Vulnerable House Dem facing heat for ‘dodging’ questions about socialist Mamdani’s rise
As socialist Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral primary win continues to send shock waves through the political landscape, so-called moderate Democrats have increasingly faced calls to disavow or explain their support for the surging candidate, including Rep. Josh Riley, who so far has declined to publicly distance himself. Riley, who represents New York’s 19th Congressional District, which is ranked by the Cook Political report as “Lean Democrat” heading into next year’s midterms, “dodged reporters” on his stance on Mamdami in late June, Axios reported. “Despite Mamdani being a completely out of touch radical, Josh Riley won’t condemn him,” the National Republican Congressional Committee blasted out in an email the next day. “Perhaps that’s because he agrees with Zohran Mamdani’s socialist agenda?” Mamdani’s victory, on a platform consisting of a laundry list of far-left agenda items, including city-run grocery stores, defunding the police, safe injection sites and raising the minimum wage to $30, has highlighted a schism within the Democratic Party, with some elected officials supporting him and some condemning him. NEW YORK DEMOCRATS SAY MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ‘TOO EXTREME TO LEAD’ Fox News Digital reached out to Riley’s campaign for comment on specifically where he stands on Mamdani’s campaign but did not receive a response. “Josh Riley won’t denounce dangerous socialist Zohran Mamdani because they share the same far-left agenda,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told Fox News Digital in a statement. “His campaign is bankrolled by the exact same radical donors backing Mamdani.” TRUMP TORCHES ‘100% COMMUNIST LUNATIC’ MAMDANI, DEM BACKERS AFTER SHOCK NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY WIN A Fox News Digital review of FEC records did show some overlap between Riley and Mamdani donors, including over $10,000 in contributions to Riley from several individuals who also donated to Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. Spending records show the two candidates also have shared vendors, including Grassroots Analytics and Scale to Win, for fundraising and compliance consulting. Riley and Mamdani share a few notable endorsements as well from far-left groups, including MoveOn.org, the New York Working Families Party and the New York Progressive Action Network. The race in NY-19, which will come as the GOP attempts to hold a razor-thin majority in the House, is expected to be highly competitive. Former VP Kamala Harris narrowly edged out President Donald Trump in 2024 in the district by a single percentage point. Riley’s hesitation to take a firm stance in support of Mamdani and his policies represents a growing trend in the national political conversation. Some believe that progressives like Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are the face of the party while other Democrats have attempted to moderate and steer away from far-left positions. “It is a political realignment that overwhelmingly favors Republicans and Mamdani’s stunning win just makes the problem worse for Democrats,” columnist David Marcus recently wrote for FoxNews.com. “Republicans will have reason to rejoice if Democrats can’t tac to the center, but for New York City, there is no joy; fewer than half a million radical leftists have all but elected a socialist to govern a city of 9 million souls, and if Chicago and San Francisco are anything to learn from, it won’t end well. “Time is running out for the old establishment Democrats, and one must begin to wonder if they are ever going to even try to fight back.”
