GOP lawmaker demands accountability for LAPD’s delayed response time helping assaulted ICE officers
FIRST ON FOX: California GOP Congressman Darrell Issa is calling for an investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Police Department did not promptly respond to protect ICE officers being assaulted as violence broke out in the city on Friday night. Issa, who represents California’s 48th Congressional District and is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a press release Tuesday he is calling for a “full and complete Congressional investigation” into the response time of the LAPD assisting the ICE officers who, according to a press release from DHS, waited for two hours for assistance. “Last night, over 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer funded property,” DHS said in a press release on Saturday, referring to the previous night when violence broke out in Los Angeles in response to the ICE raids. “It took the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) 2 hours to respond.” RIOTERS SMASH WINDOWS AT LAPD HEADQUARTERS AS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH AUTHORITIES LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, who quickly put out a press release Friday reassuring the public that the department does not participate in immigration activities, pushed back against DHS’ claim in a Sunday press conference. “When we heard that, I think anybody who’s a police officer couldn’t believe it, and certainly anyone with LAPD couldn’t imagine how that could happen,” McDonnell said to reporters. “Well, it didn’t happen.” McDonnell claimed that the actual response time was 40 minutes due to traffic. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stood by the department’s original claim. ‘STATE OF REBELLION’: EXPERT WEIGHS IN ON NEWSOM CHALLENGE TO TRUMP DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD “The fact remains that it took the Los Angeles Police Department two hours to respond,” McLaughlin said. “During that time, over 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer funded property. DHS is grateful that now the LAPD is stepping up to help restore law and order.” Fox News Digital reached out to the LAPD for comment. Issa said in a statement regarding his call for investigation that, “We need to know if the political leadership of the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, or anyone else instructed the LAPD to stand down and not respond to the emergency requests of our ICE agents who were under attack by rioters determined to block them, burn them, or even kill them as they bravely carried out their sworn duties.” Democratic leadership in California has faced widespread criticism from conservatives for blaming President Donald Trump for the unrest and referring to the protests, many of them violent, as “peaceful.” While some protesters have remained peaceful, violence had taken place by the end of the day Friday and continued into the weekend, resulting in law enforcement officers being injured and attacked with projectiles and fireworks. On Monday, LAPD announced that 50 arrests had been made with charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin reported on X, adding that five LAPD officers and five LAPD horses sustained minor injuries.
Judge restricts DOGE access to federal databases, finding ‘breach of law and trust’
A federal judge has restricted the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to federal databases, citing a “breach of law and trust.” Led by the American Federation of Government Employees, a group of current and former federal government employees and their unions in February sued the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and DOGE for alleged “breach of privacy.” U.S. District Judge Denise Cote of the Southern District of New York granted the plaintiffs’ April 25 motion for a preliminary injunction Monday, but said the scope of the injunction would be addressed in a separate order. “Following President Trump’s inauguration, OPM granted broad access to many of those systems to a group of individuals associated with the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’), even though no credible need for this access had been demonstrated. In doing so, OPM violated the law and bypassed its established cybersecurity practices,” Cote wrote in a 99-page opinion on Monday. SUPREME COURT RULES DOGE CAN ACCESS SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION “In brief, the OPM records at issue concern the plaintiffs’ most sensitive private affairs,” the opinion says. “They include social security numbers, health care information, banking information, and information about family members. For some people, disclosure of information in OPM systems could subject them to danger.” An appointee of President Bill Clinton, Cotes said plaintiffs “have shown they are entitled to” a preliminary injunction, which “would stop disclosure of OPM records to individuals associated with DOGE and require the destruction of any copies of personal information that have been obtained through such disclosure.” “The plaintiffs have shown that the defendants disclosed OPM records to individuals who had no legal right of access to those records,” Cotes wrote. “In doing so, the defendants violated the Privacy Act and departed from cybersecurity standards that they are obligated to follow. This was a breach of law and of trust. Tens of millions of Americans depend on the Government to safeguard records that reveal their most private and sensitive affairs.” The judge further criticized the Trump administration’s handling of OPM records. “The Government could have acknowledged that in its rush to accomplish a new President’s agenda mistakes were made and established, important protocols were overlooked. It has not,” Cote wrote. “The Government has defended this lawsuit by repeatedly invoking a mantra that it adhered to all established procedures and safeguards. It did not. Without a full-throated recognition that the law and