NationalWatch

A Democrat representing a swing House district announced Thursday she would not be running for re-election in 2024 because the race is “rigged” against her.

In a statement announcing her decision, Rep. Kathy Manning, who represents North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District, accused the Republican-led state legislature of passing “flagrantly gerrymandered Congressional districts” to reduce the number of Democrats representing those districts.

“I would love nothing more than to continue representing our community in Congress. Unfortunately, the egregiously gerrymandered maps do not make this race competitive, and I cannot in good conscience ask people to invest their time, resources and efforts in a campaign that is rigged against us,” Manning said.

NAME-CALLING, PERSONAL JABS ROUND OUT TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM THE FIERY REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN ALABAMA

She added that she would reconsider her decision not to run if pending lawsuits force the state legislature to redraw the districts.

Manning called the district boundaries “shameful,” and claimed Republicans knew they couldn’t “win under fair districts.” She specifically cited how the Democratic stronghold of Greensboro, North Carolina was split between three different districts that include more rural areas in the new map.

“As a Greensboro resident of forty years, I am disgusted by the callous disregard of Republican leaders for the citizens of my district. Politicians should not choose their voters; voters should choose their representatives,” she said.

WHO WERE THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE? PUNDITS NAME THEIR PICKS

“It is a true privilege to represent my community in Congress. I am deeply grateful for all the constituents who have placed their trust in me, shared their concerns and triumphs, and welcomed me into their homes, businesses, and places of worship,” she added.

A lawsuit seeking to strike down the new map, which was approved in October, was filed in federal court on Monday, arguing it weakens minority voting power and violates the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit specifically challenges four districts where the plaintiffs argue the state legislature minimized the voting strength of minorities, thereby strengthening “the state’s white majority,” and are asking for a new map to be drawn.

HERE ARE THE TOP MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ‘HANNITY’ TOWN HALL

Should the map remain in place, Republicans will be in a good position to win 10 of the 14 congressional districts in North Carolina. The districts are currently split between the two parties at seven apiece.

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The additional three-seat flip would also boost Republicans’ narrow majority in the House of Representatives, which stands at 221-213. There is one vacancy following the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., last week.

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A new book reveals that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., squared off with Planned Parenthood in a dispute that eventually left her “floored” as she faced resistance on eliminating the Hyde Amendment, a top liberal priority.

“The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution” by The Intercept’s Ryan Grim, which was released on Tuesday, provides an insider account of the progressive movement, specifically the “Squad.” One chapter describes a series of events beginning in spring 2019 where presidential candidate Joe Biden was facing “intense backlash” from his party for defending the Hyde Amendment, barring federal money for paying for abortions, and Ocasio-Cortez noted that the amendment was still in the Democrat appropriations bill.

“Let’s take it out,” Ocasio-Cortez is said to have told her colleagues, since the Hyde Amendment was widely opposed by most Democrats and it “seemed like an easy one,” according to Grim’s book, with some Democrats thinking it was left in the bill by mistake.

AOC CLAIMS WOMEN WILL FACE DOCTOR EXAMS IF BIOLOGICAL MEN BARRED FROM FEMALE SPORTS

Ocasio-Cortez soon learned that it wasn’t a mistake, and she was reportedly told by fellow Democrats, including Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, that Senate Republicans and President Trump would never go along with a bill that stripped the Hyde Amendment so she should drop the idea.

That’s when Ocasio-Cortez is said to have approached Planned Parenthood and, much to her chagrin, her former aide Dan Riffle was met with resistance. 

“AOC’s staff reached out to natural allies on the issue, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL, Pro-Choice America the biggest pro-choice players on the Hill,” Grim wrote. “Publicly, they were strident opponents of the Hyde Amendment and had lambasted Biden for his support of it. Riffle first spoke with Jacqueline Ayers, the top lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, and was surprised to learn that the organization did not want Democrats to try and remove the Hyde Amendment. Planned Parenthood’s reasoning was similar to DeLauro’s: we don’t have the votes in the Senate so we’ll lose.”

AOC’S LIFE ‘TRANSFORMED’ FOR THE BETTER AFTER PELOSI’S SPEAKER STEPDOWN, UPCOMING BOOK REVEALS

Riffle, according to the book, was told that Planned Parenthood would have to “score” the vote and push Democrats to oppose it if the Hyde Amendment were in it, since that was a stated goal of theirs, and that would force them to give Democrats a bad score, which could hurt their re-election chances.

“But Riffle argued, ‘Isn’t it your mission to repeal Hyde and protect abortion rights?’” the book details. “‘Yes,’ she told him. ‘But we can’t do that if Democrats lose the majority so protecting them is the first order of business.’”

REPUBLICANS CAN WIN ON ABORTION IF PRO-LIFERS TELL THEIR STORIES

After being told by NARAL that they agreed with Planned Parenthood, Riffle relented but said he did not agree with the strategy and was “discouraged” by it.

Shortly afterward, Biden reversed his position on the Hyde Amendment in an Atlanta speech. 

“Ocasio-Cortez was floored,” Grim wrote. “How was Joe Biden to the left of Planned Parenthood and NARAL on abortion rights? It made no sense.”

“They’re one-daying us,” former top AOC aide Ariel Eckblad said, according to Grim.

Grim wrote that AOC continued to “push” the abortion rights group, and they reached out to her directly to set up a meeting with women of color who support abortion, hoping that they could “sway” her. 

“At the last minute, AOC didn’t show up, sending an aide instead,” Grim wrote. “She was still intent on repeal.”

Grim wrote that AOC eventually worked with fellow squad member Ayanna Pressley to introduce an amendment that ultimately failed to make waves.

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“Ocasio-Cortez spoke to Pressley, who was the chair of a caucus dedicated to promoting abortion rights, and agreed to cede the issue to her,” Grim wrote. “Pressley ended up writing an amendment that, for procedural reasons, was expected not to get through the rules committee. That would allow opponents of Hyde to make a run at it without forcing a vote or even a debate on the floor.”

“As expected, the Pressley amendment was rejected before it could get to the floor. A Planned Parenthood official followed up by complaining to Ocasio-Cortez’s office that Riffle had been too gruff on the phone.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office and Planned Parenthood but did not immediately receive a response. 

Republicans and Democrats remain at loggerheads over solutions to the ongoing migrant crisis, leading to gridlock over a supplemental spending bill – even as President Biden says he is open to “significant compromises” on the matter.

Senate Republicans, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blocked a Democratic emergency spending measure on Wednesday that would have provided funding for Israel, Ukraine and the border but did not include border security measures sought by Republicans in the House and Senate. Republicans cited the lack of inclusion of additional border policy changes, specifically limits on asylum and humanitarian parole, as the reason for their no votes.

