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A Republican Senate candidate in Ohio is taking fire from his political opponents in the GOP Senate primary over an alleged scheduled meeting with No Labels, a third-party political group known for promoting liberal positions on gun control, abortion and other issues.

The controversy started earlier this week when NBC News reporter Henry Gomez posted a screenshot of an email from No Labels promoting a Zoom call with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday night and touting him as the group’s “longtime friend” who would be a better choice as an “independent senator” then Trump endorsed businessman Bernie Moreno whom the group called a “Trump senator.”

The news generated criticism on social media, including from Moreno, who argued that a true conservative would not meet with No Labels.

“No real conservative would be caught dead begging pro-amnesty and pro-gun control No Labels to fund their Senate campaign,” businessman Bernie Moreno posted on X on Tuesday night. “They only support Democrats and anti-Trump RINOs like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.”

OHIO GOP SENATE HOPEFUL MAKES CAMPAIGN TRAIL PITCH AS CANDIDATE DEMS ‘MOST AFRAID OF’ IN TIGHT RACE

Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno  (AP)

“This is who the real Frank LaRose is.”

“On any given day, it’s unclear which version of Frank LaRose is actually going to show up in this primary,” Chris Maloney, a strategist for LaRose’s other opponent State Sen. Matt Dolan told Fox News Digital in response to the No Labels controversy.

“Ohioans clearly see Frank for who he really is, a political chameleon willing to change his stripes and undermine the will of Republican voters for financial support.”

“Fake news,” LaRose campaign spokesperson Ben Kindel wrote on X in response to a report about the No Labels Zoom call. “There is no call with No Labels. Frank LaRose has nothing to do with this group and his labels are clear: Husband, Father, Green Beret, Conservative, Ohio Republican.”

After that post, Gomez reported that LaRose had not ultimately taken part in the call, while an audio clip circulated on social media purportedly from the Zoom call with a voice saying that a “scheduling mishap” prevented LaRose from attending the Tuesday night Zoom.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose  (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)

The issue came up during the third primary debate at Miami University on Thursday night.

“Last night at 5:30, what were you guys doing?” Moreno asked the crowd. “You know what Frank LaRose was supposed to be doing? Having a Zoom call with No Labels, which, oh my God, that’s so funny, they scheduled a Zoom fundraiser for him for No Labels, which is the most radical Planned Parenthood, amnesty, pro-open borders organization that’s too liberal for Nikki Haley. That’s the group that he was doing a fundraiser with last night.”

LaRose pushed back on the criticism and called it “fake news.”

“There was no call, there was no meeting,” LaRose said. 

No Labels and the LaRose campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

“You get a lot of people that want to talk to Frank LaRose during the heat of the campaign…and if somebody wants to put out an email using Frank’s name for a call, then that’s what they did,” LaRose adviser Rick Gorka told NBC News. “Somebody got over their skis, put something out they weren’t supposed to. Frank was never going to be on this call. And he was on a radio interview at that time anyway.”

LaRose has previously expressed support for the idea of a centrist No Labels ticket and posted on Facebook in 2019 that he has worked with them to make a “positive difference.”

No Labels has previously advocated for liberal positions on gun control, amnesty, and abortion. 

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Sen. Sherrod Brown (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Arguing which of the candidates track records was the most conservative was a common theme in Wednesday’s debate with LaRose and Moreno criticizing Dolan for lukewarm support of former President Trump and his record as a state senator, Dolan and LaRose hitting Moreno for previous statements on key issues like immigration, and Trump endorsed Moreno making the case that he is the only candidate who will carry Trump’s agenda forward.

An Emerson College poll released in January showed all three candidates essentially tied in a race to defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Internal polling from the Moreno campaign showed him up by 10 points, with 27% of voters still undecided with less than two weeks to go before the primary.

The Cook Political Report ranks the Ohio Senate race in November as a “toss up.”
 

Former President Bill Clinton specifically addressed two major issues during his State of the Union address back in 1995: the economy and immigration.

While his remarks on the economy — namely encouraging lawmakers to “cut more spending” and to “empower the American people to succeed in the global economy” — have been regularly repeated by his modern Democrats, his remarks on immigration and securing the border are a stunning contrast.

“All Americans, not only in the States most heavily affected but in every place in this country, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country,” then-President Clinton said from the floor of the House of Representatives.

He added: “The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public service they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That’s why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens.”

BORDER OFFICIALS SEE MASSIVE NEW SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER

President William Jefferson Clinton specifically addressed immigration during a Joint Session of the Congress at the State of the Union in 1995.  (Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

During Thursday night’s State of the Union address, Biden is expected to address immigration as his presidency has witnessed historic crossing at the U.S.-Mexico border — nearly 7.3 million under his presidency, according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

DEMOCRATS URGE BIDEN TO SEE ‘WARNING SIGN’ AFTER VOTERS ABANDON HIM: ‘NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE IGNORED’

That figure is larger than the population of 36 U.S. states and does not include an estimated additional 1.8 million known “gotaways,” who evaded law enforcement.

In various public remarks, Biden has contended the border is secure and that crossing levels reflect a seasonal surge.

Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich sits with Vice President Al Gore, laughing during President Clinton’s State of the Union address to Congress.  (Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Then-President Clinton said in 1995 that Americans are “rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country.” (Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

In the 1995 speech, Clinton said he would crack down on illegal crossings and would increase deportations of those migrants who commit crimes.

“In the budget I will present to you, we will try to do more to speed the deportation of illegal aliens who are arrested for crimes, to better identify illegal aliens in the workplace as recommended by the commission headed by former [Democratic] Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. We are a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws,” the former president said. “It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years, and we must do more to stop it.”

MSNBC’S PSAKI, MADDOW LAUGH AT AND MOCK VIRGINIA VOTERS FOR CARING ABOUT BORDER CRISIS

Nearly 7.3 million migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border under Biden’s presidency. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Immigration and border security has risen to be a top concern among voters ahead of November’s general election. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Immigration and border security have risen to be top concerns among voters ahead of November’s general election, and the leading presidential candidates, Biden and former President Trump, could not be more opposed.

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The issue has returned to the forefront of mainstream media headlines in the wake of the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley.

Potential voters in November’s general election will undoubtedly be listening to Biden’s words Thursday night and whether he mentions Riley, the border or Trump.

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt lost Tuesday’s Republican primary to Michele Morrow, a home-schooling parent critical of public schools’ “radical agendas” on race and gender ideology. 

Morrow, a nurse and former Christian missionary who ran unsuccessfully for the Wake County school board in 2022, garnered 52% of the vote Tuesday, while the incumbent Truitt tallied 48%, WTVD reported. 

The Super Tuesday upset came despite Truitt’s sizable fundraising advantages and GOP establishment support. 

Morrow, a supporter of former President Trump who accused Truitt of not being conservative enough, collected backing from rural education leaders and will now take on Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green in November.

MARK ROBINSON WINS GOP NOMINATION FOR NC GOVERNOR, SAYS ‘UNDERDOG’ STORY ‘JUST LIKE NORTH CAROLINA HERSELF’

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt speaks Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Truitt lost narrowly on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in the Republican primary to Michele Morrow, a home-schooling parent and education activist. (AP Photo/Bryan Anderson, File)

Morrow also criticized Truitt for seeking to briefly delay the implementation of a new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” so that districts would have more time to create new policies, and for continued low reading and math proficiency rates. 

In her first term as schools’ chief, Truitt led the Department of Public Instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, and implemented a new legislature-backed plan to improve reading skills in early grades. She had re-election support from dozens of General Assembly members, as well as North Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.

