NationalWatch

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is hauling in big bucks ahead of November’s closely watched legislative elections in Virginia as the Republican governor aims for total GOP control of the state government.

Youngkin’s shattering of fundraising records in the commonwealth is sure to create even more buzz among some in the GOP donor class who want the popular governor to consider a late entry into the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race.

Youngkin hauled in $4.4 million in 48 hours this week for his Spirit of Virginia PAC, officials with the group told Fox News. That brings to $7.45 million the amount of money Youngkin has raked in through the group in the final quarter of fundraising ahead of the Nov. 7 elections.

Officials with the PAC highlight that Youngkin’s haul is nearly five times greater than the previous fundraising record, which was the $1.6 million then-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe raised in 2015.

WHAT GLENN YOUNGKIN TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT A POTENTIAL 2024 RUN

Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide with his 2021 election victory. That is when he edged out McAuliffe — who was seeking to win back his old job — to become the first GOP nominee in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in Virginia, a one-time swing state that has trended Democratic over the past decade.

Republicans also swept the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general, and narrowly captured the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Youngkin aims to hold the GOP majority in the House and recapture control of the state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a fragile majority. Total Republican control of the state government in Richmond would allow Youngkin to push through his conservative agenda.

With November’s contests in Virginia seen as a barometer of the political climate ahead of next year’s elections, both major parties are investing heavily in the commonwealth.

The Democratic National Committee has dished out $1.5 million in the state’s elections, with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee spending some $2 million.

“Gov. Youngkin has now raised $15.5 million since March 1, 2023, to support our candidates,” Spirit of Virginia chairman Dave Rexrode said in a statement. “There is too much at stake and with five weeks to go, we know the progressive liberal left will continue to outraise and outspend us. Gov. Youngkin is all in on making Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

The PAC says it has roughly $7 million in cash on hand with just over a month until Virginia’s elections.

Reacting to the Youngkin fundraising news, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National Communications Director Abhi Rahman told Fox News that “thanks to our amazing grassroots and donor level support, so far we’ve been able to keep pace with Gov. Youngkin flooding the state with MAGA billionaire dollars in an effort to strip Virginians of the fundamental freedoms we hold near and dear.”

Rahman also argued that “the future of the commonwealth, reproductive healthcare in the South and fundamental freedoms of all Virginians depend on it. We are all hands on deck to show Youngkin and his billionaires that they cannot buy an abortion ban in Virginia.”

The blockbuster victory in November 2021 by the first-time candidate who hailed from the business wing of the GOP turned Youngkin — a champion of parental rights in schools — into a rising star in the party, and fueled talk of a 2024 White House run.

But Youngkin has repeatedly said this year that his total political focus was on his state’s elections, rather than on the 2024 presidential contest.

“I’ve told you, I’m totally focused on Virginia elections and that’s what we are going to get done,” Youngkin told Fox News anchor John Roberts in an interview on “America Reports” late last month, when asked if he would “rule out” running for president in 2024. 

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But in recent weeks, some top conservative donors who don’t support former President Donald Trump — the current commanding frontrunner in the GOP nomination race — have quietly increased their efforts to persuade Youngkin to run for the White House.

Many of those top dollar contributors will be meeting with Youngkin at a donor summit in Virginia Beach on Oct. 17-18.

Among those contributing to the Spirit of Virginia PAC is GOP megadonor Thomas Peterffy, who donated another $1 million. Peterffy has said he’d like to see Youngkin jump into the White House race.

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

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed former President Trump Wednesday at an event about a recent comment from Trump suggesting there was never a “legal mechanism” to make Mexico pay for a border wall, a prominent campaign promise of Trump’s

“Obviously, that didn’t happen,” DeSantis said about Mexico paying for the wall at a Never Back Down super PAC event in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “We know that didn’t happen. But he said, ‘Look, these people are getting on me about that, but there was never any legal mechanism where I could make Mexico pay for them. It wasn’t possible to make Mexico pay for the wall.’

“He starts saying all this. I’m like, wait a minute, you said that for years, and now you’re saying that you never intended to do it,” DeSantis added. 

“But here’s the even worse part. If you know how to use power and you know how to lead, you actually can get Mexico to pay for the wall. No, they’re not just going to give you money if you put out your hand. … I will make Mexico pay for the wall. By doing this, we are going to charge a fee on all remittances that are sent from the United States to Mexico or any of these other countries.”

RON DESANTIS HAULS IN $15 MILLION IN PAST THREE MONTHS, MOVES PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN STAFF TO IOWA

DeSantis said that move would yield “billions of dollars” that would be used to build a wall at the southern border.

“I will get it done,” DeSantis said.

DESANTIS SUGGESTS ONE-ON-ONE DEBATE WITH TRUMP: ‘YOU OWE IT TO THE VOTERS’

DeSantis was referencing a quote from Trump over the weekend in Ottumwa, Iowa, when he talked about the “lunatics” in the back of the room, referring to the media, who say, “Trump didn’t get anything from Mexico.”

“There was no legal mechanism because I said they’re going to help fund this wall, but there was no legal mechanism,” Trump said. “You know, how do you go to a country and say, ‘By the way, I’m building a wall, hand us a lot of money.’”

Trump said Mexico paid for the wall in other ways. 

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“What they can do is they gave us soldiers, the soldiers, the value of those soldiers was far greater than any amount of money they would have given us to build the wall,” Trump said. “So, you know, they helped us a lot. And we created the safest border in history, got rid of catch and release. … We did a great job.”

The DeSantis campaign posted the clip on social media, alleging it showed Trump “admits he never intended to keep his promise to get Mexico to pay for the wall.”

“What other promises is he making that he knows he can’t keep?” the campaign asked.

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

Former President Donald Trump laid into Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James after leaving a Lower Manhattan Court on Wednesday, the third day of his civil fraud trial concerning the alleged overvaluation of his assets.

After exiting the courtroom, Trump stopped to address members of the media waiting outside and lamented being “stuck” at the trial rather than campaigning for president. He accused James of coordinating with the Justice Department to keep him off the campaign trail.

“I’m here, stuck here, and I can’t campaign. I’d rather be right now in Iowa. I’d rather be in New Hampshire or South Carolina or Ohio or a lot of other places. But I’m stuck here because I have a corrupt attorney general that communicates with the DOJ in Washington to keep me nice and busy, because I’m leading Biden in the polls by a lot,” Trump said. 