established cybersecurity procedures must be followed, the risk of irreparable harm will continue to exist.” In a May hearing, Justice Department lawyers reportedly argued that any preliminary injunction granted should include exceptions for high-level OPM officials and cited how a separate judge had walked back initial restrictions placed on DOGE access to Treasury Department records in February so long as DOGE staffers have the appropriate training and vetting, according to the Federal News Network. Justice Department lawyers filed a separate motion in the case on Friday, citing the Supreme Court’s latest decision related to DOGE access to Social Security Administration (SSA) records. DOGE’s future remains uncertain amid a rocky public fallout between its former leader, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump, though both men previously said they want the waste-cutting entity’s work to continue. The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two victories on Friday in cases involving DOGE, including giving it access to Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans. The three liberal justices dissented in both cases. FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES CALIFORNIA’S LAWSUIT OVER TRUMP TARIFFS, CITING JURISDICTION ISSUE The justices also separately reined in orders seeking transparency at DOGE. In one case, the high court halted an order from a judge in Maryland that had restricted the team’s access to the SSA under federal privacy laws. The Trump administration says DOGE needs access to carry out its mission of targeting waste in the federal government. Musk had been focused on Social Security as an alleged hotbed of fraud. The entrepreneur has described it as a “Ponzi scheme” and insisted that reducing waste in the program is an important way to cut government spending. But U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland found that DOGE’s efforts at Social Security amounted to a “fishing expedition” based on “little more than suspicion” of fraud, and allowing unfettered access puts Americans’ private information at risk. Her ruling did allow access to anonymous data for staffers who have undergone training and background checks, or wider access for those who have detailed a specific need. The Trump administration has said DOGE cannot work effectively with those restrictions. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer also argued that the ruling is an example of federal judges overstepping their authority and trying to micromanage executive branch agencies. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tom Cotton pushes new crackdown on pro-immigration rioters in Los Angeles, citing ICE assaults
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tom Cotton is renewing his hard-line stance on civil unrest, this time targeting riots tied to immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles. The Arkansas Republican, who drew widespread criticism for urging military intervention during the 2020 racial justice riots, is now introducing two new bills designed to impose strict penalties on violent protesters – particularly those who target federal agents or are in the country illegally. “Rioters who assault ICE officers and engage in acts of violence should face stiff consequences,” Cotton said in a statement. “My bill makes clear that Americans will not tolerate lawless rioting and is a guardrail from pro-crime prosecutors that fail to enforce the law.” One of Cotton’s proposed measures, the No Visas for Violent Criminals Act, would automatically revoke visas and trigger deportation for any foreign national convicted of a crime during a protest. That includes offenses like blocking traffic or defacing public property. POSSE COMITATUS ACT AT CENTER OF TRUMP-NEWSOM NATIONAL GUARD DISPUTE IN LA Another, the Mitigating Extreme Lawlessness and Threats Act, would increase the maximum punishment for participation in a riot from five years to 10 years and establish a mandatory minimum of one year in prison for participating in any riot-related act of violence and or assaulting a member of federal law enforcement. Appearing on Fox News Monday, Cotton argued it was not the deployment of federal resources or deportation efforts that were “provocative,” but rather the behavior of protesters. “It’s not provocative to enforce federal law. It’s not provocative to do what President Trump campaigned on,” he said. “What’s provocative is to have all of these illegal aliens setting cars on fire while waving foreign flags – and now being joined by professional agitators from Antifa and pro-Hamas sympathizers.” Critics have claimed President Donald Trump broke federal law by sending in some 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles without approval from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. However, Cotton claimed the law was on the president’s side. MUSK DOES IMMEDIATE 180 ON TRUMP AS SOON AS LA RIOTS RAGE “The law is entirely clear,” he said. “The National Guard, traditionally operating under governors’ authorities, can be federalized and can be used by the president to restore basic order and to enforce federal law.” In 2020, Cotton penned a now-infamous op-ed in The New York Times titled “Send in the Troops,” advocating for an “overwhelming show of force” to quell the unrest following George Floyd’s death. The Times initially stood by the piece, citing free speech and diverse viewpoints, but later reversed course, claiming the essay “fell short of our standards and should not have been published.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This past weekend, Trump also hinted at the potential use of the Insurrection Act, saying he might deploy active-duty Marines to suppress ongoing demonstrations. “The Insurrection Act was also a backstop for the National Guard to provide the president for use of active duty troops. President Trump has said we’re not there yet, but he does stand by ready to do so if necessary. That’s what I said,” Cotton said.
