NationalWatch

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is facing heat both online and from his political opponents over a resurfaced clip where he explains that the policies of President Biden are “not much different” than his. 

“I’ve known him well enough over really decades now, I think he predictably will fight for workers, he will be an appealing presence in Ohio,” Brown told WKYC Channel 3 during an interview in January 2021, shortly before Biden’s inauguration. 

“I know he lost Ohio. Ohio, as you point out Stephanie, is increasingly harder for a Democrat to win but I won here decisively only a couple years ago, Joe Biden’s politics now are not much different from mine and I think people will get to more and more appreciate the work he does to help people get jobs, to raise wages, to provide health and pension benefits to people and the small businesses to provide those jobs increasingly and that will matter.”

The resurfaced clip from the interview three years ago sparked criticism from many conservatives in light of Brown’s highly watched re-election campaign in a state then-President Trump won by 8 points in 2020 that many believe represents one of the best chances Republicans have to re-take control of the Senate in November.

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR BLASTED OVER VOTING RECORD AFTER AD TOUTS STRENGTH ON IMMIGRATION: ‘WON’T BE FOOLED’

“And that right there folks is a huge problem,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X along with the clip.

“Sherrod is going to spend the next 6 months lying to Ohio voters and pretending that he doesn’t vote with Biden virtually 100% of the time,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “Don’t fall for his lies!”

A spokesperson for businessman Bernie Moreno, Brown’s Republican opponent in November, told Fox News Digital, “No matter how hard he may try, Sherrod Brown can’t run from his record as a rubber-stamp for Joe Biden’s disastrous left-wing agenda.” 

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR IGNORING QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S PUSH TO ‘BAN’ GAS-POWERED CARS

“Voting with Biden 99% of the time, Brown has helped create record inflation, a war on American energy, and an unprecedented invasion at our southern border. In November, Ohioans will retire Biden and Brown and send new leadership to D.C.”

Philip Letsou, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital, “Sherrod Brown is right, there’s no difference at all between him and Joe Biden.”

“That’s why Brown votes with Biden 99% of the time, working hand-in-hand to turbocharge inflation with massive spending bills, open the southern border, and flood the country with Chinese fentanyl,” Letsou added.

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Brown’s race is one of four Senate races, along with Montana, Arizona, and Nevada, that the Cook Political Report ranks as a “toss up” and most political analysts believe President Biden’s record and low approval numbers will play a significant role in each of those races.

“Sherrod works for Ohio, which is why he’s stood up to presidents of both parties to block bad trade deals, worked with Republicans to make sure border patrol agents and law enforcement officers have the resources they need, and demanded the Biden Administration crack down on Chinese solar products that undercut Ohio manufacturers,” Friends of Sherrod Brown spokesperson Matt Keyes told Fox News Digital. 

The campaign pointed to several examples of Brown taking policy positions different from Biden’s, including opposing the expiration of Title 42, calling on Biden to ban chinese electric vehicles and opposing Biden’s suspension of tariffs on Chinese solar power.

ANNAPOLIS, MD. – Former two-term Gov. Larry Hogan, making his pitch to Democrats and independent voters, after cruising to the Republican Senate nomination in the overwhelmingly blue state of Maryland.

“You know me. You know my proven track record of reaching across the aisle to find common ground for the common good.” Hogan told a couple of hundred supporters packed into a hotel ballroom in Maryland’s capital city. “You know that I’m not going to be just one more Capitol Hill Republican.”

Hogan will now face off with Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, who as Prince George’s County Executive steers Maryland’s second-most populous county, in the race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

It’s a general election showdown that may decide whether the Republicans win back the Senate majority in November.

REPUBLICAN LARRY HOGAN TAKES STEP TOWARDS WINNING SENATE RACE IN BLUE STATE MARYLAND

Democrats, as they try to defend their fragile 51-49 majority in the Senate, are playing plenty of defense as they defend 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs in November.

Three of those seats are in red states that former President Donald Trump easily carried in 2020 — Ohio, Montana, and West Virginia, where Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is not running for re-election. Five more are in crucial general election battleground states.

Polls indicate that Hogan remains very popular with Maryland voters, and his late entry into the Senate race in February gave Democrats an unexpected headache, and will force them to spend time and resources to defend an open seat in a state that was previously considered safe territory.

CONTENTIOUS PRIMARIES IN THREE STATES SET UP CRUCIAL GENERAL ELECTION SHOWDOWNS

Moments after Hogan was projected the primary winner Tuesday evening over half a dozen lesser known Republican rivals, the Senate Democrats’ campaign committee fired up a video which spotlighted that Hogan’s “a lifelong Republican.”

And Alsobrooks, in her primary night victory speech, took aim at Hogan, emphasizing that “if he’s elected, he will give Republicans the majority.”

But Hogan, in a Fox News Digital interview on Tuesday, said he would “try to convince them [Democrats and independents] that I’m going to be the same exact kind of U.S. senator that I was as governor.” 

And pointing to his approval rating as he left office early last year, he added that “77% of them thought I did a pretty good job as governor.”

But Hogan faces an uphill climb. While the GOP has had success in gubernatorial elections, no Republican has won a Senate election in Maryland in nearly four decades. 

“I’m always going to be the underdog in Maryland, where it’s arguably the bluest state in the country, and we’re outnumbered two-to-one,” he acknowledged in his Fox News interview.

While Hogan’s victory in the GOP primary campaign was never in doubt, Alsobrooks came from behind to defeat three-term Rep. David Trone in a competitive and contentious Democratic Senate nomination battle.

SIX SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER’S ELECTIONS

Trone, the co-founder and co-owner of Total Wine and More and one of the wealthiest members of Congress, shelled out more than $60 million of his own money into his unsuccessful primary campaign as he took aim at Alsobrooks.

“I think it’s been a very divisive, kind of angry Democratic primary that’s turned off a lot of voters,” Hogan argued.

The Democrats quickly aimed for unity.

Trone, in his concession speech, urged that “I need all of you to come together to support the Democratic Party, so we can hold the Senate… we cannot let the party of Trump take our Senate.”

And Alsobrooks emphasized that Democrats need to be “united in our focus to keep the Senate blue.”

Alsobooks also took aim at Hogan over the combustible issue of abortion, highlighting that “he will not support a national law to protect abortion rights.”

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Turnout for the Democrats in Maryland could be boosted in the general election courtesy of a measure on the November ballot codifying abortion rights.

Hogan, who has repeatedly said he doesn’t support any attempts by his party to pass a federal abortion ban, highlighted the issue in his primary night speech.

“Let me once again set the record straight tonight to the women of Maryland. You have my word that I will continue to protect your right to make your own reproductive health decisions, just like I did for eight years when I had the honor of serving as your governor,” he said.

And Hogan argued in his Fox News interview that Democrats “are going to continue to use cookie cutter Republican attacks against me, but they don’t work against me.”

Hogan, who was a successful business leader before entering politics, won the governorship in 2014 and was re-elected to a second term in 2018.

During his last year as governor, Republican leaders in the nation’s capital and in Maryland heavily courted Hogan to run for the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections.

But Hogan declined, saying in a news conference in February that year that “as I have repeatedly said, I don’t aspire to be a United States senator.”

Fast-forward two years and Hogan changed his mind after another full-court press by national Republican leaders.

Hogan, a very vocal GOP critic of Trump, flirted with a 2024 White House run before deciding against it. And he has repeatedly said he won’t vote for the former president in November.

Asked if he’s concerned that his comments could cost him the votes of some Trump loyalists and supporters in the general election, Hogan answered that “the choice will be between me and a liberal Democrat. Hopefully, even if they’re a little upset with me about one particular issue or another, hopefully they’ll decide I’m the best choice for them.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., is demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland appoint a special counsel to investigate President Biden for stalling military aid to Israel. 

In a letter to Garland sent Tuesday, Tenney wrote with “grave concern regarding President Biden’s recent announcement to freeze the delivery of 1,800 2000-lb bombs and 1,7000 500-lb bombs that were appropriated for by Congress and set to be delivered to Israel.”

