NationalWatch

A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that former President Donald Trump is not immune to facing civil lawsuits relating to the events on Jan. 6, 2021.

Sri Srinivasan, the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, wrote in a filing that Capitol Police officers and members of Congress who were at the U.S. Capitol that day have submitted cases seeking civil damages “for harms they allege they suffered arising from the riot,” with the sole defendant in the lawsuits being named as Trump.

“According to the plaintiffs, President Trump’s actions, including ultimately his speech on January 6, sparked the ensuing riot at the Capitol,” he said.

Srinivasan, who is part of a three-judge panel, said Trump has moved in the district court to dismiss the claims against him, “including on grounds of a President’s official-act immunity from damages liability.” 

BIDEN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS TRUMP CAN BE SUED BY POLICE, DEMOCRATS OVER JAN. 6 RIOT

“The district court largely rejected his claim of immunity, and President Trump now appeals. The sole issue before us is whether President Trump has demonstrated an entitlement to official-act immunity for his actions leading up to and on January 6 as alleged in the complaints,” Srinivasan wrote. “We answer no, at least at this state of the proceedings.”

Srinivasan said that “since the Supreme Court’s decision in Nixon v. Fitzgerald, Presidents have carried out their official responsibilities free from any exposure to civil damages liability” and that decision “established a President’s absolute immunity from civil damages claims predicated on his official acts.”

But he continued by saying that “the President, though, does not spend every minute of every day exercising official responsibilities” and “when he acts outside the functions of his office, he does not continue to enjoy immunity from damages liability just because he happens to be the President.”

APPEALS COURT REINSTATES GAG ORDER IN TRUMP FRAUD CASE

“When he acts in an unofficial, private capacity, he is subject to civil suits like any private citizen,” Srinivasan said.

He explained that when a “first-term President opts to seek a second term, his campaign to win re-election is not an official presidential act.”

Srinivasan also wrote that “in arguing that he is entitled to official-act immunity in the cases before us, President Trump does not dispute that he engaged in his alleged actions up to and on January 6 in his capacity as a candidate. But he thinks that does not matter.”

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“Rather, in his view, a President’s speech on matters of public concern is invariably an official function, and he was engaged in that function when he spoke at the January 6 rally and in the leadup to that day,” he concluded. “We cannot accept that rationale.”

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump reacted to the debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, telling Fox News Digital he thinks “they both worked hard and they both did well.” 

Fox News hosted “The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate,” which was moderated by Sean Hannity Thursday night.

DeSantis, who is running for president in 2024, and Newsom, who made clear he was not, faced off in a first-of-its kind showdown, clashing on a number of policies related to abortion, crime, taxes and COVID-19.

RED VS BLUE STATE DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS: TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM THE DESANTIS, NEWSOM SLUGFEST

Trump, who has a commanding lead over the Republican presidential primary field, watched the debate.

“I thought it was a very even debate,” Trump said. “They both worked hard and they both did well.”

The former president has had some harsh words for DeSantis along the campaign trail, but did not make any additional comments about the Florida governor.

NEWSOM, DESANTIS DEBATE GETS HEATED OVER COVID, TAX POLICES: ‘YOU DID A LOT OF DAMAGE’

The conversation Thursday night quickly shifted from issues facing each state, to 2024, with DeSantis saying Newsom is “joined at the hip with Biden and (Vice President Kamala) Harris.”

DeSantis also said Biden is “in decline” and represents “a danger to the country.” 

However, Newsom stressed his support for Biden and his re-election campaign.

“I’m proud of the work Biden and Harris have done,” Newsom said. “I will take Joe Biden at 100 rather than Ron DeSantis any day of the week at any age.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS DESANTIS ‘THIRSTY ONLYFANS WANNABE’ FOR DEBATING NEWSOM: ‘KISS OF DEATH’

Newsom did take the opportunity, though, to take a swipe at DeSantis and his campaign.

“How’s that going for you, Ron? You’re down 41 points in your own home state,” Newsom said. 

“Neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024,” Newsom told DeSantis at one point.

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The RealClearPolitics polling average has Trump leading Biden, 47% to 45.3% in a general election match-up. 

As for the Republican primary, the RealClearPolitics polling average places Trump in first place at 62%. DeSantis is in second place with 13.6%. 

Democrats are still wondering whether President Biden is the best candidate to lead them into the 2024 election.

And whether they win or lose with Biden at the top of the ticket next year, the party will eventually need to find a new leader.

Last night, California Governor Gavin Newsom came to Fox News to be that leader.

But his polling numbers show that if he wants to be the new face of the left, he has an upward climb ahead of him.

DESANTIS-NEWSOM DEBATE LEADS TO ONLINE FIRESTORM AS CONGRESSMAN CALLS CALI ‘A WARNING FOR THE NATION’

In fact, the California governor shares weak levels of support with Biden across the board. There is just one notable difference between the current and would-be commander-in-chief.

In California, voters do not like Newsom any more than Biden

President Biden’s national approval rating is often lower than Governor Newsom’s approval in California, but that comparison obviously isn’t fair, since the governor’s home state leans more blue than the country does.

Instead, we can compare the two leaders’ approval ratings only in California. If Newsom is a more popular political figure, then his rating should be higher than Biden’s. 

According to recent survey data, Newsom’s approval rating in California is the same as the president’s rating. Biden sits at 45% approval and 51% disapproval in an October Berkeley/IGS survey, while Newsom sits at an all-time low of 43% approval and 49% disapproval.

TOP TAKEAWAYS, REAL WINNER OF DESANTIS, NEWSOM DEBATE

Newsom also performs about the same as Biden with voting groups that are key to a Democratic win:

1. Women give Biden 45% and Newsom 46%
2. Suburban voters give Biden 44% and Newsom 41%
3. Black voters give Biden 53% and Newsom 57%
4. Moderates give Biden 41% and Newsom 38%

It is possible that as Newsom introduces himself to the country, he will become more popular outside his home state than within? So far, we are absent data to prove that. 

If Newsom were on the ballot against Trump, there is no evidence so far that he would perform better than Biden 

In a Fox News survey conducted this November, Biden received 46% to Trump’s 50% among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup, a statistically insignificant four-point margin between the two candidates.

In a hypothetical matchup between Newsom and Trump, the California Governor receives 45% support with Trump at 49%, also a 4 point margin. 

It’s a similar story among the key voting groups versus Trump:

1. Biden gets 50% of women, Newsom gets 49%
2. Biden gets 49% of suburban voters, Newsom gets 55%
3. Biden gets 69% of Black voters, Newsom also gets 69%
4. Biden gets 49% of moderates, Newsom gets 50%

These figures suggest that both Biden and Newsom are attracting the base party vote and not much else. In other words, they are receiving support from voters who will always choose the Democratic Party candidate, no matter which name is on the ticket.

Newsom would need to make inroads with moderates, independents and/or undecided voters to separate himself from Biden.

 . . . But Newsom is much younger than Biden

The clear difference between the two candidates is age.

Large majorities say Biden is too old to serve. That includes voters in the battleground states, and key Democratic-leaning voting groups. According to an early November New York Times Times/Siena poll: 

1. Overall, 71% of voters in battleground states say Biden is “just too old to be an effective president.” In the same states:
2. 74% of women voters agree
3. 69% of voters in suburban areas agree
4. 56% of Black voters agree

Pollsters haven’t asked whether Newsom is too old to be an effective president, but with Newsom at 56 years old and Biden at 81, they don’t need to.

Televised debates between politicians not running against each other are rare. (According to the Los Angeles Times, the last one took place in 1967, between California’s then-Governor Ronald Reagan and New York’s Senator Robert F. Kennedy.)

