NationalWatch

Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds said Sunday the best response to recent electoral setbacks for conservatives is to put in the work and focus on instituting their vision for the country and delivering tangible results to the American people.

“It’s about what you actually get done,” said Donalds, who spoke earlier in the day about congressional gridlock and failure to get some tenets of conservatives’ agenda through an otherwise Republican-majority legislature. “And I think it’s part of the message here at Turning Point.”

“Look, we have disagreements, that’s all well and good. We’ve got to be focused on the mission in front of us. We got to be focused on what’s actually going to get voters to the polls and making sure that they turn out to vote. It’s about having a set of positions, a philosophy, a vision for the future of this country. We have that vision. We got to continue to communicate it.”

VIVEK RAMASWAMY TURNS TO CONSERVATIVE YOUTH TO SHAPE THE MOVEMENT’S NEXT PHASE, ANALYZES 2026 RACES

Asked about electoral losses in recent months – including in Trump-friendly Miami; not far from Donalds’ district in Collier County – the congressman said it shows conservatives cannot “rest on their laurels” in that they successfully elected Trump and dispatched with the far-left’s governance.

“And trust me, I’m happy he’s president, but you got to keep at it. You’ve got to keep getting people to the polls. That’s what it always comes down to,” he said, adding that Democrats were motivated to turn out in races like Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Miami – and that the latter was notably a runoff in the middle of the holiday season.

“We have to meet that motivation knowing that when our policies are in place, it’s better for the American people. It’s better for our nation. It’s better for every state in America.”

DAVID MARCUS: ERIKA KIRK IS THE MOTHER SQUABBLING CONSERVATIVES NEED

In Miami, Democrats won back the mayorship for the first time this century, while the prior Democratic mayor in 1998 – Xavier Suarez – himself later became a Republican and is the father of outgoing Republican Francis Suarez.

Donalds suggested the city’s race offered lessons for contests nationwide.

“Specific to Miami, there’s been independent mayors and so on and so forth… One, you had a runoff election a couple weeks before Christmas. Those are very tough elections to turn people out. And this is why we have to be mission-minded on the nuts and bolts of what campaigns are,” he said.

VANCE DELIVERS POST-ELECTION REALITY CHECK, CONTENDS GOP MUST MAKE LIFE AFFORDABLE OR GET WALLOPED IN 2026

“And they’re always about getting people out to the polls. It’s about messaging. It is about direct contact with the candidate. That’s what we have to be focused on. As long as we’re doing those things, we have the policies, and we have vision.”

In that regard, Donalds said he was encouraged by the young people attending AmericaFest, which numbered in the thousands.

“I remember, you know, 15 years ago, we would never even thought you could do an event like this… where you had this many high schoolers coming out, college students coming out,” he quipped.

TIM SCOTT TELLS MAGA VOTERS TRUMP ‘IS ON THE BALLOT’ AS GOP FIGHTS TO GROW SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026

“And it’s here, it’s been built, and it’s all really about the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. Now the responsibility is making sure we keep that movement going on.”

In that regard, he criticized “pettiness and silly divisions” that have cropped up as of late, reiterating that conservatives must “focus on the mission.”

“The mission is winning elections. You win elections in order to pass your agenda and institutionalize your agenda.”

CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’

While considered the front-runner in his own race – to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis – there have been suggestions that other big-name Florida Republicans could jump in the race and potentially force voters to pick a side in the primary.

Asked about the prospect, Donalds said his race is going “incredibly well” and that he has garnered the important support of Trump, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and several top congresspeople from the Sunshine State and beyond.

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“We’re very blessed to be in the position that I’m in right now… You know, primaries happen. We have that debate, we have that contrast. I firmly believe that when you stack up the records and when you stack up the policies, you stack the vision that I’m gonna be very successful,” he said.

“And then the focus is gonna be about reuniting our party once the primaries are over to be focused on victory – that’s the recipe for success.”

Fox News Digital’s Paul Mitchell Picasso contributed to this report.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said talks in Florida between American, Ukrainian and European officials have produced concrete progress toward a structured peace framework, fueling signs that negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine may be entering a decisive phase.

“Over the last three days in Florida, the Ukrainian delegation held a series of productive and constructive meetings with American and European partners,” Witkoff wrote on X. “The Ukrainian delegation included Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Andriy Hnatov.”

The American delegation included Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House staff member Josh Gruenbaum, alongside key national security advisors from Europe.

“A separate constructive meeting was also held in a U.S.–Ukraine format, during which four key documents were focused on: further development of a 20-point plan, aligning positions on a Multilateral security guarantee framework, aligning positions on a US Security guarantee framework for Ukraine, and further development on an economic & prosperity plan,” Witkoff said. “Particular attention was given to discussing timelines and the sequencing of next steps.

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE

“Ukraine remains fully committed to achieving a just and sustainable peace,” he continued. “Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity. Peace must be not only a cessation of hostilities, but also a dignified foundation for a stable future.

“Ukraine highly values the leadership and support of the United States and the continued close coordination with its partners in the next stages of this important work,” Witkoff concluded.

The special envoy’s comments come after Finland President Alexander Stubb said Sunday that negotiators are closer than at any point during the war to securing a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, crediting U.S. diplomacy and pressure from sanctions on Russian oil as talks enter what he described as their most difficult final stage.

PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE ‘FORCE’

“We’re probably closer [to reaching a peace agreement] than we have been at any time of this war,” Stubb said on “The Sunday Briefing.”

He added that Kushner and Witkoff have spent the past several weeks “working around the clock” to narrow differences between the two sides.

Stubb also credited unity between Western allies after talks last weekend in Berlin, making note of two key takeaways.

PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA’S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY

“One was that Europe, Ukraine and the United States were united in our resolve to get a just and lasting peace… and the second one was the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine,” Stubb said. “So, we’re sort of almost there, but the most difficult 5% are still left.”

Stubb said Russia’s private negotiating posture may be more flexible than President Vladimir Putin’s public rhetoric but warned Moscow’s core objective remains the destruction of Ukraine’s existence.

The Finnish president added that he has been in close contact with Trump, Witkoff and Kushner as talks intensify, arguing that mounting economic pressure on Russia is making the negotiating strategy effective.

RUSSIA WARNS IT MAY REJECT US-UKRAINE PEACE PLAN IF IT FAILS TO UPHOLD ALASKA SUMMIT ‘UNDERSTANDINGS’

U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft are biting, Stubb said, warning that a flat rejection of a U.S.-Ukraine-Europe peace framework should trigger even tougher measures.

He argued that U.S. sanctions targeting Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft have been particularly effective.

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If Russia were to flatly reject a peace framework agreed upon by Ukraine, Europe and the U.S., “that’s when it’s time to hike up the sanctions,” Stubb said, “because they work.”

