NationalWatch

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is far from the Golden State this weekend, as he travels from the Mideast to the Far East on a high-stakes overseas trip that could fuel future presidential speculation.

The two-term California governor with a rising national profile made a quick stop in Israel on Friday, amid the Jewish State’s war with Hamas.

Then it was on to China, where Newsom aims to discuss climate change with the world’s most populous nation.

But it’s a delicate dance for the governor, who as a top surrogate on behalf of President Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign, needs to make sure he doesn’t disrupt fragile relations between the administration in Washington and the communist regime in Beijing.

NEWSOM’S POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS FRONT AND CENTER AS HE TOUTS BIDEN FOR 2024 

And the trip, only his second international tour in his official capacity as California governor, carries plenty of risks and rewards for Newsom, who’s viewed by many pundits as a likely future presidential contender.

“This trip builds up his credentials,” seasoned Democratic communicator and strategist Chris Moyer noted, a veteran of multiple presidential campaigns, noted. “It could pay dividends for him later.”

While in Israel, the governor huddled with Californians and others who survived the horrific assault by Hamas militants nearly two weeks ago, which was the deadliest attack on Israel in half a century.

“Today, I met with a Californian who was shot during a missile and grenade attack. She covered herself among dead people to survive. After hours of endless terror, she was rescued and transported to a hospital,” Newsom wrote in a social media posting, as he described his visit to a hospital in Tel Aviv.

Newsom also described meeting a mother whose son, a Californian, is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. He also spotlighted that he “hugged a girl — another Californian, born in Los Angeles — who was shot in the leg by Hamas and left for dead, in truly horrific conditions.”

“What the Israeli people have experienced is nothing short of barbaric terrorism. But what I heard and saw today was so much more than that. It was a profound sense of resilience,” Newsom said.

The governor’s office noted in a released that “the State of California is working to ship medical supplies to support humanitarian relief efforts in Israel and Gaza.”

California is home to the largest population of Arab Americans in the United States, according to the Arab American Institute. It also has the second-largest populations of Jews in the U.S., according to the American Jewish Population Project at Brandeis University.

Newsom wasn’t the only American governor to visit Israel. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York stopped in the Jewish State earlier in the week.

GAVIN NEWSOM IS MAKING SOME BIG MOVES IN CALIFORNIA

In China, Newsom will target areas where California and China can team up to reduce global warming emissions — including a focus on electric vehicles, high-speed rail, and offshore wind energy.

While Newsom’s immediate predecessors in Sacramento — former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown — both negotiated with China on climate and trade, relations have dramatically worsened between the two superpowers. That raises the stakes for Newsom’s trip and could invite plenty of criticism from Republicans.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND OPINION ON GAVIN NEWSOM 

But the trip also brings business benefits.

Mike Trujillo, a veteran California based Democratic strategist, noted that “California, if it were its own country, would be the fifth-largest economy in the world.” Governors of the Golden State view it their duty to ensure California remains an economic powerhouse. “That means making sure other countries, importers, exporters, everything we do in this state, has a good relationship with our supply line.”

“Whether or not the trip burnishes his credentials for a future presidential race really doesn’t matter. I just think it’s good government by the governor of California,” Trujillo said.

Even though he repeatedly shoots it down, speculation still runs rampant that Newsom’s secretly mulling a White House run in 2024 should something happen to Biden, thanks in part to the governor’s six trips this year to red states and an upcoming primetime debate in Georgia with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Fox News’ “Hannity.” He also has a burgeoning political operation that’s distributing millions to Democratic causes and candidates.

Newsom’s moves have positioned him as a leading voice in the Democratic Party at a time of rising concerns among Democrats over the 80-year-old president’s political durability, his negative approval ratings. Recent polls indicate former President Donald Trump — the commanding front-runner right now for the GOP nomination — is either ahead or tied with Biden in 2024 general election matchups.

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But Newsom has repeatedly emphasized his support for Biden’s re-election and has stressed it is time Democrats rally around the president.

“President Biden is going to run, and [I’m] looking forward to getting him re-elected. I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months, and hand-wringing in this respect. But we’re gearing up for the campaign,” Newsom said last month in an NBC News interview.

Days later, the governor said that “the answer is no” when asked during a CNN interview if he was considering a 2024 White House run. “No ambiguity.”

“Let’s get on the train. This train has left the proverbial station,” he added.

The telegenic 55-year-old Newsom has also spotlighted his support for Vice President Kamala Harris, a fellow Californian whose approval ratings are deeper underwater than Biden’s numbers.

Newsom’s reassuring support for Biden has appeared to put the president’s re-election campaign at ease.

“He’s been a tremendous asset to the campaign, and we’re really grateful to have him as part of our national advisory board,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez told reporters on the eve of the second Republican presidential nomination debate, where Newsom served as the top surrogate for the Biden campaign in the post-debate spin room.

While Newsom’s political moves may set him up for a potential White House run in 2028, Republicans aren’t ready to drop speculation the term-limited governor is still angling for a possible 2024 bid.

“He’s trying to tell the world that he’s the number one guy and that he’s going to be running for this seat for whatever reasons Joe Biden ends up not being their nominee,” California GOP chair Jessica Milan Patterson argued in a Fox News interview last month.

Associated Press material was used in this report

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

The National Republican Congressional Committee is taking aim at House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for calling the border at the southern border “medieval.”

Jeffries was on “Pod Save America” speaking about past government shutdowns. He noted the shutdown in 2018 and 2019 during the Trump administration.

“That was because [Republicans] wanted to try to extract billions of taxpayer dollars for an ineffective, medieval border wall,” he said.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPUBLICANS PUSH BIDEN DHS ON ‘CONFLICTING’ BORDER WALL POSITIONS

The description of the wall as medieval, drew criticism from the NRCC.

“What everyday Americans call common sense, extreme Democrat Hakeem Jeffries calls ‘medieval,’” NRCC communications director Jack Pandol told Fox News Digital.

“It makes no sense unless Democrats are so beholden to an open border they just don’t care about the chaos and deadly drugs that come with it,” he said. 

