratic colleagues to take a more aggressive approach following the GOP’s momentum in 2024. The former president articulated that his view of becoming more aggressive and toughening up means standing up for policies and candidates that are unpopular, or that may make lawmakers feel uncomfortable, but in the end have the best chance to deliver. FORMER OBAMA SPEECHWRITER ADMITS SHUNNING CONSERVATIVE IN HIS FAMILY WAS A MISTAKE “Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech, and then you’re quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard. When somebody says something that you don’t like, but you still say, ‘You know what? That person has the right to speak.’ … What’s needed now is courage,” Obama added in his remarks at the fundraiser, which drew in $2.5 million and was hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy Murphy, at their home. “Stop looking for the quick fix,” he added. “Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.” The former president pointed particularly at the upcoming elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Later this year, Virginia will face a major gubernatorial battle between incumbent GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former long-time Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va. In New Jersey, Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who was reportedly in attendance at the Friday fundraiser, is running for her state’s open gubernatorial seat against GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli. RAHM EMANUEL WARNS DEMS HAVE BECOME PARTY OF ‘PUNKS’ WHO ‘TALK DOWN TO PEOPLE’ AND FRET OVER IDENTITY POLITICS Both states will also hold new state House elections and a slate of other local elections. In Virginia, there will also be a special election this year to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Amid his remarks, Obama described Spanberger and Sherrill as “powerful spokespersons for a pragmatic, commonsense desire to help people and who both have remarkable track records of service.” “The most important thing you can do right now is to help the team, our candidate to win,” he said. “And we’ve got to start building up our coffers in the DNC.” Obama acknowledged the party’s increasing propensity to nominate progressive, far-left candidates, such as the recent choice of Zohran Mamdani over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race, but argued that what they are promoting and what centrist Democrats are pushing are not mutually exclusive. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “There’s been, I gather, some argument between the left of the party and people who are promoting the quote-unquote abundance agenda. Listen, those things are not contradictory. You want to deliver for people and make their lives better? You got to figure out how to do it,” Obama said Friday. “I don’t care how much you love working people. They can’t afford a house because all the rules in your state make it prohibitive to build. And zoning prevents multifamily structures because of NIMBY,” he added, referring to “not in my backyard” views by residents who oppose development in their neighborhoods. “I don’t want to know your ideology, because you can’t build anything. It does not matter.” Obama said that what was being asked of his fellow Democratic Party leaders was to “make some effort to stand up” for what they believe is right, even if it makes them a “little bit uncomfortable.” Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Trump admin seeks to overturn federal restraining order limiting ICE operations in Los Angeles
The Trump administration filed a request with the courts to suspend a temporary restraining order (TRO) that was issued on Friday against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that ruled the agency likely violated constitutional protections through its immigration enforcement practices in Los Angeles. In a 53-page order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, a Biden appointee, barred ICE from conducting detentive stops in the Central District of California unless agents have “reasonable suspicion” that a person is in the country unlawfully. Frimpong’s ruling explicitly prohibits ICE from relying solely on race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, location, or type of work when forming suspicion, citing the Fourth Amendment. In its filing on Monday, the Trump administration said the lawsuit was originally filed by three individual aliens requesting to be released from immigration detention. LOS ANGELES JUDGE WEIGHS SEVERE LIMITS ON TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA “But, apparently seeking to manipulate the process of judicial assignment, the original petitioners’ counsel then filed an amended complaint adding a host of new individual and organizational plaintiffs, leveling systemic challenges to federal immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area,” the Trump administration wrote. “And a day later, on the eve of the July 4 holiday, they filed an ‘emergency’ ex parte motion asking the court to impose a straight-jacket injunction that would vastly restrict the government’s ability to stop and detain anyone on suspicion of being unlawfully present in the United States.” The Trump administration also said the court gave them just two business days to respond to hundreds of pages of discovery. “The result is a sweeping, district-wide injunction that threatens to bobble lawful immigration enforcement by hanging a Damocles sword of contempt over every immigration stop,” the Trump administration said. “The government seeks an immediate stay of that untenable order pending appeal, and an administrative stay in the meantime.” The Trump administration argued that Frimpong ignored the recent Supreme Court ruling involving the president that rejects universal injunctions – the judge’s ruling on Friday was not nationwide but instead was focused on Los Angeles and the Central District of California. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUES LOS ANGELES OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES THAT ‘IMPEDE’ ICE OPERATIONS “Immediate relief is warranted here not only because of the magnitude of the court’s legal errors, but also their practical consequences for the separation of powers and the government’s sovereign prerogatives,” the filing reads. “It is untenable for a district judge to single-handedly ‘restructure the operations’ of federal immigration enforcement and usurp ‘ongoing judicial supervision of an agency normally, and properly, overseen by the executive branch.’” Frimpong presided over a hearing Thursday where she considered granting the request that will have major implications for immigration enforcement in California, a state that has become a focal point in President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation plans. The judge heard arguments about whether to grant the TRO against ICE over allegations the agency is violating constitutional rights during its immigration arrests. FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP’S PLAN TO CUT FUNDING FOR SANCTUARY STATES THAT REFUSE TO COOPERATE Frimpong said during the hearing on Thursday that she was leaning toward granting the TRO Friday. “I think it’s important for the court not to burden otherwise lawful law enforcement activities,” the judge said. The case was initially brought in June as a routine petition from three detainees, but it has ballooned into a weighty lawsuit challenging the way ICE operates. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, on Friday, praised the federal court’s decision to issue a temporary restraining order halting what she described as “unconstitutional and reckless raids conducted under the Trump Administration.” She characterized the federal actions as aggressive and harmful and reaffirmed Los Angeles’ commitment to protecting its residents’ rights. Immigration rights groups and local governments, including the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver, and West Hollywood, have all intervened in the case and Democrat-led states have filed an amicus brief in support of them. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP TO RETURN CONTROL OF CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD TO NEWSOM The plaintiffs alleged in court papers that ICE is “indiscriminately” arresting people with “brown skin” at Home Depots, car washes, farms and more. Authorities made the arrests with no “reasonable suspicion” and sometimes mistakenly apprehended U.S. citizens in the process, all in violation of the Fourth Amendment, attorneys wrote. The plaintiffs argued the Trump administration gave ICE an unrealistic quota of 3,000 arrests per day, causing officers to feel pressured to blow past legal requirements to achieve those numbers. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is disputing the allegations and denies wrongdoing. Department of Justice attorneys wrote that immigration arrests, of which there have been nearly 3,000 across California since early June, have been carried out legally. Fox News’ Ashley Oliver, Bill Melugin, Cameron Arcand, Jasmine Baehr and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Cuomo opponents slam his re-entry into NYC mayor race, say city wants to move on from ex governor
The Democratic, Republican and independent candidates for New York City mayor don’t often agree on much, but they appear to be in lock-step over the view that New Yorkers want someone different than former Governor Andrew Cuomo to run the Big Apple. Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, the Democratic and Republican nominees for New York City mayor, were quick to respond to Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he will stay in the race as an independent after the former governor of New York lost his Democratic primary a few weeks ago. While blasting Cuomo, the pair also used the opportunity to slam incumbent independent mayoral candidate Eric Adams, who, on Monday, said Cuomo “had his opportunity” already, but New Yorkers no longer buy his message. “Andrew is a double-digit loser in the primary. He lost by 12 points. He had his opportunity. He spent $25 million to get his message out. New York has heard it. He did not sell it,” Adams said at a Monday press conference. The comments followed a separate press release his campaign put out Sunday amid rumors Cuomo would be re-joining the race as an Independent, saying that Cuomo’s “political double-dealing” was the reason why New Yorkers have “lost trust” in him. MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY “I welcome everyone to this race, and I am as confident as I have been since three weeks ago on primary night when we faced Andrew Cuomo,” Democratic Party nominee Mamdani said at a Monday press conference following Cuomo’s announcement. “We did so because of the fact that while Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams trip over themselves to make deals in back rooms with billionaires, we are focused on fighting for working New Yorkers. I think he’s struggling to come to terms with what [Cuomo’s primary loss] meant.” Mamdani added that while Cuomo may have envisioned himself as becoming the next mayor, the Democratic primary results showed NYC’s “hunger for a new kind of politics.” “I understand that it is difficult for the former governor to come to terms with [his loss] because it is a repudiation of the politics that he has practiced that he has known for so many years, and it is that same politics that we are turning the page on.” MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’ Sliwa, the GOP’s nominee in the NYC mayoral race, also took the opportunity Monday following Cuomo’s announcement he would be re-entering the race to slam not just Cuomo, but Adams as well, telling Fox News Digital the two are working eagerly to “cling to relevance.” “Andrew Cuomo lost his primary and hides in the Hamptons. Eric Adams skipped his and fled to Fort Lauderdale. Now they’re both running as independents to cling to relevance,” Sliwa said Monday. “I’m the only candidate with a major party nomination, a 50-year record of serving New Yorkers, and a real path to victory. While they play musical chairs on a sinking ship, I’m out campaigning in NYC, listening, leading, and fighting to win it for the people. Let the voters decide this November.” In response to the criticism, a campaign representative for Cuomo zeroed in on Adams’ comments. “This is a primary that the mayor didn’t participate in because he knew he’d lose,” Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. “The governor got 36,000 more votes three weeks ago than the mayor got four years ago, when he was at the height of his popularity and people actually wanted to give him a chance.” Azzopardi also pointed to an email Cuomo sent to supporters Monday noting he “made mistakes in the primary,” such as being too comfortable with polling that showed he was the front-runner. The email also spoke to Mamdani, but did not directly address Sliwa. “I do not believe that New York City voters affirmatively voted for a socialist form of government that is hostile to business and economic growth, and I do believe that Zohran Mamdani poses a serious threat to the future of the city we love. I will give it my all to stop him,” the email from Cuomo stated. “I also believe that all of us who love New York City must be united in running the strongest possible candidate against Zohran Mamdani in the November general election for mayor. Our common goal must be to run the strongest candidate against Mr. Mamdani. That is why I have accepted the proposal put forth by former Governor David Paterson and candidate Jim Walden that, in mid-September, we will determine which candidate is strongest against Mamdani and all other candidates will stand down, rather than act as spoilers and guarantee Mamdani’s election.” On Monday, incumbent mayor Adams slammed the proposal mentioned by Cuomo in his email to supporters, which seeks to get the rest of the campaign field to pledge to consolidate around the strongest non-Mamdani candidate. “This proposal that was put out. It was Andrew’s proposal. He uses people to put things out that he really would like to come later and say, ‘OK, I endorse what an independent person is doing,’” Adams said Monday.
Trump Butler rally Secret Service team failed multiple basic protocols before assassination attempt, docs reveal
Documents subpoenaed by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs show major failures among the six U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents who were suspended without pay in response to an assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. While the USSS had previously told Fox News that the agents were disciplined in February, the paperwork shows that five of the agents were not disciplined until April, which is when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., subpoenaed the records. USSS interviews show that the main site agent was unprepared and undertrained, and fellow agents said she had no idea what she was doing in Butler. The campaign rally marked the first time the agent had secured an outdoor rally, and agents on the ground claimed she lacked basic knowledge, according to the report. TRUMP DIRECTS SECRET SERVICE TO GIVE HIM ‘EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION’ ABOUT HIS ATTEMPTED ASSASSINS: REPORT The interviews also unveiled that several agents admitted the existence of major security concerns at the Butler rally, but none of them elevated the concerns or helped produce a plan to properly cover the roof that provided 20-year-old Thomas Crooks a clear shot of Trump. The documents show that some agents in charge never even conducted walk-throughs of the site. For example, the lead advance agent, documents