Fox News Digital’s Max Bacall contributed to this report.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vice President JD Vance closed out AmericaFest 2025, Turning Point USA’s first convention since founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination, by telling a raucous crowd that the “America First” movement is open to free thinkers who love their country.

Vance appeared shortly after Erika Kirk, who took TPUSA’s reins after her husband’s death in September, held a discussion with surprise guest Nicki Minaj. The vice president told the crowd that the political coalition forged by President Trump is strong enough to surmount disagreements within.

AMERICAFEST HONORS TARGET EMPLOYEE JEANIE BEEMAN AFTER VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS CALM RESPONSE TO HARASSMENT

“People of every faith come to our banner because they know that the America First movement will make our lives better,” he went on. “They know Democrats don’t care about anything other than trans-ing their kids.”

Vowing to stand with “every patriot in this room to defend the country we so dearly love,” Vance dismissed conservative infighting that had gone on earlier in the conference, while not naming any of the podcasters or subjects involved.

TPUSA SPOKESMAN SHREDS PODCASTER’S ‘DISTURBING’ DEFENSE OF PROTESTER WHO CELEBRATED CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH

“President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeating purity tests,” Vance said, as some of the earlier speakers name-dropped each other amid divisions over Israel, Ukraine aid and other controversial issues on the right.

“We don’t care if you’re White or Black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between… [P]eople of every faith come to our banner because they know that the America First movement will make their lives better. And they also know that the Democrats don’t care about anything other than maybe trans-ing their kids.”

“So if you love America, if you want all of us to be richer, stronger, safer, and prouder, you have a home on this team. I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform, and I don’t really care if some people out there — I’m sure we’ll have the fake news media — denounce me after this speech.”

CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’

Later in the speech, however, he said that such infighting is not necessarily a sign of a weak or fractious movement.

“Some of you are impatient at the pace of progress and my response to that is ‘Good,'” he said, appearing to refer to criticisms of the Republican Congress’ progress on the America First agenda.

“I know some of you are discouraged by the infighting over any number of issues. Don’t be discouraged,” he added.

VANCE, TRUMP JR.’S PLANS TO BOLSTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ‘POLITICAL LEGACY’ REVEALED: ‘HELP GROW IT’

“Wouldn’t you rather lead a movement of freethinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?” he quipped.

He said Charlie Kirk once told him that politics is not a “dress rehearsal or a game” but a series of decisions that will shape the future of a country.

“My friends, commit to these things, and I promise you victory: I promise you closed borders and safe communities. I promise you good jobs and a dignified life. Only God can promise you salvation and heaven. But together we can fulfill the promise of the greatest nation in the history of the earth,” he said, as he closed his speech.

‘CAPTURED THE YOUTH’: HOW CHARLIE KIRK HELPED FUEL DONALD TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE

During his address, he delved further into what is important to fulfilling “America First.”

“We have far more important work to do than canceling each other — we have got to build, and President Donald Trump is a builder,” he said. “We’re building a better country right now. We build by adding, by growing, not by tearing down.”

Vance declared that 2025 represented the first year in more than half a century with negative net-migration and that millions of illegal immigrants have either left the U.S. or been deported.

“When you restore sanity at the border, it shows up everywhere else,” he said, pointing to rent costs, gas prices, inflation and unemployment declining.

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“We made it clear that in the United States we believe in hard work and merit –we dont treat anybody [a certain way] because of their race or their sex, so we have relegated DEI to the dustbin of history which is exactly where it belongs.”

He said that to honor Kirk’s life, the Trump administration will continue working to end the “scourge of left-wing violence” including by not only arresting Antifa members who throw bricks, but “who bought the brick — and we’re going to prosecute them too” — referring to shadowy, deep-pocketed leftist interests.

White House economic director Kevin Hassett said Sunday that the Trump administration is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackling the housing affordability crisis.

“Everybody in the whole Cabinet is working on trying to get housing to be more affordable,” Hassett told “Fox News Sunday.”

He said the administration is preparing a sweeping proposal aimed at easing the burden on homebuyers, with details expected early in the new year.

THE TOP 3 REASONS HOUSING HAS BECOME SO UNAFFORDABLE IN THE US MARKET – AND IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

“We are going to have a plan, a big plan, to announce sometime soon in the new year that’s going to be very good news for the American people who feel like it’s not affordable to buy a home anymore,” Hassett added.

He also said that Cabinet officials plan to meet with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in the days after Christmas to pitch and review policy proposals.

“We have a big list of housing ideas that have been vetted very carefully by the Cabinet secretaries to present to the president in a week or two and we will see which ones he picks,” he added.

TRUMP’S 50-YEAR MORTGAGE MAY BURDEN AMERICANS WITH MORE DEBT, EXPERTS SAY

The administration’s push comes as housing affordability has become a political liability for Trump and a winning issue for Democrats.

According to a Fox News national survey, 76% of voters rate the economy negatively, compared with 67% in July and 70% at the close of former President Joe Biden’s tenure. Voters largely blame Trump for the downturn, with about twice as many holding him responsible for the current economy as Biden, and three times as many saying his policies have hurt them personally.

At the same time, approval of Trump’s handling of the economy has dropped to a new low, while disapproval of his overall job performance has climbed to record highs, even among some of his core supporters.

Meanwhile, Democrats leaned heavily on affordability themes in state and local elections this fall and it paid off.

In places like Virginia, New York and New Jersey, where voters have been squeezed by high housing costs and utility bills, Democratic candidates seized on Trump’s early economic moves, including his trade policy, to argue that his policies were worsening the affordability crisis rather than easing it.

THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT COMES TO NYC: MAMDANI’S VISION FOR A MORE AFFORDABLE CITY

They promised to curb energy costs, boost affordable housing and safeguard middle-class wages. The message struck a chord with voters and points to a broader reality: when many feel financially strained, the party that speaks most clearly to pocketbook concerns often wins.

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While Hassett declined to detail the proposals, the administration has previously discussed easing zoning restrictions and expanding longer-term mortgage products. 

The challenge for Trump will be translating those ideas into relief for voters who increasingly question whether his affordability promises are being fulfilled.

Erika Kirk welcomed rapper Nicki Minaj as the surprise guest for a Q&A at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on Sunday.

The “Beez in the Trap” singer previously teamed up with the Trump White House, speaking at the United Nations in November to raise awareness about persecution against Christians in Nigeria. Rumors had grown that Minaj would make an appearance at AmericaFest, but it was not confirmed until she went on stage Sunday.

“I’m honored to be here. I’m honored to be here,” Minaj said after Kirk welcomed her to the stage.

She went on to praise both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, saying they are politicians who have an “uncanny” ability to relate to the American people.

UN AMBASSADOR EXPLAINS HOW ‘UNLIKELY’ TEAM-UP WITH NICKI MINAJ CAME TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PUSH

“I love both of them,” she said of the two leaders.