“This wrong headed and dangerous policy decision comes on the heels of the decision to the delay on the pending sale of Joint Direct Arrack Munitions (JDAMs) and Small Diameter Bombs (DSBs) to Israel. This delayed action by the Administration is arguably a violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) and subsequent Supreme Court case law,” she said in the letter, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.

The ICA “outlines clear requirements for any deferral of budget authorities by the President and these requirements have been ignored by the Biden administration,” Tenney wrote. “As such, I therefore demand that a special counsel be appointed to investigate, and if necessary, prosecute, any illegal actions by President Biden or his staff concerning the inexplicable delay of aid to Israel.” 

BIDEN MOVING FORWARD ON $1B IN WEAPONS FOR ISRAEL AFTER PREVIOUS SHIPMENT PAUSED OVER RAFAH CONCERNS: REPORT

The letter noted how on April 23, the House “overwhelmingly” passed H.R. 8034, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which was signed into law as part of a larger emergency aid package. 

“This bill appropriated funds in support of Israel’s ongoing military operations against Hamas. Congressional intent with this legislation is clear: this aid is urgently needed and must be delivered as expeditiously as possible. However, instead of following the law, the Biden administration has delayed the delivery of this essential aid that has already been obligated,” Tenney wrote. 

The congresswoman, who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, further alleged that Biden’s “action through inaction” by holding off on approvals and other aspects of the weapons transfer process violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, especially since the president “has failed to send a special message to Congress as required by law.” 

“The decision to delay aid to Israel also undermines the principles of separation of powers outlined by the Constitution,” Tenney wrote. “Congress appropriated this aid to be obligated and expended expeditiously, and yet the Biden administration is unnecessarily delaying the expenditure of this aid. This potential violation of statute and dangerous failure to comply with Constitutional precedent by the Biden administration must be fully investigated by a special counsel. Due to the grave urgency of this issue, I demand that a special counsel be appointed immediately to investigate and prosecute any wrongdoing.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and White House for comment on the letter, but they did not immediately respond.

US MILITARY CONSTRUCTS HULKING METAL PIER AMID BIDEN’S $320 MILLION GAMBLE TO GET AID INTO GAZA

Tenney’s letter was sent as reports claimed the Biden administration told key lawmakers it would send more than $1 billion in additional arms and ammunition to Israel. It was not immediately known how soon the weapons would be delivered, and the president put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs of up to 2,000 pounds each, on hold earlier this month, citing concern for civilian casualties in Gaza. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported about the new package, said to include about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds. The Associated Press later reported the same, citing three congressional aides. Tenney’s office told Fox News Digital, however, that the congresswoman’s letter still stands, as regardless of the new aid, Biden did withhold weapons and is withholding others. Two congressional aides told the Associated Press that the new $1 billion shipment is not part of the long-delayed foreign aid package that Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed last month. It wasn’t known if the shipment was the latest tranche from an existing arms sale or something new.

The Biden administration has come under criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over its military support for Israel’s now seven-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza — at a time when Biden is battling for reelection against former President Donald Trump.

Some of Biden’s fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit transfers of offensive weapons to Israel to pressure the U.S. ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. Anti-Israel protests on college campuses around the U.S. have echoed the same sentiment this spring. 

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Republican lawmakers have seized on the administration’s pause on the bomb transfers, saying any lessening of U.S. support for Israel — its closest ally in the Middle East — weakens that country as it fights Hamas and other Iran-backed groups. In the House, they are planning to advance a bill this week to mandate the delivery of offensive weaponry for Israel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A vulnerable congressional Democrat in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania who previously dismissed a border wall as “silly,” appears to have shifted her views on immigration, according to a recent op-ed calling for stricter border security. 

“We may be a long way from the U.S.-Mexico border, but the problems created by a broken system affect us too, particularly with regard to the entry of illegal drugs into our country,” Rep. Susan WIld wrote in an op-ed published last month in The Morning Call.  

Wild’s op-ed, which was headlined “Your View by US Rep. Susan Wild: It’s time to do something about the Southern border,” comes after immigration has spiraled under the Biden administration. Nearly 7.3 million illegal immigrants flooded the nation between Biden’s first day in office and February of this year, Fox News Digital previously reported. The figure is greater than the population of 36 individual states, and has affected states across the nation. 

After the Biden administration avoided calling the flood of migrants at the border a “crisis” in 2021, Wild joined a C-SPAN program in January 2022 to discuss Biden’s first year in office and said she doesn’t agree with Republican colleagues that every state was a border state due to lax immigration laws. 

VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM COMPARES SUPREME COURT PRAYER DECISION TO TALIBAN, CALLS FOR COURT-PACKING

“No, I don’t agree with that statement,” she said in the interview. 

In 2018, when President Trump was in office, Wild joined a local Democratic debate and said the plan to build a border wall was “silly.” 

GOP HOPES FOR HOLDING HOUSE COULD COME DOWN TO 6 RACES IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE

“Anybody here for building the wall? Anybody?” the debate moderator asked the group of Democrats. 

“Absolutely not. I think we, we, end that silly idea and put that money toward education and health care,” Wild responded. 

Wild represents Pennsylvania’s 7th District in Lehigh Valley, which includes cities and towns such as Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. Wild has served in Congress since 2018, and is expected to face an uphill battle this election year in the key battleground state. 

Ahead of the election season kicking off in earnest, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a list of more than two dozen Democrats last year considered vulnerable as they face off against Republican challengers. Wild was included on the list, alongside fellow House Pennsylvania members Chris Deluzio and Matt Cartwright. 

Immigration, as well as inflation and the economy, are top concerns for voters across the nation, including in Pennsylvania. A Fox News poll published last month focusing on the Keystone State found that Trump has a 16-point edge over Biden when it comes to border security and immigration, as well as a 4-point lead regarding his foreign policies. 

VULNERABLE DEMS SIGNED PLEDGE FROM GEN Z GROUP THAT PUSHES NO-CASH BAIL, DECRIMINALIZING PROSTITUTION

Wild’s op-ed appears to mark a turn in her previous rhetoric on border security, calling the matter a “crisis” that needs to be remedied. 

“There is unquestionably a crisis at our Southern border – and this is something that almost everyone, no matter their political persuasion, can agree on,” she began in the op-ed. 

She went on to pin blame for the lack of a secure border or immigration plan on “extreme politicians” who pull “cheap political stunts.”

“Many of us in Congress have proven time and time again that we are more than willing to work with members of either party on large-scale policy proposals to address border and immigration challenges. However, we are held hostage by the extreme politicians who continue to stall our efforts in the name of cheap political stunts,” she wrote. 

She promoted a piece of legislation she co-sponsored, The Dignity Act, in the op-ed, which she said will “immediately address critical elements of our immigration system, restore order at our Southern border and implement long-term, much needed changes.”

PA DEM IN DISTRICT THAT VOTED FOR TRUMP SAYS HE’S A MODERATE, BUT VOTING RECORD TELLS ANOTHER STORY

“The Dignity Act would increase border patrol personnel and provide cutting-edge screening technology to help detect contraband and illegal substances; change our political asylum system by constructing facilities in Latin America, where asylum seekers would be screened for eligibility; require employers to verify the immigration status of their employees, and create a pathway to citizenship for ‘Dreamers,’” she wrote.

The op-ed comes after Wild dismissed the notion that illegal immigrants would take jobs from legal American residents during a C-SPAN interview, arguing “we have the opposite problem.”

“As far as what you mentioned about people coming across the border and taking jobs, quite honestly sir, we have the opposite problem right now. We need more people in our workforce,” she said. 

ONE OF NATION’S MOST VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS COZIES UP TO BIDEN FOR PENNSYLVANIA RALLY

Mike Marinella, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, argued in comment to Fox News Digital that Wild is making a “desperate” attempt to backtrack her policies ahead of 2024. 

“It must be an election year because Susan Wild is making a desperate scramble to reel back her extreme policies. The truth is, Wild never once voted to secure the border and none of her lies can change that fact.” said NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella. 

Wild’s congressional office told Fox News Digital that Wild “has consistently advocated for the need to secure our Southern border.”