The White House made its $110 billion supplemental funding request in October and included $14 billion for border security – including money for shelter and services, more hiring of officials, transportation, and resources for an expansion of expedited removal. The Democratic proposal on Wednesday included many of those measures.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT DAILY RECORD AT SOUTHERN BORDER AS WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO AGREE ON SOLUTIONS

Republicans, however, have called for sweeping changes to the border, including heightened “credible fear” standards for asylum seekers and limits on the administration’s use of parole to release migrants by the tens of thousands each month into the interior. Some conservatives have called for the inclusion of the entirety of the House GOP’s signature border legislation, which would also reinstate Remain-in-Mexico and restart the border wall, and have warned they will torpedo a spending bill if it does not include it.

A Senate working group put forward proposals largely drawn from that bill, but they were soon shot down both by the White House and Senate Democratic leadership as a “non-starter.”

Some Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have said they would only accept policy changes if accompanied by amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. – something that would almost certainly be rejected by Republicans, and would be anathema to the Republican base. 

Other Democrats are reportedly open to raising the “credible fear” standard but have ruled out changes to parole, which is being used to bring in tens of thousands of migrants each month via the CBP One app at the border, as well as by the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) program. It has also been used to bring in Afghans and Ukrainians in the last year via separate parole programs. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Thursday that the asylum standards, specifically the “credible fear” initial screening, was key.

“You’ve got to change the asylum system,” he said, arguing that migrants were being drawn to the border by the knowledge that, in many cases, they’ll be released into the U.S. with a court date years in the future.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was clear that anything without border policy changes would not get Republican support.

REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS, DEMAND DEMS FACE BORDER CRISIS AS BIDEN UKRAINE PLAN HANGS IN BALANCE

“Fixing a badly broken asylum and parole system isn’t ‘hijacking’ the supplemental. It’s strengthening it,” he said on Wednesday evening. “Securing our southern border isn’t extraneous to our national security. It’s essential. I know some of our Democratic colleagues understand this.”

Meanwhile, the administration has repeatedly said it is open to negotiations and compromises but has also said there are limits to what it is willing to accept on anything that would limit asylum and parole.

President Biden on Wednesday said he was willing to make “significant compromises” on the border, including policy changes.

 “I am willing to make significant compromises on the border. We need to fix the broken border system,” he said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was more cautious, suggesting officials would not agree to anything that would damage the United States’ “international obligations.”

“We’ve presented proposals that address the situation, that provide real practical solutions and also do not do violence to our fundamental values,” he said on CNN. “We are a country of refugees. We do have asylum laws. We do have refugee laws. We abide by our international obligations that are long-standing,” he said. “And so that is my response to that.” 

“Some of the [Republican] proposals are reasonable and worthy of discussion. Others are, frankly, not,” he said.

The administration has repeatedly said it is pursuing a policy of expanding “lawful pathways” while increasing “consequences” for illegal entry, but needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration, and say more border security, limits on releases into the interior, and a return to Trump-era policies are needed.

Meanwhile, some Democrats accused Republicans of not being flexible enough.

“They have to figure out whether they want to negotiate or whether they want to make take-it-or-leave-it demands,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said.

However, as Washington tries to find any sort of agreement, the border remains in chaos. Tuesday set a daily record for migrant encounters, exceeding 12,000 encounters. 

As of Wednesday morning, the agency has over 22,000 migrants in custody, with several major Border Patrol sectors running heavily over capacity, sources told Fox News.

Fiscal Year 23 hit a new record of 2.4 million migrant encounters, with September hitting the highest monthly total ever recorded, at over 260,000 encounters. October saw slightly fewer, with over 240,000 encounters, but that was still a record for October.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ambassador Nikki Haley faced sharp criticism at the final GOP primary debate off 2023 on Wednesday night as her surging campaign was slammed for what her opponents say is a record that is not conservative enough and weak on social issues like ESG, transgender policies, and free speech.

“Nikki Haley she caves any time the left comes after any time the media comes after her,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in the debate during an argument over transgender bathroom bills and how each of them approached the issue as governor.  

“You killed it, I signed it, I stood up for little girls,” DeSantis said, accusing Haley of not doing enough to push bathroom bills as the two went back and forth on previous statements and positions.

Haley was also slammed by her opponents for not being conservative enough on ESG issues, meeting with supporters of ESG and taking money from Democrat donors. 

NIKKI HALEY LAUNCHES FIRST CAMPAIGN AD, CALLS FOR ‘MORAL CLARITY,’ MOVING ON FROM ‘CHAOS AND DRAMA’

Vivek Ramaswamy, who accused Haley of playing “identity politics”, criticized Haley for meeting with BlackRock’s Larry Fink, a proponent of ESG.

“One of Nikki Haley’s largest supporters, Larry Fink, the king of the woke industrial complex, the ESG movement, the CEO of BlackRock, the most powerful company in the world, now supporting Nikki Haley,” Ramaswamy said, adding that her campaign launch video “sounded like a woke Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light ad talking about how she would kick in heels at the first debate.”

“I took $2 billion away from BlackRock,” DeSantis said. “We took action. This ESG, they call it environment, Social governance. And again, Nikki is meeting with all these people. They want to use economic power to impose a left wing agenda on this country.”

HALEY CELEBRATES MOMENTUM AS GOP RIVALS RAMP UP ATTACKS: ‘THESE GUYS KNOW WE’RE SURGING’

Haley has previously criticized “stakeholder capitalism” writing in a 2020 Wall Street Journal op-ed that it “retains the word capitalism but abandons its meaning.”

DeSantis and Ramaswamy both promoted the idea that Haley taking money from liberal donors, including a liberal mega donor who gave her super PAC $250,000 this week,  would make her beholden to those donors in the future.

“Nikki will cave to those big donors when it counts,” DeSantis said.

Haley was also criticized over her record on free speech related to her previous comments saying her administration crackdown on anonymous accounts online.  

“It’s something that’s important, and especially given how conservatives have been attacked and they’ve lost jobs and they’ve been canceled,” DeSantis said, pointing out that the authors of the Federalist Papers used pseudonyms. “You know, the regime would use that to weaponize that against our own people.”

Ramaswamy piled on and said her position was “more dangerous than the Democrats.”

“You’re lying,” Haley shot back. 

Haley also faced similar criticisms on social media during the debate related to her perceived coziness with liberal donors. 

“What’s not fine is Nikki Haley caving on every issue that matters most to Republicans,” political strategist David Polyansky posted on X. “She has sold out parents, conservative principles and our party in order to side with her Democrat donors.”

RAMASWAMY SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM OVER ‘NIKKI = CORRUPT’ SIGN AT GOP DEBATE

Haley, whose campaign was the top search on Google on debate night, dismissed many of the criticisms from her opponents at one point remarking that they were “jealous” and they “wish they were supporting them.”

Haley addressed the criticism that she would be beholden to liberal donors and ESG supporters in one of her debate responses. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“As much as Ron says that it’s not true,” Haley said. “But when it comes to these corporate people that want to suddenly support us, we’ll take it. But I don’t ask them what they support. They ask me what my policies are and I tell them what it is. Sometimes they agree with me sometimes they don’t.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Haley spokesperson Ken Farnaso said the attacks on her in the debate were a sign of desperation. 

