NationalWatch

A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden is siding with the Trump administration in refusing to dismiss a case against a House Democrat accused of assaulting federal immigration officers.

Two of the three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit refused to dismiss the Department of Justice (DOJ) case against Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., stemming from a 2025 incident at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Newark, New Jersey.

An unannounced visit to the Delaney Hall detention center by a group of Democratic officials devolved into chaos in May 2025 that culminated in a physical standoff between federal lawmakers and ICE agents and the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. McIver was charged with three counts, including assaulting and impeding federal officers.

FIVE ANTI-ICE AGITATORS ARRESTED DURING CHAOTIC DELANEY HALL CONFRONTATIONS CAUGHT ON VIDEO

She attempted to get the case thrown out, arguing that she is immune from prosecution because her actions were part of her official duties as a member of Congress.

She also accused the DOJ of unfairly singling her out, with her congressional office calling the charges “vindictive.”

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But the 2-1 decision, made by Biden-appointed Judge Cindy Chung and Trump-appointed Judge Stephanos Bibas, stated that McIver’s argument of legislative immunity would not stand for two of the three counts, while the third count was sent back to a lower court for further review.

Court documents say McIver allegedly “slammed her forearm” into a federal officer trying to arrest Baraka. On that count, the federal appellate court agreed with a lower court decision that her “alleged intervention into the Mayor’s questionable arrest had no cognizable connection to any legislative function” protected by the Constitution.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS LOST OR ABANDONED HUNDREDS OF LAWSUITS AGAINST ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS, MIGRANTS: REPORT

The second count alleged that McIver used both of her forearms to “strike [an officer] as she returned inside of the secured area of Delaney Hall.”

The two judges wrote, “Like the acts charged in Count One, the acts of pushing past and forcibly striking someone are unambiguously non-legislative: they are not integral to the legislative process.”

Judge Thomas Ambro wrote in dissent, “When an Executive Branch official prevents a Member from entering a DHS facility, she is denied effective access to an oversight inspection.”

McIver herself said in a statement that “the court got it wrong.”

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“Today’s decision chills that authority and emboldens the Trump administration to continue persecuting our most vulnerable communities, those who try to defend them, and anyone who dares hold the president or his lackeys accountable. I will not fold to this administration. We are exploring every possible option. The administration will not stop me from doing my job or standing for what is right. This is not over,” McIver said.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Tuesday he was going to keep a piece of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom as a paperweight “after we all blow it up.”

“In about 10 to 15 years, we are all going to be sitting here with smiles on our faces,” Krasner said, according to video footage obtained by WCAU. “And I’m going to have a paperweight sitting on my desk. And do you know what that paper weight’s going to be? It’s going to be a piece of the ballroom after we blow it up.”

Krasner, who has previously called Trump a fascist and said he would hunt down Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, made the comments while speaking at George Washington’s historic home in Philadelphia during the city’s annual slavery commiseration, according to WCAU.

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Krasner first called Trump “a pain in the a–,” to which an audience member responded, “No, he’s the devil!”

Krasner then responded, “He’s the devil, all right, well there is some evidence to that effect.”

“The man himself is the embodiment of hate. He is the embodiment of ignorance. He is the embodiment of depriving people of their vote and their education. That’s who he is,” Krasner continued.

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Krasner was specifically bashing Trump for deciding to replace a slavery exhibit at the Washington home under a March executive order titled, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”

Under the order, the National Park Service replaced the panels dedicated to showcasing the history of George Washington’s slaves with more broad displays of U.S. history. A protracted legal battle between the city and the Trump administration most recently saw a federal appeals court side with the federal government and rule that Philadelphia had no legal right to dictate the content of the displays at the federally owned site.

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Despite the city’s loss to the federal government in the legal fight, Krasner remained defiant.

“This memorial will be here, the educational content will be here,” Krasner railed Tuesday. “People will be coming to see it, not for a year or two, or not even 20 years. They will be coming to see it as long as this federal park is here.”

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“But let me tell you what will not be here,” he continued.

“There will not be a ballroom. There will not be a Kennedy Center renamed for a fool,” Krasner said.

Krasner did specify that the envisioned demolition would be “in an official ceremony, just to be clear, in an official ceremony we’re gonna blow it up and we’re gonna give the taxpayers their money back by selling old pieces as paperweights, and I’m gonna have one on my desk.”

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The White House fired back at Krasner’s comments about the ballroom project.

“President Trump continues to implement long-overdue and necessary renovations to beautify the People’s House as we approach our great Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence. Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, the White House will be properly glorified and remain in excellent condition for generations to come. Only people who suffer from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome would find a problem with that,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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When reached by Fox News Digital, Nate Herring, the U.S. Secret Service’s lead public affairs specialist, said, “The U.S. Secret Service investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”

Fox News Digital contacted Philadelphia’s Justice Department for further comment.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s unusual public praise for President Donald Trump is raising political eyebrows, with observers suggesting the break from his usual posture could foreshadow how the Democrat positions himself ahead of 2028.

Newsom heaped praise on Trump accounts, or 530a accounts, which the president created with the help of Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., to provide a market-indexed nest egg beginning at $1,000 for children born during his second term.

“Gavin Newsom, who fancies himself a 2028 nominee, has come out and said that he completely supports this and that he thinks it’s the best thing President Trump has ever done,” conservative writer Charles Hurt said in response.

“He is so thirsty,” Hurt went on, adding on “Fox & Friends Weekend” that the remark reminded him of how some Democrats broke ranks to praise Trump’s “No Tax on Tips” plans that reduced federal levies on restaurant and service gratuities.

DEMOCRATIC MARYLAND GOV WES MOORE PRAISES TRUMP ACCOUNTS AS ‘SMART POLICY’

Former George W. Bush White House press secretary Dana Perino said on Fox News’ “The Five” that she believes Newsom’s comments are indeed a “2028 play.”

“I think this is going to pit some of the 20 candidates [against each other at debates if they are collectively asked] ‘Will you keep Trump accounts?’” she said. Perino suggested Newsom would have the upper hand and could point to his early support to counter allegations of political expediency.

California Assembly Minority Leader Alexandra Macedo told Fox News Digital that the rare collaboration on Trump accounts is encouraging but should be the rule, not the exception.

“It is good to see Gavin Newsom working with the Trump administration and recognizing a good idea when he sees one,” said Macedo, R-Tulare.

“Hopefully this is not Halley’s Comet. Californians should not have to wait another 75 years for Newsom to do it again,” she said.

During a news conference Friday, Newsom said Californians should consider opening a Trump account for their newborns, comparing the program to a Sacramento-based one championed by his wife.

“I’m enthusiastic about encouraging people to get a Trump account. I think it’s incredibly important,” Newsom said at an event alongside first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “It’s one of the best things he’s done, and so we’re here to encourage people to take advantage of this.”

SEN DAVE MCCORMICK: TRUMP ACCOUNTS GIVE ALL AMERICANS A STAKE IN PROSPERITY

Newsom warned Californians not to “fall prey” to politics or cynicism, or “even the fear that if I download a Trump account somehow that means something.”

“It doesn’t, it just means something for your kid. It’s not Trump’s money. It’s your child’s money.”