Biden’s doctor arrives for closed-door interview in House health probe
Biden White House Physician Kevin O’Connor arrived for a closed-door deposition Wednesday. The House Oversight Committee wants answers from Biden’s former doctor. He did not answer a battery of questions from Fox News about doctor-patient confidentiality or the former president’s mental state as he walked into the meeting. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, the progressive firebrand who recently lost her bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, made a surprise appearance at the event, though she said nothing to reporters on the way in. She and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., were the only lawmakers seen arriving. The White House has waived executive privilege, making it harder for him to refuse to testify on the grounds that his conversations with the president were protected. WHITE HOUSE WAIVES EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGES FOR BIDEN DOCTOR KEVIN O’CONNOR IN COVER-UP PROBE Still, O’Connor’s lawyers warn that testifying could violate doctor-patient confidentiality and risk his medical license. GOP Sen. Roger Marshall, a physician, said both sides have valid concerns, but the committee called it a stall tactic and warned that no-showing could lead to contempt charges. Republicans want to know what tests were done—and whether Biden’s inner circle pressured O’Connor to say he was fit for office. BIDEN AIDES PUSHES FOR EARLY DEBATE TO SHOW OFF BIDEN’S ‘STRENGTH’, EXPOSES TRUMP’S ‘WEAKNESS,’ BOOK SAYS Jill Biden’s so-called “work husband,” Anthony Bernthal, has been subpoenaed after backing out, with top insiders—Ron Klain, Steve Ricchetti, and Ashley Williams—next in line. So far, the committee has held just one interview — with former Domestic Policy Director Neera Tanden, who said she was authorized to use the autopen but didn’t know who in the president’s inner circle gave the final green light. Comer said Wednesday, “We have a lot of questions. i think everybody in America has questions about, learning about the recent cancer diagnosis…did he have cancer while he was president? With the Tapper book and what we believe is going to be in the Jean-Pierre book, that would suggest that people were covering up the president’s mental decline. But yet Dr. O’Connor’s reports were glowing with, you know, how healthy the president was.” “I think the president, the state of the president’s health is the transparency that we all expect. The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the world. The American people have a right to know the health condition of the president, both physical and mental,” he said. “There’s more and more evidence that comes out every day that would suggest that the president was in a pretty severe mental decline. So we’re going to ask about that and see what the doctor has to say.” Comer said he did not “believe” O’Connor could “hide behind” doctor-patient confidentiality, citing Biden’s position as president.
The revolution will be livestreamed: How Zohran Mamdani won the NYC primary online
Socialist 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory shocked the Democratic Party establishment this June, as his campaign played into the hands of an evolving – and chronically online – New York City electorate. Scrolling through Mamdani’s social media, his TikTok and Instagram pages resemble that of a New York City influencer. From the film-like filters and consistent fonts on his vertical videos to the cameos from celebrities, including model Emily Ratajkowski and comedian Bowen Yang, Mamdani’s videos have amassed millions of views. However, if his social media strategy wasn’t enough to attract voters’ attention, the primary colors of his campaign graphics are likely to turn heads. Mamdani’s cobalt blue, poster-like red and taxi-cab or MetroCard yellow are bright compared to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s muted red, white and blue color scheme. Mamdani’s politics are a departure from the establishment Democratic Party, as the self-described Democratic socialist campaigned on taxing the 1% and creating government-run grocery stores, among other radical proposals. If Mamdani wins in November, he will not just become the first Muslim mayor, but the first millennial mayor of New York City. DEMS AT A CROSSROADS AS ESTABLISHMENT PLANS ‘PROJECT 2029’ WHILE SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WINS NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress. She was 29 years old when she took office in 2019, in a blue wave that elected progressive “Squad” members during President Donald Trump‘s first midterm elections. DEM SOCIALIST’S NYC PRIMARY UPSET SIGNALS ‘GENERATIONAL’ SHIFT IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, STRATEGISTS SAY Known by her supporters and detractors as AOC, the progressive Democrat was quick to seize on her millennial social media sixth sense. She has made plenty of headlines from her off-script Instagram lives and stories as her supporters and constituents chime in with questions for the Bronx and Queens representative. The social media strategy is one used by influencers, but in an ever-evolving media landscape, more politicians have seized on viral moments to send their message to the masses. Trump successfully used new media during the 2024 presidential election, appearing on long-form podcasts and creating viral TikTok videos. Ocasio-Cortez, along with her fellow Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, endorsed Mamdani ahead of New York City’s primary election. On primary day in New York City, Ocasio-Cortez hosted an Instagram Live conversation with Mamdani, who had a simple but effective message: “If I win, that rent’s getting frozen. If Andrew Cuomo wins, the rent’s going up.” On the Friday before the election, Mamdani walked the entire length of Manhattan, shaking hands with ordinary New Yorkers and supporters