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It is hard to imagine that Newsom would command enough national political attention to warrant a primetime television debate without Biden’s age problem.

That vulnerability will not go away as Election Day draws closer.

• Former Attorney General Brad Schimel is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court against incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley in the April 2025 election.
• The Republican is the first candidate to challenge Bradley, but other conservatives are considering entering the race.
• Schimel has been a vocal supporter of Wisconsin’s voter ID law and defended Republican-drawn legislative maps in previous legal challenges.

Former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel announced Thursday that he is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court against incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley in 2025, casting the race as a chance for conservatives to win back a majority and serve as a check on liberals.

Bradley is part of a 4-3 liberal majority that took control of the court in August. She has said she will run for a fourth 10-year term. Schimel, a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge, is the first candidate to announce plans to challenge Bradley in the April 2025 election, but other conservatives are considering getting in the race.

CHIEF JUSTICE OF WISCONSIN’S SUPREME COURT SAYS THE NEW LIBERAL MAJORITY STAGED A ‘COUP’

In his comments announcing his candidacy as prepared for delivery, Schimel said: “There is no check on this new liberal Supreme Court majority.”

“The only check on them is to take back the majority by winning in 2025,” he said.

WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT WEIGHS CHALLENGE TO CONSTITUTIONALITY OF STATE-FUNDED SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS

Schimel has been outspoken on abortion and some other political issues that are almost certain to get more attention during the race. Abortion was a key issue in the Supreme Court race this year won by liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz, who ran as a supporter of abortion rights.

As Waukesha County district attorney in 2012, Schimel endorsed a Wisconsin Right to Life legal white paper that argued for keeping on the books the state’s ban on abortions except to save the mother’s life. A challenge to that ban is expected to come to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, though Planned Parenthood has been offering abortions since September based on a circuit court judge’s interpretation of the law. As Wisconsin’s attorney general, Schimel supported laws in Indiana and Ohio that limited abortion access.

Schimel also was a staunch supporter of Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which he suggested may have been why former President Donald Trump won the state in 2016. Schimel, as attorney general, joined a multistate coalition that sued to overturn the Affordable Care Act. He also defended Republican-drawn legislative maps that are being challenged before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Schimel, 58, served one term as attorney general starting in 2015. He lost his reelection bid in 2018 to Democrat Josh Kaul. Then-Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, appointed Schimel as a judge after his own defeat but shortly before they both left office. Before being elected attorney general, Schimel spent 25 years as a Waukesha County prosecutor.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said in a statement Thursday night that Schimel “doesn’t deserve a promotion to our state’s highest court.”

“Wisconsinites rejected Brad Schimel after a single term as attorney general because his extreme politics and inept mismanagement became too great to ignore, with thousands of rape kits left untested at the State Crime Lab and millions of dollars wasted on partisan efforts to suppress voting rights and push new restrictions on abortion access,” Wikler said.

Bradley, 73, was first elected to the Supreme Court in 1995 and is the longest-serving justice on the court. She won her last election in 2015 by 16 points.

Bradley did not return a text message seeking comment.

WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT FLIPS FROM CONSERVATIVE TO LIBERAL CONTROL FOR FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS

The court is weighing several high-profile cases that were filed after Protasiewicz’s win in April gave liberals a majority. In addition to the redistricting challenge, the court is considering whether to hear cases seeking to overturn Wisconsin’s private school voucher program and to weaken powers the Republican-controlled Legislature have used to block pay raises for University of Wisconsin employees.

Protasiewicz’s race was the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history. With majority control in play again in 2025, Bradley’s race is likely to break spending records.

Republicans have floated the possibility of impeaching Protasiewicz over comments she made during the campaign voicing her opposition to an abortion ban and Republican-drawn electoral maps.

Schimel said the Protasiewicz race set a dangerous precedent.

“We need to restore confidence in the people of Wisconsin that the justice system will be fair and impartial,” Schimel said in his prepared remarks. “I will be honest about my principles, but will never prejudge a case and will never put my views above the law.”

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., is calling for the deployment of Arizona’s National Guard to the southern border to help authorities deal with a surge in migrants to the Tucson Sector.

Fox News reported on Thursday that the border has seen 9,400+ encounters in a 24-hour period. Border Patrol apprehended around 7,700 of those, led by the Tucson Sector with almost 3,000 encounters.

“Tucson Sector is leading in encounters and our agents and officers are overrun and undermanned,” Ciscomani says in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “The situation is far past a breaking point and those on the frontlines of this crisis are in need of immediate support.”

WHITE HOUSE FUNDING REQUEST INCLUDES $14 BILLION FOR BORDER AS CRISIS HITS NEW RECORDS

Ciscomani calls on Mayorkas to “immediately request that the Department of Defense deploy the Arizona National Guard to help with this dire situation.”

While the state government can also deploy the state’s National Guard, that would be at Arizona’s expense, while a move by DHS and the Pentagon would mean the federal government would bear the expense.

BORDER PATROL SAYS IT’S PAUSING SOCIAL MEDIA TO DEAL WITH MIGRANT SURGE 

The Biden administration deployed troops to the border in the Spring in anticipation of a surge of migration when the Title 42 public health order ended in May. Meanwhile, a number of other states also deployed personnel — including the National Guard — to the border.

Numbers border-wide increased over the summer, bringing FY 23 to a new record for encounters. September marked a monthly record in encounters, and numbers dipped in October, but the new surge has again raised concerns at a time of year where encounters typically slow down.

CBP has been surging resources and personnel to the Tucson Sector — which typically sees less traffic than other sectors like the Rio Grande Valley– and has been focusing on transporting migrants laterally to other parts of the border combined with a greater use of expedited removal as an alternative to them being released into the U.S. The Biden administration has promised to increase the use of the authority — and has requested resources to do so as part of its $14 billion supplemental request to Congress for border operations, including staffing and non-custodial housing.

The Biden administration has said it is dealing with a Hemisphere-wide crisis and needs Congress to act to provide more funding for the border processes, while also calling on Republicans to support a comprehensive immigration bill it unveiled on day one of the administration.

Republicans have rejected that legislation, and instead introduced a bill of their own which would increase border security funding while increasing limits on asylum and the use of humanitarian parole. Republicans have blamed the ongoing crisis on the policies of the administration — including its rollback of Trump-era policies.

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“Our CBP agents and officers continue to be undermanned and overrun at every turn of the border crisis,” Ciscomani said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Biden administration must take action to fix this crisis of their own creation and the best way to start is by providing CBP with the support they deserve. By immediately deploying the National Guard in Arizona, we provide the men and women charged with securing our border the much-needed reinforcement to do their jobs.”’

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

Conservatives across social media celebrated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ debate performance against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and outlined why they thought he won the Fox News debate.

“DeSantis is kicking Newsom’s ass,” conservative radio host Mark Levin posted on X. “In fact, Newsom is looking and sounding silly.” 

“DeSantis went up against the Democrat Party star and whipped him,” Levin added in another post. “It’s just that simple.”

“I was 100% wrong on this debate. I thought Gavin Newsom would be likable and intelligent,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X. “I was incorrect. This is a massacre. If this were a boxing match, Newsom’s corner would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. Complete and total win for DeSantis from open to close.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS DESANTIS ‘THIRSTY ONLYFANS WANNABE’ FOR DEBATING NEWSOM: ‘KISS OF DEATH’

“My daughter died in the Parkland mass shooting,” Andrew Pollack, father of Parkland victim Meadow Pollack, posted on X. “Ron DeSantis was not even Governor when it happened, but I’m sure as hell glad he became Governor shortly after. Governor DeSantis fired the incompetent people responsible, he didn’t demonize lawful gun owners. Newsom is trash!”