“This is the sign of a desperate, losing candidate, and Ron DeSantis is both losing and desperate, “Farnaso said. 

“Everyone knows Nikki was the conservative, outsider governor in South Carolina. She took on the establishment and Barack Obama—and won. She cracked down on illegal immigration, implemented E-Verify, opposed Wall Street bailouts, protected life, cut taxes, expanded Second Amendment rights, and signed the first anti-BDS bill in the country. The more Ron DeSantis loses, the more he lies.”

A Democratic senator in Pennsylvania and his likely GOP challenger both blasted UPenn’s president for her response to antisemitism on campus.

Republican candidate Dave McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, West Point graduate, Gulf War combat veteran and Treasury Department official in former President George W. Bush’s administration, called on the University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees to immediately remove President Liz Magill following her testimony before the House Education and Workforce Committee. At the hearing, House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., pressed Magill, and the presidents of Harvard and MIT, on whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated the Ivy League school’s code of conduct on bullying or harassment, but their unclear responses drew swift backlash. 

“For weeks, I’ve watched President Magill fail to respond appropriately as antisemitic incidents mounted on her campus. Yesterday, Magill was repeatedly asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violates Penn’s rules or code of conduct, and she repeatedly failed to answer affirmatively,” McCormick said in a statement shared on X Wednesday. 

UPENN PRESIDENT TORCHED OVER ANTISEMITIC SPEAKERS, TEACHERS ALLOWED ON CAMPUS BUT NOT TRUMP ICE DIRECTOR

“This is completely unacceptable from the leader of one of America’s top universities. I today call on Penn’s board of trustees to immediately removed President Magill and replace her with a leader who understands that calling for genocide against Jews is wrong, and it must be combated,” he said. “Based on President Magill’s performance in the Congress yesterday, she lacks the depth, understanding and awareness of how antisemitism is real and how it must be fought. She has failed the students of Penn, its alumni and our state. This is a scary time for the Jewish community, and every person in a position of power must unequivocally support them and put a stop to antisemitism at every opportunity.” 

HARVARD, MIT AND UPENN PRESIDENTS PRESSED ON ‘RACE-BASED IDEOLOGY OF THE RADICAL LEFT’ AT ANTISEMITISM HEARING

McCormick is running to unseat Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who also condemned Magill’s remarks. 

“President Magill’s comments yesterday were offensive, but equally offensive was what she didn’t say. The right to free speech is fundamental, but calling for the genocide of Jews is antisemitic and harassment, full stop,” Casey wrote on X. The senator stopped short of calling for Magill to resign or be removed. 

When asked if Casey also supports Magill’s ouster, a spokesperson for the Democratic senator told Fox News Digital, “Like Governor Shapiro, Senator Casey wants UPenn’s board to meet and determine whether President Magill’s comments align with the university’s values.” 

Magill, meanwhile, attempted to walk back her rhetoric in a video statement shared Wednesday. 

“There was a moment during yesterday’s congressional hearing on antisemitism when I was asked if a call for the genocide of Jewish people on our campus would violate our policies. In that moment, I was focused on our university’s long-standing policies aligned with the U.S. Constitution, which says that speech alone is not punishable,” Magill said on camera. “I was not focused on, but I should have been, on the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate. It’s evil. Plain and simple.” 

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“A call for genocide of Jewish people is threatening, deeply so. It is intentionally meant to terrify people who have been subjected to pogroms and hatred for centuries and were the victims of mass genocide in the Holocaust. In my view, it would be harassment or intimidation,” she added.

FIRST ON FOX: After months of holding military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., relented this week amid growing calls from lawmakers – including some in his party – to drop them. He blamed Democrat senators for not coming to the table to negotiate.

“I couldn’t get anybody to negotiate,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Democrats cared nothing about negotiating, and they wanted to stick by the unlawful executive order.”

Tuberville released all holds except about a dozen four-star generals, which he said he’ll likely vote for when they’re brought to the floor. 

The Alabama Republican’s change of tune comes as a Democrat-led effort to change Senate rules to allow hundreds of promotions to proceed without voting individually was gaining momentum from lawmakers, including some in his own party. 

“I hated to drop the holds, but I didn’t want them to change the rules in the Senate,” he said. “You can only fight for so long and when you’ve basically run out of options, it’s time to change your game plan. So, now my game plan will be to work on it for the budget next year, and also try to get President Trump elected because he will change it back.”

TUBERVILLE ENDS BLOCKADE OF MOST MILITARY PROMOTIONS AFTER MONTHS-LONG ABORTION FIGHT

Additionally, Tuberville said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., “changed the rules” in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – an annual bill that authorizes funding for the U.S. military and other defense initiatives – by not allowing a vote to remove the abortion policy from the budget earlier this year.

“He changed the rules midstream and said, ‘No, I’m gonna make all decisions, I’m not gonna leave that policy in there that was in the House budget,'” he said. “So you just can’t beat somebody that’s got the ability to change the rules.”

Tuberville began blocking President Biden’s military nominations in February over what he said was the Pentagon’s “illegal” policy of providing travel expense reimbursements to service members who seek an abortion. The Biden administration adopted the policy last year in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and held the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.

TUBERVILLE NOT BUDGING ON MILITARY HOLDS OVER ABORTION POLICY AS DEMS EYE RULES CHANGE

Almost 400 military nominations have since been in limbo due to Tuberville’s blanket hold on confirmations and promotions for senior military officers. Tuberville’s opponents have said it has left key national security positions unfilled and military families with an uncertain path forward.

Other routes to overcome the Pentagon’s policy have sprung up in the last few months. One of those avenues, introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., proposed taking the policy to court. It would need the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bolster momentum for a lawsuit.

“We’ve been working on that for six or seven months,” Tuberville said. “I think eventually, that will happen.”

However, he added, the court system “takes a long time” and the effort would have to start in the House. 

GOP SENATORS RAIL AGAINST TUBERVILLE’S MILITARY HOLDS NEARLY ALL NIGHT 

Nonetheless, Tuberville said he will “continue to fight” to eliminate the abortion policy. 

“It wasn’t the outcome that I wanted, but again, I got a lot of people’s attention, of the illegal use of taxpayer money for abortion,” Tuberville said. 

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report. 

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramawamy made numerous controversial statements during the fourth GOP presidential debate, going as far as to call one of his fellow contenders a “fascist.”

Ramaswamy took many shots at his competition on stage — most notably former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley — and took plenty of incoming fire himself.

NIKKI HALEY WALKS BACK ‘VERIFY EVERYBODY’ SOCIAL MEDIA PROPOSAL, WANTS FREE SPEECH FOR ‘ANONYMOUS AMERICANS’

CALLING NIKKI HALEY A ‘FASCIST’

Ramaswamy attacked Haley as a “fascist” early on during the debate, citing the former United Nations (UN) ambassador’s calls to have social media users “verified by their name.”