JUDGE IMPOSES PARTIAL GAG ORDER IN TRUMP ORG TRIAL, BLOCKING PARTIES FROM VERBAL ATTACKS AGAINST COURT STAFF

“This is election interference. They made up a fake case, these fraudulent people. And the judge already knows what he’s going to do. He’s a Democrat judge. In all fairness to him he has no choice,” Trump said. “I know this city better than anybody who knows this city. Nobody knows it like I do. He’s a Democrat judge out of the clubhouses, he’s controlled, and it’s a shame. What’s going on here is a shame. Our whole system is corrupt. This is corrupt, Atlanta is corrupt, and what’s coming out of D.C. is corrupt.”

He accused James of wanting “the publicity” from targeting him and his finances because she was running for governor of New York amid the investigation in 2021, a bid that she ultimately dropped after just two months to instead run for re-election as attorney general.

Trump also used the opportunity to blast Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the trial, for valuing his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate at just $18 million, rather than what he claims should be “50 to 100 times more than that.”

WHAT DOES MCCARTHY’S REMOVAL MEAN FOR BIDEN INVESTIGATIONS, DAILY FUNCTIONING OF THE HOUSE? EXPERTS WEIGH IN

“The smallest house in Palm Beach is probably worth $50 million. And this is the biggest, the best anywhere in the country. There’s nothing like it,” he said. “And by the way, my financial documents are valued much less than my actual value, which nobody even knows. But the financial documents that I gave to the bank are much less than my actual net worth.” 

“They can’t be fraudulent because I gave them lower numbers. I’m probably one of the only people ever to seek a loan — I didn’t even need the loan, because you see the kind of cash I have. I didn’t even need loans,” he added. 

Trump went on to say he never planned to reveal just how much cash he had due to the success of his private company, but that James’ lawsuit forced him to do so. He added that her team had “no case” against him.

POTENTIAL NAIL-BITER RACE IN DEEP-RED STATE HEATS UP AS DEM NOMINEE ACCUSES GOP GOVERNOR, FAMILY OF CORRUPTION

Engoron ruled last week that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

The trial this week stems from James’ lawsuit against Trump, his children and the Trump Organization, alleging that Trump “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him to do so.

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Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s ouster Tuesday from his role as House speaker “is like shambolic behavior that we’re seeing from House Republicans.” 

Jean-Pierre delivered the criticism after being asked by a reporter if the White House is concerned about getting along with the next House speaker – whomever it may be. 

“Again, not going to get into who’s running or who’s not running. That is, again, something for them to figure out,” she responded. “The important fact is Republicans in the House, they have the majority. This is for them to figure out. This is for them to figure out how they are going to move forward. This is a situation that they have created.” 

“I don’t want to speak for every American across the country, but I would say a majority of Americans are sick and tired of the infighting that they’re seeing in the House right now. They want to see us work in a bipartisan way,” she continued. “The president is willing to do that.” 

TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON POSSIBLE NOMINATION FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AFTER MCCARTHY OUSTER 

“And so that’s kind of where we are. The Republican conference that we see currently in the House, we’ve never seen that type of behavior. They stand apart from any other conference that we have seen before, whether you’re talking about the Senate or the House,” Jean-Pierre said. “And so this is their creation, this chaos. If you think about it, this is like shambolic behavior that we’re seeing from House Republicans. And so they need to figure it out.” 

Eight Republicans voted with every present Democrat Tuesday to vacate the speaker’s chair. The final vote was 216 to 210 in favor of McCarthy’s ouster. 

MCCONNELL PRAISES OUSTED SPEAKER MCCARTHY FOR ‘THANKLESS ROLE’ IN HOUSE 

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a measure against McCarthy known as a motion to vacate on Monday night, accusing him of breaking promises he made to win the speaker’s gavel in January. 

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House Republicans plan to hold a candidate forum next Tuesday and an election the following day. 

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

New York City Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over former President Trump’s civil fraud trial, has exclusively donated to Democrats, according to a report.

Engoron wields unique authority over Trump’s civil fraud case. It is a jury-free bench trial, with Engoron overseeing it and ultimately determining its outcome and penalties. New York Attorney General Letitia James wants a $250 million penalty imposed on Trump’s businesses after accusing him of fraudulent practices. 

Engoron, meanwhile, has shown support for Democrats with his checkbook in the past.

TRUMP CIVIL TRIAL CONTINUES FOR SECOND DAY IN NEW YORK CITY 

Engoron has given more than $5,000 to Democrats over the past 25 years, the Daily Wire first reported. The money has primarily gone to local committees; his most recent donation from 2018 went to Manhattan Democrats.

The money has also gone to Democrat candidates such as former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, former Gov. David Paterson and other state lawmakers, the publication reported.

And while Trump’s case does not have a jury, Engoron previously shared his “controversial” view that he could overrule them based on his emotions, in a video making the rounds on social media.

“Now, I’m going to say something controversial even though I’m being taped,” he says in the video that appears to be from eight years ago. “Juries get it wrong a lot – that’s my own opinion. I do only civil trials – personal injury cases, contract disputes – but I’ve had situations where like, ‘Oh my – heavens sake. How could they have thought that?'”

“Well, I have a tool that I can deal with that. It’s called judgment not withstanding the verdict,” he said. “I can say there is no possible way that a reasonable jury would have reached that conclusion. Alright, am I following the law, or am I making the law? OK, I’m following the law. I’m an impartial referee, but it’s hard to factor out my own emotions. I have tools.”

NEW POLL REVEALS HUGE GAP IN CONCERN OVER BIDEN’S AGE VS. TRUMP’S IN HYPOTHETICAL 2024 MATCHUP

Trump has dismissed Engoron as a “Democrat” and an “operative” in a brief appearance in front of reporters. Trump stated that “this is a rigged court” in his heated statement. He also aimed at Attorney General Letitia James, labeling her a “radical-left attorney general.”

Engoron also smiled and removed his glasses to seemingly pose for cameras filming inside the courtroom, leading to online backlash. 

“This New York City judge is a partisan Democrat clown,” Article III Project founder and president Mike Davis posted on X. “Disgraceful.”

“Just smiling and laughing as they turn our country into a third world banana republic,” State Freedom Caucus Network comms director Greg Price said on X.

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“Democracy disappearing right before our eyes…,” Trump adviser Stephen Miller responded to Price’s post.

The New York Office of Court Administration did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. 

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

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis brought in $15 million in fundraising the past three months for his Republican presidential campaign.

The DeSantis campaign also confirmed to Fox News that it’s moving staff from Florida to Iowa, where the Jan. 15 caucuses lead off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

The campaign touted that their haul “shatters expectations” as they announced their July-September third quarter of 2023 fundraising on Wednesday.