She recently voted “to send nearly $20 billion to Customs and Border Protection – including $75.5 million to acquire additional inspection detection systems and $20 million for additional CBP Officers to support counter fentanyl efforts – and has called repeatedly for House Republican leadership to take up the Bipartisan Border deal crafted by both parties in the Senate, which would have been the most comprehensive immigration reform the U.S. has seen in decades,” congressional office spokeswoman Natalie Gould said. 

Wild notably broke with her party in March, voting in favor of the Laken Riley Act, which is named after the college student who was tragically killed by an illegal immigrant, according to law enforcement. The legislation would have required Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to issue detainers and take custody of illegal migrants if they commit certain theft-related crimes, among other measures.

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Pennsylvania will again serve as a key battleground state this election cycle as former President Trump and President Biden are anticipated to face a rematch in a state that narrowly voted for Trump in 2016, and elected Biden in 2020 by a 1.17% margin. 

A recent poll from the New York Times found Trump leading in the majority of battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan and Georgia. 

Wild will face off against Republican state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who has slammed Biden and Wild for “destroying this country” with “wide open borders” and crippling inflation.

As the prosecution’s “star witness,” and likely its final witness, Michael Cohen testified on Tuesday, allies of former President Trump flocked to the court in a show of support for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in his criminal trial.

A number of high-profile GOP allies joined Trump at the Lower Manhattan court for the 17th day of his criminal trial – a day that once again featured Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, being questioned by both New York prosecutors and a cross-examination by Trump’s defense attorneys. 

TRUMP ALLIES POUR INTO NYC COURTHOUSE TO ‘SUPPORT THEIR FRIEND,’ SAY THEY’RE NOT COORDINATING WITH CAMPAIGN

“I came here, again, today, on my own to support President Trump,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said outside the court in New York City on Tuesday morning, blasting Cohen as a “man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge.”

“[He] is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth. He is someone who has a history of perjury and is well-known for it. No one should believe a word he says today,” Johnson said of Cohen, adding that “he lied to Congress; he lied to the IRS; he lied to federal election officials.” 

“Even Cohen’s own lawyer testified to a grand jury that he is not reliable. So, there’s nothing that he presents here that should be given any weight at all by a jury,” Johnson said, noting the case “is not about justice” but “all about politics, and everybody can see that.” 

Johnson, along with Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy all attended the trial in a show of support for Trump. Sens. J.D. Vance, Tommy Tuberville, Rick Scott and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis attended court with the former president on Monday. 

“All guests volunteer to come to court to support their friend, President Trump, and are not invited by the campaign,” a Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital. 

The official said the growing number of Republican allies coming to the downtown Manhattan courthouse is “not some kind of coordinated political thing.” 

NY V TRUMP: APPEALS COURT REJECTS TRUMP’S REQUEST TO END ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ GAG ORDER

Cohen is said to be the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team as they try to prove the former president falsified business records relating to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence.

MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION

Cohen’s testimony

As for Cohen’s testimony, the ex-Trump attorney said he was “reimbursed $420,000” for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels. Cohen said former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg suggested he “gross up” the payments.

Cohen testified that Weisselberg facilitated his reimbursement plan for the payment and that Trump knew the details of that reimbursement.

Trump is unable to speak about witnesses or court staff due to the gag order imposed upon him by Judge Juan Merchan.

The former president appealed the gag order, arguing that it violated his First Amendment rights. But as Cohen testified Tuesday, the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court denied Trump’s appeal of the gag order.

Now Trump’s attorneys will have the opportunity to appeal to the New York Court of Appeals.

The prosecution presented Cohen with 11 checks totaling $420,000. Cohen confirmed that they were all received and deposited. The checks had a description of “retainer,” which Cohen said was false.

Under cross-examination by Trump attorney Todd Blanche, Cohen testified that he apologized to Congress, the country and to his family for lying to them in 2017 and “acting in a way that suppressed information that the citizenry had a right to know in order to make an informed decision about an individual who was seeking the highest office in the land.”

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

SPEAKER JOHNSON TO ATTEND TRUMP TRIAL IN MANHATTAN IN SHOW OF SUPPORT

Blanche grilled Cohen on his negative past statements he made online and to the media about Trump.

Over the course of the investigation and case, Cohen made more than 20 television appearances. He has recorded hundreds of podcast episodes – four total episodes a week all year long – since the investigation for this trial started. Cohen agreed that Trump has been mentioned in every podcast.

Blanche also asked Cohen if he was obsessed with Trump.

“I don’t know if I would call it obsessed,” Cohen said. “I admired him tremendously.”

Under cross-examination, Cohen also admitted to meeting with former New York prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who resigned in 2022 when Bragg took over the Manhattan DA’s probe of Trump after he signaled he was uninterested in bringing charges against the former president.

Cohen in 2021 testified that he wanted the DA’s office to publicly acknowledge he was cooperating with their investigation, as he was hoping to have his sentence lessened. Cohen, at the time, was serving his sentence but was moved from prison to home confinement.

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Ultimately, there was no letter or public announcement made by the DA about his cooperation.

Blanche said he will continue the cross-examination of Cohen on Thursday; court does not meet on Wednesdays.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said Cohen was the prosecution’s last witness.

A House Republican who represents a district President Biden won by more than six points is arguing “security” will be the deciding factor in races like his across the country come November.

“It’s an irrational thing for a voter not to want security,” Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Garcia is the only Republican in the House of Representatives who represents part of the Los Angeles metro area. He’s also one of 17 House GOP lawmakers in districts Biden won in 2020 and is a prime target for Democrats in trying to retake the House.

He argued that security in all forms — foreign, domestic and economic — will be what leads voters to their decisions in November. 

RACIAL SLUR, ALLEGED THREAT TO ‘EXECUTE’ MAN: WATCH MOST OUTRAGEOUS MOMENTS FROM THIS DEM SENATE CANDIDATE

Garcia represents California’s 27th Congressional District, including parts of northern Los Angeles County, like Santa Clarita and part of the San Fernando Valley. It’s also a majority nonwhite district, with Hispanic and Latino Americans making up the largest share of the population.

“To me, the word security is what this election is going to be about. And with that, you get strength, right? I know in my district, a third are Hispanics. I would say 75% of them are registered as Democrats, but they don’t like weakness. They don’t like the fact that the United States looks weak on the global stage,” Garcia said.

BIDEN FACING UPHILL BATTLE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES AS DOWN-BALLOT DEMS LEAD: POLL

“They don’t like the fact that President Biden — it looks like he doesn’t know what he’s doing relative to his counterparts in Russia and China. They value strength and, so, I think valuing law enforcement is a big deal, and valuing border security and economic security, stopping the out-of-control spending, lowering taxes, valuing neighborhood security by getting more cops on the street. … These are very … common denominator issues.”

In Los Angeles, in particular, he said constituents are tired of progressive justice officials enacting policies they see as soft on crime and left-wing calls to defund the police.

“We’re highlighting the difference between Republican and Democrat elected officials, not voters. Because when you talk to the average Democrat voter in the streets — especially in my district, we have one of the highest density populations in terms of current and retired law enforcement, firefighters, first responders — a lot of those folks are Democrats, actually,” Garcia said.

“The Democrat voters do actually value security. And they see this defund the police movement as a product of a very far left faction of the Democrat Party. They don’t appreciate it.”

TRUMP VEEPSTAKES: THE PROS AND CONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM

He noted that Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office was killed in his district in an apparent ambush late last year while the officer sat in his patrol car. Garcia characterized it as a tragic manifestation of the wider issues with law enforcement in Los Angeles County.

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“They’ve got leadership, laws and crazies around them that are literally killing them – them being the cops,” Garcia said. “They aren’t getting reinforcements. They’re working as many overtime hours as they are … regular hours. And, so, when you see that and when you see elected officials who are supposed to be protecting you, that are supposed to be on your side … most of these elected officials bent the knee to this defund the police movement out of fear of the protesters.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for comment but did not hear back at press time. 

The much-anticipated cross-examination of Michael Cohen on Tuesday portrayed him as a Trump-hating liar who wants the former president in jail, and the answer was frequently some version of “I don’t recall.”

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche jumped around as a way of keeping Cohen off balance. His first question: Why had Cohen said on TikTok that he, Blanche, was a “lying little s—“? Cohen said, in a frequent refrain, that sounded like something he would say.