The GOP presidential candidate said the U.S. is “marching towards fascism under Biden” and that “[Special Counsel] Jack Smith has subpoenaed every last retweet that someone has issued from Donald Trump in the year 2020.”

“The only person more fascist than the Biden regime now is Nikki Haley, who thinks the government should identify every one of those individuals with an ID,” Ramaswamy said, prompting boos from the crowd.

“That is not freedom, that is fascism, she should come nowhere near the levers of power, let alone the White House,” he continued.

Haley walked back her comments after facing backlash, saying she wanted social media companies to be transparent with Americans and show their algorithms.

“What I know, what anyone in intelligence [knows]… Russia, Iran and China, North Korea too, know that the cheapest form of warfare is to spread misinformation. Look at what happened with Israel. You want to know where all this pro-Hamas information is coming from? It is coming from foreign actors that are sowing chaos and division,” she said in November.

ATTACKING NIKKI HALEY’S INTELLIGENCE

Ramaswamy also attacked Haley’s intelligence on stage, saying she couldn’t name a Ukrainian province she would theoretically send soldiers to if elected president amid the war with Russia.

The Ohio businessman said that Haley and Biden were two of the last “neocons” supporting “pointless war” in Ukraine.

“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them could even state for you three provinces in eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to actually fight for,” Ramaswamy said.

Ramaswamy’s words sparked a response from former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who criticized Ramaswamy for attacking Haley’s intelligence.

Christie blasted Ramaswamy as “the most obnoxious blowhard in America” for his comments and defended Haley as a “smart” and “accomplished woman.”

TELLING CHRISTIE TO HAVE A ‘MEAL’ AND GET OFF THE STAGE

The crowd erupted with laughter when Ramaswamy told Christie to leave the presidential debate stage and get a “meal.”

The attack came after Christie torched Ramaswamy over his comments targeting Haley over her intelligence, 

Ramaswamy fired back at Christie, telling the former Garden State governor to leave the stage, “enjoy a nice meal and get the hell out of this race.”

“Chris, your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York,” Ramaswamy said.

“So do everybody a favor: just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal, and get the hell out of this race,” he continued.

SAUDI ARABIA ON SEPTEMBER 11, JANUARY 6, AND MORE

Ramaswamy also turned heads on stage when he said he was the “only candidate” on stage who would raise questions regarding the January 6 Capitol Riots, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in 9/11, and more.

While blasting the Republicans on stage for “Monday morning quarterbacking” former President Trump’s 

The Ohio businessman said that he thinks the January 6 riots are looking more like an “inside job” and that the U.S. government “lied” to the American people about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the September 11 Attacks.

Additionally, Ramaswamy said the “Great Replacement Theory is not some grand, right-wing conspiracy theory” but rather “a basic statement of the Democratic Party’s platform” and that the 2020 was “stolen by Big Tech.”

Ramaswamy is continuing forward in his quest for the Oval Office in a thinning GOP field.

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The Ohio businessman will have to fight through the other remaining Republican candidates for his chance to take on Biden for the presidency.

However, even if he surpasses his colleagues on stage, Ramaswamy still trails far behind Trump in the primary.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The fourth Republican presidential debate saw no shortage of fireworks, including plenty of name-calling and personal jabs between the participating candidates.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley repeatedly clashed in heated exchanges throughout the debate, which was held on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

Here are the top five fiery moments from the debate:

WHO WERE THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE? PUNDITS NAME THEIR PICKS

1. DeSantis and Ramaswamy pile on Haley over ties to billionaire donors

The debate opened with Haley drawing the ire of DeSantis and Ramaswamy when she defended her ties to banking billionaires and other wealthy individuals.

“Look, we will take support from anybody we can take support from,” Haley said, arguing that support from corporate billionaires didn’t translate to her automatically agreeing with them on policy.

Ramaswamy ripped Haley for accepting money from corporate CEOs he said were supporters of environment, social, governance (ESG) investing, a strategy where environmental factors, such as how a corporation contributes to pollution or climate change, are included in investment decisions.

He went on to accuse Haley of being “corrupt,” citing her status as a millionaire after only being out of government for a few years, to which she defended herself by accusing DeSantis and Ramaswamy of being “jealous” that she had the support of those billionaires.

DeSantis jumped in, warning that Haley’s donors were aiming “to use economic power to impose a left-wing agenda” on the country before Ramaswamy joked that Haley used a book he previously wrote criticizing ESG as “a how-to manual” rather than a warning about such policies.

TRUMP ONCE AGAIN GETS OFF THE HOOK AT THE LATEST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, DESPITE ONE CANDIDATE’S BEST EFFORTS

2. Christie calls Ramaswamy an “obnoxious blowhard” as he defends Haley

Christie stepped in to defend Haley from Ramaswamy after he attacked her support for aiding Ukraine in its “pointless” war with Russia.

“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them could state for you three provinces in Eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to … She has no idea what the hell the names of those provinces are, but she wants to send our sons and daughters and our troops and our military equipment to go fight,” Ramaswamy said.

Christie interjected, accusing Ramaswamy of wanting to concede “stolen” land to Russia, beginning a nearly inaudible shouting match between the two, which culminated in Christie calling Ramaswamy an “obnoxious blowhard.”

“We’re now 25 minutes into this debate, and he has now insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence, not her positions, her basic intelligence,” Christie said. “I’ve known her for 12 years, longer than he’s even started to vote in a Republican primary, and while we disagree on some issues … what we don’t disagree on is this is a smart, accomplished woman. You should stop insulting her.”

“Your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York. So, do everybody a favor, just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal, and get the hell out of this race,” Ramswamy hit back.

3. Ramaswamy holds up a sheet of paper accusing Haley of corruption

While railing against Haley for what he described as utilization of identity politics, Ramaswamy held up his debate notebook to reveal he had written, in large letters, “NIKKI = CORRUPT.”

Prior to holding up the paper, Ramaswamy blasted Haley’s use of her gender in her campaign, citing various instances she had referenced being a woman.

“She said that I have a woman problem. Nikki, I don’t have a woman problem. You have a corruption problem, and I think that’s what people need to know. Nikki is corrupt,” Ramaswamy said as he held up the sign.

“This is a woman who will send your kids to die, so she can buy a bigger house. This is the problem. Using identity politics more effectively than Kamala Harris is a form of intellectual fraud,” he said.

RNC CHAIR MCDANIEL DEFENDS THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GOP 2024 FIELD

4. Haley and DeSantis continue their months-long spat on China

DeSantis slammed Haley as the “number one” governor for bringing the Chinese Communist Party into her state during her time leading South Carolina, citing a video of her welcoming a Chinese company as she stood next to a Chinese flag.

He went on to argue her “liberal donors” wouldn’t allow her to be tough on China.

“First of all, he’s mad because those Wall Street donors used to support him, and now they support me,” Haley retorted, before arguing DeSantis had his own history of bringing Chinese companies into Florida.

DeSantis rejected the claim, stating one of the companies she named was an American company, and that he banned the Chinese from buying land in his state.