Despite previously supporting Democrats like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Minaj has increasingly shown support for Trump lately.

On Nov. 1, Minaj posted a screenshot of a Trump Truth Social post where he said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.”

She wrote, “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.”

Minaj continued, “We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other. Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice.”

NICKI MINAJ TRANSFORMS FROM ‘QUEEN OF RAP’ TO TRUMP’S LEADING ALLY ON NIGERIA

She thanked the “President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”

She has also repeatedly attacked California Gov. Gavin Newsom over his stance on transgender children.

Kirk has stepped in as the chairwoman and CEO of Turning Point USA since the murder of her husband, late Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, in September.

Kirk spoke at the conservative AMFest on Thursday, telling the crowd, “Here’s what I’ve learned the most in these last three months is that my husband, he deeply mattered on a multitude of levels, so much so that it proved even more once he was assassinated, how much of a peacemaker he was and how much of a coalition builder he was.”

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She added that both her husband and she would choose fight mode over flight in any situation. 

“You don’t retreat,” she said. “Charlie would go wherever he needed to go, and I’m the same exact way … And you’ll learn that about me the more you get to know me. I know I’m new here, I’m new here, but you’ll learn.”

A former Brown University student and friend of Ella Cook, who was murdered by a lone gunman at the University earlier this month, said the Ivy League school’s lack of preparedness and resources to catch the killer didn’t come as a surprise.

Brown’s misguided financial priorities are the root cause of how a killer was able to enter and exit the university’s facilities essentially undetected, Alex Shieh told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview,

“I don’t think it’s particularly surprising that the old buildings on campus have never been retrofitted with updated security systems, because that’s not what the priorities are with the spending, and that they know that people will want to come to Brown anyway, irrespective of the facilities, because of the Ivy League name,” Shieh said. 

“It is sort of confusing to people that you have a school that costs $100,000 a year, you have an $8 billion endowment,” Shieh said. “How come the building doesn’t have cameras?”

BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF TERROR THAT LEFT 2 DEAD, 9 INJURED

Shieh is no stranger to what he says is bloated and wasteful spending by Brown. During his time at the school, he served as the publisher for the university’s student-run paper, the Brown Spectator, and caused a stir when he started asking questions about how much administrators make and what they do at work. 

Shieh sent out a survey to administrators, asking them to detail their jobs after being inspired by President Donald Trump’s DOGE, but was met with opposition from faculty. He noted that administrators are making millions, while facilities and students’ quality of life suffer.

Brown took disciplinary action against the former student, first claiming he was causing emotional and psychological harm, invading privacy, misrepresenting the university, and violating operational rules.

NOEM ANNOUNCES PAUSE ON IMMIGRANT VISA LOTTERY THAT ALLOWED ALLEGED BROWN SHOOTER TO ENTER US

“There’s about 4,000 administrators at a school of about 11,000 students,” Shieh said. “And this struck me as odd, and it struck me very clear that this growth and ballooning in the number of staff administrators is what’s been leading to the cost of tuition rising precipitously all across the country, but particularly at a school like Brown University.”

“The classes aren’t necessarily what distinguishes [Brown] from other schools, not the caliber of the facilities, not the caliber of the dorms, but [what] really distinguishes Brown and makes it worth the price in the eyes of some people is the fact that Brown is in the Ivy League,” Shieh added.

Brown’s aggressive reaction to Shieh’s reporting sparked a House Judiciary Committee hearing in June, with Shieh as a witness, to discuss free speech concerns as well as misguided and excessive Ivy League spending.

HUNT FOR BROWN UNIVERSITY KILLER HANDICAPPED BY SECURITY LAPSES, CAMPUS BUDGET CUTS

The University ultimately dropped all charges against Shieh, who wonders if some of the waste he was hoping to expose could be the reason that facilities weren’t equipped with cameras or better security. 

“They use their money in really silly ways,” Shieh said. “Like paying their athletic director of a small Ivy League school millions of dollars a year and having an inordinate amount of administrators on staff.”

FOX NEWS TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER: BROWN AND MIT SHOOTING SUSPECT, NICK REINER’S LAWYER, BRIAN WALSHE’S SENTENCE

Shieh, who like Cook was a member of the school’s College Republicans, said he was shocked when he learned she had been murdered. 

“She was just somebody who was very nice and everybody respected, and nobody really had a problem with her on campus, which is why it was so surprising that it happened to her, of all people,” Shieh said. 

On Nov. 13, Claudio Neves-Valente entered Brown’s campus and took the lives of Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov before driving 50 miles to Brookline, Massachusetts and killing MIT nuclear physicist Nuno Loureiro two days later, according to authorities.

Neves-Valente avoided capture and a manhunt lasting several days followed. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot in a storage shed Thursday night in Salem, New Hampshire.

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Law enforcement officials and investigators credit a homeless man who lived on Brown’s campus for providing an account of his interaction with Neves-Valente that eventually led to the shooter. 

Had Brown University been equipped with preventative technology and had cameras in the facilities which the gunman targeted, it’s possible the shooter would have been apprehended and the MIT professor would not have been killed.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Turning Point USA honored a Target employee who went viral after a customer accosted her for wearing a Charlie Kirk shirt to work this weekend.

Jeanie Beeman, 72, received a flood of support from conservatives on social media after a woman filmed herself confronting Beeman about the shirt. The woman in the video hurled expletives at Beeman and condemned her as a “racist,” but Beeman reacted calmly and de-escalated the situation.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to stand here and argue with you,” Beeman tells the woman in the video before wishing her a good day.

Conservative activists Benny Johnson and Jack Posobiec welcomed Beeman to the stage at AmericaFest on Saturday.

ERIKA KIRK WELCOMES ATTENDEES TO FIRST AMERICAFEST SINCE HUSBAND’S DEATH, ENDORSES JD VANCE FOR PRESIDENT

“Jeanie, the woman who was harassed at Target for wearing a Charlie Kirk shirt, just joined me ON STAGE at AmericaFest,” Johnson wrote on X after the event. “Patriots have donated over $260,000+ to her since the incident where she defended Charlie’s name. From being harassed at work to standing on stage at TPUSA’s biggest event of the year. This is how we fight darkness with light.”

The four-day AmericaFest event held at the Phoenix Convention Center features big names from the world of conservative politics, including Vice President JD Vance, who is expected to be the event’s keynote speaker on Sunday, and Erika Kirk, who is headlining the event.

The conference comes as the organization grapples with the September assassination of Kirk, who was gunned down at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

RILEY GAINES PRAISES TO ERIKA KIRK BEFORE OLE MISS TURNING POINT EVENT: ‘SHE IS A FORCE’ 

“At AmericaFest 2025, we gather to honor Charlie’s legacy — to continue the mission he began and to celebrate the country he loved,” TPUSA wrote.