Democrats and the Biden administration have long opposed a wall at the southern border — with the Biden administration shutting down Trump-era construction shortly after entering office.

But with a historic ongoing crisis at the southern border — and a record 260,000 migrant encounters in September — Republicans have hammered the administration and Democrats for not supporting a wall. 

The wall was back in focus in recent weeks when the Biden administration cited an “acute and immediate need” to waive 26 federal regulations to go forward with construction of barriers in South Texas due to an increase in illegal crossings.

MAYORKAS CITES ‘IMMEDIATE NEED’ TO WAIVE REGULATIONS, BUILD BORDER WALL IN TEXAS AS IMMIGRATION SURGES

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has since said that there was no new policy on border wall construction, and the administration was mandated to spend the money appropriated by Congress during the Trump era.

“From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer. That remains our position and our position has never wavered. The language in the Federal Register notice is being taken out of context and it does not signify any change in policy whatsoever,” he said in an Oct. 5 statement.

“We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money but it has not done so and we are compelled to follow the law,” Mayorkas said.

This week, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee quizzed the administration on what they said are “conflicting” positions. 

BIDEN SAYS ‘NO,’ BORDER WALL DOESN’T WORK, AFTER MAYORKAS CITED ‘IMMEDIATE’ NEED

“On its face, your words concede a seemingly obvious point: that border barriers are an essential part of securing the border, as they have ‘proved to be a critical component in gaining operational control of the border’ by diverting or slowing illegal crossings of people or contraband, and result in a significant and measurable decrease in illegal entry in the areas they are erected while requiring less manpower to patrol,” lawmakers said. “Yet Administration officials continue to assert that this action does not constitute a change in policy and that border barriers are ineffective.”

A DHS spokesperson highlighted to Fox News again that it was a FY 2019 requirement for the money to be spent, and that Congress would not rescind the appropriation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“After two years of trying to get Congress to reappropriate the funding for smarter, more effective policy interventions, the only way to then spend the money as Congress intended was to then issue a waiver of these laws,” they said. “The language of the waiver was written to ensure that DHS complied with Congress’s 2019 legal mandate that DHS spend the appropriated funds for border wall construction. It is not a statement of the Administration’s policy. ”

“As a matter of policy, the Administration disagrees with Congress’s 2019 mandate and continues to oppose further border wall construction. Nevertheless, DHS must and will comply with the law,” they said.

Jeffries’ office didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A New York judge fined former President Trump $5,000 for violating the partial gag order he imposed in the civil trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into the Trump family’s businesses, while warning the 2024 frontrunner that future violations could result in imprisonment.

Judge Arthur Engoron, earlier this month, imposed a partial gag order to prevent all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff after Trump criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media.

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

“On October 3, during a break in this trial, defendant Donald Trump posted to his social media account an untrue, disparaging, and personally identifying post about my Principal Law Clerk,” Engoron wrote in a filing Friday, adding that he ordered Trump to remove the post “immediately.”

The post in question was on Trump’s Truth Social account, and stated Engoron’s law clerk had a relationship with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The post also contained a photo. Trump added that because of that, the case “should be dismissed immediately.” 

“Approximately 10 minutes later, Donald Trump represented to me that he had taken down the offending post, and that he would not engage in similar behavior going forward,” Engoron wrote, adding that he then imposed the partial gag order, which emphasized that “personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them under any circumstances.” 

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

“Despite this clear order, last night I learned that the subject offending post was never removed from the website ‘DonaldJTrump.com,’ and, in fact, had been on that website for the past 17 days,” Engoron wrote. “I understand it was removed late last night, but only in response to an email from this Court.” 

Engoron said lawyers for Trump stated that the violation of the gag order was “inadvertent and was an ‘unfortunate part of the process that is built into the campaign structure.’”

But Engoron said, either way, Trump “violated the gag order.”

“Donald Trump has received ample warning from this Court as to the possible repercussions of violating the gag order,” he wrote. “He specifically acknowledged that he understood and would abide by it.”

He added: “issuing yet another warning is no longer appropriate; this Court is way beyond the ‘warning’ stage.”

JUDGE IMPOSES PARTIAL GAG ORDER AGAINST TRUMP IN SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S JAN 6 CASE

Engoron said that given Trump’s position that the violation was “inadvertent,” and even that it is the “first time” violation, the court will impose a “nominal fine” of $5,000.

“Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him pursuant to New York Judiciary Law.”

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

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

An appellate ruling from over the summer, which limited James from suing for alleged transactions that occurred before July 13, 2014, or Feb. 6, 2016, depending on the defendant, dismissed Ivanka Trump as a defendant. 

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, a federal judge also imposed a partial gag order against Trump this week, blocking him from making statements targeting Special Counsel Jack Smith, his staff, witnesses and court personnel.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of the District of Columbia, who is presiding over Smith’s case against the former president for charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, made the decision during a court hearing on Monday.

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Chutkan said Monday that the former president is able to criticize the Justice Department in general terms and has the right to post his view that the case against him is politically motivated. However, the judge said Trump cannot post attacks against prosecutors or court staff.

“No other criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, and I’m not going to allow it in this case,” Chutkan said, adding that, if necessary, she would impose sanctions if Trump violates the partial gag order.

Long-shot Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson dropped out of the race Friday, saying that he was not given the opportunity to share “his vision on the debate stage.”

“With no opportunity to share my vision on the debate stage, I have decided at this time suspending my campaign is the right thing to do,” Johnson wrote in a statement announcing his decision. 

The Michigan businessman and quality control industry expert failed to qualify for the first two Republican presidential nomination debates, criticizing the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) polling and donor thresholds. 

LONG-SHOT GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PERRY JOHNSON CONSIDERING SENATE BID IN BATTLEGROUND MICHIGAN

“I must admit, the corruption among leaders at the RNC during this process was appalling,” Johnson said. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the people should decide the next President of the United States, not the head of the RNC and her cronies.”