Morrow insisted in a statement Wednesday that Republican and unaffiliated voters who voted for her over Truitt “are tired of their taxpayer funds going to push radical agendas in the classroom instead of proven pedagogies.” She said that if elected, she would focus on scholastics over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and “work to make our schools the safest buildings in our state.” 

NORTH CAROLINA US HOUSE SEATS EXPECTED TO FLIP REPUBLICAN UNDER NEW DISTRICT MAP, ELECTION DATA SHOWS

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Catherine Truitt speaks during a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Feb. 2, 2021. (Ethan Hyman/The News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Morrow participated in the march on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but she said she left the area when ordered by authorities and did not enter the building, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.

Truitt, whose committee outspent Morrow, was Gov. Pat McCrory’s education adviser and chancellor of Western Governors University in North Carolina. Truitt’s campaign collected more than $150,000 in donations since 2023, while Morrow’s campaign had raised just $8,000, according to WRAL. 

While the election “did not go the way I had hoped, I’m deeply proud of what we accomplished and I am gratified by the support of educators, parents, school and legislative leaders and so many others from across the state,” Truitt wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. Her term ends at the end of the year.

Staff and volunteers receive electronically-stored ballots and other polling materials dropped at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections after polls close during Super Tuesday on March 5, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)

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The Democrat Green, a former Guilford County schools superintendent and previous head of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, won his party’s primary over two rivals – Katie Eddings, a Lee County personal finance teacher, and Kenon Crumble, a Wake County high school principal – after garnering 66% of the vote, according to NC News Line. 

While the state superintendent is head of the Department of Public Instruction, statewide school policy is left to the State Board of Education, for which the governor makes the most appointments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

First lady Jill Biden’s guests for the State of the Union (SOTU) address on Thursday night include an Alabama woman who is seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF), Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain. 

President Biden will deliver his last SOTU address before voters cast their ballots in the general election come November. The first lady’s choice of guests for her viewing box provides a glimpse into several issues Biden may focus on in his remarks: wider abortion access, immigration, foreign affairs, support for union workers and stricter gun control, to name a few. 

“Each of these individuals were invited by the White House because they personify issues or themes to be addressed by the President in his speech, or they embody the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies at work for the American people. The Second Gentleman, Mr. Douglas Emhoff, will also join the First Lady in the viewing box,” her office said in a statement. 

WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN NEEDS TO SAY ABOUT HIS AGE AND TRUMP IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

First lady Jill Biden departs the White House on Jan. 11, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Latorya Beasley, a mother from Alabama, was seeking to expand her family through IVF “when her embryo transfer was abruptly canceled as a result of the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision,” according to the White House. 

Kate Cox, a Texas mother of two, will also be in attendance. Cox fought in a high profile legal battle with the Lone Star state after being denied abortion access. She subsequently crossed state lines to get the procedure done. 

Maria Shriver, an abortion advocate and journalist, is another guest of the first lady. She helped develop the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research and is the cousin of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

President Biden is also likely to discuss crises abroad, focusing on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The first lady will host Shelby Nikitin, a U.S. Navy officer who protected the Navy’s maritime shipping vessel from threats by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, earning her the Bronze Star. 

BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: BRET BAIER, MARTHA MACCALLUM TO LEAD FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S SPECIAL COVERAGE

President Biden will deliver the State of the Union address on Thursday. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Several lawmakers will host the families of victims still held hostage by Hamas terrorists. 

Sweden will officially become the 32nd NATO ally on Thursday. To mark the occasion, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will be another guest in the first lady’s viewing box. 

“Sweden is a strong democracy with a highly capable military that shares our values and vision for the world. Having Sweden as a NATO Ally will make the United States and our Allies even safer,” the White House wrote. 

ALABAMA SEN KATIE BRITT TO DELIVER REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO BIDEN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: ‘TRULY HONORED’

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden during an event marking the three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden has repeatedly touted himself as the most pro-union president in recent history. The first lady will also host United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain alongside UAW Local 126 member Dawn Simms. Simms worked at an auto plant in Belvidere, Illinois, when it closed. It reopened in February 2023 after Fain helped negotiate the UAW-Big Three contract. Simms joined Biden to mark the plant’s reopening. 

Biden has called on Congress to do more to curtail gun violence, even after the passage of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention program. Another guest of Jill Biden, Jazmin Cazares, is likely to highlight this. Cazares, a resident of Uvalde, Texas, began advocacy for stricter gun control after her sister was killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in May 2022. 

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A statement from the White House reads: “Cazares spent her senior year of high school traveling across the country and sharing Jackie’s story. She spoke alongside March for Our Lives leaders at the Texas State Capitol and testified before lawmakers to advocate for tighter background checks and extreme risk protection order laws.”

Democratic donors are urging President Biden to see recent presidential primary results, like in Michigan where more than 100,000 voters abandoned him and marked “uncommitted” on their ballots, as a “warning sign” and a “wake-up call.”

“Regardless of how you dissect the specific math and historical comparisons (2012, 2016) of what happened in Michigan, 100,000 uncommitted Democratic voters must be seen as a wake-up call,” wrote Way to Win, a national hub of progressive donors, in a memo to its members and supporters. “We can tell you that the energy behind ‘uncommitted’ is not something that should be ignored, taken lightly, or dismissed.”

It added: “We should not try to argue ourselves out of the fact that Michigan is a major warning signal that something needs to change.”

In the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan, the state’s Arab American population urged voters to “Abandon Biden” and vote “uncommitted” on primary ballots in protest of Biden’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza. Biden won 81% of the state, losing approximately 101,000 to the protest vote.

‘UNCOMMITTED’ PROTEST VOTE AGAINST BIDEN DRAWS TENS OF THOUSANDS ON SUPER TUESDAY

President Biden won the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan with 81% of the total vote but lost approximately 101,000 to the protest. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the memo, Way to Win cautioned that 2024 was lining up to be a repeat of 2016, when then-candidate Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic primary to Bernie Sanders but felt the state would still vote blue in the general election. It didn’t and Trump went on to win Michigan by just under 11,000 votes.

“Michigan 2024 is not an anomaly, just as Michigan 2016 was not,” the group wrote, adding that potential voters are hesitant to support Biden because they feel “disenchanted, disaffected and demobilized.”

MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS, COMMUNITY LEADERS SOUND ALARM BELLS AFTER THOUSANDS OF VOTERS PROTEST BIDEN IN SWING STATE

The protest extended to Super Tuesday as well.

Despite nearly sweeping every contest on Super Tuesday, Biden again saw a chunk of Democratic voters refuse to put his name down in states like Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee.

In North Carolina, the Biden campaign saw a whopping 88,000 voters, or nearly 13% of the total, back “No Preference.”

In Massachusetts, a sizable 54,000 voters, or just under 10%, marked “No Preference.”

The “uncommitted” protest extended to Super Tuesday, with Biden seeing a chunk of Democratic voters refuse to put his name down in states like Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

In Colorado, just over 43,000 voters, or roughly 8% of the vote, marked “Noncommitted Delegate” on the ballot, instead of putting down the president’s name.

In Tennessee, Alabama and Iowa, Biden lost approximately 8%, 6% and 4%, respectively, to “uncommitted.”

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In these states, the non-declared option was usually the second most chosen.

Michigan is a hotly contested state that Biden won in 2020 and Trump won in 2016. (Fox News Polling)

Way to Win added: “And beyond our volunteers and activists, there is a real and present danger that too many voters in close swing states who are fed up with the system will choose to either not vote at all, vote but skip the presidential ballot, or vote for third-party presidential candidates. We are seeing this everywhere in the data.”

The memo suggests Biden should directly address the concerns of those protesting him and “change course on Gaza,” elevate Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail, and emphasize the need for Democrats to go out and vote.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sharply criticized former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for not endorsing former President Trump’s bid for the presidency after suspending her campaign.

