NationalWatch

The House of Representatives could be faced with a decision on whether to impeach President Biden in the first half of next year, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, suggested on Monday.

“We want to talk with those last several witnesses, but we want to make that happen as quickly as possible. We think we can do that relatively quick,” Jordan said when asked by Fox News Digital about a timeline for drafting articles of impeachment.

“That’ll be a key focus when we come back. We hope to get a couple done here in December, and then a couple more in January and make a decision as a body if we move forward with actual articles.”

It comes as House GOP leaders are strongly considering holding a vote to formalize the ongoing impeachment inquiry into the president.

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

Jordan, along with Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is investigating whether Biden and his family profited off of his time as vice president. A cornerstone of Jordan’s probe is Biden’s push to firde a former Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma, an energy company for which his son Hunter Biden served on the board of.

During a sit-down with reporters to discuss the investigation, Jordan would not directly answer whether he would seek comments from the president himself.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ‘SOON’

“We want to talk to the people who were directly in business with Hunter Biden,” Jordan said, listing off various business associates of the president’s son like Tony Bobulinsky and Eric Schwerin, as well as the president’s brother James Biden and Kevin Morris, a Los Angeles lawyer who reportedly lent millions of dollars to Hunter. 

The Judiciary Committee is expected to hear from Lesley Wolf, a prosecutor who was involved in the Justice Department’s criminal probe of Hunter Biden, in a closed-door deposition later this month.

Jordan did tell reporters that he expects a decision “one way or another” on whether to impeach Biden happening before mid-2024, an election year.

HOUSE GOP DISCUSSING VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

“Oh yeah, I think there’ll be a decision one way or the other before that,” he said when asked by Fox News Digital about getting articles of impeachment together in the first six months of next year. “I think plenty of time before that.”

Jordan then distanced himself from concerns over whether it would be perceived as a repeat of Democrats’ first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in early 2020.

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“I don’t think about the politics of it…I’ve said all along, we’re an impeachment inquiry. We will look at the facts, the evidence, follow the Constitution. And if articles are warranted, then we will take that step,” Jordan said. “It shouldn’t be driven by politics…we’re going to look at the facts, and I think the facts are pretty compelling.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.

• A judge has dismissed felony charges against former Prince William County, Virginia Registrar Michele White.
• Corrupt conduct and false statement charges against White were dismissed Friday.
• White still must stand trial on a misdemeanor willful neglect of duty charge next month. 

A Virginia judge has dismissed felony charges against a former county elections official accused of misconduct in the 2020 election, a decision made after state prosecutors said a key witness changed his story.

At the prosecutors’ request, the judge on Friday dismissed a felony charge of corrupt conduct and one for making a false statement, both of which had been levied against former Prince William County Registrar Michele White. She still faces trial next month on a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty.

Very little has been publicly revealed about exactly what prosecutors believe White did wrong. Court records merely indicate that the case revolves around 2020 election returns, including the presidential race.

IOWA ELECTED OFFICIAL’S WIFE CONVICTED OF VOTER FRAUD IN BALLOT-STUFFING SCHEME

Prince William election officials have previously said that White’s successor reported “discrepancies” in results to state officials, but that those discrepancies would not have affected the outcome of any race.

The case was brought by Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares last year. Shortly after his office obtained the indictment against White, it launched an election integrity unit. The move prompted critics to accuse Miyares of pandering to supporters of former President Donald Trump, who falsely blamed his defeat on election fraud.

In White’s case, Assistant Attorney General James Herring filed a motion ahead of Friday’s hearing in which he alleged that an elections worker “conveniently and quite surprisingly provided a different version of events” than the witness had previously recounted.

JESSE WATTERS: LOCAL ELECTION SYSTEMS ACROSS AMERICA ARE WEAK AND VULNERABLE

“As a consequence, the Commonwealth is confronted with significant inconsistent statements,” Herring wrote.

White’s lawyer, Zachary Stafford, said he interviewed the same witness and found nothing inconsistent in his statements. The election worker, “rather filled in a hole that the initial investigation did not address” about who asked him to make changes in the state voter registration system, Stafford said in a statement. The system is being replaced after an audit questioned its reliability and functionality.

Stafford said the witness has reported that White didn’t ask him to make the changes now under scrutiny and that it was “a poor choice of words” for prosecutors to refer to the witness’ updated testimony as “convenient.”

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Attorney General Miyares’ office declined to comment beyond the court filing, citing the ongoing misdemeanor case.

Six months after launching a dark-horse bid for the 2024 Republican presidential campaign, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is suspending his White House bid.

In a statement and video released Monday morning, Burgum emphasized that he and his wife “are deeply grateful for each and every person who supported us with their ideas, prayers, advocacy, encouragement and enthusiasm. Kathryn and I will always remain committed to fighting for the people who make our nation so exceptional.” 

Burgum, a multi-millionaire former software company CEO turned two-term North Dakota governor, took aim at the Republican National Committee as he dropped out of the race. 

After making the stage at the first two GOP presidential debates, Burgum failed to qualify for the third showdown, and was unlikely to reach the increasingly higher thresholds mandated by the RNC to make the stage at this week’s fourth debate.

FLASHBACK: BURGUM ‘UNDAUNTED’ AS HE LAUNCHES 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

The RNC is expected on Monday evening to announce which candidates qualified for the fourth debate.

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL 99 IOWA COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP OR STAY AHEAD OF HALEY?

“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,” Burgum charged in his statement, as he pointed to the first two states to vote in the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

“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. These arbitrary criteria ensure advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus America’s Heartland,” he argued. “None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president. This effort to nationalize the primary system is unhealthy for the future of the party, especially for a party that proclaims to value leadership from outside of Washington.”

Burgum poured millions of his own money into his White House bid. That included offering $20 gift cards to people who donated at least a dollar to his campaign. The gimmick helped the candidate make the stage at the first debate, a Fox News-hosted showdown in August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

GAME ON IN IOWA WITH THE CAUCUSES CLOSING IN 

But Burgum’s two debate appearances, including a feisty performance at the second showdown, a FOX Business co-hosted event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in late September, did little to boost his campaign.

Burgum – little known outside of North Dakota – was unable to see his poll numbers rise above the single digits as he struggled to compete against rivals with much higher national name recognition.

After failing to make the stage in the third debate, Burgum pledged to stay in the race through the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses and Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary. Burgum had campaigned heavily in the two states.