“Holy cow,” conservative commentator Chris Loesch posted on X. “If you aren’t blind you are witnessing the dismantling of the California Governor. Hannity puts up the graphic of the facts and then Gavin says the opposite is true… DeSantis is destroying him with simple comparison of records!”

LIBERAL COLUMNIST PRAISES ‘PATRIOTIC’ NEWSOM FOR ‘SHADOW CAMPAIGN,’ SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR BACKING BIDEN

“I’ve never see anything like this,” conservative commentator Dave Rubin posted on X. “Newsom literally can’t say one sentence that is true. DeSantis is calmly just laying out facts and reality. This disconnect from reality Newsom and the Left have is exactly what needed to be exposed. Is there anyone on Twitter dot com that thinks Newsom is a good job here?”

“I think DeSantis just ended Newsom’s POTUS ambitions,” Substack publisher Jordan Schachtel posted on X. “Exposed him as a soulless lizard person. Landed haymakers all night. Best gov in the nation showed up in top form tonight.”

A Newsom spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to social media posts from some conservatives who thought DeSantis lost the debate, including GOP strategist Mike Madrid who posted on X that Newsom was “bludgeoning” the Florida governor.

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Newsom took to social media after the debate and posted: “That was fun — I could have kept going!”

The Fox News debate between Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had several tense moments as the two governors clashed over policies related to abortion, crime, taxes and COVID-19.

The first-of-its-kind showdown hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity put a spotlight on various areas of disagreement between Newsom and DeSantis. The two governors have sought to tackle key issues facing their states with divergent approaches.

Here are five of the most memorable moments from the debate.

DESANTIS VS NEWSOM DEBATE HEATS UP WITH CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS INCLUDING TAXES, COVID-19 | LIVE UPDATES

1. DeSantis confronts Newsom with sexually-explicit children’s book

During an exchange about Florida’s laws prohibiting certain sexually-explicit books in schools, DeSantis defended his actions by showing Newsom images of one of the books banned.

“This is a book that’s in some of the schools in California — in Florida, it’s not consistent with our standards — it’s called ‘Genderqueer.’ Some of it’s blacked out. You probably would not be able to put this on air,” DeSantis remarked. 

“This is pornography. It’s cartoons. It’s aimed at children and it’s wrong,” he continued. “So, this should not be in schools. When people on the left say that somehow you are ‘banning books’ by removing this from a young kid’s classroom — this is not age appropriate.”

He added he would pursue a policy to outlaw such books from classrooms nationwide if elected president, explaining that some states shouldn’t be allowed to “trample on the rights of parents.”

LIBERAL COLUMNIST PRAISES ‘PATRIOTIC’ NEWSOM FOR ‘SHADOW CAMPAIGN,’ SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR BACKING BIDEN

Newsom, though, accused DeSantis of waging a “cultural purge” of books.

“You want to roll back hard-earned national rights on voting rights, on civil rights, and LGBTQ rights, on women’s rights, not just access to abortion, but also access to contraception. You want to weaponize grievance, you are focusing on false separateness. You in particular run on a banning binge, a cultural purge, intimidating and humiliating people,” Newsom said.

“We actually require parental engagement on curriculum development, and we don’t completely lie. We don’t require K through 3rd grade sexual education. That doesn’t happen until middle school. What you’re doing is using education as a sword for your cultural purge,” Newsom added.

NEWSOM, DESANTIS DEBATE GETS HEATED OVER COVID, TAX POLICES: ‘YOU DID A LOT OF DAMAGE’

2. ‘Freedom to defecate in public’

DeSantis blasted Newsom during the debate for claiming that California, not Florida is the “freedom state.” He noted that while California had certain freedoms other states did not, they were freedoms such as the “freedom to defecate in public.”

“Gavin Newsom at one point tried to say that California was the ‘freedom state,’” DeSantis remarked. “I just kind of laughed, like, you’re locking people down, you’re doing all this stuff. Then, I thought about it and California does have freedoms that other states don’t.”

“You have the freedom to defecate in public in California,” he added. “You have the freedom to pitch a tent on Sunset Boulevard. You have the freedom to create a homeless encampment under a freeway and light it on fire. You have the freedom to have an open air drug market. You have the freedom that, if you’re an illegal alien, to get all these taxpayer benefits. 

“So those are freedoms,” the Florida governor concluded. “They’re not the freedoms our founding fathers envisioned, but they have contributed to the destruction of the quality of life in California. And the results speak for themselves.”

Newsom then responded, saying he “loved the rant on freedom” and accused DeSantis of criminalizing teachers, doctors, librarians and women that “seek reproductive care.”

“Spare me this notion of freedom,” Newsom said. “Ask the folks at Disney about freedom and free enterprise.”

Later in the debate, to highlight the so-called “freedom to defecate,” DeSantis held up a map of San Francisco showing how human feces has been discovered in public in nearly every area of the city.

CONFIDENCE IN US PRESIDENCY HITS LOWEST POINT EVER AS TRUMP LEADS BIDEN IN 2024 REMATCH: SURVEY

3. ‘Shame on you!’: Newsom forcefully corrects DeSantis on pronunciation of ‘Kamala Harris’

During a discussion on school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom forcefully interjected to scold DeSantis about how he pronounced Vice President Kamala Harris’ first name.

“And by the way, it’s not Kamala Harris,” Newsom said. “Shame on you! It’s Kamala Harris, Ron. It’s Kamala Harris, Madame Vice President to you. Kamala Harris,” Newsom said.

“Stop insulting,” he added.

While Newsom attempted to correct DeSantis’ pronunciation, the Florida governor continued to argue that the long-term closures of schools during the pandemic has harmed children who were forced into remote learning.

4. DeSantis blasts Soros-funded California prosecutor: ‘Gavin’s buddy Gascon’

DeSantis ripped Los Angeles County district attorney George Gascon — one of several left-wing prosecutors nationwide that have received campaign funding from liberal financier George Soros — for his handling of crime in Los Angeles. He said California’s rising crime rate is contributing to a growing number of residents fleeing the state.

“Here’s the thing,” DeSantis said. “People are leaving California in droves because [Newsom] has failed to stand up for public safety. They are on an ideological joyride to let people out of prison early, to go easy on them. Heck, Gavin’s buddy in Los Angeles, Gascon, he doesn’t even prosecute.”

“When I was in Southern California for the Reagan debate, I had a lot of women tell me they have to take off all their jewelry just to be able to go shopping because, otherwise, they’re going to get mugged,” he continued. “That is the reality that people are facing in California. Gavin can try to put lipstick on that pig, but the fact of the matter is he has failed the people of California.”

The Florida governor later noted that he removed prosecutors in Florida who received funding from Soros.

“They were endangering the public and I removed them from their posts,” he remarked. “And Gavin Newsom has not lifted a finger to rein in Gascon in L.A. — that that city has collapsed, that county has collapsed. He is not enforcing the law.”

Newsom then responded, blasting DeSantis for criticizing “one of the great American cities.”

“You’re talking down the great state of California, talking down one of the great American cities, Los Angeles. That’s insulting,” he said. “And you’re doing it because you’re trying to obfuscate the fact that you have a higher murder rate in the state of Florida. In the state of California, we have the lowest crime rate we’ve had in 50 years.”