DeSantis has been trying to change the narrative after a series of setbacks over the summer, which triggered weeks of negative stories spotlighting his campaign’s overspending, staff layoffs, change of leadership and other issues.

LATEST FUNDRAISING REPORTS COULD BE DEATH KNELL FOR SOME GOP PRESIDENTIAL LONG-SHOTS

“This significant fundraising haul not only provides us with the resources we need in the fight for Iowa and beyond, but it also shuts down the doubters who counted out Ron DeSantis for far too long,” campaign manager James Uthmeier said in a statement.

About a third of the DeSantis campaign staff, including top political and communications officials, were told on Wednesday that they’d be headed short term to Iowa. DeSantis has spent most of his time on the campaign trail in Iowa the past two months, as he aims for a strong finish in an effort to become the top alternative to former President Donald Trump, the commanding frontrunner in the GOP nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run.

The developments were first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by Fox News.

TRUMP REMAINS COMMANDING FRONT-RUNNER, BUT HALEY ON THE RISE, IN FIRST PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE

The DeSantis aligned super PAC Never Back Down has taken over many of the traditional operations and basic duties handled by a presidential campaign, including grassroots outreach and planning and coordinating events. 

DeSantis was once solidly in second place in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. But he’s seen his numbers in the surveys erode in recent months as Trump expanded his lead over the Florida governor. 

And in recent weeks, former Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, has vaulted over DeSantis into second place in some polls in two other crucial early voting states – New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina.

But the DeSantis political team says the new fundraising figures – raised between his campaign, leadership PAC, and joint fundraising committee – is making the case that things have stabilized.

“Thanks to the generous support of Americans looking for a leader who will deliver results, this campaign is built to last and win,” Uthmeier emphasized. “Ron DeSantis is the only candidate in this race who can beat both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, revive our economy, secure the border, make America energy dominant, and end the weaponization of government once and for all.”

Pointing to positive reviews DeSantis garnered at last week’s second Republican presidential nomination debate, the campaign touted that the “announcement of DeSantis’ narrative-defying third quarter comes as he enters October firmly on offense.”

They also highlighted that DeSantis has unveiled “three new forward-looking policies” on the economy, faith and energy, and that the governor has “campaigned at break-neck pace.” 

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The campaign noted that DeSantis will have made stops in 74 of Iowa’s 99 counties come Monday.

But the $15 million haul the past three months is less than the $20 million raised by DeSantis during the second quarter of fundraising. And much of the money brought in during the third quarter are general election funds, meaning they can’t be spent during the upcoming Republican presidential primaries.

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

House Majority Leaader Steve Scalise, R-La., is expected to announce a bid for Speaker at some point on Wednesday, Fox News Digital has learned.

The timing of Scalise’s announcement is still unclear.

It comes after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the top job on Tuesday by a small number of GOP hardliners and all House Democrats.

A senior GOP aide told Fox News Digital on Tuesday night that Scalise could be a viable “frontrunner” and that much of the conference would be “open” to his candidacy for Speaker.

‘SHELL SHOCKED’ KEVIN MCCARTHY WILL NOT RUN FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN FOLLOWING REMOVAL

Scalise is McCarthy’s longtime No. 2, a partnership that has caused public friction between the two at times. In June, the two leaders publicly blamed each other when conservative hardliners protesting McCarthy’s debt limit deal with President Biden derailed legislative proceedings on the House floor.

But he’s already managed to snag support of key Republicans, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. 

HERE ARE 4 OF THE LIKELY CONTENDERS TO REPLACE MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER

A source familiar with Emmer’s thinking confirmed to Fox News Digital that he is supporting Scalise for speaker while making his own calls to gauge interest in a possible run for majority leader himself.

Others have also jumped behind Scalise, like Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who said, “For a time such as this…Steve is the right man to lead our country.”

Conservative Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., also said she would be supporting Scalise. 

HOUSE VOTES TO REMOVE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER IN HISTORIC FIRST

“Our next Speaker should be someone with top-notch leadership skills and great experience. That someone is [Scalise], and I am proud to support him for Speaker,” McClain said.

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Scalise is a member of the Republican Study Committee, whose chair, Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is also giving the speakership serious thought. 

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was the first to announce his bid for the speaker’s gavel.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., slammed House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mt., over reports that the Montana lawmaker secretly “was praying” for a small House majority before the 2022 midterm elections. 

“Maryland Matt Rosendale prays for Democrats to win elections? Did God answer his prayers in 2018 when Jon Tester humiliated him?” Cotton wrote on X Wednesday, hours after Rosendale voted with seven other GOP lawmakers to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. 

“This is just one of many, many reasons that Maryland Matt won’t come within a country mile of the Senate,” Cotton added, pouring salt in the wound amid reports that Rosendale is considering a 2024 campaign for Senate after his failed bid in 2018. 

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN ADMITS HE ‘WAS PRAYING’ FOR ‘SMALL’ GOP HOUSE MAJORITY BEFORE 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS

On Tuesday, Fox News Digital obtained video of Rosendale attending a closed-door meeting with conservative donors in 2022. “When a lot of people, unfortunately, were voting, to have a 270, 280 Republican House, I was praying each evening for a small majority, because I recognize that that small majority was the only way that we were going to advance a conservative agenda,” Rosendale told the gathering, which The Messenger first reported was “a virtual briefing for around 50 top conservative donors.”

“If it was the right majority, that if we had six or seven very strong individuals, we would drag the conference over to the right,” the congressman added.

GAETZ, MCCARTHY CLASH ON X FOLLOWING MOTION TO END SPEAKERSHIP: ‘BRING IT ON’

Rosendale went on to praise Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a frequent critic of former House Speaker McCarthy, for being there “from the very beginning helping accomplish that.” Gaetz, who was seated next to Rosendale in the video, along with former Trump administration official Steve Bannon, introduced a motion to vacate against McCarthy to remove him from the speakership on Monday.

“It always goes back to leadership though, which is what the first battle was about in January, and we have to change that leadership,” he added, appearing to express support for Gaetz’s bid to remove McCarthy.

NEW POLL REVEALS HUGE GAP IN CONCERN OVER BIDEN’S AGE VS. TRUMP’S IN HYPOTHETICAL 2024 MATCHUP

Rosendale’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Cotton released a statement Wednesday thanking McCarthy for his service as speaker and calling the effort to remove his gavel “foolish.” 

“I thank Kevin McCarthy for his service to our nation and the people of California. He helped win two separate Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and used those majorities to advance important conservative priorities. Kevin was the first congressman I met in my long-shot House campaign and I’m grateful for his friendship and support ever since,” said Cotton, who served in the House before he was elected to the Senate. 