In ending his bid, Burgum emphasized that “while this primary process has shaken my trust in many media organizations and political party institutions, it has only strengthened my trust in America.” 

Burgum centered his campaign on the economy, energy and national security, and repeatedly warned that China was the “number one threat” to the U.S.

“We’re running because we want to unleash the American economy and we want to improve every American life and the way we do that, of course, is to get our economy really rolling. To get our economy really rolling we’ve got to make sure we’ve got an energy policy that’s 180 degrees different than the one we have under the Biden administration. When we fix energy policy, then we have an opportunity to really stabilize the world,” he emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview as he announced his candidacy.

On Monday, Burgum argued that “just six months after our campaign launch, we’ve elevated the importance of an intelligent energy policy that grows jobs and our economy, reduces inflation, is good for the environment and – unlike Joe Biden’s fantasy green energy plan – stops enabling and empowering our adversaries, specifically China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and North Korea.”

Burgum also spotlighted his small-town North Dakota roots and his success in the private sector as central themes in his White House bid.

THIS CANDIDATE REMAINS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT AS THE FIRST VOTES IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE NEAR

But unlike some of his rivals, Burgum mostly avoided any direct criticism of former President Donald Trump, who remains the commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run.

Burgum ruptured his Achilles tendon the day before the first debate while playing a basketball game with his staff. He was able to appear at the debate the next night, and used a scooter to get around on the campaign trail as he recovered from the injury.

Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler says he will not resign over a woman’s allegation that he raped her, telling supporters in an email that he is innocent.

Ziegler sent the statement to state Republicans on Saturday, saying that he and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, are being targeted because they are “such loud political voices,” according to The Associated Press. 

“We have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up,” wrote Ziegler, 40. A longtime GOP activist, Ziegler ascended to the state party’s top post in February.

A complaint against Ziegler was filed with the Sarasota Police Department on Oct. 4, stating that the alleged sexual battery occurred inside a woman’s Sarasota home on Oct. 2. 

DEMOCRATS CALL FOR RESIGNATION OF FLORIDA GOP CHAIRMAN CHRISTIAN ZIEGLER AMID SEXUAL BATTERY ALLEGATIONS

The accuser reportedly “told him over Instagram messages that she was distraught and ‘terrified’ of him after their encounter and unable to work,” according to Politico. 

However, Ziegler’s wife, who co-founded the conservative group Moms for Liberty which has led a campaign with Gov. Ron DeSantis dealing with education in Florida schools, told police that she, the victim and her husband had consensual sex together over a year before the alleged crime occurred, Politico states.

According to text messages cited in the affidavit, the woman and the Zieglers had planned to again have group sex on Oct. 2, but the woman backed out after Bridget Ziegler “couldn’t make it.”

FLORIDA TEACHER’S ASSISTANT ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SLAPPING MIDDLE SCHOOLER INSIDE CLASSROOM

The woman said she found Ziegler in her apartment’s hallway later that day and that he pushed her inside and then raped her.

In text and phone conversations monitored by investigators, Ziegler offered the woman “financial help” before becoming suspicious that they were being recorded.

In a Nov. 2 interview with detectives, Ziegler said the sex was consensual and that he had recorded it. He said he deleted the video, then recovered it after the rape allegation surfaced.

DeSantis said last week that while Ziegler is innocent until proven guilty, he should resign to avoid becoming a distraction to their party.

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

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

No charges have been filed against Ziegler, but the Sarasota Police investigation remains open.

Fox News’ Stepheny Price and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Biden is kicking off December with a series of top-dollar fundraising events with celebrities across the country.

Biden will start with a concert fundraiser featuring James Taylor in Massachusetts on Tuesday, with front-row tickets selling for $7,500 per seat. After two more events in Boston, Biden will fly to Los Angeles for another concert fundraiser, this one featuring Lenny Kravitz.

Director Steven Spielberg is expected to be among the hosts for the Los Angeles event, in addition to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Barbra Streisand and a slew of other celebrities.

Biden’s campaign has yet to announce the official location for the James Taylor event, with announcements saying the location would be revealed “36–48 hours before the event.”

‘BAD OMEN’ FOR BIDEN THAT MOST DEMOCRATIC VOTERS UNHAPPY WITH ECONOMY: REPORT

The Los Angeles event will be at the home of interior designer Michael Smith and his partner James Costos, who had served as former President Obama’s ambassador to Spain.

“We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm. We don’t do many events, but when we do, we do it out of a great passion,” Smith told The Associated Press.

BIDEN’S SUPPORT FROM GEN Z ERODES AS AGE BECOMES CRITICAL ISSUE: ‘HE’S OUT OF TOUCH WITH BASICALLY EVERYBODY’

Biden also has fundraising stops in Maryland and Pennsylvania, where he will appear with Gov. Wes Moore and Gov. Josh Shapiro, respectively. Several of the events are expected to rake in millions for Biden’s campaign on their own.

As of the last fundraising reporting deadline at the end of September, Biden and his party reported $91 million cash on hand. He is helped by the fact that, as the party’s leader, he has entered into a joint fundraising agreement with the Democratic National Committee, as well as state parties.

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Biden, now 81, faces a major lack of enthusiasm from Democratic voters. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., announced his candidacy in a symbolic challenge to Biden. Biden’s age is a concern for Democratic voters, with his support dwindling especially among young voters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In the nearly three weeks since Sen. Tim Scott suspended his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, there’s been a push by some of the remaining GOP White House hopefuls to land the senator from South Carolina’s endorsement.

Scott was pretty clear as he ended his 2024 presidential bid that he had no immediate plans to support another candidate.

“The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in,” he said in a live interview on Nov. 13 on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy.”

But a source familiar with Scott’s thinking told Fox News that the senator’s been approached for an endorsement from some of his former rivals.

WHY SEN TIM SCOTT ENDED HIS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL BID

The source added that Scott remains open to backing a candidate but that any potential endorsement would not happen until after the start of the new year.

Meanwhile, there’s no letup in the race to secure the senator’s top dollar donors and GOP lawmakers – officials in the crucial early voting state of South Carolina who had endorsed Scott – and top staffers on this campaign.

THIS GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IS CURRENTLY HAVING A MOMENT

Scott’s departure came as fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, a former two-term governor of the state who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in former President Trump’s administration, battles Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a distant second place behind Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination.

In the days after Scott dropped out, two prominent donors who were backing him switched their support to Haley.