DeSantis made the remarks during an appearance on Newsmax’s “The Balance,” citing the pledge signed by Republican primary candidates promising to endorse the party’s eventual nominee.

“I signed the pledge, and you signed the pledge saying that you’re gonna not take your ball and go home,” DeSantis told Newsmax’s Eric Bolling in an interview. “And so I honored the pledge, and she’s gonna have to make a decision about whether she wants to or not.”

NIKKI HALEY DROPS OUT OF 2024 RACE, DOESN’T ENDORSE TRUMP FOR GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The governor continued, “But the idea that somehow circumstances have changed… I think we all knew what we were doing when we did that, and you’ve got to make a judgment about whether that’s meaningful to you. And so for me, I tell people, you know, if I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.”

Haley ended her White House bid Wednesday morning after losing almost every state on Super Tuesday, rendering a victory nearly impossible for the former South Carolina governor.

“I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done it. I have no regrets. And although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in,” Haley said as she spoke at her presidential campaign headquarters on Daniel Island, in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

TRUMP INVITES NIKKI HALEY SUPPORTERS TO JOIN MAGA MOVEMENT, CELEBRATES SUPER TUESDAY VICTORIES

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks as she announces she is suspending her campaign in Charleston, South Carolina. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

However, Haley did not immediately endorse Trump, who is on course to clinch the GOP presidential nomination in the next week or two.

“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” Haley said as she pointed to those who supported her during her White House run. “This is now his time for choosing.”

The former president on Tuesday swept 14 of the 15 states from coast to coast that held Republican presidential primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday, moving Trump much closer to locking up the GOP nomination and into a general election rematch with President Biden.

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Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump arrives for an election-night watch party at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

While Haley did not endorse Trump, top Haley surrogate Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told Fox News on Wednesday morning that “if not today, she will” support the former president.

Norman, who endorsed Haley a year ago, added in a “Fox and Friends” interview that “at the end of the day, she will come on board.”

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.

As independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fights for nationwide ballot access, the chief of the Libertarian Party said it would be wise for him to run on their ticket.

Angela McArdle, the chair of the Libertarian National Committee, made clear that no decision has been made about RFK Jr. joining the Libertarian Party’s 2024 ticket. But she did say such a move could be “mutually beneficial” as the party seeks a candidate who could seal ballot access in all 50 states.

“I’m not allowed to actively recruit anyone for the presidential nomination,” McArdle said in an interview on “The Hill on NewsNation.” “I’m certainly friendly with his campaign, just like I am with all the other candidates’ campaigns.” 

RFK JR’S CAMPAIGN SAYS HE HAS ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO GET ON BALLOT IN NEVADA

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. hosts a fireside chat with rapper and producer Eric B. at The Gentleman’s Factory on Feb. 18, 2024, in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)

Kennedy has recently floated the idea of running for president as a Libertarian. His long-shot independent campaign against President Biden and former President Trump has only garnered enough signatures for ballot access in four states, and the Libertarian Party has a demonstrated track record of getting on the ballot in all 50 states in 2016 and 2020. 

In an interview on CNN in January, Kennedy said he was “looking at” the option of running as a Libertarian, adding that he has a good relationship with the party. He spoke at the California Libertarian Party Convention last month, though he has not committed to joining the Libertarian presidential primary.

NIKKI HALEY TO DROP OUT OF 2024 RACE, ENDING CHALLENGE AGAINST TRUMP FOR GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION: SOURCES

A view of pamphlets handed out during Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s fireside chat with rapper and producer Eric B. at The Gentleman’s Factory on Feb. 18, 2024, in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)

McArdle said it would be wise for Kennedy to seek the Libertarian nomination, noting that the party has “the experience and the ground game” to get ballot access in all 50 states.

She said there is no current favorite for the Libertarian nomination “and that’s not a knock against him. You know, we have a very ornery group of delegates. They’re interested in finding the best, most principled messenger, someone who represents us ideologically. And, we also have a group of people who are very focused on ballot access. And of course, having Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as our candidate would absolutely seal ballot access for us. But it’s not decided yet.”

BIDEN CRUISES TOWARD LIKELY 2020 REMATCH — BUT SUFFERS DEFEAT TO LITTLE-KNOWN CANDIDATE

Pins and other merchandise in support of Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on display during a voter rally at St. Cecilia Music Center on Feb. 10, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images)

McArdle acknowledged that RFK Jr. would not be a perfect ideological fit for the Libertarian Party, but said both sides have something to gain from his potential candidacy as a Libertarian. 

“I think that if he became our nominee, there would be an understanding with us that he doesn’t 100% represent us ideologically. He is getting ballot access by using our name and branding. And in return, we are securing ballot access for the future,” she said.

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“And, you know, whether or not it’s for better or worse, we would also be potentially unlocking some federal funding,” McArdle continued. “If that happens, it’s going to have to be a conscious decision of the delegates and a mutually beneficial relationship.” 

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

The city of Denver is shutting several of its migrant shelters and officials are asking local property owners to house some of the “newcomers” who need a place to stay.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently announced that the city has started to scale back its migrant services with the goal of reducing the current budget deficit by nearly $60 million and reallocating those funds back into city services. The move sees shelters being shuttered and existing shelters consolidated.

Jon Ewing, with Denver Human Services, told Fox 31 that the city is looking for alternative ways to house its illegal immigrants.

DENVER MAYOR BLAMES REPUBLICANS AND TRUMP FOR $5M CUTS TO PAY FOR MIGRANT CRISIS

The Denver city government’s handling of the illegal immigrant crisis has caused much consternation for local residents.  (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

“We put out a feeler to all the landlords we have connections with,” Ewing said. “Basically said, listen, we’re going to have some newcomers who are going to need housing.”

Fox 31 reports that the city recently emailed Denver rental property owners asking if they would be interested in renting to migrants who need housing.

“We’ve got kind of a rent cap — $2,000,” Ewing said.

He said the effort is being supported by locally operating non-profits who have already connected migrants with various forms of housing, with thousands making their way out of shelters. 

“We’re at below 1,800 right now, which is the first time that number’s been that low since September,” Ewing said.

That number was as high as 4,500 people as recently as January. Before, migrants were posting on social media in search of a home.

“A lot of those posts have now been replaced by, hey, I now need to furnish my apartment, what do I do? And so it’s a good problem to have when that’s what you’re running into,” Ewing said.

Ewing said the city has been able to get many of the migrants work permits, so they can earn an income and pay their way for accommodation.

“1,300 people right now, over the last two weeks or so, that we’ve been able to help get their work permits,” Ewing said. “That’s a huge step.”

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently announced that the city has started to scale back its migrant services. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

800 MIGRANT FAMILIES BEING BOOTED FROM DENVER SHELTERS AS CITY NEARS BREAKING POINT

The move comes after a Massachusetts couple last month volunteered to take in illegal immigrants and was surprised when a family of four showed up at the doorstep less than an hour after signing up.
Earlier this year, Johnston predicted that the migrant crisis would cost the city around $180 million. He previously told Fox News that the city was “very close” to a breaking point due to the crisis and announced the city was cutting $5 million from public services while pinning the blame on Republicans and former President Donald Trump. 

The city has supported 38,861 migrants from the southern border at a cost of nearly $58 million so far, Fox 31 reported. Venezuelans make up the vast majority of those that have arrived in the city since 2023, according to the Colorado Sun.

A migrant lies on the sleeping pad at a makeshift shelter in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 13, 2023. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

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The sanctuary city has been struggling to stretch its limited resources to support the growing number of migrants there. Texas has transported thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities like Denver, to showcase the problems that border states face when migrants flood their cities. 