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“While I regret the foolish decision of a few Republicans to collude with Democrats to remove him from the speakership, I look forward to many more years of friendship and cooperation on behalf of the causes and the country to which Kevin has devoted his life,” he said. 

Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report. 

Former President Donald Trump retains his very formidable lead over his rivals for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination in the latest poll in the crucial early voting state of New Hampshire.

The Suffolk University survey for USA Today and the Boston Globe, however, is the second to show former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, vaulting into second place, ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

According to the poll, Trump stands at 49% support among likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

LATEST FUNDRAISING REPORTS COULD BE DEATH KNELL FOR SOME GOP PRESIDENTIAL LONG-SHOTS

Haley stands at 19% support in the survey, with DeSantis dropping to third place at 10%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who’s concentrating most of his firepower in New Hampshire as he makes a second run for the White House, registers at 6% in the poll, with everyone else in the large field of Republican presidential contenders in the low single digits.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE 2024 CAMPAIGN TRAIL

The Suffolk University survey was conducted Thursday through Monday after last week’s second Republican presidential nomination debate, a FOX Business co-hosted showdown at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

The poll, which was released Wednesday, is the second to indicate Haley surging into second place, following a Saint Anselm College survey conducted last month. And other recent polls in the Granite State from CBS News and the University of New Hampshire for CNN also showed Haley rising into double digits.

David Paleologos, the director of Suffolk’s Political Research Center, predicted that “this likely means more money, credibility and interviews will find their way to Haley. More importantly, a case will be made for others to drop out now and back Haley’s challenge to former president Trump.”

But Paleologos, in a statement to Fox News, noted that Trump’s still in the driver’s seat.

“Add in second-choice votes from all the other major candidates – even if they all endorsed Haley – and Trump sits above 55%,” he pointed out.

Haley has been holding a slew of town halls and other campaign events in New Hampshire, as well as Iowa – whose caucuses lead off the GOP nominating calendar – and her home state of South Carolina, which holds the first southern primary.

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Haley stands in second place to Trump in the latest polls in South Carolina and has seen her support edge up in the most recent surveys in Iowa.

Trump returns to New Hampshire on Monday for his first stop in the state in two months. 

The Trump aligned Make America Great Again super PAC on Wednesday morning was quick to blast out an email to supporters, titled, “Trump Has 30-Point Lead In New Hampshire.”

The Suffolk University poll of 500 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire was taken by landline and cellphone, and has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 points. 

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

A winnowing is likely coming in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, as thresholds to qualify for the next GOP presidential nomination debate are on the rise.

But even before a likely larger percentage of the Republican White House hopefuls fail to make the stage at the November showdown in Miami, Florida, the candidates struggling to survive face a more immediate threat as crucial fundraising reports from the campaigns are due in the coming days.

Lackluster campaign cash numbers from July-September third quarter fundraising reports may prove to be the death knell for some long-shot presidential contenders, slashing the size of a still relatively large field of GOP White House candidates.

THIS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL LONGSHOT’S CONSIDERING A PIVOT TO A 2024 SENATE RUN

“The third quarter report is incredibly important for all the campaigns, but certainly those who are struggling to break out right now and garner attention, this will be the last financial indicator we see until very close to Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary for these campaigns,” longtime New Hampshire based Republican consultant Jim Merrill told Fox News.

POLITICAL PUNDITS PICK WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM SECOND GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Merrill, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, said that “whether it’s making the next debate stage or just evidence in grassroots momentum for the campaign, it’s going to be really important for these campaigns to show that they not only have strong numbers of cash on hand, but also grassroots support for a growing national audience.”

Alex Castellanos, a GOP strategist with decades of experience, also pointed to the fundraising reports and predicted that “a lot of these candidates are going to run out of gas as they try to drive to the next debate in Miami.”

So far, only one White House hopeful has called it quits.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez suspended his campaign after failing to make the stage at the first Republican presidential nomination debate, a Fox News-hosted Aug. 23 showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the only one of the eight candidates on the stage at the first debate who failed to qualify for Wednesday’s second debate – a FOX Business co-hosted event held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California – says if he fails to make the stage at the third GOP presidential nomination debate, he’ll consider dropping out.

“If I don’t make that, we’ll re-evaluate where we are,” Hutchinson told reporters this week as he referred to the third debate, which will be held Nov. 8 in Miami, Florida.

When asked for clarification if his response meant he would consider dropping out, Hutchinson answered, “Sure.”

Michigan businessman and quality control industry expert Perry Johnson, who failed to qualify for the first two debates, is now mulling a pivot to run for the open Senate seat in his home state.

“Obviously, it’s no secret that I’ve had a lot of calls to run for this seat because they do want to win this seat. But at this point in time, my focus is right on the presidential [race], and, believe me, that’s taking all my time and energy at this point,” Johnson told Fox News on Thursday.

Former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, who previously served as an undercover agent in the CIA, also didn’t make the stage at the first two debates.

“My team and I are constantly evaluating whether we have the resources to chart a path to victory,” he wrote in a statement Wednesday. “I’m headed to New Hampshire to spread my message to the Granite State ahead of the First In the Nation primary. Educating voters on how to solve these existential issues is important, and hopefully other candidates will follow my lead.”

All eyes are also on GOP contender Larry Elder, a former nationally syndicated radio host and 2021 California gubernatorial recall election candidate, who failed to qualify for the first two debates.

Castellanos, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns, said some of the candidates will “soon have to take their ball and go home.”

Merrill noted, “It’s a really personal decision for every campaign. They each have a theory of the case. They may see a path forward and choose to pursue it.”

He also highlighted “that not only the media but donors and influencers are going to be watching these numbers closely.”

“I do expect between now and Thanksgiving some hard conversations to be held among some of these candidates,” Merrill predicted.

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Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, who flirted with a 2024 run before deciding against it, has been saying for months that the field needs to shrink.

“If you don’t make the first couple of debates, then you probably have to have a tough conversation and get out of the race,” Sununu told Fox News over the summer.

Sununu, a vocal GOP critic of former President Donald Trump – who is the commanding frontrunner in the Republican nomination race – envisions a smaller field by the end of the year, just ahead of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the first two contests in the Republican nominating calendar.

“I think by the time you get to the end of December, you’ll have five or six different candidates going into Iowa, maybe three or four coming into New Hampshire,” Sununu predicted. “If that’s the case, a huge opportunity for the Republican Party.”