“I have a record of standing up and doing what’s right,” DeSantis said, to which Haley responded, “You have a record of lying.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

5. Christie lays into DeSantis on question about former President Donald Trump’s age

Christie laid into DeSantis after the latter avoided directly answering a question about whether Trump, 77, was still “mentally fit” to serve as president, and instead stressed the need for a new generation of leaders.

“Why doesn’t he just answer the question? The question was very direct. Is he fit to be president or isn’t he? The rest of the speech is interesting, but completely non-responsive. And if we were in a courtroom, they’d strike the answer … They would strike the answer because you’re not answering it,” Christie said.

DeSantis jumped in, interrupting Christie as the two began inaudibly talking over each other.

“Is he fit or isn’t he?” Christie repeatedly yelled until the moderators eventually stopped the back-and-forth.

DeSantis repeated another version of his previous answer before Christie said,” He won’t answer. He’s afraid to answer.”

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“No I’m not!” DeSantis yelled.

The two again began speaking inaudibly over each other before the moderators were forced to halt the conversation another time. Christie then accused his opponents of being “afraid to offend” Trump.

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

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked a social media firestorm during the last primary debate on Wednesday when he held up a sign that said “Nikki=Corrupt” in reference to his opponent, Nikki Haley.

“I don’t have a woman problem,” Ramaswamy told Haley as part of an attack criticizing her work in the military contracting sector after her time as ambassador. “You have a corruption problem and I think that that’s what people need to know. Nikki is corrupt.” 

As Ramaswamy was saying that, he pulled out a sign that had been sitting on the podium that read, “Nikki=Corrupt.”

RAMASWAMY’S NEW HAMPSHIRE-BASED POLITICAL DIRECTOR JOINS TRUMP CAMPAIGN

“This is a woman who will send your kids to die so she can buy a bigger house,” Ramaswamy added.

When asked by a moderator if she wanted to respond to Ramaswamy’s claim, Haley said, “No. It’s not worth my time to respond to him.”

Social media quickly erupted with reactions with some seemingly in disbelief Ramaswamy attacked Haley in that way.

“OMG,” Hot Air associate editor Karen Townsend posted on X. “Vivek holds up a paper that reads “Nikki is corrupt.”

“Vivek just ended Nikki Haley,” Citizen Free Press posted on X.

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk called the exchange “one of the most noteworthy moments of the night.”

Others pointed out that Ramaswamy’s sign was likely to become a meme in the future.

“Something tells me that when I wake up tomorrow, Vivek’s notepad will have been used in about 3,742 different memes,” radio host Larry O’Connor posted on X. “Please post your favorites here…”

“Vivek is the only one who shows up to these debates ready to create a viral moment or meme,” chef Andrew Gruel posted on X. “A 4th primary debate isn’t going to change the numbers so why not go wild?”

Not everyone on social media was amused by the viral moment including many who pointed out that some boos could be heard in the audience.

RAMASWAMY CLASHES WITH CNN ANCHOR PRESSING HIM ON TRUMP’S ‘VERMIN’ COMMENTS: ‘GIVE ME A BREAK!’

“Vivek holds up pad saying Nikki Corrupt,” Fox News host Howard Kurtz posted on X. “Gets booed. Worst debate performance in a long time. Haley wisely declined to rebut him: Not worth my time.”

“I cannot believe that Vivek Ramaswamy held up a little homemade sign accusing Nikki Haley of being corrupt,” journalist Maria Shriver posted on X. “So childish. Wow.”

Ramaswamy responded to the boos in real time accusing those booing of being donor “puppet masters” for Haley. 

Ramaswamy’s team stood by his move in a social media post shortly after he held up the sign with a list of jobs and income from Haley’s past along with the message: “The math doesn’t add up. Nikki Haley = Corrupt.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Haley campaign but did not immediately receive a response.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The smallest debate stage to date in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race had some of the biggest fireworks.

Much of the verbal crossfire at Wednesday’s showdown at the University of Alabama was directed at former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has enjoyed plenty of momentum this autumn.

But despite the best efforts of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who repeatedly chastised his rivals for failing to verbally confront former President Donald Trump — the commanding Republican 2024 front-runner came away from the fourth debate relatively unscathed as he once again skipped taking the stage.

“We’re 17 minutes into this debate… we’ve had these three acting as if the race is between the four of us,” Christie said as he pointed to Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

RNC CHAIR MCDANIEL DEFENDS THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GOP 2024 FIELD

Trump made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments — including in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss — have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

Christie charged that it was “ridiculous” that his debate rivals wouldn’t discuss Trump. “I’m in this race because the truth needs to be spoken… He is unfit to be president.”

But Christie’s jabs at Trump drew boos a couple of times during the debate, including in his closing comments when he predicted that Trump would be convicted and would be unable to vote for himself. 

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

“If we deny reality as a party we’re gonna have four more years of Joe Biden,” Christie warned.

But Christie’s scolding of his rivals mostly fell on deaf ears, as they mostly avoided direct criticism of Trump even when the moderators asked a series of questions regarding the former president.

While Trump stayed out of the crossfire, Haley wasn’t nearly as lucky.

DeSantis repeatedly fired shots at Haley, including accusing her of not supporting a ban on gender-affirming procedures for transgender youth, which she denied. 

And he claimed that Haley “caves anytime the left comes after her.”

Haley fired back, arguing that “Ron continues to lie because he’s losing.”

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP?

Ramaswamy renewed his attacks on Haley for her support from top dollar Wall Street donors and her service on the board of the Boeing Company.

“It adds up to the fact that you are corrupt,” he charged as he held up a note pad. The words “Nikki = corrupt” were written on the pad.

Given the chance by the moderators to respond, Haley emphasized “it is not worth my time responding to him.”

Christie vehemently defended Haley from Ramaswamy’s broadsides — calling the first time candidate an “obnoxious blowhard.”

And in the spin room after the showdown, he charged that Ramaswamy “does have a woman problem.”

But he also took aim during the debate at his fellow former Republican governor, telling reporters later that “my criticism of Nikki is very clear. You can’t be everything to everybody.”

GAME ON IN IOWA WITH THE CAUCUSES CLOSING IN 

The debate, the last to be held this year, came with less than six weeks to go until the Jan 15. Iowa caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

Haley, who has risen in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates, has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican nominating schedule, and her home state, which holds the first southern contest.

She aims to make a fight of it in Iowa, where she is pulling even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls.

“Nikki was drawing the most fire because she’s had the juice, the momentum,” noted longtime Republican strategist David Kochel.

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Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns and statewide campaigns in Iowa, said that “Trump is not central to these debates because what the candidates on the stage are trying to do is get an opportunity to take him on one-on-one.”

And Kochel emphasized that the debate “clarified what the race is about. It’s about who’s going to face Trump, and it’s DeSantis or Haley…. Someone’s going to win that argument and when they do it’s going to be Trump versus that person.”