The influx of migrants has also put the city’s health system at a breaking point with about 8,000 illegal immigrants recording about 20,000 visits to Denver Health last year, receiving services such as emergency room treatment, primary care, dental care and childbirth. 

Denver passed laws to become a sanctuary city, but it doesn’t include a right-to-shelter provision, which means there is no official policy that compels the local government to provide shelter indefinitely. 

Fox News’ Stepheny Price, Gabriel Hays and  Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report. 

President Biden is heading into his State of the Union address on Thursday facing dismal approval ratings and looking to reassure voters on issues they find most important, including the economy, inflation and immigration. 

But the president is also battling lingering questions about his age and memory, which have emerged since his last address and could even spell trouble during his delivery. 

Biden will address an American electorate that overwhelmingly sees him as failing to meet their expectations. A February Fox News poll found that 42% of voters approved of his job handling while 58% disapproved. His recent numbers slightly dipped from the same time last year when 44% approved of his job performance while 55% disapproved.

RNC SOCIAL MEDIA BLITZ TARGETS BIDEN’S LOW APPROVAL RATING, AGE CONCERNS AHEAD OF SOTU: ‘NUMBERS DON’T LIE’

Biden will look to reassure voters on issues such as the economy and immigration during his State of the Union address. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“The numbers don’t lie. Americans know that the state of the union is weaker because of Joe Biden,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel told Fox News Digital. 

“Biden and Democrats are underwater on key issues that Americans care about the most, from the economy to crime, from the open border to protecting our standing on the world stage,” McDaniel continued. “Voters do not want Biden to ‘finish the job,’ which is why this will be his last State of the Union address.”

Biden is also encountering an American audience that currently views political extremism, the economy, immigration and crime as the most critical issues, according to Reuters/Ipsos.

Recent polls have shown that voters are more optimistic about the economy, but that sentiment is not benefiting Biden, the Wall Street Journal reported. Others have demonstrated that voters believe the economy was better under former President Trump than Biden as the two head for a rematch in the November general election.

WATCH: HISTORIC MOMENTS FROM STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSES

A recent poll showed voters believe the economy was better under Trump than Biden. (Getty Images)

Biden’s problems heading into his State of the Union address also extend to immigration — an issue that has plagued him for some time. Migrant encounters at the southern border reached a record monthly high of 302,000 in December. During fiscal 2023, the U.S. saw 2.4 million migrant encounters at the border, which was also an all-time high.

But the one new issue that has emerged this year is Biden’s mental acuity. Over the past month, he’s faced a damaging special counsel report questioning his mental sharpness while making several gaffes that added to the problem.

Critics have lampooned Biden over his cognitive abilities for some time. Still, recent events have exacerbated the issue more than at any other point in his presidency, and some Democrats have even stated that his age is a concern.

President Biden (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Due to the emerging problem, some reporters believe that many will latch onto Biden’s State of the Union address more than others in the past.

“The amount of media and social media scrutiny that the address will blast at Biden will likely exceed the power of a billion suns,” Politico senior media writer Jack Shafer wrote on Thursday. “His every handshake coming down the aisle, his every step taken, his every word spoken, will be magnified a hundred times over by the press, his political opposition and voters as they take his measure.”

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

A new White House stance on sanctuary cities has put vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election in a difficult position as they traverse the issues of border security and illegal immigration. 

On Wednesday, Fox News Digital asked several Democratic senators in competitive states whether they agreed with the White House’s shift toward encouraging local jurisdictions to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This marks a change from President Biden’s previous statements. 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said in a statement to Fox News Digital: “Wisconsinites have said loud and clear they want real action that fixes our broken immigration system, secures our Southern border, and ensures that anyone who is a violent threat to our communities is prosecuted – and I am committed to working with anyone to do just that.”

Sens. Jon Tester, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)

GOP SENATOR’S BILL WOULD FORCE BIDEN ADMIN TO ALLOW VA FACILITY UPDATES STALLED BY INFRASTRUCTURE LAW

While Baldwin stated her support for addressing both illegal immigration and the border, she did not answer whether she believes local municipalities should cooperate with ICE or turn over illegal immigrants who are detained. 

In a statement last month, Biden’s White House said, “We welcome local law enforcement’s support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety.”

“When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE,” the statement continued. 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin attends a news conference after a meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 29, 2022.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The White House’s statement differed from Biden’s previous stance on sanctuary city policies. During a Democratic presidential primary debate in 2020, he notably said “no” when he was asked whether arrested illegal immigrants should be turned over to ICE. After he entered office, Biden attempted to place a moratorium on deportations for 100 days, which was ultimately blocked by a federal judge. 

MCCONNELL ENDORSES TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT AFTER SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS: ‘HE WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT’

“I voted for our bipartisan, Border Patrol Union-supported bill that would staff up our law enforcement, stop fentanyl from coming into the U.S., and invest in border security,” Baldwin said in her statement, referencing a bipartisan border security and immigration measure that was killed by Republicans following former President Donald Trump’s coming out against it. “Republicans need to come back to the table on this compromise because the consequences of inaction are unacceptable.” 

In the past, the Wisconsin Democrat has voted against cloture on motions that would allow the Senate to move forward with bills seeking to withhold federal grants for sanctuary cities. Such occasions occurred in 2018, 2016 and 2015.

Sen. Jon Tester asks questions during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Sept. 12, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester‘s campaign declined to comment, referring Fox News Digital to his office. 

“Senator Tester strongly believes local jurisdictions should cooperate with ICE,” his office said in a statement. “He does not support sanctuary cities and believes anyone who enters the country must be vetted and go through legal channels that keep our nation secure.”

TOP REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND TRUMP, CALL FOR UNITY AFTER DOMINANT SUPER TUESDAY SHOWING: ‘PRIMARY IS OVER’

Tester’s strong stance against sanctuary cities presents a contrast with his voting history, however. Similar to Baldwin, the Montana Democrat voted against invoking cloture to proceed with bills aimed at preventing sanctuary city policies and halting federal grants from going to them. 

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., joined Tester’s opposition to sanctuary policies via a statement from spokesperson Maddy McDaniel. “Senator Casey doesn’t support sanctuary cities and believes all jurisdictions must cooperate with ICE and law enforcement at all levels, and has opposed Republican efforts to defund the COPS program which helps law enforcement keep communities safe,” she told Fox News Digital. 

Sen. Bob Casey leaves the Capitol after a vote on April 18, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But on the same cloture motions to move forward with bills to stop federal funding for self-proclaimed sanctuary cities, Casey voted against it. 

A spokesperson for Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Senator Rosen has consistently fought for commonsense, bipartisan reforms to secure the border, fix our broken immigration system, and keep our communities safe.” Her campaign did not say whether she believes local jurisdictions should cooperate with ICE, however. 

Rosen’s campaign further contended there are no sanctuary cities in Nevada. 

As a member of Congress in 2017, Rosen voted against an amendment which would have prevented federal funds from going to state and local entities that refused to cooperate with ICE. 

BIDEN TO DELIVER STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH AT THE LATEST DATE EVER

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, speaks during a news conference on June 16, 2023, at the East Vegas Library.  (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, are also up for re-election in states considered competitive, according to the Cook Political Report. Asked about their positions on sanctuary cities, they did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee slammed the group of Democrats in pivotal 2024 races, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senate Democrats have spent decades voting to open America’s borders and give millions in taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants, now cities across the country are paying the price for their radical agenda.”

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“None of their candidates will be able to hide their disastrous records from the public,” added NRSC spokesman Philip Letsou. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was contacted by Fox News Digital for comment and did not hear back at press time. 