“I’m on board with Nikki Haley. She’s got a lot of good attributes. She was always my second choice. Unbelievably good on foreign policy, her view on abortion is close to mine,” metals magnate Andy Sabin told host Charles Payne on Fox News’ “Your World.” 

Sabin, who has donated millions to conservative candidates and causes the past couple of election cycles, was backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this election cycle before switching his financial support to Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate.

Eric Levine, a New York-based donor who was raising money for Scott, is holding a fundraiser to support Haley next week. 

Meanwhile, billionaire hedge fund founder Ken Griffin has said he’s considering financially backing Haley after remaining on the sidelines in the GOP primary. 

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: TRUMP HOLDS COMMANDING LEAD WITH 50 DAYS TO GO UNTIL IOWA CAUCUSES 

And Home Depot co-founder and billionaire Ken Langone plans to meet with Nikki Haley next week in New York.

“The only person I see who can give Trump a run for his money is Nikki Haley,” Langone said in a CNBC interview on Monday.

South Carolina is a crucial early voting state in the GOP presidential nominating calendar. It holds the first southern contest and votes fourth overall, after Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. And Scott’s departure from the race made his endorsers in the state valuable free agents.

DeSantis quickly picked up the backing of 10 state and local lawmakers and officials who had previously endorsed the senator.

“Ron DeSantis is the leader we need for this exact moment,” state Rep. Tom Hartnett Jr. said in a statement. “He not only is the only candidate who I know can win, but he will be a president who will follow through on his promises to reverse the decline of our country.”

Separately, a newly formed DeSantis-aligned super PAC named Fight Right grabbed Blake Harris, who served as a Scott campaign senior political adviser, to helm its operations.

Alex Stroman, a South Carolina Republican operative and former state GOP executive director who is currently unaligned in the 2024 race, pointed out that “Haley’s locked up a lot of Tim Scott donors.” 

Many who endorsed Scott are moving to endorse Haley, Stroman said: “I think Haley’s done the best since Scott got out.”

But Stroman also noted that “Trump’s locked up some of Scott’s electoral supporters. He’s had some of the senator’s endorsers come his way.”

Trump remains leagues ahead of Haley and the rest of the field in the latest South Carolina polls.

Trump returned to South Carolina last weekend, the state where he’s long enjoyed the backing of Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Henry McMaster, Haley’s successor.

The former president drew plenty of cheers, as well as some boos, as he walked onto the field during the South Carolina-Clemson Palmetto Bowl game.

Two days later, Haley drew roughly 2,500 people to her first town hall in her home state since Scott dropped out of the race.

Longtime South Carolina-based Republican consultant Dave Wilson told Fox News that the Trump stop in the state and Haley’s campaign event “show that two of them are deciding that South Carolina is competitive ground between them.”

DeSantis returned to South Carolina on Friday, but he’s been concentrating his efforts on Iowa, whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

DeSantis last month landed the high-profile endorsement of Gov. Kim Reynolds, who remains very popular with Iowa Republicans. And two weeks later, he won the backing of Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of The Family Leader, an influential social conservative organization in a state where evangelical voters play an outsized role in Republican politics.

Haley recently won the backing of Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. AFP Action has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars and mobilize its formidable grassroots operation to boost Haley and help push the Republican Party past Trump.

While it appears to be a three-person fight, there are other candidates still in the race.

Multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is basing his campaign in Iowa for the final stretch as he barnstorms across the state. Ramaswamy’s also continuing his campaign efforts in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican calendar.

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who failed to make the stage at the third GOP presidential primary debate, is also spending plenty of time in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is running for the White House a second time, is avoiding Iowa as he once again concentrates much of his firepower in New Hampshire, where his support is in the double digits.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who registering at less than 1% in the polls, also remains in the race.

As the first contest on the GOP presidential nominating calendar, Iowa always plays a crucial role in winnowing the field.

“I think Iowa’s going to be more determinative than ever as to who’s going to have momentum going into New Hampshire and South Carolina,” longtime Republican strategist David Kochel predicted.

Kochel, a veteran of numerous presidential and statewide campaigns in Iowa, emphasized that “Trump already has a ticket. There’s maybe two more and maybe one more” coming out of Iowa.”

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

The Biden administration has made limited exceptions to sanctions on a Venezuelan airline to help facilitate deportation flights from Canada and Latin America of Venezuelan illegal immigrants to the socialist country.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has authorized transactions for Conviasa, a Venezuelan national airline, to allow otherwise-sanctioned transactions, including repairs, for aircraft belonging to the state airline for deportation flights.

The airline was sanctioned by the Trump administration, with officials saying the Maduro regime uses the airline “to shuttle corrupt regime officials around the world to fuel support for its anti-democratic efforts.” The sanctions include anyone who interacts with the airline.

The move by the Treasury Department does not lift those sanctions, and the airline remains sanctioned, but the authorization does allow a limited exception for “all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the repatriation of Venezuelan nationals from non-U.S. jurisdictions in the Western Hemisphere to Venezuela,” per the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The move was first reported by the Miami Herald.

VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THEY WILL BE RETURNED TO MEXICO UNDER NEW BIDEN POLICY

It’s part of a more aggressive push by the administration to curb illegal migration from Venezuela, which has been one of the top sources of migrants in recent years. The Department of Homeland Security announced in October that it was starting deportation flights directly to Venezuela as the U.S. deals with a surge in encounters of Venezuelan migrants at the southern border.

Previously, the U.S. had an agreement with Mexico whereby some Venezuelans could be repatriated to Mexico. The Herald reported last month that around 650 migrants have so far been returned on the flights.

DHS says that since May, when the Title 42 public health order ended, the U.S. has repatriated over 12,000 Venezuelans.

The direct deportations to Venezuela drew criticism from immigrant activists, who warned that the country is not safe – something DHS itself acknowledged when it extended deportation protections to nearly 500,000 Venezuelans already in the U.S. in September.

DHS TO OFFER WORK PERMITS, DEPORTATION PROTECTION TO OVER 470,000 VENEZUELANS AMID NEW BORDER SURGE

“Temporary protected status provides individuals already present in the United States with protection from removal when the conditions in their home country prevent their safe return,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a press release in September. “That is the situation that Venezuelans who arrived here on or before July 31 of this year find themselves in.”

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The agency says that individuals have an opportunity to raise protection concerns and are not returned to Venezuela if they are determined to be at risk of persecution or torture on their return. It has also noted that the U.S. already removes non-citizens to other countries with temporary protected status designations. 