AmericaFest is expected to attract over 30,000 attendees over the course of the weekend, with organizers saying this year is set to see the biggest turnout yet. It also comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with organizers looking to energize a new demographic of young voters with the hopes of strengthening the conservative base before a new flock of students heads to the polling place next year.

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Attendees can also expect to hear from several other conservative heavyweights at the conference, including Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, as TPUSA looks to rebuild after the tragic death of its founder while staying true to its roots of facilitating conversations across the political spectrum.

Fox News’ Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a blunt warning about “Islamist ideology” at a high-profile conservative gathering Saturday, casting the threat as fundamentally incompatible with Western freedom.

“The threats from this Islamist ideology come in many forms,” Gabbard told an audience at Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) annual AmericaFest conference.

RIFT IN MAGA MOVEMENT ON FULL DISPLAY AT TPUSA’S AMERICAFEST

“As we approach Christmas, right now in Germany they are canceling Christmas markets because of this threat.”

Gabbard, who oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, said the ideology stands in direct conflict with American liberty.

“When we talk about the threat of Islamism, this political ideology, there is no such thing as individual freedom or liberty,” she said.

Gabbard’s remarks were notable given her role overseeing the nation’s intelligence community, a position that traditionally avoids overt ideological framing in public remarks, particularly at partisan political events.

TPUSA BEGAN AS A SCRAPPY CAMPUS GROUP AND GREW INTO A NATIONAL, MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR POLITICAL FORCE

Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest has become a marquee gathering for conservative activists, lawmakers and influencers, where national security, immigration and cultural issues are increasingly framed as part of a broader ideological struggle.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment clarifying whether Gabbard’s remarks reflected official U.S. intelligence assessments or her personal views.

TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk positioned the organization as a hub for conservative youth activism, frequently hosting high-profile figures who frame political and security debates in ideological terms.

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Kirk carried that influence onto college campuses nationwide, drawing large crowds for live, unscripted debates on religion, Islamism, free speech, immigration and American culture. It was at an event at Utah Valley University where he was fielding open-mic questions from thousands on Sept. 10 where he was shot and killed.

The charged nature of modern political activism has also raised alarms about political violence, with authorities increasingly warning of threats tied to large public gatherings.

European security officials have raised security alerts around holiday events in recent years following a series of Islamist-inspired attacks, including deadly incidents in Germany, France and Belgium, prompting heightened police presence or temporary cancellations at some Christmas markets.

All 100 of North Carolina’s counties are on the schedule for Michael Whatley, who is running for an open Senate seat as the GOP looks to course-correct after losses in 2025.

Whatley, the former  Republican National Committee chairman, is facing former Gov. Roy Cooper in a bid to succeed Sen. Thom Tillis, a two-term Republican who decided not to run for re-election.

Whatley joined President Donald Trump in Rocky Mount on Friday night, just before he flew to Phoenix to speak at AmericaFest. Republicans are also looking to flip the state’s First Congressional District, which currently includes the noted Interstate 95 waypoint.

Whatley said the reception both at the rally and across the state has been “absolutely fantastic,” and that it is important for any candidate to travel to every corner of an expansive, diverse state like North Carolina.

NC SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS ICE CHARLOTTE OPS THE RESULT OF EX-GOV OPPONENT REPEATEDLY BLUNTING COOPERATION

“The conservative movement is very, very strong, and we’ve got a lot of champions right now, especially when you compare us to what the Democrats are doing,” he said.

“You know, we won when we focused on the issues that the American people cared about, right? President Trump said he was going to rebuild our economy, restore our borders, and make sure America is respected again around the world.”

“The Democrats ran exactly the opposite: Inflationary spending, open borders, and a weak America. So we feel very good about where we are as a conservative movement. And we feel very good about our ability to win these elections as long as we’re going to be focused on what the voters care about.”

CHARLOTTE PROMISES TO RESIST PENDING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’

Asked about Republicans coming up short in key races this past November, Whatley said his response will be to remain focused on issues that people in the Tarheel State care about.

“We’ve got an agenda that is focused on creating jobs and raising wages and lowering prices. We need to focus on keeping our kids and our communities safe,” he said.

“And we need to make sure that our men and women in uniform based in North Carolina around the country have what they need to protect our interests and allies around the world.”

CHARLOTTE TRAIN MURDER FRONT AND CENTER IN CRUCIAL 2026 SENATE BATTLE: ‘SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES’

Whatley was also a proponent of ICE’s Operation Charlotte’s Web, which targeted criminal illegal aliens in and around Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

He told Fox News Digital that the immigration issue is key to keeping America’s communities safe.

Democratic border policy, Whatley said, has turned even North Carolina into a border state – despite its farthest west town, Murphy, being 1,300 miles from Mexico.

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“We have many, many violent criminal illegal aliens in North Carolina. Many of them get arrested We had legislation that was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly to require sheriffs to honor the ICE detainers and move those criminals out,” he said.

“I’m very glad that President Trump was there to make sure that we’re getting these types of violent criminal illegal aliens off of the streets.”

Fox News’ Olivia Palumbo contributed to this report.

Minnesota’s sprawling fraud crisis has garnered national headlines in recent weeks, but several critics say the problem festered for years, aided by local media that appeared uninterested in holding people in power accountable. 

“In newsrooms, they’re told, ‘We can’t run that because we’re going to be accused of being racist,’” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage recently told Fox News Digital about news outlets in Minnesota essentially enabling the fraud by not calling out shocking taxpayer waste occurring primarily within the local Somali community.

The outlet that is considered by many the top news source in the region, the Minnesota Star Tribune, has faced criticism on social media in recent days over some of its headlines, including “Minnesota Somali community grapples with fraud cases while pushing back against stereotypes” on Nov. 26 and “Trump claims Minnesota lost billions to fraud. The evidence to date isn’t close” on Dec. 11. 

On Thursday, federal prosecutors held a press conference where they revealed that the true scope of the fraud scandal could end up costing taxpayers around $9 billion, prompting some conservatives on social media to point out the Dec. 11 headline.

MINNESOTA’S FRAUD SCANDAL WAS ‘SHOCKINGLY EASY’ TO PULL OFF, IS LIKELY WORSE THAN REPORTED: EX PROSECUTOR

“The Minnesota Star Tribune masquerades as a newspaper,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X. “It’s actually a Democrat front, hiding news, twisting facts, lying outright. One of the worst in the country.”

Additionally, the paper’s CEO is a man named Steve Grove who served as Gov. Tim Walz’s former commissioner of employment and economic development, which has sparked criticism from some who say that the paper is hesitant to pin Walz to the fraud crisis. 

Fox News Digital spoke to several locals who argued that media outlets either didn’t cover the scandal thoroughly enough or, in cases where it was covered, Walz’s oversight role was downplayed.

“The Minnesota Star Tribune has proven itself to be nothing more than communist fish wrap,” Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota 6th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. 