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

EXCLUSIVE: Academics and experts with in-depth knowledge on how the U.S. government operates told Fox News Digital that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s, R-Calif., removal from his post on Tuesday would likely not prevent the chamber from continuing to function, which includes the investigations into the Biden family and the impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

“There’s nothing that requires committees to slow down their activities, so there’s no reason why the Hunter Biden investigation or the impeachment-related investigation conducted on a joint committee basis would have to slow down,” said Steven S. Smith, a professor at the Arizona State University School of Politics & Global Affairs.

Smith went on to say that “not a whole lot” would happen with the investigations in the span of a week anyway, assuming the search for a new permanent speaker to replace McCarthy and take over for Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry swiftly concludes.

TOP REPUBLICAN REP. STEVE SCALISE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO REPLACE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER

“Of course, members are going to be distracted. So maybe some meetings are going to be called off because members are worrying about electing a speaker for the time being. If it goes longer than the end of next week, then I think there’s going to be some serious issues about how they proceed,” he added.

Mark Harkins and Joseph Huder, both senior fellows at The Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. agreed with Smith.

“Today’s event was historic. It was huge, but effectively it changed nothing,” Huder told Fox. “The House has its rules, it’s got committees, they’re all empowered to do investigations, they’re empowered to subpoena, to take witness testimony. The speaker, as the speaker pro tempore, has the powers of the speakership, and until he is reined in by his majority, he can use those as freely as the previous speaker.”

‘SHELL SHOCKED’ KEVIN MCCARTHY WILL NOT RUN FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN FOLLOWING REMOVAL

“All of the kind of institutional mechanics at the House level operate just the same as they were. They’re in place, and they’re not going to change just because there’s no speaker. What does change are some of the politics behind the scenes, and that’s where it gets very murky about what Mr. McHenry can and cannot do,” Huder added.

Harkins explained that the difference between January – when the House was at a standstill prior to McCarthy’s election as speaker – and now is that the rules of the House have been established and there is somebody actually acting as speaker.

“So the committees can continue their operations. There’s no change there. The only possible minor change that could happen that doesn’t have to do with the Biden family investigations is that the Financial Services Committee, which Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry is the chair of, may pass off to somebody else as a chair for the interim,” Harkins said. 

WHO IS PATRICK MCHENRY, SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE OF HOUSE FOLLOWING MCCARTHY’S OUSTER?

“There’s nothing that needs to stop the chairs of the various committees doing investigations, whether it’s Oversight or Ways and Means or Judiciary, from continuing to do their work and continuing to have public hearings. So that’s the biggest difference,” he added.

Clint Brown, the Heritage Foundation’s vice president of government relations, agreed, but told Fox the main focus of the House would be to “quickly try to settle the question of speaker.”

“They’ll be focused on that, at least initially. It’s a tough issue to resolve. It’s going to require a lot of agreement. Failing agreement early on, the chairmen are still chairmen, the rest of the elected House leadership is still elected, including the whip and the majority leader. The majority leader schedules votes on the floor. The House can continue to function if it needs to under a speaker pro tempore,” he said.

McCarthy was removed from his short-lived speakership by a narrow 216-210 vote on Tuesday, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats in voting in favor of the motion to vacate that was introduced late Monday by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

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According to U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., the GOP conference’s plan was to have a candidate forum on Tuesday then a vote on Wednesday to decide who would succeed McCarthy.

The civil trial against former President Donald Trump, his family and his business empire will continue Wednesday, with more witness testimony as New York Attorney General Letitia James seeks to make her case that the Trump Organization fraudulently overvalued its assets.

Trump attended the first two days of the trial this week, and is expected to attend Wednesday as well. 

JUDGE IMPOSES PARTIAL GAG ORDER IN TRUMP ORG. TRIAL BLOCKING PARTIES FROM VERBAL ATTACKS AGAINST COURT STAFF

The court is expected to reconvene Wednesday morning after New York Judge Arthur Engoron imposed a partial gag order preventing all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff after the former president criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media.

The gag order applies to both the Trump team and James’ team. The gag order only applies to verbal attacks on staff after a “defendant” posted to social media a “disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”

Engoron added Tuesday afternoon that “personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate” and warned they would not be tolerated.

TRUMP JUDGE FACES ONLINE BACKLASH AFTER SMILING, POSING FOR CAMERAS IN COURTROOM: ‘PARTISAN DEMOCRAT CLOWN’

Without naming the former president, Engoron was referring to a now-deleted Trump post on his Truth Social account about Engoron’s law clerk Allison Greenfield.

Tuesday’s proceedings also featured continued testimony from Donald Bender of accounting firm Mazars USA LLP.  Bender’s testimony Monday focused on financial records dating back to 2011, which fell outside of the statute of limitations. 

The Appellate Division in Manhattan decided this summer that AG James could no longer sue for alleged transactions that occurred before July 13, 2014, or Feb. 6, 2016, depending on the defendant.

Trump’s defense objected over the statute of limitations for each document Bender was questioned on, but Engoron maintained they did not need to do that, saying, instead, that a “continuing objection” was sufficient. 

Trump’s defense, however, said they were concerned about exceptions, and said they planned to continue to object.

Bender, who spent several years preparing Trump’s tax returns, testified that he frequently interacted with the Trump Organization in preparing statements of financial conditions, or balance sheets.

Bender testified he didn’t take any measures to ensure the information provided was true. He only raised an issue if something glaring stood out.

Part of Bender’s Tuesday testimony focused on financial documents from 2017 through 2019, and noted that he learned appraisal documents for certain years were not provided to Mazars. 

NEW POLL REVEALS HUGE GAP IN CONCERN OVER BIDEN’S AGE VS. TRUMP’S IN HYPOTHETICAL 2024 MATCHUP

Bender said he believed these documents should have been seen before Mazars prepared the compilation.

Bender continued testifying that if Mazars knew about missing appraisals, it would not have issued the statement of financial condition.

James, a Democrat, brought the lawsuit against Trump last year alleging he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets. James claimed Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, as well as his associates and businesses, committed “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” on their financial statements.

The appellate ruling over the summer dismissed Ivanka Trump as a defendant. 

Trump has blasted James for bringing the lawsuit; for the trial not having a jury; and Engoron, calling him “corrupt.” 

“The Attorney General filed this case under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury,” a Trump spokesperson said. “There was never an option to choose a jury trial. It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened.” 

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Engoron last week ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

Engoron’s ruling came after James sued Trump, his children and the Trump Organization, alleging that the former president “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars,” and said his children helped him to do so.

Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz is quizzing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) over the ongoing deployment of air marshals to the southern border, asking why marshals are being sent to deal with the migrant surge instead of being on U.S. flights.