Johnson, who launched his president campaign in March, said that his time campaigning gave him “a renewed sense of hope that America’s best days are ahead.”

“The extraordinary people I’ve met and befriended across the country, especially in lowa and New Hampshire, gives me a renewed sense of hope that America’s best days are ahead,” he added. “It was the honor of a lifetime to run for America’s highest office and having my family along for the ride was a blessing impossible to describe.”

PERRY JOHNSON DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS ‘TRUMP WITHOUT THE BAGGAGE’

In the release, Johnson noted that he is suspending his campaign rather than withdrawing.

Johnson previously hinted that he may pivot to a Senate bid in Michigan. 

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

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“As you can imagine, I get inundated with calls because of the fact that Michigan has an open seat,” Johnson said. “It’s literally a seat that Republicans have not had in Michigan in a long time.”

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

Perry Johnson’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

CONCORD, N.H. — Facing questions over the durability of his Republican campaign for president, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina insists “we’re actually great moving forward.”

The super PAC aligned with Scott earlier this week canceled its massive ad blitz on behalf of the senator’s 2024 campaign.

Trust In the Mission PAC, also known as “TIM PAC,” emphasized in a memo that “we aren’t going to waste our money when the electorate isn’t focused or ready” for an alternative to former President Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination. 

And Scott’s campaign filed its July-September third quarter fundraising report, showing that it spent a lot more money than it raked in the past three months. The two developments, along with the senator’s flatlining in the polls in the crucial early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and his home state, fed a negative narrative questioning Scott’s ability to win the GOP nomination.

NO MORE MR. NICE GUY? SCOTT LASHES OUT AT BIDEN, GOP RIVALS, OVER ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

“I’m OK,” Scott emphasized when asked by Fox News Digital if his presidential campaign was in trouble. 

Scott, who took questions from reporters after filing at the Statehouse in Concord to place his name on the ballot in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation Republican presidential primary, spotlighted “two really good pieces of news.”

“Number one — I don’t control my super PAC. That’s just really good news. I can’t tell you exactly what they’re thinking over there,” the senator said.

2024 WATCH: TIM SCOTT-ALIGNED SUPER PAC PULLS THE PLUG ON AD BLITZ

Pointing to the Israel-Hamas war, which has dominated news coverage the past two weeks, Scott noted that “breaking through in this current cycle of news focused right where it should be, on Israel, is very difficult. So, if you’re going to use your resources effectively, I’m glad that they’re making the decision to use those resources as we end this year hitting the first caucus and turning their attention to the first-in-the-nation primary.”

“Better news is that from a campaign account perspective, we still have more money than any candidate in the race save Donald Trump,” Scott touted. “And so our ability to continue to move forward from my campaign, which I do control, is very strong.”

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate and a rising star in the GOP, entered the presidential race in the spring on high notes and with his campaign coffers stocked with over $20 million left over from his overwhelming re-election last November. 

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But after dishing out roughly $14 million to run ads, Scott’s cash-on-hand was down to $13.3 million at the end of last month.

Scott’s poll numbers are also edging down in the early voting states — and he stood at just 1% in the most recent Fox News national survey of the Republican race.

Asked what he needs to do moving forward — with less than three months to go until the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar — Scott pointed to retail politics, saying “the more time I spend talking to people, the better off we are.”

“I spent a disproportionate amount of my time doing my day job being in the Senate, and just recently spent more time on the road the past couple of weeks,” he explained. “I need to make sure that I continue to invest more time on the road to meet the voters and I think I’ll win them over.”

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

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley reiterated her support for Israel on Friday while also cautioning the Biden administration to “be smart” regarding Qatari mediation efforts that led to the release of two American hostages — a mother and daughter — by Hamas.

The hostages, identified as Judith and Natalie Raanan, were taken by Hamas from the Nahal Oz kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip and released “on humanitarian grounds” following Qatari intervention. 

“The second thing I’ll say to the Biden administration is don’t fall for it. This is you know, I have dealt with Qatar in terms of trying to get hostages or actually hostage bodies out of Gaza,” Haley told “America Reports” co-anchor Sandra Smith on Friday. “This is what they do. They’re trying to earn favor with the United States.”

LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL AT WAR WITH HAMAS 

At least 11 more Americans remain unaccounted for. 

Haley said Hamas is worried about a potential Israeli ground operation and that “they’re going to throw two hostages out there for one to see if they can weaken us to keep Israel from going into Gaza,” said Haley, who was wearing a sweater with the phrase, “She Who Dares Wins.”

“Who Dares Wins” is the motto of the Sayeret Matkal, an elite Israeli paratrooper unit.

“This is a time to be smart. Go in smart,” Haley said. “Don’t let this weaken us. Don’t fall for it. We’ve got 200 more hostages in there. And don’t forget what happened on Oct. 7. They want everybody to forget. We can never forget. Israel needs to stay focused, determined, and America needs to have their back.”

Haley, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under former President Trump, has been steadfast in her support for Israel since the deadly attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas. 

“Nikki proudly stands with Israel and its fight for peace,” Ken Farnaso, a spokesman for Haley, told Fox News Digital. “At the UN, she warned about Hamas and stood up for Israel — and she’ll do the same as president. We need a leader who will stand with Israel not only when it is hit, but also when it hits back.”

The Squad, a group of progressive House Democrats, continued calls Friday for a ceasefire, citing Israel’s bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The group has been heavily criticized for appearing to place the blame for the attacks on Israel. 

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“The squad acts like the terrorists,” Haley said. “Here they are, and they’re basically mimicking pro-Hamas comments. They refuse to acknowledge the bloodshed and the torture and the terrorists that have caused all of this.”

House Republicans voted via secret ballot Friday afternoon to remove Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as their speaker nominee, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

House Republicans huddled behind closed doors to figure out a path forward after Jordan lost even more support for his House speaker bid in a third-round House vote earlier Friday.

GOP lawmakers are still in disarray more than two weeks after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted.

Twenty-five Republicans voted for someone other than Jordan. Three people who had voted for Jordan in previous rounds switched their votes against him: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., and Thomas Kean, R-N.J.