show, never did a final security walk through of the rally site because she was in the hospital for heat exhaustion, the special agent in charge said when questioned. But the documents also provide a deeper dive into the six agents who were disciplined because of failures in the security detail. SECRET SERVICE SUSPENDS 6 AGENTS TASKED WITH PROTECTING TRUMP DURING JULY 2024 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT The lead advance agent had 21 years with the USSS, with six of those years spent in the vice-presidential protective division. Despite April documents showing the agent was suspended without pay for 21 days, the agent ended up getting a 14-day suspension. According to the Secret Service, the agent was the most senior and experienced agent on the advance team, yet she failed to secure the rally site. The documents show the lead agent was aware of line-of-sight concerns, but she failed to address the issue or produce a plan to secure the building. SECRET SERVICE CHANGES THE AGENCY HAS MADE POST-TRUMP BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT During her interview, the lead agent said she did not know three local snipers were inside the AGR building instead of on the rooftop where Crooks was perched when he shot Trump. The counter sniper team lead had 10 years of experience with the USSS, with two years in the uniformed divisions and eight with the counter sniper program. The counter sniper lead was suspended for 52 days without pay in April, but only had to serve 35 days. He is currently on official restricted duty status. The agent is accused of not walking the entire Butler rally site and instead using “Google and stuff” to get a look at the grounds. He also failed to talk or collaborate with local sniper teams and never picked up radios offered by local law enforcement to communicate with other teams. ‘ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM’: CALLS FOR MORE ACTION AFTER SECRET SERVICE AGENTS SUSPENDED FOR SECURITY FAILURE The Secret Service said with the lead sniper’s level of experience, he should have known how to successfully secure the grounds. The sniper also said during interviews that he received text messages about Crooks being suspicious, but failed to alert the lead site agent and security room. One of the site agents who was disciplined had five years of experience with the USSS and was originally notified in April that she would be suspended for three days. But the Secret Service changed the length of discipline to 42 days without pay, documents show. The Secret Service said the agent failed to communicate that there was an active threat on the day of the rally, to the team on the ground. The Secret Service also said the agent blamed others for the security failures, but she was the one who was ultimately responsible for all security. CRITICAL SECURITY LAPSES BY SECRET SERVICE EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT After the assassination attempt, the agent spoke with a reporter and shared information about the behind the scenes of the rally, the documents show. The senior special agent site counterpart had 20 years of experience, including experience dealing with presidential details. According to the documents, the counterpart was disciplined in April for 14 days without pay, though she argued she should not be punished. Instead, the agent blamed the site agent. The senior special agent site counterpart was supposed to be responsible for securing the site and identifying threats, the documents show. COULD BUTLER HAPPEN AGAIN? FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WEIGH IN ON POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 2025 During interviews, the counterpart told the USSS that the site agent she was working with did not know “basic things,” adding that it was not her job to “coach” the site agent. The Secret Service also said local police emailed the senior counterpart their plans to secure the area, but she never opened or read the plans. The special agent in charge from the Pittsburgh field office had 24 years of experience with the USSS, and just days after the rally was placed on telework status. In November, the agent was reassigned to work with the cybertraining program, and in January he was told he would be suspended for 14 days without pay. According to the documents, the agent said under questioning that he did not know there was a threat against Trump before the rally. The agent told the Secret Service that if he had known about the threat, he would have recommended moving the rally inside or would have asked for more resources. The agent also told the Secret Service that the team assigned to Trump’s protective detail knew about the threats and
DOJ rejects Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal in SCOTUS response