Congress steps in amid ‘out-of-control’ Los Angeles riots as Democrats resist federal help
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans in California’s congressional delegation are moving to formally condemn the riots in Los Angeles, as tensions continue there between federal immigration authorities and protesters. The resolution being introduced Tuesday affirms support for peaceful protests and for state, local and federal law enforcement. It also “calls on local and state elected leadership to work with the federal government to end the violent riots and restore peace,” even as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom continue to oppose the presence of National Guard troops in the city. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SLAM NEWSOM, BASS FOR LETTING LA BURN WITH RIOTS AMID TRUMP IMMIGRATION BLITZ Protests against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids erupted over the weekend after authorities began arresting dozens of people as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S. Several demonstrations soon turned violent and have since captivated national attention, with images of masked rioters waving Mexican flags and cars burning in the street. Democratic officials, including Newsom and Bass, had accused President Donald Trump of escalating tensions in Los Angeles by sending in thousands of National Guard troops. He also ordered the deployment of 700 Marines. CALIFORNIA LT. GOVERNOR SAYS LOS ANGELES RIOTS ARE ‘GENERATED BY DONALD TRUMP’ Republicans, in turn, have defended Trump as doing what is necessary and have criticized progressive leaders for opposing rather than working with the president. The resolution, first obtained by Fox News Digital, notes, “These protests quickly escalated into violent riots across Los Angeles, where acts of arson and vandalism were committed, blocking streets and highways, lighting streets on fire, throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles, and assaulting Federal and local peace officers.” It also points out that rioters burned American flags, in “an act that disrespects the nation that protects their freedom.” Newsom is also called out specifically in the text, having “asserted that ‘local law enforcement didn’t need any help,’ despite the Los Angeles Police Department declaring that the violence had worsened and spiraled out of control.” The resolution is being led by Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., and is signed by every Republican in California’s congressional delegation. Fox News Digital reached out to the California governor’s office but did not immediately hear back.
GOP unveils new weapon to help slash billions in government waste as Republicans rally behind Trump’s plan
Congressional Republicans are racing to harness the momentum left behind by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and the leaders of a new House GOP initiative are hoping they have the solution. “You tell people the word ‘rescission,’ in my district, I’m sure that polls pretty low, but they know waste, they know fraud, and they know abuse,” Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., told Fox News Digital. “This is why this process needs to be not only explained to our own members, but also to the population out here that might not know what the heck a rescission is, but know that they want the wasteful spending to end.” Moore is leading the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) new task force, aimed at getting both fellow House Republicans and the American public on board with the GOP on a mechanism for spending cuts known as rescissions. HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE Rescissions proposals are requests from the White House for cuts to funding already approved by Congress in the current fiscal year. Once submitted to Capitol Hill, lawmakers have 45 days to pass the proposal, or it is considered rejected. The House is voting on the first of what Republican leaders hope are several such proposals this week – President Donald Trump sent Congress a request to cut $9.4 billion in funding to PBS, NPR and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The $9.4 billion figure is part of a larger $180 billion sum of waste that Musk said his DOGE efforts had uncovered. RSC Chair August Pfluger, R-Texas, said Moore “is able to educate our members, work with the White House, liaise directly with [the Office of Management and Budget], talk to leadership, voice the conservative concerns… and to dispel myth and speak truth.” Pfluger’s 189-member RSC serves as a de facto conservative think tank of sorts for the House GOP. It’s a natural extension of the group’s work to focus on how to message government spending cuts, particularly while Democrats are accusing the GOP of trying to rip away critical programs. Pfluger and Moore signaled the task force’s most immediate goal will be easing concerns of moderate Republicans who may be wary of the $9.4 billion spending cut plan. With just a razor-thin majority, House GOP leaders can afford no more than three defections to pass legislation along party lines. “If members do have problems, the conservative conscience of our conference, RSC, can help them understand why it’s important to vote on it. And that’s what Riley is going to do,” Pfluger said. Both suggested they would like to see future rescissions packages, but would not go into detail about what could be cut. Moore noted he was on the Appropriations Committee, the keepers of the House’s purse strings, and that there were ongoing conversations between members of that panel and the White House about identifying future rollbacks. And both Pfluger and Moore said they were undaunted by Musk’s somewhat dramatic departure from the federal government – insisting the public was still behind the idea of DOGE, even without the Tesla billionaire at the forefront. MCCAUL TOUTS MONEY IN TRUMP TAX BILL TO PAY TEXAS BACK FOR FIGHTING BIDEN BORDER POLICIES “I don’t think the mainstream media is covering that aspect of it, because they want to talk about this breakup between the president and Elon Musk, but the president said as recently as today that he still believes in what he did,” Pfluger said. Moore added, “Media cycles moved extraordinarily fast. I think obviously there was a lot of excitement when it was first announced. But I can tell you when I’m doing Lincoln Day dinners and going around the counties in West Virginia, they’re still acutely focused on this. I hear from folks all the time… it is very much the average American still wants to see this happen.” “I think they’re, you know, they’re just waiting for us to do the right thing,” Moore said.