“They’ve shown their true colors throughout their sorry coverage of the massive fraud in my home state. Fraudsters stole over a billion dollars from taxpayers on Tim Walz and [state Attorney General] Keith Ellison’s watch. However, the blame also falls on the largest, most widely read newspaper in the state for failing to hold Minnesota’s so-called ‘leaders’ accountable as decent journalism requires. Their bias stinks to high heaven, but that’s not surprising given that their top dog is a former Tim Walz appointee.”

INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Last week, the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters reported that even after the scandal broke into the national spotlight, major news broadcast networks were still downplaying the fraud issue and focusing more on President Trump’s rhetoric on the matter.

Grage told Fox News Digital the news landscape has shifted over the last decade or so from a point where the news was covered fairly in the era of governors like Independent Jesse Ventura and Republican Tim Pawlenty, into “complicit media that carries water for Democrats.”

“Conservatives in these newsrooms, they have told me that they try to push stories, but a lot of the time they bump into roadblocks with their newsrooms,” Grage told Fox News Digital.

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Grage painted a general picture of newsrooms in Minnesota filled with staffers sympathetic to the DFL, Minnesota’s Democrat Party apparatus, and said a key problem is the fear of being labeled “racist” in their coverage of fraud in the Somali community.

“In regard specifically to the Somali fraud scandal, newsrooms will come back at them and say, ‘Well, we can’t run that because we’re gonna be accused of being racist.’ And at the end of the day, that’s where a lot of this has stemmed from,” Grage told Fox News Digital. “I mean, we can talk about the media complacency, the severe funding deficits for Republicans in our campaigns, but a lot of the time it’s just simply put, people are afraid of being called a racist.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnesota Star Tribune for comment.

PHOENIX – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered an update on his agency’s work alongside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in cracking down on an influx of illegal immigrants given a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) without proper vetting, which has led to several deaths on America’s highways.

Duffy was set to speak this weekend at AmericaFest and also touched on his special friendship with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, who was murdered Sept. 10 during an event in Utah.

“First off, President [Donald] Trump has been a remarkable leader. What he cares about is making government work better, making sure he’s implementing the right policies for the American people. Not the rich, not the powerful, but average, everyday Americans,” Duffy said when asked about the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) crackdown on the trucking crisis.

Duffy sprang into action earlier this year after an Indian national who authorities said was issued a CDL by California allegedly killed a carload of people after he attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike.

FLORIDA CFO ROLLS OUT NEW PUSH TO BLOCK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAPPING STATE SYSTEMS: ‘LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST’

Duffy expanded his efforts, warning Pennsylvania’s PennDOT and other agencies after illegal immigrants captured out of state were found to have non-domiciled CDLs issued by blue state agencies. In PennDOT’s case, an agency official told Fox News Digital a Philadelphia resident named in the sweep had not drawn any red flags in a federal database it used to verify him.

“As you’ve seen, Homeland Security focused on the border and illegal migrants in the country. What we found at DOT is a different set of problems,” Duffy said, adding that too many states have offered licenses to ineligible foreigners.

“They’re not qualified to get a license. And under [former President] Joe Biden’s tenure, [former Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg’s tenure, millions of people have come into the country. And it seems like states across the country have offered commercial driver licenses to many of those people,” he said.

AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLED MY DAUGHTER. KATIE AND ILLINOIS ARE BOTH GETTING JUSTICE

“The problem is that you endanger the safety of everyday Americans who use our roadways. And, so, what we’ve done at DOT is say, ‘Listen, unless you comply with our rules, we are going to take money away from your state.’”

He added that DOT has pressed for compliance from problem states, sharing that California has since revoked 17,000 problematic non-domiciled CDL licenses. 

On the other side of the country, Duffy said that more than half of the non-domiciled CDLs issued by NYSDOT were “issued illegally.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE

Those New York drivers, he said, may not even be legally present in the U.S., or they may have had a work permit for a few months but wrongfully parlayed that into a truck or school bus driving license with a seven-year expiry date.

“So, we are going to use every resource, every tool that we have at DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road that are well qualified, well licensed. That are proficient in the English language to make sure we’re maximizing safety.”

He noted that while many people are focused on non-domiciled CDL holders driving big rigs, many are also qualified to therefore drive school buses, potentially putting children in danger.

SHAPIRO RESPONDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FIASCO, SAYS DRIVER WAS IN FED DATABASE FIRST

As the Florida tragedy showed, those drivers also don’t just stay in the states with lax policies.

“We are going to maximize everyone’s safety on American roadways, and that means going after states, pulling money from states. We 100% under Donald Trump‘s leadership will,” Duffy said.

Speaking about his friendship with Kirk, Duffy said AmFest shows the impact Kirk had on America’s youth, drawing them into the conservative movement.

SEAN DUFFY ACCUSES ‘NO-SHOW’ PETE BUTTIGIEG OF TRYING TO ‘REWRITE HIS RECORD’ AFTER TRUMP CRITICISM

“To be here with my wife at this event and the meaning behind it is incredibly honoring for us and to be able to talk to the young people who are here to honor Charlie and have our voices heard,” he said.

“It couldn’t be more thrilling and exciting, and I’m looking forward to taking the main stage but also having a chance to talk to a lot of the … young people, but people of all ages, are here to come and celebrate Charlie in this movement.”

Duffy later said Friday was to be the busiest travel day of the year, and that 51,000 flights took off, a reminder of the sacrifices air traffic control and other DOT subdivision workers make at Christmastime.

ICE ARRESTS UZBEK TERROR SUSPECT WORKING AS TRUCK DRIVER AS HOMAN BLAMES BIDEN ADMIN’S LACK OF VETTING

“They’re going to work overtime. We appreciate their service. But I think what’s also important is when there are a lot of flights like this, so many people are traveling, I think the American traveler has to pack their best attitude, their best perspective as they go to the airport,” he said.

“[They should] know there could be some mishaps because it’s so busy. But if you have that little angel on your shoulder and saying, ‘I’m going to roll with the flow, and I’m going to do my best as a person who’s going to get on an airplane and travel with multiple of the people,’ I think the experience is going to be great.”

Suggesting the DOT or FAA could receive complaints as they tend to during holiday seasons, Duffy said travelers should remember an important maxim when it comes to his agency’s work.

“If there’s any issue in any of those spaces —whether it’s the controllers, the weather, mechanical — we will slow down traffic or we will stop traffic because we want you to be safe when you travel,” he said.

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“I don’t want your flight delayed, but I’ll take a delayed flight over an unsafe flight every day of the week, and that’s what we focus on.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden and a political organization linked to Buttigieg for comment.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday the agency is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to counter domestic and international threats.

In a post on X, Patel said the FBI has been advancing its technology, calling AI a “key component” of its strategy to respond to threats and stay “ahead of the game.”