alike. However, Mamdani didn’t just walk through Manhattan, he documented the journey, bringing his followers along for the ride just like an influencer would. The walk, from Inwood to Battery Park, has become somewhat of a rite of passage for New York City influencers over the past few years, as walking clubs like City Girls Who Walk NYC, and “Hot Girl Walks” have gained popularity in the fitness space. Mamdani appeared on the popular “Subway Takes” podcast, sharing his campaign pitch to Kareem Rahma’s 1 million followers. Additionally, he joined 25-year-old progressive Democrat star David Hogg for man-on-the-street-style interviews in Washington Square Park, the site of popular TikTok series like, “What’s Poppin?” Hogg recently left the Democratic National Committee (DNC) after stirring up tension over his $20 million plan to primary older incumbent Democrats he said were “asleep at the wheel” through his outside political group, Leaders We Deserve. Mamdani also created his own viral moments on the campaign trail, riding side-by-side on CitiBikes with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, whom Mamdani cross-endorsed on the ranked-choice ballot to secure his win over Cuomo and when he posted his subway-to-courthouse wedding photos covered by The Cut. While another such article by The Cut, “It Must Be Nice to Be a West Village Girl,” by Brock Colyar, carefully articulated the changing landscape and demographic of New York City, Mamdani also met “outer borough voters,” including older and immigrant New Yorkers, online. “One week ago today, we shocked the establishment and redrew the political map of New York City with a campaign relentlessly focused on the needs of working people,” Mamdani said in a social media video, speaking directly to his followers and supporters alike. In the video, Mamdani explained how he won back voters “many had written off,” including Trump voters and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams voters. Mamdani said he built a “coalition” campaign by speaking voters’ languages, or at least trying to, to reflect the “mosaic” of New York City. Speaking in Hindi in another two-minute video with his signature filter, Mamdani even broke down ranked-choice voting ahead of the primary by pouring juice into cups with his and Cuomo’s faces photoshopped on top, to show how consolidating his vote could land Mamdani a victory, and ranked-choice voting did just that.
Senate Republican moves to give US an edge on China in harvesting minerals for weapons systems
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to give the U.S. a leg up in its race against China and to ween the nation off of its reliance on imports of key raw materials needed for weapons systems. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., would like to fast-track the harvesting of raw materials in the U.S. needed for the nation’s defensive capabilities, and plans to blow through federal and judicial red tape to do it. Cotton plans to introduce legislation that would allow critical mineral mining projects deemed necessary to bolster the nation’s military and defensive readiness by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to skirt environmental laws and possible blockages by the courts. ‘WHO WOULDN’T WANT IT?’: NETANYAHU OPEN TO RECEIVING STEALTH BOMBERS, BUNKER-BUSTERS FROM US His bill is designed to give the U.S. an edge against China, the world’s largest producer of critical minerals like cobalt, lithium, graphite and other rare earth minerals used in weapons systems, electric vehicles and consumer electronics. Currently, China produces roughly 60% of the world’s critical mineral supply, and processes up to 90%. SEN. STEVE DAINES SAYS REGIME CHANGE IS THE BEST LONG-TERM PLAN IN IRAN “Current environmental laws put our readiness to counter Communist China at risk and waste taxpayer dollars on projects that stall out and die on the vine,” Cotton said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This bill will create jobs, better arm and prepare our soldiers, and spend taxpayer dollars more efficiently.” Cotton’s bill, dubbed the Necessary Environmental Exemptions for Defense Act, would create a waiver for mining activities and projects related to countering China and to allow the Pentagon to “operate with maximum agility and efficiency to ensure it is prepared to deter and, if necessary, fight and win a conflict with the Chinese Communist Party,” according to bill text first obtained by Fox News Digital. Among the regulations and environmental review standards that could be skirted with the waiver are the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act. SENATE SHUTS DOWN KAINE’S ATTEMPT TO CHECK TRUMP’S WAR POWERS Cotton argued in his legislation that the aforementioned regulations “frequently and unnecessarily delay” the preparedness of the military without “substantial benefit to the environment or protected species,” and that time is of the essence when it comes to national defense. The projects that would fall under the umbrella of the regulation exemption include testing and production and deployment of technologies, systems or equipment and the construction, maintenance, expansion, or repair of facilities or Defense Department infrastructure, among others. It would also prevent projects from being snarled in the courts, as long as the initiative is deemed necessary for military preparedness by the Secretary of Defense. The bill fits into the White House’s broader plan to jump-start critical mineral mining in the country, be it through executive action, a bid to buy Greenland, a minerals agreement with Ukraine, or opening up more offshore mining in the Gulf of America. It also comes after President Donald Trump reached a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping to resume trade of critical minerals after shipments were stopped earlier this year following the White House’s slew of tariffs against China and other countries.