Trump admin may not deport migrant to Congo during immigration proceedings, federal judge rules
A federal judge in Maine has ruled that a 43-year-old migrant man who came to the U.S. at age 7 cannot yet be deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while his immigration appeals continue. Eyidi Ambila, who was taken into custody in September under the Biden administration, argues that his full immigration case has not been heard and that his continued detention is unlawful. Judge Nancy Torresen on Monday granted a motion to postpone a scheduled habeas hearing, a legal request asking a court to determine whether a person’s detention or imprisonment is lawful. The habeas petition challenges the legality of his ongoing detention, not the deportation itself. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS ICE NOT TO REMOVE TRANS MIGRANT SEEKING ASYLUM FROM WASHINGTON DETENTION FACILITY Torresen, a President Barack Obama appointee and the first female judge to serve in the District of Maine, wrote that there are “many unanswered questions” about the case, including about his ability to be deported and the outcome of his immigration case. He will remain in custody while his case proceeds. The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine argues that Ambila has no current connection to the Congo and that deporting him would make him vulnerable to detainment, torture and even death. “This ruling ensures that Mr. Ambila receives what due process requires: his day in immigration court and the opportunity to fully pursue his argument for Convention Against Torture protection,” said Anahita Sotoohi, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Maine. FEDERAL JUDGE REFUSES TO RECONSIDER ORDER TO FACILITATE DEPORTEE’S RETURN TO US The ACLU of Maine filed a habeas corpus petition on Ambila’s behalf last month challenging his indefinite ICE detainment and asking for his release. The government argued that Ambila’s deportation was imminent, but Torreson said that the government had failed to convince the court that deportation was actually likely in the near future. Ambila has filed emergency motions with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) seeking to reopen his case and halt removal. Torresen’s ruling pauses the federal court proceedings until the BIA rules on those motions.
Federal judge rules Trump admin cannot block grants to LGBT groups
A federal judge in California ruled on Monday that the Trump administration cannot enforce executive orders that require groups to halt programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion or acknowledge the existence of transgender people to receive grant funding. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar wrote in his order that a group of pro-LGBTQ nonprofits “demonstrated that they likely have standing to challenge” several provisions in President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which the groups argue violate the Constitution. “These three funding provisions reflect an effort to censor constitutionally protected speech and services promoting DEI and recognizing the existence of transgender individuals,” the judge wrote in his order. Tigar said that while the executive branch “requires some degree of freedom to implement its political agenda, it is still bound by the Constitution,” and “cannot weaponize Congressionally appropriated funds to single out protected communities for disfavored treatment or suppress ideas that it does not like or has deemed dangerous.” NPR SUES TRUMP WHITE HOUSE OVER EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETING PUBLIC MEDIA Lawyers for the government say that the president is permitted to “align government funding and enforcement strategies” with his policies. Plaintiffs say that Congress — and not the president — has the power to condition how federal funds are used, and that the executive orders restrict free speech rights. FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP ORDER HALTING SEX CHANGE PROCEDURES IN PRISONS The plaintiffs include health centers, LGBTQ+ services groups, the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Historical Society and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The groups are all recipients of federal funding and say that following the executive orders will prevent them from completing their missions. The judge’s order will remain in effect while the legal case continues, although government lawyers will likely appeal. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WATCH: Dem, media outlets insist LA anti-ICE riots are ‘peaceful’ despite violence, injured cops