“FBI has been working on key technology advances to keep us ahead of the game and respond to an always changing threat environment both domestically and on the world stage,” Patel wrote. “Artificial intelligence is a key component of this.

‘PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED’: INSIDE THE FBI’S HALLOWEEN TAKEDOWN THAT EXPOSED A GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK

“We’ve been working on an AI project to assist our investigators and analysts in the national security space — staying ahead of bad actors and adversaries who seek to do us harm.”

Patel added that FBI leadership has established a “technology working group” led by outgoing Deputy Director Dan Bongino to ensure the agency’s tools “evolve with the mission.”

EXCLUSIVE: FBI CONCLUDES TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS CROOKS ACTED ALONE AFTER UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL INVESTIGATION

“These are investments that will pay dividends for America’s national security for decades to come,” Patel said.

A spokesperson for the FBI told Fox News Digital it had nothing further to add beyond Patel’s X post.

The FBI uses AI for tools such as vehicle recognition, voice-language identification, speech-to-text analysis and video analytics, according to the agency’s website.

DAN BONGINO TO RESIGN FROM FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLE IN JANUARY

Earlier this week, Bongino announced he would leave the bureau in January after speculation rose about his departure.

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“I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January,” Bongino wrote in an X post Wednesday. “I want to thank President [Donald] Trump, AG [Pam] Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday that federal agents issued an arrest detainer for a criminal illegal immigrant charged with homicide and robbery after allegedly strangling a New York taxi driver to death earlier this month.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged the detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, an illegal migrant from Guatemala accused of brutally murdering a cab operator during a fare dispute Dec. 1 in Brewster, New York.

The body of the victim, Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, was found floating in a local reservoir Dec. 7, according to DHS.

“Santos Vasquez Ramirez should’ve never been in our country in the first place and provided the opportunity to gruesomely take the life of Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

DHS LAUNCHES ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ WEBPAGE TARGETING ALLEGED CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NATIONWIDE

Vasquez-Ramirez illegally entered the country in 2013, DHS said, and was later released into the country under the Obama administration.

An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in early 2016.

“Open border policies have deadly consequences,” McLaughlin said, adding that Santos Vasquez Ramirez will be transferred to federal custody. “ICE lodged an arrest detainer with local authorities to ensure this criminal illegal alien is never allowed back into American neighborhoods.”

DHS RIPS DEM-RUN COUNTY AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ALLEGED MURDERER RELEASED: ‘BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS’

McLaughlin added that, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, “ICE is targeting the worst of the worst.”

In a year-end report released Friday, the DHS said more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to office this year, leading to the “most secure border in American history.”

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An estimated 1.9 million migrants have been self-deported, and more than 622,000 have been forced out since Trump took office Jan. 20, according to DHS.

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pushing back against claims from Senate Democrats that 2025 has become the deadliest year in decades for immigrants held in federal custody. 

In a post to X on Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin slammed allegations made by the Senate Judiciary Democrats’ account, which claimed “30 immigrants have died in ICE custody since Donald Trump took office, making 2025 the deadliest year in ICE detention since the early 2000s.”

McLaughlin swiftly fired back, accusing Senate Democrats of “trying to twist data to smear ICE law enforcement.”

“There has been NO spike in deaths. Consistent with data over the past decade, death rates in custody are 0.00007%,” she said.

ICE IS NICE: AMFEST ATTENDEES OVERWHELMINGLY CALL FOR DHS TO TARGET THEIR HOMETOWNS AS DEMS SPURN AGENTS

McLaughlin also argued that those held in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care as well as a “higher standard of care” than most U.S. prisons.

“As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens — including providing access to proper medical care,” she said. “For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.”

DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM LAWMAKER CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘PUSHED ASIDE AND PEPPER SPRAYED’ DURING ICE RAID 

The response came just one day after DHS touted that ICE’s “Christmas gift to Americans” came early as agents pulled more illegal immigrants with criminal records off the streets.

“This holiday season, ICE is working around the clock to ensure silent nights and safer streets,” DHS said in its announcement.

DHS PACKAGES LATEST ICE ARRESTS AS ‘CHRISTMAS GIFT TO AMERICANS’

On Friday, DHS said that ICE had arrested illegal immigrants across the country whose criminal records include burglary, robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Homeland Security declared the latest defendants to be some of the “worst of the worst.”

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A spokesperson for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for governor of New York on Saturday, throwing his support behind the Long Island Republican one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik withdrew from the race.

Trump announced the endorsement in a lengthy post on Truth Social, calling Blakeman “highly respected and very popular” and praising his record on immigration enforcement, public safety and economic issues.

“Highly Respected and very popular Nassau County Executive, Bruce Blakeman, is running to be the next Governor of New York,” Trump wrote.

INSIDE STEFANIK’S EXIT AND HOW THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT THAT NEVER CAME WAS ‘BIGGEST PIECE’ OF THE ‘PUZZLE’

The endorsement follows Fox News Digital exclusive reporting that Stefanik’s surprise decision not to run was driven in part by concerns over Trump’s lack of a clear commitment to backing her in the New York governor’s race, according to sources.

“Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning,” Trump added.

In his post, Trump praised Blakeman’s work with federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement, framing the race around border security and crime, issues Republicans have emphasized in historically blue states.

“As Nassau County Executive, he is working tirelessly with the Brave Heroes of ICE, Border Patrol, and Law Enforcement to Keep Our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Safeguard our Community, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER,” Trump wrote.

EXCLUSIVE: STEFANIK STEAMROLLS TOP CONSERVATIVE OPPONENT AS GOP LEADERS HAND HER COMMANDING EDGE IN NY PRIMARY

Blakeman welcomed Trump’s endorsement, aligning himself closely with the president’s policy agenda.

“I am blessed and grateful to have the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” Blakeman said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “President Trump is driving down gasoline prices and slashing the cost of prescription drugs. Securing our borders has made America safer. President Trump loves New York and we will be partners in making New York safe and affordable.”

Trump said Blakeman would continue that agenda statewide if elected.

AS NYC ELECTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI, NEIGHBORING COUNTY DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP-STYLE LEADERSHIP WITH BLAKEMAN’S WIN

“As your next Governor, Bruce will continue to fight hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes, and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.

Blakeman currently serves as Nassau County Executive, leading New York’s largest suburban county. He has positioned himself as a tough-on-crime executive and a vocal critic of New York’s immigration and criminal justice policies.

Trump framed the endorsement as part of a broader effort to reclaim what he described as a state in decline under Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s leadership.

“Bruce Blakeman is a FANTASTIC guy, will win the big November Election and, without hesitation, has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Governor of the ONCE GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK (IT CAN BE GREAT AGAIN!),” Trump wrote.

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The endorsement follows Stefanik’s announcement Friday that she would not enter the race, a decision that immediately reshaped the gubernatorial playing field. 