The U.S. also allows in Venezuelan migrants via a humanitarian program for nationals from four countries. Up to 30,000 nationals are allowed to fly into the U.S. via parole each month as part of the administration’s expanded “lawful” pathways. But Republicans have accused the administration of abusing the parole authority and are seeking to limit it.

President Biden’s campaign for reelection in 2024 is facing growing pressure from Muslim Americans who have vowed not to back him over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. 

On Saturday, Muslim leaders from several swing states – including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada, and Pennsylvania – descended on Dearborn, Michigan to coordinate a national response. 

Organizers have dubbed their campaign #AbandonBiden, and vow to make sure President Biden does not get a second term in office. 

Muslim and Arab leaders have been pushing the Democratic president to call for a cease-fire as the death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza continues to mount. As of Saturday, the death toll in the war was 15,200 Palestinians according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Some 1,200 Israelis have been killed, most during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that triggered the war.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas ended Friday after the IDF accused Hamas of firing at Israel. Hamas, meanwhile, has claimed that Israel rejected an offer to release more hostages. 

KIRBY BLAMES HAMAS FOR BREAKING CEASE-FIRE: ‘WE KNOW THEY ARE HOLDING’ MORE WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Minneapolis-based Jaylani Hussein, who helped organize the conference, said Biden’s unwillingness to call for a cease-fire has damaged his relationship with the American Muslim community beyond repair. 

“Families and children are being wiped out with our tax dollars,” Hussein said. “What we are witnessing today is the tragedy upon tragedy.”

“The anger in our community is beyond belief. One of the things that made us even more angry is the fact that most of us actually voted for President Biden,” Hussein, who is Muslim, told The Associated Press. “I even had one incident where a religious leader asked me, ‘How do I get my 2020 ballot so I can destroy it?” 

Around 3.45 million Americans – or 1.1% of the country’s population – identify as Muslim and the demographic tends to lean Democratic, according to Pew Research Center. Exit polls from 2020 conducted by AP show that some 64% of Muslim voters backed Biden, while 35% supported Trump. 

CHRIS CHRISTIE ‘CONFIDENT’ HE WILL BE ON FOURTH GOP DEBATE STATE, ADDRESSES POLL ACCURACY 

The White House has argued that President Biden has pushed for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, adding that “fighting against the poison of antisemitism and standing up for Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself have always been core values for President Biden.”

But Muslim leaders say the community’s support for Biden has vanished as more Palestinian men, women and children are killed in Gaza.

“We are not powerless as American Muslims. We are powerful. We don’t only have the money, but we have the actual votes. And we will use that vote to save this nation from itself,” Hussein said.

Muslim leaders said their refusal to support Biden does not indicate they will support the front-runner in the Republican party: former President Donald Trump. 

“We don’t have two options. We have many options. And we’re going to exercise that,” Hussein said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Biden campaign for a response. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday asked whether former President Trump was seeking a second term in the White House to fulfill his personal retribution against his perceived enemies or to help improve the future of everyday Americans.

When asked on on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about Trump campaigning on promises to get back at his enemies, DeSantis challenged the former president with a single question: “Why are you running?”

“If he’s running for personal retribution, that is not going to lead to what we need as a country,” the governor said. “You got to be running for the American people and their issues, not about your own personal issues. And that is a distinction between us. I am focused on the folks. I am focused on what they want to see done for this country in a positive direction. I’m the vessel, but ultimately, it’s not about me.”

DeSantis was responding to a question from anchor Kristen Welker about Trump campaigning on promises “to jail his political enemies” and whether he condemns the use of the term “vermin” that Trump used to refer to his political opponents.

DESANTIS SUPER PAC FIRES INTERIM CEO AFTER LESS THAN 2 WEEKS IN LATEST SHAKEUP OF TOP OFFICIALS

“I don’t use the term,” DeSantis said “But what I don’t do is play the media’s game where I’m asked to referee other people. He’s responsible for his words. He’s responsible for his conduct. I’m responsible for mine.”

DeSantis claimed that the U.S. government is “out of control” through the “weaponization” of the FBI, IRS and Department of Justice, a claim that Trump has also made.

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

“I’m going to end that weaponization,” DeSantis said. “But that’s not because I’m doing it for me. It’s because I’m doing it for the people that have been under the thumb of these agencies, and I’m going to restore the rule of law.”

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DeSantis remains a distant second to Trump in polling and is facing new pressure from the campaign of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has been rising in early-state polls and picked up the support of Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the powerful Koch network.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday countered a warning from former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., about the re-election of former President Trump dooming the American republic, saying that the re-election of President Biden would be disastrous for the entire world.

Graham appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and was asked to respond to Cheney’s remark during an interview over the weekend that a second Trump presidency means that the U.S. is “sleepwalking into a dictatorship.”

“I understand why people don’t like what he does and says at times,” Graham said of Trump, “but in terms of actions and results, he was far better president [than] Biden. And if we have four more years of this, Liz Cheney, then we won’t recognize America and the world will be truly on fire.”

Graham, who has endorsed Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election, said he understood that Cheney’s “hatred of Trump is real,” but warned that Biden’s policies are a disaster for everyone.

LIZ CHENEY CALLS SPEAKER JOHNSON ‘DANGEROUS’ FOR HELPING TRUMP ‘UNDERMINE OUR REPUBLIC’

“I think a continuation of the Biden presidency would be a disaster for peace and prosperity at home and abroad,” Graham said. “Our border is broken; the only person really going to fix our broken border is Donald Trump.”

Graham also noted that Russia invaded Ukraine and terrorists attacked Israel under Biden’s tenure.

TRUMP CALLS OUT IMMIGRATION CRISIS DURING IOWA CAUCUS RALLY, SAYS HE WILL KEPP WORLD PEACEFUL, SAFE

“When [Trump] was president, none of this stuff was going on in Ukraine,” he said. “You know, Hamas and all these other terrorist groups were afraid of Trump.”

Cheney, a Republican who represented Wyoming’s at-large congressional district, was a vocal critic of Trump during his presidency and continued to assail the former president in her book “Oath and Honor,” which she has been making the rounds publicizing.

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Cheney was ousted from Congress last year after losing to pro-Trump candidate Harriet Hageman.  

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie told host Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” that he is “confident” he will be on the fourth GOP debate stage this week.

“I’m confident, Margaret, that I will be there, that we have all the qualifications necessary to get there,” Christie said. The debate is set to happen Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Republican National Committee is expected to announce the participants Monday.