Media outlets and elected Democrats have made the rounds in recent days, often using the word “peaceful” to describe the anti-ICE unrest in Los Angeles over the weekend despite rioting and violence that has resulted in destruction and injured police officers, a video review by Fox News Digital finds. “The vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said recently on MSNBC. “They’re passionate.” “A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” on NBC. On CNN, a California Democrat House member said she doesn’t know what the “so-called” violence is “all about.” ‘LUNATIC’ DEMOCRAT RIPPED FOR ‘DEMONIC’ VIDEO MESSAGE DEMANDING ICE AGENTS ‘GET THE F— OUT’ AMID CA CHAOS “Well, first of all, it’s not even all of downtown,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said while downplaying the extent of the violence. “This is isolated to a few streets, five or 10 streets. This is not city-wide civil unrest like has happened in our city before. But if you watch the pictures, especially on national TV, you would think that the entire city has blown up into unrest, and this is just not true.” ABC7 Los Angeles anchor Jory Rand cautioned law enforcement from escalating tensions by interfering and said on Sunday that they risked turning “what is just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn into a massive confrontation and altercation between officers and demonstrators.” Rep. Nanette Barragán, a Democrat who represents California’s 44th Congressional District, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program Sunday, “We are having an administration that’s targeting peaceful protests.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS IN LOS ANGELES SPIT ON AND BURN AMERICAN FLAG Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is widely believed to be eyeing a run for California governor, sparked controversy online when she referred to the unrest as “overwhelmingly peaceful.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted on X, “California Governor Newsom didn’t request the National Guard be deployed to his state following peaceful demonstrations. Trump sent them anyway. It’s the first time in 60 years a president has made that choice. “Trump’s goal isn’t to keep Californians safe. His goal is to cause chaos, because chaos is good for Trump.” While there were examples of some peaceful protests at the outset, by the end of the day Friday property destruction and violence broke out in a situation that became increasingly violent over the next few days and led to injured officers. “Last night, over 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer funded property,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release Saturday referring to the previous night. Several officers have been injured in the rioting, which included rocks and other projectiles being thrown at them, and dozens of people have been arrested related to the protests and rioting. Conservatives on social media have blasted the various media outlets and Democrats who have used peaceful phrasing to describe the protests despite the various examples of violence, property destruction and burning cars. President Donald Trump sent in the National Guard over the weekend, sparking outrage from local Democrats, and announced on Monday the mobilization of Marines to help quell the rioting.
Fetterman calls out ‘anarchy’ in LA, noting that Dems forfeit ‘moral high ground’ by failing to decry violence
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., spoke out against the “anarchy and true chaos” in Los Angeles, declaring that Democrats forfeit “moral high ground” if they do not decry the violence. “I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that. This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement,” Fetterman declared in a post on X. Elon Musk replied to Fetterman’s post with an American flag emoji. MARINES BEING DEPLOYED TO LOS ANGELES AMID RIOTS AS CALIFORNIA MOVES TO SUE TRUMP OVER RESPONSE Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy noted, “It’s hard to preach hard truths to your own side. I respect this.” Deputy White House chief of staff and Cabinet secretary Taylor Budowich responded to Fetterman in a post, writing: “This is a wake up call for many Democrats: there is no room for you in the party of @GavinNewsom and @KamalaHarris. Their self-obsessed pursuits of power are blind to you and your concerns. They defend chaos, reject biology, and are unbothered by the invasion of our nation.” FETTERMAN DISSES DEMS FOR SUDDENLY EMBRACING MUSK AMID TRUMP FALLOUT President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops in response to the unrest in LA. “We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated,” the president asserted on Monday in a Truth Social post. FETTERMAN DEFIES ‘PUNITIVE’ PUNISHMENT FOR BREAKING WITH DEMOCRATIC PARTY DURING BIPARTISAN DISCUSSION Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted in a tweet on Monday evening that U.S. Marines were being deployed to the city “to restore order.”