JORDAN VOWS TO STAY IN SPEAKER’S RACE, SUGGESTS HOUSE MAY VOTE THROUGH WEEKEND

Molinaro told reporters ahead of the vote that he would not be supporting Jordan now.

“It is not my intention to do so today. That doesn’t mean that I’ve closed the door entirely,” Molinaro said about voting for Jordan.

EFFORT TO EMPOWER INTERIM SPEAKER MCHENRY GAINS STEAM AS JORDAN MOMENTUM STALLS

“We had hoped, and I had worked with Congressman Jordan, to try to unify the conference. We are not unified. Opposition is entrenched. There is a level of anger and violence, threats of violence that are unacceptable. The best approach is to go back into our room and try to coalesce around a conservative candidate who can lead not only our conference, but Congress.,” Molinaro said.

Fitzpatrick told reporters after the vote that he doesn’t see Jordan “getting there.”

Kean, who voted for McCarthy on Friday, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “For the past nearly three weeks, my number one priority has always been getting Congress moving again to do the work of the American people. With great respect, it has become evident that Chairman Jordan does not and will not have the votes to become Speaker.”

“It is clear we need a conservative leader to helm the conference in this crucial time,” he said.

JORDAN LOSES HIS SECOND SPEAKER VOTE AS NEARLY TWO DOZEN REPUBLICANS OPPOSE HIM

Jordan himself was projecting confidence on the way to the House GOP meeting, telling reporters, “You guys said we’re going to lose 15-30. You know, we lost of a couple, and we had a few people missing.”

Meanwhile, Jordan also appears poised to lose at least one more supporter if he goes to the floor again Friday. 

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Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who has been voting for Jordan, told reporters after the vote that he intends to vote for former President Donald Trump to be speaker in the next round — if one happens.

“We got the number two most popular Republican in our country, and we don’t want him — we, meaning collectively, us as a conference,” Nehls said. “So my fourth vote now, this is three, my fourth vote is for Donald J. Trump. I’m moving to Donald J. Trump.”

Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Kelly Phares contributed to this report

FIRST ON FOX: Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo has again rejected demands from Senate Democrats as they seek to gather information as part of their ongoing investigation into conservative Supreme Court justices, Fox News Digital has learned.

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island have sent two letters to Leo and billionaire activists in recent months summoning information regarding trips and events that Supreme Court justices have taken and participated in over the years.

On October 5, the senators sent the second letter to Leo, Harlan Crow and Robin Arkley in an attempt to strong-arm them into complying with a previous July request for details about trips involving Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

However, Leo soundly rejected their demands on Friday in a letter his attorneys sent to committee chairman Durbin, a copy of which Fox News Digital has obtained.

DC ATTORNEY GENERAL TARGETS CONSERVATIVE JUDICIAL ACTIVIST LEONARD LEO’S NETWORK: ‘POLITICALLY DRIVEN’

“We have put forward clear and detailed reasons why the Committee’s inquiry is a form of political retaliation in violation of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection component of the Due Process Clause,” Leo’s attorney, David Rivkin, wrote in the letter. “But, for the most part, the October 5 Letter ignores these points, and, since our last correspondence, the Committee has only expanded the retaliatory campaign it is mounting against Mr. Leo.”

“We also have explained at length why the Supreme Court ethics legislation the Committee has written would violate the separation of powers if enacted, and thus cannot legitimate the Committee’s inquiry,” Rivkin said. “But the October 5 Letter offers virtually nothing in the way of rebuttal, and the Committee continues to press forward with its unconstitutional bill. Across the board, the October 5 Letter tries to shield the Committee’s inquiry from our objections by simply acting as though they do not exist.”

Rivkin added that they believe the Senate Judiciary Committee “is not entitled to the personal information it seeks” and, because they have not provided “arguments to the contrary,” declined to provide the information.

The senators have requested an itemized list of gifts and payments from Leo or his linked groups dating back decades in relation to any Supreme Court justice he has associated with, as part of their investigation.

“The latest response by Leonard Leo and Republican megadonors is a defensive, dismissive refusal to inform legislative efforts to establish a code of conduct for all Supreme Court Justices,” a Durbin spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“This effort is squarely within the Committee’s jurisdiction, popular among the American people, and necessary to re-establish trust in the Supreme Court,” the spokesperson said. “So long as Chief Justice Roberts refuses to use his power to implement a code of conduct, Congress will continue to act. Chair Durbin and Senate Judiciary Democrats are considering next steps, and all options remain on the table.”

DC PROSECUTORS PROBE LIBERAL DARK MONEY NETWORK AFTER BACKLASH FOR INVESTIGATING CONSERVATIVE ORGS

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

The senators’ demands stem from ProPublica’s reporting on the travel habits of Justices Thomas and Alito, which conservatives have widely criticized by pointing out that many of the “experts” cited in the various reports have undisclosed ties to Democratic causes.

Conservatives have called out ProPublica for being primarily funded by organizations and donors who support liberal causes, including court-packing and removing conservative justices from the court.

Alito has defended himself against ProPublica’s reporting, and Leo has released a statement dismissing the idea that the fishing trip was somehow kept from the public.

“Justice Alito talked about this trip in front of dozens of journalists and over 2,000 people after being introduced by Paul Singer at a Federalist Society dinner fourteen years ago,” Leo said in a prior statement. “Nobody questioned Justice Alito’s impartiality then, or thereafter.”

TOP DEM DARK MONEY NETWORK FACES IRS COMPLAINT OVER ALLEGED SELF-ENRICHMENT OF ITS FOUNDER

Leo added that “the only thing that has changed over all these years is that ProPublica and its large pool of liberal dark money donors are having a hard time accepting the fact that they are now losing cases because there aren’t enough Justices around anymore to disregard the law and affirm their policy preferences.”

Supporters of Thomas have insisted that he has broken no laws or ethics codes. 

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

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

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

Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro pleaded guilty to a felony on Friday just as jury selection was getting underway in his trial on charges accusing him of participating in efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia.