Siebel-Newsom spoke about a similar California program aimed at education expenses called “CalKIDS,” which the Sacramento Bee reported has not had the same successful launch as Trump accounts.

Newsom recently called 2028 presidential conjecture “wildly premature,” but acknowledged toying with the idea while taking steps that signal potential interest, including a nationally televised debate with potential Republican contender Gov. Ron DeSantis on Fox News Channel in 2023. He also told the Los Angeles Times more recently that “I’d be lying” if he said he hasn’t thought about running.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom for comment.

Some social media users also expressed surprise at Newsom’s tack.

JENNIFER SIEBEL NEWSOM DODGES QUESTION ON HUSBAND GAVIN’S PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS

“Uh oh… Newsom might have a decent campaign manager telling him to sound moderate, rational and team-building,” one X user said.

“The outgoing Golden State governor and 2028 White House hopeful said that he is ‘enthusiastic’ about Trump accounts, the Republican leader’s initiative that created investment accounts for children under 18, with the federal government depositing $1,000 into accounts for babies born during the president’s second term,” read a tweet from conservative podcaster Chad Law.

“Did something happen to Newsom?” added Defiant L’s, an account known for posting examples of liberals’ self-owns and perceived hypocrisies.

Fox News host Jesse Watters compared the effort to Bush’s much-maligned plan to privatize Social Security, calculating that returns for seniors would have doubled and the program would be solvent instead of facing potential insolvency in the 2030s.

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Newsom also reiterated in a post on X that California was the “first state in the country” to make 5.5 million students eligible for the CalKIDS program for college and career expenses.

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Newsom is one of several potential Democratic candidates representing different segments of the party, including socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

FIRST ON FOX: Former Army aviator Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., said he “vividly” remembers the moment five years ago when he heard the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan with scant shreds of a plan in place.

“I remember my boss at the time in Tennessee state government asked me, like, ‘Hey Matt, are you OK?’ And, you know, I think the frank answer is no, I’m very upset about this,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And as I talked to my colleagues, some who were serving with me in government, others that were still active-duty army and in the military, I think the feeling was generally the same, that we spent so much time and effort and to see that unfold the way that it did was just beyond frustrating.”

To this day, Van Epps believes neither the Biden administration nor former President Joe Biden himself have been “adequately held responsible in the aftermath of just an absolutely chaotic withdrawal that did not have to happen.”

It’s part of what motivated him to introduce a resolution marking Wednesday’s fifth anniversary of the tragic bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, which took the lives of 13 U.S. service members in addition to over 100 Afghanis near the Abbey Gate.

GOLD STAR FATHER SAYS PRIOR AFGHANISTAN REVIEW SMELLED ‘LIKE A COVER-UP’ AS NEW LOOK EXAMINES MILLIONS OF DOCS

“We’ve introduced this resolution, first and foremost, to remember that, coming up on five years ago, those 13 brave service members made the ultimate sacrifice at Abbey Gate,” Van Epps said. “And then second to that is that the Biden-Harris administration absolutely failed to withdraw in Afghanistan, and it didn’t have to be that way. And it’s important for the American people to remember what the Biden-Harris administration did in that abject failure, withdrawing from Afghanistan.”

AMERICA’S PROMISE TO OUR AFGHAN ALLIES IS STILL UNFINISHED FIVE YEARS LATER

Van Epps served 10 years of active duty that included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, spending part of that time as an air mission commander. He then served in the Tennessee Army National Guard.

And his ties to the withdrawal are personal, Van Epps said — two of his friends were on the ground in Kabul when the evacuation was taking place.

“I had two very close friends who were there as part of that evacuation. And they served honorably and heroically and did incredible work with the hand that they were dealt, they just should never have been put in that situation to begin with,” he said.

The Biden administration faced bipartisan backlash for how it handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s lightning-fast takeover of the country.

TALIBAN WIPES OUT DECADES OF PROGRESS AS 2.4M AFGHAN GIRLS REMAIN LOCKED OUT OF SCHOOL, UN AGENCY SAYS

The majority of Democrats, however, have defended Biden. Many have said he was carrying out the work of President Donald Trump’s agreement with the Taliban during his first administration in February 2020, which called for the U.S. to withdraw within 14 months.

DEMOCRATS CONDEMN DNC FOR POLITICIZING FALLEN SOLDIERS IN DELETED MEMORIAL DAY POST

Van Epps defended Trump’s peace deal, arguing it cleared the way for a “very deliberate withdrawal from Afghanistan that had conditions that the Taliban and the Afghan government had to meet for us to withdraw our soldiers.”

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“And then the Biden team gets in, totally ignores the Doha agreement where they could have enforced those accountability measures on the Taliban, totally missed and ignored all of these warning signals as the Taliban was gaining ground across the country. They were more interested in optics than operations,” he said.

The chief executive of America’s oldest pro-life organization told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump’s FDA nominee, Dr. Heidi Overton, could bring renewed scrutiny to mifepristone, the abortion drug at the center of an ongoing federal safety review.

John Mize, CEO of Americans United for Life (AUL), said he has had five or six conversations with Overton, who is known for her pro-life views. She currently serves as Trump’s deputy assistant for domestic policy.

“I think she’s going to bring objectivity to the issue of mifepristone in a way that will expose this drug for the damage it causes women,” Mize said in an interview on Friday, adding that his organization is “optimistic” that Overton will be a “pro-life FDA commissioner.”

Overton’s nomination comes just weeks after an 18-year-old woman in North Carolina was accused of using mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy at 31 weeks, well beyond mifepristone’s FDA-approved limit of 10 weeks.

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Mize has led AUL for two-and-a-half years. The nonprofit has advocated against abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide and other practices it considers threats to human life since its founding in 1971.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Mize said he believes Overton is the “right candidate” to lead the FDA, citing her experience in government, clinical medicine and medical research. If confirmed, Overton would take the reins of the agency responsible for regulating abortion medication, including mifepristone.

Mifepristone carries an FDA boxed warning, the agency’s strongest safety warning, for the risk of serious and sometimes fatal infections or bleeding.

Prompted initially by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the FDA stopped enforcing the drug’s in-person dispensing requirement in 2021 and later removed it permanently after reviewing the available safety data.

Under current FDA rules, patients do not necessarily have to see a physician in person before receiving a prescription, allowing mifepristone to be prescribed after telehealth visit and mailed by a certified pharmacy. Mize wants those rules tightened.

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“Dr. Overton and I share a very similar perspective that the drug is dangerous, particularly in an unregulated way for women,” Mize told Fox News Digital. “I firmly believe she understands the clinical implications of taking a drug with a black box warning and now shipping it in the mail.”

Overton has publicly criticized mifepristone and other abortion drugs, which accounted for about 65% of clinician-provided abortions in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute, up from 53% in 2020 before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In a February 2023 policy brief for the America First Policy Institute, a MAGA-aligned think tank where she previously served as chief policy officer, Overton denounced federal policymakers for expanding access to abortion pills.

She also accused the Biden administration of using the COVID-19 pandemic to wrongly justify allowing mifepristone and misoprostol, a drug that induces early labor, to be sent to patients through the mail.