In 2022, California’s violent crime rate increased 13.5% compared to 2019, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS DESANTIS ‘THIRSTY ONLYFANS WANNABE’ FOR DEBATING NEWSOM: ‘KISS OF DEATH’

5. Governors spar over handling of COVID-19 pandemic

The two governors then sparred over their handling of the pandemic with Newsom arguing DeSantis both locked down Florida before California shut down and that his lax policies led to a higher death rate in Florida. DeSantis, though, blasted Newsom for shutting his state down for an extended period of time and listening to the advice of teachers unions.

“You were not following science. You were a lock-down governor,” DeSantis said. “You did a lot of damage to your people. You had more kids locked out of school for a longer period of time in California than anywhere else in the country. It was the working-class kids. It was the middle income kids — his kids were in private school, they were in class. He is owned by the teachers union.”

“Let’s talk about your record on COVID,” Newsom responded. “You passed an emergency declaration before the state of California did. You closed down your beaches, your bars, your restaurants. It’s a fact. You had quarantines, checkpoints all over the state of Florida.”

“You were promoting vaccines. You even wore a mask,” he added. “He did all of that until he decided to fall prey to the fringe of his party. And as a consequence of that, tens of thousands of people lost their lives, the equivalent of ten 9/11s.”

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Newsom notably spearheaded one of the nation’s most stringent and aggressive approaches to combating COVID-19.

He was the first governor to lock down his state and the last to reopen schools during the pandemic. The governor has also repeatedly mocked DeSantis’ approach to handling the spread of COVID-19 as “BS,” pointing to the per capita death rate in Florida.

Fox News Digital reporters Adam Sabes and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report. 

The late Henry Kissinger, an esteemed German-born diplomat and statesman known for his role in shaping U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War era, is described by former colleagues and friends as “a really brilliant negotiator.”

Kissinger died at the age of 100 on Wednesday. His legacy included vilification as well as a Nobel Peace Prize.

“And every negotiation, he understood that everybody has to learn something. You can’t have one side just completely eviscerate the other side,” KT McFarland, former President Trump’s deputy national security adviser, told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday.

McFarland worked under Kissinger – her first boss – in the Nixon administration. He later became a mentor figure to her, she said. 

FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER DEAD AT 100

“When Trump was elected, Henry returned the favor and suggested to President-elect Trump to hire me as his deputy national security adviser,” McFarland said. “So, my time with Henry goes from the full circle, from the White House Situation Room to the White House Situation Room in 45 years.”

As for the controversy surrounding his legacy, such as “secretly” opening the door to China relations, Mcfarland said, “Put him into the context of the times.”

Robert Charles, who served as assistant secretary of state at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs from 2003 to 2005, called Kissinger “a titanic figure in every sense of that word.”

“He was one of the largest political and diplomatic figures of the second half of the 20th century,” Charles told Fox News Digital. “He could manipulate and properly understand the motivations and help to create peaceful environments, using the pieces that were on the board.”

But Kissinger’s controversial policy with China was a significant shift in U.S. foreign relations. He initiated secret negotiations with China while serving as national security adviser under Nixon, culminating in Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. This laid the groundwork for the normalization of relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, effectively breaking the isolation that had existed between the two nations since 1949.

The decision to recognize the People’s Republic of China as a legitimate government of China was a departure from the United States’ previous support for Taiwan. This move was criticized for abandoning a longtime ally in favor of establishing relations with a communist regime.

“The thinking at the time was if you could open China economically to free markets or began to integrate them into the global market, that economic freedom would lead to political freedom,” Charles said. “He was in many ways wrong about that, as was Nixon.”

Charles described Kissinger as “a great tactician.” He recalled seeing Kissinger “saunter down the hall with his thumbs in his belt loops” while working occasionally in the George H.W. Bush White House.

Kissinger had “an incredibly deep reservoir of knowledge,” Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state from 2018 to 2021 and director of the CIA from 2017 to 2018, told Fox News Digital. The two conversed on occasion, and every time, Pompeo said, he would walk away having learned something new. 

“He was just enormously helpful to me during my four years in service, and I think there are many other American leaders of both political parties who turned to him for important data, history, wisdom and guidance,” he said.

But “he did not view [China] as the malevolent actor that I do,” Pompeo said. “And it’s just a difference in judgment, so I don’t critique what he did in 1972. I think it made sense then, that set of policies and effort to get China to become more like us through engagement might even have made sense in 1982.”

He added, “But by 2022, it’s no longer a viable foreign policy process, at least in my view.”

KISSINGER SAYS IT WAS ‘GRAVE MISTAKE’ FOR GERMANY TO TAKE IN SO MANY MIGRANTS AMID PRO-HAMAS PROTESTS

Foreign policy strategist, former public official and author of the bestselling book, “The Hundred-Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower,” Michael Pillsbury, told Fox News Digital that he worked under Kissinger during the Reagan campaign. 

“And I was one of the few people who knew about the China opening, having worked for Kissinger. And in those days, all of the negative, all of the scary things about China was suppressed by Kissinger,” said Pillsbury, who later served as assistant undersecretary of defense for policy planning during the Reagan administration.

“The American policy toward China was based on a series of assumptions [that] turned out to be tragically inaccurate,” he said.

CHINA LEANS ON KISSINGER GOODWILL, BUT INFLUENCE ‘DILUTED,’ EXPERT SAYS

Kissinger, born in Germany in 1923, became a towering figure in American politics and diplomacy and was praised by supporters as a brilliant strategist and condemned by critics as a master political manipulator.

He fled Nazi persecution with his family and settled in the United States in 1938. Educated at Harvard University, he went on to become an academic and a significant authority on international relations.

He served as national security adviser and secretary of state under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, playing a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War era. His policy of détente aimed to ease tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union and engage China, altering the dynamics of international relations. He conducted the first “shuttle diplomacy” in the quest for Middle East peace. 

Kissinger played a crucial role in the Vietnam War, actively engaging in negotiations with North Vietnam and overseeing the Paris Peace Accords that facilitated the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam. His strategies and choices during this period sparked controversy, drawing criticism for prolonged conflict and civilian casualties.

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In 1973, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho for their efforts in negotiating the Vietnam ceasefire. However, Tho declined the prize, citing the absence of real peace.

A liberal columnist posted a column in the Washington Post calling California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s alleged “shadow campaign” a “patriotic” move and slammed the Democratic Party for the “reckless gamble” of moving forward with President Biden in 2024.

“Here’s the reality: Whether you like Biden or not (I do, and I’m pretty sure Newsom does, too), the Democratic Party right now is taking a shockingly reckless gamble with the country’s future,” journalist Matt Bai wrote in the Washington Post on Wednesday, the day before the highly anticipated debate between Newsom and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Bai outlines the recent prominent moves made by Newsom that have led to accusations from many  on both sides of the aisle that Newsom is running a “shadow campaign” to step in for Biden as questions continue to grow about his age. 

Bai then slams Democrats, including Sen. John Fetterman, who publicly defended Biden’s re-election and dismissed Newsom’s potential challenge. Fetterman said earlier this year that Newsom doesn’t have the “guts” to admit he’s running and said anyone going against Biden is writing a “check for Trump.”

WHAT DESANTIS, NEWSOM AIM TO GAIN OUT OF PRIME-TIME DEBATE CLASH ON FOX NEWS’ ‘HANNITY’

“Because, apparently, having guts in the Democrat Party right now means mindlessly cheerleading for the president and hoping, despite all available data and the ominous mood, that everything is going to work out just fine,” Bai wrote.

Bai continued: “The oldest president in history is about to become an even older nominee, backstopped by a vice president whom barely a third of the country likes. For the next year, we will all be one major health issue, or one small slip on the stairs, from inviting a lying autocrat back to the White House.”