Christie also told the show host it is too early to make election predictions.

“Look, if we listen to all the polling, Margaret, Hillary Clinton would be in her second term. So I don’t believe that polling is nearly as reliable as it used to be. And I don’t believe that people tell the truth to pollsters,” he said, adding that in 2007 polls showed Mitt Romney in the lead, in 2011 Newt Gingrich and in 2017 Ben Carson, none of whom held the White House.

CHRISTIE TURNS UP THE HEAT ON HALEY AND DESANTIS AS HE TRIES TO BE THE TRUMP ALTERNATIVE IN GOP 2024 RACE

As Christie runs again for the presidency, he is concentrating most of his time and resources on New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the Republican schedule and votes second after Iowa’s caucuses. Christie is currently in third place in New Hampshire polls, far behind President Trump and slightly trailing former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

In 2016, Christie became the first among the other GOP contenders to endorse Trump and for years was a top outside adviser to the then-president. However, the two had a falling out after Trump’s unsuccessful attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. In the past three years, Christie has become one of the harshest Trump critics in the Republican Party.

2024 SHOWDOWN: CHRISTIE UPS HIS GAME IN KEY PRIMARY STATE AND TURNS UP THE HEAT ON HALEY

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On Sunday, Christie said he refused to support Trump because his way of leading is a threat to democracy.

“The reason is that he acts like someone who doesn’t care about our democracy, acts like someone who wants to be a dictator. He acts like someone who doesn’t care for the Constitution. In fact, he’s even said himself he’d be willing to suspend the Constitution if an election wasn’t going in his direction,” Christie said.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Joe Biden won the White House in the 2020 election with narrow victories over Donald Trump in six crucial battleground states.

Fast-forward three years, and the most recent polling in those key swing states is raising fears regarding Biden’s re-election in 2024 as he faces a likely rematch with Trump, the commanding frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

Numerous national polls and a couple battleground state surveys conducted in recent weeks, which have an indicted Trump edging Biden in hypothetical general election showdowns, have grabbed substantial media attention.

The polls suggest Biden’s support is deteriorating among Black, Latino and younger voters, who have all long been key constituencies in the Democratic Party’s base.

BIDEN FACES A BIGGER POLLING DEFICIT NOW THAT OBAMA DID A YEAR BEFORE THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

“The lack of enthusiasm and declining support is certainly real,” noted Chris Anderson, a veteran Democratic pollster and strategist and the Democratic partner on the Fox News Poll for a decade and a half. 

HEAD HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2024 POLLING

“In terms of where those folks will be next November, I would expect a lot, if not the vast majority of them, to return to the Democratic base if it’s a Biden-Trump matchup,” Anderson said. “I think as soon as Trump’s name is opposite Biden’s, everything is different than if you’re evaluating Biden on his own.”

Another potential electoral hazard for the president is the prospect of independent or third-party candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Green Party candidate Jill Stein, progressive university scholar Cornell West and a potential bipartsan ticket supported by the centrist No Labels organization, which could draw votes from Biden. 

Here are the six battleground states (in alphabetical order) where Biden will likely need to work overtime to keep them in the Democrats’ column.

ARIZONA

Biden edged Trump by less than 11,000 votes out of more than 3.3 million cast. He became the first Democrat to carry the state — and its 11 electoral votes — since President Bill Clinton in 1996.

The most recent polls in the state of Arizona for a hypothetical 2024 rematch suggest Trump either slightly ahead or tied with Biden.

GEORGIA

Biden topped Trump by less than 12,000 votes out of roughly 4.5 million cast. He became the first Democrat to win the state — and it’s 16 electoral votes — since Clinton in 1992.

The most recent polls in Georgia for a potential 2024 rematch indicate Trump ahead of Biden from the lower to upper single digits.

MICHIGAN

Biden defeated Trump by 2.8 percentage points to flip a state Trump had captured in 2016. 

Michigan has 16 electoral votes up for grabs again in 2024, and polls suggest a tight contest between Biden and Trump in the Great Lakes battleground.

NEVADA

Biden defeated Trump by 2.4 percentage points to flip a state Trump had captured in 2016. It was the smallest margin of victory for any Democratic presidential nominee in the Silver State since the party last lost Nevada in 2004.

Nevada has six electoral votes up for grabs again in 2024, and polls suggest Trump is ahead of the president from the low single digits to the low double digits.

PENNSYLVANIA

Biden defeated Trump by 1.2 percentage points to reclaim a state for the Democrats that Trump had flipped in 2016. 

Pennsylvania will have 19 electoral votes up for grabs in 2024 — down one from 2020 — and the latest surveys indicate Biden either even with Trump or trailing slightly.

WISCONSIN

Biden edged Trump by just over 20,000 votes out of more than 3.2 million cast in the 2020 election. He reclaimed a state that Trump had flipped from blue to red in 2016.

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Wisconsin has 10 electoral votes up for grabs again in 2024, and polls suggest an extremely tight contest between Biden and Trump.

“Whether those six states in particular will be more difficult [for Biden], I think we’re a little far out to say that,” Anderson said.  

“I think it’s clear that we have a sharply divided country that hasn’t become less divided in the past four years.”

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

Never Back Down, the top super Political Action Committee supporting Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign for president, has fired its interim chief executive officer after less than two weeks on the job.

The super PAC confirmed to Fox News Digital that Kristen Davison is out as interim CEO, just a week and a half after she replaced Chris Jankowski.

The news comes after former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt resigned last week as Never Back Down board chairman. In his resignation letter to the board, Laxalt said he is turning his attention to his family and law practice but that he will continue to support DeSantis in whatever ways he can.

Never Back Down has named Scott Wagner, a longtime DeSantis ally, as interim CEO. He will also replace Laxalt as board chairman.

DESANTIS LOSES ANOTHER SUPER PAC OFFICIAL, THE SECOND IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS TO LEAVE HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

“Scott Wagner will now serve as Chairman of the Board and interim CEO of Never Back Down,” spokesperson Jessica Syzmanski said in a statement to Fox News Digital.” Never Back Down has the most organized, advanced caucus operation of anyone in the 2024 primary field, and we look forward to continuing that great work to help elect Gov. DeSantis the next President of the United States.”

Davison departure represents the super PAC’s latest staff shakeup in the last couple of weeks.

Jankowski left as CEO on Nov. 22, Laxalt resigned as board chairman four days later and Davison was terminated as interim CEO five days after that. Additionally, Never Back Down spokesperson Erin Perrine was also fired, according to Semafor.