Chesebro, who was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with violating the state’s anti-racketeering law, pleaded guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents in a last-minute deal. His plea came a day after fellow attorney Sidney Powell, who had been scheduled to go to trial alongside him, entered her own guilty plea to six misdemeanor counts.

In Chesebro’s case, he was sentenced to five years’ probation and 100 hours of community service and was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, write an apology letter to Georgia’s residents and testify truthfully at any related future trial.

FORMER TRUMP LAWYER SIDNEY POWELL PLEADS GUILTY IN GEORGIA ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

The two guilty pleas — along with a third for a bail bondsman last month — are major victories for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who obtained the indictment in August. They allow her to avoid a lengthy trial of just two defendants — which would have given those remaining a peek at her trial strategy — and to whittle down an unwieldy pool of defendants.

Chesebro, who lives in Puerto Rico, was initially charged with felony racketeering and six other counts as part of a wide-ranging scheme to keep the Republican president in power after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. The indictment alleges Chesebro coordinated and executed a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate declaring falsely that Trump won the state and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.

For prosecutors, the plea deal assures that Chesebro publicly accepts responsibility for his conduct in the case and removes the uncertainty of a trial by a jury of his peers. It also compels him to testify about communications he had with Trump’s campaign lawyers and close associates, including co-defendant Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and a Trump attorney.

Jury selection had been set to start Friday for the trial of Powell and Chesebro after each filed a demand for a speedy trial. Once Powell pleaded guilty, Chesebro had been set to continue to trial on his own.

As part of Powell’s deal, she will serve six years of probation, will be fined $6,000 and will have to write an apology letter to Georgia and its residents. She also recorded a statement for prosecutors and agreed to testify truthfully against her co-defendants at future trials.

GEORGIA TRUMP INDICTMENT: FIRST DEFENDANT WHO TOOK PLEA DEAL WANTS ‘NIGHTMARE’ OVER

A lower-profile defendant in the case, bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall, pleaded guilty last month to five misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to five years of probation and agreed to testify in further proceedings.

All of the other defendants, including Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that Chesebro unlawfully conspired with Trump and lawyers associated with his campaign to have the group of Georgia Republicans sign the false elector certificate and to submit it to various federal authorities. He also communicated with Trump campaign lawyers and Republican leaders in other swing states won by Biden to get those states to submit false slates of electors as well, prosecutors alleged.

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That included writing memos advocating for Republicans in those states to meet and cast electoral votes for Trump and providing detailed instructions for how the process should be carried out. In an email to Giuliani, he outlined strategies to disrupt and delay the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, during which electoral votes were to be certified. He wrote that those strategies were “preferable to allowing the Electoral Count Act to operate by its terms.”

President Biden gave an address from the White House’s Oval Office Thursday night, when he provided an update on two conflicts happening across the globe, including Israel’s war with Hamas and Russia’s continued fighting in Ukraine. He vowed America would not be on the sidelines of either conflict.

His brief remarks, however, were met with some criticism as Republicans and others accused him of trying to fix problems that he previously caused and attempted to use the slaughtering of Israelis and the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza to request additional funds in the Ukraine conflict.

“The shame of it all is that we wouldn’t be in this terrible position if Joe Biden hadn’t been so weak in Afghanistan, so slow in Ukraine, so pandering to Iran, and so absent from the border,” wrote Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate who is beating him in some head-to-head polls. “The world is on fire, and America needs strong new leadership to deal with it.”

Some critics called his speech “unbelievable” and “completely disgraceful.”

SEN. VANCE ACCUSES BIDEN OF USING ISRAEL’S FIGHT AGAINST HAMAS TO PUSH FOR MORE UKRAINE AID: ‘DISGUSTING’

In his Oval Office address, Biden focused on Ukraine, which included him saying he will send an “urgent budget request” to Congress on Friday “to fund America’s national security needs to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine is a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations.”

Haley emphasized Biden’s “weakness” around the globe ahead of the speech and said the blame for the current state should rest on him.

“Biden cozied up to Iran, giving it billions of dollars & easing sanctions. Biden talks a big game on Russia, but was too slow in providing Ukraine with the weapons to beat Russia quickly. Biden’s weakness on Moscow & Tehran has strengthened Beijing,” she wrote.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, who is also seeking the Republican nomination to go against Biden in 2024, posted on X, “Biden gave $6 billion to the number one state sponsor of terrorism.”

He added, “There’s no way around it.”

WATCH PRESIDENT BIDEN’S THURSDAY NIGHT ADDRESS FROM OVAL OFFICE

Scott also joined “Hannity” Thursday evening, when he further discussed President Biden’s address.

“Our ally, Israel, was bombed by a terrorist organization and tonight’s speech focused more on Ukraine than Israel,” the presidential contender said. “That’s unbelievable.”

He also said Biden should have more clearly sent a message to Iran and the consequences they would face if they continue to back terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Joe Concha, a Fox News contributor, recalled that during the speech, Biden gave himself credit for being the first U.S. president to visit Israel during a wartime.

“Biden has now twice patted himself on the back for being the first American president to go into a war zone. This speech is an absolute mess,” Concha wrote.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said Biden appeared to correlate the two global conflicts to “sell the American people” on additional aid to Ukraine, which has warred with Russia for more than 600 days.

“I think what the president did is completely disgraceful. If he wants to sell the American people on $60B more to Ukraine, he shouldn’t use dead Israeli children to do it. It was disgusting,” Vance wrote on X.

Fox News host Sean Hannity addressed the speech during his show on Thursday evening.

“I thought it was cliché,” Hannity said. “I wanted to hear more about the barbaric brutality that took place in Israel, the worst terror attack in their history. I wanted to hear more about the hostages. I wanted to hear more about the Americans killed. I wanted to hear more about what America needs to do in all this.”

Fox News’ Dana Perino said Thursday, just before Hannity, that she said she “didn’t think it was strong.”

“I actually didn’t think it was strong,” Perino said. “I prepared all day to want to love this speech. I prepared all day to want to stand up and cheer but at times I felt like a speech whose pages had been mixed up out of order.”