Stefanik, a close Trump ally and member of House GOP leadership, had been widely viewed as the top candidate heading into 2026.

The campaign for Elise Stefanik for Governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

PHOENIX – Ohio gubernatorial candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy warned conservatives not to take any political races for granted, including his own – and commented on what AmericaFest means for the future of the right as it draws in thousands of voters and activists, including youth.

Ramaswamy spoke to Fox News Digital shortly after arriving at the Phoenix Convention Center on Friday, and said he had already met several people here who told him they were energized to join him at the conference.

“Funny enough, and I often like to do this when I travel west, I went for a hike earlier today — to what’s called Camelback Mountain, and we saw tons of young people who are going to be here tonight that were getting their outdoor time, so I got to talk to a lot of them,” he said.

“I would say the mood is a combination of enthusiastic and determined, but with a sober sentimentality as well. It’s clear that a lot of these young people were, I mean just like me and the rest of us, affected by Charlie’s death, and they’re hungry for direction.”

CONSERVATIVES NEED TO EMBRACE ‘FUSION’ OF POPULISM, TOP LEADER SAYS, CALLING AMFEST SCENES ARE ‘ENCOURAGING’

Many of the young conservatives he met appeared to want to find the direction the conservative movement and TPUSA will go following Kirk’s death.

In Ohio, where he is seeking to succeed term-limited moderate Republican Mike DeWine, Ramaswamy stressed that even though Ohio has been reliably red, he isn’t taking the race for granted.

Republicans are reeling from a string of losses from Florida to Pennsylvania just weeks ago.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS

“I think we’ve got to worry less about just defeating the left — because we did that last year. That’s not good enough. We have to offer our own vision of what do we actually stand for,” Ramaswamy said.

“And, in Ohio, what I know I’m going be able to deliver is two things that Ohio needs and I believe this country needs: Number one is to put more money back in people’s pockets,” he said, noting that government cannot immediately rein in rising commodity costs as voters demanded in selecting President Donald Trump over Kamala Harris’ continuation of the Biden agenda.

“We can do certain things, like bring down electric bills by producing more energy. We’ll do those things. But the direct way we can help people is put more money in people’s pockets by bringing down the property tax burden, by taking the income tax rate down to zero, so people are actually able to have more money to afford things, not just waiting for costs to come down,” he said.

GEN Z IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE — AND REPUBLICANS CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOK AWAY

“And number two is preparing our young people to be useful, contributing members of the workforce with a better education system.”

Ramaswamy said that the education system has failed American youth for years, through “woke indoctrination” and “victimhood psychology,” and also is something that states should be able to fix.

“As someone who did run for president, I can tell you that a governor can make an even bigger difference than a president when it comes to education,” he said.

CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’

“I hope we in Ohio set an example of what the other 49 states can actually aspire to.”

Looking past Trump’s term limit in 2028, Ramaswamy said the conservative movement will continue so long as it maintains its “aspirational” focus.

“That’s my message to those young people tonight, and it is a challenging message. It’s not sugar-coated. The number one factor that determines whether you achieve your goals in life is actually you. That’s a tough message, but it’s the truth. JFK, who famously said, right, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. Now’s the moment to remember that message,” he said.

HUSTED FILES FOR 2026 SENATE RACE, LAUNCHING AGGRESSIVE STATEWIDE RE-ELECTION PUSH

Turning to another Kennedy, Ramaswamy – who founded biotech pharma company Roivant Sciences – was asked his view of the MAHA agenda being pursued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Ramaswamy said MAHA has established youth health as paramount to healthy future generations.

Kennedy’s pursuit of healthier foods in schools, returning to stronger physical education standards and the like underlies the “core thesis behind MAHA.”

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“That is, that the best way to bring down health care costs — who would have ever thought — is actually to have a healthier population in the first place.”

“That’s something that most Americans are behind. The ‘how’ is, of course, easier said than done, but there are common-sense state level changes that I’m confident we can implement in Ohio that aren’t about right versus left. It’s about right vs. Wrong. It’s common sense, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to get those delivered quickly after I win this election.”

A woman whose concerns about Jeffrey Epstein were brushed off by the FBI three decades ago was vindicated Friday after the Department of Justice finally made her complaint public.

Maria Farmer’s complaint was buried in the thousands of files related to Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases that the DOJ published as part of its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The document was dated Sept. 3, 1996, more than 10 years before Epstein first faced prosecution for sex crimes involving girls. In it, Farmer accused Epstein of stealing and selling photos of her young sisters. Farmer worked as an artist for Epstein and has long been outspoken about what she said was his abusive behavior.

Farmer has said the photos of her sisters cited in the 1996 complaint included nudity, and the complaint is labeled as a possible “child pornography” case.

DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE

Names on the complaint were redacted, but The New York Times confirmed with Farmer that she was the one who filed it. Farmer told the outlet she felt “vindicated.” 

“I’ve waited 30 years. … I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore,” she said.

The complaint noted that Farmer was a professional artist whose work included the images of her then 12- and 16-year-old sisters.

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE

“Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers,” the complaint stated. “Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.”

Farmer and her sister Annie brought separate lawsuits in 2019 alleging Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted them, but the suits were dropped as part of a settlement involving accepting compensation from Epstein’s estate.

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Farmer also sued the DOJ in July, alleging the Clinton administration FBI “chose to do absolutely nothing” with her complaint in 1996, and that in the years since, Epstein was able to victimize more women. Farmer said she also complained again to the FBI in 2006 during the Bush administration.

Farmer’s complaint was among the tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that the DOJ released on Friday, the transparency bill’s deadline. Other accusers, such as Marina Lacerda, have spoken out about their dissatisfaction with the file release, observing that it was incomplete and contained heavy redactions. The department has said more files are coming within the next two weeks.

A U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Special Reaction Team (MSRT) assisted by the U.S. Navy has seized a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela Saturday, a U.S. official confirms to Fox News. 

The operation involved a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Special Reaction Team assisted by the U.S. Navy, marking the latest enforcement action tied to President Donald Trump’s announced blockade of sanctioned oil tankers.

BONDI SHARES HEART-POUNDING FOOTAGE OF US SEIZING VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER IN RARE ACTION LAST SEEN IN 2014

The seizure comes days after President Donald Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday.

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

This is a developing story, check back later for updates.

The future of the conservative movement rests on the ability of candidates and activists to embrace the best tenets of populism while addressing issues that are uncomfortable in “establishment Washington,” the leader of one of America’s oldest conservative policy groups told Fox News Digital.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, in Phoenix for the first AmericaFest following the murder of Charlie Kirk, said that despite a wave of recent losses for conservatives, there is great hope for the future. The event was packed with thousands of conservatives from around the nation.

“I was expecting to be really encouraged, and I am,” Roberts said of people he has engaged with at AmericaFest. “There’s a lot of passion and encouragement in that room. And I think we have to keep in mind, moving on to a second point, that you have to ignore sort of the naysayers and the doomsayers about conservative politicians losing the midterms.”