The Department of Justice on Monday asked the Supreme Court to deny Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghilaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex-trafficking conviction, a move that comes as the department has recently come under fire for its handling of Epstein’s case files. Maxwell, 63, was convicted by a jury in New York in 2021 of five counts involving sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Maxwell appealed her conviction, saying it should be tossed out for several reasons, including that a plea deal Epstein reached with the federal government in 2007 immunized her and that statutes of limitations had run out. JEFFREY EPSTEIN DIED BY SUICIDE, DID NOT HAVE CLIENT LIST: DOJ The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied her appeal, but Maxwell argued that circuit courts have issued disparate orders about what kind of immunity is granted through non-prosecutorial agreements, such as the one Epstein received in 2007, and that the Supreme Court should weigh in. Maxwell is serving out her prison sentence in Tallahassee, Florida. It is set to end in 2037. The DOJ’s response to the high court comes after the department recently ignited fury among a faction of President Donald Trump’s supporters by announcing it had no new information to release related to Epstein’s case. Epstein was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking underage women, but he died before he could stand trial. Authorities ruled his death was caused by suicide. BONDI UNDER SIEGE AFTER DOJ REVEALS NO EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST Some Trump DOJ officials had advanced theories that the government was hiding information related to Epstein’s case, but they have since walked back those claims. Congress could call on Maxwell to testify before lawmakers. Citing anonymous sources, the Daily Mail reported Monday that Maxwell is interested in doing that. Maxwell’s attorney did not respond to a Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the report. Her attorney did, however, take a jab at the Trump DOJ over its position on Maxwell’s appeal. “I’d be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal,” attorney David Oscar Markus said. “He’s the ultimate dealmaker — and I’m sure he’d agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it. With all the talk about who’s being prosecuted and who isn’t, it’s especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the government made and broke.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Biden Chief of Staff OK’d Autopen Pardons, Email Reveals
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – Trump’s whirlwind week ahead to include meeting with NATO chief, ‘major’ announcement on Russia – UK to roll out red carpet in ‘unprecedented’ second Trump visit hosted by King Charles – Democrats seize on Epstein files drama with new transparency calls Former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff issued final approval for multiple high-profile preemptive pardons during Biden’s final days in office, according to a new report. Biden’s alleged use of the autopen has become a sticking point for months, as President Donald Trump has said thousands of pardons Biden signed were void and claimed that the former president did not know what documents he was signing through the automated device. Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons on his final day to officials, including former chief medical advisor to the president Anthony Fauci and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, in an attempt to safeguard them from retribution from Trump… READ MORE. FAITH MEETS FORTUNE: Trump gathers CEOs for unprecedented faith, economy meeting to renew US ‘spiritually and financially’ PUTIN’S RECKONING: Trump’s whirlwind week ahead to include meeting with NATO chief, ‘major’ announcement on Russia ‘GOD ALONE SAVED ME’: Trump says ‘American spirit’ triumphs over ‘forces of evil’ on anniversary of Butler assassination attempt CLOCK TICKING: Mother of slain soldier held by Hamas terrorists for 4,000 days makes plea to Trump PROJECT UNDERWATER: Navy delays next-gen submarine to 2040, threatening US sea power NO CUTS AHEAD: Trump urges rate cuts to boost savings, but Fed says economy is strong DEAL OR TARIFFS: Trump, Rutte announce ‘really big’ NATO arms package amid new 50 day deadline to Putin ‘NATO IS PAYING’: Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, adding Putin ‘talks nice and then he bombs’ SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: UK to roll out red carpet in ‘unprecedented’ second Trump visit hosted by King Charles ‘BLOOD COVENANT’: Iranian crowdfunding campaign claims to raise $40M as reward for assassinating Trump ALLIES ON NOTICE: Pentagon presses Japan, Australia on role in possible Taiwan conflict ‘PUT UP’: Democrats seize on Epstein files drama with new transparency calls ‘TRUE WARRIOR’: FIRST ON FOX: ‘A true warrior’: Retiring Rep Mark Green endorses his potential replacement in GOP race TRADE TIDE TURNS: From cattle to crude: How Trump’s tariffs are rattling the Lone Star State CASH AMID CHAOS: Hochul hauls in big bucks amid lackluster poll numbers and calls to endorse Mamdani ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’: Mamdani’s failure to walk back these positions could cause reckoning in Democratic Party: ‘Five-alarm warning’ QUIET EXIT: Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s secluded hideout hits the market ‘HAD A GREAT TIME’: Newsom, Vance exchange jabs over immigration after VP’s California vacation: ‘Hope you enjoy your family time’ ARMED AND DANGEROUS: Suspect wanted in anti-ICE Texas ambush previously sued in past protest incident Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.