But I don’t see what the defense gained by showing that Cohen was constantly slamming Trump on social media and his podcast, such as a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.” Or sold mugs saying “Send him to the big house, not the White House.” We already knew that Cohen despises Trump and has built a lucrative career trashing him since pleading guilty more than six years ago. How does that advance the ball?

Blanche also asked about such seemingly side issues as whether Cohen was involved in leaks to the AP and CNN. He did score a point in asking whether the Manhattan D.A.’s office had repeatedly asked him to stay off TV. After an initially evasive answer, Cohen said yes, but it was “fewer than five times.”

And when Cohen was asked about objecting to the terms of his home confinement after his COVID-related release — he was allowed to spend three hours a day outside his home — it was a not-so-subtle reminder that he had served time in prison.

Cohen also admitted under questioning that he had made $3.4 million on the two anti-Trump books he had written, an extraordinarily high payment. 

MICHAEL COHEN, CORROBORATING OTHERS, SAYS TRUMP WANTED TO SILENCE STORMY BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION

Cohen is the prosecution’s last witness, and the question now is whether the defense will call any witnesses after finishing its cross-examination on Thursday — the only other trial day this week — or simply rest and say the state hasn’t met its burden of proof. No one expects Trump (who gets to go to Barron’s high school graduation Friday) will testify, despite once insisting he would.

Earlier, the prosecution spent the bulk of its time trying to inoculate Cohen against the coming cross-examination — letting its star witness put his spin on things before the Trump defense pounded him with the same material.

Among other transgressions, Cohen admitted to lying to Congress about a proposed Moscow project, to stay with the president’s “Russia Russia Russia” hoax message. He admitted to lying to special counsel Robert Mueller after agreeing to “cooperate,” only telling the truth after facing the potential indictment. 

That cooperation, he said, came after FBI agents seized his electronic devices in an early-morning raid. 

He lied to the Wall Street Journal in early 2018, when it was reporting the Stormy Daniels hush money — which he knew to be false because, “I’m the one who paid it.” 

In each case, Cohen justified the falsehoods by saying he uttered them out of “loyalty” to Trump and to the “benefit” of Trump.

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow sent Cohen an encrypted Signal message: “Client says thanks for what you do.” The client, says Cohen, was Trump.

STORMY ALLEGES ONE-NIGHT STAND WITH TRUMP, AGREED TO LIE FOR HER $130,000 PAYOFF

Cohen said that, at the insistence of his family, he decided that “I would not lie for President Trump anymore.” Pleading guilty was “the worst day of my life.”

The next day, the president tweeted: “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” He was no longer on the team.

In an obvious misstep, Cohen said he lied when he pleaded guilty. He later clarified that he meant he was guilty of some charges but not tax evasion. Cohen was fined $100,000 and sentenced to three years in prison, though released early during the pandemic.

Alvin Bragg’s prosecutor did go on offense at the outset, as Cohen described the $420,000 in checks he received in 2017–while doing virtually nothing for the money but setting up the “false expenses” charge. 

He went through every invoice, every pay stub, describing each as a lie authorized by Trump. The president, he testified, had asked in an Oval Office meeting if he needed any money, telling him to work things out with the company’s since-convicted CFO.

Cohen said he did “very minimal” work for Trump or his wife during 2017 — less than 10 hours.

To prepare Cohen for questions about being motivated by money, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger had him acknowledge that once Trump named him his personal lawyer, he made $4 million advising clients who wanted to influence the new administration.

In the end, Cohen said he had apologized to the country, to Congress and to his family. He closed with “I violated my moral compass.”

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

Trump has succeeded in turning the trial into part of his campaign. He had House Speaker Mike Johnson show up on Tuesday. In his morning chat with reporters, he criticized President Biden for imposing Trump-like tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles — which he had once opposed — and the remarks were overshadowed anyway by the trial. In his evening comments, Trump read from various pieces, mostly by right-leaning supporters, saying the trial is a sham.

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How much of this is swaying the public? In the latest New York Times poll, just 29% of those in six battleground states say they are paying “a lot” of attention to Trump’s legal woes.  

President Biden’s re-election campaign said Tuesday that the president does not support “full-term abortions”, drawing a contrast between a stance recently taken by one of his challengers in the race for the White House.

Fox News Digital asked the Biden campaign this week whether it agrees with remarks made last week by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said he opposes any government restrictions on abortions, “even if it’s full-term.”

“No, the president doesn’t support full-term abortions, as he’s made clear many times. He thinks Roe got it right,” said Lauren Hitt, a senior spokesperson for the campaign.

Following initial outreach to the Biden campaign, Fox News Digital received a statement on the matter from a Democratic National Committee (DNC) spokesperson, who claimed Kennedy “can’t be trusted to stand up for reproductive freedom.”

BIDEN BLASTED FOR CLAIMING ABORTION FOR ‘3 TRIMESTERS’ IS NOT ‘ON DEMAND’: ‘DOES BIDEN THINK THERE’S A 4TH?’

“He’s said he would sign a national abortion ban and has repeatedly dismissed the importance of abortion rights on the campaign trail,” DNC communications adviser Lis Smith said in the statement. “With reproductive freedom under attack, we need leaders who will stand strong for women. It’s clear that neither RFK Jr. nor Trump will.”

Abortion has become a major issue on the campaign trail since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue to the states.

Democratic campaigns have made abortion a cornerstone of political messaging, and Biden has repeatedly hammered former President Trump over the issue.

During an April 23 speech at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, Biden claimed it was Trump who “ripped away the rights of freedom of women in America.”

“It will be all of us who restore those rights for women in America,” he added at the time.

Some, however, take issue with Biden’s position that “Roe got it right,” including SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

“Roe had wide open exceptions allowing late term abortion on healthy babies as Biden and his team know full well. And pro-abortion studies show that’s the norm for late term,” Dannenfelser wrote in a post to X.

Several Republican states have passed legislation limiting abortion, while Democrats have successfully won ballot initiatives in various states to allow for abortion procedures.

Appearing on Wednesday’s installment of “The Sage Steele Show,” Kennedy was pressed about this abortion stance.

Kennedy clashed with Steele over late-term abortions, insisting they are extremely rare and that there are usually “extenuating circumstances” behind those decisions.

BIDEN MAKES SIGN OF THE CROSS DURING PRO-ABORTION SPEECH IN FLORIDA

“I think there’s a really, really good argument, a compelling argument, that the state has an interest in protecting a fully-formed fetus. I absolutely think that that argument is very convincing. But again, I come down to the fact that I don’t trust the state,” Kennedy said. “I think we need to trust the woman and I don’t think that that’s a satisfactory outcome, because there’s always gonna be instances where bad things happen.”

“So, in other words, keeping it as is with Roe v. Wade having been overturned and leaving it up to the states to determine if and when a woman can have an abortion,” Steele followed.

“No, I wouldn’t leave it to the states,” Kennedy responded. “We should leave it to the woman. We shouldn’t have government involved.”

“Even if it’s full-term,” Steele said.

“Even if it’s full-term,” Kennedy replied, later adding, “I think we have to leave it to the woman, not the state. I think we should do everything in our power to make sure that never happens and everything that we can do. But I think, ultimately, you know, nobody sets out to do that. And there are always some kind of extenuating circumstances that would make a mother make that kind of choice, a terrible, terrible choice which is, you know, you can’t overstate how bad that is. And I think, ultimately, we have to trust women.”

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Kennedy’s abortion stance made headlines last year after NBC News reported that he supported limiting abortions to 15 or 21 weeks into the pregnancy. 

His campaign later clarified his position, alleging he misunderstood the question, saying in a statement, “He does not support legislation banning abortion.”

Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Former President Trump slammed the Democratic Party as a group of “fascists” following a “very good day” in court, which included continued testimony from his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen. 

“‘The problem for Democrats is that the extensive polling now shows that the voters see through their scam and don’t like what’s going on,'” Trump said outside court Tuesday afternoon, reading an excerpt from Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt. “‘Watching 100,000 enthusiastic people gather along the boardwalk in a New Jersey beach this Saturday … to support President Trump on Saturday evening, gives you some idea how terrified Democrats are of Trump.'”