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

FIRST ON FOX: A new report from the House Judiciary Committee and its Weaponization Subcommittee revealed that the federal government conducted “broad” and “unjustified” surveillance of Americans’ private financial data through financial institutions, while suggesting banks use information from anti-conservative organizations’ lists of “hate symbols” to determine potential persons of interest. 

Fox News Digital first obtained the committee’s report, titled “Financial Surveillance in the United States: How Federal Law Enforcement Commandeered Financial Institutions to Spy on Americans.” 

‘ALARMING’ SURVEILLANCE: FEDS ASKED BANKS TO SEARCH PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS FOR TERMS LIKE ‘MAGA,’ ‘TRUMP’

“The Committee on the Judiciary and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government are charged by the House of Representatives with upholding fundamental American civil liberties,” the report states. “As a part of this mission, the Committee and Select Subcommittee have uncovered startling evidence that the federal government was engaged in broad financial surveillance, prying into the private transactions of American consumers.” 

The report states that the “financial surveillance was not predicated on any specific evidence of particularized criminal conduct and, even worse, it keyed on terms and specific transactions that concerned core political and religious expression protected by the Constitution.” 

Fox News Digital first reported that following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, federal law enforcement officials from the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the FBI initiated multiple discussions with financial institutions. 

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“These meetings were geared toward discussing options for financial institutions to share customer information voluntarily with federal law enforcement outside of normal legal process,” the report states. 

Fox News Digital first reported that federal investigators asked banks to search and filter customer transactions by using terms like “MAGA” and “Trump,” and warned that purchases of “religious texts” could indicate “extremism.” Fox News Digital also first reported that the officials suggested that banks query transactions with keywords like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops and more.

FEDS SUGGESTED BANKS SEARCH TRANSACTIONS FOR TERMS LIKE ‘BIDEN,’ ‘ANTIFA’ AND MORE AFTER JAN 6: SOURCES

Fox News Digital also first reported that additional search terms included: “White Power,” “Camp Auschwitz,” “Antifa,” “Proud B,” “Storm, the,” “Capitol,” “Groyper Army,” “Threepers,” “boogaloo,” “civil war,” “last sons,” “kill,” “shoot,” “gun,” “death,” “murder,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Pelosi,” “Schumer” and “Pence.”

“Despite these transactions having no criminal nexus, FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors and subject to surveillance,” the report states. 

A source familiar with the documents held by the House Judiciary Committee told Fox News Digital that while Jan. 6, 2021, was the “impetus” for the queries and searches, he documents the committee has obtained do not reveal any specific time frames or limitations for banks searching customer transactions with the terms. The source said the federal government used the information for investigations beyond Jan. 6.

It is unclear if the terms are still being used by banks to search private transactions. 

Meanwhile, the report revealed that FinCEN, in a January 16, 2021 email, shared with financial institutions a hyperlink to “relevant terms” from the Anti-Defamation League website. The report refers to the ADL as a “notorious anti-conservative activist group.” 

“In advance of today’s discussion, we have attached a slide from FinCEN containing some key terms applicable to matters related to racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), which may have application to the capitol riots and related activity,” the email from FinCEN states. FinCEN added that “many additional relevant terms maybe found on the Anti-Defamation League website.” 

The report states the “hate symbols” that ADL recommended monitoring included the “Celtic Cross,” the “Okay Hand Gesture,” “Pepe the Frog,” and “White Lives Matter” as hate symbols. 

The Treasury Department (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)

“It should alarm Americans that FinCEN approved of and distributed a link to a database that considers symbols of faith such as the Christian Celtic Cross and other images opposing Antifa, a violent left-wing anarchist group—as hate symbols,” the report states. “This practice is reminiscent of the FBI’s disdain for ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholics,’ and the FBI’s reliance on the Southern Poverty Law Center—another far-left activist group—as an authoritative source on the Catholic Church.” 

The report states that FinCEN also circulated a hyperlink to a report authored by the ISD. 

“The ISD is a left-wing organization that holds itself out as an ‘independent’ monitor of ‘disinformation’ that promotes the censorship of speech it decrees as false or extreme,” the report states. “FinCEN’s distribution of the ISD report amounts to an approval of its content, its methods, and its conclusions. Such an endorsement is concerning because the ISD report labels and demonizes various right-of-center groups in America as ‘hate groups.'” 

The ISD report “incorrectly characterizes several conservative groups such as the Center for Immigration Studies, Numbers USA, the Alliance Defending Freedom, along with several others, as ‘hate groups,'” the report states. “In fact, the ISD’s report draws a false equivalency between certain conservative civil society groups and the American Nazi Party and the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, suggesting FinCEN views them equally.” 

The report added: “Still, FinCEN circulated the ISD report to some of the largest financial institutions in the world, including the very financial institutions that are likely responsible for providing financial services to many of the listed ‘hate groups,’ without regard for the chilling effect it would have on protected speech and its potential to be weaponized against the groups by financial institutions.”

When asked for comment, a Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “FinCEN’s mission is to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering and its related crimes including terrorism, and promote national security through the strategic use of financial authorities and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence.” 

“FinCEN is deeply committed to fulfilling this important national security and criminal justice mission in accordance with the law,” the spokesperson said. 

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan told Fox News Digital that the committees’ report “shows that the surveillance of Americans’ private financial data was broad, unjustified, and jeopardized fundamental civil liberties.”

The committee’s investigation is ongoing. 

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? 

-Trump sweeps Super Tuesday

-The House tries to avoid a looming government shutdown

-Nikki Haley drops out of 2024 race

Biden’s ‘uncommitted’ problem

President Joe Biden handily won nearly every contest on Super Tuesday, but some voters preferred no one. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Tens of thousands of Democratic voters sent a message to President Biden, after they chose to mark “uncommitted” on their Super Tuesday ballots over voting for him. 

With 99% of the expected votes counted in Minnesota, nearly 1 in 3 voters backed someone other than the president. And nearly 46,000 voters, or nearly 19% of Democrats, marked their ballots “uncommitted,” or willfully deciding not to back any named candidate, to protest his support for Israel.

The sizable protest vote in Minnesota extended to six other states — Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee — where tens of thousands of voters also refused to support Biden, undoubtedly raising questions for his re-election campaign. Michigan primary voters last week also used the uncommitted ballot line to protest Biden.

Progressive groups have backed the “uncommitted” vote to protest Biden’s support for Israel and its continued war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza, which has resulted in millions of Palestinians becoming displaced from their homes and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. 

Capitol Hill

‘HE WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT’: McConnell endorses Trump for president after Super Tuesday …Read more

SUMMONING CUOMO: House committee subpoenas former NY Governor over COVID-19 nursing home policies …Read more

WHO IS SHE?: Everything you need to know about Katie Britt, the senator giving the SOTU GOP response …Read more

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House takes step toward ending messy government shutdown fight …Read more

‘PEDDLING LIES’: Rep Katie Porter swipes at opponent Adam Schiff after Super Tuesday upset …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail: 

‘ANYTIME, ANYWHERE’: Trump challenges Biden to debate after Super Tuesday sweep …Read more

‘DOGGONE HARD WORK’: Trump-endorsed NC governor nominee says underdog story is ‘just like North Carolina herself’ …Read more

MAGA MOVEMENT: Trump invites Nikki Haley supporters to join MAGA movement, celebrates historic Super Tuesday victories …Read more

THE BIDEN ALTERNATIVE: Marianne Williamson surprises by coming in second in multiple states, leapfrogging Dean Phillips …Read more

LESS THAN SATISFACTORY: Fox News Power Rankings: Trump leads a dissatisfied electorate …Read more

TOUGH TERRITORY: American Samoa voters send clear message to Biden after rejecting him in 2020 and 2024 …Read more

‘VERY CONFIDENT’: RFK Jr’s campaign says he has enough signatures to get on ballot in key swing state …Read more

‘PRIMARY IS OVER’: Republicans erupt on social media after Trump’s dominant Super Tuesday wins …Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Nikki Haley drops out of 2024 race …Read more

‘MUST BEAT JOE BIDEN’: Ernst joins McConnell in endorsing former President Donald Trump …Read more

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, left, and former President Donald Trump, right (Getty Images)

Across America

SAFETY FIRST: Kentucky Senate passes bill for armed guardians, mental health training in schools …Read more

TO BE CONTINUED: Primary election in new Alabama US House district goes to runoffs … Read more

‘YOU LIE’: WATCH: Historic moments from State of the Union addresses …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.