JOE ROGAN WARNS DEMOCRATS ON 2024, SAYING THEY HAVE ‘NO CARDS’ LEFT OTHER THAN ‘PARTY LOYALTY’

Bai wrote that the “Democratic answer” to this problem has been “some version” of “Don’t worry, we’ve got this.” 

“Which might sound familiar to you, since it’s precisely what Hillary Clinton’s strategists told everyone in 2016, when they tried, mostly with success, to shut down support for anyone who dared to run against her,” Bai wrote. “That worked out great.”

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Bai wrote that Democrats should watch the Fox News debate between the two governors and “assess Newsom’s skills and his command of the issues, just in case they should wake up one day and find themselves in the market for an alternative to Biden who isn’t named Harris.”

“That’s not me being mean or ghoulish. That’s being practical, and even patriotic.”

Bai said that viewers will see Newsom as a “polished politician” who can be “too slick” but can “articulate” a “next-generation agenda without pretending “everything will be OK” if the party is loyal to Biden.

“In Democratic politics at the moment, that’s about as brave as it gets,” Bai wrote.

A Monmouth University poll released earlier this month showed that 76% of voters agreed Biden, 80, was “too old” to serve another term, compared to just 48% who said the same about Trump, 77. 

Newsom has denied he’s running for president multiple times, and when asked, he told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo in September that he’s “not worthy of that conversation” and that Biden “deserves it.”

At the start of the Fox News debate on “Hannity” Thursday night, Newsom again denied running a shadow campaign. 

“The one thing we have in common is neither of us will be our party’s nominee in 2024,” Newsom told DeSantis.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Sarasota Police Department is currently running a criminal investigation over allegations of sexual battery against Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler. 

As of Thursday, police confirmed that investigators have not charged Ziegler with any crimes yet. 

Police released a heavily redacted report, obscuring details about the accusations, but claiming it involved a rape allegation against Ziegler. 

The complaint was filed Oct. 4, and stated that the alleged sexual battery occurred inside a woman’s Sarasota home on Oct. 2, according to the report. Among words not redacted in the report are “rape” and “sexual assault complaint.”

TWO ARIZONA REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS IN RURAL BORDER COUNTY CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH DELAYING 2022 ELECTION RESULTS

Earlier on Thursday, Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, released a statement to FOX 13 Tampa Bay acknowledging the reports of the investigation, saying that Ziegler has fully cooperated with the police requests. 

“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd said in a statement.

The Republican Party of Sarasota County also released a statement Thursday: 

“We are shocked and disappointed to hear of the reports concerning Republican Party of Florida Chair and Sarasota County State Committeeman Christian Ziegler, and his wife, Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler. The Republican Party takes all such allegations of potential criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators.”

TOP DESANTIS BACKER RESIGNS FROM SUPER PAC AMID INTERNAL TURMOIL: ‘UNTENABLE’ ENVIRONMENT

The Florida Democratic Party has also called on Ziegler to step down as the GOP chairman.

“This is serious. We demand his immediate resignation,” Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, posted on X. 

Ziegler is the head of the Florida GOP and the husband of Sarasota school board member Bridget Ziegler, who is also a co-founder of Moms for Liberty. 

DESANTIS TROLLS NIKKI HALEY WITH NEW CAMPAIGN MERCH MOCKING HER COMMENTS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA VERIFICATION

“Bridget was an original founder of Moms for Liberty, but she stepped back from the organization’s board in 2021. We have learned long ago to not believe everything we read online, and we are confident she will get to tell her side of things to those who are interested in more than clickbait,” Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, Moms for Liberty Founders told Fox News Digital. 

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According to the Florida Center for Government Accountability, Christian Ziegler has deep-rooted ties to both Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Trump, who called out Ziegler’s name in a recent speech earlier this month during the “Florida Freedom Summit” in Kissimmee, and said he was doing a “fantastic job.” 

Former President Donald Trump’s team went after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a scathing message on Truth Social on Thursday saying that his GOP opponent is “thirsty” like an “OnlyFans” model and debating California Gov. Gavin Newsom because he is “so desperate for attention.”

“Ron DeSanctimonious is acting more like a thirsty, third-rate OnlyFans wannabe model than an actual presidential candidate. Instead of actually campaigning and trying to turn around his dismal poll numbers, DeSanctus is now so desperate for attention that he’s debating a Grade A loser like Gavin Newsom,” Trump Spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a press release titled “Kiss of Death” on the day DeSantis and Newsom were set to debate on Fox News.

Cheung continued: “At the debate, Ron will flail his arms and bobble his head wildly, looking more like a San Francisco crackhead than the governor of Florida. This isn’t a prediction. It’s a spoiler.”

“It’s never been clearer that Ron DeSanctus doesn’t have his eye on the ball. Despite falling to FIFTH PLACE in New Hampshire and failing to gain any ground in Iowa for months, DeSantis appears to already be auditioning for a career in reality television, with tonight’s circus with Gavin Newsom,” Cheung wrote. 

APPEALS COURT REINSTATES GAG ORDER IN TRUMP FRAUD CASE

The Trump campaign has continued to spar with the DeSantis campaign in recent months as the Florida governor attempts to position himself as the most viable alternative to Trump. 

“Donald Trump is a high-risk proposition as a nominee because I think the chance of him getting elected is small, but it’s a low reward because he’s going to be a lame duck on day one – that even if he could get elected, he would not be able to attract the type of talent to work in his administration and he’d be saddled with all these distractions that it’d be virtually impossible to get the job done,” DeSantis said earlier this month.

CONFIDENCE IN US PRESIDENCY HITS LOWEST POINT EVER AS TRUMP LEADS BIDEN IN 2024 REMATCH: SURVEY

The super PAC backing Trump’s campaign revived attack ads against DeSantis last month, spending millions going after DeSantis in the past few weeks, which the DeSantis team pointed out on social media earlier this month as a public admission that DeSantis is “climbing in Iowa.”

DeSantis was recently endorsed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats who said “there’s definitely a shot that the former president can be beat here” despite Trump leading DeSantis by at least 30 points, according to the Real Clear Politics average, with just over six weeks until the Iowa caucus. 

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“The good news for Ron DeSantis is he is the front-runner in Iowa if former President Trump was not competing to win Iowa,” David Avella, chairman of GOPAC and a veteran Republican strategist, told Fox News Digital earlier this week. 

“The bad news for Ron DeSantis is former President Trump is organizing to win Iowa. For DeSantis to win, he needs to get [there to] caucus those voters who are still keeping their options open and those voters who are only considering candidates other than Donald Trump. It is going to take him convincing voters with a clear, concise message that his ideas are the best solutions.”

The fierce rivalry between former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., continued full throttle this week as the two traded jabs in separate media interviews centered on questions about divisions within the Florida congressional delegation.

“You have a cross-section [of the delegation],” McCarthy told Politico when asked about the House’s Florida Republicans. “You have Gaetz, who belongs in jail, and you have serious members.”

McCarthy’s criticism appeared to be referencing the ongoing probe of Gaetz by the House Ethics Committee into allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of his funding.

WATCH: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE STORMS OUT OF WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING WHEN PRESSED BY AFRICAN REPORTER

Gaetz later hit back at McCarthy, telling the outlet those were “tough words from a guy who sucker punches people in the back,” referencing recent allegations that McCarthy assaulted Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., by elbowing him in the kidneys.

“The only assault I committed was against Kevin’s fragile ego,” he added.

The two never appeared to have a rosy relationship, but the back-and-forth worsened after Gaetz filed a motion to vacate against McCarthy in October, setting up the vote that ultimately removed him as House speaker.