Zohran Mamdani secures victory with ‘most total votes’ in NYC mayoral primary history
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani clinched a historic, and deeply polarizing, victory by officially receiving the most votes ever recorded in a New York City mayoral primary. After three rounds, Mamdani received 565,639 votes, surpassing the previous record of 547,901 votes held by David N. Dinkins in 1989, according to updated ranked-choice voting totals released Tuesday by the NYC Board of Elections. Mamdani celebrated the milestone on X, posting: “With the updated RCV totals just released by the Board of Elections, our campaign has officially earned the most total votes in a primary in New York City history.” NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI IDENTIFIED AS BLACK, ASIAN ON COLUMBIA APPLICATION: REPORT The far-left Assemblymember from Queens secured 565,639 votes after just three rounds of ranked-choice voting, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by nearly 13 points, official BOE data confirms. Cuomo finished with 440,655 votes. Mamdani’s campaign immediately seized on the numbers, touting the result as a “mandate” for progressive policies like a citywide rent freeze, taxpayer-funded childcare, and even “fast and free” public buses. “This movement made history on election night,” Mamdani said in a statement Tuesday, promising to “fulfill our promises to lower costs and build a city working people can afford.” MAMDANI OFFICIALLY WINS NYC DEM PRIMARY BY 12 POINTS OVER CUOMO, WHO’S STAYING IN THE RACE FOR NOW Mamdani, who openly identifies as a Democratic socialist, currently represents Astoria and Long Island City in the New York State Assembly. His two-term record includes pushing for tenant protections, opposing utility rate hikes, and advocating for mass transit subsidies. Ranked-choice voting was used for only the second time in a NYC mayoral primary. Mamdani secured 56.2% of the vote after three rounds, compared to Cuomo’s 43.8%. Mayor Eric Adams needed eight rounds in 2021 to reach a narrow 50.4%. The leftward political shift in New York City has drawn attention from state and national leaders. “I had the first of what I consider to be many conversations with the nominee yesterday,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters Tuesday, adding that they discussed shared affordability goals as well as concerns from Jewish communities that “feel under siege.” Hochul said Mamdani “understands the need” to engage those constituencies. When asked about a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump calling Mamdani a “Communist Luncatic” and implying New York could lose funding under a Mamdani administration, Hochul pushed back firmly. “We’re New Yorkers, we’re not going to be intimidated by threats from Washington, not now, not ever,” she said. With the general election looming, eyes are now on whether Cuomo or other centrist Democrats will mount independent challenges. “President Trump supports Eric Adams, and we do not believe socialism is the answer,” Cuomo campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. “Most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle. We will continue to assess the current situation in the best interest of the people of the City of New York.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Mamdani campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Tariff case pits Cato Institute against Trump over ‘unlimited’ executive power under emergency law
The Cato Institute is warning that the federal government is testing the outer limits of executive power with President Donald Trump’s use of emergency tariffs, and it wants the courts to put a stop to it. In a new amicus brief filed in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump, Cato argues that the president overstepped his legal authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by imposing steep tariffs on imports from countries including China, Mexico and Canada. The libertarian thinktank argues the move undermines the Constitution’s separation of powers and expands executive authority over trade in ways Congress never intended. “This is an important case about whether the president can impose tariffs essentially whenever he wants,” Cato Institute legal fellow Brent Skorup said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “There has to be a limit — and this administration hasn’t offered one.