Trump interjected, “I don’t think they’re terrified of anything. They’re fascists.” 

Trump continued reading other news excerpts that slammed the case as “election interference,” and he went on to describe Tuesday as a “very good day” in court. 

TRUMP ALLIES JOIN FORCES TO HAMMER ‘SHAM’ TRIAL ‘WEAPONIZED’ AGAINST 45TH PRESIDENT: POLITICAL ‘PERSECUTION’ 

“We had a very good day. I think we’re exposing this scam for what it is,” he said.

The trial continued with Cohen’s second day of testimony on Tuesday. The case focuses on Cohen paying former pornographic performer Stormy Daniels $130,000 prior to the 2016 presidential election to allegedly quiet her claims about a 2006 affair with the then-real estate tycoon. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels.

Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case and has maintained his innocence.

Cohen faced cross-examination on Tuesday and was peppered with questions from Trump’s legal team about Cohen’s numerous TikTok videos, including ones in which he called Trump a “crying little b—-” and “dictator douche bag.” Cohen told the court that he struggles to sleep at night, and that posting TikTok videos about Trump served as “an out.”

TRUMP TRIAL VEEPSTAKES? TRUMP ALLIES SHOW UP IN FORCE AHEAD OF MICHAEL COHEN’S 2ND DAY OF TESTIMONY

Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche asked Cohen if he also regularly commented on a podcast about wanting to see Trump convicted in this case. Cohen responded that he probably said that because he wants to see Trump held accountable. 

MASSIVE TRUMP BEACH RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE NJ DRAWS STARK CONTRAST TO BIDEN’S BEACH WEEKEND: ‘BIDEN COULD NEVER’

Cohen’s testimony follows Monday’s remarks in which he told the court that he used his own money to pay Daniels in 2016 and that he secretly recorded Trump on his iPhone that same year.

Tuesday was another action-packed day for the case, including the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division issuing an order rejecting the Trump team’s attempt to end a gag order that the 45th president has repeatedly slammed as “unconstitutional.” 

TRUMP BLASTS ‘HIGHLY CONFLICTED’ JUDGE AFTER MICHAEL COHEN’S 1ST DAY OF TESTIMONY WRAPS

“We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner’s First Amendment Rights against the court’s historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” the First Department of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division wrote in its order Tuesday.

MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION

Presiding Judge Juan Merchan imposed the gag order on Trump before his criminal trial in New York began, ordering the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to not make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses, counsel in the case or about court staff, the DA staff or family members of staff.

Merchan later ruled, amid the trial, that Trump violated the order on 10 occasions, resulting in a combined $10,000 fine. The violations stemmed from messages posted by Trump on Truth Social and the campaign’s website.

Trump’s legal team now has the opportunity to appeal the gag order to the New York Court of Appeals.

“The gag order imposed by conflicted Judge Juan Merchan in the lawless Manhattan DA case is unconstitutional and un-American,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital in a statement earlier Tuesday. “The threat to throw the 45th President of the United States and the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election in jail for exercising his First Amendment rights is a Third World authoritarian tactic typical of Crooked Joe Biden and his comrades.”

Tuesday also saw a strong showing of Trump allies joining the former president in court, including former 2024 presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy as well as Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida Rep. Cory Mills and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

TRUMP ALLIES POUR INTO NYC COURTHOUSE TO ‘SUPPORT THEIR FRIEND,’ SAY THEY’RE NOT COORDINATING WITH CAMPAIGN

The Trump allies also held a press conference Tuesday, railing against the trial as a “sham.”

“This is a sham. This is not the United States of America. This is some third-rate banana republic,” Ramaswamy said.

“There’s nothing that has been wrong here. Nothing that has been done poorly by President Trump,” Donalds said. “The only thing that’s being done wrong is by this judge. His daughter is making money, raising money for Democrats, and all of the fundraising emails and all the fundraising things are about this trial that his daughter is using. He won’t recuse himself. This is a travesty of justice. This is a misuse of the justice system.”

Trump’s legal team had previously demanded Merchan recuse himself from the case, citing his daughter’s work as a Democrat consultant.

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The trial resumes on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and is to wrap up slightly early at 4 p.m. due to a juror’s previous commitment. Cohen is expected to return to the stand to continue cross-examination.

The prosecution team said Tuesday that Cohen is their last witness.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice sailed to victory in the state’s Senate Republican primary on Tuesday evening, winning more than 60% of the vote with nearly 90% counted, boosting the GOP’s already-high hopes of flipping the critical seat.

Justice had been the favorite to win ever since he entered the race last year. 

He beat out a crowded primary field that included House Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W. Va., Justice’s leading opponent, who is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Mooney had consistently sought to paint Justice as a “RINO,” or a “Republican In Name Only.” But it appears that Justice’s popularity in the state and pivot to the right were enough to overwhelm attacks against his credibility in the GOP.

WHY SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR IS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WINNING BACK MAJORITY

Justice is a former Democrat who announced he was switching party affiliations on stage during a rally with former President Trump in 2017.

Trump announced in October that he was backing Justice, writing on Truth Social, “Big Jim Justice, the Governor of the Great State of West Virginia (I LOVE WEST VIRGINIA!), is BIG in every way, but especially in his wonderful HEART! Strong on the Border, our Great Military & Vets, CLEAN COAL & Energy Dominance, the Economy, Stopping Inflation, & Protecting our 2nd Amendment, Big Jim will be a Great UNITED STATES SENATOR, and has my Complete & Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!”

THIS SENATE CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON CAMERA SCREAMING AT REPORTER

The ex-president swept West Virginia by roughly 40 points in the 2020 presidential election.

Justice’s victory on Tuesday night also gives Republicans good odds of winning the state’s Senate seat in November, particularly because of Sen. Joe Manchin’s decision not to seek re-election.

Manchin, D-W.Va., a moderate Democrat who’s fended off past challenges in an increasingly red state, revealed in November 2023 that this Senate term would be his last.

TRUMP EDGES BIDEN IN THESE KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES

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Justice had said in response to Manchin’s announcement, “Senator Joe Manchin and I have not always agreed on policy and politics, but we’re both lifelong West Virginians who love this state beyond belief, and I respect and thank him for his many years of public service.”

Mooney had been endorsed by the conservative group Club For Growth. In addition to Trump, Justice’s backers included the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and the Senate Leadership Fund, an outside group linked to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – It’s on to the general election for Larry Hogan after the former two-term Republican governor was quickly declared the winner of the GOP Senate primary in blue-state Maryland.

The Associated Press projected Hogan would win the nomination just over 30 minutes after the polls closed in Maryland at 8 p.m. ET. He now advances to a general election showdown that may decide whether the Republicans win back the Senate majority in November.

“They said the Hogan brand of politics was dead. Once again, we proved them wrong tonight,” the former governor told a couple of hundred supporters packed into a hotel ballroom in Maryland’s capital city. “Tonight the campaign for Maryland and America’s future begins.”

The general election winner will succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

With Democrats hoping to protect their fragile Senate majority, Hogan’s late entry into the race in February gave them an unexpected headache in a state previously considered safe territory. Hogan, who left office at the beginning of 2023 with positive approval and favorable ratings, was considered the overwhelming favorite for the GOP nomination in a field that included roughly half a dozen candidates.

CONTENTIOUS PRIMARIES IN THREE STATES SET UP CRUCIAL GENERAL ELECTION SHOWDOWNS

Hogan will face off in November against either three-term Rep. David Trone, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, or Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who steers Maryland’s second-most populous county. Trone and Alsobrooks were the clear frontrunners in a crowded Democratic primary race that turned into a combustible fight over whether electability outweighs diversity.

WHY SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR IS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WINNING BACK MAJORITY

Trone, the co-founder and co-owner of Total Wine and More, invested more than $50 million of his own money in his primary campaign.

“The polls say I’m the only candidate who can beat Larry Hogan. And I intend to use every ounce of my energy to do just that. The stakes are just too damn high,” he said in one of his final ads.

While Trone massively outspent Alsobrooks, she enjoyed the backing of much of the state’s Democratic establishment, including endorsements from Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and five House members.