FIRST ON FOX: TOP REPUBLICANS TAKE ABORTION PILL FIGHT TO SUPREME COURT, CITING COERCION AND SAFETY RISKS

Taken together, the two drugs terminate early pregnancies: mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone needed to sustain the pregnancy, while misoprostol causes contractions that expel the fetus.

“Abortion is corrosive to children, women, and society broadly because it devalues and extinguishes innocent human life,” she wrote at the time. “America First policies should focus on immediately halting the effort to normalize abortion-on-demand and on broadly recognizing the evidence of the risk posed to women.”

Mize pointed to a 2025 study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank, that analyzed insurance claims from 865,727 mifepristone abortions between 2017 and 2023 and found a serious adverse event rate of nearly 11%. This included conditions such as hemorrhaging, sepsis or infection.

The study received immediate pushback, with the medical community saying it used a flawed methodology. The paper was also not peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal, factors Mize said Overton is aware of.

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“It’s not the whole picture, and Dr. Overton would say that,” Mize said. “But it’s an important indicator as to what’s happening in the real world. So I believe she will do a really good job of evaluating the study.”

Mize said he hopes Overton will impose tighter restrictions on mifepristone after reviewing the evidence, potentially restoring a requirement that women see a doctor in person before receiving a prescription.

He described Overton as “measured” and “methodical” while cautioning that pro-life advocates should not expect her to pursue immediate, sweeping changes at the FDA.

“I don’t get the sense that she’s gonna move quickly on issues,” Mize said.

SUPREME COURT KEEPS BROADER ACCESS TO ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE IN PLACE WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES

Dr. Marty Makary, the previous FDA commissioner, resigned in May after clashing with Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers. He also drew criticism from pro-life activists, who accused the agency under his leadership of slow-walking its safety review of mifepristone.

If confirmed, Overton would inherit the review, which was formally announced in September 2025 and does not have a scheduled completion date. The FDA has noted these types of studies typically take a year or longer to conduct.

After that review is completed, Mize said the next step for Overton, ideally, would be “a longer term, deep dive evaluation on this medication to determine if it should even be on the market.”

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Mize acknowledged that not all the evidence is in yet but made clear that his preference would be to take mifepristone off the market.

“From my perspective, any medication that denies someone the opportunity to live and kills a human being shouldn’t be something that we’re promoting amongst the FDA,” Mize said. “Ultimately, I would love to see this drug removed from the market for those reasons. Culturally, we might not be there right now.”

Overton’s confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled but is expected to take place after the Senate returns from its summer recess on Sept. 14.

A simmering trade rift between President Donald Trump and Canadian officials burst into the open Monday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford sharply escalated his attacks on the president amid a widening tariff fight between the longtime allies.

“He can kiss my a– as far as I’m concerned. We’re going to go at him full steam, and we buy 400% more cars than anyone in the world,” Ford said in an interview with Toronto radio station Newstalk 1010 Monday in response to Trump’s threat of new tariffs on Canadian autos, auto parts and steel.

Trump mocked Ford on Monday as “less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive” than his late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who became embroiled in a major 2013 scandal over his use of crack cocaine, which he later admitted.

The Ontario premier, dubbed “Captain Canada,” has since emerged as one of the country’s most outspoken critics of Trump’s trade threats.

TRUMP TRADE CHIEF WARNS CANADA WALKED AWAY FROM ‘THE BEST DEAL’ TO TRIGGER 50% U.S. TARIFFS

The tariff fight is unfolding on two tracks: new 50% U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods took effect Aug. 22, with Canada set to retaliate Sept. 8, while Trump separately threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian autos and auto parts to 50% beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s Truth Social posts when approached for additional comment. 

“America has been carrying Canada for decades, but no longer! The U.S.A. will always be far bigger, richer, and stronger than Canada. Without the United States, Canada couldn’t survive — It’s where they get all of their money and, because of their current bad leadership, primarily Governor Carney, and his Flunky, Ford, they will not be allowed to keep taking advantage of the United States — Their key to survival,” Trump added in a post.

TRUMP MUST CLOSE THE BACK DOOR CHINA USES TO EXPLOIT NORTH AMERICAN TRADE

He claimed Canada imposes tariffs of 400% or more on U.S. farmers and said he plans to end what he describes as unfair trade treatment of American companies and producers. Trump also threatened further economic pressure, claiming much of the electricity, oil and gas Canada receives is transported through the U.S. and calling on the country to “fall in line.”

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Beyond tariffs, Trump also escalated the rhetoric Tuesday by floating a proposal to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

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The current tariff fight traces back to late 2024, when Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian goods and later joked during a meeting with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ford for comment.

U.S. Southern Command announced another strike on “narco-terrorists,” killing four in the Caribbean, bringing the roughly one-year totals to at least 227 dead among the 68 reported strikes, including back-to-back days after months of calm in the area.

“On August 25, under Gen. Donovan’s direction, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean,” SOUTHCOM wrote in a Tuesday night X post. “Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed four narco-terrorists.”

Since September, President Donald Trump’s administration has been striking suspected cartel vessels in the Atlantic and Pacific that it accuses of transporting narcotics.

US KILLS TWO ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’ IN STRIKE 2 MONTHS SINCE LAST ANNOUNCED ANTI-‘NARCO-TRAFFICKING’ ATTACK

“Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere continues executing precise, lethal operations against the cartels,” SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said in a statement quoted in the X post. “We will hunt, disrupt, and defeat these narco-terrorist networks.

“SOUTHCOM is resolved to neutralizing cartel terror and violence throughout the region and into the U.S. homeland.”

The U.S. military said Monday two were killed in a strike it launched on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific over the weekend. That strike marked the first in more than two months.

US EYES IRAN FAST BOATS WITH ‘KILL’ TACTICS TESTED IN VENEZUELA DRUG-BOAT STRIKES

The video posted on X showed an image of what appeared to be a moving boat followed by a flash.

The Associated Press reports that this makes at least 227 total deaths from such strikes.

The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil.

Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.

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Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives.

Reuters and AP contributed to this report.

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sparked controversy on social media Monday night after comparing Sharia law to Christian canon law during an interview with Fox News anchor Jesse Watters.

“Getting rid of Sharia law is White supremacy?” Watters said to El-Sayed, bringing up past comments from the Michigan candidate opposing a ban on Sharia law and comparing those efforts to White supremacy. “Can you explain that one?”

Sayed responded by comparing Sharia, Islamic law based on religious texts, to Catholic Church law and governance.

“Nobody is trying to push Sharia law on anyone else, just like I hope nobody is trying to push canon law on anybody else, because we live in an America where you should have the freedom of your religion,” El-Sayed said.

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The comparison sparked pushback on social media from users highlighting the differences between the two viewpoints and traditions.

“He lies and says no one is trying to push Sharia (they are), and draws a false equivalency to Christian Canon law,” Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” posted on X. “Canon law determines how Christian leaders, churches, and Christians should live, but Canon law is limited to affairs of the Church (spiritual penalties). Canon law grants great autonomy to the state.”