“It is concerning that the administration has prioritized ushering illegal immigrants into the country over protecting the lives and safety of the traveling public,” Cruz, R-Texas, said in a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske.

Air marshals were initially sought to go to the southern border last year on a voluntary basis, but that later changed to mandatory deployments, sparking outrage and a “mutiny” from marshals. 

The air marshals became one of a number of law enforcement groups who ended up deployed to the besieged southern border as the migrant crisis escalated to historic levels.

AIR MARSHALS FACING MANDATORY BORDER DEPLOYMENT PLAN ‘MUTINY’ ON BIDEN ADMIN LEAVING FLIGHTS UNGUARDED: REPORT

Cruz, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, accused the administration of “hypocrisy” for its emergency moves, while it also claims the border is secure.

“Compounding the hypocrisy, while the administration maintains that the border is secure, it also continues to reassign air marshals from protecting the skies to the southern border,” Cruz said.

Cruz cited reports that marshals are “performing administrative functions, conducting welfare checks, and escorting aliens to processing centers.” He also noted a number of security incidents on board U.S. flights, “meaning TSA’s decision to take air marshals off flights and deploy them to the border may be putting the traveling public at risk.”

MIGRANT NUMBERS HIT HIGHEST EVER RECORDED IN ONE MONTH: SOURCES

“While it is unknown whether air marshals would have been on those particular flights, what is known is that on both occasions at least 200 air marshals were busy assisting at the southern border and would not have been available to protect those flights,” he said.

With record numbers continuing at the southern border — Fox reported last week September’s numbers are expected to surpass 260,000 — Cruz says it is likely that the situation will continue.

“Since the beginning of September, illegal aliens have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at alarmingly high rates, and the number of air marshals dispatched to the border has increased, with numerous requests for medical leave reportedly being denied by supervisors,” he said. 

“Given the administration’s failed immigration enforcement approach, it seems likely that TSA’s deployment of air marshals to the border — instead of to high-risk passenger flights — will unfortunately continue.”

NEW YORK GOV. HOCHUL WANTS TO ‘LIMIT’ WHO CROSSES BORDER, SAYS IT’S ‘TOO OPEN RIGHT NOW’ 

A TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the agency “responds to congressional correspondence directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight.”

The agency has also noted that marshals were previously deployed to the border in 2019 during the Trump administration, as well as last year, in support of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Marshals have also been deployed to support the U.N. General Assembly and hurricane recovery, among other missions. TSA says the deployment, which is on a reimbursable basis, is temporary and that air marshals will continue to support the agency’s critical mission on the ground and onboard aircraft.

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Cruz is seeking information on the number of air marshals deployed to the border since 2019, including the number of voluntary and mandatory deployments. He also wants to know if TSA has plans for additional rounds of deployments and who is authorizing them.

Democrat Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser complained about the nation’s capital losing about 400 police officers in the past several years, just days before Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was carjacked at gunpoint. 

Bowser had pleaded that the district needs more officers at a recent press conference

“We don’t have the officers that we need, and sadly we’ve lost three to four hundred officers in the last four years,” she said. “We haven’t had officers in our schools, and we have policies that make it difficult to recruit new officers.”  

Cueller said he was parking his car in D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood, a short distance from the U.S. Capitol Monday evening, when three armed assailants approached and stole his vehicle. 

TEXAS CONGRESSMAN HENRY CUELLAR CARJACKED AT GUNPOINT IN WASHINGTON, DC

Police said Cuellar told them the suspects swarmed his vehicle, pointed firearms in his face and demanded the keys to his car. A witness also spotted the suspects, who are said to have been wearing masks and dressed in black clothing. Police said the suspects were about 5’10″ Black males “who may have been around the age of 16 due to their build.” 

The congressman was not harmed. U.S. Capitol Police, which took over the investigation, said Tuesday that authorities were still searching for the three carjacking suspects. 

“We have a number of leads,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement Tuesday. “Our investigators are focused, determined and working around the clock.”

The stolen white Toyota Crossover was recovered with the assistance of the Metropolitan Police Department along the 2600 block of Douglas Road, SE, Capitol police said. It had been abandoned. Capitol police Crime Scene Technicians processed the scene, and the FBI is also assisting in the investigation. 

Bowser later issued a statement on the carjacking. 

KENTUCKY SEN. RAND PAUL SAYS STAFF MEMBER WAS ‘BRUTALLY ATTACKED’

“There is no higher priority than the safety of our residents and those who work in and visit D.C.,” Bowser said, according to the Washington Post. “We are using every tool available to reduce crime and support those tasked with enforcing the law and holding those accountable who break it. Although we are seeing some positive trends in recent crime statistics, we are troubled when any individual is in a situation that makes them feel unsafe in our city. We are grateful for the work of MPD in its response, and we will continue to identify commonsense solutions necessary to fill any gaps in our public safety ecosystem, including proposing and supporting policies that ensure we are also addressing long-term, complex public safety challenges.” 

In June 2020, Bowser had Black Lives Matter painted in bright yellow letters on the street that runs into the White House following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, while former President Donald Trump was in office. Protesters soon added the message “defund the police” to the street mural, as was seen in aerial images taken above the nation’s capital at the time. 

Bowser notably changed her tune when she was up for re-election, backing away from the defunding stance promoted by progressive Democrats in the district. 

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D.C. has seen 216 homicides as of Oct. 3, marking a 38% increase since last year. 

Instances of robbery increased by 68% compared to 2022, while motor vehicle theft soared by 106%, according to data on the D.C. Metro Police Department’s website. 

As Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has been booted from his post as House speaker after a motion to vacate brought forth by hardliner Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Calif., an unlikely nominee has been suggested as next speaker: former President Donald Trump.

Texas Rep. Troy Nehls said in a statement Tuesday afternoon his first order of business when the House reconvenes “will be to nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.”

“President Trump, the greatest President of my lifetime, has a proven record of putting America First and will make the House great again,” he said.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., followed suit in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday evening: “@realDonaldTrump for Speaker.”

MATT GAETZ INTRODUCES MOTION TO VACATE AGAINST HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY

The next speaker does not have to be a current sitting member in the House, but every speaker in U.S. history has been.

It’s not the first time Trump has been floated as a nominee for speakership, either. In January, as McCarthy struggled to garner enough votes to secure his speakership, Gaetz cast a ballot for Trump.

In a gaggle with reporters on the Hill after the vote Tuesday, Gaetz said he’d support several members of Congress should they decide run for the post, including GOP Reps. Tom Emmer, Mike Johnson, Jodey Arrington, Kevin Hern, or Steve Scalise, none of whom voted to oust McCarthy.