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PREVAILS AS APPEALS COURT PAUSES LOWER COURT DECISION BLOCKING CONTESTED TARIFFS “Tariff rates went up to 145% on some products from China,” he said. “And the president’s lawyers couldn’t offer a limiting principle. That tells you the administration believes there’s no real cap, and that’s a problem.” Cato’s brief urges the appeals court to uphold a lower court ruling that found the tariffs exceeded the president’s statutory authority. The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled earlier this year that the president’s use of IEEPA in this case was not legally authorized. The court said the law does not permit the use of tariffs as a general tool to fight drug trafficking or trade imbalances. Skorup said in court the administration was unable to define a clear limit on its authority under IEEPA. “They couldn’t articulate a cap,” he said. “There’s nothing in the law that mentions duties or tariffs. That’s a job for Congress.” The administration has defended its actions, arguing that IEEPA provides the necessary tools for the president to act swiftly in times of national emergency. Trump officials maintain that both the fentanyl crisis and America’s trade vulnerabilities qualify. TARIFF FIGHT ESCALATES AS TRUMP APPEALS SECOND COURT LOSS “There are real emergencies, no one disputes that,” Skorup said. “But declaring an emergency to justify global tariffs or solve domestic trade issues goes far beyond what most Americans would recognize as a legitimate use of emergency powers.” Skorup acknowledged that the real issue may be how much discretion Congress gave the president in the first place. “It’s a bipartisan problem. Presidents from both parties have taken vague laws and stretched them. Congress bears some of the blame for writing them that way,” he said, adding that’s why courts should “step in and draw the line.” For small businesses like V.O.S. Selections, the costs go beyond legal fees. Skorup said businesses who rely on imports, like V.O.S., have struggled to plan ahead as tariffs have been paused and reinstated repeatedly. Skorup said there are several small businesses that rely on global imports and it becomes a “matter of survival” when tariff rates change unexpectedly. “V.O.S. Selections imports wine and spirits and when the tariff rates go up unexpectedly, they can’t get products to their distributors as planned,” he said. “And that’s true for others too, like pipe importers and specialized manufacturers. These companies don’t have the flexibility to absorb those costs or adjust overnight.” If the appeals court sides with the administration, it could mark a major expansion of presidential power over trade policy. Skorup warned that such a ruling would allow future presidents to take similar actions with little oversight. “It would bless Congress’ ability to hand over immense economic power to the president,” he said. “That would blur the separation of powers that the Constitution is supposed to protect.” A decision from the appeals court is expected later this year. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Biden’s strange use of teleprompter in donor’s home infuriated supporters, dashed expectations
Former President Joe Biden’s persistent use of a teleprompter during public events, including during a fundraiser with just a couple dozen supporters, left donors complaining for months and dashed their expectations of hearing from the 46th president, a new book claims. “For most of the campaign, Biden only ever spoke with the assistance of a teleprompter, even for small private audiences,” a new book, “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” reported. “The presence of the machine made for extremely awkward interactions in intimate settings, and irked donors who had paid thousands of dollars for a personal view of the president, not expecting a canned speech they could see on TV.” “He once read from a teleprompter in front of thirty people in the open kitchen of a Palo Alto mansion,” the book continued. “Donors complained for months about the president’s reliance on the machine. Aides defended the teleprompter as a tool to keep the famously garrulous president on schedule.” “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America” was released Tuesday and authored by Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post. It details the 2024 presidential campaign cycle, including Biden’s cratering health issues. BIDEN AIDES PUSHED FOR EARLY DEBATE TO SHOW OFF BIDEN’S ‘STRENGTH,’ EXPOSE TRUMP’S ‘WEAKNESS,’ BOOK SAYS The book detailed that just days after Biden’s disastrous June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump that opened the floodgates to typical Democrat supporters turning their backs on Biden ahead of the election, the president attended a campaign event at Virginia Democrat Rep. Dan Beyers’ house without a teleprompter. The book claims Biden only spoke for about six minutes. “At Beyer’s house, the campaign was eager to prove Biden could speak off the cuff. There was no teleprompter to be found. The president blamed his poor debate performance on a heavy travel schedule and said he ‘almost fell asleep onstage.’ He spoke for about six minutes,” the book detailed. The word “teleprompter” appears in the new book a dozen times, mostly referencing the president’s reliance on the machine, as well as concern among some staffers that using a teleprompter was crucial to the president avoiding the unexpected as his health deteriorated. BIDEN STRUGGLED TO FILM 2024 CAMPAIGN VIDEOS AMID DECLINING HEALTH, NEW BOOK CLAIMS: ‘THE MAN COULD NOT SPEAK’ “The officials who planned events at the White House tried to avoid any surprises or unpredictable situations. If the president was going to speak, he would go to the podium, deliver remarks from a teleprompter, and leave. There was no room for creativity or spontaneity,” the book states in a section on how Biden had fallen during a commencement in 2023 and staff devised plans to prevent another public fall in the future. “Everyone could see the president was aging. He sometimes failed to recognize former staff at functions. Still, current aides insisted his decline was strictly physical, and even then they acknowledged it only by trying to Bubble Wrap the president and avoid any more catastrophes. Staff limited direct access to the president, keeping meetings with him small,” the book continued. NEW BOOK REVEALS BIDEN’S INNER CIRCLE WORRIED ABOUT HIS AGE YEARS BEFORE BOTCHED DEBATE PERFORMANCE Biden entered his 2024 reelection cycle already racked by claims and concerns that his mental acuity had slipped and he was not mentally fit to continue serving as president, which was underscored by special counsel Robert Hur’s report in February 2024 that rejected criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials, citing he was “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Fox News has been reporting on Biden’s apparent health decline since at least 2020. Biden brushed off the claims throughout 2024, until his debate against Trump in June of that year, when he was seen tripping over his words, speaking in a far more subdued tenor than during his vice presidency, and losing his train of thought at times. The debate opened the floodgates to criticism among Democrats that Biden should step aside and pass the mantle to a younger generation of Democrats. After weeks of the White House and campaign staffers vowing Biden would stay in the race and to “keep the faith,” Biden announced in a social media post on a Sunday afternoon in July 2024 that he dropped out of the race. He endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the Oval Office, giving her just over 100 days to launch her own campaign that failed to rally enough support when up against Trump. Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office regarding the claims in the new book, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Trump cautions that NY will ‘never be the same’ if ‘communist’ Mamdani is elected
President Donald Trump warned that New York won’t ever be the same if New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is elected. Mamdani is a Ugandan-born Muslim who won the Democratic Party’s primary for New York City mayor in June and identifies as a Democratic socialist. But Trump said that New Yorkers should not cast their ballot for the New York State assemblyman from Queens, who he described as “a man who’s not very capable in my opinion, other than he’s got a good line of bulls–-.” SANDERS ENDORSES SOCIALIST MAMDANI IN MOVE TO BLOCK CUOMO IN NYC MAYORAL RACE “No. 1, you have a communist running, and you shouldn’t vote for him,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “He’s a disaster. He’s leading. He’s got the Democrat nomination because that shows you where the Democrats have gone.” “I’m not getting involved, but I can tell you this: I used to say we will not ever be a socialist country. Right. Well, I’ll say it again. We’re not going to have — if a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same.” Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump previously has blasted Mamdani, and threatened to arrest him if he refused to comply with federal immigration officials. Trump’s remarks came after Mamdani said in June that he would halt “masked” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from “deporting our neighbors.” WASHINGTON POST BASHES SOCIALIST ZOHRAN MAMDANI AS POTENTIAL DISASTER FOR NEW YORK CITY “Well, then we’ll have to arrest him,” Trump told reporters at the White House July 1. “Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation. We send him money. We send him all the things that he needs to run a government.” In response, Mamdani issued a statement claiming that Trump’s comments amounted to an assault on democracy. “The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported,” Mamdani said. “Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city.” “His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you,” Mamdani said. Trump has also slammed Mamdani after the 33-year-old refused to condemn the term “globalize the intifada.” ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ PHRASE STIRS TENSIONS ON NYC CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES “Frankly, I’ve heard he’s a total nut job,” Trump told reporters July 1. “I think the people in New York are crazy because they go this route. I think they’re crazy. We will have a communist in the for the first time, really a pure, true communist. He wants to operate the grocery stores. The department stores. What about the people that are there? I think it’s crazy.” Mamdani said in a June interview with NBC News he didn’t want to condemn the term “globalize the intifada,” a phrase used to back Palestinian resistance against Israel, because he didn’t want to “police language.” Mamdami has received criticism from Democrats for refusing to come out with a stance on the phrase, including from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Jeffries told ABC News Sunday in June that the term was not “acceptable phrasing.”