Alsobrooks, pushing back in a recent ad on insinuations from Trone that she’s not experienced enough to handle the Senate, argued that “while my opponent focuses on fighting, I’ll focus on working for you.”

While Democrats control the Senate by a razor-thin 51-49 margin, Republicans are looking at a favorable election map this year with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs.

Three of those seats are in red states that former President Trump carried in 2020 — Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, where Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is not running for re-election. Five more are in crucial general election battleground states.

Now Democrats will be forced to spend time and resources defending the open Senate seat in Maryland.

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Hogan, a successful business leader before entering politics, won the governorship in 2014 and was re-elected to a second term in 2018. But he faces a steep uphill climb as he runs for the Senate during a presidential election year in the overwhelmingly blue state.

While the GOP has had success in gubernatorial elections, no Republican has won a Senate election in Maryland in nearly four decades.

“It’s much more difficult effort than anything I’ve done before. It’s almost never happened,” the 67-year-old Hogan acknowledged in an interview with Fox News’ Mark Meredith. “I’m an underdog. No question about that. And that’s why we’re working hard.”

The Senate Democrats’ campaign committee is spotlighting that if elected, Hogan would caucus with Republicans and that his victory could give the majority in the chamber to the GOP.

“Marylanders know that a vote for Republican Larry Hogan is a vote to turn the Senate over to Republicans so they can pass a national abortion ban and push forward Republicans’ extreme policies. That’s a disqualifying agenda for Maryland voters. Democrats have won every statewide federal election in Maryland for the past 40 years, and 2024 will be no different,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Amanda Sherman Baity told Fox News in a statement.

And the DSCC went up with a video ad minutes after Hogan’s victory that spotlighted that he’s a “lifelong Republican.”

Hogan, a vocal critic of former Preisdent Trump, mulled a run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and made numerous trips in 2022 to New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary in the GOP nominating calendar. But in March of last year, Hogan announced he wouldn’t seek his party’s nomination.

During his last year as governor, Republican leaders in the nation’s capital and in Maryland heavily courted Hogan to run for the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections.

But Hogan declined, saying in a news conference in February that year that “as I have repeatedly said, I don’t aspire to be a United States senator.”

Fast-forward two years and Hogan changed his mind after another full-court press by national Republican leaders.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Moderate U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., defeated his toughest primary challenge yet on Tuesday night with 70.2% of the vote, besting a right-wing populist who was supported by both the Nebraska state GOP and even Bacon’s own colleague in Congress. 

The election was a test case to see how much the GOP’s wave of populism has affected even Republican voters in areas that could be swing districts in six months.

Bacon’s general election race will likely be among the most closely watched House elections in November as Democrats seek to wrestle Republicans’ razor-thin House majority out from under them.

The outspoken three-term lawmaker, whose district is anchored in Omaha, represents an area that President Biden won by more than 6% in 2020. 

WHY SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR IS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WINNING BACK MAJORITY

His opponent was businessman David Frei, who was backed by the state GOP as well as the Republican Party organizations of three Nebraska counties.

Frei was also notably endorsed by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va. Good has backed several challengers to more moderate Republican counterparts currently serving in Congress.

Bacon’s campaign was backed by more than 100 Nebraska officials on the federal, state and local levels, including both of the state’s GOP senators and Gov. Jim Pillen. He also had support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

THIS SENATE CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON CAMERA SCREAMING AT REPORTER

He’s now advancing to face Nebraska state Sen. Tony Vargas, the Democrat whom he defeated by less than 3% in 2022.

A retired Air Force brigadier general, Bacon has been more willing than many of his colleagues to cross the aisle and work with Democrats, particularly on foreign aid. He’s also followed the lead of a significant number of Republican officials in endorsing Trump for re-election this year.

Bacon has also spoken out against GOP rebels in his conference who have purposely hamstrung their own party’s agenda in protest of House leadership decisions.

TRUMP EDGES BIDEN IN THESE KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES

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It’s earned him both bipartisan praise as well as scorn from lawmakers and activists on his right flank. 

He was ranked the eight-most bipartisan House lawmaker in a new index released this week by the Lugar Center & Georgetown University’s McCourt School, including the fifth-most bipartisan House Republican.

West Virginia state Treasurer Riley Moore has easily won a heated Republican primary in his home state and will likely be headed to Congress following the November general election.

Moore led the closest of his four opponents by a margin of more than 25 points when the Associated Press called the race.

Former Air Force Brig. Gen. Chris “Mookie” Walker, who had been considered Moore’s most competitive challenger, trailed in a surprising third place. Both campaigns spent roughly the same amount of money on the race.

DC MAYOR RIPPED FOR PRIVATE JET FLIGHT TO GOLF TOURNAMENT WHILE CRIME PERSISTS, APPROVAL RATINGS NOSEDIVE

The primary devolved into a contentious mudslinging contest between the Moore and Walker campaigns. Moore’s victory means he will likely be the next member of Congress to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District, considering election analysts rate the race as either “solid” or “safe” Republican.

Moore comes from a West Virginia family with a legacy of holding public office, including his grandfather, who served as the state’s governor, and his aunt, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.

He was first elected to office in November 2016 as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and later as state treasurer in the 2020 election.

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Moore spent his time in office as a staunch opponent of “woke” environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing standards, which critics say allocate investment funds based on political agendas, such as combating climate change. And he ran as a proponent of America First policies.

He was also an early supporter of former President Trump’s current bid for the White House, endorsing him in February 2023.

Moore will face Democratic nominee and Navy veteran Steven Wendelin in November.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s happening? 

-Biden rejects “full-term” abortion position

-Speaker Johnson bashes Trump trial in New York

-DeSantis addresses rumor of potential Casey DeSantis candidacy

Cohen on the Stand

Michael Cohen, the star witness in the landmark New York v. Trump case, received some star treatment by the mainstream media following his testimony Monday.

The former lawyer, who will be the final witness in the prosecution’s case against Trump, testified he secretly recorded Trump ahead of the 2016 election, admitted to lying and bullying people for Trump’s benefit, and detailed the alleged attempt to cover up an alleged affair Trump had with adult film star Stormy Daniels. 

News outlets and pundits that are historically hostile to Trump had the difficult task of making Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion, come off as credible. 

MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos appeared to downplay Cohen’s credibility issues by focusing on the “misconception” that direct evidence is more powerful than circumstantial evidence. 

CNN aired footage of Cohen praising Trump in 2016, noting that it was a common occurrence when he was on the former president’s payroll.  

“The question is,” senior legal analyst Elie Honig asked, following the clip. “Is the jury going to be on board with this narrative that, ‘Well, when he flipped, he made a clean break, and now he’s a truthteller?’”

Cohen is expected to return for cross examination from Trump’s lawyers on Thursday.

ALLIES UNITE: NY v. Trump: Trump allies show up to court in full force …Read more

‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UN-AMERICAN’: NY court rejects Trump’s appeal of gag order …Read more

NOT COORDINATED: GOP Trump allies continue to pour into courthouse just to ‘support their friend’ …Read more

White House

DRAWING A CONTRAST: Biden doesn’t support ‘full-term’ abortion stance pushed by RFK Jr …Read more

KNOCK KNOCK: Kamala Harris calls on young Asian-Americans to ‘kick that f—ing door down’ during speech …Read more

‘GAME’ CLAIMS: Report on U.S. offer of ‘sensitive’ Hamas intel riles critics …Read more

CALLED TO ACCOUNT: State financial officers push Biden on support for Israel amid Rafah invasion …Read more

Capitol Hill

FULL MEDAL JACKET: House Republicans want Trump awarded Congressional Gold Medal …Read more

SLOW GOING: Dem senator’s corruption trial sees surprising delay on day one …Read more

‘ATROCITIES’: Speaker Johnson tears into Trump cases in impassioned speech outside court …Read more

‘COUNTRY IS IN CRISIS’: House Dems blasted in new ad spotlighting ‘extreme’ record months before Election Day …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

IN DENIAL?: Biden doesn’t believe negative polls as Trump leads in most battleground states …Read more

PRIMARY SHOWDOWNS: Tuesday’s contentious primaries setting up crucial House, Senate, general election showdowns …Read more

BURSTING THE BUBBLE: Ron DeSantis addresses rumors about his wife First Lady Casey DeSantis’ political future …Read more

VEEPSTAKES?: Trump allies flank 45th president outside NY courtroom …Read more

TRONE DEAF: Racial slur, alleged threat to ‘execute’ man: The most outrageous moments from this Dem candidate …Read more

Across America

‘CARTOONISHLY CORRUPT’: Jon Stewart hits Menendez, Pelosi and Hunter Biden during segment on political corruption …Read more

FANI-NG THE FLAMES: Trump co-defendants file bid to kick Fani Willis off the case …Read more

‘WE’RE NOT READY’: Hunter Biden attorney seeks delay in DE case …Read more

Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Several sitting U.S. senators — including a couple rumored to be in consideration for the GOP vice presidential nod — are among a lengthy list of prominent individuals who could be called as witnesses in the ongoing corruption trial of Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, potential jurors were told on Tuesday.