Trump not on ballot, but president front and center in New Jersey’s primary for governor
Today is primary day in New Jersey, one of only two states in the nation, along with Virginia, that hold elections for governor this year. And in the spotlight in the races for both the Republican and Democrat gubernatorial nominations is the nation’s most powerful and polarizing figure: President Donald Trump. In the GOP primary showdown, which for months has been a battle for Trump’s support, frontrunner Jack Ciattarelli landed the president’s endorsement a couple of weeks ago. “I’m asking you to get out and vote for a true champion for the people of your state: Jack Ciattarelli. He’s been a friend of mine, and he’s been a real success story,” Trump told supporters a week ago as he dialed into a tele-rally on the eve of the kickoff of early voting in New Jersey. NEW JERSEY PRIMARY EARLY TEST OF TRUMP’S SECOND TERM AS PRESIDENT Ciattarelli told Fox News Digital after meeting with local GOP leaders at Trump National Golf Club-Philadelphia that the president’s endorsement was “a really big deal” and “The president’s doing very, very well in New Jersey.” Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, is making his third bid for governor. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 2017. Four years later, in 2021, Ciattarelli overperformed as the Republican nominee and came close to ousting the Democrat incumbent, Gov. Phil Murphy, losing by just three points. WATCH: WHAT BILL SPADEA TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL In the contest to succeed Murphy, who is term-limited, surveys suggest Ciattarelli is the frontrunner in a five-person Republican field that includes two other prominent candidates: former businessman and popular conservative talk radio host Bill Spadea and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a lawyer who served for a decade as state Assembly GOP leader. Ciattarelli and Spadea spent months trading fire over which of them was a bigger Trump supporter. “It was certainly disappointing,” Spadea said of Trump’s endorsement of Ciattarelli. “I mean, we made no bones about this. We absolutely wanted the president’s endorsement. Unfortunately, the president endorsed a poll and not a plan.” Spadea highlighted in a Fox News Digital interview last week that “I have been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator,” in reference to Trump’s announcement of his first presidential campaign in 2015. “There is no question that I am the commonsense conservative. I am the actual Republican in this primary,” Spadea said. And Spadea questioned Ciattarelli’s support for Trump, arguing that his rival “has disrespected him (Trump) for the better part of the last eight years. … We thought that that endorsement would have been better served with me.” After he won the GOP gubernatorial nomination four years ago, Ciattarelli said when asked if he was seeking the then-former president’s endorsement, “There’s only one endorsement I seek, and that’s the endorsement of the voters of New Jersey. That’s the only one that matters.” WHAT JACK CIATTARELLI TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL Fast-forward to 2025, and Ciattarelli said “people really appreciate what he (Trump) is doing for New Jerseyans. He’s put a temporary hold on the wind farms off the Jersey Shore. He’s beating up on the New York Democrats over congestion pricing. He supports a quadrupling of the SALT [state and local tax] deduction on our federal tax returns. Those are big deals to New Jersey, and that’s why he’s got so much great support here. And I’m honored to have his endorsement.” While he lost out on Trump’s endorsement, Spadea said there’s been a silver lining. “Our supporters are galvanized. Matter of fact, the Tuesday and Wednesday after Trump endorsed Jack, we had a surge, our two best days ever in low-dollar fundraising,” Spadea said. “So it actually has had the opposite effect – our low-dollar surge, our volunteer surge. We’re now knocking on more than 3,000 doors a week, and we’re getting an unbelievable response from the grassroots.” Spadea said “almost every Trump supporter that we’ve talked to face-to-face on the ground thinks that Donald Trump made a huge mistake” in endorsing Ciattarelli. Asked why Trump endorsed him rather than Spadea, Ciattarelli said “the president wants to win. He knows that I provide the best opportunity to win in November.” “He knows we’re going to raise the necessary money. We’ve raised more money than the other five Republican gubernatorial candidates combined.” Ciattarelli is a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics. His fundraising has allowed him to dominate the GOP primary ad wars. But Spadea, pointing to his media career, said he would be the more electable Republican candidate in November in blue-leaning New Jersey. REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CHAIR, POINTING TO CAMPAIGN BATTLES AHEAD, TOUTS ‘OUR POLICIES ARE BETTER’ “I built the largest audience in the state: a third Democrat, a third independent, a third Republican. So my appeal is not just that conservative base in the Republican Party. I’m the only candidate running for the Republican nomination that can pull in Democrats and independents,” he said. The Democratic Governors Association, pointing to the rush by the top two candidates to embrace Trump, has long described the 2025 Republican showdown as a “MAGA battle” and that there’s “extremism in the GOP primary.” The Democrats have their own primary battle, with six major contenders facing off for the nomination. They are Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. The primary is one of the first ballot-box opportunities for Democrats to weigh in as the party aims to rebound after last November’s election setbacks, when Republicans won the White House, the Senate majority and successfully defended their fragile control of the House. Pundits see Tuesday’s primary as a “bellwether” for how the party should push back against Trump’s sweeping and controversial moves since returning to the White House in January. Like Murphy, who they’re aiming to succeed, the Democrat candidates have heavily criticized some of Trump’s crackdowns on