“I thought he didn’t spend enough time talking about the atrocities of Oct. 7,” she added. Perino applauded Biden for mentioning antisemitism but said, “he rushed that part of the speech and the next thing I know we’re talking about Ukraine.”

Republican congressional candidate JR Majewski described Biden’s speech as a “campaign ad for Trump.”

“That entire Biden speech was a campaign ad for Trump 2024,” Majeski wrote on X. “Trump never gave speeches about how badly we needed to help the world because of the wars that he caused, because he never caused these problems.”

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He added, “Joe Biden does NOT deserve another term in office. Frankly, he doesn’t deserve another day in office.”

Democrats widely lauded the speech, and Biden also received praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I thank Joe Biden for his powerful address. Together, we will not allow hatred destroy freedom, and we will not let terrorists destroy democracy,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Ukraine is grateful for all the U.S. support and its unfaltering belief that humanism, freedom, independence, and rules-based international order must always triumph.”

His address came a day after he visited Tel Aviv, where met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials in the hopes of containing the crisis in the Gaza Strip from erupting into a wider conflict.

Biden also said he would “keep American troops out of harm’s way,” and that the congressional aid package would “help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren in Israel.”

EXCLUSIVE: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced Friday a massive, “record-breaking” fundraising haul in its effort to expand the party’s narrow House majority in next year’s elections.

The Republican campaign arm dedicated to winning seats in the House of Representatives for the GOP raised $9.3 million in September, bringing the total amount raised in the third fundraising quarter to a whopping $18.5 million.

The historic haul marks the organization’s new record for an off-cycle third quarter fundraising period, and the best fundraising for the month of September in NRCC history.

POLL SHOWS TRUMP AND BIDEN NECK-AND-NECK IN 2024 ELECTION, BUT INDEPENDENT BIDS COULD CHANGE THE RACE

The NRCC reports it has $36.1 million cash on hand with just over a year remaining until the 2024 elections.

“Democrats made life more expensive and dangerous for everyday Americans – they are completely fed up with these policies, and they are desperate for relief,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson told Fox News Digital in statement. 

“The NRCC is capitalizing on this enthusiasm, sprinting to the on-year with record-breaking fundraising to grow our House majority,” he added.

‘SQUAD’ REP. TLAIB IGNORES US INTEL ABOUT GAZA HOSPITAL, SIDES WITH HAMAS OVER BIDEN ADMIN

Republicans currently hold a narrow four-seat majority in the 435 seat House with 221 seats, compared to Democrats’ 212 seats. Two seats are vacant following the resignations of one Democrat and on Republican earlier this year.

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The small majority has created ongoing problems for the party as its multiple factions seek to elect a new speaker of the House to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was removed from the post in a narrow 216-210 vote earlier this month.

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

CONCORD, N.H. — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is ramping up his pledge to confront former President Donald Trump on the Republican presidential campaign trail, though he doesn’t want to share his plans just yet.

“Get ready. That’s all I’m going to tell you,” Christie told Fox News on Thursday after he filed to place his name on the presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire, which holds the second contest in the 2024 GOP nominating calendar.

“Because if I give [Trump] and the Secret Service a tip as to where I’m going to be, it will be a lot harder for me to get to him. Remember, he’s the only guy walking around with Secret Service protection. So, that makes all of this a little more complicated. But I also was in law enforcement, so hang with me,” Christie said.

For months, Christie, who’s making his second White House run, has vowed to take down Trump on the debate stage.

CHRISTIE PLACES ALL HIS 2024 CHIPS ON THIS KEY PRIMARY STATE

Christie, who like Trump is a master of in-your-face politics, repeatedly touted that he’s got the debate chops to target Trump. The former president remains the commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination as he makes his third straight White House run, even while juggling an historic four criminal indictments, including two for his alleged attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden.

But with Trump skipping the first two GOP presidential debates and saying he won’t take the stage at next month’s third debate, Christie pledged early last month that he’d find another way to make sure that the former president is not the Republican Party’s 2024 nominee.

CHRISTIE VOWS TO ‘CONFRONT’ TRUMP IF FORMER PRESIDENT DOESN’T DEBATE

“We’ve got 100-plus days until the primary. Donald Trump and I will come face-to-face, whether it’s on a debate stage or whether it’s when he’s walking out of a building somewhere,” Christie said.

Christie placed all his chips in his campaign for president eight years ago in the Granite State. However, his campaign crashed and burned after a disappointing and distant sixth-place finish in New Hampshire, far behind Trump. Trump crushed the competition in the primary, boosting him toward the nomination and, eventually, the White House. 

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

TRUMP’S THE COMMANDING FRONTRUNNER, BUT CHECK OUT WHO’S ON THE RISE IN THE LATEST POLL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Christie kept up his verbal attacks on Trump as he took questions from reporters. 

“He’s completely full of crap, and he makes it up as he goes along,” Christie charged.

Christie also argued that the former president is “a soulless human being. He cares about no one but himself. And any New Hampshire voter who thinks he gives a damn about you, your life, your family, you’re kidding yourself. He doesn’t. So, if you think this race has been interesting up until now, I haven’t got my tank full of gas yet. He’s in for it.”

And Christie emphasized that “guys from New Jersey are used to dealing with obnoxious blowhards from New York our whole life, so we have no problem dealing with them in a presidential race.”

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, responding to Christie’s broadsides, told Fox News, “What a sad, pathetic parasite. He should really drop this fake tough guy act because everybody knows he’s a b—-.”

Christie has been the most vocal Trump critic in the still relatively large field of Republican presidential contenders. The former governor, considered one of the most effective communicators in the GOP, and the rest of his rivals remain far behind Trump.

Christie also took aim at some of his other rivals, in particular Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, charging them with what he called the “pathetic act of trying to be like him [Trump] but not be like him.”

But he saved most of his venom for multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Trump’s biggest supporter in the 2024 field.

Ramaswamy, who came under repeated attack from Christie, Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina at the first two debates, said he may skip next month’s debate in Miami.