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

Political pundits and other media figures took to social media Wednesday night to declare which Republican presidential candidate they thought won the fourth GOP presidential debate.

Opinions were naturally split between Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley after they repeatedly clashed in heated exchanges throughout the debate, which was held on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

“Vivek won the debate and it wasn’t even close,” journalist Cassandra MacDonald wrote, while talk radio host Dom Giordano said the debate was “clearly won” by DeSantis.

BIDEN TROLLS DESANTIS, HALEY, TRUMP WITH GIANT BILLBOARDS AHEAD OF FOURTH GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Radio host Dana Loesch agreed with Giordano, declaring, “DeSantis has won two debates two weeks in a row now. His biggest asset is his record.” The previous debate she referenced was the one between DeSantis and Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity last week.

Columnist David Marcus declared Christie the winner, while Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck praised DeSantis by pointing to a specific exchange he had with Haley about the threat from China.

DEMOCRATIC MEGA DONOR REID HOFFMAN GIVES $250,000 TO TOP NIKKI HALEY SUPER PAC

“[DeSantis] wasn’t rattled and clearly won this exchange. To argue he’s not tough on China when he’s been saying for years the Chinese Communist Party is America’s biggest threat is ludicrous. Also, anytime you brag about having Wall Street donors is MAJOR cringe,” Houck wrote.

Others declared one candidate the winner who chose not to attend the debate: Former President Donald Trump.

X Strategies CEO Alex Bruesewitz wrote that Trump won, Ramaswamy came in second, and DeSantis and Haley tied for third, while former Republican presidential candidate Larry Elder posted a flattering drawing of Trump with the question, “The winner?”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING ‘EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE OPERATION’ IN FINAL STRETCH TO IOWA CAUCUSES

“Trump won this debate,” Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Fla, simply wrote, as Fox News contributor Leo Terrell agreed, “President Trump won the debate!”

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The Iowa Republican Caucuses will be held on Jan. 15, 2024, and will be followed by the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23.

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

Democrat Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a far-left ‘Squad’ member, called for allowing “incarcerated citizens” to vote in federal elections while referencing her support for permitting individuals as young as 16 years of age to cast a ballot.

Pressley made the comments during a Wednesday press conference while introducing legislation alongside Democrat Vermont Sen. Peter Welch that would restore felons’ voting rights. 

“That’s why we’re here today, to introduce the Inclusive Democracy Act — a historic, brand new, first-of-its-kind bill that will end the stain of felony disenfranchisement in America and guarantee the right to vote for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens,” Pressley said.

‘SQUAD’ DEM LASHES OUT AT PRIMARY CHALLENGER FOR SAYING SHE’S ‘NOT CUTE ENOUGH’ TO IGNORE VOTERS

“Our bill is a reflection of bold, progressive, democratic values. Because of Republicans and the Supreme Court stopping at nothing to undermine voting rights and to exclude Black and brown folks from participating in our democracy, we must be just as relentless at protecting and expanding access to the ballot box, including for incarcerated citizens,” she continued.

In late 2022, approximately 4.6 million people were unable to vote due to a felony conviction, according to a study by the Sentencing Project, a nonpartisan research group. The same study found that Black and Hispanic citizens are disproportionately likely to be disenfranchised due to felony convictions.

The “Squad” member pivoted to how “Jim Crow” is not “behind us” and spoke of her support for allowing individuals as young as 16 to vote.

“When the former occupant of the White House can lead a violent insurrection and still run for president while nearly five million citizens can have a criminal record and not even cast a ballot, Jim Crow is not behind us,” Pressley said at the conference.

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

“Our democracy is on the line, and the stakes could not be higher. As a Boston city councilor prior to my time here in Congress, I was proud to advocate for expanded access to the ballot box. Requiring ballots be made available in multiple languages, expanding early voting in local elections. And in Congress, I led efforts and legislation to lower the federal voting age to 16 and urged the DOJ to aggressively protect voting rights and to fight against voter suppression.”

“So I have been — and I will continue to fight — for voting rights for everyone,” she said. 

The far-left legislation would additionally require incarcerated individuals to be educated on their voting rights and offer systems and resources for voting registration, The Associated Press reported. The bill also requires means to vote by mail for incarcerated people.

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States and territories currently determine a citizen’s voting eligibility for all levels of government. The proposed bill would not change states’ ability to expand or restrict access for state or local elections.

The legislation faces long odds of being passed by the Republican-controlled House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The House Judiciary Committee launched an investigation this week into whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis coordinated with the House Jan. 6 Committee in their investigations.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., are leading the probe after learning that Willis’ office “coordinated its investigative actions with the partisan Select Committee.”

TRUMP IS NOT IMMUNE FROM CIVIL LAWSUITS RELATED TO JAN 6, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES

The lawmakers say Willis asked the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to share evidence with her office.

Willis was investigating former President Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.

Willis charged Trump in August with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.

TRUMP BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL AFTER CHARGES STEMMING FROM 2020 ELECTION PROBE

But Jordan and Loudermilk said the new information “raises additional questions relevant to the Committee’s oversight of Willis’s politically motivated prosecution of a former President of the United States and several former senior federal officials.”

“The coordination between Fulton County, GA District Attorney Fani Willis, and Pelosi’s January 6 Select Committee, should be concerning to everyone,” Loudermilk said in a statement. “This new information raises questions about Willis’ and Thompson’s commitment to due process, and whether House Rules were violated when the Select Committee failed to properly disclose this material.”

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He added: “We have serious concerns about this behavior and we are seeking the truth.” 

Jordan and Loudermilk sent letters to Willis and former Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

Thompson said he received the letter and said it contained “significant factual errors.” 

“As I have said time and again, the [Jan. 6 Committee] archived its official records in accordance with House rules,” Thompson told NBC News. “Only the Committee on House Administration is in possession of these records, and Mr. Loudermilk is fully aware of this.”

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada grand jury on Wednesday indicted six Republicans who submitted certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential election in their state, making Nevada the third to seek charges against so-called “fake electors.”

“We cannot allow attacks on democracy to go unchallenged,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a statement Wednesday. “Today’s indictments are the product of a long and thorough investigation, and as we pursue this prosecution, I am confident that our judicial system will see justice done.”

NEVADA GOV JOE LOMBARDO VETOES MEASURE CRIMINALIZING FAKE ELECTORS

Ford began investigating the fake electors last month. That announcement marked a shift for the first-term Democrat, who previously was quiet on whether he would investigate the fake electors before saying that state law would not allow him to do so.

The fake electors have been charged with offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument. Those two categories of felonies have penalties that range from one year up to either four or five years in prison.

Among the fake electors is Nevada GOP chairman Michael McDonald, who has pushed to bypass the state-run presidential primary to nominate a Republican presidential nominee, instead opting for a party-run caucus, which would require voter ID and paper ballots. He did not respond to a phone call requesting comment on Wednesday.

Clark County GOP Chair Jesse Law was also indicted, along with Jim Hindle, who runs elections in rural Storey County. Hindle did not return a voice message left Wednesday requesting comment.