Kolvet continued, “Sharia law is MUCH more comprehensive, governing all aspects of life, and historically, and according to many contemporary Islamic clerics, dictates the affairs of the state.”

EL-SAYED’S AGENDA PUTS ‘PERMANENTLY’ CHANGED AMERICA ON THE LINE IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE, GOP FIREBRAND WARNS

“Sharia law is incompatible with Western Civilization,” political commentator Carl Jackson posted on X. “I’m tired of El-Sayed playing the victim card in attempt to avoid legitimate scrutiny of Islam.”

“Yeah, it’s over for him,” Fox News contributor Kaylee McGhee White posted on X. “Rogers by 6.”

“@AbdulElSayed doesn’t get to bloviate about sharia being a mere ‘practice’ of faith when it’s Islamic jurisprudence used to supplant western jurisprudence,” conservative commentator and radio host Dana Loesch posted on X.

“‘Jesse, the Catholic Church requires ministers to use plant oils in sacraments with the blessings of a bishop, so why shouldn’t courts allow Muslim men to have four wives?'” conservative commentator Michael Knowles posted on X.

“Canon law applies to Catholics,” conservative commentator Pamela Geller posted on X. “There is no compulsion is Canon law. Jewish law applies only to Jews. There is no compulsion in Jewish law. It is voluntary. The sharia is a comprehensive legal system governing every aspect of human life, and asserts authority over non-Muslims.”

“This was a very strange prepared defense from Abdul,” GOP communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. “I expected him to say it was out of context, not reflective of current views, etc. Instead he accepted the premise and defended promoting Sharia Law – opening that lane up to more attacks.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the El-Sayed campaign for comment.

El-Sayed previously said he felt religiously obligated to follow Sharia-compliant practices in a 2009 interview with The New York Times.

“Ultimately, the question is, when I die and I stand before God and go through everything I did in my life, I don’t want to say I did it the easy way instead of the Shariah-compliant way,” El-Sayed told the Times.

“Not because of fear but because of obligation.”

Sharia law traditionally prescribed death for people who leave Islam, placed strict restrictions on what women can do and allowed child marriage.

El-Sayed has spoken out against bans on Sharia law, arguing such efforts are rooted in White supremacy.

“The state of Oklahoma voted in a referendum to amend the constitution to ban Sharia law. What does that mean? I don’t know. And yet the voters banned it anyway,” he said in 2022. “The same exact forces that drove Native peoples from their land two centuries ago, destroyed Black Wall Street a century ago, bombed a building decades ago and tried to ban Sharia law not a decade ago, those forces are alive and well today.

“The reason I wanted to go all the way back to the 1830s is because you can’t understand a Sharia ban without understanding the Trail of Tears. You can’t understand the efforts to uproot Muslim Americans without understanding the Tulsa massacre. You cannot understand the challenges we face today without understanding White supremacy.”

Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report

Despite Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed denying ties to socialism, a Republican Michigan lawmaker warned his policy agenda tells a different story and predicted voters will reject it in November.

“Abdul El-Sayed can’t define what a woman is, so I’m not surprised he can’t define what socialist is,” Michigan state Rep. Bill G. Schuette told Fox News Digital.

“The facts are all the policies he supports are emblematic of the DSA movement and of this really far-left socialist idea.”

El-Sayed, a former public health official, narrowly defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., securing an upset victory for the party’s progressive wing in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary earlier this month. His nomination follows multiple primary victories by candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), including in New York, Florida and Colorado.

DEMS’ LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED’S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATE

While El-Sayed has pushed back on the socialist label, he has drawn support from political heavyweights and DSA members like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

El-Sayed previously told CBS News he wants to build a “broad coalition” of supporters of President Donald Trump and DSA members, saying he doesn’t “do ideology” but favors “solutions that solve problems.” He separately told CNN, “I believe in capitalism, I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated.”

According to Schuette, El-Sayed’s victory is evidence that the Democratic Party has “jumped the shark” by embracing more progressive candidates.

“They’ve gone down a policy rabbit hole of far-left socialism that is at odds with our way of life in Michigan and our way of life in the United States of America writ large,” he said.

Schuette said his biggest concern is that El-Sayed wants to put Michigan on “a completely different track.”

“I’m more concerned about the policies that he’s advocating for that, again, I think are at really sharp odds with the way you can start a business, start a family and live your life in Michigan,” he said.

DSA’S GROWING GRIP ON DEM PARTY HITS NEW TERRITORY AS ESTABLISHMENT FALLS IN LINE

Some of El-Sayed’s campaign priorities are abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Medicare for All, taxing billionaire wealth and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.

Schuette said affordability will be key in the midterms, saying that El-Sayed’s policies run counter to the “spirit of America.”

“The spirit of America is about entrepreneurship and American ingenuity, hard work,” he said. “Those are the types of policies that Abdul El-Sayed would work directly against.”

Schuette also took aim at El-Sayed’s association with far-left streamer Hasan Piker, who has roughly 10 million social media followers and has said “America deserved 9/11.” Piker endorsed El-Sayed and has attended several of his campaign events.

“The fact that he associates with people like Hasan Piker, who say that America deserves 9/11, I mean, that’s disgusting,” he said.

El-Sayed distanced himself from Piker after the streamer’s comments about Jewish Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee in the state’s 11th Congressional District. A recent viral audio clip, which Moss has said is fake, appeared to suggest that his entire reason for running for Congress is to make sure that America continues to support Israel.

Reacting to the clip, Piker said, “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.”

UNEARTHED CLIP OF EL-SAYED REVEALING HIS ‘HATE’ FOR ICONIC MICHIGAN TOWN SPARKS ONLINE FIRESTORM: ‘DARK HEART’

“I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople,” El-Sayed said in a statement Monday responding to Piker’s comments.

Highlighting the importance of representing Michiganders, Schuette argued El-Sayed doesn’t align with the state, pointing to his resurfaced remarks that he “hates” Mackinac Island and linking football to “toxic masculinity.”

“It doesn’t seem that he likes Michigan very much or our way in America very much either,” he said.

With the midterm elections approaching in November, Schuette said he believes voters will reject socialism and choose “an idea that looks for ways to give the American people more freedom and opportunity and more of their own money back in their own wallets.”

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“I’m confident the people in Michigan will choose that,” he said.

El-Sayed will face Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers for retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ seat in a race that could determine control of the Senate.

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.

Marcye Scott, the daughter of late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., fell short Tuesday in her bid to succeed her father in Congress for the final few months of his term, despite leading the first-round of voting last month.

Former teacher and Gwinnett County school board chairman Everton Blair defeated Scott in the special election runoff for the remainder of David Scott’s term in Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of metro Atlanta. Blair will hold the seat only through early January, when the winner of November’s regularly scheduled general election takes office.

Blair also ran in the primary to compete for a full-term, but lost to Democratic Georgia state representative Jasmine Clark in the primary earlier this year. Clark will battle Republican Jonathan Chavez in November for the seat, the official term for which will start in January 2027.