MORE AMERICANS THAN EVER THINK US HEADED IN WRONG DIRECTION AS CONGRESS’ APPROVAL NEAR ROCK BOTTOM: SURVEY

McCarthy frequently took shots at Gaetz throughout the subsequent process of selecting a new House speaker, which ultimately landed in the lap of now-House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Gaetz and Burchett were two of eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to oust McCarthy.

The Florida congressman called for a House ethics investigation into McCarthy on Nov. 14, after the alleged assault of Burchett. 

CONFIDENCE IN US PRESIDENCY HITS LOWEST POINT EVER AS TRUMP LEADS BIDEN IN 2024 REMATCH: SURVEY

McCarthy denied the incident was intentional, but Burchett said he saw it in a different light.

“You don’t expect that sort of thing from an adult, certainly not one who was once third in line for the White House,” he told reporters.

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“I’ll take a polygraph test. And have Kevin take a polygraph test,” he added. “It was deliberate. It was just a cheap shot by a bully.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, blasted Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., during a hearing Thursday that ended in Democrats subpoenaing Republican donor Harlan Crow and conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to subpoena Crow and Leo after consideration of several judicial nominees. In his opening remarks, Durbin said the subpoenas are “key pieces of our legislative effort to establish an effective code of conduct” for the Supreme Court.

The hearing contained several contentious moments, with Republican committee members warning of precedents they said Democrats were setting with their actions. Cornyn fired directly at Durbin after allegedly not allowing Republicans to speak.

SENATE COMMITTEE VOTES TO SUBPOENA HARLAN CROW, LEONARD LEO IN SUPREME COURT ETHICS INVESTIGATION

“Mr. Chairman, you just destroyed one of the most important committees in the United States Senate,” Cornyn said. “And you set a precedent, which will be repeated every time one party or the other takes advantage and takes the low road. It sets a precedent that will then become the norm.”

“Congratulations on destroying the United States Senate Judiciary Committee,” he said.

Democrats have long sought to cross-examine Crow and Leo, the vice president of the Federal Society, as part of an ethics probe into allegations that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito failed to disclose luxury vacations paid for by the conservatives, who are also their friends.

Thursday’s vote comes weeks after the Supreme Court issued a new “Code of Conduct” in response to months of heightened scrutiny from Democrat lawmakers and news reports. Durbin said the self-imposed ethics code “falls far short” and urged Congress to impose more stringent standards on the high court.

Republicans have panned Democrat-sponsored legislation, the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency (SCERT) Act, as a “court-killing machine” that would “destroy the legitimacy of the conservative court.” They argue that federal judges are already bound to an ethics code, including Supreme Court justices, and that an act of Congress on the judiciary would unconstitutionally infringe on a separate and co-equal branch of government.

CONSERVATIVE JUDICIAL ACTIVIST AGAIN SPURNS DEMANDS FROM SENATE DEMS REGARDING SUPREME COURT INVESTIGATION

For decades, Leo has been a part of the Federalist Society, which liberal activists have criticized for its involvement in helping advise and lobby former President Trump through the nominations of Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

And following the hearing, Leo told Fox News he would not cooperate with the Senate Democrats.

“Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have been destroying the Supreme Court; now they are destroying the Senate,” Leo said. “I will not cooperate with this unlawful campaign of political retribution.”

Leo has also come under the microscope of Washington, D.C.’s, Democrat attorney general, Brian Schwalb, who launched an investigation into Leo’s network this past summer.

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Schwalb’s office faced criticism for targeting Leo while ignoring a similar liberal dark money network overseen by the Arabella Advisors consulting firm.

However, after the criticism, Schwalb’s office also opened a probe into the Arabella Advisors-managed network.

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

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

What’s happening:

-Fauci set to be grilled for the first time by a Republican House Majority for the first time…

-DeSantis & Newsom square off in televised debate tonight on Hannity. Follow the Fox News live blog for the latest updates…

-Grand Central Station shut down by Pro-Palestinian protests…

Kissinger: Divisive legacy

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday. He was 100.

The German-born American served as a diplomat, academic and presidential adviser, and continued to impact American politics in the private sector after leaving office. His stamp on U.S. foreign policy spanned decades and he was responsible – for better or worse – for systematically changing the standing of the U.S., China, Russia and others.

After the news of his death broke, dignitaries from around the world commented on his life and legacy. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called Kissinger’s death a “huge loss.”

But not everyone spoke well of the deceased diplomat. Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said it was time to reassess Kissinger’s legacy. “His indifference to human suffering will forever tarnish his name and shape his legacy,” Connolly posted on X.

‘GOOD RIDDANCE’: Rolling Stone, other liberal outlets jubilant over Kissinger’s death …Read more

Capitol Hill

BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Fauci set to be grilled by House GOP majority for first time …Read more

‘THIS WILL HAUNT THEM’: Santos torches Dems ahead of House expulsion vote, teases call to remove progressive House member …Read more

GETTING SCHOOLED: Jim Banks blasts college professors who criticized him over antisemitism letter …Read more

‘CHERRY PICKING’: Expert blows up left’s favorite narrative on guns after tense Senate floor exchange …Read more

FINGERPRINTS: GOP bill would mandate fingerprinting for kids crossing the border illegally …Read more

FULL STEAM AHEAD: House GOP to huddle Friday discussing vote on formalizing Biden impeachment inquiry: Sources …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

GAGGED: Appeals court reinstates order restricting Trump during NY fraud trial …Read more

NO MORE ‘DRAMA’: Nikki Haley’s first campaign ad calls for ‘moral clarity,’ leaving behind past ‘chaos’ …Read more

PRIME-TIME SHOWDOWN: What DeSantis, Newsom aim to gain from ‘Hannity’ debate …Read more

‘IF NECESSARY’: Kamala Harris reveals she would ‘of course’ inform the American public if there was a ‘problem’ with Biden …Read more

IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID: Democratic strategist declares voters are ‘wrong’ for not giving Biden enough credit on the economy …Read more

Across America

PRO-LIFE LEGISLATION: Ohio Secretary of State consulted anti-abortion groups while drafting Issue 1 ballot language …Read more

‘YOU CAN’T HIDE’: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shout at Hillary Clinton outside Columbia class …Read more

ELECTION INDICTMENT: Arizona Republican officials charged over delayed certification of 2022 election results …Read more

‘EXCITING PLANS’: Top American university hosts controversial official who praised CCP …Read more

WHICH IS IT: CBS says economy ‘better’ than government thought after reporting people need ‘extra $11,400’ to afford basics …Read more

TRAIN DOWN: Grand Central Station shut down due to Palestinian protests …Read more 

Don Samuels, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Democrat challenger, said the ‘Squad’ member is ‘not cute enough’ to ignore voters, prompting blowback from the contentious lawmaker.

Samuels, who nearly defeated Omar during the 2022 Democratic primary, made the comments during a Nov. 21 appearance on “The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky” podcast while speaking on how Omar is not “responsive” to her constituents.

“And so to see government not be responsive like that to the people who pay them, it is offensive to me,” Samuels said on the podcast. “And to not be responsive and available to those people? To meet with them and find out what their concerns are and to answer their tough questions? To not get back to people on the phone? Who do you think you are? And who do you think you’re working for? You’re not cute enough, you don’t dress well enough, nothing about you is attractive enough to overcome that deficit.”

ILHAN OMAR’S CAMPAIGN CASH TO CONSULTANTS DIPPED BY MILLIONS AFTER HALTING PAYMENTS TO HUSBAND’S FIRM

Samuels’ comments provoked Omar to react on social media, where she said his remarks were “beneath the dignity of any adult” and sexist.

“This is beneath the dignity of any adult, let alone someone seeking public office,” Omar wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It is reminiscent of the worst kinds of lies and misogyny that we are hearing from people like Donald Trump, who think they can say anything about women and get away with it.”