In December 2020, six Nevada GOP members signed certificates falsely stating that Trump won Nevada and sent them to Congress and the National Archives, where they were ultimately ignored. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol looked into the role these fake electors in key battleground states took in Trump’s attempt to cling to power after his 2020 defeat.

Michigan‘s Attorney General filed felony charges in July against 16 Republican fake electors, who would face eight criminal charges including forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery. The top charge carried a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

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In Wisconsin, 10 Republicans who posed as electors settled a civil lawsuit Wednesday, admitting their actions were part of an effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory. Sixteen fake electors also have been charged in Georgia, three of which were also charged in August alongside Trump in a sweeping indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally overturn the results of the presidential election. They have pleaded not guilty.

Ford had testified in support of a bill that would have criminalized future fake electors. That passed Nevada’s Democratic-controlled Legislature but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who said the punishment between four and 10 years in prison was too harsh.

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:

-Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces his retirement from Congress…

-White House interns rebel against Biden, demand Gaza ceasefire…

-Watch the highlights from Trump’s town hall on “Hannity” last night…

But his emails…

As vice president, Joe Biden used email aliases and private email addresses to communicate with son Hunter Biden and Hunter’s business associates hundreds of times, according to new records released by the House Ways & Means Committee. But what those communications contain is unclear.

The committee obtained metadata from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler that reveals Joe Biden used alias email accounts 327 times during a nine-year period — 2010 to 2019 — to correspond with his son, Hunter, and one of Hunter’s key business associates, Eric Schwerin, among others. The committee says 54 of the emails were “exclusively” between Joe Biden and Schwerin, who the committee describes as “the architect of the Biden family’s shell companies.”

Fox News Digital broke the revelation Tuesday night, and on Wednesday, sources close to the matter revealed that the National Archives will hand over to the committee more than 60,000 Biden records — including communications using email aliases …Read more

Capitol Hill

VOTES FOR CRIMINALS: Rep. Pressley introduces legislation to guarantee right to vote for people with felonies …Read more

‘TAKE THIS DOWN’: Schumer chastises House Republican over ‘antisemitic, disgusting’ meme …Read more

‘DESTROY OUR SELF-DEFENSE’: NRA slams Schumer’s attempt to ban so-called ‘assault weapons’ …Read more

CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS?: Comer, Jordan threaten to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for refusal to appear at deposition …Read more

‘OPEN REBELLION’: GOP senator rips Washington Post writer in letter to DOJ, State Department …Read more

SCHUMER, BERNED: Sanders slams funding for ‘right-wing’ Israel in Schumer’s $110B package …Read more

White House

‘COMMON SENSE’: Green energy project on major US military base disconnected over CCP ties …Read more

‘WASTEFUL SPENDING’: Biden’s billion-dollar EV charging program has built zero chargers in two years …Read more

STAND DOWN: White House interns rebel against Biden with letter demanding cease-fire …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

MONEY TALKS: Dem mega donor gives $250,000 to top Nikki Haley super PAC …Read more

‘NEED NEW LEADERSHIP’: Squad member officially teed up against pro-Israel primary challenger …Read more

SHRINKING FIELD: RNC chair McDaniel defends decision to limit debate participation …Read more

FULL COURT PRESS: Trump’s foot is on the gas in this key state …Read more

‘HE MUST BE STOPPED’: Trump unleashes on Kerry’s climate agenda in message to Iowa voters …Read more

TOP MOMENTS: Here are the highlights from Trump’s ‘Hannity’ town hall …Read more

Across America

‘FAILED LEADERSHIP’: Democratic Pennsylvania gov slams Ivy League president over testimony on antisemitism …Read more

RECORD SETTING: Migrant encounters hit daily record at southern border …Read more

OVERRULED: Blue state gov vetoes bill that would have prohibited gender transition surgeries for minors …Read more

OHIO STONED: Ohio Republicans propose sweeping changes to legal marijuana …Read more

ABORTION IN WISCONSIN: WI Republican prosecutor plans appeal in state abortion case …Read more

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, sent a letter Wednesday to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding answers regarding a recent Washington Post op-ed that he said suggested “open rebellion” against the United States.

Robert Kagan, an editor at large at the newspaper, wrote a piece last week, claiming that “resistance” to former President Donald Trump, should he win the 2024 presidential election, “could come from the governors of predominantly Democratic states such as California and New York through a form of nullification. States with Democratic governors and statehouses could refuse to recognize the authority of a tyrannical federal government.”

“That is always an option in our federal system,” Kagan added.

JD VANCE FURIOUS OVER FORBES ARTICLE ON HOW TO ‘DECENTER WHITENESS,’ WILL INVESTIGATE AUTHOR’S DEI FIRM

Vance wrote in his letter to Garland and Blinken that Kagan’s piece potentially violates federal law.

“Excuse me? I must have missed that day in civics class,” he wrote after quoting Kagan’s piece. “According to Robert Kagan, the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency is terrible enough to justify open rebellion against the United States, along with the political violence that would inevitably follow.”

Vance also mentioned in his letter that Kagan is married to Victoria Nuland, who is currently serving as the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and he asks whether her “close relationship with her husband might compromise her judgment about the best interests of the United States.”

Vance gave Garland and Blinken a Jan. 6 deadline to answer several questions, including whether the Department of Justice will open an investigation into Kagan.

“If not, what factors counsel against such an investigation? Why were those factors inapplicable in President Trump’s case?” he asked.

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“How does the Department of Justice distinguish between heated political rhetoric and evidence of a conspiracy to violate rights or rebel against the United States?” he asked. “In the view of the Department of Justice, could a demand for ‘nullification’ or secession ‘intimidate’ a voter into changing his behavior at the ballot box?”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Kagan, The Washington Post, the State Department and the DOJ for comment.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – As Republicans gather Wednesday for the fourth GOP presidential nomination debate, only four candidates will be on the stage.

It’s the smallest debate stage at this point in the Republican presidential primaries in over a generation, and it pales in comparison to the nine GOP White House hopefuls who crowded on stage at a nomination debate in December 2015, during the last time the party experienced a fierce battle for the nomination.

And that’s just fine with Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel.

“I think it’s good because you’re having more time to hear from these candidates on the debate stage,” McDaniel emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview.

McDaniel, interviewed on the eve of the fourth debate, said we “are having a stage that allows the voters to hear from legitimate candidates for president, and we don’t have people auditioning for book deals and media contracts and cabinet positions.”

“They are running in Iowa and New Hampshire and Nevada and South Carolina and they’re going to have time to address the major issues that the voters care about,” McDaniel added as she pointed to the four early voting states in the GOP nominating calendar.

The RNC can take credit for the shrinking stage, as its rising debate polling and donor qualifying thresholds contributed to the rapid winnowing of a field that once numbered over a dozen contenders.

The criteria have been heavily criticized by the now-former candidates who were excluded from the stage.