AFTER LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH, SISTER JOINS LONG LIST OF RELATIVES WHO REPLACED LATE FAMILY MEMBERS IN CONGRESS

David Scott represented the district for more than two decades before dying April 22 at age 80. At the time of his death, he was seeking a 13th term and facing a competitive Democratic primary challenge from Clark and others.

In 2024, he carried the district with roughly 72% of the vote, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris won about 71% there in the presidential race, compared with roughly 28% for President Donald Trump.

UNEARTHED INTERVIEW EXPOSES DEM SENATOR’S PAST SUPPORT FOR REPARATIONS: ‘THERE IS A DEBT UNPAID’

Marcye Scott entered Tuesday’s runoff after leading the July 28 special election with roughly 46% of the vote, compared with about 38% for Blair, but fell short of the majority required to win outright, leading to the runoff against Blair.

Blair’s victory would restore voting representation to Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th District and add another Democratic vote to the narrowly divided House for the final months of the 119th Congress. Georgia’s 13th District has been without voting representation since David Scott’s death, although his former congressional offices have remained open under the supervision of the House clerk to provide constituent services, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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According to his campaign’s website, Blair earned graduate degrees from Stanford and Harvard, previously worked with the Obama administration’s White House Initiative on Educational Excellence and, in 2018, was the first Black and youngest-ever member elected to his county’s school board.

The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete training on new public-charge guidance, temporarily stalling applications that have reached the interview stage.

The State Department told diplomatic posts to reschedule immigrant visa interviews until consular officers complete the training on how to evaluate whether an applicant is likely to become a public charge.

A public-charge determination can make an immigrant visa applicant inadmissible under federal immigration law if officials determine the person is likely to become dependent on certain forms of public assistance after arriving in the U.S.

“In early August, we launched a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide. To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted,” a State Department official said in a statement.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES SIX-FIGURE PRICE TAG FOR NEW H-1B VISAS

The official added that the training is intended to ensure evaluations of visa applicants are made “comprehensively and consistently.”

For most diplomatic posts, the training sessions are expected to take place this week.

The State Department did not say when affected applicants would be notified of their rescheduled interview dates.

The scheduling changes have sparked uncertainty among immigrant visa applicants who received emails informing them that their interviews had been canceled without instructions for immediately rescheduling them.

STATE DEPARTMENT BLASTS BACK AT ‘ROGUE JUDGE’ WHO OVERTURNED AGGRESSIVE VISA CRACKDOWN

Applicants were told they would receive future notice of a new interview date but were not given a timeline for when that communication could be expected.

The move comes as President Donald Trump pursues a broader immigration crackdown that has extended beyond illegal immigration to legal immigration pathways. While Trump campaigned in 2024 on curbing illegal immigration, his administration has also imposed additional restrictions on legal immigration, including higher fees for certain work visas and new limits on how long some foreign students and journalists can remain in the US.

The administration has also pursued visa revocations and removal proceedings in cases involving political activity and speech, including some anti-Israel activists. Those efforts have prompted court challenges alleging violations of free-speech and due-process protections.

The administration said Monday that it was preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the U.S., a move that would represent the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.

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The immigration agenda has also faced legal setbacks. On Friday, a federal judge struck down a State Department policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statutory authority.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A Seattle man accused of threatening Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson allegedly laid out a deadly plan during a hospital stay — one authorities say put the governor and those around him in danger.

The alleged scheme began to unravel after Nathaniel David Foster, 34, checked himself into Swedish First Hill on July 18, while experiencing suicidal and homicidal thoughts, charging documents reviewed by Fox News Digital state.

During an evaluation, Foster allegedly told a hospital caseworker he planned to head to Olympia and harm Ferguson. The caseworker alerted police, bringing Seattle officers and Washington State Patrol detectives into the case.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO KILL TRUMP, RUBIO AND BONDI

What Foster allegedly told them went far beyond a vague threat.

Foster allegedly described taking public transit to Olympia, then lurking near the governor’s mansion to watch where guards were positioned and when they changed shifts or took breaks. From there, authorities say, he planned to find a weak point in security and force his way inside.

ARMED MAN ARRESTED AT US CAPITOL BARRICADE AS POLICE PROBE WHY HE DROVE ONTO RESTRICTED GROUNDS

Foster allegedly said he was willing to hurt or kill anyone standing between him and the governor, the documents state.

Prosecutors say Foster believed attacking Ferguson would draw attention to grievances he had over his treatment while incarcerated at a Spokane correctional facility.

He allegedly told investigators he would do “what he has to do” to get the result he wanted.

FEMALE INMATE SUES WASHINGTON STATE AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK BY MALE-BORN PRISONER IN WOMEN’S FACILITY

Foster is charged in King County Superior Court with threatening to kill Ferguson. Prosecutors have asked a judge to set his bail at $50,000 and bar him from contacting the governor, arguing he poses a danger to the public.

The case also comes with a troubling history.

AS SOCIALIST MAYOR BATTLES ICE, SEATTLE POLICE AND CRIME VICTIMS SAY REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE TERRORIZING THE CITY

Court filings list Foster’s prior convictions for second-degree robbery in 2008, third-degree assault in 2009 and third-degree malicious mischief in 2023.

Then, in 2025, he was accused of stabbing a Ralph’s Thriftway employee in the face in Olympia after being greeted, according to the probable-cause declaration.

WHEN IS A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS TOO SEVERE FOR TELEHEALTH? WARNING SIGNS FAMILIES SHOULDN’T IGNORE

Authorities wrote that Foster said “voices in his head” told him to carry out the alleged attack and that he wanted to kill police officers and politicians.

That case was later dismissed after Foster was found not competent to stand trial, according to court records cited in the documents.

The bail filing also lists several other cases dismissed because of competency concerns, including 2025 charges of custodial assault and second-degree assault.

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Foster failed to appear for an Aug. 17 arraignment, leading a judge to confirm a bench warrant, court minutes show. He was later booked into the King County Jail on a separate third-degree malicious mischief allegation.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ferguson’s office for comment.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

A political newcomer just scored a victory in ruby-red Oklahoma, and, if elected, she would put all her energy into impeaching President Donald Trump.

N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse who has never run for office before, bested Jim Priest, a lawyer and nonprofit executive, in the runoff race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma. Thomas, though a new face, scored the highest percentage of votes in the June primary contest that featured five total candidates vying for the nomination.

It tees up a battle against history in Oklahoma, where voters haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in more than three decades.

PRIMARY TAKEAWAYS: DEMS’ LEFT-CENTER BATTLE INTENSIFIES AS SCHUMER TAKES ANOTHER HIT; SPLIT DECISION FOR TRUMP

And Thomas, who lists a host of policy proposals on her campaign website, including beefing up teacher pay, restoring Roe v. Wade, and expanding Obamacare, among other boilerplate Democratic proposals, also wants to accomplish one thing in the early days of her Senate career: impeaching Trump.

During an interview with NPR affiliate KOSU last month, Thomas was asked about the Republican nominee, Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and his “fierce” backing of Trump, and how, if elected, she would approach a working relationship with the president.

“Like I said, I’m kind, not nice. So I will make sure that I work as diligently as I can to make sure that within my first 100 days that we impeach, remove and convict,” Thomas said. “They will have to pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands before I go any further with allowing this administration to continue doing what they’re doing.”

DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CALLS TO ‘SHUT THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN,’ IMPEACH 2 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

“So, I mean, hopefully that’s a good answer,” she continued. “But I am going to remove, impeach, remove and convict. That’s it. Like that’s all. That’s the answer.”

First, she’d have to survive Election Night in November against Hern, a tall task given that Trump won Oklahoma by nearly 35 points in 2024.

Though Thomas has pulled off two underdog performances, earning roughly 45% of the vote during her first go-round for the Democratic nomination and then defeating Priest with no political experience, Hern is a different matter.

DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT

He’s amassed an impressive campaign war chest that at one point peaked at nearly $10 million so far this cycle. Thomas, however, has raised just shy of $60,000.

He also boasts the endorsement of Trump and has touted his desire to pass the president’s biggest policy priority, the SAVE America Act.

Hern noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that Oklahomans “love President Trump and the America First Agenda.”

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“Socialist Democrats like N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas are wildly out of touch with the values of Oklahomans and the direction they want our country moving toward,” Hern said. “President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas and the radical left are focused on partisan politics against a president Oklahomans overwhelmingly elected.”

More than a dozen New York sheriffs are suing over a state law prohibiting law enforcement from entering into or maintaining certain agreements with ICE for civil immigration enforcement, as Gov. Kathy Hochul dared the agency heads to “bring it on.”

A federal lawsuit led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault argues that the law is unconstitutional and unlawfully restricts elected sheriffs’ ability to enter into federally authorized immigration-enforcement agreements.

“Today, Kathy Hochul escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded polices to put criminals before the citizens of New York,” Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on Tuesday.

The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which Hochul signed in May, took effect on Tuesday, barring local and state law enforcement agencies from entering into partnerships with federal authorities to assist on civil immigration matters. The law also bars new agreements to house civil immigration detainees; existing detention agreements must be terminated under their applicable termination provisions within three months of the law’s effective date.

BORDER CZAR HOMAN VOWS TO ‘FLOOD’ NEW YORK WITH ICE AGENTS DESPITE HOCHUL’S RESISTANCE

Police may still assist ICE in cases of violent or other forms of non-immigration crime, but officers may not divert local resources to help with civil immigration enforcement as part of an effort to advance President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Hochul threatened to sue localities that refuse to end cooperation agreements with ICE, setting up a confrontation between herself and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, as his county is among those with agreements with ICE.

“No county executive should think that they are above the law in the state of New York,” Hochul said at a press conference on Tuesday.

She said any police department or sheriff’s office that ignores the law and maintains an agreement with ICE will face legal action.

“And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, bring it on,” the governor declared.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW YORK LAW BANNING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS

New York Attorney General Letitia James also issued subpoenas to law enforcement agencies that either did not confirm plans to end their agreements or failed to provide what her office viewed as a satisfactory response. The subpoenas were sent to the sheriff’s offices of Broome, Steuben, Nassau and Rensselaer counties, as well as the Nassau County Police Department.

If the agencies fail to comply, the attorney general is vowing to file a civil suit, a spokesperson for her office told CBS News.

Hochul has said law enforcement will assist ICE “only if a real crime has been committed” but officers cannot use resources to help on civil immigration matters.

“Because we need local cops hunting down criminals, not kindergartners. Breaking up drug rings, not breaking up families. Arresting gun runners, not grandmas,” Hochul said.

Blakeman, who held a press conference at the same time as Hochul’s, did not address whether he would comply with the state’s orders, but he later told the New York Post he would “probably” join the sheriffs’ lawsuit.

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He has previously defended working with ICE to remove illegal immigrants, claiming at a recent event with Trump that about 2,000 of these individuals in his county have criminal records.

“Kathy Hochul, where do you want those guns? What neighborhood do you want to destroy? Where do you want those drugs? What community do you want to destroy? Where do you want those illegal immigrants with criminal records to live? You want it back in New York? We say no,” Blakeman said at the time.

The Department of Homeland Security said Hochul “must stop putting politics above public safety.”

“This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims,” a department spokesperson told the New York Post.

Mike Mazzei, a former Oklahoma state senator and financial planner, won a primary election runoff on Tuesday evening with the backing of President Donald Trump to secure the GOP nomination for governor in Oklahoma.

Having beaten out Genter Drummond, the current Oklahoma attorney general, Mazzei is now the heavy favorite to become the Sooner State’s next governor. His win is also a political victory for outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has opposed Drummond for years.

Stitt and Drummond have sparred over lawsuits, pointed letters and public criticisms. At one point, Stitt even described Drummond as a “longtime political enemy” in a quote to local outlets.

TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE SPARKS RUNOFF AGAINST POPULAR PROSECUTOR IN KEY GUBERNATORIAL RACE

The feud between them centers on Drummond’s attacks of Oklahoma poultry companies for what he sees as decades of phosphorus pollution in water supplies. Stitt has rebuffed those characterizations, calling them an overreach of Drummond’s role as attorney general and warning that litigation against the companies could threaten jobs and the agricultural industry of the state.

Stitt endorsed Mazzei, stating that “we want a pro-business governor in there to take the lead for the next four years.”

Stitt is prevented by term limits from running again. His exit prompted a crowded field of hopefuls to replace him, but after an initial primary on June 2, no candidate secured the 50% support needed to lock up the nomination outright.

Only Drummond and Mazzei advanced to a runoff.

Like Stitt, President Donald Trump also endorsed Mazzei, calling him a “MAGA warrior.”

“As a successful Businessman, and former Chairman of the State Senate Finance Committee, and later, as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Budget, Mike knows the AMERICA FIRST Policies required to Grow our Economy, Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE,” Trump wrote in a May post to Truth Social.

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Mazzei based his campaign on promises to cut taxes, among other state-government reforms.

“I have a detailed plan to eliminate Oklahoma’s income tax in six years. I have a plan to eliminate property taxes for seniors and veterans,” Mazzei said in a campaign video posted to Instagram.

In addition to tax reforms, Mazzei highlighted preventing foreign nationals from buying up state land, bolstering the Oklahoma education system and government spending accountability.

In turn, Mazzei tried to paint Drummond as a fake Republican with a penchant for expanding government.

“His solution to every problem is to raise taxes and grow government,” Mazzei said.

“He doesn’t understand money and finance. Crunching numbers is a skill you pick up when you earn your wealth rather than inherit it.”

In his own campaign, Drummond, a multigenerational rancher and former fighter pilot, highlighted his record as attorney general. On his website, he touted having confronted Chinese criminal operations growing illegal marijuana farms, shutting down thousands of their illegal grow operations and enforcing immigration law.

“As a tough-on-crime attorney general and decorated fighter pilot, I have proven I will always fight for our freedom and defend our values,” Drummond said in a campaign video.

TRUMP SWITCHES SUPPORT IN OKLAHOMA CONGRESSIONAL RACE AS FORMERLY ENDORSED PASTOR CANDIDATE SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN

“I’ll keep standing strong with President Trump to secure the border, deport illegals and stop the flow of drugs and crime,” Drummond said.