He said that despite bad press and wipeouts for the right in Virginia, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania, conservatives “ought to be more optimistic” after what he called a great first year of the Trump-Vance administration and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., working together.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS

“What we’ve got to do for 2026 is articulate to the American people — starting with this crowd here at AmFest — what those policy priorities need to be; not just for the short term but for the long term and Heritage certainly is in the middle of that conversation.”

To keep conservatism at the fore in 2026, given recent setbacks, conservatives must run on an “aspirational vision” he said was lacking in several 2025 races – while noting Jack Ciattarelli’s failed bid for governor of New Jersey bid as one of the better-run campaigns.

Looking to the new year, Roberts said Heritage is interested in seeing policymakers asking those uncomfortable questions inside the Beltway, like what the future of the American family looks like, whether the workplace is one where Americans earn dignity and not just a paycheck, and more directly, “what it means to be an American.”

TIM SCOTT TELLS MAGA VOTERS TRUMP ‘IS ON THE BALLOT’ AS GOP FIGHTS TO GROW SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026

“[That’s] to say something, of course, that establishment Washington doesn’t like to talk about,” he said.

“What’s the future, not just of immigration policy, but how can we assimilate the highest percentage of foreign-born population we’ve had in modern American history? This is important for all of us if in fact we’re going to have a healthy society,” he said.

“The bottom line is this, if establishment Washington talks about just sort of sidebar issues in this campaign, then the midterms are going to be a disaster. “

WHY 2026 SHOULD TERRIFY REPUBLICANS AFTER TENNESSEE SPECIAL ELECTION

“They, to state the obvious, have to talk about what the American people are asking, and they actually have to offer policy solutions where I happen to think Heritage has some good things to say.”

In 2028, Trump will be term-limited and a new conservative leader will have to rise.

The best way for conservatives to move forward, he said, is to embrace a “good fusion of the best elements of populism.”

SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS

“Namely, exercising popular will over longstanding conservative principles like diminishing the size of the administrative state, but also making sure that we’re sustaining our longstanding, conservative principles,” Roberts said.

“Whoever the standard-bearers are for conservatism in 2028, 2032, 2036, their policy ideas are going to sound a lot like Trump’s, but of course they are going to bring their own imprint into that.”

“Those of us who focus on ideas and policy for a living need to do our jobs zealously well to keep offering not just the long-standing policy ideas, but some innovative ones as well,” he added.

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Looking ahead to Heritage’s work in 2026, Roberts said the think tank will focus on family, the future of free enterprise, national security, and citizenship.

“And then we’re also focused, especially on the side of our enterprise that works on advocacy and campaigns, “Heritage Action [For America]“, what those particular places are where we can tell that story to the American people. And hopefully, people running for office will take those issues and run with them,” he said.

PHOENIX – The 2028 presidential election will potentially be a rumble in the Rust Belt if AmericaFest attendees’ predictions come to pass, with Vice President JD Vance the odds-on favorite to succeed President Donald Trump, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro surpassing California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the most-predicted Democrat nominee.

Such a contest would also pit two younger figures against each other – with Shapiro at 52 and Vance at 41 — while also potentially reshaping the idea of the “blue wall” that Trump shattered in 2024 as Shapiro’s name recognition in Pennsylvania could return the state to the Democrats’ column.

For his part, Shapiro has dismissed any curiosity about a White House run, recently telling HBO’s Bill Maher he’s “not an expert” on Beltway politics and “live[s] in the real world in Pennsylvania where we have to balance budgets.”

But, that sentiment didn’t keep him from being considered more viable for the role than the more gregarious Newsom.

‘OBAMA BRO’ PODCASTER RAILS AGAINST JD VANCE’S CHANCES IN 2028, CLAIMS ‘NO ONE LIKES HIM!’

Barbara, from Camarillo, Calif., said she hopes Vance is able to step into President Donald Trump’s shoes, calling him a “great candidate” who comes from the “team that Trump built.”

“I think we’re in a good place right now,” she said.

Barbara also named Shapiro as the most likely Democrat to take that party’s mantle.

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“I think he’s going to have the most effect because I don’t think anybody else has any credibility.”

If Shapiro went up against Newsom, she said, “he would wipe the floor with” the Californian.

Shapiro has occasionally broken with the far-left, particularly on the issue of antisemitism. But, when New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli wished aloud that the Garden State would be run more like its neighbor across the Delaware, Shapiro hit back that he was fully supporting Gov-elect. Mikie Sherill.

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Nick from Nashville also named Shapiro as the most viable Democratic prospect. While he predicted Newsom or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. may be the nominee chosen by the base, the Democratic National Committee would be smart if it facilitated a Shapiro nomination, he said.

Speaking about the future of post-Trump conservatism, Nick said he expects a lot of competing yet largely ideologically unified voices.

“I think the conservative party will kind of conglomerate over somebody like Trump. I think Trump’s going to have a very big hand and who’s going to be the nominee in 2028. But I think the conservative [movement] is still going to be alive. But I think that it’s mostly going to be whoever Donald Trump kind of wants, because, you know, he basically built the conservative movement,” he said.

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“I’m very much hoping [Republicans choose] JD Vance or Marco Rubio,” Karen from Wisconsin told Fox News Digital.

“We have so many good conservatives that could come in and take over. And I hope that we get another eight, 16 more years of Republicans that have put our country in the right direction.”

“I hope after Charlie Kirk that especially the youth get involved more … because you know, that’s how I got involved and I just hope that someone brings up the whole [conservative] program a lot more.”

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On the Democratic side in 2028, Karen predicted Newsom would be Democrats’ pick.

“I seriously don’t think [Kamala Harris] is going to get the money-backing, but Newsom probably will try really hard. I hope [the GOP chooses] JD Vance. Ron DeSantis already cleaned the carpet with Newsom [on “Hannity”], so I don’t think JD Vance will have much problem because he is a very well spoken, intelligent, smart man.”

Amy from Michigan also predicted the Pennsylvanian as the Democrats’ top pick in 2028, envisioning a battle between Vance and Shapiro for the presidency.

Elizabeth from San Diego said she hopes it won’t be her governor who gets named the nominee in 2028, but feared it is trending his way moreso than Shapiro or Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, the Hyatt Hotels heir whose name has also been mentioned.

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“I’m hoping that other Latinos see another Latina being in a position where I support [Homeland Security Investigations agents] going out and looking at all of the illegal immigrants and taking them out because of the fact that it gives us (Latinos and Latinas) more opportunities,” said Elizabeth, who is Latina.

Ed, who was also from San Diego, predicted Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take the Republican mantle after Trump.

A representative for Shapiro’s 2026 gubernatorial re-election campaign did not offer comment when reached for a response.