Other staff have also departed from the super PAC in recent days, although it is unclear how widespread these departures are, POLITICO reported.

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

The DeSantis campaign is plagued by other problems the super PAC is facing as well. The campaign believes Never Back Down’s TV ads have been ineffective, people close to the governor told POLITICO. DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier suggested in a memo last week the super PAC should shift its focus toward a get-out-the vote program.

Amid Never Back Down’s ongoing turmoil, DeSantis allies created a new super PAC, Fight Right. Never Back Down had been the only pro-DeSantis group and has been responsible for more campaign functions than most super PACs typically do. But the formation of the new group raises questions about Never Back Down’s role as the campaign prepares for the Iowa caucus on Jan 15.

Never Back Down has hosted several campaign events, which have included appearances from DeSantis, especially in his campaign tour of each of Iowa’s 99 counties. The super Pac has also focused on grassroots organization in Iowa.

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Following Uthmeier’s memo, Never Back Down has moved its attention toward field deployment ahead of the Iowa caucus while Fight Right will focus on TV advertising, according to POLITICO.

DeSantis continues to struggle to gain ground on former President Trump in the polls for the GOP nomination for president. Once considered the most viable competitor to the former president, DeSantis now finds himself in a fight to maintain second place, as former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has seen a surge in momentum in recent months.

Former President Donald Trump rallied voters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during a “Commit to Caucus” campaign event Saturday, focusing on his agenda and calling out “the worst, most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America.” 

“We don’t like corrupt politicians like Joe Biden. Without question, this is the worst president, most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America without question,” Trump exclaimed, in anticipation of next month’s Iowa GOP presidential caucuses. “And I promise you this, if you put me back in the White House there, rain will be over and America will be a free nation once again.” 

When speaking about keeping America safe, Trump said he would immediately implement travel restrictions on terror-plagued countries.

“I will immediately restore and expand the Trump travel ban on entry from terror-plagued countries and I will implement strong ideological screening on all immigrants as we have no choice,” he said. “If you hate America, if you want to abolish Israel, if you sympathize with jihad[ists], then we don’t want you in our country, and you’re not going to come into our country.”

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

Adding to his remarks on a travel ban and current unrest in the Middle East, Trump pointed to the historic Abraham Accords, and described how he would make sure there was worldwide peace once again if elected.

“So for four straight years, I kept America safe. I kept Ukraine safe. None of this stuff would have happened. And I kept the entire world safe,” Trump said. 

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

Trump added he would do everything in his power to keep the United States out of a war. 

“I will prevent World War III. I will prevent it. On my first day back in the White House, I will terminate every open-border policy of the Biden administration, stop the invasion on our southern border, and begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” Trump said. 

RAPPER SAYS HE ‘WISHES’ TRUMP WERE STILL PRESIDENT, ‘BIDEN GOT TO GO’ BECAUSE OF HIGH GAS AND FOOD PRICES

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“We are a nation that has lost its way, but we are not going to allow this horror to continue. Three years ago, we were a great nation, and we will soon be a great nation again,” he said. 

Another blow to Ron DeSantis‘ presidential campaign as another top official of his main political action committee (PAC) has left his campaign, the second to step down in the last two weeks, according to the Associated Press.

Former Nevada attorney general and Never Back Down Chairman Adam Laxalt submitted his resignation letter last Sunday, according to a spokesperson from the campaign, which was first reported by The New York Times.

According to the report, Laxalt turned in his resignation to the group’s board on Nov. 26, just four days after Jankowski’s exit, explaining that he needed to shift his focus. 

“Effective immediately, I am resigning from the Board of Directors of Never Back Down. After nearly 26 straight months of being in a full scale campaign, I need to return my time and attention to my family and law practice,” Laxalt wrote to the super PAC board. “I will continue to support Governor DeSantis in whatever ways I can, and I hope and pray that his campaign will be successful.”

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

Last week, the super PAC’s chief executive, Chris Jankowski, was the first top official to resign from DeSantis’ campaign. 

Both departures come as DeSantis struggles to energize his presidential campaign, which officials say has fallen short of expectations.

According to reports, the departures mark a dark chapter for the super PAC, which launched earlier this year with more than $80 million in seed money.

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

Despite losing Laxalt and Jankowski, Never Back Down remains fueled by DeSantis supporters as another super PAC led by DeSantis loyalists has just launched, Fight Right, which is focused on leading the charge for television advertising for DeSantis. 

In a note sent to donors Monday, DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier outlined his vision for the roles the super PACs would play. 

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

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“In the final push for the Iowa Caucus victory, this campaign will proudly fight alongside NBD’s impressive ground game, and Fight Right’s television team, to show the people of Iowa that this is a time for choosing, and Ron DeSantis is the candidate that can WIN!” Uthmeier wrote. “We are blessed to have both an NBD-army and Fight Right-air force out there fighting for us.”

Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley responded Friday to a series of attacks from her political opponents, saying that her challengers in the race are losing and that they know that her campaign is “surging.”

Haley’s comments came during an interview with Fox News Channel’s Martha MacCallum on “The Story,” where she also took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his comments about her record as governor of South Carolina and suggested that it’s up to him whether to drop out of the race as she gains momentum in the polls.

Asked about recent campaign attacks by former President Donald Trump, who has referred to Haley as “bird brain” and insisted she is a globalist concerned about the prosperity of other nations, Haley said, “Look, all these guys know that we’re surging in the polls so they’re all starting to hit.”

“The nickname, he’s losing it, it’s not even a funny nickname. I don’t even think it was that great,” continued Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in Trump’s administration. “But you look at everything else he says, he knows how strong I was when it came to China. I was actually tougher on China than he was.”

HALEY, BOLSTERED BY THE BACKING OF A MAJOR CONSERVATIVE GROUP, IS HAVING A MOMENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

“He just handled the trade part of China, but he didn’t do anything about the fentanyl flow, he didn’t do anything about them stealing intellectual property, he didn’t do anything about them buying U.S. land, he didn’t do anything about defeating all of the intrusion that was happening in our universities from police stations to creating a spy center off the coast of Cuba. We’re gonna have to deal with all of that because he didn’t deal with any of it,” she added.

Referencing remarks made by California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom at The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate this week, MacCallum also asked Haley whether she would like to see DeSantis drop out of the race for the White House.