The Club for Growth, a pro-small-government group that advocates for lower taxes and free-market principles and contributed $9 million in support of Mazzei, praised his win.

“Mike Mazzei is a principled conservative who will advocate for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and for Oklahoma parents to have a voice in their children’s education,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Meanwhile, Gentner Drummond has spent his career putting radical education bureaucrats ahead of families by opposing school freedom. The message is clear, if you oppose school freedom and call yourself a Republican, expect to lose your next primary.”

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Having cleared the primary, Mazzei will face off against Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson, House minority leader in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The general election is set for Nov. 3.

Dolly Parton spent decades singing about love, heartbreak, faith and working “9 to 5,” but there was one arena the country music legend repeatedly resisted entering: partisan politics.

“I am not political, and I refuse to get caught up in political things,” Parton told USA Today in a 2020 interview.

Parton, who died Tuesday at 80, maintained that position through the presidential elections, pointed questions about President Donald Trump, offers of the nation’s highest civilian honor and controversies involving some of her fellow entertainers.

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“I don’t like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats,” Parton told USA Today. “I don’t want to offend anybody, I have a right to myself.”

“Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you’ve got to be responsible for anything you say and do,” she added.

Two years earlier, Parton was repeatedly pressed about Trump during an interview with ABC’s David Wright, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

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“I have a lot of fans out there, and I don’t want to offend anybody,” Parton said.

When Wright attempted to draw a parallel between Trump and the sexually abusive boss in Parton’s 1980 film “9 to 5,” she refused to bite.

“I’m not addressing that,” Parton said. “I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. … I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer.”

When Wright pointed out that Parton was also a role model, she responded: “Yes I am. That’s why I don’t talk about people.”

JOHNNY CARSON’S FRIEND SAYS LATE-NIGHT KING WISELY AVOIDED PARTISANSHIP AS KIMMEL CONTROVERSY GROWS

Parton’s determination to avoid partisan politics with one of America’s highest honors.

She revealed in 2021 that the Trump administration had twice offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Parton said she declined the first offer because her husband, Carl Dean, was ill and the second because she would not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the BBC.

By then, the Biden administration had also approached her about the award. “Now I feel like if I take it, it’ll be doing politics, so I’m not so sure,” Parton told NBC’s “Today.”

MICK JAGGER DOESN’T WANT TO ‘LECTURE’ FANS, SAYS HIS JOB IS TO MAKE PEOPLE ‘HAVE THE BEST TIME’
 

Her aversion to political camps did not mean she kept quiet about everything she believed.

“I know whatever I say, people are going to listen, and they’re going to make more of it than maybe what I meant. So I have to be careful,” Parton told People in 2021. “Of course I have my opinion, but I’m not an opinionated person as a rule. You’re allowed your own beliefs and your own faith, but you don’t have to use it like a weapon when it could be a tool.”

Parton’s political neutrality was something she could joke about.

“My daddy was a Republican, my mama was a Democrat, and I’m a hypocrite!” Parton famously quipped, pronouncing ‘hypocrite’ as ‘hypo-crat’ in her iconic Tennessee drawl.

DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80

Parton’s philosophy was tested again when she recorded a duet with Kid Rock for her 2023 album, “Rockstar.”

Parton defended working with the conservative musician after she was questioned about the collaboration, telling The Hollywood Reporter that she had recorded the song before a controversy involving Kid Rock but would likely have worked with him anyway, according to Rolling Stone.

“Hey, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock. Just because I love Kid Rock don’t mean I don’t love you,” Parton said. “I don’t condemn or criticize. I just accept and love.”

Parton said she still would “probably” have recorded the duet because she considered Kid Rock talented and believed accepting someone did not require agreeing with everything they did.

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“I think that’s terrible,” Parton said, according to Rolling Stone. “We all make mistakes. We don’t all get caught at it.”

Parton tied that belief to her Christian faith, arguing that people deserved forgiveness and second chances.

“I ask God every day to let Him shine through me. He’s given me that gift to be able to talk to them, and I’m very careful with it. And people don’t really come to see me be me — they come to see me be them, the parts of me they can relate to,” she told People in 2021.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Parton clarified that she had not endorsed Hillary Clinton after comments she made about the Democratic nominee were interpreted as an endorsement, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Asked later about the race between Clinton and Trump, Parton jokingly called the campaign “the greatest show on television,” and described both candidates as “nuts.”

Even running for president herself wasn’t entertained by the iconic entertainer for a moment.

“No. I don’t think anybody could actually do a great job at that,” Parton told Metro in 2023, according to People. “I think we’ve had enough ‘boobs’ in the White House.”

Parton said she preferred trying to make a difference through music and the way she treated others.

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“I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart,” she said. “Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things.”

Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer,” according to her representatives. At her request, a small, private service will be held for her immediate family, with the family asking for donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library rather than flowers.

A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July.

Just a little over a month after his death at 71 years old, South Carolinians opted to stick with a familiar name in Graham, who despite having little political experience prior to her appointment to finish out the remainder of her brother’s term, scored Trump’s coveted endorsement.

DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT

Though her appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was viewed as temporary, Trump pushed her to run beyond the five months left in her brother’s term.

“Darline is somebody I’ve known for a long time,” Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. “I asked her to do this. I said, ‘Darline, you got to do it,’ because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her.”

“So I’ve known her through Lindsey — I’ve known her for so long,” he continued. “I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me.”

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER ADMITS SHE’S ‘NOT THAT INFORMED ON NATIONAL SECURITY’ WHILE SEEKING FULL SENATE TERM

And Trump sent in last-minute financial reinforcements to help her, following a gaffe during her final debate with Norman when she admitted that she had little knowledge of the strategic importance of Taiwan.

Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign.

Trump’s mammoth, $400 million campaign war chest through MAGA Inc., which has largely been untapped this cycle despite a handful of Senate races shifting in power dynamics across the country, dumped over $800,000 into a phone campaign in support of Graham over the weekend, according to campaign finance records.

While Graham styled herself as a more home front than abroad focused candidate, she made one thing clear through debates and limited campaign time: a vote for her was a vote for the Trump agenda.

RALPH NORMAN SUGGESTS SPECIAL GOP PRIMARY RUNOFF RIVAL DARLINE GRAHAM IS THE ESTABLISHMENT’S CHOSEN CANDIDATE

She targeted Norman for bucking House Republican leadership, and, at times, Trump, but noted, “We already have enough problem Democrats, we don’t need a problem Republican.”

And though she’s only been in the Senate for a handful of weeks, Graham argued to voters that she’d done more than Norman had in his entire congressional career, touting the passage of the long-awaited bipartisan Russia sanctions package initially pushed by her brother, but at times slowed by the White House.

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“I was in Washington for only two weeks before I passed the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act through the Senate,” Graham said. “I then passed the deciding vote to confirm President Trump’s attorney general, Todd Blanche.”

“Simply put, I’ve done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years.”

President Donald Trump ordered American flags lowered across the United States for one week Tuesday, as he mourned the death of country music icon Dolly Parton, telling the legendary singer, “The World loves you.”

Parton died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, according to an announcement shared by her representatives. She was 80.