White House waives executive privilege for Biden doctor Kevin O’Connor in cover-up probe
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s White House is waiving executive privilege for a key member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle, Fox News Digital has learned. Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor was set to testify this week in House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s probe into allegations that Biden’s senior aides covered up his mental and physical decline while president. “In light of the unique and extraordinary nature of the matters under investigation, President Trump has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the national interest, and therefore is not justified, with respect to particular subjects within the purview of the House Oversight Committee,” a letter to O’Connor sent by the White House, obtained by Fox News Digital by a source familiar, said. “These subjects include your assessment of former President Biden’s fitness for the office of the president and your financial relationship with the Biden family.” BIDEN AIDES PUSHED FOR EARLY DEBATE TO SHOW OFF BIDEN’S ‘STRENGTH,’ EXPOSE TRUMP’S ‘WEAKNESS,’ BOOK SAYS When reached for comment, an attorney for O’Connor confirmed receipt of the letter from the White House Counsel’s Office. Comer subpoenaed O’Connor last week after the physician refused to appear voluntarily for a transcribed interview with House investigators. O’Connor’s lawyers petitioned for a delay over the weekend, however, calling the scope of the probe “unprecedented.” “We are unaware of any prior occasion on which a Congressional Committee has subpoenaed a physician to testify about the treatment of an individual patient,” O’Connor’s legal team wrote. “And the notion that a Congressional Committee would do so without any regard whatsoever for the confidentiality of the physician-patient relationship is alarming.” A House Oversight Committee spokeswoman called their letter a “delay tactic to stonewall the Oversight Committee’s investigation.” The deposition date has not been changed, and O’Connor could risk defying a congressional subpoena if he does not appear. The Tuesday letter from the White House counsel’s office read, “The extraordinary events in this matter constitute exceptional circumstances warranting an accommodation to Congress. Evidence that aides to former President Biden concealed information regarding his fitness to exercise the powers of the President — and may have unconstitutionally exercised those powers themselves to aid in their concealment — implicates both Congress’ constitutional and legislative powers.” EX-DNC INSIDER REVEALS ‘PUPPET MASTERS’ WHO RAN THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE “After balancing the Legislative and Executive Branch interests, as required under the accommodation process, it is the President’s view that this presents and exceptional situation in which the congressional need for information outweighs the Executive Branch’s interest in maintaining confidentiality, especially given the Executive Branch’s own interest in determining the validity of prior executive actions,” the letter said. Former top Biden aides and the ex-president’s current allies have insisted there was no cover-up in the Democratic White House. But Biden’s disastrous June 2024 debate performance followed by his stunning exit from the presidential race raised questions about the octogenarian’s fitness for office. Comer has summoned a number of former top Biden aides for closed-door interviews, including O’Connor, former Chief of Staff Ronald Klain, and former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Former staff secretary Neera Tanden appeared for a transcribed interview last month.