Jury selection in the trial carried into its second day without any jurors being chosen, but U.S. Judge Sidney H. Stein told potential jurors that several current and former lawmakers and White House officials may or may not be witnesses in the case. He spent most of Monday questioning the prospective jurors.

“You may see them or hear their names, and I want to know if you have a connection with any of these people,” Stein said. 

The list included: David Axelrod, former political strategist for former President Barack Obama; Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware; Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia; former Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; former Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin; former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.; Sen. Kristen Sinema, I-Ariz.; and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland. 

Once jurors are chosen, the case will proceed to opening arguments. 

US V. MENENDEZ: DEM SENATOR’S CORRUPTION TRIAL KICKS OFF WITH SURPRISING DELAY

Jurors will be expected to determine whether evidence against Menendez and two New Jersey businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, shows they were part of a bribery scheme, including meddling in criminal investigations and taking actions benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar. 

All three have pleaded not guilty. Co-defendant Jose Uribe has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the other defendants. A trial for the senator’s wife, Nadine, who is also charged and has also pleaded not guilty, is delayed until at least July due to health reasons. 

This is the second time in a decade that Menendez has been accused in a federal corruption case. 

BOB MENENDEZ’S CORRUPTION CASE CO-DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO 7 COUNTS, COOPERATING WITH INVESTIGATORS

Menendez was charged by federal prosecutors with obstruction of justice in another superseding indictment unsealed in March relating to a multiyear alleged bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

The 18-page indictment is wrapped into Menendez’s existing charges, which allege that he acted as a foreign agent and accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to benefit the Egyptian government through his power and influence as a senator.

DEMOCRAT SEN BOB MENENDEZ FACING INDICTMENT ON BRIBERY CHARGES

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Menendez, his wife and the three New Jersey businessmen were first charged in the federal bribery scheme on Sept. 23.

Shortly after it was introduced, Democrats quickly condemned a new Republican bill that aims to compile resources on a government website for expecting mothers, postpartum women and young mothers. They alleged that it was a covert attempt to establish a “database of pregnant women,” potentially enabling the government to block access to abortions. 

The More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act, which was shortened to the MOMS Act, was introduced by Sen. Katie Britt, the Alabama Republican who made headlines for her response to the State of the Union speech earlier this year. The MOMS Act would establish a government-run website, pregnancy.gov, intended to be a go-to resource for mothers and pregnant women as they seek support through the various stages of both pregnancy and early motherhood. 

There is currently a government website for abortion resources, ReproductiveRights.gov. The site routes women to AbortionFinder.org, telling visitors that it can assist with obtaining “abortion funds.” The site provides information on rights to abortions, where to find legal help, and points them towards the Justice Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force.

DEMS PUSH BIDEN TO ACT ON FOOD PRICES WITH INFLATION RANKING AS TOP ISSUE AHEAD OF ELECTION

Pregnancy.gov would be “a clearinghouse of relevant resources available for pregnant and postpartum women, and women parenting young children,” per the bill. The site would ask for a woman’s zip code in order to find local resources and populate them for her. It would additionally include “a mechanism for users to take an assessment through the website and provide consent to use the user’s contact information, which the [Department of Health and Human Services secretary] may use to conduct outreach via phone or email to follow up with users on additional resources that would be helpful for the users to review.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison slammed the proposal, writing on X, formerly Twitter, “So she creates a database of pregnant women, so Trump then knows who to prosecute if any of those women get an abortion.”

“Yet another example of why this election is fundamental to protecting your liberty & freedoms!” he added. 

BIDEN TORCHED BY REPUBLICANS FOR TOUGHER IMMIGRATION RULE AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTION

Democratic lawmakers echoed the claim made by the DNC chairman. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote on X that the measure is “a dystopian proposal to track, intimidate, & coerce pregnant women into carrying their pregnancies to term, no matter their circumstances.”

“It is a dangerous roadmap for how the GOP would weaponize the government to control women’s bodies,” she alleged.

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., attacked the bill as “horrific,” also claiming, “Rs are already escalating their authoritarian repression of reproductive freedom—calling for a pregnancy database and funding for anti-abortion centers,” referencing the crisis pregnancy centers that could be eligible for grants under the measure. 

Crisis pregnancy centers are organizations that usually provide emotional and financial support to women, among other things. The centers are known for encouraging women to seek out non-abortion alternatives and often providing support for women to do so. 

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, piled on, lobbing the same claim and calling the bill “hypocritical,” since many Republicans oppose “a national firearm registry.”

DEMS PLAN TO REVIVE BORDER BILL REJECTED BY REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTION

Britt hit back at the critics, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, “The desperate Democrat smear campaign against the MOMS Act is shameful but not surprising.”

“Instead of being a part of a commonsense solution that would help vulnerable women, children, and families, some on the left would apparently rather fearmonger and spread intentionally false disinformation in a blindly partisan attempt to demonize their political opponents,” she said. 

The proposed legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and James Lankford, R-Okla. 

A review by Fox News Digital found that nowhere in the bill text is any language authorizing the construction of a so-called “database” of pregnant women. And it is not explicitly written that any woman must indicate whether she is pregnant or not, as the site purports it will provide resources for postpartum women and mothers with young children.

SCHUMER MAY LET CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN NOMINEE WITH ‘PROBLEMATIC’ TIES QUIETLY EXPIRE: EXPERT

According to language in the legislation, there is no compulsory element mandating women to visit the site or provide their zip code, email, or phone number, as the idea of a pregnancy database might imply. 

If Britt’s measure were to become law, it would not be the first government website to prompt visitors for location or contact information. Healthcare.gov, for example, asks visitors for their home state, email, and data policy consent before taking any other action on the site. 

Furthermore, when the secretary is tasked under the proposal with preparing a report on the website’s usefulness to Congress, they would be specifically prohibited from including “any personal identifying information regarding individuals who have used the website.”

“These claims are intentionally false and dangerous,” top Pro-Life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“We encourage everyone to read the bill, which provides a database of help for women, not a database of women. Women’s privacy is expressly protected,” the statement continued. 

“Any claims to the contrary are nothing but a cynical attempt to distract from the Democrats’ obsession with abortion and their relentless attacks on charities that help women,” per the SBA Pro-Life America statement. 

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Advancing American Freedom, an organization started by former Vice President Mike Pence, also weighed in on the false claims spread regarding the legislation. AAF Policy Director John Shelton told Fox News Digital, “The abortion industry tipped its hand when it made baseless smears against Senator Britt’s MOMS Act.”

“Planned Parenthood would rather force hopeful mothers into abortions than ensure they have access to pregnancy resource centers and child support as they seek to raise their kids,” he continued, noting the measure’s provision for child support to be accessible during pregnancy. 

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered the state’s voter rolls to be purged of “non-citizens” Tuesday after a review found more than 100 Ohio residents who were registered to vote despite lacking U.S. citizenship.

An investigation by Ohio’s Public Integrity Division analyzed data from the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles and found 137 people who appeared on voter rolls despite twice confirming they were not U.S. citizens. Ohio law requires that in order for a person to be removed from voter rolls, they must have confirmed their lack of citizenship to the BMV on two separate occasions, and also have updated their voter registration or voted in between the two occasions.