The White House said Wednesday that President Biden will be ready for anything during Thursday night’s upcoming State of the Union address, including hecklers.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during Wednesday’s briefing whether Biden was prepared for hecklers during the State of the Union.

Last year, chaos erupted briefly in the House chamber when Biden repeated an old Democratic talking point that has long been debunked, saying, “Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”

Biden said that stance was not from the majority, though he invited anyone who doubted his claim to contact his office and he would provide them with a copy of the proposal.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE BATTLES PRESS OVER BIDEN’S RELIANCE ON NOTECARDS: ‘THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INTERJECTING’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., gives a thumbs down during President Biden’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2023. (Win McNamee / Getty Images / File)

Still, after making the statement, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, shouted, “Liar!”

The hecklers became so bad, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., shushed them when they interrupted the president’s tribute to a fentanyl victim.

So, when asked whether Biden would be prepared for hecklers this year, Jean-Pierre referred the reporter to how the president handled the hecklers last year.

BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: TOP 5 MOMENTS

President Biden speaks during his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin / Bloomberg via Getty Images / File)

“Look, you saw the president last year when some Republican members behaved in a way that was, I would say, disrespectful. And he handled that, and he did that on his own and he held them to account as it related to important programs that matter to the American people: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,” Jean-Pierre said. “He called them out on it as they were obviously heckling at him. And so, the president’s ready for anything.”

She was asked again about the president’s preparation, and said he knows how to manage hecklers, as he showed in February 2023.

“Nobody was expecting that,” Jean-Pierre said. “And he took them on and laid out and fought for the American people on programs that matter to them. And so, he, you know, he got this. The President’s got this.”

WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS FEEL HEAT FROM ADMINISTRATION OVER COVERAGE OF BIDEN, TRUMP: ‘NAGGING AND COMPLAINING’

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that President Biden would be ready for anything, including hecklers, during the State of the Union address on Thursday. (The White House)

Jean-Pierre gave a preview of what Biden is expected to talk about during Thursday’s annual speech to the nation.

“He’s gotten more done in the first three years than most presidents have accomplished in two terms,” said Jean-Pierre, who added Biden will talk about the success of lowering drug prices and getting rid of junk fees.

Biden will also talk about his plan to “improve the lives of all Americans,” by lowering costs on health care premiums, taking on Big Pharma to lower drug prices and making the wealthy and corporations pay their “fair share” in taxes.

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Additionally, Jean-Pierre said the president will speak about protecting women’s reproductive health despite attacks from Republican elected officials, and ending cancer as we know it, among other things.

An attorney for a co-defendant in the sweeping case against former President Donald Trump testified in a Georgia state senate hearing Wednesday that special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s cellphone data shows 1 a.m. trips to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ home prior to his hiring.

Willis last year indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants, including Michael Roman, a GOP political operative, who first filed motions alleging that Willis was having an “improper” affair with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the case against Trump.

Roman, who is represented by Ashleigh Merchant, alleged that Willis financially benefited from hiring Wade because of their extra-marital, romantic relationship.

In a hearing Wednesday before a committee formed this year by the GOP-controlled state senate, Merchant testified that information on Wade’s cellphone data indicates he visited the condo Willis was renting a number of times before he was hired.

“It’s pinging from his house all the way down to the condo at midnight 1 a.m. And then he calls her when he gets there. And then it goes silent for four or five hours. And then, you know, early in the morning hours, he starts pinging again, driving back, and then he texts her when he gets home,” Merchant said, describing the geolocation data from Wade’s cellphone. 

TRUMP LAWYERS MAKE CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN DA FANI WILLIS ‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR ALLEGATIONS: ‘IRREPARABLE STAIN’

Fani Willis — the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia — previously said the allegations brought against her of having an “improper” romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade were made because she is Black. (Getty Images)

Attorneys for the state in the proceedings in Fulton County Superior Court last month testified that geolocation data is unreliable as evidence. But Merchant noted Wednesday that the state is “currently using the same data in another courtroom to prosecute someone, but in their defense in ours was that it’s not reliable.”

A state judge is currently weighing evidence against Willis’ alleged impropriety and whether she and her team should be disqualified from the case. 

In the meantime, state lawmakers formed a special committee with subpoena power to investigate the Fulton County district attorney. 

During Wednesday’s committee hearing, Merchant also testified that Willis awarded a $780,000 increase in the DA’s budget on Sept. 15 2021, through the end of that year, with the next year not to exceed $5 million. Merchant said that the DA claimed this money was to hire extra people to help with the backlog of homicide cases the office was seeing at that time. 

The budget increase was just a few months before Wade was hired in November 2021, and roughly eight months before the special grand jury in this case was impaneled in May 2022.

FANI WILLIS, NATHAN WADE REFERRED TO GEORGIA STATE BAR FOR MISCONDUCT BY WATCHDOG GROUP

Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. (Getty Images)

Merchant testified that when she made open records requests to confirm that her office hired new employees and not special contractors, her request was denied by the DA’s office. 

Merchant went on to say that the key witnesses in the allegations against Willis — Terrance Bradley, a former law partner and divorce attorney and “best friend” to Wade — told her that he “did not like the way” Wade treated his wife.

“I remember specifically him saying, ‘You know, I handle my business,’ things like that, like, ‘You know, that I don’t leave my wife without alimony,’” Merchant said. 

“Ms. Wade had been a stay-at-home mom for, you know, they’d been married almost 30 years. And literally it was right after they dropped their youngest off in college that he said, ‘Move out,’” Merchant said of Wade’s marriage. 

Merchant said it was Bradley who recommended she try to find Willis’ former “bestie” — Robin Yeartie — who testified in court last month that Willis and Wade had been in a “romantic” relationship since 2019. This contradicts both Willis and Wade’s claims in court that their relationship started after Wade was hired by the DA in 2021.

Merchant said that when her client filed the motion alleging the affair, it “shocked” the world because “very few people” knew about the relationship.  

GEORGIA PROSECUTOR ALLEGES FANI WILLIS ASKED BRADLEY NOT TO TESTIFY ON AFFAIR: ‘THEY ARE COMING AFTER US’

Ashleigh Merchant, attorney for Michael Roman, listens next to her husband John Merchant, who also represents Roman, during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump. (Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images)

Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert probed Merchant’s knowledge of phone calls made to Bradley after news of the affair broke, trying to determine if he was the source of the information. One from Gabe Banks, an attorney connected to Wade, and another call from Bradley’s best friend, who Wade allegedly asked to call Bradley and “remind” him of his attorney-client privilege, having once been Wade’s divorce lawyer. 

According to Merchant, Bradley was one of the few people who knew of the affair. 

Merchant said Bradley took the calls as “intimidation.”

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Merchant also testified that in February 2023, Willis met with Vice President Harris at the White House, along with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. 

A White House official said Wednesday that at the February reception held at their residence, the vice president did not get the opportunity to speak directly with the majority of guests, including Willis.

Fox News Digital reached out to Willis and Wade for comment but did not get a response prior to publication.