House Financial Services chairman Rep. Patrick McHenry will serve as interim Speaker until a replacement for McCarthy is chosen. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS SAY THEY WILL VOTE TO OUST SPEAKER MCCARTHY

House rules dictated that McCarthy, upon his election as speaker in January, provide a secret list of members to succeed him as speaker pro tempore should the office be vacated as it was with his removal. It was revealed following the vote to oust McCarthy that McHenry was at the top of the list.

McHenry, a former media consultant and political operative, was first elected to the House to represent North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District in 2004. He was selected as the House Republican chief deputy whip in 2015 and served in the role until 2019. He was selected as chair of the House Financial Services Committee in January.

GAETZ TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER HISTORIC VOTE TO BOOT MCCARTHY FROM HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP

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Eight Republicans sided with House Democrats on Tuesday to oust McCarthy from his role as speaker after a dramatic floor vote tallying each member’s vote by surname. 

An hour of debate was heard before members of Congress cast their votes. The vast majority of Republican lawmakers passionately spoke in favor and against McCarthy, and forced the anti-McCarthy group to speak from the Democratic side of the House floor.

McCarthy told reporters Tuesday evening he would not be running again for speakership.

Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

Lawmakers voted Tuesday to oust embattled Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Such a move is the first in time history that the top member of the House has been removed from the job. Eight Republicans sided with every Democrat in a 216-210 vote. 

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a measure against McCarthy known as a motion to vacate on Monday night, accusing him of breaking promises he made to win the speaker’s gavel in January. 

“For the last eight months, Speaker McCarthy has been in breach of that agreement,” Gaetz said Tuesday in a statement. “All of Speaker McCarthy’s failure theater resulted in him teaming up with Democrats to pass a continuing resolution that funds Ukraine, funds Jack Smith’s election interference against President Trump, abandons E-Verify, and does nothing to put the interests of the American people first.”

Here are the eight Republicans who broke with their party to oust McCarthy:

Rep. Andy Biggs, Arizona

During remarks on the House floor, Biggs said McCarthy’s passage of a budget resolution only further negatively impacted the national debt and immigration. 

“Until you leverage the budget and spending, you will not see enforcement by this administration,” he said.

In a statement earlier, he said McCarthy had failed as an effective leader. 

“He has gone against many of the promises he made in January and can no longer be trusted at the helm,” he wrote. 

Rep. Ken Buck, Colorado

Buck said his vote stemmed from McCarthy’s fiscal moves he says has elevated the national debt.  

“We are $33 trillion in debt and on track to hit $50 trillion by 2030,” he wrote on social media. “We cannot continue to fund the government by continuing resolutions and omnibus spending bills. That’s why I voted to oust @SpeakerMcCarthy. We must change course to sensible budgeting and save our country.”

In another statement, Buck said he initially supported McCarthy in January because he was in the best position to keep the GOP’s promises to the American people. 

“It’s clear that we need a principled Speaker who can keep his word not just to members of Congress, but to the American people,” he wrote. 

Rep. Tim Burchett, Tennessee

Burchett described McCarthy as a friend but that his vote to oust McCarthy was “a choice between that and my conscious.”

“This was a tough decision. I voted for McCarthy for Speaker of the House back in January and I consider him a friend,” he said in a statement. “However, I had to vote for what I think is best for the American people.” 

“We need leadership that will take real action to address our country’s serious financial crisis and steer us in a better direction, and we shouldn’t settle for anything less than that,” he added. 

Before the vote, Burchett said he was poised to remove McCarthy over the $33 trillion in debt, saying the House needed to change direction in leadership. 

Rep. Eli Crane, Arizona  

Crane didn’t mention McCarthy by name but said after the vote that change is needed to overhaul the “ineffective and dishonest way” Washington works. 

“I’m prepared to support a speaker who agrees,” he said. 

Earlier, he said Republicans have capitulated to Democrats to support their measures. 

“Each time our majority has had the chance to fight for bold, lasting change for the American people, leadership folded and passed measures with more Democrat support than Republican,” he said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida

Gaetz led the effort to remove McCarthy, whom he often criticized for negotiations over the debt ceiling and other measures. 

In an interview after the vote, he called the former speaker a “feature of the swamp.”

“He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors,” he said. “We are breaking the fever now.”

In a social media post, Gaetz said: “The fight is not over. Now we must elect a Speaker.”

Rep. Bob Good, Virginia

Good cited this past weekend’s continuing resolution, which kept the government open, in his remarks. 

“The American people need a Speaker who will fight to keep the promises Republicans made to get the majority, not someone who cuts fiscally irresponsible deals that get more Democrat votes than Republican votes,” he said in a statement. 

Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina

Mace said McCarthy had not “lived up to his word” on how the House would operate. 

“There has also been no action on many issues we care about and were promised,” the South Carolina congresswoman in a statement. “We were promised we would move on women’s issues and legislation to keep our communities safe. Those things never happened.

“I came here to take difficult votes and do the right thing, regardless of the pressure and regardless of the threats (bc there’s been plenty of both),” she added. “Today I’m voting against 95 percent of my party in the hopes of fixing how Congress operates.”

She said as long as McCarthy remains as house speaker, “this chaos will continue.”

Rep. Matt Rosendale, Montana

Rosendale accused McCarthy of working against the Republican Party and supporting “ploys to aid the left.”

“This demonstration of failed leadership is exactly why I plan on supporting the motion to vacate this afternoon,” he said in a statement. 

Before the vote, he told Fox News in a statement that he planned to help oust McCarthy over him working with Democrats on the debt limit deal earlier this year, not negotiating with the Senate over the NDAA, and pushing a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown over the weekend. 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

• Republican Utah Rep. John Curtis has announced that he will not run to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, noting his belief that “we need elected leaders who are more concerned about doing their job than getting the next job” in a Monday op-ed.
• Romney’s retirement has left the primary field in Utah, a Republican stronghold, wide open. Declared candidates include state House Speaker Brad Wilson, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs and Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr.
• Curtis has represented Utah’s deep-red third congressional district, which stretches from his native Provo to the Colorado border, since 2017.

U.S. Rep. John Curtis won’t run to succeed Mitt Romney, leaving the race to replace the nationally known Utah senator clear of one of the state’s best known Republicans.

“We’ve accomplished a lot but my work for them is not done,” Rep. John Curtis wrote in a Monday op-ed in the Deseret News. “I believe we need elected leaders who are more concerned about doing their job than getting the next job. To walk away now would leave a commitment unfilled. I want to finish the job.”