“I’ve always said it’s a personal decision to get into a race, it’s a personal decision to get out of a race,” Haley responded. “I’m never going to tell a candidate to get out of the race. That’s their decision. It’s up to Ron. But I think you can look at where we are right now. We’re second in the polls in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, second in South Carolina.”

“We’re gonna keep working hard, we’re gonna keep staying focused, and we’re gonna get this done at the end of the day,” she added.

Haley also responded to DeSantis’ attack on her record as the Palmetto State’s governor. Those comments, she suggested, came as a result of him “losing” in the polls.

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

“I think he went after my record as governor because he’s losing,” Haley said. “I mean, who else can spend $100 million and drop half in the polls. My record as governor is clear. I took a state that had 11% unemployment, we dropped it down to four percent. We were known as the Beast of the Southeast because we created so many jobs and brought so many companies in. . . . I’m proud of my record. South Carolinians should be proud of our record.”

Though she continues to weather attacks from other candidates, Haley said her campaign is focused on making Americans “strong and proud,” and insisted she plans to do that by prioritizing relief from economic struggles, working to enhance education for children, lowering crime, and securing the borders.

“We’re gonna let the world know America is back,” she said.

Haley has enjoyed momentum in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates. She has also picked up a stream of strong endorsements in recent weeks, including one from Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers.

Haley recently showcased over 70 new Hawkeye State endorsements and on Friday launched a $10 million ad blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Haley has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire and in her home state, which holds the first southern contest. She has also pulled even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls in Iowa, whose caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar on January 15.

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But Haley and DeSantis remain far behind Trump, who continues to hold a commanding lead over the rest of the field as the former president makes his third straight White House run.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is looking to move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry vote against President Biden, saying that it is a “necessary step” as the White House continues to stonewall investigations by House Republicans into alleged wrongdoing by the Biden family.

Johnson’s remarks came during a Saturday appearance on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” where he, along with House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., spoke to several topics and were asked about plans to bring forth a vote on impeachment.

“It’s become a necessary step,” he said. “Elise and I both served on the impeachment defense team of Donald Trump twice when the Democrats used it for brazen, partisan political purposes. We decried that use of it. This is very different. Remember, we are the rule of law team. We have to do it very methodically.”

“Our three committees of jurisdiction — judiciary, oversight, ways and means — have been doing an extraordinary job following the evidence where it leads,” he continued. “But now we’re being stonewalled by the White House, because they’re preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward, a former White House counsel, the national archives . . . the White House has withheld thousands of pages of evidence.”

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ‘SOON’

Reaffirming his belief in moving forward with the process, Johnson said a “formal impeachment inquiry vote on the floor will allow [Republicans] to take it to the next necessary step.”

“I think it’s something we have to do at this juncture,” he added.

Johnson’s comments came after multiple Republicans said Friday that a vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry of President Biden is likely to come before the House of Representatives breaks for the December recess.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he expected his committee to get the legislation “sometime next week,” which will likely tee up a House-wide vote shortly thereafter.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said that he anticipates a House-wide vote “before we will break” on December 15.

“I think that every Republican should be convinced about voting for the impeachment inquiry, there’s plenty of smoke there,” Gimenez said.

The Republicans spoke after a closed-door House GOP Conference meeting where the three chairmen investigating Biden and his family — Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. — reiterating their case for lawmakers.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said that the meeting had been held “to see where the votes are and make sure everybody’s communicated with, people have had their chance to understand what an impeachment inquiry is versus impeachment.”

HOUSE GOP DISCUSSING VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

“It’s important we get it done as soon as possible so that we can move forward with this investigation,” Hern said.

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said a vote would likely come “soon” and contrasted the push to formalize Republicans’ impeachment inquiry with how House Democrats handled former President Donald Trump, moving forward with the impeachment process without a House-wide vote.

“We’re actually trying to do it the right way,” Murphy said.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden in September, but the White House has dismissed the probe as illegitimate without a formal vote on the matter.

The administration’s resistance to cooperating with House investigators’ subpoenas has inspired even Republicans in districts won by Biden in 2020 to support formalizing the inquiry.

Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital, “This is what the administration has asked for.”

“The administration made it very clear, they weren’t going to actually work with our constitutional authority, unless we did the vote. Fine,” Schweikert said.

Oversight Democrats sent out a five-page memo Friday morning rebutting Republicans’ claims, citing a “mountain of evidence” they said clears Biden of any wrongdoing.

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“Rather than accept these facts, Republicans have resorted to cherry-picking and distorting facts in order to justify continuing this sham investigation aimed at satisfying the demands for retribution of President Trump who was twice indicted and now faces 91 felony counts,” the memo read.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

As he aims for an upset victory in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is fulfilling his goal of stopping in all 99 counties in the state that holds the first contest on the GOP nominating calendar.

DeSantis will make his final stop Saturday in Jasper County, where he’ll be joined by popular Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who endorsed him in early November.

Also teaming up with DeSantis will be Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, an influential social conservative organization in a state where evangelical voters play an outsized role in Republican politics. Vander Plaats endorsed DeSantis two weeks ago.

“We’re going to win here. We have what it takes,” DeSantis pledged in a recent Fox News Digital interview in Des Moines, Iowa.

GAME ON IN IOWA WITH THE CAUCUSES CLOSING IN 

As part of that push, DeSantis is completing what’s known as “the full Grassley,” named after Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The longtime Republican senator pioneered the all-county tour and has been doing it more than four decades.

“We’re going to complete the full Grassley. That’ll be 99 counties,” DeSantis told reporters Thursday. “We’re very excited about doing that. I think you have to do it to win Iowa. I think that’s what voters want to see. I think they want to be able to meet you.”

THIS CANDIDATE REMAINS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT AS THE FIRST VOTES IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE NEAR

And he pledged that “the fact that we did it doesn’t mean we’re not going to hit a lot more counties, again, over between now and caucus night.”

DeSantis is hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (2008), former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (2012) and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (2016), who stopped in all 99 counties en route to Iowa caucus victories.

But none of those three won the GOP nomination.

Pointing to the Reynolds and Vander Plaats endorsements and backing from plenty of other politicians in Iowa, DeSantis argued his campaign is “in better shape by far than previous caucus winners. And so we’re going to continue to take that momentum all the way to caucus night for victory.”

Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of numerous presidential and statewide campaigns in Iowa, told Fox News that pulling a “full Grassley” is “kind of an inefficient use of candidate time because 70% of Iowans live in 30 counties. But it is a good messaging point, and it is a way to demonstrate that you’re committed to the process.”