Fox News’ Claudia Kelly-Bazan contributed to this report.

Senate candidate Katie Porter, D-Calif., on Wednesday suggested that the California primary race was rigged by “an onslaught of billionaires” after losing to her Democratic opponent, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 

The progressive Democrat did not win a single county, earning a statewide total of just under 14%. She finished nearly twenty points behind both Schiff and Republican candidate Steve Garvey and came in third place in Orange County, which she has represented since 2019. 

L-R: Katie Porter and Adam Schiff (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Porter said her supporters “had the establishment running scared – withstanding 3 to 1 in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires spending millions to rig this election.” 

She said the results demonstrated that Californians were “hungry for leaders who break the mold, can’t be bought, and push for accountability in government and across our economy.” 

TRUMP SENDS MESSAGE TO HALEY SUPPORTERS AFTER SHE SUSPENDS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

“Special interests like politics as it is today because they control the politicians,” she said. “As we’ve seen in this campaign, they spend millions to defeat someone who will dilute their influence and disrupt the status quo.” 

Former President Trump was frequently criticized for throwing around the word “rigged” after losing the 2020 presidential election to President Biden. 

FILE: Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Adam Schiff, left, and right participate in a debate on stage with other democrats who are running to succeed Sen. Feinstein at Westing Bonaventure Hotel on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the campaign offices of Porter and Schiff for additional comment. Garvey declined to respond. 

Porter herself has received millions of dollars from big donors to boost her campaign, despite touting her record of not accepting corporate PAC money. She has reportedly accepted thousands of dollars in donations from big Wall Street donors, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.

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California, in which Republicans are outnumbered by registered Democrats by about 2-to-1, puts all candidates, regardless of party, on the same primary ballot and the two who get the most votes advance to the general election. A Republican hasn’t won a statewide race for any office in California since 2006.

FIRST ON FOX: Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee are expanding their investigation into the sheltering of migrants at airports in “sanctuary” jurisdictions – seeking information from two additional port authorities on how many migrants have been kept at airports, how it is being funded and the potential risks it may pose.

In letters to the Port Authorities of New York/New Jersey and Massachusetts, the lawmakers, led by Ranking Member Ted Cruz, ask for more information about the sheltering of migrants – specifically at John F Kennedy International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.

In New York, where migrants are kept in Building 197, the housing was in the spotlight in February when an Ecuadorian national ran past armed security into a secured area and was arrested with a box cutter and a pair of scissors.

ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ARE SLEEPING IN TERMINALS OF BOSTON AIRPORT ON ‘DAILY’ BASIS AS CRISIS OVERWHELMS SHELTERS

Boston, MA – January 24: Migrants spend the night on the floor at Logan Airport. (Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

In Logan Airport, the lawmakers cite reports that migrants are sleeping on the floors of Terminal E, where migrants are being seen on a “daily basis.”

“Frankly, what you’ve seen at Logan has been the situation, and this is why I said months ago that we are reaching capacity here,” Gov. Maura Healey said in January.

The lawmakers quizzed Chicago on the matter earlier this year, and have warned that federal assistance to airports are conditioned on the airport and facilities being made available for public use as an airport. The lawmakers say the sheltering of migrants brings that into question.

“Housing illegal aliens at airports is unprecedented and far beyond the scope of the FAA’s vision for a nationwide system of airports,” they say in the letter to New York and New Jersey. “FAA policy prohibits the use of aeronautical facilities on airport property for non-aeronautical purposes.”

SENATE COMMERCE REPUBLICANS PROBE MIGRANT SHELTERS AT CHICAGO AIRPORTS

They describe the sheltering of migrants as a “warped repurposing of America’s aviation system” and link it to “open border policies” pursued by the far-left and the Biden administration, as well as “sanctuary” policies embraced by those states.

They cite statistics showing that ICE detainers – requests to transfer an illegal immigrant charged with crimes – are frequently ignored in New York, NYC, Massachusetts and Boston – including those charged with assault, rape, sexual assault and other violent crimes.

The lawmakers sent lengthy lists of questions to both port authorities, seeking copies of licenses and waivers, requests for numbers of migrants living or sheltering in the facilities, information regarding security breaches and information about any consultation with ICE or other federal authorities. Fox reached out to both port authorities. NY/NJ said it was reviewing the letter.

CHICAGO’S O’HARE AIRPORT USED AS A MIGRANT SHELTER AS CRISIS OVEWHELMS CITY: ‘LIKE A SCENE FROM MAD MAX’

They also ask about funding and whether the authorities have been reimbursed, whether taxpayer funding has been used and whether elected officials directed or encouraged the housing of immigrants at the airport. Senators on the letters include Cruz as well as Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.

The letters come as the three-year border crisis remains a fiery political topic, and comes days after both President Biden and former President Donald Trump visited the southern border.

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Republicans blame the border crisis on the policies of the Biden administration, including reduced interior enforcement, the reversal of Trump-era policies and releases into the interior.

Biden has called on the Senate to pass a bipartisan bill that includes funding and resources to the border, as well as limits on entries into the U.S. But conservatives say it would normalize an excessive level of crossings.

President Biden faces two opponents heading into the election.

Former President Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

And then Mr. Biden must square off against Democrats who are despondent at the president’s performance. 

Anemic poll numbers are driving loyal Democrats away from President Biden.

“The challenges that Joe Biden has with his own party, his own base, are the biggest challenges he’s facing in this election,” said David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron. “He has a lot of issues with younger voters in the party. I think that can be directly linked to what’s happening overseas in the Middle East.” 

CONGRESS TRIES TO AVOID A SHUTDOWN—AGAIN

Consider how progressives are hectoring the president over how his administration is handling the war between Israel and Hamas.

“We are requesting a meeting with President Biden,” said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., “We are demanding an immediate, lasting ceasefire.”

Michigan is a state which is critical to Mr. Biden’s reelection campaign. It boasts 15 electoral votes. More than 100,000 voters marked their ballot as “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary last month rather than cast a ballot for President Biden. The president only captured the state by about 154,000 votes in 2020 over former President Trump. There are about 200,000 Muslim voters in Michigan. 300,000 voters say they have ancestral ties to the Middle East or North Africa. That bloc of voters was key to President Biden winning the state four years ago. 

“The results in Michigan this week made it plain voters are not happy with the United States’ handling of the war in Gaza. And President Biden must change course,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the Squad.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 5: President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with his Competition Council in the State Dining Room of the White House on March 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden announced new economic measures during the meeting. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is a Palestinian-American. She implored the president to alter his course on the Middle East.

“Listen to us! Listen, not only to Michigan. But so many people. The majority of people are supporting a ceasefire,” beseeched Tlaib.

A reporter then asked Tlaib if she will “vote for President Biden in November.”

“Thank you very much,” replied Tlaib. “Thank you.”

WHO IS JASON PALMER, THE OBSCURE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO DELIVERED BIDEN’S FIRST 2024 LOSS?

Tlaib then walked away.

“A lot of younger voters, Gen Z, millennials are very unhappy with the Biden administration’s full support of Israel,” said Cohen. “He cannot afford to have any slippage in the Democratic coalition and lack of enthusiasm. I don’t think those young Biden supporters that voted for him in 2020 are going to vote for Trump. But the worry for the Biden campaign is that they’re going to stay home.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sidestepped when yours truly asked if President Biden should make a pivot away from Israel in his State of the Union speech to satisfy the left.

“I’m not speculating about what the President should say in the State of the Union,” replied Schumer.

Democratic squad member Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., left and President Biden, right (Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP, left, Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images, right.)

Vice President Harris first called for a ceasefire. The President said he’d like a ceasefire by the start of Ramadan – March 10 or 11. But it’s unclear if the administration can get what it wants from the Israelis, despite taking a harder line stance.