“Like Trump, instead of engaging in an adult debate, [Don Samuels] relies on lies and sexism,” she added. “We need civility now more than ever and Don’s behavior should be alarming to anyone who agrees.”

ILHAN OMAR CRITICIZES US POLICY TOWARD ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU: ‘DOESN’T ADD UP’

Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, is again challenging Omar during the 2024 elections after narrowly losing to her in the 2022 Democratic primary. 

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During the previous campaign, Samuels ran as a pro-police candidate and hammered the “Squad” member over her anti-law enforcement views.

Samuels lost to Omar by just 2,500 votes in the 2022 Democratic primary after she convincingly won her 2020 primary by 35,000 votes. 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched her first 2024 presidential campaign ad Thursday, calling on Republicans to drop the “drama” of the past.

The 30-second television ad calls out America’s adversaries abroad as well as the “chaos” in American cities and universities. Haley’s campaign has made impressive strides in recent months, eclipsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in recent polls.

“A president must have moral clarity and know the difference between good and evil,” Haley says in the ad. “Today, China, Russia and Iran are advancing. There’s chaos in our streets and college campuses. Our security is threatened at home and abroad.”

“It’s time for a new generation of conservative leadership. We have to leave behind the chaos and drama of the past and strengthen our country and our pride and our purpose,” she concludes.

GAME ON IN IOWA AS DESANTIS AND HALEY BATTLE FOR SECOND PLACE BEHIND TRUMP

Haley’s campaign spent $10 million to spread the ad over Iowa and New Hampshire, which will be the first states to hold contests in the Republican nomination calendar.

WILL ENDORSEMENT FROM INFLUENTIAL EVANGELICAL LEADER BOOST DESANTIS IN IOWA?

The ad makes no direct mention of former President Trump, the current frontrunner in the race, although Haley has frequently associated the term “chaos” with Trump.

Haley has enjoyed a spike in support as other candidates drop out of the race. With former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.., bowing out, Haley jumped to 20% support in recent polling.

DESANTIS, HALEY, RAMASWAMY, GET PERSONAL AS THEY SIT SIDE-BY-SIDE

Trump maintains a commanding lead, however, with 42% support among likely Republican voters.

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Haley has less than two months to make her case in the Hawkeye State before the Jan. 15 caucuses. New Hampshire will follow soon afterward on Jan. 23 with the first primary vote on the calendar.

The White House is not seeking to place conditions on U.S. military assistance to Israel, the White House clarified this week, despite President Biden suggesting days earlier that the U.S. would consider doing so.

Several Democrats have pushed conditions as the civilian death toll in Gaza from Israel’s war against Hamas climbed but national security adviser Jake Sullivan told lawmakers on Tuesday that the White House is not seeking any conditionality.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who was among a group of about a dozen senators who met privately with Sullivan on Tuesday, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Sullivan “made it clear that the White House is not asking for any conditionality in aid. So I want to leave that very clear.”

Last week, Biden told reporters that conditioning military aid to Israel was a “worthwhile thought” and suggested that had he intervened in negotiations by doing so, it would have been more difficult to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

HAMAS TERRORISTS ELIMINATED AFTER JERUSALEM SHOOTING LEAVES 3 DEAD, 11 WOUNDED, ISRAELI POLICE SAY

Sullivan’s clarification is the second time this week that the White House has appeared to walk back Biden’s comment on possibly conditioning future Israel military aid.

On Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was directly asked if Biden was considering conditioning aid and what the president meant by a “worthwhile thought.”

“What he also said, right after acknowledging that it was ‘a worthwhile thought,’ was that the approach he has chosen to take so far has produced results and outcomes,” Kirby said.

DEM SENATORS TELL WHITE HOUSE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL ‘MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR INTERESTS’

He added: “The approach that we’re taking with Israel and, quite frankly, with our partners in the region is working. It’s getting aid to people that need it. It’s getting a pause in the fighting. It’s getting hostages out. It’s getting Americans out.“

During the virtual meeting, Sullivan shared how the Biden administration would continue sending aid and assistance to Israel after its current cease-fire agreement ends with Hamas in Gaza.

The meeting was held via a teleconference in which Sullivan was at the White House and senators were in a classified room on Capitol Hill.

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After the meeting, Van Hollen was joined by two other senators – Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I. – in asking President Biden to share his position and views publicly

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country intends to continue its ground offensive from northern to southern Gaza when the current cease-fire ends.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A New York appeals court reinstated a gag order preventing former President Donald Trump from maligning court staffers on Thursday.

New York Judge Arthur Engoron had initially issued the gag order in early October after Trump lashed out at one of his law clerks on social media. Trump is currently fighting accusations of business fraud leveled by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Appeals court Judge David Friedman had issued a stay on Engoron’s gag order on Nov. 16, saying it potentially infringed on Trump’s First Amendment rights.

By that time, Engoron had already fined Trump $5,000 for violating the order on social media on Oct. 20, and did so again on Oct. 25 for another $10,000 before threatening imprisonment if further violations were committed.

NEW YORK JUDGE LIFTS TRUMP GAG ORDER IN CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL OVER FREE SPEECH CONCERNS

Trump took the stand to testify personally in early November. He repeatedly cast James’ years-long investigation and lawsuit as a “disgrace” and an attack on his business and his family.

JUDGE IN TRUMP’S GEORGIA ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE ORDERS ‘SENSITIVE’ EVIDENCE WITHHELD FROM PUBLIC

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and insists his assets were actually undervalued. Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks.

Engoron ruled in September that both Trump and his company had committed fraud by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

GEORGIA REPUBLICANS DUNK ON VOTING LAW CRITICS AFTER MLB ALL-STAR GAME RETURNS TO ATLANTA

“There was no victim here – the banks were represented by the best, biggest, most prestigious law firms in the state of New York – actually in the country, some of the biggest law firms,” Trump said when the trial began. “The banks got back their money, there was never a default, it was never a problem, everything was perfect. There was no crime.”

Trump has attacked Engoron and James–both Democrats–as politically biased “operatives.”

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“They are defending the Worst and Least Respected Attorney General in the United States, Letitia James, who is a Worldwide disgrace, as is her illegal Witch Hunt against me. The Radical and Unprecedented actions of Judge Engoron will keep BUSINESSES and JOBS forever out of New York State,” Trump wrote in a recent social media post.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report

Dr. Anthony Fauci is facing the House GOP majority for the first time in a marathon two-day session behind closed doors to discuss the U.S. government’s handling of COVID-19.

Fauci, the former longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will be interviewed by the House Oversight Committee’s select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s taking place across two days on Jan. 8 and 9, with each day set to last seven hours without accounting for breaks, the committee announced on Thursday. 

DESANTIS JABS TRUMP WITH FAUCI LINE AT FOX NEWS DEBATE: ‘WHY ARE WE IN THIS MESS?’

Fauci also agreed to testify in a public hearing at a later date, the committee said. 

The immunologist was the most public-facing federal health official during the COVID-19 pandemic, under both the Trump and Biden administrations. President Biden ended up elevating Fauci to his top medical adviser, a position he left when he left his other role at the end of 2022.

FAUCI MISLED TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON GAIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH IN WUHAN, BOOK CLAIMS

He ended up taking a large share of blame for the negative impact of public health measures at the time, with his endorsement of lockdowns and school closures since being blamed for significant learning loss among students across the U.S.

Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said Fauci’s testimony was critical to his panel’s investigation of the “origin of COVID-19, coercive mandates, gain-of-function type research, scientific censorship, and more.”