A former mayor of the city of Provo, Curtis, 63, has served in Congress since 2017, winning a special election that year and reelection by wide margins ever since.

UTAH HOUSE SPEAKER JUMPS IN SENATE RACE TO REPLACE ROMNEY: ‘OUR COUNTRY IS NOT ON THE RIGHT PATH’

Curtis emerged as a possible candidate after Romney, 76, announced last month that he won’t run for reelection. Romney said he would be too old by the time his second term ended and that younger people needed to step up and run.

The announcement opened a wider door for next year’s Senate race and led to speculation about whether Utah voters will choose a political moderate like Romney or a farther-right figure such as Utah’s other U.S. senator, Mike Lee, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, who’s running again for the Republican presidential nomination.

Curtis was considering a run as recently as last week, when campaign manager Adrielle Herring said internal polling was favorable and “everything is pointing” toward him running.

He would have been a formidable contender for the job in Republican-dominated Utah, along with Republican Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, 54, who announced his campaign Wednesday. At his announcement rally, Wilson blamed President Joe Biden’s administration for inflation, immigration problems at the U.S.-Mexico border, and high gasoline prices.

UTAH REPUBLICAN RAISES MORE THAN $2 MILLION AS HE EXPLORES ‘LIKELY’ BID TO TAKE ROMNEY’S SENATE SEAT

Wilson had expressed interest in running for months and has already raised $2.2 million, including $1.2 million in personal funds.

A handful of lesser known Republicans also have entered the race, including Trent Staggs, mayor of the city of Riverton and a securities investor who was first to announce in May; and Rod Bird Jr., mayor of the small Utah town of Roosevelt and founder of an oilfield supply company.

Possible additional candidates include Tim Ballard, founder of the anti-child-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad. The organization inspired a film popular with conservative moviegoers last summer, “Sound of Freedom,” even as Ballard was ousted from the group amid reports of sexual misconduct. Ballard denies the claims.

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The winner of next year’s Republican primary on June 25 will be heavily favored to win the general election in November. The state’s Republicans outnumber Democrats by a more than 3-to-1 margin.

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is the new temporary leader of the House of Representatives after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from his post Tuesday afternoon in a nail-biting vote.

House rules dictated McCarthy, upon his election as speaker in January, provide a secret list of members to succeed him as speaker pro tempore should the office be vacated as it was with his removal. It was revealed following the vote to oust McCarthy that McHenry was at the top of the list.

McHenry, a former media consultant and political operative, was first elected to the House to represent North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District in 2004. He was selected as the House Republican chief deputy whip in 2015, and served in the role until 2019. He was selected as chair of the House Financial Services Committee in January.

HOUSE VOTES TO REMOVE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER IN HISTORIC FIRST

Now that he is speaker pro tempore, he has the powers of the House speaker in order to guide the chamber in its continued operation until a new speaker is elected.

The 216-210 vote to remove McCarthy came about after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a motion to vacate Monday evening after threatening to do so amid clashes between different factions of the Republican Party over details of a deal averting a government shutdown.

Eight Republicans, including Gaetz, joined all Democrats in voting against McCarthy’s continued speakership.

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It’s unclear in which direction House Republicans intend to go as the process of selecting a new speaker moves forward, but McCarthy has said he intends to serve in the role.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

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

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What’s happening:

– Unprecedented: The House removed a speaker for the first time in U.S. history…

– Former President Trump was in Manhattan Tuesday for a civil fraud trial…

– Congress averted a government shutdown in the 11th hour over the weekend, but funding runs out again in mid-November…

MCCARTHY OUSTED

216 House members – every Democrat available to vote as well as eight Republicans – voted to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker on Tuesday. Nothing can happen in the House until it selects a speaker. In January, when the new, narrow House GOP majority took control of the chamber, it took 15 rounds of voting to get McCarthy over the edge. One of the concessions McCarthy made to get people over the edge was to allow for any single member to introduce a motion to vacate the speakership, which finally happened today …Read more

HOW WE GOT HERE: GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida introduced the motion to vacate after a government spending fight that nearly caused a partial government shutdown. Gaetz and a few Republicans known to other members of the party as “rebels” have pressed for “regular order” in the budget process – which means passing individual appropriations bills, something that has not happened for years. The most recent continuing resolution, which funds the government at current levels set by the last congress through mid-November, was the last straw for a few Republicans, who wield significant power in the closely divided GOP majority. 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry is now the speaker pro tem. The House will hold elections for speaker until a new one is selected. 

White House Watch

‘HIGHER PRICES’: Biden admin facing bipartisan pressure to fight EU climate regs …Read more

HOW DO YOU PLEAD: Hunter Biden makes pleads not guilty on gun charges …Read more

GAGGED: The Judge in Trump’s civil fraud trial reacted to the former president’s post about court staff …Read more

Up the Hill

CARJACKED: Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar had his car taken at gunpoint Monday …Read more

COP SHORTAGE: DC mayor lamented lack of officers days before congressman’s carjacking …Read more

ON THE OUTS: Here are the 5 GOP lawmakers who sought to oust McCarthy …Read more

WALLED UP: Hawley bill allows walls, deportations of illegal immigrants …Read more

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

The New York judge presiding over the Trump Organization trial imposed a partial gag order preventing all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff, after former President Trump criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media.

Judge Arthur Engoron on Tuesday afternoon issued an order that he said applies to both the defense and New York Attorney General Letitia James’ team. The gag order only applies to verbal attacks on staff.

TRUMP CIVIL TRIAL CONTINUES FOR A SECOND DAY IN NEW YORK CITY

Engoron said his order came after a defendant “posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”

Engoron added that “personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate” and warned they would not be tolerated.

Without naming the former president, Engoron was referring to a now-deleted Trump post on his Truth Social account about Engoron’s law clerk Allison Greenfield.

TRUMP JUDGE FACES ONLINE BACKLASH AFTER SMILING, POSING FOR CAMERAS IN COURTROOM: ‘PARTISAN DEMOCRAT CLOWN’

Trump posted on Truth Social alleging Greenfield had a relationship with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The post also contained a photo. 

“Schumer’s girlfriend, Alison R. Greenfield, is running this case against me. How disgraceful!” Trump posted. “This case should be dismissed immediately!!” 

Trump deleted the post at the beginning of the lunch recess. 

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The order came during the second day of the non-jury, civil trial of the Trump, his family and the Trump Organization stemming from James’ lawsuit alleging Trump inflated his assets and committed fraud when building his business empire. 

Trump was present in the lower Manhattan courtroom for both Monday and Tuesday. 

Fox News’ Maria Paronich and The Associated Press contributed to this report.