“I’m considering my options,” he told Fox News on Wednesday after filing for the New Hampshire primary.

TRUMP MAY NOT BE THE ONLY GOP PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER TO SKIP THE THIRD DEBATE 

Asked by Fox News about Ramaswamy’s comments, Christie said, “I don’t think he liked that treatment up there. I don’t think he was used to getting pushed back on. He’s used to just shooting his mouth off and have nobody interrupt and nobody tell him he’s wrong. … If he doesn’t want to show up, I don’t think anybody will miss him.”

Christie also slammed Ramaswamy for his rival’s suggestion Thursday that the U.S. build a wall not only on the nation’s southern border with Mexico but on the northern border with Canada.

After Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire announced a new task force to help make the state’s border with Canada more secure, Ramaswamy took to social media to write, “It’s not “Build-the-Wall” anymore. It’s Build *Both* Walls. I visited the Northern & Southern Borders this month. This isn’t a technical challenge, the country that put a man on the moon can fix this. It’s a question of political will.”

Christie said it was “another dumb idea” from Ramaswamy and called his rival a “joker.”

“If he really wants to be considered a serious candidate in this race with these dumb ideas he’s putting forward, how about you guys start pressing him on it,” Christie told reporters.

Ramaswamy, responding, told Fox News, “Wake up from your slumber, Chris. This is how a bipartisan establishment created our border crisis in the first place. The number of illegal crossings at our northern border this year surpasses the last 10 years combined. Once we seal the southern border, the northern border is the next frontier, and I refuse to play from behind.”

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Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News, “I will avoid making jokes about beaches or bridges, but the gentleman from New Jersey sure talks a big game for someone who can’t even qualify for the debate stage.”

Christie has yet to reach all the polling and donor thresholds the Republican National Committee is mandating the presidential candidates meet to qualify for the third debate.

But a confident Christie told Fox News, “I will qualify, and I will be there.”

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

Former Trump attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges in a Fulton County courthouse in Georgia on Thursday.

The six charges of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties carried a recommended sentence of 6 years probation in total, as well as a $6,000 fine and an additional $2,700 restitution payment to the state. As part of her sentence, she also agreed to provide a written letter of apology to the people of Georgia and give “truthful testimony” at any future hearings and trials relating to other defendants.

Powell is one of 19 defendants charged in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ indictment in August.

Powell’s case has been handled separately from the others alongside lawyer Kenneth Chesebro. The two had petitioned the court to have their cases separated from the larger group and to be tried as individuals. Judge Scott McAfee partially granted their request but said they must be tried as a pair for the sake of a speedy trial.

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

Chesebro’s trial is scheduled to begin Friday.

The rest of the defendants include former President Donald Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis and many others.

The case is one of four criminal indictments currently leveled against Trump, with charges also arising out of New York City, Florida and Washington, D.C.

Trump himself has been busy in court in Manhattan for a civil trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is accusing Trump of fraud.

Trump has appeared in court in Manhattan for parts of the trial while also crisscrossing the country, holding speeches and rallies for his 2024 presidential campaign.

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

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

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

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Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Fox News Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Wednesday sent a letter “formally requesting” that Capitol police save security footage and arrest records from the massive House protest demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and likened the demonstration to the Jan. 6 riot. 

Greene shared on X a copy of the letter addressed to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger asking that his department “preserve all video surveillance footage, photographic evidence, police reports and arrests records from all House Office Buildings on October 18, 2023.” 

“The group that organized the insurrection, Jewish Voice for Peace, is a pro-Islamic anti-Semitic group that seeks the destruction of the state of Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League,” the letter says. In describing the demonstration as an “insurrection,” Greene echoed the verbiage used by the House Jan. 6 committee to describe the 2021 riot at the Capitol while Congress was certifying President Biden’s victory over former President Trump. 

“These actors caused elevators to be shut down, staircases and hallways to be blocked, exits to be made inaccessible, and official legislative business to be obstructed, putting Members of Congress, their staffs, and Capitol visitors at risk,” Greene said of the demonstration.

SCOTLAND OFFERS TO BECOME 1ST UK COUNTRY TO ACCEPT GAZAN REFUGEES, FACES ONLINE BACKLASH AMID ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

CC’ing Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Greene also said the Committee on House Administration “must investigate this incident and review all footage and evidence provided by Capitol Police, and the insurrectionists involved must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

Capitol police wrote on X Wednesday that “a group of protesters are demonstrating inside the Cannon Rotunda” and “demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional Buildings.” 

“Arrests in the Canon Rotunda [sic] and the rolling road closures are ongoing,” police said. “Amongst these arrests, three people have been arrested and charged with Assault on a Police Officer during processing.” Police later said the Cannon Rotunda was all clear and they were still processing all arrests.

On X, Greene also took aim at Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., calling her a “Hamas Caucus Leader” and alleging she was “leading the current insurrection on Capitol Hill.” Tlaib was seen on video speaking to protesters outside the building about a recent blast at a Gaza hospital. 

The Democratic “Squad” member has doubled down on blaming Israel for the explosion at the Christian hospital, even after President Biden said U.S. intelligence supports that the blast was likely the result of a misfired rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists.

PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS SWARM ON CAPITOL HILL, DEMAND GAZA CEASEFIRE AS POLICE ARREST PROTESTERS

“If we’re not crying something is wrong. So I’m telling you right now, President Biden, not all of America is with you on this one, and you need to wake up and understand that. We are literally watching people commit your genocide,” Tlaib told protesters. 

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“I’m writing a censure resolution for Rashida Tlaib,” Greene wrote on X. “After what she did today, I expect even Democrats will join in. She is an Israel hating America hating woman who does not represent anything America stands for.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s office for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

CONCORD, N.H. – Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie returns to New Hampshire on Thursday to formally place his name on the ballot in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the Republican presidential nominating calendar.

And for Christie, as he makes his second bid for the White House, it’s once again all about New Hampshire.