“These individuals will receive at least two written notices from the Secretary of State’s office asking them to confirm their citizenship status or cancel their registration. Failure to respond to these notices will result in removal of the registration from the voter rolls by the county boards of elections,” LaRose’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement.

The improper voter registration could result in prosecution for some, but LaRose cautioned that not all instances are criminal.

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“It’s important to recognize that some of these registrations may be the result of an honest mistake,” LaRose said. “These may be well-meaning people trying to pursue the American dream, and communication barriers sometimes result in a registration form being submitted in error. We need to help them get that cleared up before an accidental registration becomes an illegal vote that could result in a felony conviction or even deportation.”

LaRose’s office says there may be more non-citizens registered to vote than the initial investigation uncovered. Much of the data provided by the BMV requires cross-referencing with other databases, some of them federal.

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To that effect, Ohio is calling on President Biden’s administration to provide access to several sources of citizenship data. First is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database, which holds troves of citizenship data for individuals entering the U.S.

LaRose’s office also seeks access to citizenship information from the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security administration, as well as federal district court records disclosing individuals disqualified from jury service due to a lack of United States citizenship.

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LaRose’s office hopes to hold up Ohio’s elections systems as a model for other GOP-led states, given his current role as vice chairman of the Republican Secretaries of State Committee.

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“With national liberal groups eyeing the ten secretary of state races on the ballot over the next two years, we need principled Republican leaders now more than ever,” LaRose said when he was appointed to the RSSC role in March.

As they audition for the role of Donald Trump’s running mate, potential vice presidential nominees are showing off their ability to help the former president raise much-needed campaign cash. 

Closed-door fundraisers with top-dollar Republican donors appear to be the latest screen test venue for those vying to land on the GOP ticket alongside Trump, joining a list that includes teaming up with the former president at his rallies and showing up at his criminal trial in New York City in support of Trump.

Four potential running mates — Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, governors Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Kristi Noem of South Dakota and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — will team up with the former president Tuesday night in New York City at a fundraising dinner for Trump as he aims to narrow his fundraising deficit with President Biden in their 2024 election rematch.

TRUMP EDGING BIDEN IN THESE CRUCIAL SWING STATES 

The gathering is being hosted in Manhattan by billionaire GOP donors Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald; hedge fund investor John Paulson; and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. Tickets to attend the dinner go for up to $844,600.

The fundraiser is part of a series of high-level events and small-dollar grassroots efforts the Trump campaign estimates will haul in roughly $25 million this week.

WILL THIS SENATOR’S FUNDRAISING SKILLS GIVE HIM A BOOST IN THE TRUMP VEEPSTAKES?

On Wednesday, Trump will team up with Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, another contender for running mate, at a fundraising luncheon in Cincinnati.

A week and a half ago, Vance, Scott, Burgum, Noem and a handful of other high-profile GOP politicians also considered potential vice presidential nominees all joined Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Republican National Committee’s annual spring donor retreat.

A number of these fundraising events include major GOP donors who remain uncommitted to Trump.

“Trump and his team are paying close attention to who is activating their donor networks on behalf of the former president. They’re less interested in who shows up to events with pre-existing Trump donors and more interested in seeing who is bringing new donors into the fold,” a Trump ally who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News.

VP STAKES: TRUMP MEETS WITH POTENTIAL RUNNING MATES

Scott, who has been meeting with major contributors on behalf of the Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital last week his message to donors is that “four more years under Donald Trump is good for our economy. It’s good for your pocket book. But, more important, it’s good for America’s future.”

Scott, along with Burgum and Ramaswamy, ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump.

The former president is attending the New York City fundraiser after spending his day in court in Lower Manhattan. Trump is making history as the first former or current president to stand trial in a criminal case.

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The trial is attracting potential running mates. Vance showed up at the courthouse in support of Trump Monday. Burgum, Ramaswamy and another possible contender — Rep. Bryon Donalds of Florida — were there Tuesday.

“We’re all here today because of the circus of this trial,” Burgum told reporters Tuesday.

Sources in Trump’s political orbit say not to expect a decision from the former president on his running mate until much closer to the Republican National Convention, which gets underway in Milwaukee July 15.

Fox News’ Kellianne Jones and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

A former Obama campaign worker was killed last week in a car crash in Southern California along with her wife, according to friends and colleagues. 

Peggy Moore, 60, and Hope Wood, 48, died Friday night when the Jeep pickup truck they were in collided with a Chrysler sedan on State Route 76 in Fallbrook, 55 miles north of San Diego. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office said the Jeep was traveling westbound when it collided with a sedan traveling in the opposite direction. 

The cause of Wood’s death was blunt force trauma and torso trauma, as well as the unidentified 60-year-old man driving the Jeep. The driver of the sedan was also killed, officials said. The driver of the sedan swerved into the highway’s westbound lanes, striking a white Jeep Gladiator. The head-on crash caused a silver Toyota Camry behind the Jeep to be involved in a minor sideswipe, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement to FOX San Francisco. 

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Moore worked on former President Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and was an advisor to former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. In 2019, Moore and Hope started the political consulting firm Hope Action Change.

The couple championed same-sex causes and campaigned to prevent a state ballot proposition aimed at invalidating same-sex marriages from passing.

“I’m heartbroken to hear of the tragic loss of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood. Peggy was a friend, an activist, and one of the best organizers I knew. Her passion and fight for justice and equality is what brought her and Hope together,” U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said in a statement. “Both Peggy and Hope made an impact on our community, on our city, on our state, and on our nation that will be felt for generations to come.”

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Rusty Hicks, the chair of the California Democratic Party, said he was saddened by Moore’s death. 

“She was an incredible political talent & member of Team CADEM who brought a passion for organizing & a commitment to justice every single day,” Hicks wrote on X. “Our thoughts are with her family & the many friends who loved her. Rest In Power, Peggy.”

The California Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

President Biden announced Tuesday that his administration is hiking tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports while vowing that the U.S. will “never allow” Beijing to “unfairly control the market” for electric vehicles. 

The new measures include an increase in the tariff rate on electric vehicles from 25% to 100% this year along with hikes on tariffs in “strategic sectors” including steel, aluminum, semiconductors, batteries and solar cells, the White House says. 

“China heavily subsidized all these products, pushing Chinese companies to produce far more than the rest of the world can absorb. And then dumping the excess products onto the market and unfairly low prices, driving other manufacturers around the world out of business,” Biden said Tuesday in a speech at the White House. 

Biden said U.S. trade partners around the world want a “supply chain for electric vehicles that isn’t dominated by unfair trade practices from China” and that “We’re never going to allow China unfairly control the market for these cars, period.” 

FIRST AI TALKS BEGIN BETWEEN CHINESE AND US ENVOYS 

The president said he ultimately wants “fair competition with China, not conflict.  

“And we’re in a stronger position to win that economic competition in the 21st century against China than anyone else, because we’re investing in America again and American workers,” Biden said. 

The hikes come after former President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on thousands of Chinese goods in 2018 and 2019 in response to an investigation that found China was violating U.S. intellectual property laws and coercing American companies into transferring sensitive technology to Chinese firms as a condition of gaining access to China’s market. 

PUTIN TO VISIT CHINA THIS WEEK TO MEET WITH XI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS 

In July 2019, then-presidential candidate Biden spoke out against Trump’s tariffs, saying at the time that “All that he’s delivered as a consequence of that is American farmers, manufacturers and consumers losing and paying more.” 

But since Biden has taken office, those tariffs have become “a seemingly permanent feature of U.S. policy toward China,” a report from The Wall Street Journal says. 

China on Tuesday is criticizing the new tariffs, saying they “will seriously affect the atmosphere of bilateral cooperation” and describing them as “bullying,” according to The Associated Press. 

The Trump campaign also said “Joe Biden’s action today is a weak and futile attempt to distract from the grievous harm his insane Electric Vehicle mandate is doing to the U.S. auto industry and how his radical policies are wiping out thousands of American auto jobs.  

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“The fact that these tariffs do not apply to gas-powered cars and trucks but only to Chinese EVs shows that this has nothing to do with protecting American Workers,” Trump Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “It’s all about Crooked Joe’s agenda of killing gas-powered automobiles while forcing Americans into ultra-expensive Electric Vehicles they don’t want and can’t afford.”

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.