“The RNC’s clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire,” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum charged as he dropped out of the race on Monday.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

Burgum, who made the stage at the first two debates but failed to qualify for the third, argued that “the RNC’s mission is to win elections. It is not their mission to reduce competition and restrict fresh ideas by ‘narrowing the field’ months before the Iowa caucuses or the first in the nation New Hampshire primary.”

Asked about Burgum’s comments, McDaniel told Fox News “everybody knew the rules before they got in. They loved them when they were on the stage. They don’t like them when they’re not on the stage.”

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP?

But she added: “I have the greatest respect for Gov. Burgum. He would have been a much better president than Joe Biden. I feel that way about all the candidates, whether they make the stage or not. But we do have to have criteria….We don’t want 12 people on the stage like we had in 2016 going into Iowa where we still had two stages and the candidates were given very little time to actually address major issues.”

And defending the RNC’s criteria, she emphasized: “The threshold is not crazy. It’s six percent. You’re probably not going to win the presidency if you’re not pulling in at least six percent right now.”

Former President Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination as he makes his third straight White House run, is skipping his fourth straight debate. Trump and his 2024 campaign team have repeatedly called on the RNC to cancel the remaining debates.

McDaniel, asked to respond to Trump’s comments, pointed to the Democrats’ nominating process, where the national and state parties are rallying around President Biden as he seeks a second term in the White House. The Democratic National Committee is not sanctioning debates between Biden and his long-shot rivals – and Florida Democrats last week kept those rival candidates off their primary ballot.

GAME ON IN IOWA WITH THE CAUCUSES CLOSING IN 

“We’re watching what the Democrats are doing. They’re not putting other candidates on the ballot. They’re not having debates. They’re not letting their primary process play out. And it’s making Democrat voters upset,” McDaniel argued. 

“So we’re letting the process play out. It’s in the hands of the voters,” she added, in a comment which some Republicans would vehemently disagree.

Asked if she can work with Trump if he wins the nomination, McDaniel said: “Absolutely. I’m going to work with the nominee. I have a great relationship with President Trump. I have a great relationship with these candidates and anybody who we nominate to beat Joe Biden, I’m going to be 100% behind.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The immediate question facing the RNC is whether they’ll continue to host nominating debates, with the next two expected to be held next month in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the caucuses and primary. The RNC could potentially decide to allow state parties to team up with media organizations to run any future debates.

Sources with knowledge of the national party committee’s thinking say the RNC is not expected to make any decision on upcoming debates until after Wednesday’s showdown at the University of Alabama.

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

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz said the Biden administration “funneled” more than $66 million in taxpayer dollars to nonprofits and academic institutions for “misinformation research,” in what he calls an effort by the federal government to “censor Americans” while attempting to “absolve” itself of “liability for infringement of Americans’ First Amendment rights.”

Cruz, R-Texas, is now demanding the State Department, FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the National Science Foundation turn over information regarding their role in “helping facilitate the censorship of Americans’ constitutionally protected speech online.”

The move comes as part of Cruz’s months-long investigation into Big Tech’s content moderation and alleged censorship practices. Cruz’s office says the ongoing investigation has “exposed the extent to which suppression of free speech on social media has been driven by government agencies and non-governmental third parties that receive funding from taxpayers.”

HOUSE WEAPONIZATION COMMITTEE: BIDEN ADMIN ‘COLLUDED’ WITH BIG TECH, ‘FACILITATED THE CENSORSHIP OF AMERICANS’

In letters to the State Department, FBI, CISA, and NSF, Cruz said the Biden administration “directly” flagged content to social media companies, but also “funneled money to private-sector third parties, including nonprofits and academic institutions that then pressured social media companies to remove content and accounts.” 

“By laundering taxpayer dollars through third parties, government agencies tried to absolve themselves of liability for infringement of Americans’ First Amendment rights,” Cruz wrote.

Cruz provided examples, including one in which the State Department made an effort to “counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts” and sent social media companies lists of individuals that they identified as “inauthentic.” But Cruz’s investigation revealed that those lists included not only foreign actors but “everyday Americans.” 

Cruz also said the National Science Foundation sent millions of dollars to fund “Election Integrity Partnerships” at Stanford University and the University of Washington. Cruz said those programs successfully influenced social media companies into “moderating” millions of tweets flagged by CISA and the FBI.

Cruz pointed to a 2021 interview with the leader of the Stanford University program. Cruz said the lead researcher suggested taxpayer dollars were “intentionally channeled through a third party so that the government could evade First Amendment liability.”

“Just because the government hires a hitman to kill speech does not absolve the government of guilt,” Cruz wrote in the letters. “Regrettably, the examples described above appear to be just a handful of numerous instances of third parties being awarded taxpayer dollars and other government support to suppress speech.”

Cruz added: “It has also become apparent that our nation’s higher education institutions were often used as conduits through which the government could police speech online.”

JORDAN SUBPOENAS BIG TECH CEOS FOR RECORDS ON ‘COLLUSION’ WITH BIDEN ADMIN TO ‘SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH’

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., signed onto Cruz’s letter to the FBI.

Cruz asks the agencies to provide detailed information regarding their taxpayer-funded grant-making and non-governmental partnerships processes. The deadline for the agencies to respond is Dec. 19, 2023.

The letters come amid Cruz’s months-long investigation. Since the onset of the probe, Senate Commerce Committee Republican staff have identified more than 100 National Science Foundation grants between 2021 and 2023, which totaled more than $66 million in taxpayer funding toward “misinformation” research.

The committee found that NSF sent $5 million to the University of Washington to create a “digital dashboard” so that public officials could identify “trending misinformation” and “strategically correct” misinformation on social media; $5 million to George Washington University to create a therapy toolkit and digital reporting assistant for journalists who believed they were the targets of “misinformation-driven harassment campaigns”; more than $100,0000 to Georgia Tech to create a program that writes posts for social media users to counter “misinformation”; and more.

JORDAN DEMANDS BIG TECH RECORDS DETAILING ‘COLLUSION’ WITH BIDEN ADMIN TO CENSOR CONSERVATIVES

Meanwhile, Cruz’s investigation comes amid a similar House Weaponization Subcommittee probe. In June, that panel also said CISA had “facilitated the censorship of Americans directly” and through third-party intermediaries during the Biden administration. 

CISA Executive Director Brandon Wales, in a statement to Fox News Digital in June, said the agency “does not and has never censored speech or facilitated censorship; any such claims are patently false.” 

“Every day, the men and women of CISA execute the agency’s mission of reducing risk to U.S. critical infrastructure in a way that protects Americans’ freedom of speech, civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy,” Wales said. “In response to concerns from election officials of all parties regarding foreign influence operations and disinformation that may impact the security of election infrastructure, CISA mitigates the risk of disinformation by sharing information on election literacy and election security with the public and by amplifying the trusted voices of election officials across the nation.” 

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CISA, which was founded in 2018, was intended to be an agency focused on protecting critical infrastructure and guarding against cybersecurity threats.