“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”

DOLLY PARTON’S ONGOING HEALTH BATTLE FORCES COUNTRY LEGEND TO MISS MAJOR DOLLYWOOD EVENT

Trump then announced a presidential tribute to Parton.

“In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM,” Trump wrote. “Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you.”

Trump’s tribute came as Parton’s family and representatives remembered a woman whose influence stretched far beyond the country music stages that made her famous.

“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family,” the announcement said. “Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience.”

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Parton, born Jan. 19, 1946, had a seven-decade career spanning music, songwriting, acting, writing and philanthropy.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in 2025, as well as her mother, Avie Lee Caroline Owens, and father, Robert Lee Parton Sr., according to the announcement.

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At Parton’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Fans and friends were encouraged to pay tribute on social media or through Parton’s official website.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

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Parton’s nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, also shared a video message following her death.

Tributes quickly poured in from Tennessee and across the country.

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“There are no words to adequately express the sorrow our family and indeed, all Tennesseans, feel in the loss of Dolly Parton,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote on X. “An iconic leader who loved our great state and nation. Her passing leaves a void that no one can ever fill. Dolly, we will always love you.”

House Republicans called Parton “an American icon” and “a national treasure,” praising her as “a legendary artist, a generous philanthropist, and a proud daughter of Tennessee whose music and spirit touched generations of Americans.”

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Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., remembered Parton as “an incredible East Tennessean” who “never changed her accent or forgot where she came from.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his state would also lower its flags in Parton’s honor.

“So sad to lose this legend,” Abbott wrote on X. “Texas will lower our flags in her honor. God Bless Dolly.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said “America has lost a true national treasure,” pointing to Parton’s Tennessee roots, worldwide success and philanthropy.

“Dolly Parton’s unmistakable voice, joyful spirit, and remarkable generosity touched generations of Americans and many others around the world,” Johnson wrote. “From the mountains of Tennessee to stages across the globe, she never forgot where she came from, and she used her extraordinary success to lift up countless others.”

The Department of the Interior paid tribute to Parton’s deep connection to her Tennessee roots and the Great Smoky Mountains.

“Dolly Parton carried the music, stories and spirit of her Tennessee mountain home wherever she went,” the department said. “She was a lifelong champion of the Great Smoky Mountains and proudly shared her love for them with the world.”

The Franklin Police Department also mourned the singer, saying her “roots and heart were always deeply connected to Tennessee.”

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Parton’s family said the music and generosity that defined her extraordinary life would endure.

“Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages,” the announcement said, “and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”

Georgia secured a major victory Tuesday in its long-running redistricting battle after a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that the state’s 2021 maps violated the Voting Rights Act, sending the case back for a complete re-evaluation.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the lower court must determine whether there was a “strong inference” that the maps were intentionally drawn to dilute Black voting power, rather than simply finding that the maps had a discriminatory effect under permissible partisan gerrymandering.

The decision follows a major Supreme Court ruling in a similar Louisiana case that significantly modified the legal framework for determining racial discrimination in redistricting. The high court said plaintiffs must provide evidence of “present-day intentional racial discrimination.”

“Plaintiffs must be able to show that voters are engaged in racial-bloc voting because of race, not partisan affiliation,” the ruling stated.

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In 2023, a federal judge ruled that Georgia’s congressional and state legislative maps drawn after the 2020 census violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and issued a permanent injunction barring Georgia from using the maps in future elections.

The lower court specifically ordered the state to create additional majority-Black districts across the state Senate, state House of Representatives and U.S. congressional districts.

Meanwhile, a similar redistricting battle was unfolding in Louisiana, where Robinson v. Ardoin challenged the state’s congressional map, which initially included just one majority-Black district out of six.

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A federal court later ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering Louisiana to create a second majority-Black district after finding that the original map violated the Voting Rights Act.

However, a group of non-minority voters later challenged the new map, arguing that the newly created district amounted to racial gerrymandering and violated the 14th and 15th Amendments.

In the second lawsuit, Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act while clarifying how courts should evaluate claims of racial discrimination in redistricting. The ruling emphasized the need for evidence supporting a “strong inference” of intentional discrimination, rather than relying solely on the effects of a map.

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The decision also altered the legal framework federal courts have used for decades to evaluate racial vote-dilution claims. Established in the Supreme Court’s 1986 ruling in Thornburg v. Gingles, the Gingles framework generally did not require plaintiffs to prove that lawmakers acted with racial intent and instead focused on whether a voting system had discriminatory effects.

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The Georgia case will now return to the district court for reconsideration under the Supreme Court’s framework established in Louisiana v. Callais.

A Clinton-appointed judge in Ohio is blocking the implementation of an Ohio law that requires voting registrants to provide photo ID proof of their citizenship before enrollment.

In a decision delivered on Tuesday, Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. stayed the law, citing what he saw as a conflict with federal requirements.

“The court grants plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction … from relying on House Bill 54’s amendment to require any driver’s license or renewal to produce documentary proof of citizenship before offering the opportunity to register to vote,” Oliver wrote.

The decision is just the latest development in the national debate over state-level voting requirements designed to prevent non-citizens from participating in U.S. elections — and how far those requirements can go without overarching federal reforms. 

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Most immediately, the decision means that voter registrants in Ohio can once again enroll without a passport, a current driver’s license, a certification of naturalization, or a birth certificate.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced on Tuesday that his office plans to appeal the decision.

“We strongly disagree with that decision, and I’ve asked our legal team to file an immediate appeal. I will vigorously defend our legal authority to safeguard our voter rolls and protect the integrity of Ohio’s elections,” LaRose said in a statement.

In the case of Red Wine & Blue v. the Ohio Secretary of State, the court was asked to weigh whether requirements under the new Ohio law conflict with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the “Motor Voter Act.”

That law, passed in 1993 under the Clinton administration, instructs states to give voters the opportunity to register to vote using the same information they use when applying for a driver’s license. The bill was originally intended to increase voter participation.

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It states that “the voter registration application portion … for a driver’s license may not require any information that duplicates information required in the driver’s license portion of the form.”

Notably, the NVRA doesn’t explicitly prohibit states from requiring proof of citizenship. But because virtually all driver’s license forms ask about citizenship status, Oliver believes further proof amounts to redundancy.

He laid out his view in Tuesday’s decision.

“As the rest of Ohio’s voter registration scheme demonstrates, election officials do not need documentary proof of citizenship to assess a voter registration applicant’s citizenship because signed attestation of citizenship is enough,” Oliver wrote.

LaRose, the secretary of state, disagreed. He cited instances of known voter fraud that have escaped detection because of the current enforcement mechanisms.

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“Earlier this year, an Ohio woman admitted to voting illegally as a lawful permanent resident in 2018 because, according to the judge in the case, ‘a [Bureau of Motor Vehicles] clerk, a government official, told her to register.’ The court found her not guilty by reason of entrapment. The judge specifically noted that the voter admitted she knew she was not a citizen when she voted, but he found that the BMV employee misled her into violating the law by implying she was eligible to vote.”

“The Franklin County case proves it’s not enough to just have a person’s attestation,” LaRose added. “Ohio has a constitutional requirement to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections.”