“It is time for Dr. Fauci to confront the facts and address the numerous controversies that have arisen during and after the pandemic,” Wenstrup said in a statement. “Americans deserve trusted public health leaders who prioritize the well-being of our people over any personal or political goals.”

COVID-19, FLU AND RSV VACCINES ARE ALL AVAILABLE THIS FALL: SEE WHAT SOME DOCTORS RECOMMEND AND WHY

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“Thankfully, retirement from public service does not shield one from congressional oversight nor accountability to the American people. During Dr. Fauci’s upcoming testimonies, honesty is non-negotiable,” he added.

Wenstrup and Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., began probing Fauci and the Biden administration in February, sending letters to Fauci and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines seeking information related to the theory that COVID-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan, China.

A Republican senator and Yale School of Public Health dean recently sparred on gun crime, and one expert told Fox News Digital it was an example of how the left frames data in a way that misleadingly makes it seem like Republican-controlled areas are most plagued by crime. 

“Why do you think that Chicago has become America’s largest outdoor shooting range?” Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy asked Dr. Megan Ranney of the Yale School of Public Health at a hearing Monday.

Ranney responded by comparing Chicago to three red states and claiming Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri “actually have higher firearm death rates.”

“What about Chicago?” Kennedy asked.

JUDGE BLOCKS AMERICA’S ‘MOST EXTREME’ GUN CONTROL LAW, BUT BLUE STATE PLANS TO APPEAL

“I think there’s easy access to firearms combined with environmental conditions, lack of great education,” Ranney responded. “There have actually been studies that when you green vacant lots and repair abandoned buildings in urban neighborhoods you see decreases in gunshots and violence as well as in stress and depression in the neighborhoods around them.”

“No disrespect, doc, but that sounds a lot like a word salad to me,” Kennedy responded.

The exchange generated backlash on social media from conservatives who pointed out that the “gun homicide” rate in Chicago is much higher than those states per 100,000 people. Additionally, some took issue with Ranney’s seemingly random selection of three red states while pointing out crime statistics are most useful at the local level, where crime is handled.

Data reviewed by Fox News Digital shows Chicago’s gun homicide rate has ranged from 25-29 murders per 100,000 people since 2019. In 2019, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi saw 12.5, 9.3 and 13 gun homicides per 1,000 people, respectively.

STUDY DEBUNKS ‘RED STATE MURDER’ CLAIM FROM HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATS

“Let’s see,” Reason magazine associate editor Billy Binion posted on X. “Some recent stats: Mississippi’s gun homicide rate: ~13 murders per 100,000 people; Louisiana’s gun homicide rate: ~15 murders per 100,000 people; Missouri’s gun homicide rate: ~11 murders per 100,000 people; Chicago’s gun homicide rate: ~29 murders per 100,000 people.”

“Why do you pick just a couple of states to compare?” John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, posted on X. “Is that how public health researchers do research? Why don’t you look at local crime rates where policing policies are determined and where DAs and judges are almost always selected?”

Democrats have routinely pointed to studies in recent years that claim red states have higher murder rates and more crime than blue states. Critics of those studies have pointed out that red states, including Louisiana, where cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge have been run by Democrats for decades, are driving up crime statistics.

“Anybody knows that law enforcement is overwhelmingly a local issue,” Lott told Fox News Digital. “How much money you spend on police, what the police policies are going to be are decided locally. District attorneys are almost always elected locally. Judges are almost always elected locally. Who gets arrested, who gets charged, how you prosecute the cases and the judges that makes the decisions on sentencing are all local decisions.”

“Statistically, it is more dangerous to be young and Black in New Orleans than it was to be a Marine in the Battle of Fallujah during the height of the insurgency in Iraq,” Kennedy said earlier this year. “Those are the numbers. Last year, my city had the highest murder rate in the country, twice the murder rate of Atlanta — twice! … Our murder rate was up 141% since 2019.”

FLORIDA CRIME TRENDING DOWN WHILE CALIFORNIA SKYROCKETS EXPLAINED BY ONE KEY DIFFERENCE: EXPERT

A recent report from the Heritage Foundation shows that homicide rates have been higher in Democrat-run “blue counties” than they have been in “red counties” since 2002, contradicting a popular talking point recited by prominent liberals like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and billionaire George Soros.

“As you can see from this table, take New Orleans’ murder rate out, and Louisiana’s murder rate falls by over 15%!” Heritage Foundation Legal Fellow Zack Smith posted on X in response to MSNBC Host Joe Scarborough mocking Kennedy over the exchange. “And take Chicago’s murder rate out, and Illinois’ falls by a shocking 55%!”

Last year, Heritage scholars Kevin Dayaratna, Cully Stimson and Smith released a study showing the vast majority of the cities with the highest murder rates in the country are blue cities.

“Crime is a local phenomenon and using state-level data is misleading, often intentionally so,” Dayaratna told Fox News Digital. “As my Heritage colleagues and I pointed out in our Blue City Murder Problem paper, 27 of the 30 cities with the highest homicide rates have Democratic mayors.

“And within those 30, at least 14 have, or had, Soros-backed prosecutors. If you remove the deep-blue cities from the otherwise red states, the state-level murder rates, of course, fall precipitously. One of the best ways to combat gun violence is to put more officers on the streets, empower them to do their jobs responsibly and have prosecutors who prosecute criminals.”

Lott explained that many public health experts have ignored that 2021 data shows blue states had higher murder rates than red states and have stuck with 2020 data that showed the opposite.

POLICE IN THIS BLUE STATE WILL CONTINUE ENFORCING ‘DRACONIAN’ HANDGUN LAW RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY COURT

“You can look at either all counties or counties over 100,000, or I could give you one for counties, over 200,000 or whatever and you see that the Biden counties had significantly higher murder rates. And, even in 2020, the reason why the Trump states had a higher murder rate that year was because the Biden counties had really high murder rates relative to the Republican counties,” Lott said. “So, I don’t know how anybody with a straight face can get away with not recognizing that law enforcement and punishing criminals generally is overwhelmingly decided locally.”

Lott also pointed out that Ranney used the term “firearm death rates,” which includes other factors besides homicides, including suicides and accidents with a firearm.

“That’s what public health officials do all the time. They focus on just firearm deaths,” Lott said. He added that while firearm-related suicides sometimes decline when guns are banned, overall suicide numbers remain the same as people “switch to other ways” of committing suicide. 

“To me, it’s just sloppy statistical work by these public health people,” Lott added. “It’s pretty clear that people like Megan want to go and ban gun ownership. And I guess the only thing I would point out is that every place in the world, every single place in the world that has banned either all guns or all handguns has seen an increase in murders or homicides and really no change in terms of suicides and total suicides.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Dr. Ranney said, “Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico are the states with the highest death rates; I mentioned Missouri (which is also top 10) simply because I knew St Louis’ homicide rates are second only to New Orleans.”

Ranney added that she did not have city level data at her fingertips and “did not want to misquote” but was “confident that New Orleans’ homicide death rate is much higher than Chicago’s.”

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“I absolutely think there is value at looking at death and injury data at all levels, and as I mentioned in my testimony, Americans deserve access to high-quality data on injuries of all kinds,” Ranney said. “I am a public health professional, not a criminologist, so I think of data in terms of injury.”

Lott told Fox News Digital Ranney chose to mention the states she did as part of a political agenda.

“She’s supposed to be an academic, and I just think it shows political bias to selectively pick a couple of states,” said Lott, author of “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws.”

“I mean, I could just pick the states with the very lowest crime rates, and they tend to be very Republican ones. Rather than selectively picking some portion of a sample, you try to look at the whole sample that’s available rather than cherry-picking some stuff.“