“It’s a way to say, ‘I respect the Iowa caucus process. I’m going to do it the right way, and I’m going to go everywhere and earn your vote,'” Kochel said.

The Florida governor will be the second Republican White House hopeful this cycle to stop in all 99 counties, following long shot candidate Ryan Blinkley, a little-known pastor and entrepreneur from Texas who accomplished his quest in early November.

DeSantis is battling Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, for second place in the latest GOP presidential nomination polls in Iowa, far behind former President Donald Trump. The former president remains the commanding Republican frontrunner in Iowa, the other early voting states and in national surveys as he makes his third straight bid for the White House.

Trump also returns to Iowa Saturday to hold caucus organizing events. And his campaign is ramping up its ad buys in the state the final weeks ahead of the caucuses.

While Trump has hosted nearly 20 events in Iowa this year, the Florida governor has made roughly 130 stops, many of them hosted by the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down. Additionally, the super PAC has spent millions to put together a formidable ground game in Iowa.

However, what once appeared to be a two-candidate fight for the nomination is now a three-way battle.

Haley, who has enjoyed momentum 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.

“The momentum is real. The excitement is there. We’re going to keep working hard to win every Iowan’s vote. We’re not going to give up on Iowa,” Haley said in a Fox News Digital interview ahead of a recent town hall in Newton, Iowa.

Haley recently showcased over 70 new Hawkeye State endorsements and on Friday launched a $10 million ad blitz in Iowa and New Hampshire.

She also landed the backing earlier this week of Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. AFP Action has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars and mobilize its formidable grassroots operation to boost Haley and help push the Republican Party past Trump.

Pointing to DeSantis, Haley and Trump, Kochel said “it feels to me like everybody understands how determinative Iowa might be in setting this field up for a big dynamic change.”

There are also other long shots vying for the GOP nomination campaigning in Iowa.

Multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is basing his campaign in Iowa for the final stretch as he barnstorms the state. 

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who failed to make the stage at the third GOP presidential primary debate, is also spending plenty of time in Iowa.

And former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who sits at less than 1% in the polls and who has missed the past two debates, also remains in the race and is campaigning in the Hawkeye State.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is running for the White House a second time, is avoiding Iowa as he once again concentrates much of his firepower in New Hampshire, where he has double-digit support.

“Right now, people are starting to make up their minds,” Kochel said with just over six weeks to go until the caucuses. “They’ve had their top three or top four for a while. Now this thing is really coming down to, ‘Do we stick with Trump or which one of these Trump alternatives deserves to go on with some momentum?’”

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

CONCORD, N.H. – With the start of the Republican presidential nominating calendar just a month and a half away, Chris Christie is picking up the pace. 

As he sharpens his jabs at his 2024 White House rivals and vows he will qualify for next week’s fourth GOP presidential primary debate, the former two-term New Jersey governor making his second White House run is upping his sales pitch to voters.

“I’ve enjoyed the dating period. Now it’s time for us to get married,” Christie told the crowd Friday at Politics and Pies, hosted by the GOP committee in Concord, New Hampshire. It was a line he had used at a town hall the previous night.

Asked in an interview with Fox News Digital if he was getting marriage proposals from voters in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, Christie said, “I got a bunch last night after the town hall meeting.”

WHAT CHRIS CHRISTIE TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT HIS 2024 CHANCES 

“The biggest difference between now and eight years ago is people that are coming to town halls are committing,” he said.

As Christie runs a second time for national office, he faces a steep uphill climb against former President Donald Trump, who’s the commanding frontrunner in the race as he makes his third straight White House bid. And he’s once again concentrating his time and resources in New Hampshire.

POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR IN A CRUCIAL PRIMARY STATE TEAMS UP WITH CHRISTIE, HALEY AND DESANTIS

Christie has shifted his lean campaign into a higher gear, increasing the number of events he’s hosting with Granite State voters. This week’s quick swing included two town halls, including one organized by the New Hampshire State Employees Association. The union said Christie was the first GOP candidate to meet with the membership in three decades. Christie returns to New Hampshire next week for a two-day tour of college campuses.

On Friday, Christie unveiled what his campaign touted was a “strong” and “influential” New Hampshire steering committee, which included former state GOP chair Wayne McDonald, former Rep. Charlie Bass, and two former Republican state Senate presidents.

Christie told Fox News he’s stepping up his game “because people here are starting to focus too in a way that was much different than, let’s say, the last four or five months. You can tell by the attendance at the town halls. You can tell by the kind of questions that you get. And you can tell by the way that they’re reacting. They’re getting ready to make their decisions too, and so, you gotta be up here and make sure that you’re making the case.”

The former governor, a one-time Trump ally turned vocal Republican critical of the former president, has been turning up the heat in recent weeks on two other rivals for the nomination.

HALEY’S HAVING A MOMENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Christie’s amplifying criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for not vigorously targeting Trump. DeSantis and Haley are battling for a distant second place behind Trump in Iowa, the state whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar. In New Hampshire, Christie’s in third place, behind Trump and Haley.

With Christie and Haley both aiming to win the votes of Republicans and independents who seek a Trump alternative, Christie’s been targeting his rival.

“My point that I’ve been trying to make about Nikki is just pretty simple. You can’t be running against Donald Trump and then say he was the right president for the right time,” Christie told Fox News. “You can’t be trying to cuddle up to Trump at the same time you’re running against him.”

Christie emphasized that Trump’s “well ahead. So, let’s stop pretending that he’s not, and let’s go after him because there’s a big case made against him.”

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Haley, who’s been sharpening her jabs at Trump on the campaign trail and who’s made the case that she’s more electable than Trump in next year’s general election, has seen her standing in the race rise this autumn.  

Earlier this week, she landed the backing of Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. The group pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars and mobilize its formidable grassroots operation to help push the Republican Party past Trump and support Haley.

Christie made the stage at the first three Republican presidential primary debates and pushed back at speculation he’ll fail to reach the higher qualifying thresholds for next week’s fourth debate.

In August, ahead of the first debate, Christie said Republican presidential candidates who didn’t qualify for the showdown should drop out of the race. 

Asked on Friday if his blunt suggestion would come back to haunt him, Christie quickly answered, “I’ll be on the debate stage next week, so we won’t have to worry about it.”

And he reiterated that he’s 100% confident he’ll qualify.

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