But it’s just not Middle East policy which is turning off key sectors of the Democratic coalition. 

Via executive order, President Biden has erased a staggering $138 billion in student loan debt for 3.9 million borrowers. But that hasn’t been enough to placate some Democrats. They want it all wiped out.

And then there is the border.

Democrats are exasperated at Republicans incinerating a bipartisan border package earlier this winter after months of negotiations. But the administration’s approach to securing the border is nearly as galling to the left. 

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have long been outraged that the administration and other Democrats failed to engage them in border talks. Some liberal Democrats are angry that the now-dead bipartisan plan went too far modifying asylum and parole. 

WHO’S LEADING IN BIDEN-TRUMP ELECTION REMATCH AFTER SUPER TUESDAY

Then there are mainstream Democrats and swing voters. They fear a surge of undocumented migrants racing across the southern border into the U.S. High-profile deaths like nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia only amplify their worries. The murder suspect – Jose Ibarra – was cited for shoplifting and endangering a child. Republicans quickly drafted a bill to require the detention of illegal migrants if they have brushes with the law.

“If we can we put a national spotlight on this thing, we’ll do it,” said Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who represents the district where Ibarra was killed. “If we can just prevent one of these (deaths) from happening again, we’ve done our job.”

That’s why the House planned a vote on the “Laken Riley Act’ just before President Biden’s State of the Union speech Thursday. This is an effort to focus attention on the border amid the president’s address.

Collins asked Riley’s parents to attend the speech. But they are home grieving. Collins says he’ll leave his guest seat in the public gallery overlooking the House chamber vacant in honor of Riley.

But it’s not just Republicans who are infuriated about the border – even if many on the right incinerated a bipartisan border security package President Biden endorsed earlier this winter. Democrats of all stripes are now demanding enhanced border security.

Out of desperation, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., told Fox that he now supports a chunk of the House GOP’s strict border bill, known as H.R.2. That bill cracks down on illegal immigrants in the country and mandates that employers document their workers.

US Senator John Fetterman (C), Democrat of Pennsylvania, arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2023.  (Photo by PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Fetterman is so focused on tightening up the border that he wants H.R.2 – with an exception for “DACA” – a delay in the deportation of persons who came to the U.S. without documentation as children.

“Anything other than that can be on the table for me,” said Fetterman.

The Pennsylvania Democrat referred to the Republicans’ plans on DACA as his “kill switch.” But he was game for anything else. 

“As a Democrat, I’m willing and eager to go stronger than the border deal that was here,” said Fetterman. “It might actually be appropriate, given the circumstances here at the border.”

So, pick your issue. President Biden is struggling to connect with lawmakers who should be in his corner.

“The party’s all over the place,” said Cohen. “Many Members of Congress are thinking about their own re-elections.”

In other words, Democrats might cut Mr. Biden some slack if the President boasted approval ratings of 50 percent. But with his subterranean numbers, Democrats are putting distance between themselves and President Biden.

“It’s all about political survival,” observed Cohen.

This is the challenge for President Biden.

It’s one thing to get hammered by former President Trump and rock-ribbed Republicans.

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It’s another thing to have members of your own party upbraid you on a daily basis.

With friends like these, President Biden doesn’t need an enemy.

FIRST ON FOX: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is making it clear that the Republican National Committee (RNC) will not be covering a penny of the legal fees associated with his four pending criminal cases or other civil cases.

Speaking with Fox News Digital on Wednesday just hours after Nikki Haley ended her presidential bid, officially making Trump the presumptive nominee, a spokesman for the former president’s campaign said the RNC would “absolutely not” be providing any of its funds to alleviate his legal costs.

“Hard no. Absolutely not. Asked and answered,” the spokesperson said.

TRUMP DOMINATING, HALEY WINNING HER FIRST STATE ROUND OUT TOP MOMENTS FROM SUPER TUESDAY

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives for an election-night watch party at Mar-a-Lago on March 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A report published by CNBC earlier in the day said there was a growing number of RNC committee members believing the organization should help pay Trump’s legal bills, and, according to one committee member, they represented “more than a majority” of those on the committee.

A proposed resolution to prohibit any funds being used on Trump’s legal defense failed to garner enough support to be considered at the RNC’s upcoming spring meeting in Houston this week, where the organization’s current chair, Ronna McDaniel, is expected to step down from her role.

McDaniel’s resignation comes after the RNC began the election year facing a shortage of cash compared to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which held nearly three times the cash-on-hand reported by the former in its filings with the Federal Election Commission.

LARA TRUMP, OUT WITH NEW KIDS BOOK, STRESSES NEED TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR AMERICA AND BEDROCK VALUES

Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, speaks during the Republican National Committee winter meeting in Dana Point, California, US, on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. McDaniel won a fourth term as RNC chair, a status quo choice by party faithful even after a series of stinging election defeats with Donald Trump as GOP standard-bearer. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Last month, Trump endorsed Michael Whatley, the current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, to replace McDaniel, as well as his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be co-chair, and senior campaign advisor Chris LaCivita to be chief operating officer.

None have expressed plans, or even a desire, for the RNC to cover Trump’s legal costs should they be elected by members of the committee to those respective roles, and Lara Trump said following her father-in-law’s endorsement, that “every single penny” of RNC funds should go to ensuring he is elected president in November.

The narrative that Trump would rely on the RNC to cover his legal expenses appears to have originated with Haley following Trump’s endorsement of McDaniel’s potential successors, when she told CNN during an interview that he planned to make the organization his personal “piggy bank.”

DEMS MOCK RNC FOR ‘DESPERATE’ FUNDRAISING DRIVE THAT INCLUDES STARK ADMISSION ON DNC’S MONEY ADVANTAGE

Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, speaks to the media following a rally in North Charleston, South Carolina on February 21, 2024. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

A number of liberal media organizations reported last month that Lara Trump, during a campaign stop in South Carolina in support of her father-in-law, said she believed Republican voters would “absolutely” be okay with contributions going toward those bills. However, she stated she was not familiar with the RNC’s rules on paying such costs, and appeared to be referencing Republicans in general supporting Trump financially, rather than the RNC.

It’s unclear, however, how Trump’s fundraising apparatus might continue to cover his legal costs after it shelled out nearly $50 million to pay them last year, according to FEC filings, or how that massive outflow, combined with the RNC’s money woes, could affect the former president’s path to winning in November.

The $50 million spent by Trump’s fundraising entities on his legal defense last year goes up to north of $90 million if spending in 2022 and 2021 is included. Combining that with Trump’s fundraising costs — which reach nearly half of the $282 million he’s raised — his cash burn rate amounts to a whopping 81%, leaving him just $0.19 per dollar raised.

TEXAS DEMOCRAT’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POSITIONS COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM IN BID TO OUST TED CRUZ

President Joe Biden speaks at Abbotts Creek Community Center during an event to promote his economic agenda in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 18, 2024.  (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

The financial struggles of the RNC and Trump campaign have attracted the attention of both the DNC and Biden campaign, who enjoy a joint fundraising agreement, allowing them to raise money collectively and capture a massive advantage heading into the election year.

“The RNC is already cash-strapped and chaotic, and trading one extreme out-of-touch Trump loyalist for another is not going to fix their problem. Donald Trump is going to be their nominee, and they clearly can’t afford it financially or electorally,” DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd told Fox News Digital, referencing the likelihood Trump’s RNC picks could end up in leadership roles.

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“How Trump and his allies burn through what little cash they have is up to them – our campaign is investing our record-setting haul where it counts: reaching out to voters early and often,” Biden campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika told Fox News Digital.

The RNC did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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