FBI launches criminal investigations of John Brennan, James Comey: DOJ sources
EXCLUSIVE: Former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey are under criminal investigation for potential wrongdoing related to the Trump–Russia probe, including allegedly making false statements to Congress, Justice Department sources told Fox News Digital. CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred evidence of wrongdoing by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel for potential prosecution, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital. The sources said that the referral was received and told Fox News Digital that a criminal investigation into Brennan was opened and is underway. DOJ sources declined to provide further details. It is unclear, at this point, if the investigation spans beyond his alleged false statements to Congress. As for Comey, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital that an investigation into the former director is underway, but could not share details of what specifically is being probed. EX-OBAMA INTEL BOSS WANTED ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER INCLUDED IN ‘ATYPICAL’ 2016 ASSESSMENT DESPITE PUSHBACK The full scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but two sources described the FBI’s view of the duo’s interactions as a “conspiracy,” which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options. The FBI and CIA declined to comment. Neither Brennan nor Comey immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Brennan investigation comes after Ratcliffe last week declassified a “lessons learned” review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Donald Trump. But the review found that the process of the ICA’s creation was rushed with “procedural anomalies,” and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. WHITE HOUSE WANTS OBAMA INTEL OFFICIALS ‘HELD ACCOUNTABLE’ FOR ROLE PEDDLING 2016 RUSSIA HOAX It also determined that the “decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.” The dossier — an anti-Trump document filled with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC — has been widely discredited. Last week’s review marks the first time career CIA officials have acknowledged politicization of the process by which the ICA was written, particularly by Obama-era political appointees. Records declassified as part of that review further revealed that Brennan did, in fact, push for the dossier to be included in the 2017 ICA. Brennan testified to the House Judiciary Committee in May 2023, however, that he did not believe the dossier should be included in that intelligence product. COMEY SAYS MCCABE LIED, CONFIRMS HE KICK-STARTED PROBE THAT LED TO HIS FIRING Ratcliffe was not surprised by the review’s findings, a source familiar told Fox News Digital, given the director’s long history of criticizing Brennan’s politicization of intelligence. But Ratcliffe was compelled to refer aspects of Brennan’s involvement to the FBI for review of possible criminality, the source said. The source was unable to share the sensitive details of Ratcliffe’s criminal referral to the FBI with Fox News Digital, but said that Brennan “violated the public’s trust and should be held accountable for it.” The false statements portion of the probe stems from a newly declassified email sent to Brennan by the former deputy CIA director in December 2016. That message said that including the dossier in the ICA in any capacity jeopardized “the credibility of the entire paper.” FISA REPORT DROPS: 7 TAKEAWAYS FROM DOJ WATCHDOG’S REVIEW OF RUSSIA PROBE “Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness,” the new CIA review states. “When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier’s general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns.” The review added: “Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.’” But Brennan testified the opposite in front of Congress in May 2023. “The CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment,” Brennan testified before the House committee, according to the transcript of his deposition reviewed by Fox News Digital. “And so they sent over a copy of the dossier to say that this was going to be separate from the rest of that assessment.” FLASHBACK: NEWLY DECLASSIFIED INTEL DOCUMENT NOTED STEELE DOSSIER CLAIMS HAD ‘LIMITED CORROBORATION’ CIA officials at the time of its creation pushed back against the FBI, which sought to include the dossier, arguing that the dossier should not be included in the assessment, and casting it as simply “internet rumor.” Ultimately, Steele’s reporting was not included in the body of the final ICA prepared for then-President Barack Obama, but instead detailed in this footnote, “largely at the insistence of FBI’s senior leadership,” according to a review by the Justice Department inspector general, and later, the Senate Intelligence Committee. But back in June 2020, Ratcliffe, while serving as director of national intelligence, declassified a footnote of the 2017 ICA, which revealed that the reporting of Trump dossier author Christopher Steele had only “limited corroboration” regarding whether then-President-elect Trump “knowingly worked with Russian officials to bolster his chances of beating” Hillary Clinton and other claims. FLASHBACK: DNI DECLASSIFIES BRENNAN NOTES, CIA MEMO ON HILLARY CLINTON ‘STIRRING UP’ SCANDAL BETWEEN TRUMP, RUSSIA The footnote, also known as “Annex A” of the 2017 ICA, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital in June 2020, spanned less than two pages and detailed reporting by Steele, the former British spy who authored the unverified anti-Trump dossier — a document that helped serve as the basis for controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants obtained against former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Steele’s reporting, at the time, was commissioned by opposition research firm Fusion GPS and funded by the Clinton campaign and