Christie, the most vocal critic of former President Donald Trump in the relatively large field of Republican White House contenders, has said that he’ll drop out of the 2024 race if he doesn’t do well in New Hampshire.

And as he campaigns in New Hampshire, Christie repeatedly warns Granite State Republicans “if Donald Trump wins here, he will be our nominee. And everything that happens after is going to be on our party and our country.” 

TIME’S UP FOR CHRISTIE ALLIES URGING DEMOCRATS IN THIS KEY PRIMARY STATE TO VOTE AGAINST TRUMP

But Christie, who’s considered one of the most effective communicators in the GOP, insists he isn’t a one-trick-pointy and argues that he has pathway for success if he performs well in New Hampshire.

“We absolutely have the infrastructure” to build on “the momentum that a win in New Hampshire will give for me. We’ll be just fine,” Christie emphasized as he spoke with reporters following an appearance last week at the New Hampshire GOP’s ‘First-in-the-Nation’ leadership summit.

CHRISTIE VOWS TO ‘CONFRONT’ TRUMP IF FORMER PRESIDENT DOESN’T DEBATE

Christie placed all his chips in his campaign for president eight years ago in the Granite State. However, his campaign crashed and burned after a disappointing and distant sixth-place finish in New Hampshire, far behind Trump, who crushed the competition in the primary, boosting him towards the nomination and eventually the White House. 

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

While he’s seen his poll numbers rise in New Hampshire, Christie – along with the rest of the field – remain miles behind Trump, who’s the commanding front-runner in the GOP nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run.

TRUMP’S THE COMMANDING FRONT-RUNNER, BUT CHECK OUT WHO’S ON THE RISE IN THE LATEST POLL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

“New Hampshire and South Carolina will be our main focus,” Christie told Fox News Digital in July. “You’ll see that’s what our travel reflects. I’m sure we’ll go to Iowa at some point, probably for a debate. But I’m going to spend my time here in New Hampshire and down in South Carolina.”

Since then, the former governor’s been making regular stops in New Hampshire, and this weekend – as his campaign touts – he’ll return to South Carolina for his second swing this cycle. But true to his word, Christie has yet to step foot in Iowa, whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the Republican nominating calendar.

While Christie’s betting heavily on New Hampshire, until last week he didn’t have any staff on the ground in the Granite State. That’s changed with the hiring of veteran Republican operative Jeff LaCourse as state director. 

A source in Christie’s inner political circle predicted that Christie will “pick up the pace” when it comes to campaign stops in New Hampshire, with more hires of personnel ahead, adding that “a lot of the folks who were involved in the 2016 campaign are back and engaged.”

Asked last week by Fox News about the lack of New Hampshire based staff until recently, Christie – who’s running a very lean overall campaign – shot back, “yeah, it’s October. We’re ready to go.”

With Christie still burdened by high unfavorable ratings among GOP primary voters due to his vocal criticism of Trump, two outside political groups backing his White House run recently sent mailers to registered Democrats in New Hampshire and ran targeted digital ads – urging those Democrats to change their voter registration in order to cast a ballot for Christie and against Trump in next year’s presidential primary.

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While Christie’s campaign wasn’t part of the push, the candidate told Fox News that “we better start expanding the Republican Party and our voters. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that as many people in New Hampshire vote as possible who care about the issues we’re talking about and want to have their voice heard and have that translate. That’s the kind of campaign we’ve got to run across the entire country for the rest of the primary, and after I’m the nominee, the kind that I’ll run there.”

“I think that whatever we can do to expand the number of people who are hearing our voices and participating in our process makes us a stronger and a better party,” Christie emphasized.

And that’s the Christie campaign’s game plan.

The campaign views the Granite State as the crucial first step, but “unlike eight years ago he has more of a national strategy in addition to doing well in New Hampshire.”

An adviser told Fox News that “if Christie does well in New Hampshire, it’s a recipe that can be recreated in a number of states that have open primary processes where you take your core support with the Republican Party, but you also amplify it with support from independents who participate in the process.”

It’s a long shot, to say the least. But Christie remains optimistic as he compares his second White House run to his 2016 presidential campaign.

“We see it at every one of our town halls that now, eight years later, people are coming in and coming up to me afterward and saying, ‘we’re with you, we’re voting for you.’ It’s a much different feeling now than it was eight years ago,” Christie emphasized. “

And pointing to his verbal attacks on Trump, he offered “I think it’s because I’m the only person in this race who’s telling the truth.”

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

Former President Trump and President Biden are running neck-and-neck in a new 2024 presidential election poll, but the data suggests an independent bid by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. could upend the race in Biden’s favor.

According to a Marist poll released Tuesday, 49% of registered voters said they would support Biden, 46% Trump and 5% remained undecided – all without Kennedy in the race.

Those numbers shifted dramatically for Trump and Biden with Kennedy running as an independent candidate, but appeared to hurt Trump’s chances for reclaiming the White House more than Biden’s odds of winning a second term.

KARI LAKE PICKS UP FIRST MAJOR ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO FLIP ARIZONA SENATE SEAT RED

The poll showed Kennedy winning 16% support among voters, Trump 37%, and Biden 44%. Just 3% were undecided.

The biggest shift with a Kennedy candidacy came from independent voters, showing a massive drop in support for Trump (49% to 34%) and Biden (43% to 33%), according to the poll. Kennedy received support from 29% of independents.

Republican support for Trump also dropped significantly from 91% to 81%, with Kennedy receiving support from 11% of GOP voters.

REPUBLICANS FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD LOUISIANA GOVERNOR SEAT IN FIRST MAJOR CONTEST AHEAD OF 2024 ELECTIONS

Biden also saw a drop in support from Democrats with Kennedy in the race, from 91% to 86%, but not as a significant a loss as Trump’s among Republicans. Kennedy received support from 9% of Democrats.

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Kennedy announced on Oct. 9 he would be running as an independent after attempting a run against Biden and fellow Democrat Marianne Williamson for the party’s presidential nomination. He ultimately made the decision after the Democratic National Committee maintained its backing of Biden and refused to hold any primary debates.

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